Linda's Blog

Santorini

noreply@blogger.com (Linda) — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 05:59:00 +0000

Seaside Taverna

Cove for swimming off the Schooner to Oia

Sunset at Oia

Santorini views

Santorini

Helen insited we take one last week and visit Santorini. The Greek Islands offer another view of this landscape that we needed to see. The minute we landed in Santorini it had a different feel. It was warmer, much more barren, and MORE people and the ugly side of Greece-the garbage along the roads. There is no government program that controls or seems to pick up the litter and it is everywhere here. Helen says 5 years ago the tourists where minimal but now the entire island seems teaming with people vacationing. We see lots of young people touring and many who seem to be honey-mooners.

This island is a favorite for the cruise ships as well. Thousands of people seem to be making their way up the steep cliffs to the white washed towns on the top. The streets are still the terraced colorful cottages we've seen but they're almost all small shops full of beautiful jewelry and trendy resort wear. Tavernas and up scale restaurants all with a terrace and a view, and two times the price for lunch.

Yesterday we took a schooner that toured three different ports. Our trip took us to the active volcano in the region. This region was originally a larger island that was devastated by the largest eruption in recorded history. The date is in the mid 2nd. century BC and has been speculated to have been the basis for the myth of Atlantis. The island where the volcano is truely different than anything we've seen so far. It has the rugged geography but it is of barren volcanic rock. We had to hike up about 3 miles to the top and where we could see the smoking caldera. The guide was great and she could tell her story is 4 languages. After our hike we sailed to another island in the ring. We where invited to dive off the ship and swim as we wanted. This had me feeling like I'd escaped from a pirate ship and discovered a secret cove and rocks for swimming. Wonderful way to spend and afternoon. Our last stop was to the town of Oia on the tip of Santorini cliffs. This is a famous spot for photographers and visiters. We watched the sun set and it was glorious. Tamra promised me she got some wonderful shots.

We have one more day in Athens and then we have another odyssey back home. We've had a wonderful month. Greece will always be fondly remembered and our bike trip with Yorgos was definatly memorable. Our sisterhood of the traveling bicycles is over. We'll be home and back to our normal busy lives again. We're all looking forward to hugs and showing off pictures and our Greek cooking skills. Ya Sas...

Not a single flat in our 850K!!

noreply@blogger.com (Linda) — Sat, 03 Oct 2009 18:03:00 +0000

Yorgos's Family at our family dinner

No McDonald's in Greece, I wonder why?

Friday Oct. 2

We finished our tour today. We managed one last swim at Kalavrita, so we swam and swam. I think Helen said her and Tamara did about a mile. The place Yorgos had us stay in last night was really the very top of the line. We overlooked a beautiful bay and the rooms where outstanding. Very modern and high end. Our ride to the bay was about like our others over quiet country roads, with lots of ups and downs.

The bikes where packed up, our equipment on the bikes removed and we gave out bikes a last pat as Yorgos packed them in the van. We all felt a sence of completion and when we finally tallied our milage we where amazed that we did 850 K around about. We managed to fit the countryside of the Peloponnese, the culture, the food, the people and 850K of biking in three short weeks. What an experience it has been.

We had a last dinner together and this gave us time to let our friends know how much we appreciated all their work and professional excellence in putting together a tour none of us will ever forget. Yorgos wanted to know what we liked and what problems or changes we would suggest. We could go on and on about all the things we liked.. . the detailed day sheet and markings that never led us wrong, the fact that Panayotis was a great sweep and helped keep us together on the long miles, the breakfasts, the picnics, the wonderful dinners Yorgos found for us and of course HIS COOKING!!! and we'll never forget the wonderful family dinner we where allowed to share in at his mothers. The bikes all ran well after numerous tweeks by Yorgos, the places where all wonderfully different and we just couldn't come up with much to critisize. The hills seemed endless but we are pretty tough now and the roads at times where pretty narrow and crazy, but we really wouldn't change a thing. Was 21 days too long... not at all, we never tired of the discoveries we had each day. We learned that there is so much to this wonderful country. We had a nice mix of tough days and easy days, swimming, shopping and beaches. The tour was very diverse and always educational and fun.

We've all learned something on this tour... and hope to change our lives a bit. We've had a glimpse of a slower way to live. The beauty of this land encourages people to take a bit of time to savour their surroundings, enjoy the wonderful climate, the exceptional bounty of foods grown and cooked here, and take time to enjoy life a bit more. We found the fact that there are no McDonalds in Greece to be curious at first, but now we know why. Why would you want to go into a restaurant that offers exactly the same food every day, quickly yes, but without care or taste that is in abundance in Greece. And the most obvious thing would be, by the time you chew down the burger and coke... you're friends at the next taverna haven't even begun to start on their evening Meze and friendly talk.

We will always remember this place fondly, we'll try and pour olive oil in all our cooking now and I plan to make some mousaka. We'll be home soon. I will try and make one more post for Santorini. So stay tuned.

Monemvasia is amazing

noreply@blogger.com (Linda) — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 19:11:00 +0000

Monemvasia, Greece

Today we have to say good-by to Gytheio. This spot has been special. The view of the water is amazing and it is such a sleepy little waterfront town now without all the tourists. The staff at the hotel we're staying in have been especially friendly. So, if you happen to be in Gytheio, be sure and check out the Gytheion Hotel.. absolutely tops! And, they are right above a SUPER ice cream/internet cafe shop. Tamara and I had a run this morning and we swam too... so little time, so many fun things to do.

Our ride this morning will be one of our longest. We will be crossing the entire peninsula and going to the village of Arhaggelos. We have about 60 K, but Yorgos says it will be relatively flat.. yeah, right. We start off and travel through miles and miles of orchards again. This time oranges and of course figs, olives, tomatoes etc. The road is more of the same... up to beautiful views, down to little villages etc, etc.

The real highlight of this day was our evening in Monemvasia. this amazing place is a small mountain of rock that was seperated from the mainland by and earthquake in 375 AD. It was founded by the Byzantines in the sixth century and shortly after it became an important port. It has a causeway that links it to the mainland. It has many ruins of the original 800 houses and four of the original 40 churches. High above, castle walls protect the upper town on the summit. There is a fortified zigzag path from the upper town leading to the summit overlooking the town. We could have wandered through these ruins for hours. They have many shops and restaraunts to explore too, but the ancient buildings where amazing, especially at sunset. This was truely one of the highlights of our trip, and I would encourage anyone to make this a must see in Greece. I'll try and put a link up in a few days.

Fueled by Figs

noreply@blogger.com (Linda) — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 12:57:00 +0000

The hill climbs are worth it, when you see sights like this

We walk to our grotto lunch spot

A Church on the road to our beach grotto

Tamra enjoying Greek coffee before our morning ride

I've been getting a few runs in

Our rides begin with a few quiet minutes, sipping coffee and just enjoying the beauty or the quiet. Yorgos has done a wonderful job finding wondrful accomadations. We mostly have two rooms and a balcony and usually a very small bathroom and often the rooms have a small kitchenette. We've enjoyed Greek coffee which is milder then expresso but still strong. It is heated with water and sugar in a small pot called a just until boiling and served in a small cup. The coffee is very popular and served everywhere at all times of day or night.

For breakfast we usually have yogurt and honey with fruit, a boiled egg, toast and nuts.

We get ourselves ready for our daily ride and discuss our ride with Yorgos and his brother Panoyotis, who has been riding with us most of the way. Pano, is a cyclist but he hasn't gone on many of his brothers rides and he's helping and keeping us all in line.

Tuesday 9/29

Today we'll have another challenging ride as we head for to the inner Mani, one of Europes wildest and most isolated regions. This area is mostly barren mountains with small olive trees and prickly pear cacti. It use to be denley populated area nd almost every hillside was cultivated. We can seen thousands of acres of stone fences and the hillsides are dotted with stone tower houses. The people choose these houses because they where easy to defend and very sturdy, as we can see because they are still around. Warfare seems to have been a constant for the Greek people. The area is doted with midevil churches and tiny chapels.

We rode up hills and down, not a car or a goat in sight. Until we see signs to the beach that Yorgos promises us. This beach is tucked away in an isolated cove, no sand but small round pebbles surround the waters edge. The cove is tucked into a hillside and we see a deep grotto that is shady and would make a perfect spot for our lunch. We have saved figs from the trees on our ride and we have tomatoes, olives and bread, we are set for a wonderful lunch. But first a swim... Helen swims with abandon out as far as she dares, Tamra and I both love to swim but the gentle cove also has more of the feel of an ocean too... so we stay closer to shore and enjoy the veiw of the rocks and fishes with our goggles. No need for snorkling equipment here if you bring your trusty swim goggles from home. We sun and snooze for a bit after lunch.

We do have the issue of the ride to our next destination... and of course it involves more hills. I have decided to change my ultimate challenge hill... no longer is MacIntosh Grade the toughest.. now it is Greek hills.

We visit the Diros Caves

noreply@blogger.com (Linda) — Sun, 27 Sep 2009 15:35:00 +0000

One of our beaches today

Diros caves

Gytheio

The wind continues today and we all could use a rest day, so today we decided to check out the Diros caves in the area. They where discovered in 1955 by a dog that crawled through a hole into the caves and returned several days later coated in red clay. His owner followed him the following day and found a vast network of caves, of which some 5 miles have now been explored. The Pirgos Dirou Caves are one of the oldest inhabited spots in Greece. and pottery, bone tools, and even prehistoric garbage have been found here. We rode in a boat through the caves. It reminded me of a science fiction movie or Lord of the Rings worlds. Amazing.

The rest of the day we had time to explore the town of Gytheio. Tomorrow we ride to the southern most tip of Europe and Greece. This is called the Inner Mani .

We rest and enjoy a dinner on the waterfront

Chasing Italians!

noreply@blogger.com (Linda) — Sat, 26 Sep 2009 15:25:00 +0000

Mani Coast
So, it seems today is Saturday, day 16. Of course we had to start the day with another swim.. everyone would be so disappointed if we didn't. Lovely, but, we can see the clouds turning gray and threatening. After our breakfast Yorgos, who's riding with us today tells us today will be our most challenging climb. We're only going 35 k but it's straight up and straight down. We'll climb another 477 meters but the nice little challenge we have to day is.. horrendous swirling wind and a possiblity of rain. So we'll play it by ear.

Who's this up ahead? A group of cyclists on mountain bikes and full paniers. We find out there are 10 of them, ladies and gents, very friendly, bon journo, bon jorno! (whatever) and we seem to keep catching them all morning. There going about 100K a day, and are touring as a group for 10 days. The wind is tough for all of us but they will really have a time of it with 70K more then us. Yorgos says the wind should be coming and going as we go up the switchbacks and the road is quite good and not much traffic. So we start and it is gruelling with the wind, but it does come and go some. The rain starts as expected and we decide to wait it out in a SMOKE FREE!!! Taverna.. it is pouring too.. but stops in about a half hour and we only have 10K to go.

The rain stops and the wind dyes some. We have the last of this "monster" climb, Yorgos states ahead, but we continue.. Tamra chases and finds the Italians at our destination village.. Thank God!!! Today we stop at Areapoli.

The Beaches in Greece are from heaven

noreply@blogger.com (Linda) — Sat, 26 Sep 2009 14:23:00 +0000

Just about enough time for a short swim before our ride today

So I think we're at day 15. Tamra and I wake up each morning and say... do you believe we're in Greece and we have to go swim before breakfast! What would our friends say if we didn't... so off we go.. Helen too... we swim and swim and swim.. do I have to get out? The googles we brought are awesome.. I can see to the bottom and I'm way over my head. Today we're off to a little town called Stoupa. Yorgos and his family say this is the most awesome beach... how could it be!!!

For all you bikers out there this day is biker heaven. Clear blue skies, not a touch of smog...all the smokers are in the internet cafe's..cough, cough. We'll ride 42 K today and two.. challenging climbs.. for 446 meters total.. lots of switchbacks, watch for the traffic, single file, be carefull and stop when you need too... boy we're climbers now. I'm up ahead again and what's this another arrow heading off for a view I'll bet... how can he possibly get the car on this road I think.. probably about .5 mi I go.. rugged but beautiful. I stop and enjoy the view for quite awhile.. pictures to come. I head back to the road.. no sign of our group.. but only one road Yorgos says.. so off I go.. hmmm no arrows, but what's this a dutch couple who speak English, but are LOADED down with the works! The lady (about my age) says they've biked from the Netherlands for the last 5 weeks! The alps where a challange.. I guess!!! but they've only got a few weeks left and then a plane ride home. I follow them for quite awhile and find out Stoupa is not far.. I stop in a nice Taverna and have a diet coke and chat with the owner a bit. I'll bet they're wondering where I am.

Finally I see the van and Yorgos! Yup, he was getting a bit concerned. We are in an even more beautiful place.. unbelievable view.. called The Lighthouse. I hurry to get into my bikinis.. yes you heard right.. I have a bikinis now and serious a tan problem. We're armed with sunblock though. Off to the beach we go... sandy, slowly deeper water, people everywhere. And... in all state of dress or I should say undress!! I'll bet we're hearing 10 different languages here.. all the babies and toddlers are in their birthday suits.. playing in the sand with mom or dad..

several women.. topless, without a care in the world.. all sizes. Tans are all pretty good, except us. We're not in a hurry though... we have 2 weeks to catch up.

Stoupa Street and tower house

We have a bit of a walking tour before dinner. The town just a few K before Stoupa is Kardamyli. Yorgos family comes from the area. This is the Mani peninsula and very rugged and untamed. The town has an area that is preserved and very isolated and is considered a good example of old Greece. This area is famous for it's tower houses and fortified family dwellings. They date from the time of the revolution in 1821 or earlier. This area is also where the Greek writer Kikos Kazantzakis met Alexis Zorbos and part of the story Zorba the Greek took place around here. A great story about Greece and a great film.

Lela in her kitchen

Dinner tonight is really special we eat at Lela's... the restaurant is famous all over Greece for the setting.. on the rocky ledge overlooking the ocean.. and the food. Traditional Greek food, with Lela supervising everything, still. She stopped by to talk to Yorgos and Pete... she was the most lovely 90 yr old I've ever seen. She was all in black, as the older women dress here, with a gold cross on her neck and a black scarf on her hair. She had wonderfull soft looking skin, that was aged with lovely wrinkles, from obvious smiling for all her life. She kindly allowed a photo which I will post as soon as I can. This meal was still even more different dishes... fried cheese again, rice and spinach with mint I think, baked lamb and potatoes, fava beans as a dip, yogurt eggplant and garlic dip, fried meatballs again with fried potatoes, bread of course, and more wine. The moonlight is incredible, but we are very tired.. the late nights and heavy meals are a challenge to us Americans. But we'll suffer if we have too.

Rest day at Kalamarta: Some pictures are up on the Blogs!!!

noreply@blogger.com (Linda) — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 16:35:00 +0000

Kalamata

Today we rode to Kalamata, Yorgos's home town. We got to experience the modern side of Greece. It's busy, narrow roads, lots of construction!!! We have a beautiful hotel overlooking the sea. We all went for a swim and where glad to have a nap. After our nap Yorgos picked us up and we had a wonderful dinner at their home.

The people here are so gracious and welcoming. Dinner was prepared on the back yard stone stove. They have a gas burner that is placed in a opening in the stone. They have a stone on the gas burner to fry with very little oil. This is a traditional cooking place for a family in Greece. It would be very warm to do all the cooking inside. We are introduced to all the family as they prepare the feast. Vegetables roasted on the grill, fried fish, greens, potato salad (a wonderful combination of potatoes, peppers, onion, olive oil, vinegar and herbs, wine (homemade of course), bread, OLIVES from their orchard.. and a wonderful desert that I can't remember the name of.. but it was made with semolina flour. We got a chance to call our families and to relax under the trees and stars.

I was able to put up some photos on my other blogs from the trip so be sure and take a look!!! I still can't attach my camera so nothing current.

A Venetian Fortress on the sea

noreply@blogger.com (Linda) — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 12:35:00 +0000

Today is Tues, I think. We've lost all track of time and place. We're meeting people from all over Europe. I guess Greece has been a vacation spot for centuries. We've met people from Austria, Switzerland, England, Albania, Australia, France.

We started today from Piros Greece. A beautiful city in a natural cove. Yorgos says it is the Ionian Sea. It is a little harbor with several boats and fishing. It looks like a storm is coming in over the mountains. This is usually a perfect time of year for Greece. The tourists are minimal and the weather is in the high 70's. The winter is usually a few months off and usually they have rain like we've had for the last few days. Hard rain, pouring rain. I'm sure it has washed out many of the roads we've traveled on in the mountains.

We did about 50 K today. We have some really steep climbs today, but we're in no hurry. There are LOTS of hills in Greece!! Just like Steve Largent warned me. But the views make up for the work. We walked to town for dinner tonight. We ate by the water in one of the many restaurants. We where able to order from the menu and found several dishes we knew, so we had our own meze. We took pictures of the town as the sun went down. Tamra and I stroll back to our hotel and shop for lunch for tomorrow and for post cards. The town keeps going well into the late evening. The towns have such contrasts. In the square the people gather for coffee and traditional snacks, small children play in the open square well into the evening, in the bathrooms you must put tissue in a basket, not down the toilet because of the small old pipes, lots of solar panels on the roofs, many small "smart" cars buzzing by on roads that are about 6 feet wide and 20% grade, it seems, old farmers with their produce hanging off the back of their scooters. Never a helmet is seen.

The next morning we off again through olive groves and acres of farms of all kinds of food, Tomatoes, eggplants, and Pomegranate trees. Tamra is scavanging again for our breakfast. She says pomegranates are one of the new super foods we should all try and eat, along with almonds, Kiwi's and more I'm sure she'd fill us in on. They're full of antioxidents and is the new natural prozac! Ok with me.. I'm sure it will be pretty tasty with yogurt and honey in the am.

We heading to the city of Vounaria which is on the coast again. We stopped at the fortress of Methoni. This is an incredible structure. It was built in the 15 century by the venetians. This point of Greece is obviously another stategic point. The fortress is just like a mideval castle with vantage points, moats, a turkish bath! It is on a high rocky ledge and you can just imagine the battles that happened here. I met a very nice couple from UK who tell me they use to just through their prisoners off the ledge to the sea and their death. I probably took 50 pictures here and Tamra took more. The water is so clear you can see to the bottom. (we're still unable to up load any pictures.. so what you see is all from other web sites.)

The Venetian Fortress at Methoni

We continue along the coast line now. More up and down. We pass through small villages and everything seems to be under construction, especially on this coast. We see farmers with their produce all along the roads. We stop at a secluded beach for a swim and lunch. I meet more travelers.. Austria, Switzerland, all of them mention Obama, thumbs up whenever I tell them we're Americans. Everyone should experience swimming in the Mediterrarean at least once in their life. The water is as clear as can be, warm and gentle lapping waves. We swim and swim. We brought our goggles so we can easily see the bottom and the few fish below. I'd love to spend all day here but it seems we're packing up again... off to our next stop.

We ride through the mountains of Greece

noreply@blogger.com (Linda) — Sun, 20 Sep 2009 13:01:00 +0000

WE're off to \lampia today up over the mountains to Olympia. The road is through a rather remote area with small farms and villages. The mountains are very rugged and rocky. There are small pines and grasses, and herbs, you can smell them. The contrast of the countryside here is so dramatic. Just the other day we where by the warm beautiful ocean and now we have rugges mountains and sheep and goat herds. It is very quiet and very little traffic but we can hear the clanking of the bells on the sheep and goats.

We are climbing today. The grade reminds me of Buford but Greece offers a nice touch to these mountain climbs, every few kilometers they have a fountain for fresh running water. The goats use it as well as passersby. Today we stopped at one of the fountains just accross from a woman tending her garden. It was such a beautiful garden bull of ripe tomatoes, cabbages, eggplant and grapes. I greeted her and complemented her on the tomatoes. We chatted for a bit, which of course has a lot of sign language but we where able to get information about where we where going.. she was so impressed. She insited we all take a handful of tomatoes..(domatess in Greek) now we had part of our lunch. What a lovely county.

We stopped at a small remote village Arieso for lunch. Yorgos meets us. This small village has the most beautiful stone building everywhere. The square is all done in stone, as is the church, the school and tavernas. We are greeted by a lovely lady who owns the restaurant.. She says we are the first Americans to visit their village. She is from Romania, I believe, and she speaks English well. She chats with Yorgos and us for quite awhile. We sit and rest and enjoy this quiet lovely place. She tells us that most of the people have left the town and Yorgos supposes there may only be about 30 living there now. (still having trouble uploading pictures from my card, but I have most on CD)
We continue on our journey to our destination Lampia. I happen upon a small building that looks like a medical clinic. I'm a bit ahead of our group and as Yorgos says it's all about meeting the people. The Dr. who is working at this 2 room clinic is Ioanna Koniari. She works for the ministry of Greece and is only 8 mo. out of school. She was working in Stockholm but the ministry called her back to staff this very small remote clinic. She said she doesn't deliver babies here, just sees villagers with problems and goes to emergencys. She is planning on specializing in cardiology. we talk a bit about newborn cardiologic problems of course. She is very interested. She says they have many problems with newborns in Greece, they must be transported out and they have only 3 sites in Greece for NICU's. She would talk on and on and we exchange e mails and she will look for my blog.

We are staying tonight at a beautiful old in in Lampia. This is another small village in the mountains that is one of 6-7 small communities in a mountain side. We have the entire 2 nd floor to ourselves. It even has a kitchen for our use.
We are in for a very special treat tonight. Yorgos is cooking us dinner. If you think he is passionate about the Greek countryside he is even more passionate about Greek food. So tonight he is making us one of his family specialities

Kokoras Meheelopites or Chicke with Pasta.
He went to the local butcher and bought a rooster. This is the traditional meat for this dish. The rooster is Very Fresh.. includes his legs! Tamara insits this is for her.. Yorgos says this is important to eat the legs as it honors the rooster. Well there you go. So here is the recipe:
Fry the meat in olive oil... quite a bit.. maybe 1 cup or so, until the meat is browned well.
The meat goes in a large pot, with about 1 sliced red onion, 1 can of chopped tomatoes, about 1 cup of canned sweet peppers, red wine.. a few glups.. or to be technical about 1 cup I'd say..salt, pepper, the oil from the fry pan, some oregano, cloves and cinnamon. This mixture is them low boiled for about an hour or until it's tender. The meat is removed, and the pasta is added. Yorgos uses a very small stamp shaped pasta and this cooks for about 10 min. The aroma is heavenly. He prepares the wonderful Greek salad with feta and his olives, a loaf of fresh country bread and of course.. more wine! It's now about 8-9 pm and we enjoy probably one of the best meals I've ever tasted. We sit and chat and eat slowly.. for another 2 hrs or so, it's too good to go fast. Yorgos suggests this site for Greek cooking:
www.kalofagas.org

We chat on the long climbs and we stop e
Yorgos thinks of everything for us.. we have great markings to follow and he points out hazards as well as steep downhills. He even stopped and petted a rambunctios doggy as we rode by so he wouldn't chase us.

Siesta time in Greece

noreply@blogger.com (Linda) — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 14:45:00 +0000

These little goats where getting some water at a roadside spring

Kalavrita, Greece

We arrived at Kalavrita about 4 pm yesterday. Our hotel looks like an alpine chalet. The little town is very high in the mountains and is the local ski hill. The streets are very narrow and it looks like a mix of Swiss country and renissance Greece. We where going to try and get a pastry or something when we arrived but everything is closed right now. Yorgos says this is the siesta time and nothing will open again until about 6-7 pm. I took my drawing pad out on our balcany and spent the afternoon drawing and just listening to the quiet. We Americans have a lot we could learn about life from the Greeks. Everything is quiet, no dogs barking, no children playing in the streets, no scooters buzzing around. The air is still and dark like a storm coming in. The only sound you hear is the breeze in the trees. Tamra and Helen are reading and trying to nap. There is a peace that everyone takes in. As the clock gets close to 6 pm I can hear a bit activity. A child calling for mama, a dog barking, someone sweeping... slowly all the noise comes back and the people begin to open for business. I hear a scooter going down the street and a distant sound of thunder. Siesta time... Yorgos says it's the custom everywhere to cope with the heat. Many people don't have air conditioning, people have a late snack and prepare for the evening. The retaurants are full of locals sitting and enjoying a drink or coffee.

Yorgos meets us about 7:30 to fill us in on our rest day tomorrow. Even though we are suppose to be resting from riding he has several places for us to see. Tonight we walk around the town square and he tells us the tragic story of this town. During WWII the mountains around Kalavrita where a stronghold for the resistance. The Germans took the region and wanted to teach the people a lesson so in Kalavrita on Dec. 13, 1943 they gathered up all the males over age 13, and led them out of town to a ravine and shot them all. They then gathered all the women and children locked them into school and set it on fire. They where able to break the windows and doors and many escaped. The Germans let them go without shooting at those escaping. We visited the memorial this evening.

Very somber, the sculpture below the memorial picture is of a grieving woman. Such horror. One of the inscriptions is a prayer for an end to war.

Kalavrita Place of Sacrifice Memorial

This is a beautiful area. Friday morning is cool and foggy so we all decide to go visit the caves in the area and a beautiful grove of trees called Planno trees (spelling?). We lunch on another wonderful Greek salad... we all love the fetta cheese and olive oil now. After our strength training via Helen.. Helen has always been so fit and into training. I finally give in and join the group.. we're all growning but very ready for lunch. Now Tamra and I head off for our mini bike ride to the local monastary. of Agia Lavra tucked away in the hills. This little chapel is where the Greek revolution against the Ottoman Empire was launched in 1821.

Monastary at Agia Lavra

Grotto shrine at Monastary of Agia Lavra

Tamra and Helen both want me to say hello to all. We are all having a wonderful time. Ah soo. (by by) The town is full of activity right now.. about 9 pm. Helen is enjoying a note from Bill and Tamra is off exploring the gypsey bazaar in the streets.. she's found some plastic bowls etc. for our now daily shopping for bread and greek salad and baklava feasts!! I'm going off to find that local gelatto shop.

POPO (wow in Greek)

noreply@blogger.com (Linda) — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 13:12:00 +0000

Super Hero's at the Citadel of Corinth (I think)

Lions Gate at Agamemnoms Fortress

Tuesday and Wednesday:

Streets of Nafplion

We started our history lesson today. In Greece that means eons.. We headed off yesterday from Napfoli. On our road today we planned to go to Agamemnon's fortress and tomb. The road was difficult to say the least but the weather was pleasant, cool and a bit overcast. We had miles of country roads with acres of olive trees, grapes and figs. Every once in a while we'd stop and snack on the delicious grapes. We finally arrived to the archeologic site after a 7 mi. climb up.

Yorgos met us at the site and we started the climb up to the huge fortress. You'll have to look up the story of Agamemnon and the Atretes family... famous for the Helen of Troy story. The movie 300 now has new meaning. Yorgos tells us the story of the cursed family as we wander around the huge grounds of the fortress. The view and the ancient structure just takes your breath away. This was in 1400 BC!!! They have unbelievable achetecture and structures.

Agamemnoms Tomb and fortress

We take many pictures as Yorgos tells us the story of the Greeks from this period, the Bronze age 1400 BC to the classical age... the Acropolis perieod which was about 400 BC. Amazing. The history is unbelievable. Corrie was right... everywhere you go there are ruins. Excavating, marble, huge sites from one period to the next... the romans are known for their public works... the baths, the aquaducts, the roads, the Greeks for their temples one age built on anothers ruins. We finish our tour of the fortress by getting a picture under the lion's gate... as we where getting the picture the little daughter of the lady taking our picture asks us: "Are you super hero's?" I guess it was our biking clothes... we all just chuckled.. We felt a bit like super hero's after climbing up the mountain!

Mycenae: Temple of Zeus

From this site we went to the site at Mycenae.. even earlier then the bronze age I think... this site has a stadium for athletic games and a temple of Zeous. We had a wonderful picnic lunch here.. fresh tomatoes, olives, salami, cheese and fresh peaches... all from the local road side stands. We had a short ride from this site through acres and acres of grapes...all kinds of grapes. This is harvest time so there where many workers picking and grapes lying out under tarps to concentrate the sweetness we're guessing. We arrived exhausted in Ancient Corinth. About 6 miles from our hotel Yorgos hit an obstacle... seems they put in a high speed rail system that cut off this side of town from the other!! He was... temporarily flustered!! I was done in.. trailing around the gypsey village in Corinth over roads that ended in ditches etc. but not Helen and Tamara!! They're ready and excited about everything!! So I climbed in the van... and they followed for the next 6 mi. Yorgos finally says... "now I know where I am.. as we turned the last corner to "Mama Elizabeths". Finally... I nap!!

Mama Elizabeth's

Wednesday

We slept like babies last night... seems my room mate buddies didn't even snore last night. They has a symphony going the night before.. of course I never snore.. check out my hubby on that one.

Helen Tamra and I head down the street for a coffee and pastry. The morning is full of comings and going.. we see little old ladies in black with their little bags, farmers driving a rototiller turned into a cart... Tamra keeps taking pictures of these... getting all excited and saying "Rori has got to build me one of these!!!" So Rori.. start looking around for the oldest rotiller you can find!! We find an open air bakery.. pick out our patries and watch the world go by... we see everyone buzzing around on scooters.. our jaws drop as a woman with three children on their way to school!!! on the scooter.. hanging on for dear life.. no helmets or seat belts here!! After our morning coffee we head back to our hotel for... another breakfast.. cheese, coffee cake, melon, hard boiled eggs.

Acropolis of Corinth

The View from Citadel of Corinth

Tamra and I suit up for the morning climb.. up to the Citadel of Corinth. Helen, anticipating her knee not liking the climb stays in the van. It's only about 4 mi. up but is it ever up!!! The fortress is on the highest peak in the area and overlooks both the Agean and Ionic (not sure?) sea. Unbelievable. We make the trek panting and stopping every K or so!! I end up pushing the bike and swearing I've got to lose 20 lbs.!!! We make it to the base of the fortress. From here we hike up and explore the fortress... Yorgos now fills in the Greek history of the Byzinthian era.. war after was, but this citadel is the strategic hold for any conquerer... they all plan a canal, including that bad boy Nero.. emperor of Rome.. yeah the guy who let Rome burn. When we reach the summit you can see the strategic advantage they would have here.

Citadel of Corinth

After our climb we all start on our next ride to Xelocastro.. a very easy ride along the coast. No climbing at all. As we're rolling along at our leisurly pace we come upon some tourists!! Where are you from, I ask? France! Mom and dad with a 14 mo.old and 4 yr. old little boy in a trailer. They've been traveling around Europe for 6 mo. camping!!! Mom is a pediatritian and dad is an EMT... they speak excellent English and tell us all about the perils of camping and carting little ones around Europe!! We exchange blog sites ( I left the address in my bike.. I'll be back later and add it) and invite us to come to Lyon... they'll show us all the great biking spots! Tamra and Helen and I start planning!! check out the site: warmshowers.com. We're having so much fun.. all we can say is PoPo (Greek for Wow!!) Please post any comments, I love them.

French family touring by bike

We're not in Kansas anymore

noreply@blogger.com (Linda) — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 16:16:00 +0000

The Acropolis

Athens Streets at 7 am

Friday

I was awake at my usual 5:30 am and I could smell the bread baking. Tamara was awake reading so without waking Helen we both tip toed out for an early run. We waited until it was light of course and headed toward the Acropolis, which is a landmark for the city. It was quiet and abandoned. We started up, up, up the little bungalows are stacked one on top of another, little open shops with leather, jewelry, bakerys, stamps etc. just beginning to open. The balconys and patios have every inch covered with flowers or colorful pots. Up, Up winding, intersected, very narrow streets with cars parked on the curbs everywhere... how in the world do they manage these streets!

Ruins are everywhere in Athens

A small group of doggies join us, very friendly group as if to say.. what fun, running humans, lets play.. Up, Up Up.. at some point we deciede it's probably a good idea to start down.. we do have our hostels address and I've found that Tamara has a remarkable sense of direction.. I stop to buy a few pastries and before you know it there's our metro stop and after a few directions from a friendly hotel manager we make it back!!!

Pete (Yorgos's brother) Tamra, Helen, Me and Yorgos

Yourgous... our guide extrodinare meets us at 10 am with our guide for the morning. Nikos takes us off to a walk from our hotel to the Acropolis... we climb the stairs that have been there since antiquity.. nothing compares to seeing this grandeur. To imagine this group of people created this... beauty beyond description and all at the very top of the hill. We are surrounded by thousands from all over the world. Democracy began here.. and almost everything else if you talk to the Greeks.
Me, Helen and Tamra at the Acropolis
The stage at the Acropolis

Later, after a nap and lunch.. Yougous has planned a traditional Greek dinner at one of his favorite local restaurants.. we have to wait till at least 8 or 8:30 to hear the music as well... so we begin our feast.. Yourgous picks out about 6 different dishes.. meatballs.. made with cinnamon and cloves.. okra.. baked... rice, a baked mix of potatoes, eggplant and tomatoe with of course olive oit... it is all WONDERFUL.. we talk and sip wine, listen to the bouzouki... and guitar ( did I tell you I'm the designated drinker.. whatever Yorgous has I say.. I want one of those) Ok so I want to trade in my irish heritage to Greek now..

The Streets of Poros

Outside our hotel in Poros

Saturday

We wake to a torential downpour!!! Yougous loves it.. he says the sky is "letting off steam" he has a greek word for it.. we ride a ferry to Poros.. small island resort community.. today we get our bikes. Helen get a greek bike, Tamara a bran new Cannondale and I get a little Italian bike..

My little Scapin

the 48" size was a real problem for him to find, but with lots of tweaking of seats, handlebars etc. we proclaim them ok.. and off for our first ride.. your right Greece has hills!! but when your looking at the Mediterarean coast who cares. We pass the Greek Navy doing drills and they throw us kisses.. women on bikes. Up and down we go.. everything is very quiet right now.. crowds are small.. mostly just greeks with wedding parties, christenings all celebrating in the tavernas and of course music everywhere. We did about 20 miles.. not sure in KM but we went for about 2 hrs. We are all very similar in our riding speed so it makes us all stay pretty close.

Sunday.

Breakfast before our ride

I wake for a sunrise run.. Helen and Tamara are sleeping sound and we don't have to get going for a few hours. I'm doing this run for Camille... sunrise on the coast of Greece. No words to describe it in English.. the greeks say Oraomera... not sure of course the spelling... Yorgous says think of orea plus mers (day)... beautiful morning.. We get on the bikes Yorgous gets the van ready and we're off to get on the ferry.. probably only 5 min. away... well, is it possible for 3 women to mess this up.. YES... Yorgous is on one ferry and we just realized we're at the wrong one, we figure it out and rush to catch the right ferry... only to see the gangplank with Yorgous in the van gesturing to the ferry workers STOP, stop, so we all laugh and get a quick phone call to him on his cell... thank goodness the ride is only a 10 min. ride to the shore about 1/2 a mile away... well, we are the only 3 on this tour so.. no problem really.

Waiting for the ferry we missed!!

Off we start.. we quickly start our climb on the coastal road. Up and down we go..... Yorgous promises us this is our toughest day we several tough grinds.. I felt like I was doing MacIntosh Grade, but this sweet little bike with it's compact chain rings is sweet... no problem... We stop in for our first break in a small village..

Epidauros

Our ride today finished with Epidauros.. an ancient Greek site of the first theatre. It could seat 13,000 it was incredible. It also has the first recorded healing site. Epidaros was the first physician of sorts.. records of treatments for all sorts of conditions, they called it a hospice...amazing for us nurses.

Tamra Picking Figs

Today... Monday was our easy day.. only 30K, we wind around orchards and vineyards.. Tamara stops every so often to pick figs! They're in season now.. and they're WONDERFUL.. then she finds grapes.. her own personal farmers market.. Yourgous says its perfectly acceptable to pick a few handfulls of fruit along the way. Our first stop today is at a marble quarry.. Yourgous gives us a tour.. he knows everyone it seems.. from all the tours he's led through here. We see the hills that they have retreved the marble, wash and polish it, cut it and the colors!!! Pink, pure white, black and a gorgeous veined amber color.. amazing. We go out to the back and are invited to pick out samples from the through away piles... It's beginning to get warm now, we only have about 10 K to go to our lunch and swimming beach. The beach is in a small cove that locals frequent but it is mostly deserted today. There are sailboats and fishing boats in the harbour. There are tavernas and little tables and benches along the beach. It doesn't take us but a minute to get out of our shorts... suits underneath and into the water we go. Clear as can be.. we see little shells and fishes.. salty of course.. no waves or surf to speak of. We swim and play as long as we want.. we are in no hurry to get anywhere.. this is the ultimate vacation.

Tenderizing an Octopus

Now for lunch.. well after we watch a local fisherman pound the *&%# out of an OCTUPUS!! yes you heard me right... it is his hobby to fish for these off a little island... he was happy to tell us all about it.. I have him on video. He was beating it on the rocks to tenderize it.. so his wife could cook it... she will cook it with tomatoe sauce and of course olive oil he likes it in spagetti. For lunch we get a mixed grill... calamari (squid) deep fried in...of course olive oil, greek salad, yummy yogurt ( mix of cucumber, garlic and olive oil) fried cheese, huge fried shrimp, octupus.. really yummy!!! lemon juice on everything.. and bread. I can't begin to tell you all that we've been experiencing. We are not in Kansas anymore.

Mixed grill : Shrimp, octopus, squid, ziziki, meatballs, lots of other stuff!

Traveling across the world

noreply@blogger.com (Linda) — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 15:11:00 +0000

We started out early today. I was up at 4 am and Helen picked me up at 4:50. Off to Greece and what do I do, but get all the way up to the airport and realized I left my money belt and passport at home. We had about 30 min to boarding and I had to call Corrie to bring me my passport. I did get an extra kiss good-by from him, but talk about stress. Tamara had her new hubby to say goodby to but even that was cut short because of all the security to go through.

Tamra and Helen trying to Sleep

The flight was about 24 hours. We went to Seattle, LA, then to London, Heathrow. The plane was huge but we managed to all sit together. We all had books to read and snacks but we all found ourselves stuffed into the seats and feeling like pretzels. Our flight went across Canada, New Foundland and the Atlantic to Greenland. The plane had individual DVD screens that you could follow the journey, watch movies, or listen to CD's. The food was good and offered from a chipper crew that saw us off with a Cherrio. The night proved very long and uncomfortable. Sleep was in short bits. Tamara and Helen hadn't slept but a few hours the night before so they where resembling zombies by the time we got to London. The highlight of the trip was watching the sunrise as the UK came over the horizon. Heathrow is huge. The airport is bran new and manages to get people moving pretty well. It was two hours of sit/stand/wait in line with hundreds of others from all over the world.
Heathrow Airport

The flight to Athens was an older smaller plane but just as cramped. What day was it now? We'd been taking an herbal supplement that Helen had gotten for the jet lag. It didn't do anything for sleep deprivation we where all feeling. I was able to get advice from a very nice couple who was on their way to a wedding, they said none of the remedys work, but the secret is to stay up the day you arrive and get as much sunshine as you can during the day. We didn't have much trouble staying up when we got to Athens. Our next "adventure" turned out to be Tamara bag which didn't seem to make it on the plane to Athens. We where able to track it down and it would be coming to Athens on the next plane. Poor Tamara, if she wasn't so tired she'd have cried, but Helen comforted her by telling her tales of her many "adventures" while traveling, missing luggage was nothing compared to landing in San Paulo instead of Rio.

After getting our bags we had to get Euros and somehow the exchange rate had risen to $1.58 for 1 Euro! It all works our Helen keeps telling us. The metro was next which is thankfully sleek, clean, and easy to understand. Helen managed to get us to our hostel somehow.

Helen booked us into the Athens Style . I've never stayed in a hostel before, but if this is any example, they are wonderful. We where able to book our room for 3 at $100/night. The beds are firm, but great, despite what I'd been warned. We had a long day, but we're safe and sound and sleeping like babies.

Planning is half the fun

noreply@blogger.com (Linda) — Sun, 06 Sep 2009 14:53:00 +0000

Linda, Helen and Tamara are off to Greece

I've been planning my trip to Greece for a year now and the date is rapidly approaching. Helen, Tamra and I will be leaving Lewiston on Wednesday morning at 6 am. The money has been wired, the tickets in hand... and the bags are packed.

For many, the planning and anticipation, for a trip is just as much fun as the trip itself. If you're like me, I've had a trip to Europe on my list of to do things for most of my life. It has always been way on the back burner while I've been raising children, working, teaching and just paying the bills. Last summer when Helen was first talking about a group trip to Greece it just seemed like the whole thing could really happen. Then the financial crisis began. The cost began to rise with all of the possible vacationers Helen said would join us disappeared. Tamra and I decided to take the leap anyway. We both got tickets and started putting the funds away. Corrie and I first thought we'd do the tour together. Corrie loves to bike and tours are the perfect vacation for us. Corrie is not a happy traveler. I'm sure it's got to do with all the details, "shopping", hiking to ruins that he doesn't enjoy at all, plus our plans looked like our miles would be pretty low. We talked about the trip and I had pretty much said we just couldn't afford the cost for us both to go. It looked like at least $5000 each... that was last fall! Corrie asked me" would you be disappointed, it you didn't go?" I thought about this and contemplated all the problems I would have to deal with; cost, not having Corrie with me to share this experience, my mother, work, and just the whole idea of living in a foreign country for a month. I thought for quite awhile but I answered yes, I probably would have felt regret if I didn't go. So, from then on he was supportive and encouraging... To have a husband that is supportive and understanding of his wife's personal dreams is the core of a happy, successful marriage.

The planning has been fun. Helen has been working with Yorgous, our guide, planning the itinerary and details. Yorgos is a native Greek who has been a tour guide for several years. Helen has claimed he is the best. She has been on several European bike tours with this company and says we have nothing to worry about. Greece has been her favorite tour and the safest.

I've been searching the web for Greek travel sites and pictures. Helen gave me a Greek language tape for Christmas, so I could get a few phrases under my belt. We've all had the high school language class experience so you can imagine how little I've mastered, but at least I've got yes, no, excuse me sir, please and thankyou down.

I've been packing and unpacking now for weeks. Helen insists on keeping our luggage to only 1 bag and a backpack carry on. This wasn't too hard for me as I tend to pack light anyway. Picking the right 4 tops and bottoms plus deciding what is essential and what can pass has been a challenge. No long pants for me, a skinny book and sudoku, minimal toiletries and the hardest of all, Helen says leave the purse at home!! Impossible I say. Easy for pick pickpockets she says. A money belt close to your body at all times is all you need and pockets. I have compromised in taking a small bag for just a few things that if lost will not cause any problem.

Really Easy Baklava

Saturday I invited some friends over for a bike ride and a greek breakfast afterwards. It was fun. I found some wonderful Greek yougurt at Rosaurs which I served with fruit and nuts along with bread and cheese and my home made baklava. Helen said it was wonderful, very authentic. Helen brought over a CD of Greek music which added the proper atmosphere. I tried to get the group to do a little greek dancing but I guess we needed an authentic greek to make this work.

Ready or not here I go. I hope I can figure out the internet over seas. I'm sure blogging will help me connect with home and family.

Peaches too

noreply@blogger.com (Linda) — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 07:59:00 +0000

Peaches for cold winter breakfasts

I have to make a post to the canning blog the other day. Mom came over this week and we put up 17 quarts of peaches. These where fun to do. I had gotten a box of Elbertas from our local orchard down the street. They where a bit green for mom but I really didn't have much choice. If I wasn't off to Greece in a week we could have waited a bit. I've had a few peaches from Hays this summer and they where good, but these, where... wonderful!! The taste of a tree ripend peach is one of lifes great treats. I'll be going to this orchard for my peaches from now on.

Mom packs peaches in a water bath canner. We dipped the peaches in boiling water for a few minutes, slipped the skins then halved the peaches and put them in the clean jars. We put on the lids and rings and added a sugar solution of 1/3 of water (4 cups sugar/12 cups water). We put them in the canner of boiling water for 30 min.

It was a joy. We had fun together and I have rows of beautiful jars in my celler. I guess I'm going to have to put canning back on my list of home skills. I will remember mom whenever I can. Now I've got her recipes written down too, so I can pass them on to my children or grandchildren some day.

Mom with her peaches

Canning with mom

noreply@blogger.com (Linda) — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 22:57:00 +0000

Learning from the expert

Mom has been canning for about 50 years. I haven't canned for several years. It just got to be such a hot complicated process. Canning just seemed to take too much time and energy while working and raising a family. Since the economy has soured and a return to home grown produce canning is getting more popular. I have several friends who are attempting canning.

I gathered all the jars I saved in the basement. Sterilized the jars in the dishwasher and looked up directions on the internet. I still had 2 dozen jars, my jar lifter and a water bath canner. Mom insisted we get a box of Wapato Tomatoes. The best tomatoes you could buy, she proclaimed. So about $17 for 22lbs. I also had to buy a jar funnel and lids. These items cost about $10. Canning isn't always cheap. I figure the tomatoes cost about $2.70 a jar. Oh, well. They'll taste great.

Mom has never been one to write down a recipe. Canning is something I think that you learn from your mom. She learned from her mom and so the tradition, the stories, the jars get passed on. I will always think of mom during late summer. There is a feeling of going back to school, the smell of cooking tomatoes or ripe peaches. I think the thing I remember most about canning is standing over a sink of peaches, pealing, cutting, reminising, telling stories about long ago times.

I'm sure mom enjoyed today much more then I will ever know. Her smile in the picture above tells her joy. I'm so glad I dug out the old jars and spent the day canning tomatoes with mom.

In case I forgert her recipe here it is:

1 box Wapato tomatoes, they should be ripe.
1 dozen wide mouth jars, lids and rings
salt, add 3/4 tsp to each jar

Sterilize the jars in the dishwasher
put them in a shallow pan boiling of water on the stove to keep them hot
blanch the tomatoes just to slip off the skins, put in ice water, slip skins
Chop tomatoes into small pieces and place in large kettle
When kettle is full place on the stove and cook the tomatoes (I always followed the directions on the canning recipe... involving hot water bath for 30 min... mom says she never needed to do this)
Cook the tomatoes until they're mushy.. pretty vague, but she said you don't have to worry much on this
Put funnel into hot jars and ladel tomatoes into jars with 3/4 tsp added salt, leave about 1 inch
lids should be in boiling water and hot to place on jars.
Quickly screw on rings as hard as able. Place on wooden cutting board and let them cool
The lids should "clink" when the seal is set!

So, there you go, spaghetti ala Eleanor soon!!!

Bonking is no fun, but sure is an education

noreply@blogger.com (Linda) — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 22:19:00 +0000

Donna and Linda enjoying the ride

I went into work this morning and quickly realized that there really wasn't any need for my services. No babies today. If you didn't know, I am the lactation nurse at my hospital OB unit. It was a good thing I was going home because even with three cups of coffee this morning, I still felt like crap. At first I thought I might have a cold; achy, no voice, no energy, a slight headache. As I said goodby to my co-workers I mentioned, "good thing I don't need to be here, because I "bonked yesterday" and I need to just go home and chill. My friend looked up and said, "What do you mean bonked?". "Basically I just bottomed out on my ride Sunday", I said.

Later that morning, I told Corrie this would probably make a good blog entry. What does it mean to bonk? Anyone who has trained to run a marathon knows. Cyclists too find themselves entirely empty occasionally. Yesterday was just that kind of ride. I had a feeling early that I was not quite ready for the 80 mile ride our group had planned for Sunday. It was a beautiful route in the mountains of Idaho. It did have a climb, but I'd done it before and the day should be perfect for cycling.

I started out with a partner to ride with. This was Donna's first try at real distance. She was training to ride the Tour De Lacs in Sept. and had been riding 100 miles a week to for training. She wanted to know if this was a good plan. I told her that would be just about perfect, as I mentally noted, boy have I been slacking this summer. Corrie is always reminding me that I need to put more miles on the bike, but I've just been too busy. Our bike tour in Greece is quickly approaching and I've not been too worried about milage. Our longest day will be 50 miles with lots of stops for sight seeing and fun. Usually Corrie and I do a week long tour in the summer and I try to get my milage up for the rides, but not so much this year. So my milage has probably been more like 50-70 miles a week. Probably not enough for an 80 mile jaunt through Idaho back roads. On top of my lack of miles, we had no sag wagon. As I traveled Sunday I became very aware of why a sag is helpful. The sag not only gives you extra food, gatorade and water, but keeps communication going well and the most important duty- keeping a rider optimistic that they can keep going. We had no sag and no matter how much I wanted to quit Sunday, I couldn't even if I wanted to.

The ride started out great. I love this ride and Donna and I where able to keep a good pace of 15-18 miles per hour. We talked a lot about bicycling and how to ride longer distance. We where quite a bit behind the group of guys on this ride but we knew the route and Donna had a map and trip summary from the website. This proved to be a real help for me later. It's always a good idea to have mileage key for a long ride. A rider can tally how far they've gone, when the next stop will be and what to expect of the turain. As we where seperated most of the day from the front group the milage notes helped a lot.

Our first break for lunch was in Ferdinad ID. just 5 miles short of halfway. We had a convenience store lunch and a chance to regroup. A stop for food and rest is key to cycling long distance. After our break we where off again. I felt better, but could feel my quads complaining and an occasional cramp began. The miles ahead included a few real climbs and I was beginning to get more then a little concerned about the ride. Another mistake for me, was to neglect a refresh on gatorade. I thought I had full bottle but really it was mostly melted ice.

Donna promptly headed out and quickly got way ahead of me. I was beginning to really slow down on the rollers and getting more and more discouraged. At least there was no heat.
We managed to get to Harvard and our the last leg towards Deary, but a mega hill loomed ahead. It was here that the rest of our group had stopped for a much needed rest. By this time I was beginning to get foggy and my legs where starting to not only cramp but simply refused to keep going. Corrie said they where just waiting at the local store. Donna was cruising along way ahead and unfamiliar with the route and I could hardly see straight. I knew I would have take a rest soon.

Doug and Dave cruising on Deary to Deary

The last 15 miles of this ride starts with a long steep climb followed by a series of rollers. I stopped about half way up the first climb and realized that was it, no more climbing for me. I rested for awile and started to walk. The only option short of hitch hiking. The walk helped my legs quite a bit and one way or another I made it up that *$%#@ hill. At the top of the climb the road leveled out and I was able to get the legs moving. I managed to get through the rollers and finally caught up with Donna. I asked her to tell me when we had less then 10 miles to go. She said we had 9 miles left. She gave a cheer and said "We can do it!!" I was a bit less enthusiastic, but I felt like I might be able to gut it out. It was about here that I found myself day dreaming and getting more and more discouraged. I needed something, mostly I wanted a flat old fashioned Coke. This was what had worked the last time I bonked. But loh and behold I jumped about 10 feet when Doug casually hollared something behind me. The adrenalin that comes with a good scare seems to be almost as good as a caffiene/sugar jolt. So, thanks Doug, I never appreciated a good scare as much as I did that afternoon. He said we where way ahead of the others, as they had waited quite awhile for us at Harvard. We only had a few miles to go and we where in front of the guys.

Finally we made the last turn towards Deary. Only a half a mile or so to go. The park and the shady trees where so close. If it hadn't been for Donna and Doug's scare and companianship I'm not sure I would have finished the ride on Sunday... well on second thought I would have one way or another. Even if I bonked, there wasn't any option, I had to finish.

So, to answer the question what does it mean to bonk? I'd say I learned a lot this weekend. I also took a few minutes to research the science a bit behind a bonk. So, take a few minutes to read about bonking and a coke really would have helped.

Kherete Keereea (Hello sir)

noreply@blogger.com (Linda) — Sat, 08 Aug 2009 18:28:00 +0000

Here is the tour I'll be on

I got this map from Helen and our tour guide in Greece. Be sure and scan out from the original spot from the map here.

We have one month to finish all the details. I have gotten everything set at work so that should go smoothly. Corrie is going to check in with mom once a week or so and hopefully I'll figure out how to access all this from the internet cafe's. Helen says they're all over in Greece. I've been listening to my Greek language tapes and packed and un packed several times. I haven't been on the bike a lot lately but it doesn't look like we'll be doing long rides. We had originally talked about taking our bike pedals and shoes but I think I'm just going to take my saddle... that might not even be a big deal. We're not going to have long miles. Helen and Tamara and I are hoping to have a chance to get together in the next few weeks to plan a bit. Time is sneaking up on us!! We where planning on having another lady join us but that hasn't worked out. So it looks like it's just the three of us. Andeeo (goodby!)

An Easy Does it approach to RAMROD

noreply@blogger.com (Linda) — Sun, 02 Aug 2009 16:18:00 +0000

An Easy Does it ride to Mount Rainier

Corrie has encouraged me to come up with a statement that describes an Easy Does it Ride and I guess I could use this blog to do that. This week Corrie and I and Jim McKraken and his wife Claire went to Mt. Rainier. Corrie, Jim and Al Coons had signed up to do RAMROD (ride around Mt. Rainier in one day). This is a beautiful ride, but the distance (150 mi+) scares all sane people away. The three of them where ready for this ride, though. They had put the miles in. The record breaking heat was a critical added concern though.

We stayed at Crystal Mountain Lodge. This alpine ski lodge is set in the Cascades among towering tree lined slopes that are part of the pacific crest trail. The Lodge is a quaint 1960's vintage experience. This means no TV, limited cell service and nothing to do but sip a cool drink while conversing with friends, read or hike/bike the surrounding hills. It was a perfect place for me to spend the day while Corrie sweated it out on his 150 miles around Mt. Rainier.

Hiking around Crystal Mountain

An Easy Does it Weekend for me doesn't necessarily mean I'm planning on sleeping in. I've always been up early, especially when it turns hot. Corrie left about 3am for the ride, so I found myself ready for a hike or run about 6:30 am. I headed out to the parking lot and met an early morning hiker Rick and his dog Hoss. Rick was out for an early morning hike and he invited me to join him. We hiked for about an hour up the ridge. Rick pointed out the hillside of huckleberry bushes. They weren't quite ripe yet, but in a few weeks the hillside would be loaded with berries. Rick and Hoss insisted on following me back down the hillside. I was glad they did as it might have been easy to take a wrong turn on the trails.

Hiking with Hoss

After my trek I had a leisurely breakfast of coffee, fruit and muffins. It was going to be hot so I planned on setting off for a bike ride while it was still cool. It was about 6 miles to the main highway from the lodge, then an easy uphill ride to Cayeuse pass. There wasn't a cloud in the sky, so the mountain was glorious. I was glad the ride was only 30 miles. The temperature rose to 97F, the highest recorded at Crystal Mountain Lodge.

Corrie came through the lodge parking lot (it was one of the rest stops on Ramrod) about 2:30 pm he was hot, but felt good. He had about 40 more miles, which where mostly down hill left.

I spent the rest of the afternoon reading and chatting with Claire (wife to Jim McCraken, who rode with Corrie).

Ramrod is 150+ miles around Mt. Rainier. This Easy Does it girl did 30 miles in the cool morning followed by an afternoon of relaxing and conversing with a friend while enjoying a cool "Mile's Hard Lemonade". Now that's the way to enjoy Ramrod.

An Easy Does it Ride:

1. Ride to a beautiful destination
2. Ride as long or short as you want. My Easy Does it Rides are about 2 hours.
3. The pace depends on who you're with, your biking skills, your time. I try and go easy so my rides are usually about 10-12 miles per hour. This is a very comfortable pace.
4. Always enjoy the ride, so take any tools for a surprise flat tire, a cell phone, a few dollars for a surprise shopping trip or treat and of course water.
5. Commuting to work or to the grocery store is a great way to get a few daily miles in.
6. Invite friends to join you. I will have a few Easy Does it Rides every month posted on the Twin Rivers Cyclists web site, be sure to email me if you're interested in joining me.
7. I would encourage any new rider to take a class from a LCI (American League of Cyclists Certified Instructor). Corrie is certified and and another TRC rider Jen offer a class through the Lewiston Parks and Rec. each spring.
8. Longer rides are very doable. It's a great way to see the countryside and there are rides offered all over the Northwest. Each major town has a bike club website and a calender of local rides. There are also detailed maps from Adventure Cycling and tour groups that offer week long catered tours. We have been on several tours with Oregon Bike Ride. So no excuses.

Anyone can enjoy bicycling if you have an Easy Does it approach. Visit TRCs Easy Does It Page for more information.

noreply@blogger.com (Linda) — Sun, 26 Jul 2009 20:13:00 +0000

Santorini, Greece

I'm going to Greece this Sept. My girl friend Helen and another friend Tamara are going to bicycle around the Peloponnese Peninsula then spend another week in Santorini, Greece. Helen arraigned this tour with a guide she has met on her tours. He is a native Greek and has agreed to arrange this tour.

Last summer Helen began to talk about this tour. She had originally hoped to get about 10 friends to tour. The financial meltdown last fall made this tour too expensive for many. Corrie and I talked about going together but when we checked finances and Corrie thought about being gone for a month, he decided that he wouldn't be going. We decided that this would be my trip, and just Helen and Tamara where going to tour.

I bought the ticket last fall as Helen directed. We'll all be traveling on British Air. ( Helen said this was the best airline in her experience) We'll be leaving from Lewiston, ID at 6 am. We'll fly to Seattle, then LA and from there to London, Heathrow Airport.and then Athens. The entire ticket from here to Athen's and back was about $750 with frequent flyer miles applied.

I'm looking forward to going to Greece, mostly because it will be so differnet then the states. A foreign country offers Americans a chance to see the world with a different perspective. Helen gave me a Greek language tape this Christmas. I've been soaking up the language as much as I can. I also found a guide book with Greek language and some great information on how to get around in Greece. Harper Collins Language Survival Guide; Greece. It has a menu-reader, signs I'll see, and a visual phrase book. I'm sure I'll have trouble with the language but I'll be able to at least say hi, thank you and please.

Helen swears by packing very light. It makes sense to keep the baggage to a minimum especially if we're going to be touring by bicycle. I've had lots of suggestions on how to pack for an over seas trip but here's my list so far:

1. Travel Card by VISA: AAA has a card that you pay for and add money from your credit card. It can be used anywhere a VISA card is accepted. It doesn't come from my account and you can add extra funds to it. I got a second card, in case of loss.
2.Skirts, shorts, long black pants, 2 tank tops, 3-4 tops that match, underwear, sleep tops, running shorts for night, sweater,
3. mascara, moisturizer,lip stick, deodorant, shompoo, toothpaste and brush, laundry soap,
4. Journal, pencil,
5. camera, charger
6.small pillow case
7. Helmet, bike seat, 2 biking shorts, arm warmers, 2 tops
8. meds for nausea, headache, sleeper
9.Check my medical insurance for over seas trip. Get a E111 card from Post office when arriving.
10.Copy my cards, pass port, ticket etc. make a copy for Helen
11.$100 in Euros?
12. Plastic bags

I'm sure I'll have more then I need. I hope to be able to blog while I'm in Greece. I'd like to be able to down load pictures from my camera too.
So I'll keep adding to this post as I get closer.

A weekend with my friend Mary

noreply@blogger.com (Linda) — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 15:35:00 +0000

Mom and Dad

I spent this weekend with my good friend Mary. We looked at old family photos and got caught up on what our kids have been doing. We enjoyed a going to a wonderfully funny production of "The Producers". We both laughed ourselves silly over this raunchy Mel Brooks satire. Besides a love of live theater, we've found we share many things such as; we're both fiercely democratic, love peanut butter, we both are very active. Mary keeps busy playing tennis 3-4 times a week, and dancing the tango regularly with a group in Spokane. We compared our mutual problem with loosing keys and many small everyday items.. she claims it's a typical Irish problem. She has also just returned from a trip to Spain and Santorini Greece with her adult son and daughter. As I'm heading off to Greece and Santorini this September she eagerly answered all my travel questions. Mary had many suggestions for what to wear and she insisted on giving me several beautiful skirts, that of course fit to a tee. I smiled and enjoyed her sharing nature. As my birth mother, Mary has opened herself to me fully.

As an adopted child from the 1950's I was ignorant of much of my genetic history. In our family though it never really mattered. In my childbirth classes I always emfasize how important a birth story is to a child and I was blessed with a wonderful story. My brother and I always knew we where adopted, but mom and dad presented it as their chance to "pick out" the best little boy and girl. We where special in their eyes and we consequentlywe felt the same. Mom would tell the story of getting us from St. Anne's over and over and this came to be my birth story.

The question of my birth family was always presented as a loving family that gave us up for adoption because they where poor and couldn't take care of us. As we grew older mom filled in what she remembered of our birth records, which was pretty sketchy.

Mary has answered many of my questions about my birth and my genetic background. She came from a large Irish family. She was the youngest of 6 as is my adopted mother. Her mother was especially talented musically and played the piano by ear. Many in her family are musical and several have even professional musicians. I guess this helps to explain Tony's talent and love of music.

Mary herself is a very active person. She was a yoga instructor for several years and she continues to practice these skills in addition to keeping active with tennis and dancing. At 76 she is the picture of an active senior.

As far as a health history it looks like I have not much to worry about. Mary has had no problems health wise except for a tendency to not go to a Dr. The family has some history of a tendency to drink a bit too much, but she claims this is typical in an Irish family. There is no real history of cancer or even much heart disease.

Mary was able to meet mom and dad the fall before dad died in 2003. I'm sure they where all pretty nervous about this but Mary instantly put them all at ease. As I introduced them all she gathered both mom and dad into a hug and proclaimed "Well, it looks like we did pretty good with our girl". It was a wonderful opportunity for all of them to talk about my history and to show off photos. Mary and mom have become friends through me and I find this a deep joy. I have been blessed to have been raised by a mother and father who gave me a wonderful childhood and start in life. Without the choices Mary made many years ago I would never have been part of their life. I can't thank my parents enough for what they have given me.

An Easy does it girl can do this ride

noreply@blogger.com (Linda) — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 15:24:00 +0000

Twin Rivers Cyclists offers many rides during the summer and we invite everyone. We usually have a mixed group of riders for our weekly Ice Cream rides. These rides are short, easy and can be as short or as long as the riders want. The group makes a point of never dropping a rider, but many slower riders are reluctant to take on the longer rides.

Sunday June 28 we scheduled the Winchester Ride. This ride is long (68mi) and involves the Winchester Grade, which is not an easy climb. I've never been a fast rider, but over the years I've found my pace and the "Easy Does it Philosophy". This discovery has made any ride possible for me.

Bike riding begins with a good bike. A bike should be comfortable and for anyone who wants to follow the Easy Does it Philosophy (EDP) should include plenty of low granny gears. We used eveyone of those gears on this ride.

Another aspect of EDP is the realization that there are rabbits, strong riders who are fast, strong and can handle any number of miles without beating an eye. I am not a rabbit, but I find I can cover the same ground, enjoy the ride and the climb and get to the same place as the rabbits with a smile on my face.

Food and water will keep any rider going. My favorites include peanut butter and jelly on whole wheat and gatorade in a polar bottle. This keeps the drink really cold for over 2 hours. I found a new product Sunday that I'm definitely put on my list of 'good to have with you" The sport jelly beans put out by gatorade. They didn't melt in the sun, and they where just enough to give me a boost on the grade Sunday.

Carol Ellis and I traveled together Sunday. The core group of about 10 riders, including our rabbit husbands where miles ahead of us. Sunday offered almost perfect temperature and a slight cooling breeze to make this beautiful ride, just about perfect. Carol and I had a great ride thanks to another important EDP tool.. A sag wagon! My son Tony volunteered to be sag for the Winchester ride. Unfortunately he wasn't familiar with the route and missed a few important turns, but he showed up at lunch and we all could relax. A sag wagon can be available for all the riders in the group for extra water, a bicycle floor pump, or just encouragement and information about how the group is doing. A sag wagon can also help out riders if they have an accident or just need to take a break. We have offered a Sag Wagon on a few rides in the last few years and it is really important for new riders and the EDP rider. I've had times when I was able to do the hardest of rides but sometimes not. I find it a great way to humbly enjoy the best parts of the ride but call it quits when your body, the weather or the ride says.. this is going to be really miserable. No one should ever be ashamed to call for a sag. Some times it can save a life.

This ride is a challenge and no one should take on a climb like Winchester without knowing what it means to climb for 7 miles in the heat. Winchester offers a bit of shade though and the hill is pretty similar to the Lewiston Grade, with plenty of easy switch backs but any rider, especially someone with an EDP needs to really plan for a climb and 50 miles after the climb. I would encourage any rider to come out for longer rides. Our group offers lots of opportunities to give bicycling beyond the bike path a try. As long as you have an Easy Does it Philosophy, you can enjoy any ride.

I just read Corrie's account of his ride..
did you notice not a single easy does it rider in the group picture he has of this ride!! That's cause we where still on the hill.... Good thing I wrote up our ride a bit. When you take your time and forget about hammering you can enjoy a summer day on your bike.

Happy Birthday Ryan Chris!!!

noreply@blogger.com (Linda) — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 16:27:00 +0000

I can't believe my baby is 25 today. Time doesn't slow down for anyone. I have been blessed with two awesome sons. Tony is my oldest at 28 and Ryan arrived four years later.

I often tell couples I meet who have more then one child, "You make all you mistakes with your first, and now you get a chance to make a few more with chapter 2" I offer no claims of easy or perfect parenting, but I have had lots, and lots of fun and surprises with both my sons.

I will write today about Ryan and I'll write about Tony later. He'll require his own story, to say the least. Ryan, was not necessarily planned. He was a bit of a woops, or surprise, as they say. My pregnancies where easy, but I always resembled a small house.. which of course I was. A birth story is a very personal thing. My sons will have to suffer with my details, but on this your birthday, this always comes to mind.

I had a cesarean with Tony. As a childbirth educator and OB nurse, I felt like I had wimped out, missed the boat, done something wrong, in that first birth experience. One of the things I did do after Tony's birth was to become a certified childbirth educator. I learned first hand that there is being prepared and taking a real childbirth class. St. Joe's at that time offered a 6 week class taught by a sister.. she was an OB nurse and gave good information but I felt there had to be more. So, I became a Lamaze certified educator. It was a very intensive process. I had to go to a 4 day seminar, write and then rewrite a lengthy class syllabus and gather a huge amount of CERPS. It was a wonderful experience. I became the childbirth educator, after sister left. I set up several different classes, including; sibling, cesarean, refresher, breastfeeding. I was more prepared for this birth to say the least.

I had easy pregnancies. I ran for the first few months,then walked a lot as I got bigger. I tried to keep a good diet with this pregnancy as I did with Tony, but I have to say I let a lot of it go this time. I had frequent coffees, and donuts. I still worked night shift and taught a lot of classes. We still did transports in those days and so I did pick up a few babies during the pregnancy. In fact, on the day before Ryan was born I had gone on a transport to Grangeville, ID in the back of an ambulance. I was contracting the whole day but I just thought I was uncomfortable from the ride.

At this time 1983 it was typical to have a repeat cesarean when you had one before, but the literature was beginning to discuss women having a vaginal birth after a cesarean. This was considered pretty controversial to say the least in most talk within OB professionals. My Dr. was fairly supportive, but had never done one and he suggested I talk with our director about it. We had never had a planned VBAC at St. Joes. Several nurses I worked with where supportive, but a good portion thought I was crazy and endangering my baby. I was determined to give this a try however. I had good research that said a VBAC was very doable and only .1% had problems with ruptures. This was the standard reason for always doing another surgery. I wrote out my plan.. that was before birth plans, wrote letters to the administration at St. Joes and even arranged for two of my friends to help with labor support. My dear hubby, Corrie was a wonderful partner and helper during both births, but I knew I would need more help.

I was scheduled to work day shift on the day I went into labor. I remember feeling HUGE. I literally couldn't reach the stearing wheel of my car. I was so ready for this baby. I was at work and noticed mild contractions but nothing that was much different then I'd been noticing that week. We got the call for a transport and of course no else was available. The transport was to Grangeville to pick up a baby with mild respiratory distress. The baby wasn't very sick and I was going to take another nurse who was training with me. I remember the ride VERY well. It was bumpy and contractions where getting more noticeable. I was in labor.

After returning to Lewiston I went home and got my things ready for the baby. In those days ultrasounds where not done as often as they are now and no one found out about the sex of the baby until the little guy showed up. I had my fingers crossed for a girl. I had a few pink outfits and a name... I think I had Emily, Bryanne or Karly... can't quite remember. Anyway, at home contractions where getting really strong. My waters broke at home while playing with Tony, this is another lesson I always share with classes. I could actually hear a quiet pop and there was at least a liter of fluid. Off to the hospital I went. Dr. Fielding was there and confirmed that my waters had broken and that I was 3-4 cent. dilation. I wanted to go home. He let me!!! I decided to go for a walk, on the bike path. Looking back on this now, I would say I was a bit crazy. My nurse friends where both out of town. I can't even remember if Corrie went with me. I came back shortly and I was 5-6 cm. dilated and in good labor. One of my lessons I always share with classes is, going for a walk in labor is a good idea, however remember that if you go out a mile on the bike path, you have to return a mile with MUCH harder contractions. I remember walking and breathing with contractions and moving, moving, moving. Things where going pretty fast at this time. Dr. Fielding was around and he said I was doing fine. As time went by and I dilated to 9, it became harder and harder and the thought of bagging everything for a cesarean sounded not so bad. I was planning on having a tubal after this birth and I remember that as being a strong reason for a cesarean. Corrie always loves to tease me about my reaction at that time. He says I caved and said "cut me, cut me" Now I'm sure I didn't say that but I found out how hard transition can be. Besides, the Dr. gave me another excuse and said Ryan was another big baby and seemed to be stuck at 0 station. So, there you have it Ryan. Another cesarean for me. You weren't even that big, only 8 14, 6 ounces less then Tony.

So, no girl for me. Ryan was a beautiful baby and the surgery had gone well. It was a time of changing protocols. We started doing VBAC's regularly and we also began letting sibling in the department. I had to actually sneak Tony in to see his baby brother, and only once. This also changed about this time. I feel strongly about a woman's right to choose a VBAC, which is currently denied by almost all hospitals. Women have very few options now. They have to go AMA (against medical advise, and pay for the birth, regardless of outcome,because insurance will deny the claim) or seek out an out of hospital birth by a midwife. I'm sure hospitals and Drs. will have to find other ways to allow women to have VBAC's. Check out: ICAN.

I'm sure Ryan remembers me telling him about his birth, maybe not in this much detail but I did keep a journal with each baby and I let both boys read about their birthday. It is such a magical day for a mother. I remember holing my newborn after I returned to my room. The moon was shining and this baby was so beautiful and so quiet. I remember holding him up and he gazed at me. I wondered who he would be. I knew we would have a wonderful time, but very different then my Tony. I did have to adjust to not having a girl for awhile. Ryan was dressed in pink for about a week. He was so pretty, but all boy.

Names where an issue. We had talked about several names, but we always came back to Ryan. We had talked about that name before we settled on Tony for our first. When Corrie came in the first time to see his new son, he mentioned that he liked Nicholas and Christopher. Corrie teased Tony about calling the new baby Borus, but thank God that never happened. So Ryan Christopher was your name and you seemed to be pleased. I have so much more to say about the fun we have had watching you grow into a man. Being a parent is such a joy. It has been hard at times and has taught me patience and what it means to love unconditionally. I continue to enjoy being part of your life Ryan. I am always here for you and Tony and now Kim. My dear Corrie and I have loved every moment.

Turning 50 is a Big DEAL

noreply@blogger.com (Linda) — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 14:43:00 +0000

Turning 50 is a big deal for most people. It marks a half century and reminds us that we really have lived a significant portion of our lives. If you have dreams or plans for what you want to do in this life, it's time to start. I had thought about searching for my birth mother at times, but never seemed to set the process in motion. I felt that this would be something significant to mark my half century birthday.

Catholic Charities of Spokane diocese handled my adoption and I found out that they had a process in place for both adoptes and birth mothers to search for each other. I told mom and dad that I was planning to start a search and they encouraged me to go for it. I asked mom if she would like to go with me to the interview with the counselor and she enthusiastically agreed. The counselor explained the process: First I had to write a letter to my birth mother. I could say whatever I wanted, but she explained that the birth mother is under no obligation to respond. She said almost 95% do, but that I shouldn't expect it or that it would be soon. The records of adoptions are sealed by the courts. There was a law passed a few years ago that set up a process, directed by a court appointed agent ( Catholic Charities has this counselor act as the agent) who will be able to open the sealed documents and who then is allowed to contact the birth mother named in the document. This agent then searches for the woman and contacts them. She said that she had been doing this for several years and that she has most families are cautiously receptive. After this contact with the birth mother the counselor explains that she has a letter from the adoptee if the woman wishes to read it. She is also invited to write a letter to the adopte. Names and contact information can be included but not expected. The adopte or the birth mother can keep anonymity if they wish. The counselor spent a lot of time reviewing my expectations and possible responses from the as yet unkown birth mother. She was explained that most adoptes find contact a good experience but she gave no guarantees. I explained that I was simply searching because I wanted to let my birth mother know that I had a wonderful life and to say "Thank You". I was of course curious, but I was not hoping for any deep relationship. I had a wonderful set of parents and I had no desire for any change in my relationship with them by the inclusion of a birth family... who needs more family issues?

Mom and I where both encouraged, but realized it might be 6 months before I heard anything. She was able to give me some information such as my birth mother lived in Spokane and was 19 yrs. old when she had me. Mom has told me later that she was excited for me and that she wasn't worried about my contacting but she said that dad was. I never got that impression. Dad was having health issues at the time and we learned a few months later that he had end stage cancer at this point.

I was not worried about finding out about my birth mother, but I realized it could be a chance to know where my genetics came from and offer another sence of history. Most people can look at photo albums and see people that they resemble or have a connection with a lineage or history from many generations. I've never felt a need for these things, but I was curious. All I had to do now was wait. Would the couselor be able to locate this woman.