Bayreuth Germany

            A long way from being in the Middle East, I decided that my next stop on my career journey would be Germany which is infamously known for its beer, the autobahn, hiking and plenty of castles. After two months of in-processing and getting settled in, a couple of friends suggested a day outing to Bayreuth, Germany. 

About a 40-minute drive from Grafenwohr Army Base, Bayreuth is located halfway between Berlin and Munich, on the Red Main river. The thing that makes this small town so popular is its association with the German music composer Richard Wagner and the month-long festival typically held every year in July and August. During this time, Bayreuth becomes the cultural center for the music of Richard Wagner who is known for the monumental four-opera cycle "Der Ring des Nibelungen". Music connoisseurs from all over the world gather in Bayreuth for this festival that is always sold out and has a wait time of five to ten years to obtain a ticket!

Another popular venue in Bayreuth is Eremitage Park. Although it is late fall, it was easy to spend a complete afternoon in this large park with two palaces. The park is nicely maintained, and the architecture of the ancient stone buildings are beautiful. There are small lakes and fountains all throughout the park and paths wandering off in all directions just enticing you to follow them to see what is at the end! 

 

In November, a tradition in Bayreuth is having jazz concerts that are spread over multiple venues throughout the city. To check out the lineup go to www.jazz-bayreuth.de.

If you are around November 26 to December 23, Bayreuth swaps the beer for gluhwein (hot spiced wine) while hosting it very own Christmas market! The market is open every day. 
   

Bayreuth is a small town with plenty to do so before you head out, check out the website for events and times.  https://www.bayreuth.de/english/event-highlights/markets-and-festivities/.

All the best,

GMarie

24 Hours in Amman, Jordan

          I went through my archive of stories I drafted up but just didn’t get a chance to finalize and came across one of my adventures I have yet to post. While on a business trip in early 2016, and after hearing so many wonderful things about this place, I had the pleasure of visiting Amman, Jordan. Amongst being one of the most liberal and westernized places next to Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Bahrain, it is frequented by most tourists.

The group flew to Jordan on Royal Jordanian into Queen Alia International Airport. This airport definitely lived up to it name as the top three best airports in the Middle East for 2017. The terminal was extremely clean, had plenty of charging stations and reasonably comfortable seating.

About 40 minutes from the airport, in the heart of Amman, was our living accommodations for our short stay called, Arjaan by Rotana. You sort of take your changes when you select hotels online while browsing the customer comments. But for these accommodations the comments are all true. To say the least, a very luxurious hotel apartments reflecting 5-star hospitality probably far better than home itself! The hotel is within “The Boulevard” formally named Abdali Boulevard, where there is upscale shopping, pedestrian mall and plenty of restaurants and cafes to suit all pallets. 

With such a short turnaround, there was two venues I read about that I wanted to check out; Mount Nebo and the Dead Sea. There was no rest for the weary, so after changing in something more comfortable for Amman's climate, the group decided we would head to Mount Nebo first. We grabbed a couple of cabs, headed out and within an hour we arrived at Mount Nebo along with thousands of other visitors from all walks of life. Once we climbed up the steep slope, the panoramic view of Jordan and Jerusalem was breathtaking!

According to the last chapter in the book of Deuteronomy, Moses climbed Mount Nebo where the LORD revealed to him the Promised Land which would be the land that God promised to the Hebrews. Then Moses died there. There are disputes by Christians, Jews and Islamic principle whether Mount Nebo is even the same mountain referred to in Deuteronomy and the whereabouts of Moses’ grave. Also, located on Mount Nebo there is a gift shop, museum and presumed site where Moses is buried although the final resting place is said to be unknown.

          The sun was beginning to set, so we wanted to make our way to The Dead Sea which is about a 20-minute drive from Mount Nebo. The Dead Sea, devoid of life due to its extremely high content of salts and minerals, is the lowest body of water on earth. Folks from all over the world flock to this historical place which is believed to be the site of five biblical cities (i.e. Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah, Zebouin and Zoar) as well as for its therapeutic properties that relieve pain and suffering caused by arthritis, eczema, cystic fibrosis and psoriasis. This salt is so renowned, it is packaged and marketed all over the world. Seeing is believing so I removed my outer clothing down to my walking shorts and t-shirt I had underneath, slid out of my sandals and made my way to the muddy water with the flocks of others who were in attendance.

.

You cannot swim in the Dead Sea, because of the high salt content, but you can certainly stand there and soak, like I did and enjoy the beneficial properties of the water or just bring a book or newspaper and float! 

If one soaking isn’t enough, there are seaside facilities available for those that wish to spend the night at The Dead Sea which was one of the finalists for the 7 Wonders of Nature.

All the best,

GMarie

A Day On, Not a Day Off

             Today, through parades, programs and service, we celebrated the life and dream of a man who fought for equality, dignity and freedom for all social backgrounds.  We celebrate Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday as well as his life’s work involving the elimination of poverty, racism and nonviolence in America.

The former U.S Senator Harris Wofford and Atlanta Congressman John Lewis, co-authors of the King Holiday and Service Act started the Martin Luther King Day of Service which transformed the King holiday into a day of citizen action volunteerism resulting in the slogan, “A Day On, not a Day Off”.

Mrs.Coretta Scott King encouraged community service to carry on her husband’s unfinished work and to honor the legacy of Dr. King by making one’s community, country and the world a better place.

Last September, while Florida was under the siege of a category 5 storm called Hurricane Irma, I was invited by a friend to evacuate and visit Montgomery, Alabama. During my 4-day stay, I had the unique opportunity and pleasure to visit Dexter Avenue King Memorial Baptist Church where Dr. King was a full-time pastor. It was an honor to visit Dr. King's office, located in the church's basement. It is from this command post where he helped organized the infamous Montgomery Bus Boycott.  

Besides attending the annual MLK Jr. parade in St. Petersburg Florida, I performed by conscientious obligatory day of service at the Kind Mouse Productions Pantry. This wonderful organization, which is run by CEO Gina Wilkins, assists local families in transition and their hungry children. The families, who they provide with food, are those downsized by the economy and are trying to reestablish themselves. This important organization who is partnered with the Pinellas County School Board for the Jane's Pantry/HEAT program, provides nine emergency meals per week per child in a family that are homeless or on the border of becoming homeless. 

Full day, but with purpose and celebratory praises to a man whose huge life contributions have touched the lives of all walks of life.

All the best,

GMarie

Rota Spain……A Hidden Jewel

             Time as flown since returning to the United States after living and working in Saudi Arabia for over four years. I realized after coming across some old photos that I had a few more overseas adventures in me that although dated, I need to post to my blog. I also decided that all my adventures didn’t have to have taken place abroad, but I could also share some of my escapades and experiences in the Americas as well. So, after almost a two-year hiatus, I hope to regain some of my followers who have written me that they enjoyed my journey through my blog as I travelled throughout the continent of Asia and Africa. So, without further ado, here goes and I hope that you continue to follow me through GMarie’s Page.

Being a Navy vet, I was never fortunate to receive orders to Naval Station Rota which is the first and last port of call for U.S. naval vessels after leaving the Mediterranean Sea. So, it just so happens that I was able to visit through a work assignment. Though I would only be passing through this hidden treasure as a fuel stop for the C17 aircraft I was traveling on, I would have to make the best of the 36-hour layover.

Upon landing, and catching a cab to the hotel, I quickly drop of my baggage and some colleagues and I started our exploration of Rota which is in the Province of Cadiz. Rota has a population of about 30,000, and encompasses an area of approximately 32 square miles.

Rota is an ideal town to view on foot. Along our route, we came across a retired Navy Master Chief who saw us roaming in and out of side streets and offered to give us a tour of this quaint town. As we walked along the seemingly many narrow streets our gracious host informed us that Rota was his last duty station and he and his wife decided to make this their retirement home being that his wife was from Spain. He was so full of information and told us many stories of his travels throughout Spain. 

As we walked through the center of the town, we came across many interesting shops. Not too many people were around but those we did encounter were super friendly and laid back. Everyone seemed to know their neighbors, so you did see most would stop on the sidewalk to talk.  We walked to the Castilo de Luna and sat at the patio while we drank our beverages. The place had an old town medieval atmosphere. 

Though it was chilly, we did go walking along the waterfront boardwalk. The boardwalk was exploratory trail that wind through nature one minute and very close to the roaring Atlantic Ocean the next. 

As the afternoon turned into evening, Rota’s streets were swarming with folks after Siesta (around 6 or 7pm) who were on their way to the cafes and restaurants. But you really get a sense of how Rota really is after 10pm. The bars are buzzing with the locals and tourists.   

I really enjoyed the short hiatus in Rota Spain sporting it beautiful beaches in a small place but big family friendly atmosphere!

All the best,
GMarie