It all started with a fairly innocuous question. “Hey Dad, what do you want to do for your birthday this year?” His answer – “go to Japan” – led to an 11 day, four city adventure in late March last year, which coincided perfectly with Sakura, the cherry blossom season. Those of you who know us, aren’t going to be surprised by this. It’s how we roll. Nor will you be surprised by the fact that the trip had to be timed around spring break because after 60 years in university lecture halls, and what amounted to about 3 hours of “retirement” in 1999, Dad is still imbuing his passion for Microbiology among upperclass college students. Fortunately it worked out – spring break, birthday, Sakura- check, check, check. My first and only visit to Japan was a short-lived one, nearly 17 years ago. I needed to attend a breakfast meeting…
Hello Red Clog Readers, I’ve been thinking an awful lot about you – you who share in my adventures both around the world and…
After four visits to Berlin, three over the past seven years and one when the city was famously divided into East and West, I’m…
I have a list of favorite German words. Some, like “Sauerstoff,” “Pfifferling”, “Aschenbecher,” “Schmetterling,” and “Schornsteinfeger”…well, I just like the sound of them. (They…
I know, I know. You assumed that the next time you heard from the Red Clogger, she would regale you with interesting tidbits about…
“Isn’t this EXXX-CITING?” exclaims the sophisticated British woman standing behind me in the queue. We are about to embark onto Her Majesty Queen Mary…
Let’s say you want to plan a trip. (this is a constant state of being for me.) You decide on your criteria. You want…
Happy Valentine’s Day! Yes, I know. It’s been awhile since the red clogs have clacked their way into a new post. You may have…
You’d miss it at first glance. But if you were to look very closely at my sneakers, you’d see it there – the stubborn…