The Road to Diamond, Day 328: An Ancient Surprise

Posted by Sagittarian Seeker on November 1, 2025 in collaborating, Community, Historical, Inspiration, Personal Values, Social, Spiritual, Striving, Travel

October 21, 2025, Dublin- The two ladies, ecstatic at seeing one another after an apparently long time, began excitedly chatting as the bus left Rosslare, for central Wexford. They were mirrors of my mother, and two of her three sisters.

I know that my grandfather’s family left this part of Ireland for Germany, sometime in the late 15th or early 16th century. That information was passed to me as a child, by my eldest maternal aunt, who looked exactly like the silver-blonde haired woman holding court on the bus. The other two ladies could have been Mom and her closest sister, when they were in their forties. I have long felt a bond with the Irish, and with Celts in general, without really knowing why-until today.

Once in Wexford, I had about an hour to while away, until the train to Dublin was ready to leave. So, with bag and baggage, I walked about Redmond Square and the West Side Cultural District. Here are some scenes from this town that, in an ancient surprise, was likely the ancestral home of the Cooks, who became the Kusch family, once in Germany.

A broader view of Redmond Square, Wexford

The Redmond family brought the train to Wexford and drained marshland, to make the area fit for human habitation.

The “Sheriff Street Bull” of Old Wexford. Ironically, the sculpture by John Behan is titled after Sheriff Street, Dublin, which is where he grew up. There is another replica, I’m told, in Galway, western Ireland. John was fascinated with bulls, which he likened to the Irish male, who felt forced to move away or to return to an uncertain future. That may well have been the case with my Cook forebear, off to Germany to seek his fortune, in the days of the Hanseatic League.

Statue of Irish Wolfhound, Westgate, Wexford

Nicky Rackford, a legendary Irish Hurler, who hailed from Wexford. Hurling is an ancient Gaelic sport, akin in many ways to Gaelic football. It is described more fully here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hurling

Ruins of Selskar Abbey, an Augustinian monastery of the 12th Century. (Above and below)

The indomitable Irish women, celebrated in Westgate, Wexford

It was time to board the train, so I left things like the John F. Kennedy Arboretum for another time. I did get a few glimpses of Muir Eirann (Irish Sea) from the train, between Wexford and Dublin.

Irish Lights Building, Dun Laoghire (pronounced dun leary)

At long last, we arrived at Connolly Station.

To my Cook relatives, your song resonates through the centuries. To my Connolly relatives (on my Dad’s side), this station is named for your distant cousin, an Irish national hero-but you knew that.

The Road to Diamond, Day 327: Across an Emerald Sea

Posted by Sagittarian Seeker on October 31, 2025 in children, collaborating, Inspiration, Personal Values, Social, Spiritual, Striving, Travel

October 20, 2025, Rosslare, Ireland- It had slipped my mind, the location of Ocean Lab Cafe-a function of “landmark bleed” (my term), where two places that are close to one another while still some distance apart, become adjacent in my mind. So, my friend Sian and I walked to the grocer, looking for the cafe. As we learned, Ocean Lab Cafe is on the berm that is closer to Goodwick Jetty. The grocer is off the street below. I had been to both, yesterday, while a bit tired from the day’s journey-thus, the landmark bleed.

No matter, we sat and enjoyed hot tea, with no crumpets, as it was mid-morning, and I had enjoyed a full Irish breakfast at Rose & Crown, prior to meeting Sian in the foyer of the guest house. We walked a short bit along the beach, both savouring the salt air and very pleasant clear sky. Ocean Lab is a small aquarium and oceanographic education centre for local children. It also offers Welsh products for visitors, so I purchased a box of tea bags and a tin of chai, each produced locally.

Our meeting lasted about two hours, then it was time for me to head towards the ferry to Ireland. Sian drove me as far as the ferry entrance. I then had to walk around a few barriers, to what turned out to be the Fishguard Harbour Train Station. I was the last one through the chute, but no matter-I was still five minutes shy of the gate closing, and that was only to board the bus to the ship. As it happened, we had to go back and pick up all the people who had been inside the priority visitors’ lounge. We ended up leaving well in time.

I decided to do something different this time-put my computer and journal in stowage and turn off my mobile phone. I enjoyed a full lunch, then sat and contemplated St. George’s Channel-the narrows of the Irish Sea, only nodding off for a short time, in mid-voyage. A few small children who were excited to look for whales, and a snoring man, the next table over, were there to break any monotony. The emerald sea was basically rather calm today, and the mood on board rather relaxed. We were in Rosslare in four hours and twenty minutes.

Irish customs and immigration checked the two American passports separately, but were a pleasant, jovial pair, thanking us for our cooperation. The rest of the bus riders faced a canine unit inspection, which turned up a couple of cans of English ale, and thankfully no drugs. We were let loose within ninety minutes. My transition from Europort to Home from Home Guest House did, however, entail a workaround past the usual tut-tutting from Spectrum, that I could not call my host without being connected to WiFi, and there was no connection at the port. A kind fellow passenger, who lives in Wexford, called my host and got directions. I found the bus that serves Rosslare, rode as far as Coast Hotel and voila, my host, Gemma, was waiting for me as I got off the bus.
“You’d never find the place, in this darkness”, she said, and we walked the five minutes to the apartment house. I was given a cozy and warm introduction to Irish lodging facilities, with the requisite bath tub (in the British Isles, a mere shower stall is frowned upon, though some hoteliers have little choice.) Gemma excused herself, and I headed back to Coast Hotel, for a dinner of fish and chips. The meal was more than ample, and I felt another nice day had passed.

The Road to Diamond,Day 325, Part I: Portsmouth’s Daylight

Posted by Sagittarian Seeker on October 28, 2025 in Assistance, collaborating, Community, Historical, impediments, Personal Values, Social, Spiritual, Travel

October 18, 2025, Portsmouth, England- Dawn came, the ravers and revelers had gone home and it was time to ready for another train ride. So, after the morning routine, I headed down to breakfast-greeted cheerfully, with a bit of wariness, by the Scottish hostess. It was a lovely full English spread, with bacon, scrambled eggs, grilled tomatoes and baked beans-along with the buffet standards- fresh vegetables and fruit, croissants and toasting bread, a few pastries, hot and cold beverages. It looked to be the last such buffet on this journey, so I took my time and enjoyed.

After breakfast and devotions, it was time to see Portsmouth, on the morning after. There was no huge mess left over-the street crew had come early and was still out in force. I headed first, through the east end of Guildhall with the goal of the near waterfront.

Here are some scenes of a Portsmouth morning.

Crossing the busy intersection, looking right, left and right again (It’s even written to do so, on the pavement), I walked past fields of young men practicing on the Rugby field-a Royal Navy facility. Portsmouth is RN headquarters, after all. At the end, there are the monuments to science and technology, with Spinnaker Tower to the right of the lower round building. Spinnaker is a place from which to get breathtaking views of Portsmouth, Southampton and the surrounding area. I had little time, though, before the scheduled train, so this was my look at the area.

Spinnaker Tower (center) and Science complex (round towers)

Street art (and “Sir Isaac Newton”) This rather offbeat focus on vision, and “sea aliens”, was at the entrance to the small wood that is in the background.

Heading back to IBIS, I retrieved my bags and started towards the train station. The majestic Guild Hall was no worse for the wear, after hosting many flirtatious youngsters and others, the previous night. It is now an event center, and does its job rather well.

Guildhall Square honours tradition.

With that, I headed to the train station, expecting to board the train towards Salisbury. Yet, there was no train to Salisbury. Britrail has an occasional cancellation. This was one such. The Transit Officer explained what I would need to do to re-route, so about forty minutes later, I was on a train to Fareham, and from there to Southampton, where I changed trains again. The rigmarole meant that the train would arrive in Salisbury at 3 p.m. This meant that I would not be going to Stonehenge, as the last bus to that venerable site leaves at 2 p.m., during the “winter months”, which in tourism parlance include October.

This gave me more time to focus on Salisbury itself, and on its majestic Cathedral. More on them both, in the next post.

The Road to Diamond, Day 324, Part II: Across the English Channel

Posted by Sagittarian Seeker on October 26, 2025 in collaborating, Community, Personal Values, Social, Spiritual, Striving, Travel

October17, 2025, Portsmouth, England- The instructions given me by the young man who worked maintenance for the city of Dieppe only revealed to me how often he has been on the far north side of his adopted city. I got in another good walk, thanks to the clarification I received from the middle-aged couple who had emerged from a cafe along my initial route.

I found the port city, about an hour northwest of Rouen to be struggling somewhat, trying to decide where to modernize and where to preserve. It can be an attractive city, especially if services between the Train Station and the Ferry Terminal, some 2 kilometers to the west, are better advertised. Right now, the shuttle is only promoted by a phone application. The question persists- What if phone service hits a dead zone? I have run into that situation with buses in one or two cities along the way, as well, though not in France.

Long story short, I did reach the ferry terminal, after a 30-minute walk. It is an austere, but still comfortable place, lying almost under the white chalk cliffs that are mirrors of the well-known cliffs of Dover. The charming purser was the first person to mention the shuttle to the train station-for those arriving from Newhaven, Nonetheless, if there were her counterpart at the train station, it would save a lot of difficulty for some of those in not so good shape.

Here are some views of Dieppe, from the train station to those white cliffs.

White cliffs-of Dieppe (above and below)

Once on board the vessel, I went into a cabin-a new experience. Being able to catch up on writing, whilst on board a ship was an experience I’ve had on only one other occasion: The Tiger Cruise from Honolulu to San Diego, in 2014. I also slept for an hour or so. When curious about our progress towards England, I could monitor on this laptop. I did miss interaction with others, but managed to be among the crowd for the last 20 minutes of the voyage.

At the small port of Newhaven, it didn’t take much time to process into the United Kingdom, as customs and immigration are streamlined and train passengers are processed first, so as to not get stranded in the small town, with few lodging options. I was on the train to Brighton, then to Portsmouth, in short order.

Portsmouth on a Friday night is a revelation. The Guildhall District, where both the train station and IBIS Hotel are located, is also the home of University of Portsmouth. The club scene is especially lively tonight, but no one bothers the lone traveler walking with backpack and wheeled suitcase. They are all just having a great time and music fills the air. I’m happy to see it all.

The Road to Diamond, Day 322: Still A Fine Metz

Posted by Sagittarian Seeker on October 23, 2025 in Assistance, collaborating, Historical, Inspiration, Personal Values, service, Social, Spiritual, Striving, Travel

October 15, 2025, Metz- Stately Hotel Escurial is probably the easiest to find, of any hotel that hasn’t been right next to the Train Station (only the hotel in Helsingor, Denmark has fit that description). It is bordered by a health food grocer, with bright green lettering and the Hotel Cecil, which once catered to the British upper crust, is prominently to the west of Escurial. Besides, it has a regal Spanish ring to it.

I arrived here in mid-afternoon, the first stop of three, on a Strasbourg-Luxembourg route, which I last took in the opposite direction, in 2014. At that time, Metz was more a place for regrouping my energy, as Strasbourg was this time. Today was more about giving Metz the limelight.

I got my laundry done in Strasbourg, for the most part figuring out the instructions, which were in French, and managing to get the clothes washed and dried within the allotted time and walked back to Hotel Strasbourg, in plenty of time to return to the main train station. I even helped a college student and a disabled woman, just a little.

Once in Metz and settled in at Hotel Escurial, it was off to look at two different areas of the Old City. First, though, I had to get a new mouse for my computer. A shop was located about four blocks from Hotel Escurial, and the task was quickly done.

Gare Centrale (Main Train Station), Metz

North Wall of Old City, with Water Tower in background

General Charles De Gaulle, at his square

Interior of Metz Cathedral (Above and below)

Stretching towards the sky, Metz Cathedral exterior (above and below)

Spires on southwest corner of Metz Cathedral

Abraham de Faubert, Marshal of France under Henry IV and Louis XIII. Marshal De Faubert established new methods of siegecraft, during the constant wars between England and France during the 17th Century. He is considered a key figure in the survival of the French State, in that uncertain period.

Michel Ney, Napoleon’s sub-commander, who was from Lorraine. He was executed for treason, after Napoleon’s defeat at Waterloo.

My exploration of Metz was complete, for now. Dinner followed, being a simple toasted bagel with cream cheese and minced onion-at a small, cozy place named simply “The Coffee Shop”. It was a fitting end to a day devoted to a blend of simplicity and grandeur.

The Road to Diamond, Day 321: Lifeline

Posted by Sagittarian Seeker on October 23, 2025 in collaborating, Community, impediments, Inner Struggles, Inspiration, Personal Values, Social, Spiritual, Striving, Travel

October 14, 2025, Strasbourg- I took no photos of Strasbourg this time. Hotel Strasbourg-Monatagne Verte is lovely and the area around it is serene, almost bucolic. The quiet paths that lead, safely, across the bustling highway into older neighbourhoods of this economic hub of northeastern France are worthy of several shots.

I simply was not in the photographic frame of mind, no pun intended. My camera has a day to charge and I am giving myself time to sit and reflect. Tomorrow morning, I will go across to Laverie Valiwash and take care of my wardrobe. This evening, I will rest, as my message to friends here received no reply. A nice French dinner was my solace. The staff at Hotel Strasbourg are superb.

The trains from Frankfurt were a standard car to Offenburg, then a commuter train the rest of the way. Most of the people on the second leg were university students heading to one of the small German border towns that serve as suburbs to Strasbourg: Places like Kehl, where a team of German and French border police checked tickets and passports. Once the kids were gone, there were only a few of us going the rest of the way to Strasbourg. The trams and buses at Centre Gare (railway station) go towards the Cathedral, to the European Union facilities and other areas that are in the direction opposite where I was headed. Montagne-Verte is a fairly new area of town, and as was said earlier, has a rustic air to it, even with the apartment buildings and tourist hotels that are carefully interspersed within its greenery.

One of these years, I will set aside three days or so, to give justice to a visit to this bustling town. Tonight, though, I am just regrouping, getting ready for the last week or so of a fascinating journey that has had many aspects of whirlwind to it.

The Road to Diamond, Day 319: Gold at the Foot of the Schlosse

Posted by Sagittarian Seeker on October 22, 2025 in Assistance, children, collaborating, Community, Entertainment, Historical, Inspiration, Personal Values, Social, Spiritual, Striving, Travel

October 12, 2025, Frankfurt-am-Main- It was suggested by a fellow hosteler in Salzburg that I take dinner at Vetter’s, an authentic Bavarian establishment in Old Town Heidelberg. Apparently, a lot of Vetter’s fans were telling their friends the same thing. There was no room to be had there this evening. The reservation list stretched into next week.

I found another fabulous spot for dinner-Joe Molese Burgers and Sandwiches. More about Joe’s and its fabulous staff later. First off, though, some words about my stroll down the hill and around Old Town, in areas both full of my fellow travelers and others with only a few locals going about their affairs.

As I bid farewell to Schloss Heidelberg, it was the foliage that stood out.

Foliage at south end of Schlosse Heidelberg

Heiliggeistkirche (Holy Spirit Church), Heidelberger Alstadt

I continued looking for a place called the Red Church, wandering through the alleys near Heidelberg University.

I found the Red Church at the north end of Old Town.

Heidelberg University, with Peterskirche in background

As I rounded a corner, there was an apartment courtyard, where a man was playing table tennis with his young daughter. Nearby was this gem of a mural.

and this:

The girl’s favourites were these:

River Neckar, from Old Town Heidelberg (above and below)

Good luck Monkey, Old Bridge, Heidelberg

It’s said that to rub the gold orb will bring good fortune. many visitors were doing just that, before I took this photo.

Karl-Theodor became Elector of the Palatinate in 1742 and united it with Bavaria in 1777, setting upon a program of economic modernization of this realm. He built the English garden in Munich and was an avid patron of the arts. In the long run, however, Karl-Theodor showed little interest in his realm, leaving it to Austrian and French invaders, in the 1790s. This statue shows that it was his earlier programs that matter most to posterity.

Now, back to Joe Molese.

Joe Molese Burgers and Sandwiches, Old Town Heidelberg

This establishment provided the absolute best burger I have ever had-and that’s after a lot of hamburgers over 70 +years. It was not overly messy, such as I normally enjoy. It was simply flavourful and was not overshadowed by a mound of French fries. The lovely server and the effusive manager made everyone feels at home, despite the fact that the place was as packed as every other restaurant in Old Town, on Saturday night. When I went to pay, furthermore, it turned out that the young couple sitting to my right had already covered my tab! We had not spoken a word to one another, but there it was. I would go back to Joe Molese’s again, in a heartbeat.

Finally, this is the shop whose clerk helped me locate Lotte-The Backpackers Hostel. I bought a couple of items from her. It would be nice if more people patronized her little place.

My favourite souvenir shop, Old Town Heidelberg

It was not easy to say farewell to this enchanting place, but there was more joy waiting for me here in Frankfurt, and at the Baha’i House of Worship in Langenhain.

The Road to Diamond, Day 318, Part I: Munich’s Heart and “Such a Grand Fortress”

Posted by Sagittarian Seeker on October 19, 2025 in children, collaborating, Historical, Inspiration, Personal Values, Social, Striving, Travel

October 11, 2025, Heidelberg- The older man was, for all the world, a penitente, walking short steps down the cobblestone hill, in flip flops of all things, determined to make the walk downward on his own. Nearby, a six-year-old boy was fussing at his mother, telling her to lift him up. The old man lifted his head, which had been focused on the steps he was taking. “Such a grand fortress up there. Maybe you aren’t ready to see it!”, he said softly to the unruly child. The boy gave one last shriek, then stopped squalling and got up on his own. He told his mother he was just tired and didn’t want to go uphill. They turned and went back down towards their lodging.

In 2014, I happened by this fascinating university city, on the way from Strasbourg to Frankfurt, as it was part of the train route. On that visit, I spent time at Heidelberg University and walked to the Neckar River. The castle, though, stuck in my mind and I was determined that it would be on the itinerary of a future visit to Europe. That visit came this evening, and will continue for a bit, tomorrow morning.

I had a small item of business to settle in Munich, this morning, and the requisite office didn’t open until 9 a.m., today being Saturday. This gave me time to look about the Karlsplatz District of the great Bavarian city. Here are some of the sights of that midtown sector.

Eighteenth Century meets Twenty-first, Karlsplatz, Munich

Reaching towards the sky, Karlsplatz, Munich

Landgericht, (District Court Building), Karlsplatz, Munich

Finally, in Altbotanischegarten, there was an entirely different air about the city. Aside from a few people also seeking quietude, and a few animals, the Old Botanical Garden was giving a Saturday morning respite to the frenzy of Friday night.

South entrance to Altbotanischegarten, Munich

Heart of Altbotanischegarten, Munich (above and below)

Peterskirche Tower, from Atlbotanischegarten, Munich

“Der Ring”, by Mauro Staccioli, Alt Botanischegarten, Munich

Munich, thus, was just a primer for my energy level. Once in Heidelberg, at the small but very comfortable and welcoming Lotte, The Backpackers Hostel, I set out for the nearby Schloss (Fortress) Heidelberg.

Here are some scenes from the exterior and gardens of the castle.

Tower of Schloss Heidelberg, from Lotte Hostel

Ivy-covered south wall, Schloss Heidelberg (above and below, with pink wig tree in the middle)

South Tower and rampart, Schloss Heidelberg

The wonders of Heidelberg continue in the next post.

The Road to Diamond, Day 317: Double Tenth, Two Cities

Posted by Sagittarian Seeker on October 18, 2025 in Assistance, collaborating, Community, Historical, Inspiration, Personal Values, Social, Spiritual, Striving, Travel

October 10, 2025, Munich- I went down the 327 steps this time, bidding farewell to the paradise called Monchsberg and its shining star, Stadtalm Naturfreund. I would gladly walk up the steps again and stay there for three or four days.

It was time to have at least a brief look at Munich and see how that city is adapting to the changes that surely would have shocked the reactionary forces who caused such mayhem there, nearly one hundred years ago.

First, though, here is a bit more of Salzburg’s centrum.

Information about Gherkins sculpture (seen below)

Gherkins Sculpture, with Friedrich Schiller in the background. Schiller was one of Germany’s greatest Classical playwrights.

My breakfast companions had urged me to make mention of Sanktfranciskirche. It is the one church in Salzburg where anyone can find a safe haven, even if being pursued by police. It has not been put to the test recently, but there are many past examples of this.

Notice the open door below.

Salzburg Cathedral, my last stop before the Hauptbanhof and on to Munich.

The journey to the heart of Bavaria was uneventful. I had a bit of confusion, again because of WiFi loss, but finding The 4You Hostel was not hard, once I got bearings after stopping in a store for a couple of necessities. I even found a nice nearby hotel restaurant and enjoyed a good Bavarian dinner.

From what I have seen so far, Munich is every bit a multicultural and tolerant city-pretty much the opposite of what its leaders in the 1930s hoped to achieve. I will enjoy more of it tomorrow morning.