Vivid Happiness

Gaudi, the world renowned Catalan architect and artist, compared his famous church, La Sagrada Familia, to an oak tree. It took centuries to grow, and in truth it is still growing. On the other hand, said Gaudi, a simple reed will grow quickly but will also die quickly. This same sentiment can be felt in, [...]

The  Amtrak “Maple Leaf” leaves Penn Station in New York City at 7:15 am, bound for Toronto, Canada. I got to the station  a little early and walked over to a big Canadian Flag sign that said “register here”. An  Amtrak person checked my tickets  and passport. He gave me a couple of luggage tags [...]

“Only when coming from Norway does Switzerland seem reasonably priced. Dropping $20 or $25 on a decent Swiss dinner felt like a big relief. (Later, when I was in Poland, I could eat like royalty for $20. In Warsaw I had lunch for $2…banana, egg-salad sandwich, and a bottle of water. But, as the stray [...]

After weeks of foggy San Francisco, I was ready to escape and find the sun, so I decided to go for a ride through Napa Valley, past Calistoga und visit Lake County. Clear Lake is the largest natural freshwater lake in California, with 68 square miles of surface area. This lake is over 2 Million [...]

Florence, Italy is, simply put, a feast for the senses. Art lovers from all over the globe flock to this magnificent city and are never disappointed. From some of the greatest art in the world to luxurious accommodations and gourmet food, Florence is Italy’s greatest treasure. Sadly, Florence was almost Italy’s buried treasure. Or, to [...]

I had booked my flight on www.airberlin.com for a long weekend in Berlin. Their prices are competitive and I enjoy their service. Cost for a roundtrip Munich-Berlin-Munich € 134.00. Cheaper flights are available, depending on how flexible you are with your time and dates. I stayed at my niece’s apartment who lives in Berlin-Mitte, the [...]

“Learn Something New Every Day” Question: What do the city of Detroit, Michigan, the State of Louisiana and the Tarn and Garonne Region in France have in common? Answer: Lamothe Cadillac. He was born in the village of St. Nicolas in1658, sailed off to Quebec and the Americas and founded the city of Detroit in [...]

Germany is well known for its major contributions to art, architecture, music, and literature over the centuries. Visitors to this lovely country will find historic medieval towns, exquisite ancient buildings, and art treasures. Unfortunately, much of Germany’s old world architecture was destroyed during the 2 World Wars. But, the vivid history of the country and [...]

The flight from London-Gatwick arrives 10 minutes early into Madrid Barajas Airport. Once we get into the terminal, we look for the Baggage Claim” signs and follow them for the next 20 minutes, walking through this huge glass structure, escalators down, elevators up, then end up in a downstairs hall where we take an underground [...]

The Viennese Waltz Perhaps the courtliest city in Austria, Vienna is a stunning juxtaposition of courtly grandeur and nouveau hip. It is a city on the verge of major changes will always remain rooted in its imperial past for one reason, the ability of Vienna’s citizens to pay homage to the past in everything they [...]