A Wanderful Life

Biking Bits of Brussels, Belgium

Deborah Harmes — Tue, 21 May 2013 07:04:25 +0000

I have long admired the European attitude to cycling within cities as both an economical and eco-conscious mode of transportation. So I wasn’t the least bit surprised to see so many references to bicycles as we travelled in Brussels, Belgium.

Can you see that small red child’s bicycle mounted on the street lamp? The sign below it indicates that you have arrived at a Point Velo Fietspunt where you can rent a bicycle or leave your own for repairs. That would be a comforting feeling to know that if you had a flat tire or your chain came off, you could just look for one of these Fietspunt signs sprinkled around the city.

Bike mounted on lamp post indicates a Point Velo Fietspunt bicycle hire or repair pick up spot in Brussels, Belgium

This poster on the window immediately below the bicycle-in-the-air shows the range of services that they offer.

Bike shop for small repairs or bicycle rentals in Brussels, Belgium

Not owning a 2nd car (and in some cases a 1st one) if you live in an urban environment with good public transportation AND a respect for cyclists when you choose that mode of travel? What a healthy and sensible way to live!

Re-Settling Into Australia: Stage One — New Wheels!

Deborah Harmes — Mon, 20 May 2013 12:02:41 +0000

My posts have been a bit thin lately because we were recovering from jet lag at the beach in Sydney, then driving from Sydney to Melbourne over a 2 day period, and now we are in the beginning stages of settling into life in Australia again.

Stage One — New Wheels. We purchased Mark’s preferred vehicle today — a Volkswagon Transporter T5. As we took the test drive, I was slightly nervous because it felt simply HUGE after the much smaller Ford Transit Connect that we had enjoyed so much in Europe. Ah well — I’ll cope. And he’ll be the one driving it 99% of the time. I’d prefer to walk, take a tram, or (perhaps!) even buy a new bike and start wheeling around whatever neighbourhood we settle into with my lovely French wicker basket on the front handlebars.

Now isn’t this the most thrilling post you have ever read from me? (smirk!)

Back soon with some travel pics and articles later in the week — really!

Sunny Shiny Sydney Beaches on Mother’s Day

Deborah Harmes — Mon, 13 May 2013 01:20:58 +0000

It’s not the kind of Mother’s Day celebrations I would have ever thought about, but apparently one of the ‘things to do’ on Mother’s Day in Sydney, Australia is to take your mother to the beach to celebrate if it’s a nice day. And Coogee Beach was a perfect example of the packed-with-people spots. The ‘Pram Brigade’ of young parents pushing children in strollers was certainly out in force!

The skies were gorgeously blue, the winds were ever-so-slightly brisk, and the temperatures were warmer than the norm. So it was a perfect day for a walk along the boardwalks and footpaths at the seaside with a hearty cafe lunch as a reward.

Danger sign on the clifftop walk to Coogee Beach in Sydney, Australia

Boardwalk along a section of Coogee Beach in Sydney, Australia

Every single bench or seat facing the ocean was filled on Mother’s Day at Coogee Beach in Sydney, Australia

Stress-Free Recovery Time in Sydney

Deborah Harmes — Sat, 11 May 2013 05:37:19 +0000

Just a quick check-in today. We arrived in Sydney yesterday after a flight from Vancouver to Auckland, a short layover in New Zealand, and then on to Sydney. And joy of joys, ALL of the luggage arrived!

My body might be here, but my brain and consciousness are not fully believing it quite yet. I think they’re still hanging out in the ether somewhere over the Pacific Ocean. Long haul flights are simply a dreadful way to travel once you are older than 20 or 30-something!

We’re staying with friends out at the beach and beginning to do online searches for the essentials beginning with a vehicle.

I’ll try to be back relatively soon with new posts — but no promises.

Time for another nap for this jet-lagged little body!

Cartoon Graphic From a Cafe With A Good Vibe

Deborah Harmes — Wed, 08 May 2013 17:07:17 +0000

Directly in the block across the street from the old Union Station in Tacoma is the Renaissance Cafe. We had some hearty salads there and this cartoon graphic was on the wall behind my son Chris. I thought I should share it. Isn’t it nice to go someplace for lunch that does NOT have wifi and people are actually eating and talking amongst themselves?

Cartoon graphic from the Renaissance Cafe in Tacoma, Washington

P.S. I am posting this from Vancouver, Canada. We are here for a mere 24 hour visit, are hoping that the good weather holds out, and we’ll be winging our way to Australia tomorrow night. If my posts are a little thin for the upcoming days, it’s because I am recovering from jet lag in Sydney!

Silly Games For Sale in the USA

Deborah Harmes — Wed, 08 May 2013 04:10:34 +0000

Taking a break from places to see and family pics in Washington State to share these two games that I spotted in a vintage goods shop inside the Freighthouse Square mini-mall in Tacoma yesterday. Seriously, I couldn’t pass these photo-ops up!

Trailer Park Wars game seen in vintage shop in the USA

Redneck Life game for sale in a vintage shop in the USA

Family Time in the USA

Deborah Harmes — Mon, 06 May 2013 02:22:37 +0000

It’s been an amazingly busy three weeks here in the USA and we are winding down to our last few days with more than a tinge of wistfulness. My sisters, Karen and Cindy, flew up to Washington State from California to come and visit with us while we were at my son Chris’s house.

The line-up below is as follows — my youngest sister Cindy, my next-youngest sister Karen, yours truly, my son Chris, and his darling wife Diane.

Family time in Tacoma, Washington with Cindy Hatton, Karen Heilbronner, Deborah Harmes, Chris Fowler, & Diane Fowler

On Friday afternoon we all went to the Pacific Science Center in Seattle. Here are some random pictures from that wonderful family-oriented museum.

My son Chris and his youngest son Ryan

My sister Karen Heilbronner helping my grandson Ian with an exhibit

My sisters Karen Heilbronner and Cindy Hatton helping my grandson Ryan with an exhibit

Ryan working with magnets and iron shavings

Mark and Diane after a wee visit to the gift shop

Stay tuned for another post with more images of this marvelous museum in Seattle!

Ever-Present Water & Volcano in Washington State

Deborah Harmes — Sat, 04 May 2013 05:00:23 +0000

Two things are an ever-present part of life in places like Tacoma and Seattle and the surrounding communities — the many and varied coastline views and the looming but lovely Mt. Rainier.

Today’s photo is of Mark and my son Chris standing at water’s edge with Mt. Rainier over their right shoulder.

Mark and my son Chris standing at water’s edge at Puget Sound with Mt. Rainier over their right shoulder.

Beautiful Bouncy Boys in Washington State

Deborah Harmes — Thu, 02 May 2013 16:51:05 +0000

Time for some more family frolics — this time in Washington State. We took a wonderful 3 and 1/2 day trip across the country on an Amtrak train — and I will have some images from that trip in an upcoming post. Now we’re in Lakewood, Washington just south of Tacoma visiting with my son Chris, his wife Diane, and their two little bouncy bundles named Ian (aged 5) and Ryan (aged 3).

All of the boys were out front the other day when it was time for Ian to head off to school. Each boy had some quick chats with Mark and then Chris walked Ian down to the bus and went on board with him. Know why? School buses have safety belts now and he was making certain that Ian was buckled in safely!

Stay tuned for more family frolics in the days ahead. As Mark said the other day, “This certainly is a different kind of travel for us.”

Mark and Ian (age 5) chatting before school

3 year old Ryan chatting with Mark on a rare & sunny Washington State day.

Chris walking Ian down to the school bus before school.

Chris on board the school bus making sure that Ian is buckled into his seatbelt

Day Out At Walden School in Louisville, Kentucky

Deborah Harmes — Wed, 01 May 2013 20:13:29 +0000

We are having the most wonderful time visiting with our family in the USA and a particularly wonderful few hours was spent at the Walden School in Louisville, Kentucky where my grandson Johnny is in the 1st grade.

Just have a peek at these classrooms and tell me if you aren’t envious of the children that get to go to school here! It’s a wonderful and nurturing environment that encourages creativity and individuality instead of expecting each child to ‘conform’ to a methodology that might not suit their specific personality or intellect. I am quite pleased that my daughter Jennifer and her husband John are able to send Johnny to this marvelous private school.

We started our visit to the school with a meal in the lunchroom. Walden School actively encourages parents and grandparents to drop in for lunch on ANY day — not just on specific or pre-defined family days. I’ve been suffering from hideous allergy problems since we arrived in the USA due to pollen that is now ‘foreign’ to my body — so that’s why my face and eyes are so puffy in this group shot below taken in Johnny’s school lunchroom.

Mark, Deborah, Johnny, and his mother Jennifer having lunch at the Walden School.

1st Grade classroom at Walden School.

The science classroom for the elementary school. Note the ‘treehouse’ area in both the main classroom and this science room where students can just get away and have some quiet time.

Another section of the science room at Walden School.

Johnny showing the koi pond filled with live fish to Mark.

A phrase that seems to encapsulate the Walden approach to their students

Johnny’s diorama showing the cheetah that he sculpted out of clay. His accompanying report gave information about cheetahs.

Johnny walking back to the classroom after lunch.

Jennifer and her little man — Johnny.