WINE DINE & TRAVEL MAGAZINE ISSUE 2 2016 issue

WINE DINE& 

TRAVEL 

VOL 3 ISSUE 2 | 2016 

NORWEGIAN FREIGHTER CRUISE 

IN SEARCH OF HOBBITS 

ADVENTURE IN MAGICAL MUNSTER 

CRUISING THE “KING” RIVER IN EUROPE 

Wine Dine & Travel 2016 1

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2 Wine Dine & Travel 2016

COVER PHOTO 

COVER PHOTO: In search of Hobbits in beatiful New Zealand we stumbled across Bilbo Baggin’s Hobbit hole home. Unfortunately he wasn’t 

home. Taken with Olympus EM-1 with 12-40 mm 2.8 Pro lens. ~ Ron James 

NEXT EDITION : CRUISE SPECIAL 

ROME TO DUBAI ADVENTURE ON THE BEAUTIFUL AZAMARA 

JOURNEY + A CRUISER’S WINING AND DINING GUIDE. 


Plunge Winery Tours take you to the heart and soul of the Mornington 

Peninsula with local knowledge that seeks out the finest makers and 

producers and the rich bounty this stunning region has to offer 

4 Wine Dine & Travel 2016 

www.mpplunge.com.au

RON JAMES 

publisher/executive editor 

EDITOR’S NOTE 

THE PAIN OF GETTING THERE 

It used to be – a long, long time ago – that getting to your destination was fun. Still is –if 

you count road trips in the family car – although my co-publisher would argue that point. 

Cruise ships and trains can be pleasurable modes of transport to and from destinations as 

well. Road trips, cruising and rail aside, when you travel the globe frequently, as many of 

our readers do, you have to fly. And frankly, flying today pretty much sucks. 

Once upon a time, flying was special. You dressed up, sometimes in a suit bought just for the 

occasion. Stewardesses, looking like beauty pageant contestants, were smiling and gracious. 

Seats were spacious and comfortable, with lots of room to tilt your seat back without causing a 

fist fight with the big guy behind you. Even the food was decent -- in first class it was excellent. 

Those were the golden days of flying – except for the smoking of course – but we didn’t know 

better at the time. Can you imagine ashtrays on a plane today? 

Ron James is the "wine, food and travel guy." He 

is a nationally award-winning print and online 

journalist, graphic designer., television producer 

and radio personality. The native Californian's nationally 

syndicated wine and food columns have 

appeared in newspapers and magazines around 

the world. He is passionate about great wine and 

food and enthusiastically enjoys them every day! 

MARY JAMES 

publisher/editor 

And there are some airlines that still 

seem to care for their customers 

and their comfort, including Japan 

Air and Turkish Airlines, two I’ve 

flown recently. Southwest is at least 

consistent with its offerings which 

still include some snacks. 

But most airlines, especially US carriers, 

offer passengers nothing but 

pain - a pain in the wallet, body and 

palate. American Airlines and even 

United used to be two of the best 

but now are less than mediocre with 

uncomfortable seating and more 

often than not, surly attendants. 

Don’t get me started on Frontier; 

they are the worst in almost every 

way. Oddly enough, their counter 

staff and attendants seem friendly enough. 

It wasn’t so long ago that full meals and snacks were served on cross-country flights. Today, 

airlines have turned their domestic and sometimes international in-flight food service into a 

significant profit stream. Attendants now push snack carts up and down the aisle taking just 

credit and debit cards – no cash allowed. 

We also pay through nose for just a little more leg room and for early boarding in hopes there 

still room in the overhead to stow your bags. Pillows and blankets are extra – even sitting 

together with your family can cost you. Baggage fees are a whole horror story on their own. 

Mary Hellman James is an award-winning 

San Diego journalist and editor. After 

a 29-year-career with the San Diego 

Union-Tribune, she currently is a freelance 

garden writer and a columnist for San Diego 

Home-Garden/Lifestyles magazine. Mary and 

her husband, Ron James, travel extensively. 

Upcoming in October is a global adventure 

that will take us from Rome to Dubai 

through the Suez Canal and from England to 

New England by sea. 

I could be somewhat sympathetic about their tightfisted ways if fuel prices were still sky high, 

but they’re at historical lows. Now, it’s all about corporate greed and bean counters who never 

fly economy. If I were King, I would make all airline executives and plane designers to do an 

international flight in coach at least once a week for a full year. I bet service and comfort would 

improve quickly and significantly. 

Rant over. 

Have safe travels and we wish you the best of window and aisle seats . 

Ron & Mary 


REGULAR CONTRIBUTORS 

Alison DaRosa 

Alison DaRosa is a six-time winner of the Lowell Thomas Gold Award for travel writing, the most prestigious prize in 

travel journalism. She served 15 years as Travel Editor of the San Diego Union-Tribune and was the award-winning 

editor of the San Diego News Network Travel Page. She created San Diego Essential Guide, a highly rated travel app 

for mobile devices. Alison writes a monthly Travel Deals column for the San Diego Union-Tribune and is a regular 

freelance contributor to the travel sections of the Los Angeles Times, USA Today and AOL Travel. 

Sharon Whitley Larsen 

Sharon Whitley Larsen’s work has appeared in numerous publications, including Los Angeles Times Magazine, U-T 

San Diego, Reader’s Digest (and 19 international editions), Creators Syndicate, and several “Chicken Soup for the 

Soul” editions. Although she enjoys writing essays, op-ed, and people features, her favorite topic is travel (favorite 

destination London). She’s been lucky to attend a private evening champagne reception in Buckingham Palace 

to celebrate Queen Elizabeth II’s Diamond Jubilee, to dine with best-selling author Diana Gabaldon in the Scottish 

Highlands, and hike with a barefoot Aborigine in the Australian Outback. Exploring sites from exotic travels in the 

Arctic Circle to ritzy Rio, with passport in hand, she’s always ready for the next adventure! 

Carl H. Larsen 

Carl H. Larsen is a veteran journalist based in San Diego. He now focuses on travel writing, and is summoned to pull 

out his notebook whenever there’s the plaintive cry of a steam locomotive nearby. In San Diego, he is a collegeextension 

instructor who has led courses on the Titanic and the popular TV series “Downton Abbey.” 

Maribeth Mellin 

Maribeth Mellin is an award-winning journalist whose travel articles have appeared in Endless Vacation Magazine, 

U-T San Diego and Dallas Morning News among others. She also travels and writes for several websites including 

CNN Travel, Concierge.com and Zagat, and has authored travel books on Peru, Argentina, Costa Rica, Mexico, 

Hawaii and California. Though known as a Mexico pro, Maribeth has written about every continent and was especially 

thrilled by the ice, air and penguins in Antarctica. 

Judy Garrison 

Judy is the editor of Georgia Connector Magazine and Peach State Publications as well as a freelance writer/ 

photographer/traveler for national/international publications including Deep South Magazine, Interval Magazine, 

Simply Buckhead, US Airways Magazine, Southern Hospitality Traveler and has a bi-monthly blog in Blue Ridge 

Country’s online edition. Her first book, North Georgia Moonshine: A History of the Lovells and other Liquor Makers, 

is available at Amazon.com. She and Len own Seeing Southern,L.L.C., a documentary photography company. 

Priscilla Lister 

Priscilla Lister is a longtime journalist in her native San Diego. She has covered many subjects over the years, but 

travel is her favorite. Her work, including photography, has appeared in the San Diego Union-Tribune, Los Angeles 

Times, Alaska Airlines’ magazine and numerous other publications throughout the U.S. and Canada. She is the author 

of “Take a Hike: San Diego County,” a comprehensive hiking guide to 260 trails in amazing San Diego County. 

But when the distant road beckons, she can’t wait to pack her bags. 

Robert Whitley 

Robert Whitley writes the syndicated “Wine Talk” column for Creators Syndicate and is publisher of the online wine 

magazine, Wine Review Online. Whitley frequently serves as a judge at wine competitions around the world, including 

Concours Mondial de Bruxelles, Sunset Magazine International and the Dallas Morning News TexSom wine 

competitions. Robert also operates four major international wine competitions in San Diego: Critics Challenge, 

Winemaker Challenge, Sommelier Challenge and the San Diego International. 

Jody Jaffe & John Muncie 

Jody and John are the co-authors of the novels, “Thief of Words,” and “Shenandoah Summer,” published by Warner 

Books. John was feature editor of the San Diego Union-Tribune, arts editor of The Baltimore Sun and writer-editor-columnist 

for the travel department of The Los Angeles Times. His travel articles have been published in many major newspapers; 

he's a Lowell Thomas award-winner. Jody is the author of "Horse of a Different Killer,"'Chestnut Mare, Beware," 

and "In Colt Blood,” As a journalist at the Charlotte Observer, she was on a team that won the Pulitzer Prize. Her articles 

have been published in many newspapers and magazines including The New York Times and The Los Angeles Times. 

They live on a farm in Lexington, Va., with eleven horses, three cats and an explosion of stink bugs. 


WINE DINE& 

PUBLISHERS 

Ron & Mary James 

EXECUTIVE EDITOR /ART DIRECTOR 

Ron James 

EDITOR 

Mary James 

STAFF WRITERS 

Alison DaRosa 

Priscilla Lister 

John Muncie 

Jody Jaffe 

COLUMNISTS 

Amy Laughinghouse 

Robert Whitley 

Susan McBeth 

FEATURE WRITERS 

Sharon Whitley Larsen 

Carl Larsen 

Maribeth Mellin 

Amy Laughinghouse 

Joanne DiBona 

Judy Garrison 

WINEDINEANDTRAVEL.COM 

CONTACT 

editor@winedineandtravel.com 

WDT respects the intellectual property rights of others, and we ask that our readers do the same. We have 

adopted a policy in accordance with the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (“DMCA”) and other applicable laws. 

This is a little girl enjoying a Vietnamese something on the deck 

of her houseboat in a floating village in Halong Bay. She is looking 

forward to seeing her picture in Wine Dine & Travel Magazine. 

Photo by Ron James 

Wine Dine & Travel Magazine is a Wine Country Interactive Inc. publication @ 2016 


INSIDE WDT 

12 


when my wife Mary and I were planning shore excursions 

for an upcoming Celebrity cruise around New Zealand 

12Recently 

and Australia, she asked if I would be interested in visiting a 

place called Hobbiton while we were in port at Tauranga, New 

Zealand. “If it has Hobbit’s associated with it, you’re damned 

right I do!” And we did. 

NORTHERN DELIGHTS 

no guarantee when or where nature will trip the light 

26There’s 

fantastic, but chances of seeing the elusive solar-powered 

cosmic light show are best in the wintry Arctic wilderness. 

That’s why I found myself on a Norwegian freighter cruise, 

deep in the Arctic Circle, in the dead of winter. The dancing 

lights were even more dazzling than I’d imagined. 

EUROPE’S KING RIVER 

had all chosen this winter adventure down the Rhine, 

38We 

Germany’s longest river and the second-longest, next to the 

Danube, in Central and Western Europe, to shop at the many 

different Christmas markets. These wintertime crafts and food 

festivals originated in this region of Europe and fans of the 

holiday will find more collectible keepsakes than they ever 

imagined. 

30 

46 

26 


38

ENCHANTED IRELAND 

the first twenty-four hours of 

50Within 

landing in Dublin, we are welcomed by no 

less than five rainbows in as many hours. 

We are amazed, inspired and intrigued. We 

then reminded ourselves to remember the 

legendary pot of gold at each rainbow’s 

base. We will keep our eyes wide open for 

each pot of gold. 

ROSTOCK REMEMBERS 

the dark and dingy prison on a 

cloudless day, I needed to shake off some 

56Leaving 

of the depression by taking a short train 

ride to Warnemunde, Rostock’s beachfront 

resort on the Baltic Sea. The quaint seafront 

town is known to thousands of travelers. 

MÜNSTER 

With some 60,000 university students— 

one-fifth of the town--Münster, situated on 

60MAGICAL 

the River Aa, is a youthful, energetic city of 

culture, with over 30 museums (including 

the popular Pablo Picasso Museum), and 

sculpture by international artists. 

AHHSOME SPA 

With just 40 rooms, Lake Austin Spa Resort 

68ONE 

is a boutique version of its all-inclusive 

glass and stone mega-cousins. And that’s 

just one of the differences. This is a place to 

be pampered and coddled; a place where 

you come to slow down. 

50 

77KITCHENS OF THE GREAT MIDWEST 

During a childhood shaken by tragedy and 

poverty, young Eva Thorvald meticulously 

tends to the plants she secretly grows in 

her bedroom closet until they reach maximum 

potency, at which time she harvests 

them for, well, “recreational” purposes. 

60 

88 





J.R.R. Tolkien’s Shire from The Hobbit & Lord of the Rings lives 

| STORY & PHOTOGRAPHY BY RON JAMES | 

Recently when my wife Mary and I were planning shore 

excursions for an upcoming Celebrity cruise around New 

Zealand and Australia, she asked if I would be interested 

in visiting a place called Hobbiton while we were in port 

at Tauranga, New Zealand. I said I had never heard of it. “It’s the set 

where Peter Jackson filmed the Shire scenes from the Hobbit and 

Lord of the Rings movies,” she explained, holding up her iPad with a 

photo of a Hobbit home. 

That got my attention. I’m a huge fan of J.R.R Tolkien’s books and 

Jackson’s movies about them. But Hobbiton was news to me. With a 

couple clicks, we added a visit to our ever-growing itinerary Down 

Under. 


A few weeks later in Tauranga, we joined about dozen cruisers 

aboard a mini-bus bound for Hobbiton. Most of our fellow passengers 

became fans of the Hobbit more than a half century earlier, decades 

after it was published in 1937. The bus ride was nearly two 

hours, but viewing the amazing New Zealand countryside kept us 

occupied through the journey. As our bus unloaded us at the staging 

area, The Shire’s Rest with its café, gift shop and restrooms, it was 

obvious that the movie had forged ardent new fans from every generation. 

Tours sell out quickly during the New Zealand summer season, 

so reservations are highly recommended. We had just enough time 

to refresh before we were herded into a Hobbiton bus and introduced 

our young New Zealand guide who would lead us through the Shire. 



The visit is basically a guided walking tour through 

the set of the Shire, which, while not strenuous, involves 

a bit of a hike up and down hills with frequent 

stops at each Hobbit hole and key scene locations. 

Be sure and wear good walking shoes, high-heels 

definitely not recommended. We didn’t see any baby 

strollers or wheelchairs, so check the website if you 

have walking issues. The bus dropped us off in a parking 

lot surrounded by farmland with one side walled 

off by a small forest of trees and shrubs. We were led 

along a dirt path and through an opening where a 14- 

acre magical world appeared before our eyes. 

For as far as we could see, the Shire’s green hills

and valleys were dotted with 37 Hobbit 

houses, storybook gardens, and connecting 

narrow dirt paths. This was not Disneyland. 

There were no costumed characters roaming 

around or Magic Kingdom music being 

piped in from hidden speakers. We were in 

the Shire, just like the movie, only the Hobbits 

(and film crew) were away. 

Our affable guide took us from one wonderfully 

detailed home to another and began 

to tell the tale of Hobbiton. Even though the 

tours were time limited, our group didn’t 

feel rushed and we accommodated those 

who had to take their time climbing or descending 

a hill. The Hobbit houses looked 

inviting but were all false fronts with no 

interior except Bilbo’s hole where you could 

open the door into a small room cut out of 

the hill. 

We stopped at almost every Hobbit 

house where the guide would add a little tidbit 

of trivia about the movie or the set. There 

was plenty of opportunity to take pictures of 

each other and the group in front of our favorite 

movie Hobbit houses. It was the stuff 

of a fantasy – a story of a relatively prosperous 

Top: Martin Freeman plays Bilbo Baggins 

(pictured) in the film. He makes a humble hero 

out of the unadventurous hobbit plucked out 

of obscurity. Photos on this page courtesy 

New Line Cinema. 


farm family tending 13,500 sheep and around 

400 cattle, suddenly thrust into a storybook that 

dramatically changed their lives and fortunes. 

The story began on normal Saturday afternoon 

in 1998 on the Alexander family farm 

near Matamata, New Zealand, when there was 

a knock on the door by a “fairy godfather.” The 

stranger happened to be a film location scout for 

Sir Peter Jackson who would be directing The 

Lord of the Rings Trilogy. Jackson had spotted 

the farm during and aerial search of film sites. 

The Alexander sheep and beef farm in the 

bucolic rolling hills of the Waikato region fit 

perfectly with Jackson’s vision for the “Shire.” 

There was a large established pine tree, later renamed 

“the party tree,” ideally placed in front of 

the lake. The surrounding farmland was free of 

highways, modern buildings and power lines 

making it perfect for Hobbit homes. 

The Alexanders’ and Jackson came to an 

agreement and set construction began in 


1999. Jackson convinced the New Zealand 

Army to bring in bulldozers to build the road 

to the set and contour the rolling hills into 

the Hobbit village. Jackson didn’t build with 

sequels in mind, so the Hobbit houses were 

constructed from untreated timber and Styrofoam. 

When shooting began in December, 

the set was truly a little village. At its peak, 

400 people were working on site, including 

Jackson, and actors Sir Ian McKellen (Gandalf), 

Elijah Wood (Frodo), Sir Ian Holm 

(Bilbo), Sean Astin (Sam), Billy Boyd (Pippin) 

and Dominic Monaghan (Merry). 

The first daily two-hour tours began in 

Panorama of the Shire with the Party Tree in 

the center and the Green Dragon Inn with its 

thatched roofs in the background. You can see 

the tour groups are well spaced out as they follow 

their guides along the paths. 


Photos from The Martian. Courtesy of Twentieth Century Fox 

December 2002 led by Russell Alexander 

who assumed the responsibly of running 

tours while his brother Craig and father Ian 

ran the farm. “I think it was basically the 

day after the premiere of The Fellowship of 

the Ring… I made contact with New Line 

Cinema in America, and I think that took 

me eight months to get their approval to do 

what we are doing today in tours,” said Alexander 

in a recent interview. 

Even before the first movie was released 

the set had deteriorated and most of it was 

torn down. The early tours left a lot to the 

mind’s eye as visitors hiked through the 

village pockmarked with the empty Hobbit 

holes along winding paths where the occasional 

story board told tales of the early filming. 

When Jackson got the green light for The 

Hobbit Trilogy, he arranged with the Alexander 

family to rebuild the Shire set. But 

this time, with dramatically upgraded tours 

in mind, the farm family insisted the set be 

built to last. Jackson agreed. 

Rebuilding got underway in 2011 and 

this time they did it right: Gardeners and 

artisans created an idyllic 17th-century English 

countryside complete with hedge rows, 

orchards, bountiful gardens, lichen-covered 

fences and well used paths. “I knew Hobbiton 

needed to be warm, comfortable and feel 

lived in,” wrote Jackson “By letting the weeds 

grow through the cracks and establishing 

barberry hedges and little gardens a year before 

filming, we ended up with an incredibly 

real place, not just a film set.” 


Top: One of the 37 Hobbit holes, 

this blue door beauty shows the 

detail the artisans and gardeners 

put into their work in Hobbinton. 

Top right: Mary James sits on 

a Hobbit size bench in front of 

one of the smaller Hobbit holes. 

Right: A tour group stops for a 

photo opportunity. 



Top: Near the center of the Shire is the large 

communal garden full of out sized fruits and 

vegetables. Right: Hobbit hole with yellow 

door and chimney peeking from out of the turf.

Skilled craftsmen were brought in to 

build the new Hobbit holes, fences and create 

authentic looking handmade pots, wood 

piles, clotheslines and chopping blocks 

complete with axes. The bricks used in the 

chimneys and houses were made on site. To 

patina fences and facades, workers applied 

a vinegar and yogurt mixture to encourage 

lichen growth. The village garden burst with 

plump vegetables and flowers. 

A 26-ton oak tree overlooking Bilbo’s 

home was cut down and brought in from a 

local farm. Each branch had been cut and 

numbered so the tree could be bolted back 

together on top of the Hobbit hole. Thousands 

of artificial leaves were imported from 

Taiwan and individually wired onto the dead 

tree to bring it to life for the film. When he 

saw the finished tree, Jackson didn’t like the 

color of the leaves and had each leaf repainted 

by hand to get the look right. Shire 2.0 

took two years to complete. 

“When the tourists come here they don’t 

quite know what to expect,” said Russell in 

a recent interview. “They have no idea how 

big it is, and the detail - I suppose for want of 

a better word - it actually blows them away, 

what’s involved in making a major movie.” 

Our group of walked down the path from 

Bilbo Baggin’s house to the Village Green 

anchored by the party tree where several 

scenes from the books and the movies took 

place. Bilbo had his farewell Birthday Party 

speech her with and lanterns were hung in 

its branches before leaving the Shire on his 

quest. And here is where they found the tree 


cut down on their return. Fortunately for us 

the tree was alive and well and made a great 

backdrop for more photos. 

At the end of tour, we were escorted to 

The Green Dragon Inn, a replica of the Inn 

featured in the Lord of the Rings and Hobbit 

trilogies and the last new addition to Hobbiton. 

Over 60 craftsmen created a true old 

world English pub with hand-carved doors, 

windows and beams. Thatch on the pub 

and nearby mill roofs was cut from rushes 

around the Alexander farm. 

We had mugs of complimentary apple 

cider, ginger beer and ale custom-brewed locally 

for The Green Dragon. Light pub grub 

is also available for a reasonable fee. I had 

an excellent meat pasty. Once a week during 

the season night tours are offered along with 

dinner in the Green Dragon dining room. 

Our shore excursion to wonderful Hobbiton 

far exceeded our expectations and 

ended up being one of the most memorable 

discoveries on our adventure Down Under. 

It is a monument to the vision of Jackson, 

the Alexander family and J.R. Tolkien who 

set things in motion with his pen almost 80 

years ago. “You can’t help but be proud of 

this place,” said Russell Alexander, “… there’s 

obviously a huge sense of responsibility. But 

you also have to have huge passion. If you 

haven’t got passion it doesn’t work.” 


Top: The bridge to the mill 

house and the Green Dragon 

Inn. Top right: Bilbo Baggin’s 

Hobbit hole home. Right: One 

of the 37 Hobbit holes that dot 

the Shire. 


IF YOU GO 

Tours depart from The Shire’s Rest, 501 

Buckland Road. Including transport to and 

from the movie set from The Shire’s Rest 

please allow approx. 2 hours. 

Tour prices from the Shire’s Rest (check 

website for changes) 

Adult (17+) $56.00 

Youth (9-16yrs) $28.50 

Child (0-8yrs) 

Free with full 

paying adult 

Check in to The Shire’s Rest ticketing center 

no later than 15 minutes before your 

tour is due to depart. 

Ph: +64 (7) 888 1505 

Freephone: 0508 4 HOBBITON 

E-mail office@hobbitontours.com 

http://hobbiton.centaman-apac01.net/ 

Home/tabid/38/Default.aspx 

Right: The Green Dragon Inn, a replica of the 

Inn featured in the Lord of the Rings and 

Hobbit trilogies. Photo courtesy of New Line 

Pictures. 



NORTHERN DELIGHTS 

| STORY AND PHOTOGRAPY BY ALISON DAROSA| 

Experiencing Northern Lights Had Long Been A Dream 

There’s no guarantee when or where nature will trip the light fantastic, but chances of seeing 

the elusive solar-powered cosmic light show are best in the wintry Arctic wilderness. 

That’s why I found myself on a Norwegian freighter cruise, deep in the Arctic Circle, in 

the dead of winter. 


A guest walking the long frigid hallway to the bathrooms at the Kirkenes Snow Hotel. 


The dancing lights were even more dazzling than I’d 

imagined. And so were the experiences I hadn’t imagined: 

dog sledding through the Arctic outback, hunting 

the Aurora aboard a snowmobile that zipped along a vast icy 

tundra on a moonless night; lodging in a Snow Hotel, where 

even my bed was made 

entirely of ice – and feasting 

on king crab harvested 

from a hole cut in a 

frozen fiord, savoring one 

of the best (and certainly, 

most memorable) meals 

ever. 

My Arctic Winter 

turned out to be a trip of 

a lifetime. 

I traveled aboard Hurtigruten’s 

Finnmarken, a 

455-foot-long working 

freighter. We visited 34 

ports during our weeklong 

voyage, delivering 

everything from tea to 

toilet paper, from cars to 

corpses. The ship also 

serves as a mail boat, a 

commuter ferry for local families and day-tripping backpackers 

– and a 320-cabin cruise ship. It’s the Rolls-Royce of its 

breed, even boasting a sauna, outdoor swimming pool and two 

hot tubs. 

But there are few other bells and whistles aboard the Finnmarken. 

No casino, spa or kids club, no lavish shows, comedians 

or karaoke. Cabins are comfy, but simple and compact. 

Bathrooms are small but efficient, with much-appreciated heated 

floors – but water temperature sometimes changed erratically 

in the cramped 

shower. The shower 

was equipped with 

a flimsy curtain and 

an all-purpose liquid 

soap dispenser. (Many 

passengers bought 

shampoo, conditioner, 

body lotion and tissues 

during shore stops; 

none of these basic 

amenities was provided 

in cabins.) 

For a week we sailed 

north along the Norwegian 

Coast, from 

Bergen to Kirkenes. 

Some of our stops occurred 

in the dead of 

night, sometimes for 

as little as 15 minutes – 

just long enough for something or someone to be boarded or 

off-loaded. During day stops, we usually had time to explore 

ashore on our own, or by joining one of the optional Hurtigruten 

shore excursions. 


Aboard ship, relaxation ran rampant. Some cruisers napped, 

others cozied up with paperbacks or Kindles – but most of us 

gathered in the upper deck glass-walled Panorama Lounge, 

where we stretched out on sofas and soaked up magnificent 

coastal scenery. The driven among us attended a handful of 

talks about Norwegian culture and phenomena – including the 

Aurora Borealis. 

“We don’t like fancy,” said Carole Bonass from Lancashire, 

England. “But we love exploring a different side of nature – and 

appreciate that we don’t have to dress for dinner or be subjected 

to nonstop entertainment or hard-sell retail in the process. 

That’s why this is the third time we’ve done this cruise.” 

Exploring ashore – whether in tiny fishing villages or storybook 

towns that date to the Viking era – left lingering images: 

When I think of Bergen, my mind’s eye immediately recalls 

the colorful wooden buildings in the old merchant quarter 

along the wharf (Bryggen.) I see salt cod hung to dry on 

rafters at the fish market, steaming bowls of creamy fish soup 

(of which I became a connoisseur) – and public art everywhere, 

even a sculpture of a homeless man slouched against a downtown 

building. 

Bergen is also where I got my first lesson in surviving Arctic 

Winter. It’s where I bought ice cleats to clip onto the soles of 

my hiking boots. They’re a staple of Norwegian winters – for 

sale everywhere, even in drugstores. Though the Gulf Stream 

warms the waters off the Norwegian Coast (there are no icebergs 

here), there’s still plenty of ice and snow. 

Alesund, known for its art nouveau architecture, is a fairytale 

town of turrets, spires and colorful wooden fishing boats. 

Clockwise from opposite page. Hurtigruten’s Finnmarken is a 

455-foot-long working freighter. Passengers enjoy the sunshine, 

heated pool, hot tub and small but efficient cabins. 



Vibrant morning sun warms historic homes and warehouses banking the Nid River in Trondheim, Norway. 


Colorful wooden buildings line the waterfront in Bergen. Below: Salted, dried cod is a common sight in fish markets along the Norwegian Coast 

From the windy peak of Mount Aksla (418 steps up from town 

park) I got a panoramic view of it all, crowded on to a giant 

fish-hook-shaped peninsula. At nearby Atlanterhavsparken 

Aquarium, I got a fisheye view of the cod 

that swim off the coast and have made 

Alesund the largest exporter of seafood 

in Norway. 

In Trondheim, I started my day with 

locals at Baklandet Skydsstation, a small 

neighborhood restaurant where I stuffed 

myself on hot-from-the-griddle waffles 

served with gobs of help-yourself 

whipped cream, lingonberry preserves 

and brown goat cheese. Owner/chef / 

waitress Gurli Riis Holmen insisted I 

sample from among 100+ bottles of 

aquavit she offers. It would have been 

impolite to refuse. 

I worked off Gurli’s treats by climbing 

170 steps to the top of Nidaros Cathedral, 

the national church of Norway. It was 

built beginning in 1070 over the grave of 

Olav II, the canonized Viking king who 

became Norway’s patron saint. (Our 

guide and modern historians concede that the saintly king was 

actually something of a brutal thug.) In Tromso, I joined cruisers 

for a dog sledding adventure. After changing into thick, winterized 

jumpsuits, we had time to cuddle with 

husky puppies before setting out. The pups’ 

parents seemed as excited as we were to hit the 

trail. “Yip-yip” meant go – and we were off in a 

spray of ice crystals kicked up by 32 powerful 

paws. Glorious. 

The next day, we stood at Nordkapp, near 

the windblown top of the world. There’s a museum 

there and a metal globe. But in winter, 

surroundings are vast, desolate and forbidding. 

The single 8-mile access road opens only twice 

a day; commuters convoy in and out, behind a 

snowplow. 

That evening, near Mehamn, the world’s 

northernmost mainland town, we wrestled 

once again into Michelin-man polar suits, covered 

our faces with woolen balaclavas, added 

helmets and fleece-lined leather gloves. After a 

two-minute driving lesson, we set out on snowmobiles, 

single file into the pitch darkness of 

the tundra – our night lighted only by the ma- 


The view from the top of Nidaros Cathedral in Trondheim, Norway. 



Dried codfish has long been a staple of Norwegians. Opposite: Fishershoist trap full of king crab. 

chines’ headlights. Like obsessed big game hunters, we scoured 

the skies for any sign of Northern Lights. No luck. 

A day later, near the Russian border, we suited up again – this 

time for a sled ride onto the frozen Lang Fiord near Kirkenes. 

When we stopped, guide Michael Decker sawed a large square 

in the thick ice and pulled up a huge cage-like trap crowded 

with live king crabs – more than a dozen enormous ones. 

Our next stop was Decker’s log cabin, tucked away in the 

snowy Siberian-like Taiga, a forest of pine and arctic birch. 

Our crabber became our chef; he steamed our catch outdoors 

in a giant kettle on a propane burner. Inside, warmed by an old 

wood stove, we sat at candle-lit pine tables and relished every 

morsel of the best king crab I've ever tasted. 

It wasn’t the only dining delight of this trip. 

For most Finnmarken first-timers, meals aboard ship were 

a surprise to savor. Breakfast and lunch buffets were abundant 

and always included regional specialties (cloudberries 

and cream anyone?). Dinners were multi-course affairs with 

set seating and wait service. Food was expertly prepared with 

fresh ingredients sourced from local farmers and fishers in 

ports we visited. We dined on reindeer steaks, Lofoten lamb 

and a cornucopia of just-caught seafood: Skjervoy salmon, 

Fossen trout, Nordland prawns and Arctic char that had been 

swimming in the Sigerfjord that morning. 

It was during a grand celebratory seafood feast on our last 

night aboard ship, as we sailed the Barents Sea, that we finally 

had an encounter with Northern Lights. Just as we were sitting 

down, the public address system stopped us; the captain announced 

a sighting. Most of us eagerly abandoned our prawnspiled 

plates and raced to the frigid, windswept deck lugging 

cameras already attached to tripods. 

Our celestial show was brief – but the Aurora’s dazzling 

beauty was jaw-dropping awesome. It made us hungry for 

more. 

We got our main course the next night in the skies above 

the Snow Hotel in Kirkenes, where many of us had booked a 

post-cruise stay. The hotel, which operates December through 

March, is built new each year – entirely of ice. In every room, a 

thick queen-sized slab of ice serves as a platform bed; it’s topped 

with a two-inch vinyl-covered foam mattress. Sculptures are 

carved into the rooms’ ice walls and headboards. To survive the 

night, each guest is issued an industrial strength sleeping bag 

and an old-fashioned rubber hot water bottle. There’s an ice bar 

of course; it serves core-warming shots in frozen glasses. 

The most chilling aspect of the Snow Hotel: No ensuite bathrooms. 

The loo is a long lonely walk down a frigid icicle hallway. 


Delaying bedtime is a no brainer. That’s why so many of us were 

wide awake when nature commenced her heavenly show. 

It was well after midnight when the skies above the Snow 

Hotel began to shimmer. Undulating shafts of soft light met 

for a slow dance – blue-green, violet, even red. For nearly an 

hour the Aurora performed a spellbinding celestial ballet – arcing 

, snaking, swaying on a star-spangled stage that stretched 

all across our night sky. We were mesmerized – frozen in time, 

almost literally. Unforgettable. Memories for a lifetime. 

IF YOU GO 

See Northern Lights on your 2017 winter 

Norway Coastal cruise – or get a free 

future cruise. It’s Hurtigruten’s guarantee 

to U.S. travelers. You’ll have to book 

a 12-day roundtrip cruise between January 

and March 2017. If the lights don’t 

show, you’ll get a free 6- or 7-day voyage 

(in an inside cabin) departing between 

October 2017 and March 2018. 

Fares on the classic 7-day Bergen/ 

Kirkenes cruise I sailed aboard the Finnmarken 

start at $1,136 per person, 

based on double occupancy. Trips can 

be customized to enjoy longer stays in 

various ports. Learn more at www.hurtigruten.com/us/. 

For more info on travel to Norway, go to 

www.visitnorway.com/us/. 

Left: Norwegians are masters at making fish 

soup. A bowl like this is an everyday treat 

at the Atlanterhavsparken Aquarium near 

Alesund. Right: Michael Decker cooked the 

crustaceans on a propane burner outside his 

log cabin in a snowy forest near the Russian 

border. 



Europe’s King River 

CASTLES, CATHEDRALS & CHRISTMAS MARKETS CRUISE DOWN THE RHINE 

| STORY AND PHOTOGRAPY BY PRISCILLA LISTER | 

While floating quietly and seamlessly down “Europe’s 

King River,” we wandered through castles, Christmas 

markets and classic cathedrals; we ambled through 

picture-perfect riverfront cities whose half-timbered homes were 

models for those collectible ceramic Christmas villages; and we enjoyed 

new friends while we shared gourmet meals and world-class 

wines in our beautiful home away from home. 

I was traveling by myself on a December Viking river cruise 

down the Rhine, and never have I experienced a more convivial 

adventure. On Viking Kara, my fellow travelers and I mingled and 

shared stories as well as exceptional excursions to destinations 

along the way that were simply splendid. 

It may have been the most relaxing way to tour one of Europe’s 

most fascinating regions. From Amsterdam to Basel, we cruised 

down the placid river, stopping at the fascinating ports of Cologne, 

Rudesheim, Heidelberg, Strasbourg and Colmar, where expert 


Viking Kara, docked at Kehl, our gateway to Strasbourg 

guides showed us why these cities are appealing anytime. And 

we never had to pack between ports. 

December is when this region of Europe becomes even more 

magical because traditional Christmas markets take over historic 

city squares to sell seasonal gifts and local foods. Sipping gluhwein 

(mulled wine with brandy) and munching on various versions 

of fried potatoes, including my favorite, reibekuchen (potato 

pancakes), we’d navigate the crowds to find perfect presents. 

But the camaraderie onboard Viking Kara may have been 

the best gift of all to those of us gathered during our eight-day 

cruise. “I admit that I was concerned at first about the open 

seating policy and the structure of the meals,” Dr. Ben Bratcher, 

a dentist from Texas who was celebrating his 25th wedding 

anniversary with his wife, Julie, told me later. “I am not a veteran 

cruiser so my expectations were based on what I had heard 

from ocean cruises. I was quickly corrected and thoroughly en- 


joyed the way (Viking does) it. We met several nice couples and 

knew instantly that we would be seeing more of them.” 

Our fellow travelers on this particular Viking cruise 

ranged in age from their 20s to their 80s, with groups of 

friends traveling together, couples celebrating important 

milestones, cohorts toasting various birthdays and mothers 

and daughters and mothers and sons making memories together. 

A few of us braved the experience on our own, and 

we were each quickly adopted by welcoming new friends. 

Passengers came from Canada, the U.S., all over the United 

Kingdom, Australia and even China. 

We had all chosen this winter adventure down the Rhine, 

Germany’s longest river and the second-longest, next to 

the Danube, in Central and Western Europe, to shop at 

the many different Christmas markets. These wintertime 

crafts and food festivals originated in this region of Europe 

and fans of the holiday will find more collectible keepsakes 

than they ever imagined. 


Our home base, Viking Kara, is one of 64 longships built by 

the U.S.-based company specifically to cruise Europe’s many 

rivers. While today there are several river cruising operators, 

Viking River Cruises continues to garner the most accolades. 

For five consecutive years — 2011-2015 — Viking has earned 

“Best River Cruise Line” and “Best New River Ships” and “Best 

River Cruise Itineraries” from the international team of Cruise 

Critic editors. “In an expanding river market, Viking continues 

to reign,” says Cruise Critic. Travel + Leisure also awarded Viking 

the highest score of all river and ocean cruise lines in that 

Left: Strasbourg was a favorite for its unfailingly lovely 

homes lining canals framed by trees. Its historic city center, 

the Grande Ile (Grand Island), was named a World 

Heritage site by UNESCO in 1988, the first time such an 

honor was placed on an entire city center. Top right: 

Cruising down the regal Rhine, we passed by more castles 

than we could count. Terraces like these, our cruise 

director told us, date from Roman times when grape 

vines were often planted. Above: Weeping willows draping 

over Strasbourg’s canals. 


The riverfront town of Heidelberg sits 

on the Neckar River, which empties 

into the Rhine. One of its Christmas 

markets takes over a central square, 

here in the foreground. 



magazine’s annual World’s Best List in 2015; it has been recognized 

11 times on that list for #1 River Cruise Line. 

From the moment I received my impressive box of travel 

documents prior to my cruise to my first step aboard Viking 

Kara, I was delighted with the details. My spacious Veranda 

stateroom with its open-air balcony and remarkably commodious 

bathroom was a true comfort. Viking longships accommodate 

only 190 passengers each, so merry-making among new 

companions is easy to realize in the lounge and restaurant areas. 

Meals were served at the same time for breakfast, lunch and 

dinner in The Restaurant, where panoramic windows kept that 

river in constant view. These seatings paved the way for those 

new friendships, where tables for four to eight invited mingling. 

And menus typically offered a few regional specialties, while 

keeping certain favorites always available. 

Breakfasts were bountiful buffets, with omelettes made to 

order and all manner of sausages, potatoes, pastries and fruits 

filling our plates. 

Lunches offered several choices, changing every day, of such 

delectable dishes as vegetable terrine, tuna melt on toasted brioche, 

smoked river trout on toast, ricotta gnocchi with eggplant 

and tomatoes, Monte Cristo sandwich, coq au vin, herring and 

traditional garnishes, fettuccine Alfredo, roast beef and herbed 

cream cheese on crusty baguette, and always dessert, like Black 

Forest ice cream coupe, banana split, or the Flying Dutchman 

(caramel-filled waffle) with ice cream. 

Dinners were decidedly gourmet, with choices among appetizers, 

entrees and desserts. Choices typically offered meat, seafood 

or vegetarian options. It was often hard to choose between 

appetizers such as smoked salmon carpaccio with salmon cav- 

A delicious shrimp pasta enjoyed my first night in the casual Aquavit Lounge upstairs on Viking Kara. Opposit:e Castles and 

cathedrals were on view while we cruised down the Middle Rhine. 




These puzzles were an intriguing find at a Christmas market in Strasbourg. Opposite: Strolling through the town of Heidelberg 

was a special delight. Opposite page: Strolling through the town of Heidelberg was a special delight. The Main Street 

(Hauptsrasse) is a mile-long pedestrian-only street that runs the length of the old town. 

iar on sweet corn blini or potato-crusted Mascarpone cheese 

with truffle sabayon sauce, or between seared crab cake with 

corn or tomato mozzarella tart with tomato confit or Filipino 

shrimp egg roll; or between entrees such as pan-fried char fillet 

with pea puree, baby corn, tomato concasse and cauliflower or 

Chateaubriand with buttered vegetables, potatoes and Bernaise 

sauce, or gratinated cannelloni with cherry tomatoes, zucchini 

and parmesan foam, or potato leek crepe with Gruyere and 

baby vegetables. Delightful desserts included French tarte tatin, 

Marscarpone & sour cherry cake with brownie streusel and 

marinated berries, warm apple hazelnut crumble, Black Forest 

cake or always ice creams or sorbets. 

Beer and wines flowed during dinners. Rieslings and pinot 

noirs specially chosen from Alsace and other regions we 

cruised through gave us yet another connection to the places 

we were experiencing. 

The Aquavit Terrace was a quieter, more intimate option anytime 

anyone wanted to have a meal away from the lively restaurant 

scene. Lunches here were more casual buffets, offering 

sandwiches and salads, or sometimes, hamburgers and French 

fries. 

We often cruised at night, waking to a new port each morning. 

We’d disembark, board buses for short drives to the cities 

of note along the route, then follow a guide on walking tours 

before being released from the group to wander on our own. 

Two girlfriends traveling together from Florida told me they 

were disappointed by all the bus rides and group tours. But 

there seemed no better way to reach Cologne or Heidelberg or 

Strasbourg when docking on the river, and if you didn’t want to 

follow the guide, you could be on your own in the cities in no 

time for plenty of shopping at those Christmas markets. 

But the guides were all great, and you really do learn fascinating 

tidbits when you follow them. 

In Cologne, Marion Dijkman guided us through the historic 

core of her beloved city’s old town, centered by the magnifi- 


cent Cologne Cathedral, regarded as a masterwork of medieval 

Gothic architecture. 

“It took 600 years to build,” she told us through our radio ear 

pieces as we navigated our way through the crowds. “It was 

started in 1248 to house the reliquary of the Three Kings” — 

their supposed mortal remains brought back as a victor’s spoils 

of war with Milan in 1164. “It remains the largest shrine of the 

Middle Ages today,” she said. Indeed, Cologne Cathedral is said 

to be the most visited landmark today in Germany, drawing 

20,000 visitors every day. 

Of special interest here, of course, is cologne. “It wasn’t until 

the end of the 19th Century that an underground sewer was 

built,” Marion said. “With no sewage treatment, lots of garbage 

and water often contaminated, people didn’t bathe. In 1709, an 

Italian man named Farina was the first to use citrus oils to mask 

personal odor — only the very wealthy could buy it. Queen Victoria, 

Mark Twain, Mozart, Beethoven all used it and Napoleon 

was said to use a bottle a day.” World-renowned perfume 4711 

was Farina’s first competitor and these two perfumers are still in 

business in Cologne today. 

In Heidelberg, Susanne Hofer von Lobenstein led us to the 

impressive Heidelberg Castle, a dominant landmark on the hill 

overlooking the charming city. 

“A ruin must be rightly situated, to be effective,” wrote Mark 

Twain after visiting Heidelberg Castle in 1878. “This one could 

not have been better placed. It stands upon a commanding elevation, 

it is buried in green woods, there is no level ground 

about it and one looks down through shining leaves into profound 

chasms and abysses where the sun cannot intrude.” 

Though abandoned more than 300 years ago, the castle still 

commands fantastic views of the Neckar Valley and its river that 

flows into the Rhine. 

“The Rhine, Neckar and Danube were very important and 

a main way of travel during medieval times,” Susanne told us. 

“The oldest Jewish settlements are also along these rivers.” She 

pointed out some of the brass plaques in front of historic homes 

in the city center that once were homes to Jewish residents before 

World War II. 

In Strasbourg, our guide, Vivienne, shared its volatile history. 

It was an independent Alsatian republic for 700 years until after 

the Thirty Years War (1618-1648). “Strasbourg held out until 

1681, when it became French for 200 years.” But in 1870 it went 

to Germany until 1918 when it went back to France, then under 

Nazi occupation during World War II before returning to 

France at the end of that war. 

Strasbourg proved a favorite for many of us — it is unfailingly 

lovely with its half-timbered houses lining canals punctuated 

by weeping willows. It has its own imposing Cathedral de Notre 

Dame that soars over the old town’s center, at 426 feet, the 

highest medieval building in Europe. The town is filled with 

antique shops, artisans and craftspeople as well as beer makers 

and purveyors of tarte flambe — Strasbourg’s version of a verythin-crusted 

pizza. 

And finally the medieval Alsatian village of Colmar captured 

our imaginations. Our guide, Peter, told us about its turbulent 

history which also involved going back and forth between 

France and Germany. 

“Colmar is an intact medieval town,” Peter told us. “Ruins and 

houses here date back to the 12th, 13th, 14th and 15th centuries, 


largely saved from World War II destruction.” It is home to the 

Unterlinden Museum, “the second most visited site in France, 

after the Louvre, for its 16th century altar piece,” Peter said. He 

showed us the smallest house in Colmar, just 12 square meters 

on two floors with no first floor, “so they didn’t pay taxes, since 

they were levied only for first floors.” On our way back home on 

the bus, Peter serenaded us on his accordion with several lovely 

French tunes. 

“I am usually a sound critical thinker and in all honesty I have 

thought about it a lot and my Mum feels the same way, but we 

can hardly find anything we didn’t like about our week with Viking,” 

wrote Darren de Warren, one of my new friends from the 

ship whom I asked to weigh in on our experience. 

“I really liked the contrast of the smart casual cruise and the 

relaxed, friendly, efficient staff in the context of deluxe cruising. 

It was a real paradox but it really worked,” he wrote. 

“Sensitive to the details of design, I loved the Nordic space and 

the influence this had on my mood. Having done a little ocean 

cruising with 2,000+ others on board, there was no comparison 

in the relaxation stakes. I was amazed at the silence of the engines, 

the mix of activity and non-activity on different days and 

the absence of on-board hoopla. Just the piano each evening, a 

cocktail and a chat before dinner finished great days.” 

Darren, “pushing 50,” was traveling with his mother, Pam, 

70, both from Brisbane, Australia. “Having ocean-cruised with 

her before, there was no comparison to the flexibility we had 

to do our own thing,” Darren wrote. “I could take off and do 

walking tours while she remained on board, caught some pics 

of the riverbanks I didn’t see, had lunch, while I could also do a 

reconnaissance for her on shore at the next port and then suggest 

things her mobility would permit. She never felt she missed 

anything and nor did I.” 

Bratcher also commented on the attentiveness of the crew. 

“Obviously, the crew gets the majority of the credit for our experience,” 

he said. “They really can make or break an experience. 

Considering the length of the cruising season and that fact we 

were there toward the end of their time, I thought they did a 

great job of staying engaged… I truly did not have one time 

where I thought they acted tired or worn down.” 

He noted that the highly social nature of our cruise may not 

be for everyone. “I saw a few people who seemed more inclined 

to stay by themselves,” he said. There were a couple of chances 

for dinners on your own in Rudesheim and Speyer, and the onboard 

concierge will make that an easy choice. 

But for many of us, the experience was thoroughly enhanced 

because of new friends. 

And I found the best holiday presents ever. 

IF YOU GO 

Viking River Cruises: www.vikingrivercruises.com. The eightday 

cruise down the Rhine, including all meals and included 

excursions, begins at $1,999 per person. 

Left: The Cologne Cathedral, the third highest church in the world, 

soars above one of the city’s seven Christmas markets. Cologne’s 

Christmas markets draw some 4 million people each year, making 

them among the most visited holiday markets in Germany. 


ENCHANTED IRELAND 

| BY JUDY GARRISON | PHOTOGRAPHY BY SEEING SOUTHERN | 

Tell grandma I have what she needs,” mama instructed. I did 

just that. I bolted through the back screen door, down the 

un-even cement steps, and in about three minutes tops, I 

delivered the message to grandma as she sat at her kitchen 

table stringing green beans. Some 50-years-later, I wish it were 

that simple. 

The distance between me and the grandchildren I have never 

seen is thousands of miles. Not around the corner, up the hill, or 

down the street. Tired of audible sounds of pity from others (and 

admittedly, from myself as well), I dismiss the notion that Skype, 

Whatsapp, and Facetime are acceptable substitutes to cheeks being 

smooshed or kisses being planted. I’m old-fashioned, and no 

app can replace a granny’s touch, so granny and gramps have two 

tickets to travel. We are excited, for travel will not only take us to 

our grandchildren but also to the enchanting country of Ireland. 

Keeping our sights on Donegal Town in the northwestern 

region of the county as our final destination, we think boldy 

(as they say in Ireland) of the possibilities before us. Even with 

the cold and wet of January at our heels, layers of wool socks 

and local purchases of Aran wool sweaters ease the frigid winds 

with which this Southerner is not accustomed. We were questioned 

frequently about our choice to visit Ireland in the winter; 


come to find out, winter was the best choice of all. 

Within the first twenty-four hours of landing in Dublin, we 

are welcomed by no less than five rainbows in as many hours. 

We are amazed, inspired and intrigued. We then reminded ourselves 

to remember the legendary pot of gold at each rainbow’s 

base. We will keep our eyes wide open for each pot of gold. 

Our route is quite simple: south from Dublin through the 

Wicklow Mountains, to Kilkenny, onward toward the Dingle 

Peninsula, then northerly toward Westport and finally County 

Donegal. We learn quickly by simply gazing out car windows 

that this country is infused in history. Monasteries, churches, 

Above: The ruined church of Kilmalkedar was the center of 

worship for the Normans on the Dingle Peninsula. Left: The 

western most point in Ireland is Slea Head on the Dingle 

Peninsula. 


Glendalough is one of Ireland”s remaining monastic settlements; it was founded in the sixth century by St. Kevin. Below: Muckross Gardens is a favorite 

spot for hikers who are trekking through Killarney. 

cemeteries, all declare a history of faith and a people of stamina 

millennias old. 

In Glendalough, a monastic settlement dating back to the 

twelfth century, we walk through a series of ruins including a 

church, cathedral and a round tower which rises from a foundation 

of tombstones. The cathedral, one of the largest early Christian 

churches in Ireland, is open, with only its four walls erect. 

Alongside one of the arched doorways, in Irish and English, we 

read its history and significance. Pausing in the middle of spattered 

and weathered gravestones, we hear only silence with the 

exception of the wind as it whips through the snow-covered 

Wicklow Mountains in the distance. 

It’s a familiar pattern we will continue see. Four walls of 

weathered stone tell centuries-old stories. At the Rock of Cashel 

in County Tipperary, four walls of the thirteenth century North 

Transept frame a visitor’s skyward view, while twelfth century 

Cormac’s Chapel receives a life-saving preservation, rescuing 

one of the last remnants of Romanesque architecture in the 

country. Underneath layers of plaster, an unexpected gift from 

time; workers discover an original painting of the suspended 

Christ flanked by Mary and John. 

Further north along the Dingle Peninsula, another unpredictable 

sight. Gallarus Oratory, built 1,300 years ago and 

resembling an upturned boat, stands stalwart as if waiting for 

the monks to arrive. Held together by ingenuity and stone, not 

a dab of mortar to be found, and as watertight as the day it was 

erected. We move to the Kilmalkedar church nearby at the end 


Along the single lane road of Conner Pass – the road which connects Dingle to Brandon Bay – you’ll see the grazing sheep of Ireland. Below: The 

Rock of Cashel’s stone fortress was donated to the church in the twelfth century. 

of a gravel road. This twelfth century Romanesque church fell 

into ruins during Reformation. Again, only four walls remain, 

facing a small parishioner’s graveyard with a haunting view of 

the green hills succumbing to the distant Atlantic Ocean. 

Ireland’s religious heritage shouts loudly. So does its 

coastline which offers its own majestic verse. Cliffs of Moher 

in Country Clare, touted as the country’s most natural thrill, 

rise a sheer 650 feet above the Atlantic. Barraged by rumors of 

January’s bad weather causing the Cliffs to be closed to visitors, 

we crossed our fingers for sunshine, and scored a morning of 

sunshine. The exhibition area, edged by tall standing Liscannor 

slate, offers up the iconic vista of jagged edges converging 

with the pounding sea. Just past O’Brien’s Tower, built in 1835, 

is the Coastal Walking Trail which extends about three miles 

connecting Liscannor and Doolin. The warning sign tests your 

intent, as this demanding trail offers no barriers from the sea. 

We ventured a few hundred yards, returning with a new respect 

of Mother Nature. 

Just as impressive is the coastline of the Dingle Peninsula 

and its western most point, Slea Head. It’s the “edge-ofthe-world” 

point they say of the Wild Atlantic Way. Driving the 

loop of the Dingle, you are introduced to narrow lanes, stonefenced 

fields, fairy forts disguised as mounds of grass, beehive 

huts, and then, at a sharp curve, a life-size crucifix signifying 

your arrival at Slea Head. The mighty seas charge against a solitary 

coastline where only a few homes in the small village of 

Dunquin remain. In clear view, the Blasket Islands rest off the 


Poulnabrone Dolmen, better known as the stone table or portal tomb, sits erect in the middle of a limestone field. Arrive early or late to avoid tour buses. 

coast, abandoned since 1953 when its last handful of residents 

moved to the mainland. There’s very little there now, but a ferry 

will usher visitors to what is at most, a ghost town. However, no 

ferries run this visit and we must wait to venture closer. 

As dramatic as the ruins and coastline are so is Burren 

National Park – a UNESCO World Heritage Site – in the 

heart of County Clare. Literally, “the rocky place” tugs at your 

soul as you drive through a 10-square-mile plateau of limestone. 

Rich in historical and archeological discoveries, its most striking 

monument is its Poulnabrone Dolmen, often referred to as 

a stone table. Here, we are allowed a closer look, teetering on 

limestone sediments holding tightly to each other in order to 

maintain balance, and it’s at that moment, we realize our moment 

is unique. With only a lone security guard in sight, there 

is an eerie silence skipping across the stones, over the hills. It’s 

the sound of footsteps and hands, walking and moving in this 

very place we are standing, thousands of years ago, and we are 

in their spot. Their home. Their community. It’s humbling. It’s 

hopeful. We are lucky because these sounds are mute in the 

midst of crowds. 

In addition to harsh terrain, we continue to face visual 

reminders of an Irish struggle, including the potato famine 

in the 1840s which was considered the worst in Europe in the 

nineteenth century. In Westport, the most chilling reminder of 

its heartache and victims, The National Famine Memorial, resting 

alongside Clew Bay across from Croagh Patrick, Ireland’s 

holiest mountain. Known as the coffin ship, swirling masts are 

skeletons symbolizing those who attempted to escape suffering 

but who died on route to the America. Today, dark clouds hover 

above as we read inscriptions in silence, trace our fingertips 

over the skeletal figures, and speculate, how even today, hunger 

plies the world like the Flying Dutchman. 

The juxtaposition of Ireland is true: harsh and breath- 


The National Famine Memorial was unveiled in 1997 to mark the anniversary of the Irish Famine. 

taking, all in the same whisper. Winter clothes Ireland’s landscape 

much differently than it would in the summer months. 

We experienced the rigid winds, the soggy lands and even a 

three-minute hail storm; however, without those, rainbows 

would have eluded us and those random pubs alongside the 

road, well, we would have passed them by never seeking solace 

from the cold. Instead, we laughed and shared a pint with John 

at the South Pole Inn in Annascaul, a bright blue two-story we 

would have never given a second thought about had it not been 

for our innkeeper in Kenmare suggesting we stop. And so we 

did. Even if we knew where we were headed, we asked directions 

of the locals. And in doing so, we happened upon the shop 

of Louis Mulcahy Pottery in Ballyferriter, all because we needed 

coffee to warm our soul. His works of clay have been gifts to the 

Pope and to presidents; now, his work is in my kitchen. 

For all the harsh landscapes and realities, there’s double 

the joy found in the people of Ireland who have gallantly 

withstood a relentless history and, year-after-year, a bitter climate. 

As we say in the South, “that which does not kill us makes 

us stronger.” An adage, we believe, the Irish discovered long 

before the South. As travelers, we discovered that as Ireland’s 

weather blows cold, the warm welcome never wanes. 

The country itself was our pot of gold. Each day, each 

stop, each story – added to the intangible wealth we soaked up 

in only a few short days. With all this, how could there be more? 

In fact, there was more. In northwestern Ireland in County Donegal, 

we finally squished the cheeks of our two Irish grandchildren 

who will forever link us to the country of Ireland. 


ROSTOCK REMEMBERS 

FREED FROM ITS PAST, ROSTOCK REMEMBERS EAST GERMAN POLICE STATE 

| BY CARL H. LARSEN | 

No sooner had I arrived in Rostock, Germany, than I landed in jail. 

That may be a strange place to start an exploration of a prosperous 

and pleasing city that was once part of the formidable 

Hanseatic League. The league, dubbed the first European 

Union, was a trading partnership that wove together cities on the 

Baltic Sea in the late Middle Ages. 

But I first needed to see for myself something in this city of 

200,000 that I had read about for years. Something that presented 

a tangible expression of a totalitarian government that for years 

had an all-powerful role over the daily lives of its East German 

citizens. 

My jail, you see, was the regional pre-trial prison used by the 

East German Ministry for State Security until the fall of the com- 


Photo of Rostock courtesey Wiki Commons.. Above: An empty cell block recalls the terror-filled days of Rostock’s former Stasi prison. Government 

informers seemingly were everywhere in the city. – Sharon Whitley Larsen photo 

munist state in late 1989 and the reunification of East and West 

Germany. Here was the home for Rostock and the surrounding 

area of the feared and notorious Stasi, the not-so-secret East German 

secret police. 

The prison is in the middle of the city yet is hard to find. From 

the outside, it looks like an unremarkable office block; from the 

inside it’s a fortress with windowless cells and rows of heavy iron 

doors that make a jarring, clanking sound when opened. Today it 

is a museum, one of several in the former East Germany that now 

document the abuses of the communist regime. 

Its reason for existence was simple: “The main task of the secret 

police was to keep dissenters under surveillance and to persecute 


Viewed from the entrance of the Baroque Rostock Rathaus (City Hall), the Neuer Market is one of the city’s oldest squares, that features an outdoor farmers’ 

market. The square is surrounded by gabled houses and the St. Marien Church. -- Photo by Nordlicht 

them.” The Stasi had “almost unlimited official and unofficial 

powers. Imprisonment was a severe form of repressing ‘deviants,’” 

said the English guidebook. “From 1960 to 1989, around 

4,800 male and female detainees suffered here.” 

It didn’t take much to be a political prisoner, or “enemy of 

the state.” To engage in subversive activities could be as simple 

as telling a political joke, receiving publications from the West, 

or making requests to emigrate to prosperous West Germany. 

“Wears Western clothes.” “Likes punk music.” That could be 

enough to get you into trouble. Stasi agents came in all stripes. 

One photo in the museum shows an undercover Stasi agent with 

an "Elvis look" dressed in a leather jacket thumbing a ride along 

an autobahn. 

In all, the Stasi imprisoned approximately 200,000 in its years 

of stifling the political aspirations of East German citizens. 

To do this, they had help. A lot of it. 

East Germans were the most spied-upon people in the world, 

but it was neighbors and acquaintances who did much of the 

spying. 

The German magazine Der Spiegel speculated on the extent 

of this snitchery in 2015. 

“Historians haven't yet been able to say for certain how many 

East German citizens offered their services as informants. The 

majority declined to do so. But it is a certainty that there were 

many more informants than the 180,000 (informants) maintained 

by the Stasi in the final years of East Germany's existence,” 

the magazine reported in July. 

To reward the citizen informers, the Stasi would hand out retainers 

in the form of small cash payments or presents. The pervasive 

system is depicted in the 2006 thriller “The Lives of Others.” 

That year, the German movie took home the Oscar for Best Foreign 

Language Film. 

The tour through the Stasi prison in Rostock is fascinating. 

Former prisoners relate their experiences while being held in the 

lockup, accused of maligning the state. Exhibits show the extent 

of Stasi activities: widespread postal surveillance and wiretapping, 

illegal searches based on whims and patrols along the waterfront to 

prevent citizens from fleeing to freedom across the Baltic to nearby 

Denmark or Sweden. One room shows the ingenious devices, such 

as a makeshift surfboard, that some East Germans used to seek 

their freedom. 

Much of the punishment was psychological, especially through 

extended interrogations, uncertainty over daily schedules and a 

sense of despair and hopelessness. Prisoners exercised in a small 

courtyard called the “Tiger Cage.” On a gangway overhead, a 

guard patrolled carrying a submachine gun. 

In the dank basement are four “dark cells." "They were used 

sometimes to coerce confessions … or to punish them for violating 

the prison rules," said the guide. Former prisoners remember 

these cells as having no bed, no toilet and not even a bucket. Meals 

were served at the discretion of the guards. 


A typical political prisoner would be held in the jail for 6 months 

and sometimes longer before his or her case moved up through a 

rigged judicial process. 

Leaving the dark and dingy prison on a cloudless day, I needed 

to shake off some of the depression by taking a short train ride to 

Warnemunde, Rostock’s beachfront resort on the Baltic Sea. The 

quaint seafront town is known to thousands of travelers. 

Each year, big cruise ships from Celebrity, Holland America 

and Cunard call here. Some passengers take a grueling day trip to 

Berlin, but those who stay in Rostock are rewarded with the city’s 

charming architecture and rich seafaring history. In Warnemunde, 

passengers can stroll along the beach, the broadest in northern 

Germany, and try the freshly caught fish or search for souvenirs. 

A vintage lighthouse, seen throughout the town, makes getting 

around easy. 

Standing out on the beachfront is the Neptun Hotel & Spa, built 

by the East German regime as a showplace for dignitaries and 

lucky guests whose stay had been blessed by the Communist Party 

apparatus. Totally remodeled, with an extensive spa, the hotel 

today offers sea-view rooms and an elegant restaurant. One thing 

has been left unchanged since the Communist era ended. A café 

remains decorated in the style of the Socialist days. 

Rostock left me with great memories as a city as vibrant as an 

ocean beach, but there’s one that rises to the top. 

As I left the Stasi prison with my wife, we met a man who was 

excitedly showing his young grandson the small, windowless cell 

where he had been held. 

He clanked shut the cell’s heavy metal door. 

It’s a sound you never forget. 

IF YOU GO 

Historic Highlights of Germany: www.historicgermany.com 

Germany Tourism information: www.germany.travel 

Hotel Neptun & Spa: Overlooking the Baltic Sea in Warnemunde, this 

high-rise hotel was built as a showplace resort by the East German government. 

Totally remodeled, it is now a luxury hotel with an extensive 

spa that is steps from the beach. Each guest room has a sea view. www. 

hotel-neptun.de 

Motel One: With a trolley stop just outside, this economy hotel is a convenient 

location from which to explore Rostock and environs. The main 

Tourist Office and pedestrian shopping street, Kropeliner Strasse, are a 

short walk away. www.motel-one.com/en/hotels/rostock/ 

Rostock Card: A great value that offers tourists free public transportation 

throughout the region by bus and train and admission to many 

museums and attractions. Included are free city tours, discounts on 

shopping and spa treatments. Available year-round at transit centers, 

tourism offices and many hotels. 

Stasi Museum: Officially called the Documentation Centre and Memorial, 

it is located in central Rostock at Hermannstrassse 34b. Entrance is 

free. Tours in English by advance reservation. www.bstu.de 

Tourism offices (Warnemunde, Rostock): They offer the Rostock Card, 

guided tours of the city, including by bike, and information on lodging 

and attractions. www.rostock.de/en/tourist-board.html 

Transportation: The beachfront town of Warnemunde, Germany’s largest 

cruise-ship port, is a 25-minute ride away by train (free with the Rostock 

card). By air: Rostock is connected to major cities in Germany. By 

train, Berlin is two and half hours away, while the Frankfurt airport is 

a six-hour journey. Ferries offer frequent service to Denmark, Sweden 

and Finland. Train information: www.raileurope.com 


Magical Münster 

| BY SHARON WHITLEY LARSEN | 


out for bikes!” my tour guide Annette Stadtbaumer cautioned 

as we strolled along the cobblestone streets of charming 

“Watch 

Münster. 

“Look up! See those cages?” 

As I stopped and craned my neck to gaze high up at the tower of St. Lambert's 

Roman Catholic church, she told me the story of the 16th-century Anabaptists—a 

protesting religious group. In 1536, the corpses of three male ringleader/martyrs 

were displayed in the three 7- by 3-foot vertical cages—which 

hang from the church tower--as a deterrent to the townsfolk. She described the 

“wide-open mesh” on the cages that allowed ravens to feed on them; their bones 

finally were removed some 500 years later. 

This doesn't exactly sound like a great tourist draw, but it's part of the fascinating 

history of this northern German city of 300,000. During the Protestant 

Reformation, a group of religious zealots calling themselves the Anabaptists--Community 

of Christ--was on a European crusade, advocating what some 

felt were radical changes in Christianity. That included promoting adult baptism 

(“re-baptism”), polygamy, the belief that paradise on Earth would be found within 

the city walls--and that the end of the world was imminent. 

“They were radical with changes and reform,” explained Stadtbaumer. “They 

thought they were the chosen people, and they found this chosen place in Münster. 

If you joined them, you would survive the world.” The Anabaptists gathered 

by the thousands in Münster—then a heavily-fortified walled city—in 1533, taking 

over the local political leadership, advocating a communal, sectarian government, 

and evicting nonbelievers from the city. Following bloody rebellions, brutal 

beheadings, drownings, torture, and a siege, their regime ended in Münster 

18 months later. (One fascinating book is “The Tailor-King: The Rise and Fall of 

the Anabaptist Kingdom of Münster” by Anthony Arthur.) 

On January 22, 1536, powerful Anabaptist ringleaders Bernard Knipperdolling, 

Jan Van Leiden, and Bernard Krechting were publicly tortured to death, 

then their corpses placed in the cages, which were hung above St. Lambert's 

tower clock, 200 feet up. In 1987, lightbulbs were installed, and at night visitors 

can see the eerie, dim glow in each cage, “in memory of their departed souls.” 

“It was the worst thing, not to be buried,” observed Stadtbaumer. 

Left: The Paulus Dome formed over many centuries 

the center of Domburg in the heart of Münster. Photo: 

Press Office Münster / Andreas Lechtape 


Sailing, rowing, the Aasee is popular 

with boaters. Right: The flea market on 

the Münster boardwalk. Photo: Press 

Office Münster / Tilman Roßmöller. 

In the 1880s the cages had to be repaired due to rust, and 

during World War II they were damaged by British bombs and 

repaired again. 

In fact, most of the city (over 90 percent) was destroyed during 

the war, with the main shopping district—Prinzipalmarkt--painstakingly 

rebuilt in the previous medieval style, retaining its architectural 

charm. 

With a monastery founded in 793, Münster—derived from 

the Latin “monasterium”--has been honored over the years with 

several awards, including “The Most Liveable City in the World,” 

“Bicycle Capital of Germany,” and “The Most Child-Friendly City 

in Germany.” Castles abound in the magical region. 

“Münster has a reputation for a lot of rain,” added Stadtbaumer. 

There's a local expression: “Either it rains or the church bells ring, 

and if both occur at the same time, it's Sunday.” 

With some 60,000 university students—one-fifth of the town- 

-Münster, situated on the River Aa, is a youthful, energetic city of 

culture, with over 30 museums (including the popular Pablo Picasso 

Museum), and sculpture by international artists dotting the 

landscape (the “sculpture project” is held every decade—the next 

one in 2017). 

The Radstation Münster (Münster Bicycle Station), conveniently 

in front of the main train station, makes it easy for tourists to 

rent a bike to sight-see. It houses Germany's largest underground 


icycle parking, with spaces for 3,300 bikes! Many residents bicycle 

everywhere, rain or shine! 

Münster is also a great walking city. Locals stroll or cycle along 

the popular tree-lined promenade, circling the city, that replaced 

the old city walls. Boating and other water sports on Lake Aasee 

are also fun outdoor activities. 

The town holds various sporting events, has botanical gardens, 

festivals, outdoor cafes, a Christmas Market, and a popular farmers' 

market on Wednesdays and Saturdays, where locals gather 

to chat and shop. Massive St. Paul's Cathedral—with its historic, 

entertaining astronomical clock—is a must-see. Münster is also 

known for its Baroque architecture—and is a shoppers' paradise, 

with the modern Münster Arcades opened in 2006. 

In the Rathaus (City Hall) is the Hall of Peace, where the Treaty 

of Westphalia was signed in 1648 to end Europe's Thirty Years' War, 

and where world leaders have gathered throughout the years. 

“We claim to be a city of peace,” said Stadtbaumer. 

And, of course, Münster is renowned for its dark beer! Since 

1816, Pinkus Müller, the only remaining brewery of 150, is still 

serving its special recipe! 

As my husband Carl admonished me (whom he dubs “Chardonnay 

Sharon”), ”You're in Germany! You have to drink beer!” 

So, in the interest of research, I did, discovering several popular 

pubs, including Blaues Haus, Ziege, Cavete, Stuhlmacher—and, 

my favorite, Pension Schmidt. It's a cozy place with bookshelves, 


Since 1816, Pinkus Müller 

Brewery is still serving its special 

recipe. Photo courtesy Pikus 

Müller 

wallpaper, and comfy sofas and chairs, arranged so you feel as 

though you're socializing with friends in a living room--a popular 

spot to relax and listen to music. It's said that Münster boasts 90 

churches—and 900 pubs! 

And then there's “the girl in the tower.” Musician Martje Salje, 

35, has had the most unique job since January 2014: For six nights 

a week (Tuesdays excepted), she carries on the tradition—since 

1383—of keeping watch over Münster from the tower of St. Lambert's. 

The only female in Münster to have this position as Tower 

Watchwoman (called a Türmerin), she certainly doesn't need to 

work out at the gym: Each evening she climbs 300 steps (which 

takes her 15 minutes) to her “office.” At 8:30 p.m., she checks in 

with the local fire department, then every 30 minutes from 9 p. m. 

to midnight she blows a brass horn, announcing to all below that 

there are no fires or invading armies to report, and that “all is well.” 

In between horn blows, she reads, writes, checks the Internet, or 

plays her guitar. 

“She loves her job, she does it with all her heart,” said Stadtbaumer. 

“Münster has kept up with this tradition from the 14thcentury--with 

only a small gap during the war. In the early days 

when the watchman would sit in the tower to watch the city, to 

make sure he didn't fall asleep, every half-hour he had to sound 

the horn.” And so the tradition continues, with Münster's first female 

Türmerin. 

Adds Stadtbaumer with a smile: “Martje's officially our highest 

state official! 

IF YOU GO 

Münster Marketing: www.tourism.muenster.de 

Historic Highlights of Germany: www.historicgermany.com 

Germany Tourism information: www.germany.travel 

We stayed at the centrally located, family-run Hotel Feldmann, which 

has a great restaurant: www.hotel-feldmann.de 

We also dined at Altes Gafthaus Leve, Münster's oldest restaurant (since 

1607): 

www.gasthaus-leve.de 

St. Lambert's church: www.st-lamberti.de/en/ 

St. Paul's Cathedral: www.paulusdom.de/start/ 

The Pablo Picasso Museum: www.kunstmuseum-picasso-muenster.de/ 

index.php?id=46&L=1 

The Sculpture Project (next one is June 10 to Oct. 1, 2017): www.biennialfoundation.org/biennials/skulptur-projekte-muenster/ 

Pubs: 

Pension Schmidt: www.pensionschmidt.se 

Stuhlmacher (since 1890): www.gasthaus-stuhlmacher.de 

Blaue Haus: www.blaue-haus-muenster.de 

Toddenhoek: http://www.toeddenhoek.de/ 

Ziege: www.alteziege.de 

Cavete: www.muenster-cavete.de 

Pinkus Müller: www.pinkus.de/ 


St. Lambert’s Church in Münster Photo 

credit: Münster Marketing; Ralf Emmerich 


ONE AHHSOME SPA 

Four Relaxing And Restorative Days At A Texas Spa 

| STORY & PHOTOGRAPHY BY JOHN MUNCIE & JODY JAFFE | 

Imagine you had a rich aunt with exquisite taste in fabrics, 

antiques and food. And she owned 19 acres on the banks 

of an agate green lake. Then imagine a comforting (and elegant) 

lake house furnished with deeply cushioned sofas 

fronted by stacks of coffee-table books, softly carpeted floors 

to muffle sounds, hand-painted floral draperies, fringed lampshades 

by the pool, padded satin headboards and fluffy comforters. 

Now imagine your aunt hired a French chef who can hit 

all your taste buds in under 400 calories. 

Got it? Welcome to Lake Austin Spa Resort, a spa that doesn’t 

look or taste like a spa, but sure does ahh like a spa. 

We spent four relaxing and restorative days at this Texas spa 

-- a version of which has been around more than 35 years, though 

it wasn’t until the current ownership took over in 1997 that it’s 

been a regular on the “best destination spa” lists of “Travel and 

Leisure” and “Conde Nast Traveler” magazines. 

With just 40 rooms, Lake Austin Spa Resort is a boutique 

version of its all-inclusive glass and stone mega-cousins. And 

that’s just one of the differences. This is a place to be pampered 

and coddled; a place where you come to slow down. 

We’ve been to the bigger spas and, while we’re not complaining, 

the pace can be hectic. First thing in the morning, you rush 

to the sign-up sheets to secure a spot in the classes you want 

— and often the popular ones are filled or so crammed you can 

barely do a leg lift without hitting your neighbor. Then it’s off 

to breakfast, followed by a dizzying schedule. If it’s 10 a.m. it 

must be Flying Dragon Yoga, followed by Extreme Core Blast, 

followed by Aqua Boxing. 


Rushing to Cardio Drumming isn’t Lake Austin Spa’s style. 

Everything’s relaxed. Granted we were there in the dead of winter, 

their slowest time and we often had the class instructors to 

ourselves — essentially personal trainer time. But even at the 

peak, the classes top out at 20. And there is never a rush to sign 

up, because they don’t fill up. In fact there’s never a rush to do 

anything at the Lake Austin Spa. 

Despite its name, the spa isn’t exactly a lakeside resort. It’s 

bordered by a dammed-up portion of Texas’ 862-mile-long Colorado 

River. Sitting in the Spa’s dining room, which is just a 

few yards from the water, you feel like you’re on a riverboat idly 

floating with the slow-moving current. 

In the morning, the mist is heavy over the river; the sky 

looks like white cotton candy. As the sun cuts through, you can 

make out the mallards and shore birds. Occasionally a fishing 

boat putts by. And the wooded cliffs on the opposite bank are 

part of the local park system so they are untouched. You feel 

secreted away in the Texas Hill Country, instead of a 21-miledrive 

to the state capitol building in downtown Austin. 

Water is the big draw at this spa, at least during the warmer 

months. There are plenty of water fitness activities: stand-up 

paddle-boarding, hydro-biking, sculling, kayaking, water-skiing 

and wake boarding. It was too cold for any of that when we 

were there; we were content to sit on the dock and watch the 

river life float by. 

Still, we weren’t total chill slugs. We took a pontoon boat 

ride down the river to a park where we hiked a trail thick with 

native juniper and pecan trees and punctuated by a gushing wa- 

Morning mist surrounds a viewing 

platform jutting out into Lake Austin. 


terfall. In cooking classes we learned the trick of home-made 

queso fresco. (Who knew it was just hot milk and lemon?) And 

we discovered how to make a healthy Pork Wellington. (Really, 

it’s possible.) 

One morning we tried to improve our balance in the Wake 

Up BEAMing class where we postured, stretched and flexed 

atop plastic beams a couple inches from the floor. Sounds easy, 

until you try it, especially at 8:30 in the morning. After BEAM 

class, we attempted a kind of self-massage involving Styrofoam 

tubes. We sat and rolled on them, keying into the hurting parts 

of our bodies. Which, after BEAM class, was everywhere. 

After Styrofoaming, we wandered over to the Spa’s indoor 

pool for a water exercise class. The instructor, Monica Gutierrez, 

was from Mexico so we strengthened our abs at a salsa tempo. 

After we’d run, swam and kicked in the shallow water, Gutierrez 

ended the session by demonstrating a water-aided myofascial 

technique on each of us. Instant back-pain relief. 

After such a vigorous morning we owed ourselves a treat, 

which at a spa can mean only one thing: massage for one of us, 

a facial for the other. You can guess who got what. 

Tassled lampshades and curtains -- the Lake Austin Spa version of pool-side decor. 


We waited for our therapists in a room any rich aunt would 

love. Deep sofas, upholstered chaises, wing-back chairs, all with 

soft wool throws. A long side table was stocked with flavored 

waters (lemon, cucumber, mint) almonds and dried apricots, 

under crystal chandeliers and botanical prints. 

But decor is only one of the Spa’s charms. There’s the food. 

During our introductory tour, a guide pointed to greenery in 

the pool-side gardens and said, “You’re going to eat this stuff.” 

A fact that was confirmed by the kitchen staff and Trish Shirey, 

the “director of flora and fauna,” who’s been taking care of the 

spa grounds for 31 years. “I’m steward of the land,” she told us 

proudly. 

Among other things, Shirey oversees the spa’s ten 50-footlong 

vegetable/herb/flower gardens. It was too wintery for tomatoes 

or cucumbers, but there were more than a dozen types 

of lettuce and at least five kinds of kale, including a version 

whose leaves “are supposed to look like dinosaur skin,” Shirey 

said. 

All of this made it to the spa’s lunch and dinner table, along 

with a generous spicing of the garden’s herbs. Shirey is a self-ad- 

Relaxing in the outdoor Jacuzzi. 


mitted herb geek. She showed us some of the garden’s 28 types 

of rosemary and bragged about her basils. “I collect basils,” she 

said. “We’ve had as many as 45 different kinds -- though this 

year we only had 35. It’s a total bust,” she said with a laugh. 

Guests are encouraged to take home whatever herbs or flowers 

they want and the front desk is stocked with scissors and 

plastic bags. “Our cuttings are now all over the country,” said 

Shirey. We snagged Texas bay leaves and rosemary. 

We’ve been to a number of spas and Lake Austin has the best 

food of them all. Perhaps its because five years ago they hired 

French chef Stephane Beaucamp who goes by Julia Child’s philosophy, 

“Everything in moderation.” This is a chef who doesn’t 

shy away from butter. Just not too much. 

From our first meal of Lobster Cake with house-made pickles 

and ginger aoli (80 calories) followed by an Umami Bison 

Burger (395 calories) and Avocado Lime Pie with Almond-Date 

crust (357 calories) to our last meal of Fresh Crab Mini Taco (92 

calories), followed by Rack of Lamb (360 calories), followed by 

Molten Chocolate Cake (553 calories). Every bite was exquisite. 

Just like the Lake Austin Spa. 


SPA CHECKLIST – THE TOP AHH MOMENTS 

• Body: Myofacial release in water exercise class. 

• Taste: Avocado lime pie, mushroom risotto 

• Sight: Mist on the river during breakfast; explosion of 

colorful fabrics in each room. 

• Smell: Rosemary bushes by every building. 

• Sound: Guest performer, Michael Fracasso, singing 

“Killing the Blues” in the Spa’s “living room” on a Friday 

night. 

• Service: Food manager stopping by our table at dinner 

and saying: “Go ahead, order the scallops” 

Top right: Inviting lake-side resting spot. Above: Spa services waiting 

room, just like your rich aunt would want it. Top left: Pontoon 

bikes at the Lake Austin water-sports facility. 


RECI 

Two great recipes from lake austin spa 

Raw Avocado and Lime Pie with Almond Crust 

Crust 

Ingredients 

• 2 cups almonds 

• 1/2 cup coconut flakes 

• 1/2 cup date paste 

• (To make date paste, pit and soak 6-8 dates in 1/4 cup water for a hour, then blend in a food processor) 

• 1/8 cup coconut oil, melted 

• 1/4 tsp vanilla extract 

• 1/8 tsp salt 

Add almonds to food processor and blend until fine, add the rest of the ingredients and pulse until blended 

but crumbly. You want the “crust” mixture to stick together when pinched between your fingers, but not 

too sticky. Press firmly and evenly into a tart pan with a removable bottom. 

Filling 

Ingredients 

• 3/4 cup fresh lime juice (About 6 limes, or 12 key limes) 

• 1/2 cup honey or agave 

• 1/4 cup coconut milk 

• 1 cup avocado (About 2) 

• 2 tsp vanilla extract 

• 1/8 tsp salt 

Blend in blender until creamy. 

Then add: 

• 2 Tbsp lecithin powder 

• 3/4 cup coconut butter 

Blend well in a high speed blender. Pour into crust and chill about 2 hours in freezer. To serve, unthaw 

about 10-15 minutes. Alternately, you can pour the filling into bowls or glasses and refrigerate for an hour 

and serve as a pudding. You can also freeze the filling for a few hours and serve as an ice cream. 


PES 

Wild Mushroom Risotto 

Ingredients 

• 2 cups, Arborio Rice (any short-grain rice works) 

• 3-4 cups, vegetable stock 

• 1/2 cup white wine 

• 2 T. Butter 

• 1 T. Olive oil 

• ½ onion, minced 

• 2 cloves of garlic, minced 

• 1/4 cup, Parmesan cheese, shredded 

• 1/4 cup Herbs, chopped fine (Parsley, Oregano, Thyme, Rosemary) 

• 1/4 cup Hazelnuts, toasted then roughly chopped 

• 1 cup mushrooms, cleaned and sliced 

Directions 

• Combine stock and wine in one pot. Heat over low, boiling is not necessary, the stock just needs to 

be hot 

• In another pot, heat oil 

• Add onion, sweat 

• When onions become translucent, add garlic 

• Add rice immediately and stir until the grains become somewhat translucent 

• Add enough liquid to cover the rice and stir 

• Adjust heat so the mixture is boiling lightly (Stirring constantly is not necessary, but the occasional 

stir lets you get an idea of how much liquid has been absorbed.) 

• When most of the liquid is absorbed, add liquid to cover. (A good indicator is that the rice separates 

when a spoon is pulled through.) 

• Repeat these steps until the rice, when tasted, has a bit of texture left ("tooth" as it's called) 

• Remove from the heat 

• In a separate pan, heat a little oil 

• Add the mushrooms and sauté for 2 to 3 minutes 

• When the mushrooms are done, add the mushroom, as well the herbs and the cheese into the rice 

• Finish with the butter and stir until it's incorporated 

• Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper 

• Plate and garnish with more herbs, cheese and the toasted hazelnuts 

• Drizzle with a good olive oil 


CELEBRATE WITH AN EXCLAMATION POINT! 

For a party as bright, bold, and colorful as you’ve ever seen, come to Tri-Cities 

and celebrate at a multitude of vibrant festivals and events. Revel in the 

brilliant colors of our world and the bold colors of our lives. Thrill your senses 

with exceptional entertainment and world-class food and wine. We don’t do 

anything halfway. Add an exclamation point to your life’s biography. To learn 

more, visit www.VisitTRI-CITIES.com. 

www.VisitTRI-CITIES.com 


Susan McBeth’s 

TRAVEL BY THE BOOK 

Kitchens of the Great Midwest 

by J. Ryan Stradal (Pamela Dorman Books, 2015) 

The menu: “two perfectly browned isosceles-triangle 

toast points, thin as tortillas, framing 

a curl of bright pink ham, accompanied by a 

white ceramic spoon of pale red chutney…two glistening 

little rectangles of white fish on identically 

sized mounds of yellow succotash…a 

tiny cut of venison 

steak, about half the size of a 

playing card, with tomatoes 

and sweet pepper jelly…a pavlova 

the size of a mini-donut, 

with five blackberry halves 

clinging to its tiny plateau, 

and a copper shot glass filled 

two-thirds with a creamy dark 

brown liquid.” 

If this sounds gastronomically 

enticing, just wait until 

you sink your teeth into 

the literary feast that J. Ryan 

Stradal has concocted in his 

New York Times bestselling 

debut novel, Kitchens of the 

Great Midwest. 

During a childhood shaken 

by tragedy and poverty, 

young Eva Thorvald meticulously 

tends to the plants she 

secretly grows in her bedroom 

closet until they reach 

maximum potency, at which time she harvests them 

for, well, “recreational” purposes. But perhaps not 

the kind you think. You see, Eva was born with a 

once-in-a-lifetime palate, and while her hydroponic 

chocolate habaneros initially supply fodder for 

pranks on school bullies and earn her a few extra 

dollars by wagering tasting bets with unsuspecting 

diners, eventually Eva’s talents grow beyond a childhood 

fancy and lead her to become one of the nation’s 

most in-demand chefs. 

J. Ryan Stradal reveals the soul of that chef, one 

menu at a time, with ingredients inspired by Midwestern 

terroir, starting with the pureed pork that 

her father feeds her as a infant, to the extraordinarily 

spicy chili peppers Eva grows as a child, to the winning 

peanut butter bars in the county fair bakeoff, 

and culminating in a tantalizing feast of the senses 

that epitomizes the comfort and sense of belonging 

that food provides to the six foot, two inch food 

goddess. 

Employing a unique structure that may initially 

tend to confuse, Stradal commences 

each chapter abruptly, 

so that the reader must 

deduce whose perspective is 

next and what their role is 

in Eva’s life. And while not 

offering chapter transitions 

may derail some novels, in 

this case, it is sheer brilliance, 

as it uproots the readers 

much like Eva has been uprooted 

in her brief life, but 

then eventually settles as satisfactorily 

as a black truffle 

oil macaroni and cheese with 

bacon and smoked Gouda. 

As she gains renown, Eva 

becomes more elusive and, in 

fact, only one of this character-driven 

novel’s chapters is 

even related from Eva’s point 

of view. Diners, however, 

are ubiquitous, salivating 

for their coveted reservation, 

even though they must wait 

up to four years and fork over $5,000 per person to 

dine. And when they are called, and are required on 

short notice to travel to a clandestine location where 

the meal will be served, they can only hope to gain 

a glimpse of their chef, as she works with her small 

team behind the scenes to create a multi-sensorial 

feast worthy of culinary orgasm. 

Equal parts hilarious, touching, and creative, the 

novel is a recipe for success, not bad for a debut author. 

J. Ryan Stradal may be new on the authorial 

scene, but his cast of flawed and loveable quirky 

characters is literary ambrosia. Taste Kitchens of the 

Great Midwest, savor it, and then like any unforgettable 

meal, you will leave yearning for more. 

~ by Susan McBeth 

Cartoonpublished with the permission from AirlineRatings.com 


“No one knows its trails quite like Priscilla Lister, whose Take a Hike: San Diego County highlight 

260 trails from the sea to the mountains to the great inland desert of Anza-Borrego. It 

avoids the most popular (and hence overcrowded) as well as the very difficult trophy trails. 

This book is for those of us who want to get outdoors and see the land, the plants, and the 

animals—and maybe hear a story or two about the evolution of the landscape and the 

patterns of human habitation in this very special corner of California...“ 

A Review from Amazon.com. 

NOW AVAILABLE ON AMAZON.COM & AT FINE BOOKSTORES 



INCREDIBLE INDIA 

FOR THE ADVENTURE OF A LIFETIME 

I would totally recommend Sabu 

and his Icon India tour company. We 

had the experience of a lifetime. ~ 

Ron James, publisher WDT. 


ICON 

INDIA 

GO BEYOND YOUR IMAGINATION 

CONTACT: SABU RAM 

www.iconindiatours.com 

+91 855 984 54 40 

www.iconindiatours.com

WINE DINE & TRAVEL MAGAZINE ISSUE 2 2016 issue

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