WHAT YOU WAITING FOR?

A series of essays.....

"Down the Rabbit Hole" Directed by Tim Burton, 2010

.....as seen through my eyes!


By: Jacqueline E. Hughes


Gwen Stefani.....What You Waiting For?.....popped-up while scrolling through YouTube music videos so, I watched it again.  It had been a  little while since seeing it last and, the storyline behind it is cute, fresh and who doesn't like a good 'Alice down the rabbit hole' theme?  It often equates to my sense of adventure.

It never fails......as humans, whenever milestones approach, we begin to reflect upon the past while viewing what might, or could, lie ahead for us.  Suddenly, the words Inspiration, Writer's Block, Creative Pathways and 'Pay Whenever You're Finished' loom large in my mind.  Adding another year, this month, to a growing list of 'Wedding Anniversaries' will do that to you! 

Did I happen to mention possible 'missed opportunities' in the above list?

Hey, listen!  There are few complaints coming from me on this one considering September has been reserved as our 'major travel month,' especially when including our Anniversary in the mix, and it has served us well throughout the years.  Couple this with the fact that traveling through Europe in September is such a beautiful and enriching experience!

Farmers Bringing In Their Grapes

In France it is harvest time.....the ritual of harvesting the grapes (The Vendanges) for another year of delicious French wines rich in the traditions of Old Family beliefs, as well as youthful and imaginative new blends sporting colorful labels on the bellies of their corked, glass bottles. 

Photo Courtesy of Domaine Rouge Bleu

It was a joy to witness the pride etched onto the farmer's faces via deep-set creases and wrinkles as they pulled their precious crop behind ancient tractors smeared with rust and bits of color.  In The Cave, the grapes are separated and/or mixed according to variety and depending upon which 'blend' each farmer or vintner is looking for.  Near the village of Sablet, a Côtés Du Rhône Villages, and our home for a week in September of 2009, the local wine is made from hand-harvested grapes.  People from all over the world flock to these areas in September to become a part of this ritual filled with spontaneous camaraderie and the pure zest for life or joie de vivre!


Kissing Balloons Over The Loire Valley

September is the perfect time to ride high up in the clouds and sail over the Loire Valley in central France like a bird taking advantage of thermal air currents and updrafts in order to prolong its flight.  Even though we tasted the crisp and fruity wines of this beautiful valley also, our thirtieth Anniversary back in 2003, took us to great heights above the vineyards and the numerous and notable châteaux of the region in the form of a hot-air balloon adventure. 

Replica of First Balloon Aircraft

The first successful, untethered manned flight in a balloon aircraft happened on November 21, 1783 in Paris, France.  Here we were, nearly 220 years later, ensconced within an oversized basket (gondola) with eleven unknown faces (including the pilot) surrounding us, gliding majestically above ancient slate roofs, cows grazing in lush, green fields and treetops so close we could pick the uppermost leaves to bring home as souvenirs!



Solitude and Tranquility

Our evening flight originated in Amboise which lies on the banks of the Loire River and is seventeen miles east of Tours.  After briefly meeting our fellow travelers, we were whisked away in a van as the balloon pilot hung out of the window brandishing a large red flag used to calculate the wind direction.  Stopping occasionally, she would hold the flag high and then direct our driver to the best spot for assembling the hot-air balloon.  Her information was instrumental in pre-guiding the pick-up vehicle to our approximate landing destination based on wind direction, as well as visually chasing our balloon's path.

What struck me most was the solitude of this flight.  Even though there were people around me and occasional bursts from the burner directing a flame into the envelope (balloon) mimicking thermal lift, we were mesmerized by the historical scenery below and the tranquility of balloon flight in general. 

When the sun began to disappear, our expert pilot landed our machine in an open field where we all became a part of 'the ground crew' gathering pools of the deflating nylon envelope in our hands.  We were all as giddy as small school children high on the vapors of pure excitement pulling together to smooth the colorful fabric, fold it into one, long strip and proceed to roll it up as if it were a gigantic sleeping bag.  Working as one unit, we could hear others speaking in German, Italian, Spanish, French, English and more, laughing and enjoying the international company of their fellow travelers.  Was this a fine example of how the people of this world could work and enjoy being together devoid of racial and religious differences?  We were proud to be a part of this moment in time....




Looking For A Spot To Land

Administering high fives amidst a cacophony of wild cheers as our job was completed, our pilot began popping champagne corks from the stash of bottles in the back of the van.  Waiting for everyone to hold their filled champagne flute aloft, a loud, magnificent cheer arose from the darkened field, now pierced by the headlights from the various assembled vans, as we toasted a perfect hot-air balloon flight together.  Each of us was presented with a signed 'certificate of achievement' commemorating our voyage and mutual respect for one another.

Last year, 2013, our September adventure included climbing Benbaun, the highest mountain in the Na Beanna Beola or, the Twelve Bens Mountains of Connemara that span the Wild Western Way along the western coast of Ireland.  This was the most physical and dangerous of all our exciting experiences to date.  However, the bounty of spectacular scenic views gathered from the summit of Benbaun was worth each and every step and rocky foothold it took to reach it!! 

Standing On Top Of The World!!!

I stated once before in an earlier blog entitled, IRELAND: 2013, Mountain, where I described our wild and crazy adventure in Connemara National Park last year, "...the pride and self-
confidence I brought down that mountain with me that day was beyond compare.  Was I humbled?  You betcha..."

The lyrics to Gwen's song, "Life is short, you're capable," reminded me of why we help hand-harvest grapes in the Rhone Valley, glide high above Châteaux Chenonceau in France's Loire Valley and climb the beautiful and rugged mountains along Ireland's Wild West Coast.......

Life is too short not to and because, well, we can!!

I can hardly wait for what is yet to come!  I love September!!

So, what are you waiting for?

Hand-Picking Grapes, Courtesy Domaine Rouge Bleu

Copyright © 2014 By Jacqueline E. Hughes
All rights reserved

THOMAS IN GALWAY CITY

 

A series of short stories.....






Irish Beautiful!!!

.....as seen through my eyes!

By: Jacqueline E. Hughes



Walking down to breakfast from our small hotel room the first full-day in Ireland last September, we were pleasantly greeted by a young man standing behind the counter.  Without a name tag or such, he introduced himself as Thomas and told us we could sit anywhere we liked.  The restaurant was a cute 'hole-in-the-wall' with Thomas greeting and serving while the cook worked alone in the small kitchen just behind him. 

It was his 'good morning' smile that caught our attention.  It wasn't fake or painted-on.....simply genuine as it radiated the kindness he held within him! 

"Good morning to ya! What might I get for you this morning?  A cup of coffee each to start with?" he asked.  "I highly recommend the fresh peach crumble not long from the oven." 

Right then, the smell of freshly baked dough, awash in the delicious aroma of cinnamon, wafted from the kitchen.  Sneaking a peek into his tiny world through a large open window at the back of the café, I watched the man dressed entirely in white extract a large tray of golden brown rolls from his ancient oven and place them aside to cool. Pivoting around 180 degrees, he immediately began kneading fresh dough in preparation for another promising delectable delight!

My Anniversary Claddagh Ring

Salivating, I looked up to watch Thomas position two cups (with saucers) of coffee in front of us.  A gentle curlicue of steam rose from each as Thomas took our food order and promised to return in a flash with more coffee as needed.  All I could think about now was the man in white timing the baking of his pastries and bread between orders of eggs over-light, rashers and toast!

"Are you from Galway, Thomas?" I asked as he deftly removed the remnants of our breakfast from the table.  Bringing us a warm square of peach crumble and two new forks, he replied, "No, I moved here six months ago from Northern Ireland where I was born and raised.  After attending University, I decided I needed a change of scenery and a bit of independence under my belt."  Then he asked us about our visit to Ireland and the motivation behind it.  We told him we were in love with Ireland, especially the West Coast, and decided to celebrate our fortieth Wedding Anniversary here.



Thomas' Notes

"No way," he said, shaking his head from side to side as a cheeky grin spread wildly across his face.  "No way!  My folks are packing in two weeks to leave for America to celebrate their fortieth Wedding Anniversary!"  He just kept staring at us in total disbelief when he eventually explained to us why they had chosen to celebrate their auspicious occasion in the States.  "After they'd been married for almost five years and saved enough money to finally enjoy a honeymoon, they flew to Chicago, rented a convertible car and followed their dreams down Route 66 all the way to California.  They've decided to repeat that memorable trip on their fortieth!"

We were blown away by this crazy revelation right along with him.  I always believed there are good reasons for people connecting and this one was a doozy!  He told us his folks live in Portstewart, a small town nestled right along the North Atlantic coast and a popular spot for golfing and taking long walks on the beach.  He encouraged us to follow the Wild Western Coast all the way up and drop-in at his parent's house to say hello, having provided us with their names and address.  If their son's open-hearted personality matched theirs in the least, we were certain that these passionate Northern Ireland parents would not only welcome us with open-arms......they would probably give us a room to stay in, as well!

Sadly, Portstewart was not on our itinerary this visit.  But, we thought about Thomas often after saying good-bye and leaving Galway for our week's stay in Oughterard near Lough Corrib to the north.

We returned to Galway City five days later to pick-up Claddagh rings we had had made by an artist in a small shop to commemorate our Irish celebration.  Strolling down William Street lined by jewelry stores, various street vendors and sandwich shops, out-of-the-blue we hear, "Mr. And Mrs. Hughes, hello there.  Hold-up!"  Turning around in confusion as to who might know us in Galway City, we see Thomas exiting a stylish sandwich shop and sporting a full apron!  Running his hands down the stiff, black material, he exclaimed, "This is my second job.  I have to pay for my keep somehow!"  We were left to wonder which dining establishment was lucky enough to have hired him for their dinner service?

"Did you make it up to Portstewart already?" he queried.  "I haven't spoken with my folks since meeting you so, I wasn't sure.  And then I saw you both walking by from the window and couldn't believe my eyes!"  Before I had a chance to reply, Thomas was giving me a huge 'bear hug' and then rapidly shaking Dan's hand.  "Not this go-around I'm sorry to say.  But, we will be back.  We never leave Ireland without, at least, sketching-out our next visit in our minds," Dan said. 



Thomas and Me

That 'good morning' smile we were introduced to on our first day in Galway magnificently reappeared across his youthful face.  "I best be getting back inside.  I just had to say 'hello' when I saw you," he explained.  With his six-feet, three-inch height towering over both of us, we were feeling like parents about to lose a child to the vast world beyond.  "Not until I have a picture of you, if that's okay with you?" I implored.  Wrapping his long arms around my shoulders, this lanky young man, genuine in all respects, smiled warmly and Dan snapped our photo together as our three shadows began to spread across the 'cobblestones of William Street' that sunny afternoon in Galway City.

Saying our good-byes now seemed to echo our early morning greetings of only a few mornings before when fate introduced us to this amazing young man.  We promise to look-up his parents one day, if only to let them know how proud we are of them, as well.....

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 Note: Wanted to update all of you on the current status of our kitchen project.  Yes, it's still ongoing with countertops promised for mid next week......  But, we keep plugging away with the little projects (installing hardware, painting shelf brackets) until voila, we have our countertops!!!  Here's a couple new pictures for you.....




See Empty Corner Where Open Shelving Will Eventually Reside?



Cute Bracket Soldiers All In A Row!!
















Copyright © 2014 By Jacqueline E. Hughes
All rights reserved