Corona Check-in
Stopped by CSU to see that they are getting ready to check-in students for the Fall semester. If you go HERE, you might see detailed data on Covid-19 recovery for the CSU community.
Archive for the ‘Education’ Category
CSU 2020
Monday, August 24th, 2020Plague Months, Day 30
Monday, March 30th, 2020On the Road to KilKenny, October 1992
This trip we went to Ireland and Wales with our friends Alison and Pietro. My notes say it took a long flight from Boston to London and then a short 55 minute flight to Dublin then taxi to Merrion Hall to meet our friends in the guest hallway. Note: The Merrion Hall is a former Plymouth Brethren church built by Alfred Gresham Jones and completed in 1863 that was located near Merrion Square in Dublin, Ireland. It has been reconstructed and renovated and is now a hotel but the facade has been retained. We took a taxi to Donahue’s Pub to listen to some music but left early because of all the tobacco smoke (It is 1992 after all). Spent first night in Dublin at The Merrion.
The next morning (October 12, 1992) leaving the Merrion we took a bus to the city center Dublin and to the college bookstore to get a notebook to write vacation notes. Saw also the Book of Kells, a fancy book I remember learning about in art class. Next, went on a rather long journey to get the car hire.We picked up a 4-door Toyota Carrola around 1:30 PM and raced out of town!
The above ruin was sometimes called St. David’s Castle, and sometimes called King John’s Castle, dates from about 1200. I can’t imagine anyone living there, but you can see a TV antenna sticking out from the roof. It’s in the town of Naas, where we stopped on the way to Kilkenny for food.
Got into Kilkenny about 3:30 and took a look around with a walking tour before we go to our place for the night, the Bregagh.
Killkenny was an overnight stop for us, but the town was rich in history. Apparently the Butler family dynasty originated here. Our guide told us that Michael Butler, the producer of Hair is related somehow. Michael was the famous person in Oakbrook, Illinois who I remember while growing up in nearby Villa Park. In 1993 Mr. Butler left Oakbrook for good, never to return!
After we got our things to the B&B and parked the car, we set out to the pubs for some “action”. I brought my banjo: This would be the first time for me in a pub in Ireland. It works like this: If you want all the free beer you can drink, just bring a musical instrument to an Irish pub.
The musicians hid out in the corner and were treated like royalty. We played until the place “closed” and then kept going because: Ireland. At the time, the John Cleere was a lively little pub, a nice place for the locals to gather and have a pint and listen to music. I learned that a few years after I played there they added a 100-seat theatre to the back of the pub.
Since then, it has been at the heart of every major arts festival in Kilkenny and become a cultural institution in its own right.
3148/163479, I = 1.93
Plague Months, Day 24
Tuesday, March 24th, 2020England and Wales trip in 1999
In London September 6, 1999 and spent a sleepless night at a hotel where the noise level was high with all sorts of activity all night. Sounded like there was a belly dance studio next door, then a drunk woman was screaming until someone called the police, and then workmen started pounding on something for hours until 4 a.m. We were to greet our friends Roger, Emily, and Gloria the next day, but someone nicked Gloria’s purse and she had to get to the passport office. Since Roger, Emily and Gloria would be busy most of the day, we decided to get out of town and get to the meeting place a day earlier. We took the train to Chester that morning.
We found a quiet B&B in Chester and purchased a city bus tour since we would be in town for an extra day.
Chester’s most recognisable landmark, the Eastgate is the original entrance to the Roman fortress of Deva. Chester was founded in AD 70 as the Roman fortress of Deva Victrix.
Standing next to a weird tree trunk someplace in England.
Note the extra letters in the above. We met our friends the next day in Chester and took a cab to the town of Llangollen, Wales. From there we will meet up with Dorthy and Jeremy who own a canal boat. But first we’re going to check out the town.
Valle Crucis Abbey was founded in 1201 by Madog ap Gruffydd Maelor, on the site of a temporary wooden church and was the last Cistercian monastery to be built in Wales. Roger and I saw the ruins way up on a hillside and decided we would hike up there and take a look. (Note that our corgi Duncan Madog used the name due to his Welsh heritage)
There is a canal in Llangollen and on the way back from the abbey, Roger and I took a short ride on this horse drawn canal boat, So tomorrow we start our adventure “On the Cut”.
More numbers: 778 over 54823. Index at 1.42
The Plague Months, Day 18
Wednesday, March 18th, 2020Road to Morocco, 1982
This young man did a wonderful job as our guide in Cassa, especially since we were in his country during Ramadan; We were living in Indiana at the time working at Purdue University and the local travel agent said it would be a good time to visit Morocco.
These water sales people are just for tourists, but in the background is the Koutoubia Minaret. I used the location of this minaret several times to help find my way back to the hotel.
We didn’t make many purchases in Morocco but we did hang around many of the souks or bazaars. Also in Marrakech the great square Djemaa El Fna had lots to offer.
It’s a Berber rug made by the Berber people or Amazigh, any of the descendants of the pre-Arab inhabitants of North Africa
The place is still there, but it is now called La Mamounia Palace. Back in 1982 it really was the only place to stay in Marrakech but now there are several 4 and 5 star hotels available.
“Just moments away from Jemaa el-Fnaa Square in Marrakesh, La Mamounia offers the sophisticated luxury and comfort of a five-star palace hotel. Boasting incredible views of the gardens, the Atlas Mountains and the Koutoubia Mosque, the rooms, suites and luxury suites boast all the elegance of a 5-star palace hotel, each with their own interpretation of the Moroccan art of living.”
These places were a rat’s maze of leather goods, copper pots and a place to get fitted for a djellaba, the garb the guy is wearing in the picture. On special occasions men would wear a bernousse or fez.
On the way back to West Lafayette, Indiana we pass a town called Morocco, Indiana. We couldn’t help take this picture. That’s Jeanne asking for a few Dirhams. This trip included some time in Portugal. Maybe we will have some picture from that soon.
The index today was 1.66; 108 by 6500
The Plague Months, Day 17
Tuesday, March 17th, 2020If it’s not Scottish, it’s crap!
Set upon its mighty rock, Edinburgh Castle’s strategic advantage is clear. Seeing the site’s military potential, Iron Age people built a hill fort on the rock. So far, so good, but in 1639 the castle was captured in just 30 minutes, so just saying…
Holyrood Abbey is a ruined abbey of the Canons Regular in Edinburgh, Scotland. The abbey was founded in 1128 by King David I.
Kind of like Michigan Avenue in Chicago, but lots older. The mile refers to the mile between the castle and Holyrood Palace.
“Set in a magical Scottish landscape of rivers, woodlands & enchanting pathways Melville Castle is the ideal place to escape from it all and enter into a Christmas Wonderland; a ‘home from home’ in the stunning Melville Castle. “
OK, we spent three nights in a castle. Please note that old castles will not have the usual amenities us ‘Mericans tend to expect while on vacation. Still, quite charming and fun, like camping in a solid tent.
It looks like I set the camera up for a 10 second timer shot and then ran over to the couch and tried to look ‘natural’. Jeanne looks great.
There was a wedding reception on one of the nights that we were there so we had the pipers out near the entrance to greet the parties. Note: There was a bar in the castle dungeon that seemed to never close.
I kept this bill because of the list of services offered by the hotel staff. Note that you could have rented a dog! Also, we paid 20 Scottish Pounds per night (maybe $30 US) in 1978.
We didn’t rent this dog. In 1978 we were cat people and didn’t have a dog until we got Duncan Madog. Duncan’s a good dog! Yes he is!
It’s St. Patrick’s Day and the parade has been canceled. The toll is 85 as of today, Index = 1.82.
Plague Months, Day 16
Monday, March 16th, 2020Some last minute pix from London from 1978
We now know that “EXIT” signs are forbidden in London so in order to find the way out of an underground they had to say “Way Out”. In this photo op, we see Jeanne as being Way Out and she is in fact “Minding the Gap” , another phrase we fond amusing.
As an avid collector of hats, I think this particular one that has the look of an Afghan hound most appealing. Not the typical bearskin hat, it is the one worn by the British Household Cavalry officers. I saw a complete outfit on sale for $4950.
Thomas Burberry invented weatherproof gabardine in 1879, and so the trench coat’s tale began. We would have liked to purchase a famous Burberry on our trip to London, but alas, I am wearing a Savile Row knock-off for one-fifth the price.
Early Tally, 69 to 3774, Index = 1.82
Plague Months, Day 15
Sunday, March 15th, 2020London Travel (August, 1978)
The following pictures were scanned from a collection of faded photographs:
In 1978 we were living in Oak Park in an apartment owned by a Chicago police officer who was living outside the city limits and used the building as his residence even though he lived in the western suburbs in DuPage county.
As we ‘got off the boat’ as it were, we were presented with various simple attractions to amuse us and relieve us of our newly acquired British pounds.
Did they see us coming? You bet. With monkeys no less! I think I paid 20 pounds for this picture.
“On a pedestrian street lined with gas lamps, this cosy Victorian hotel is a 2-minute walk from the Royal Opera House and 4 minutes’ walk from Covent Garden.” It’s the first place we stayed outside of North America. It’s still a hotel and they have since upgraded the front but I think they still have those red phone booths down the street.
I feel obligated to have this picture.
OK, here’s a picture of the tower. I think we may have taken a tour of this place but we’ve been to London at least six times since, I can’t tell it it was this trip.
This is one of the best museums in the world and anyone who visits London should check it out. It was called The British Museum when we were there in 1978 but that was changed in 1992.
This view has King Charles riding his horse. We fondly remember riding in a London taxi like the one on the left.
Not sure, but this may have been one of the more interesting London walks that had to do with the activities of Jack the Ripper.
Today’s Toll: 3244 cases, 61 deaths. 1.88 index.
This blog is 12 years old!
Monday, March 2nd, 2020
I forgot about this blog’s actual birthday– I think it was February 12, 2008. Here at the Creator Hub we had some students come it to build cigar box guitars. They all got to take their creations home. Looks like we will have another class this summer!
Side trip to Salem
Thursday, July 25th, 2019
Sue’s great, great, great grandfather lived near Salem, he was a Quaker and had a role in setting up this station on the “Underground Railroad” .
We made a special trip out to Salem BEFORE the hoards of bicycles came through the next day. We warned them! There would be over 20,000 riders coming through your town eating and drinking everything in sight!
On to Des Moines
Tuesday, July 23rd, 2019
We were at an Air B&B near Des Moines for two days so this allowed me to take a bike trip into town…
Oh, yes, we must visit the shrine of the Ragbrai Banjo. Because it’s there!