Touring Belem the Viking Way

Arriving a day early to catch a cruise allows us to shake off some jetlag.  After a short nap courtesy of free early check-in, we managed to get a taste of Portugal --- mostly its wine --- before settling in for a good nights sleep at Corinthia Lisbon.

While not in the countryside, Corinthia is not in the heart of the tourist zone either, providing a quiet place to bed down.

Having set alarms on both phones before going to bed, we awakened in plenty of time for the included breakfast at Olivae Restaurant and Terrace.

Almost everyone else went inside to be closer to the food, I suppose.

Julie and I took advantage of the pleasant morning temperatures to enjoy breakfast in the gardens of the terrace both mornings in Lisbon.

Beginning with coffee and fresh fruit, we enjoyed freshly prepared eggs, bacon, artisan breads and pastries.

I was happy to find a small pecan Danish among the choices.  I have never found these tasty treats anywhere except the Yellowstone Club in Montana.

The entire meal made up from the bountiful buffet spread with eggs-prepared-to-order station was excellent.

After returning to the room to brush our teeth, we headed to the lobby to join the other thirty or so folks in our sub-group 2C.  We would do excursions with this group throughout our cruise-tour in Portugal.

Driving toward our first stop at Belem Tower, our guide Tiago --- think Diego, which is James in English --- provided interesting, knowledgeable overviews of architecture, history and local color.  We were soon convinced we were in very good hands for this tour of Belem's highlights.

As I told Julie, Tiago seemed to share my interpretation of the history of Portugal, with a few extra details.

Tiago clarified something I had misunderstood from our first visit a few years ago.  I believed Portugal had been the first country to abolish slavery, a repentance following the horrific fires and floods of 1755 that destroyed Lisbon.  Not exactly so.

The Marquis de Pombol, who emerged as the hero of that chapter in Lisbon's history, banned importing slaves into Portugal in 1761.

Incidentally, the United States Congress passed similar legislation, signed into law by our third President Thomas Jefferson in 1807.  You can see, our country wasn't too far behind the curve of societal evolution.

However, as it turned out, Portugal did not eliminate the transatlantic slave trade throughout the Portuguese Empire until 1836.  Portugal did not ban slavery until 1869.

That is actually six years after President Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation in 1863.

As an Executive Order, that could have been reversed by the next President, if pro-slavery Democrats won. 

Palácio Nacional de Belém

The United States Constitution permanently abolished slavery at the conclusion of the Civil War, in 1865.

So, the US actually abolished slavery four years before Portugal. And Great Britain abolished slavery in 1833, 32 years before our nation.

However, that does not diminish the important first steps taken by Portugal.  After millennia of human history, it was this Western Civilization leader in Portugal who set the wheels in motion to eliminate slavery.

Tiago timed our arrival at Palácio Nacional de Belém to catch the changing of the guard.

For any historical revisionists who wish to re-imagine history with the USA and Western Civilization as the bad guys, I suggest you study the real history of the world

And it was the British Empire that imposed its will on the Arab nations to abolish slavery (for the most part) when the Brits took leadership of the former Ottoman Empire in the aftermath of World War I.

The Portuguese Air Force held the honored guard positions this day.

Historically, conquering nations often enslaved the losing side as a more humane alternative to mass slaughter.  Great Britain forced the end of slavery in the conquered former Ottoman Empire.  Chattel slavery had been a constant and important part of the economy and societal structure of the Ottomans.

Yes, Islamic Arab states were prolific slavers well into the twentieth century, but somehow they get a pass from leftist Americans wearing masks who damn our country and Western Civilization using our cherished American free speech.  Obviously, they don't know history.

Blaming the United States, the Great Britain and Portugal for the evils of slavery is equivalent to blaming 21st century vegans for the popularity of hamburgers in the 1950's.

Tiago pointed out the Manueline architectural style of the Tower of Belem, including a detail we hadn't noticed previously.

The carved ropes around the balustrade signify the maritime heritage from the Age of Discovery, during which rigging played an important role.  This rope pattern symbolically secures the Tower to its mooring.  The ropes also may be represent the ties that bound together the vast Portuguese empire.

That such a small country could come to rule so much of the world --- including Brazil, which is 92 times the size of Portugal --- seems inconceivable.

It was the result of knowledge, technology and courage, of which Portugal remains justly proud. 

Our tour of Belem continued at the Maritime Museum housed in the west wing of Jerónimos Monastery.  It celebrates the navigational prowess and bravery that brought great wealth to Portugal.

Among Portugal's technological innovations was the strategic use of triangular sails that allowed sailors to use tacking maneuvers to sail into the wind rather than relying on the wind at their backs like square-sails.

Portugal refined ancient navigational skills like dead reckoning and celestial guidance to advanced levels allowing them to traverse the world.

To the bold captains, royal sponsors and financiers went the great riches of spice-trading with virtual monopolies.

They also carried other cargo, including chattel slaves.

It's hard for us in the 21st century to understand how slaves could have been considered just another product.  As mentioned above, Portugal and Western Civilization repented in the wake of the destruction of Lisbon and the ascent of the Age of Enlightenment.  Thank God! 

 

Tiago beside a map of Portuguese exploration at the Maritime Museum.

That's not to say Portugal and its Maritime Museum attempt to sweep slavery under the rug.  Then again, they don't seem to be as revisionist as our country regarding the laws, morals and customs of historical eras out of context.

They also do not whitewash atrocities committed in Crusades of all sort, including this Age of Discovery, which again is not denied.

As Tiago said, captains of ships, as well as monarchs, the Catholic Church and capitalists, could understand potential rewards of bold sea journeys, but it would have been a harder sell to convince a young man to leave his home and family to sail off the edge of the earth for paltry wages.

If you look closely, you see bedding rolled up by the rail as additional protection.
Better to have damaged bedding than to die on deck.

Regardless of whether these involuntary sailors believed the earth was round and Portuguese navigational skills were trustworthy, they knew they would face perils at sea, including storms, attacks from pirates, drowning, corporal punishment from commanders, angry natives in lands being "discovered" and blood-thirsty pirates.

Impressment (basically kid-napping) of able-bodied men in ports by "press gangs" and forcing prisoners labor on ships helped the meet their "recruiting goals."  Obviously, the assembled crew was not on par with our scrupulous military of today.  As a result, those involuntary inductees sometimes did horrible deeds, unsanctioned by superior officers.

A closer look at the map in the Maritime Museum reveals that blue arcs of Portuguese exploration focus mostly on Africa and Asia.  Portugal was less concerned with the Americas than its Iberian neighbor Spain, who fresh off the Reconquista had financed Christopher Columbus's voyages to the West Indies.

These bold Iberian countries were essentially not contested by other European powers, who were busy with their own royal concerns. To resolve territorial disputes. these two Catholic nations turned to the Pope.

This resulted in the Treaty of Tordesillas, with Spain receiving Papal blessing to the lands east of the line on the same map that cuts through the eastern side of Greenland and down through the C in "Atlantico."  

You'll note the blue line foray by Portugal into Brazil.  Portugal did not want to cede Brazil, so the line that cut through mostly the Atlantic Ocean was revised 7 1/2 degrees west to include that piece of South America.  As you see, the line mostly cuts through the Atlantic Ocean.

In today's world, a big question would be Greenland, which as a pagan country at the time would have been included in the lands deigned by the Pope to be split between Portugal and Spain.

At the time it was apparently marginally insignificant.  For Portugal, the addition of Brazil proved key.  They gleaned great treasure for centuries from this "new world" outpost. 

When Napoleon invaded Portugal in 1807, the royal family relocated to Brazil, naming Rio de Janeiro as the new capital of Portugal.

Royals are a peculiar breed of humans, aren't they?

It occurs to me that with the Catholic Church divvying up the world between Spain and Portugal, Henry VIII had far more incentive than I had previously considered in his schism to create the Church of England.

Meandering toward the exit, we learned about barges used by royalty over the decades for various purposes.

We were given free time, which we could have used to dive more deeply into Museum exhibits.

In answer to a question Julie asked before we went on the cruise, we could have left the tour group and found our own transportation to other parts of Lisbon or back to the hotel.

Julie and I wanted to see the Church of Santa Maria de Belém.  It is housed within a different part of the enormous Jeronimos Monastery.  Tiago advised us to look for the shorter line to the Church, which we would definitely save time rather than waiting in the long line for general admission.  Great advice!

The interior of the Church is beautiful.

The carved ropes of Belem Tower are continued on the Church's vaulted ceilings.

We had one other must-do on our list for our time in Belem: Pastéis de Belém.  

The Monks at Jeronimos Monastery wanted to keep their robes crisp and neat.  To accomplish that in days before dry-cleaning or canned spray starch, egg whites worked nicely.  That meant, under their waste nothing philosophy, that the chefs received a lot of extra egg yolks.

What could they do with them?

They made sweet custard tarts!  They're delicious and soon became a source of revenue.

In 1834, a government decree abolished all monasteries and took over their property.  To me this sounds very much like Henry VIII three centuries earlier.  A good deal of wealth transferred from church to state, but not this secret tart recipe.

Jeronimos Monastery ownership was transferred to a secular charity, Real Casa Pia de Lisboa.  

The Monks sold their original recipe to Pastéis de Belém, which remains in operation.

A long line coming out the door turned out to move quickly, as the dedicated takeaway counter served tarts with rapid-fire efficiency.   Tiago said the little shop now sells 30,000 tarts a day.  As Tiago quipped, selling that many tarts makes it is no longer just a bakery.  It is a gold mine. 

Similar custard tarts are sold all over Lisbon, but this shop uses the original recipe from the Monastery, sold by Monks when the Portuguese government took control Jeronimos Monastery in 1833.  They're purportedly the best.

I can say that sprinkled with the included packets of cinnamon and confectioner's sugar, they're the best I've ever had.

Did I get powdered sugar all over my shorts?  Off course, but it was worth it.

We ate our pastry on a park bench at Vasco de Gama Garden.

Speaking of that remarkable world explorer, Vasco de Gama and his crew prayed on the site of the Church we had just walked through before embarking on his successful voyage to find a sea route to India in 1498.

In 1501, King Manuel I commissioned Jeronimos Monastery to be built on that site, in celebration for the great riches the voyage had brought Portugal.

We enjoyed a pleasant stroll through the park back to our Viking tour bus.

On the drive, we passed the towering Águas Livres Aqueduct.

First proposed in 1571, construction began in 1731.

It entered operation in 1748, bringing much needed water into Lisbon.

Considered an engineering marvel, the aqueduct spans 8.8 miles. 

As testament to its exceptional engineering and workmanship, the aqueduct survived the 1755 devastation of Lisbon by earthquakes, tidal waves and fires.

We could see the other side of the aqueduct from our hotel room.

We made photo stops at scenic overviews.  You will note that in Portugal, they call their capital city Lisboa rather than Lisbon.

At one viewing point, I thought the sculpture in a fountain represented the destruction of Lisbon, but Tiago said it was a tribute to the Carnation Revolution.  "Monumento de Evocação ao 25 de Abril" in Lisbon's Parque Eduardo VII is a tribute to what is known as the April 25 Revolution, which overthrew Portugal's fascist government.

Wait.  A fascist country in Western Europe decades after World War II?

In 1926, a military coup overthrew Portugal's First Republic. An economics professor, António de Oliveira Salazar, became the Finance Minister, charged with fixing the economy.  Salazar rose to become Prime Minister in 1932.  In 1933, a new Constitution established the single-party New State (Estado Novo).

Apparently Salazar was considered to be a dictator, although he served in different government leadership positions until retiring in 1968, less than two years before he died at age 81.  Public opinion on Salazar was deeply divided, just as for Spain's Francisco Franco from the same era.  

Incidentally, the First Republic had been established in 1910 with a military coup to overthrown King Manuel II.  Their sixteen year experiment with being a democratic republic brings to mind Ben Franklin's quote about the United States being "A Republic, if you can keep it," on the final day of the US Constitutional Convention in 1787.

It is quite challenging to have rule of the people, by the people and for the people. 

After the Carnation Revolution in 1974, Portugal transitioned to become a Constitutional Republic again.

Dropped back at the hotel, we took a short rest before heading out on the free Corinthia shuttle to downtown to explore more of Lisbon on our own.

Easy Lisbon to Go

Reaching Lisbon was an easy six-hour non-stop flight from Philadelphia.  That was a big advantage for Julie and me compared to many of our new friends traveling from other parts of the country to join our cruise tour.  Their air itineraries came with at least one extra stop, surprisingly often in the wrong immediate direction.

It would've been wise to sleep through our redeye flight and wake up refreshed as we touched down in Portugal, but that was not to be the case despite skipping the complimentary late-night dinner.  Before takeoff I started watching an interesting but not exactly relaxing Chris Pratt movie called Mercy.

Wide awake, I proceeded to watch the last four episodes of Bad Monkey, Apple TV's Vince Vaughan vehicle, and the first episode of another Apple series, Acapulco.

I dozed off occasionally, but no more than 90 minutes of sleep, I would surmise.

We snaked through the immigration line for an hour.  Hopefully, when the EU institutes ETIAS, it will be as smooth as at LHR.

Upon departing baggage claim, Julie and I were greeted by our Viking River Cruise  host.  After four other Viking guests arrived took, we were led to a mini-van that shuttled us to our luxury hotel, Corinthia Lisbon.  Early check-in was available at no additional cost, so we went up to our lovely room on the 16th floor for a two-hour nap before lunch.

Online, Julie found Sabor Chinese restaurant less than a mile from our hotel.  We were soon off into the sunny afternoon for a brisk walk along busy streets to what turned out to be a modest eatery geared to the local Lisboans.

8.95 Euro for Almond Chicken seemed reasonable, especially when we realized it was a family serving.  We ordered two, plus a side of rice and two Diet Cokes.  For under 25 Euro total, it was a good substitute for Burger King, which was a couple of miles away.  We had way too much food to finish.

Later, our Viking host gave our group a quick tour of the local neighborhood, pointing out various stores and restaurants, including helpful reviews and advice on avoiding ATM fees.

Hugo recommended a new wine tasting experience offered by an Italian restaurant near our hotel, Napoli, as a new service.  We asked him to reserve spots for Julie and me at 4:45.

We met Cynthia at a bar counter inside a storefront on a side street that seems to be primarily used as wine storage for the restaurant a block away.  She said her boss liked wine so much that he always ordered too much, and this was to be one solution.

Ten tastings of Portugal's wine, including Port, for ten Euro was a fantastic deal.  Cynthia put out several snacks to have between sips.

When it turned out to be only Julie and me who took Hugo's advice to set up a tasting that first day, I would have to call it one of the best excursions deals ever.

Having already enjoyed plenty of sips, Julie passed on the Rojos offered, but she loved the Vinho Brancos.

The stars in Portugal tend to be the fortified wine for which they're famous, Port, of which there are several variations, including White Port, which is clear.

Cynthia provided friendly patter and knowledgeable comments about the wines. She spoke fluent, nuanced English --- as adeptly as well-educated Americans --- despite being a relatively recent immigrant from Africa.  Julie remembered her being from Namibia, where English is one of the primary languages.

Cynthia asked if we would like to try some of their liqueurs.  We had already imbibed plenty, but we accepted the delicious cherry liqueur, which we had actually sampled in chocolate cups and loved a few years ago in Obidos.

Back at the hotel, we had a meet and greet gathering in a large meeting room.  Wine and non-alcohol beverages were served as we learned a bit more about what to expect for our stay in Lisbon.

Ready for dinner (or actually more like lunch on Philly time zone), Julie and I decided to simply split a club sandwich ordered from room service (20 Euro) rather than going to a restaurant on this 80 degree-plus evening.

I walked down to pick up Lay's Potato Chips at a market down the street, just in case we got hungry later on.

TV selection for English-speaking programs was poor at the Corinthia.  We fell asleep relatively early, awaking fully refreshed the next morning for our full day in Lisbon, beginning with a guided tour of Belem.

Spring of 2026

When Spring finally arrived after what seemed like a long winter that began in Fall, it was not sunny on a daily basis.

It was still on the chilly side for a few days longer in the northeast.

Amy invited us to come up to Austerlitz, New York, to see their new house on the first day of Spring.  

Their sprawling house is not like Green Acres.  It is a modern colonial-style home among other manors on expansive estates.  

The long winter had stripped all the leaves from the woods, giving it that stark, bare trees beauty.

Their pond was still frozen, as were most other ponds we saw on long walks.

Amy and Lukas share their house with three roommates.  I find that comforting when Amy occasionally works remotely from up there while Lukas is at his job in New Jersey.

Topaz, who has been one of Lukas's best friends since childhood, made me delicious cappuccinos on request during our stay.  His girlfriend Olivia and Lukas's sister Rabea complete their household.

There is still plenty of additional space for guests.

For one meal, we drove to Dan's Diner, a cool railroad-car conversion just a couple of miles up the road.  While Julie and I split a burger and fries for lunch, I noted sausage that gravy boiling on the stove smelled good.  Lukas's egg platter looked delicious.

For dinner, we drove about twenty minutes on a backroad to a pub in Hillside.  Roe Jan Brewing Co looked like the restaurant in an Adam Sandler movie, Grown Ups, that I happened to watch on a plane ride a few weeks later.  Great brews and meals.

Julie and I returned to California in April, beginning in San Diego.

Landing at noon, we joined Darlene and Brooks for lunch on the harbor.

I worry that I share too many personal details in this blog about family and friends, who are private people who don't sign up to be featured in a blog post.

Suffice it to say that we enjoyed a wonderful stay with great meals, lovely walks, me playing guitar (fun for me, at least), shared movies or "Simon & Simon" re-runs on the big screen TV, stirring discussions --- Saved the world again!  You're welcome! --- and all the joy that comes with being around loved ones.

Any time we're in San Diego, it is nice to simply be in San Diego, especially with family.

While Darlene worries the city is growing too fast lately, there's still a nice chill vibe in their hometown.

Darlene prepared several great meals at home, and we also dined out sometimes.

Julie's sister Jacque and her oldest daughter Kendra came over for a walk on the harbor.  We went to lunch at the Ketch.  Great meals and micro-brews with lovely harbor views are the norm at the Ketch.

Julie and I never want to stay so long that we become like stinking fish left on the counter too long, but it always feels surprising to realize that it could possibly be time to leave already when we reach the end.

That time came as it always does, and we were sorry to leave but happy to be going to visit our son's family.

We were warmly welcomed for our stay in Santa Monica.

I'll try to avoid a laundry list of "and then we did this..."

A highlight was a trip to Duke's Malibu for lunch, where reservations scored us a great table by the window with waves crashing on the rocks, with the deep blue sea beyond that.

Outside, a sea lion became beached in the rocks along the shore.  We watched the fascinating drama of a rescue by what I think would be called marine biologists.

No, that's not Julie in the blue hat taking charge.

George Costanza was not among them, but they managed to coax the sea lion into the net so it could be hauled to safety, presumably being reintroduced into the sea upon overcoming the trauma.

Formula One Racing is a passion for Jay, Sasha and Owen.  The Long Beach Grand Prix proved to be irresistible this year.  I went to a pre-race expo at the Long Beach Convention Center a few years back on race weekend, but this was the first time for Julie and me actually being there on race day.

Jay and Sasha booked a hotel day-pass with cabana at a rooftop pool overlooking the track.  We could see the cars speed around the corner, but mostly we heard the growls of their engines as we enjoyed the pool.

At the Singapore Grand Prix a few years back, Jay proposed to Sasha while staying at a similar hotel.  How could she say no?

After a couple of hours enjoying cabana life and dunks in the pool, Jay, Sasha and Owen headed over to the track to visit the paddock, which ended up requiring race tickets.  They decided to enter as long as they were already there.

Julie and I stayed with Rory at the hotel on a picture-perfect day.

At the time we were traveling around Southern California revisiting our roots, Laszlo took his father on a special father-son trip to visit their family roots in Hungary and Slovakia.  Another trip of a lifetime!

Can there ever be too many of those?  I think not.

While Laszlo was in Europe, we were pleased to learn Amy and Lukas would be coming for a visit to celebrate the birthdays of Amy and Gina.

We had high hopes this visit might be pregnant with additional meaning.

As it turned out, it was.  Amy and Lukas are expecting a baby around Thanksgiving!  What a great early Mother's Day (and Father's Day) present!

Fresh Azaleas from our yard.

On Mother's Day, Gina, Emma and Laszlo hosted a lovely brunch on the lawn of their condo complex.

They had many tasty dishes, including baked oatmeal with blueberries, fresh fruit bowl, deviled eggs and cauliflower cheddar bake.

It was a perfect day for a walk in the nearby botanical park, more like we expect Spring to be.

Throughout the Spring, Julie and I took many hikes and walks, as usual, sometimes accompanied by family.

Julie and I returned to Gladwyne to hike.  It's a short, lovely ride away from home.  The trail features lots of shade, so ideal for warm, sunny days.

We were surprised to see ourselves of the cover of our glossy neighborhood magazine, Stroll.

The cover and a story within commemorated an outing hosted by the magazine where we enjoyed a delicious wok meal and watched some of our neighbors make candles in downtown Ardmore.

Emma's skating rink put on an entertaining Spring show.

Each of the seven girls in Emma's act took a solo, and Emma's was the most graceful and beautiful.

American Airlines and Prague invited us to attend a cocktail party and presentation announcing the initiation of non-stop flights between Philadelphia and Prague, so Julie and I rode the Mainline train into Centre City for a night on the town.

The event was held in The Union League of Philadelphia Club, a handsome building I've walked past many times wondering what it would be like inside.

It's very stately, patriotic and beautiful.  It felt like an honor to be there.

The presentations about Prague made us want to return to that lovely city.  A video featuring author Dan Brown capped the presentation.  Brown's new book, The Secret of Secrets, is another great novel featuring the symbologist/protagonist from The Da Vinci Code.  Reading the book made me want to return to Prague all the more.

Breakfast at home is always a treat.

Julie and I headed into Philly for another meal a few days later.

Prompted by a Dave Portnoy video review of Del Rossi's, we took trains to try it for lunch one day.

I had their classic Cheesesteak Sandwich, which was tasty and huge.  Outstanding seeded bread!  I took almost half of it home to have for lunch the next day.

Julie ordered a slice of pizza.  Julie didn't like the charring on the crust, which is something Portnoy loves.  It tasted great to me, because I have always liked "the burned" foods.  

As crazy as it may seem, we returned to California again in June, once again kicking off our stay in San Diego with Brooks, Darlene, BG3, Rizo and Teddy.

As usual, we did all the things we love to do with them, including feast on delicious meals like homemade Mexican food with all of the freshly cut fixings.

The main reason for our return to California in June was Owen's third birthday party.

The theme this year was Rockets, another passion Owen has developed.  Thanks Elon Musk.

We veered from the pre-sorted gift list to buy Owen a big rocket that counts down and releases steam as it blasts off.  The rocket came with a space shuttle and two little astronauts.

Owen loved it, taking it along when we went to King's Head for a celebratory dinner on his actual birthday.  On that night, Rory ate his first solid food, baked potato and sweet potato mashed up.  He has shown lots of interest in eating, especially when Jay makes hash browns for the rest of the family.  No surprise that he liked plain potato better than sweet potato.

Owen's party was held a few days earlier at Rustic Canyon Park in Pacific Palisades, where homes in the immediate vicinity had not been decimated by fire.  Before the party, Owen and I went early to hold tables.

Running off some energy, we soon found ourselves on the baseball field. Owen had been to a Dodgers-Phillies game with his parents a few days earlier, so he sat in the stands and instructed me to go on the field and play "basketball."  I knew what he meant.

There happened to be a baseball there, so I took a windup and tossed it softly at the backstop.  That was enough being a spectator.  Owen got to his feet and said now he would be the pitcher and I should stand with an invisible bat the way he demonstrated to hit the ball.

This is actually at the beach park near their house.

After playing a while, I looked at my watch and realized people might come soon, so we headed back to the table to greet early arrivals.  

Two older boys were playing soccer nearby.  Owen ran over to join them.  At first, they ignored him, but when he persistently kept after the ball despite their tricky dribbling and passes blazed past him --- which would have been sufficient to discourage most kids --- Owen stayed with it.  Eventually, the big kids let him join the game.  I've watched this same story play out in other parks and am always proud of Owen's good-natured tenacity.

Soon, the party was in full swing.  We knew before the party that baby Rory had roseola (we think) or an allergic reaction to recent vaccines, so he was to be quarantined as an "ET" at the space party, in the custody of Nana and Granddad.  So, Julie and I had a nice time holding Rory during the party, separated from all the kids and their parents.

Julie and I did not catch any diseases.  The next day, Rory's spots were gone and he was back at peak health.  Thank you, God!

The party was a big hit, with stomp rockets for all contesting to see whose would go highest.  I had a moment of fame when one got stuck in a tree and I knocked it loose on my first throw of a ball.

Lots of donuts, bagels and cupcakes were eaten that day, my friend.  The oddest thing to me was that the most popular drink among the Xer parents seemed to be Kombucha, which I find disgusting.  I was happy to have a canned Starbucks iced coffee.

On Sunday, we all waked to Palisades Park for a casual Sunday church service.  I believe it was Baha'i.  In any case, parents read books to the children and we all sang songs.  Some had attended the birthday party, too.

Sunday Children's Time at Park

When the song leader asked what song to sing, assuming it would be one from the sheet he had handed out, Owen said, "You Are My Sunshine," a song from a musical book Darlene and Brooks gave him.  It turned out to be the only song all the grandparents attending knew, and Owen led the singing with a big smile.

In the morning of Owen's birthday, we all went to his school, where Sasha read one of his favorite books.  The school made Owen's request, pancakes, for their treat that day.

That afternoon on the way to King's Head, Sasha and Paige took Owen to the arcade on the Santa Monica Pier, while I watched Rory on a bench outside, relieved by Sasha just as Rory cried, "Ma," indicated he was hungry for milk.  All of the arcade games are intended to be played by kids a few years older than Owen, but he seemed to enjoy pretending to play the machines.

Owen's favorite arcade activity based on his smile seemed to be a stationary riding toy similar to the ones I liked at Los Altos Shopping Center when I was his age. Owen preferred the red classic Chevy convertible.  The ones I liked best as a little guy were horses or emergency vehicles.  I actually loved the fresh, aromatic loaf of bread my mom would buy from the Los Altos bakery more.

On the way from home to the arcade and then back home from King's Head, Owen and I had some great races, where Owen seemed to always edge me out at the end, with the exception of one time when he took a spill but soon got up to run again.

Owen took his battery-powered BMW convertible out for a spin around the rose garden at the beach park later that evening, after we walked home from the aforementioned dinner at King's Head.  His racing around delighted lots of folks besides his family.

That week in Santa Monica, Julie and I stayed at the Sovereign Hotel.  We thoroughly enjoyed our stay, both because it had the cool feel of historic Los Angeles and because it is an easy walk from Jay and Sasha's home.

I did the standing portion of my morning exercise routines in the hotel's patio area, and the more prone portions on the rug in the lobby.

Few passed me as I exercised in the early morning, and nobody objected.

The hotel provided beach towels for the lounge chairs in their garden patio and going to the beach.  

While not a full-service resort, the hotel provided what we needed.

Julie and I took advantage of the chance to go to the sand and dip our feet in the water one day while Owen was in pre-school.

We met Jay at a nice beach cafe for a delectable lunch on the sand.

Lunch on the Sand

Upon returning home, we were soon off to Gina and Laszlo's home to celebrate granddaughter Emma's 16th birthday.

Laszlo's parents Ria and Z joined us, and we had a nice visit over the weekend, including games of Tripoley and singing a few Paul Simon songs with my guitar backing.

My guess is Emma was more looking forward to going shopping with her friends at Suburban Square to celebrate as teens.

Life continued in California after we left.  Jay and Sasha went to the Budweiser sponsored kick-off party for the World Cup on the Santa Monica Pier on the evening we flew home.  They said that was a terrific event.

Then, a couple of days later, they went to a concert starring Sasha's all-time favorite Beatle, Ringo Starr.

Yes, that is Ringo next to Jay's boss and Jay in front.

It pays to work in the music industry!

Summer soon arrived in Philly, and within a week, the heat made that obvious.