Now my back was completely normal. 
As I mentioned, today was to be a special day at the preschool. This was the weekend of the Dragon Boat Festival, which commemorates a Chinese poet who lived more than 2,000 years ago. It is a cultural festival as well as a public holiday. It was also Fathers’ Day weekend. Today, the children’s fathers had been invited to visit the school. In some cases, mothers attended, and in other cases, both parents, but every child had a parent present. Continue reading China, Day 20 – June 15, 2018
China, Day 19 – June 14, 2018
On Thursday, my back was much improved. We returned to the Gu’an preschool. We had no meetings that day. We discovered that Friday would be a very important day, and the staff was focused on preparing for it. Continue reading China, Day 19 – June 14, 2018
China, Day 18 – June 13, 2018
Several years ago, while trying to lift a student, I felt a pain in my lower back. That was the beginning of a problem that has popped up occasionally, for years. I always travel with my medication and heat packs, and typically, I feel better within twenty-four to forty-eight hours. During the night I felt the familiar lower back twinge, so a I applied my heat pack and took my medication immediately, hoping for the best. Continue reading China, Day 18 – June 13, 2018
China, Day 17 – June 12, 2018
T
oday we were going to the other Pleasant Preschool, which is in Langfang, about an hour from Gu’an. It is situated in a city, among rows of restaurants and businesses. In the lobby, we were greeted by Candy, a teacher at the school and our contact person with whom we had been corresponding. This school had fewer students than the one in Gu’an, so of course the staff was smaller. Candy began to take us on a tour of the school. Continue reading China, Day 17 – June 12, 2018
China, Day 16 – June 11, 2018
We awoke at 4 AM, but because we had gone to bed at 8 PM, we had eight hours of sleep and felt refreshed. We spent the early hours sending messages to family and friends. Later at the school, our breakfast was rice in broth, two buns, and a tofu/seaweed combination. The snack was cookies and yogurt. Continue reading China, Day 16 – June 11, 2018
China, Day 15 – June 10, 2018
Today, Nick and I went to the Great Wall, which is, of course, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and one of the most popular Wonders of the World. We were picked up for the drive to Beijing by Liang. Once in Beijing, William, our guide at The Summer Palace and Tienanmen Square, met us, along with his wife. They drove us to the Great Wall.
Continue reading China, Day 15 – June 10, 2018
China, Day 14 – June 9, 2018
It was Saturday. We were going on a field trip to the Temple of Heaven, a stunning collection of halls and altars to which emperors went to pray, that is surrounded by a lovely park. We were very happy that Julian and Eric were joining us. Our driver was Liang, who brought along a friend and the friend’s son. Continue reading China, Day 14 – June 9, 2018
China, Day 13 – June 8, 2018
We learned that a new intern had arrived at our residence. Like Julian, Eric was a college student who was studying Chinese. Julian and Eric traveled to and from the school on the school bus that transported about twenty children. Continue reading China, Day 13 – June 8, 2018
China, Day 12 – June 7, 2018
In the morning, we prepared our next presentation. We would show videos Nick had taken of two specialists at our school. One video is called “Miss Val Runs a Gym Class,” and the other is “Miss Veronica and the Hedgehog.” Continue reading China, Day 12 – June 7, 2018
China, Day 11 – June 6, 2018
We were picked up for breakfast at 8:30 AM. Breakfast consisted of a packet of milk, pumpkin strips, dried fruit, and a bun. We finished everything!
Yesterday we had shown the books we make using a sheet of copier paper. Today we were going to teach the teachers how to make them. Nick wanted to practice in advance, and the process came back to us easily. Continue reading China, Day 11 – June 6, 2018
China Day 10 – June 5, 2018
We were picked up at 8:10 AM and brought to our “office” at the kindergarten. Arla has tried to find things we would enjoy eating and drinking. She had asked if we would like coffee, but we aren’t coffee drinkers, so they ordered milk for us. I was touched by their efforts! It came in a plastic pouch, like Capri Sun juice drinks. The rest of our breakfast consisted of vegetables, chicken and celery, a bean paste filled bun, something we could not identify but tried nonetheless, and rice porridge. We enjoyed our meal. Our main concern was that the temperature outside was predicted to be 106° F. Continue reading China Day 10 – June 5, 2018
China, Day 9 – June 4, 2018
This would be our first day at the preschool in Gu’an! We were picked up by Yaya, a teacher at the school and our local driver. The school was a few miles from our residence, and we were met there by Arla. The school’s entrance gate is majestic and imposing! The preschool is called a kindergarten, while at home, children go to kindergarten after they finish preschool. Continue reading China, Day 9 – June 4, 2018
China, Day 8 – June 3, 2018
In the morning, the room that housed our dinner buffet the night before became the room that now housed our breakfast buffet. At home, Nick typically eats a very small breakfast (truth be told, a few pieces of chocolate). My breakfast is oatmeal in the winter, and my cousin Janet’s recipe for zucchini, flax and banana muffins in the summer. Continue reading China, Day 8 – June 3, 2018
China, Day 7 – June 2, 2018
We awoke at 4 AM and were in the hotel lobby, ready for our cab to the airport by 4:30 AM. We weren’t tired; we were excited to think about the schools we would be visiting in China! All airport procedures went smoothly. At our gate, we met a young American woman who had taken time off from her job to backpack through Southeast Asia. Our son has the same adventurous spirit, having done that a few years back. We conversed happily until boarding time. Continue reading China, Day 7 – June 2, 2018
Day 6 – June 1, 2018
This would be our final day in Hong Kong. There was so much more to see and do. However, we would have to contend with the same weather forecast as yesterday: hazy, hot and humid. We decided to stay close to our hotel by going to the Hong Kong Museum of History, which was within walking distance. Continue reading Day 6 – June 1, 2018
Day 5 – May 31, 2018
Time for breakfast, and that means dim sum. We asked the concierge for a recommendation, and he provided one, with a map. Finding our way to the restaurant was part of our adventure, even with a map. When we arrived, we were certain that this would be authentic Hong Kong food, because the menu had no English on it at all. Continue reading Day 5 – May 31, 2018
Day 4 – May 30, 2018
I always wear two watches when we travel. One is my traditional Boccia watch. It is set to the time back home. I didn’t need to reset it, because Hong Kong and Connecticut are 12 hours apart. I also wear a Fitbit. In addition to telling me the time, it keeps a record of the steps I take each day, and also of how much sleep I get. When we crossed the International Dateline and “lost” a day, the Fitbit got confused. Nick was able to straighten it out. Continue reading Day 4 – May 30, 2018
China, Day 3 – May 29, 2018
We enjoyed the breakfast that was served at our B & B, The White Swan. One of the reasons we like this B & B and its sister B & B, Golden Gate Hotel, so much is that we love chatting with the other guests. We discovered that we were the only Americans at breakfast today. Continue reading China, Day 3 – May 29, 2018
China, Day 2 – May 28, 2018
We awoke to a sunny San Francisco morning. Soon we discovered that my Fitbit charging cable had been left at home. We walked to two Walgreens stores, and then to a Target. It was at Target that we found a charging cable that fit my Fitbit.
Nicholas was taking the train to meet us on Market Street. There was a mall there that we had never entered before, but we learned that it’s one of Nicholas’ favorites, Continue reading China, Day 2 – May 28, 2018
Day 1 – Sunday, May 27, 2018
First Stop: San Francisco
Our alarm clock rang at 5 AM, and we immediately sprang into action. Nick said that a million people are in the air at any given time. I hoped they weren’t all on their way to JFK Airport, considering that this was the middle day of Memorial Day Weekend. Continue reading Day 1 – Sunday, May 27, 2018
China, 2018 – Introduction
Many of our friends and family members have heard the backstory of our China trip, but because you will need to know why we went, I’m going to repeat it. The story began in October 2017, when I accompanied Nick to his 50 year college reunion at RPI (Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute). Continue reading China, 2018 – Introduction
Portugal, a Postscript
Here is a photo slideshow, with music, of our tour of Portugal. It runs about 25 minutes.
Portugal, Day 17 – October 6, 2017
We were in our hotel lobby at 5 AM, ready for our cab to the airport. We were fortunate; a large group had to leave at 3 AM! We had an easy flight from Porto to Madrid, and the passport control line was short. From Madrid, we had a direct flight to JFK. Although the line there was long, the reentry process was problem free. Continue reading Portugal, Day 17 – October 6, 2017
Portugal, Day 16 – October 5, 2017
This was our final breakfast of the tour. I made a sandwich of ham in a croissant for myself. For dessert, I chose something we had not seen since we left Lisbon, a pastel da nata. This one was just as good as I remembered, with a flaky crust and a creamy custard filling. Continue reading Portugal, Day 16 – October 5, 2017
Portugal, Day 15 – October 4, 2017
At the breakfast buffet, there were two offerings that we had never seen before: poached eggs and watermelon juice. Everyone wished that we could stay at this hotel longer and enjoy more of its amenities, but after packing, we were back on the bus. Continue reading Portugal, Day 15 – October 4, 2017
Portugal, Day 14 – October 3, 2017
We packed and boarded the bus for a family owned farm in the Douro Valley called Santa Eufêmia, where, in addition to growing grapes for port wine, they also grow almonds, olives, and figs. We marveled at the beauty of the farmland. We were near the city of Porto, which is famous for port wine. Wine was featured in every course at lunch! Continue reading Portugal, Day 14 – October 3, 2017
Portugal, Day 13 – October 2, 2017
Nick was disappointed with the breakfast choices because there were no cakes, pies, or other desserts. He satisfied himself with scrambled eggs with bacon and a croissant. My breakfast was scrambled eggs, banana yogurt, and a Portuguese roll.
Mutiny was beginning in the ranks. Some of our companions were saying that they were getting tired of cathedrals. Surprise! There were to be no cathedrals today! Instead we went to a ceramics studio, where we observed all stages of the making of ceramic tiles. Continue reading Portugal, Day 13 – October 2, 2017
Portugal, Day 12 – October 1, 2017
Our first stop today was Batalha, famous for its Monastery of Santa Maria, considered Portugal’s finest architectural achievement. King João the First had the monastery built to give thanks after his small 
Portuguese army defeated the large Spanish army, maintaining Portuguese independence. Continue reading Portugal, Day 12 – October 1, 2017
Portugal, Day 11 – September 30, 2017
The breakfast choices at our hotel were too numerous to imagine. As for me, I chose yogurt and cold cereal. After breakfast, our bus took us to Alcobaça to to see the Monastery of Santa Maria, described as being “Cistercian Baroque-Gothic.” The Cistercians were monks who arrived in 1228 with the plan to create an abbey designed for hard work, prayer, and total silence. Inside are the tombs of Portugal’s most tragic romantic couple, Dom Pedro and Dona Inês, who met and experienced love at first sight at Dom Pedro’s wedding, which had been arranged by his father. After his wife died, Dom Pedro’s father refused to let his son marry Inês. Note that they already had four children by then.
Continue reading Portugal, Day 11 – September 30, 2017
Portugal, Day 10 – September 29, 2017
After breakfast at the hotel buffet, we were off to a family owned farm, called Rovisco Garcia. We rode through the farm’s various terrains in a specially constructed jeep, seeing the trees that produce cork, and learning how the cork is extracted. They also grow umbrella pines that produce pignoli nuts, grapes for wine and olives for olive oil on their property. Continue reading Portugal, Day 10 – September 29, 2017
Portugal, Day 9 – September 28, 2017
We were leaving Lisbon right after breakfast. From the buffet, I chose yogurt, granola, and tea. Nick, well into vacation mode, selected chocolate cake with chocolate sauce from the fountain, and a chocolate filled croissant.
We boarded the bus for the city of Évora. Being a walled city, it has a unique charm. We met our local guide, who led us on a walking tour of the city. Continue reading Portugal, Day 9 – September 28, 2017
Portugal, Day 8 – September 27, 2017
We started our day at the part of the city called Belém, which is at the waterfront. There in the early 1500s, King Manuel, who married a daughter of Ferdinand and Isabella of Spain, constructed the Monastery of Saint Jerónimos. We had a tour guide who specialized in this structure, and she pointed out many sea motifs that we might have overlooked. Vasco da Gama, the first to sail around Africa and return to Portugal with a cargo of spices, is entombed here. Continue reading Portugal, Day 8 – September 27, 2017
Portugal, Day 7 – September 26, 2017
Our group met with our tour guide after breakfast to start the day with a walk through the Alfama neighborhood, which dates back to the Visigoths from the sixth to the 8th centuries AD. Near the sea, it became the home of Lisbon’s fishermen and mariners. We walked up to São Jorge Castle, the highest point in town. We were looking forward to going to the castle because our son had told us that he enjoyed doing just that. We were not disappointed. Typically, castles are fortifications while palaces are royal residences, but the Portuguese royal family lived there for several centuries. After the royal family relocated, the castle became a military garrison. It was declared a national monument in the 20th century. Continue reading Portugal, Day 7 – September 26, 2017
Portugal, Day 6 -September 25, 2017
At breakfast, I noticed a Portugal guide book on one of the tables, and I thought perhaps Nick had put ours there. He hadn’t. It belonged to Joan, a woman who, we learned, was one of our fellow Rick Steves tourists. She was going to spend the day in Sintra, a town fifteen miles from Lisbon, as were we, so we decided to go together. Continue reading Portugal, Day 6 -September 25, 2017