Europe by Train – My new book!
Category: Travel Posts
Madrid
Madrid I wandered Madrid Enjoying the sights Believing I am El Cid A beloved Spanish knight Fighting not for blood But time A tourist stud Searching and seeking in rhyme So much to see For two days of travel And I was free At my pace to unravel All of the great destinations Sitting in courtyards and plazas Sipping coffee on vacation Recalling all Spains mighty causes Fighting Muslims invaders Discovering the new world Subduing the English pirates and raiders Surviving Fascism as it whirled Spain had endured From good times to bad Unsecured to secured Moving past the dictatorship fad Reminding me of Don Quixote escapades One of my favorite operas and books He is fighting villains on his crusade There is more going on than it looks He is fighting a noble fight To stay pure and true A beacon of light And a strong bond or glue To the noblest of ideals For all of the needy and depressed You must hear his appeals To be brave and pass the test True to goodness True to the humanity True to the truth True to God Anything is possible If you give it your best Possible and best is compossible With a holy quest A holy quest for what is right Maybe not popular Pushing back the blight As a holy swashbuckler My mind ran through these thoughts As I sat at Don Quixotes statue And I was happy to bear the cross And I remembered and knew It should all be for God The number one thing And it is hard not to be a fraud But you must cling to the King No matter what Or under any circumstance You know it in your gut Take a holy stance For your friends and neighbors For the born and unborn God will reward your labors And you will be reborn
Sharks
My first shark I was very young It was ugly and dark I bit my tongue Five years old It was moving through the waves The shark was very bold I began digging our graves Circling the sailboat I was petrified Leave was my vote I cried and cried I was scared Watching the shark swim And it stared Would I lose a limb They made me climb aboard Crossing the dock A gigantic fjord I was in shock What if I fell in Would I die I saw the gray fin Just stay dry Stay in the cockpit Cowarding there Keep your wit Stay on guard and beware You are the smallest Very vulnerable The shark would not eat the tallest Would my body be recoverable We sailed around I constantly worried I did not fear that I would drown But where would I be buried When the shark ate me My little body buried Maybe at sea Never married We made it to shore I never saw the shark again But there was more I carried this pain My entire life Sharks were in my thoughts Causing me much strife Let me connect the dots I lived on the ocean Swimming in the ocean Sailing on the ocean Snorkeling on the ocean But I have never say another Until my son caught one Maybe a kindred brother But this one was done The shark made the grill Tasting very good I had my fill A long journey from childhood In these many years A second encounter My lucky stars Better than a flounder All those many frets Will I get eaten So much stress I had been beaten I learned a truth Late but true I am long in the tooth But here is a clue Worry about what you can see And what makes sense Easier to fall from a tree Or run into a fence
Seafood
When I visit the coast, the most important thing is to eat seafood. I want to sample and try all the various seaside dishes available.
I try to eat a different variety at every seating.
Bicycling in Savannah
Bicycling is the only way to get around Savannah. There are so many parks, shops, and restaurants. You are stopping and going frequently.
The parks are littered throughout the historical district are cool. I do not have a favorite park. but I like to cruise around all of them. Traffic is not terrible, just stay off the main one way streets and the main east to west street.
Restaurants are numerous and you have many choices. I like the ones on the river with a second floor balcony where you can look at the river. I eat seafood since I do not get any fresh seafood in Tennessee – shrimp, oysters, mussels, and clams.
There are a number of coffee shops, but sitting on the river is best. I am a sucker for Starbucks because they are convenient and consistent. I have found in traveling that most of the time that Starbucks are in prime locations.
Riding bicycles along the river is grand. I enjoy watching the gigantic ships move up and down the river. The air is cooler on the river, too.
Savannah is a great place to ride bicycles.