Sunday, September 29, 2024

Fall feelings and a new travel adventure!

Hello all of my stitching friends! I'm back after 2 1/2 weeks away... pretty much recovered from my jet lag, thankfully. I read that the older you get, the longer it takes to recover from trips across multiple time zones. We arrived home late last Saturday evening and by Friday I was feeling pretty normal again. So, where did we go? Well, I'll fill you in on my little bit of stitching news first and then begin a new travelogue. 

Finally, after finishing this wonderful Prairie Schooler fall design called "Autumn Leaves" way back in 2018, I've framed it! I purchased the frame last year from Franken Frames online, but it's taken me this long to sit down and frame it. I absolutely love this moulding for fall pieces, but, sadly, it has been discontinued. Luckily, I purchased three frames made of this same moulding, so I'll be sharing two more framed pieces in the future. 

"Autumn Leaves" finally framed after six years!

And here is a close-up with a better view of the frame and the stitching...

This charming piece is definitely one of my fall favorites.

If you'd like to read more about this finish, my post from September 30, 2018 has all the details.

I did manage to at least stitch my September ornament for the #12in24ornamentstitchalong which  I host on Instagram. Hopefully, finishing will take place this week! This is the annual Prairie Schooler Santa from 1995. I have to admit that when I first saw this design way back then, it wasn't one of my favorites. But, like everything in life... your tastes change and develop as you age. I thought this was the perfect Santa to represent my September since we traveled to various parts of the world. He is stitched on 40 ct. vintage country mocha Newcastle linen with most of the suggested threads. I did change the stitches in the border from the suggested blue cross stitches to red straight stitches, though. I also used Smyrna stitches for the eyes and the gold colored flowers on Santa's robe.

1995 Prairie Schooler Santa all ready for finishing

Giveaway time... I received two charming Prairie Schooler mini-cards from my friend, Stasi over at Bee-mused and Bee-stitching, as a little thank-you gift after I lent her a chart. Since I already owned both, I asked Stasi if it would be okay to use them in a giveaway and she kindly agreed. So, would you like to stitch these? If so, please follow the guidelines below and I'll announce the winner in my next post.

I'm having a giveaway for these two PS mini-charts. See below for the guidelines:

To be included in the giveaway for the two PS mini-charts shown above:

1) Specifically mention that you would like to win it in your comment 

2) Be a follower of Stitching Dreams (in my blog's sidebar on the right)

3) Make sure to leave your email address in your comment if I don't already have it

4) Tell me where in the world you would like to visit (that you haven't already been to). For me, it's the Canadian Rockies and Lake Louise--I'd love to take a train trip from Vancouver to Banff some day :)  

So... have you figured out where I've been most of September? Well, we took our first real trip since before Covid and it was a big one! We took a river boat cruise down the Rhine River from Amsterdam to Basel and then went on to Lucerne and Lugano in Switzerland, Lake Como, and then flew home after spending a couple of days in Milan, Italy. This was our second river boat cruise--the first one was a Danube cruise way back in 2019. Have you ever stopped to think how the weather can play such an important part in your holiday memories? Well, this trip will go down in history for everything from rain to cold to wind to hail to snow. And on top of that I got some sort of cold/flu for five days. Ugh! But, in between all that "stuff" there were some wonderful sights and memorable moments made with my husband, youngest sister, and brother-in-law. So, it was all worth it!

Since I have so many photos, I'll be breaking up the trip into sections and would love to have you travel along with me as we see the sights of five different countries: The Netherlands, Germany, France, Switzerland, and Italy. Are you ready? Let's get started...

AMSTERDAM, THE NETHERLANDS

We flew into Amsterdam a couple of days before the Rhine River cruise started both to help with jet-lag and to see a bit of this famed city on our own. Thankfully, the weather in Amsterdam (the first two days, anyway) was lovely--blue skies and sunny. It was the perfect walking around and exploring temperature. 

Our first stop was the lovely Vondelpark, the 116 acre largest greenspace in Amsterdam.  It was a good space to just relax and clear our heads after that overnight flight across the Atlantic. Such a pretty spot, but watch out for those bicyclists! We learned very quickly that they rule the roads!

Vondelpark

A relaxing morning spent in Vondelpark

We then went and explored the beautiful streets and canals of Amsterdam... With over 60 miles of canals in the city, there is no lack of beautiful photo opportunities.

Just one of many, many pretty canals

Bikes here, bikes there, bikes and bicyclists everywhere! I'd heard about the number of bicyclists in Amsterdam, but nothing prepared me for the reality! They were everywhere and they think nothing of plowing through crowds at high speeds. We saw two accidents in the short time we were there. Many of the bikes somehow end up in the canals and between 12,000-15,000 are pulled out each year! On one of our tours, we were driven by a huge barge piled high with what looked like scrap metal. Our guide told us it was actually filled with old bicycles that had been pulled from canals!

Most of the bridges connecting the canals had bicycles and baskets of pretty flowers placed in the middle.

The reflection of the lights at night was particularly lovely.


The next day, our destination was one I had been dreaming about going to since I was a young teen--The Anne Frank House. I can't even tell you how many times I've read The Diary of a Young Girl and after this visit, I plan on reading it again.

A small statue of a young girl who left a major impact on the world

The Secret Annex where Anne and seven others hid for over two years is in the back of this building at 263 Prinsengracht

Luckily, my sister had alerted me to the fact that you need to purchase tickets six weeks before the date you plan to visit, so I got up at 4:30 a.m. one late July morning to make sure I got them. They sell out that quickly! I was also able to get tickets for the 30 minute introductory program which was given in English by a young German woman. It was so interesting and the only place where we were able to take photos. 

The top photo shows a timeline of Anne's life from her birth in 1929 to her death at Bergen-Belsen Concentration Camp in 1945. On the bottom left is one of the yellow stars that the Nazis forced the Jewish people to wear. The bottom right is a facsimile of her famous diary (the original is kept inside a glass case in the Anne Frank House) and a piece of the famous chestnut tree which Anne was able to view from the attic of her hiding place. That tree gave her such hope over the years each time it bloomed. The original tree died and fell to the ground in 2010, but saplings were started from it and new trees have been planted all over the world. Here is a list of the cities which now have their very own Anne Frank chestnut trees.

What a sobering experience it was to walk through that hinged bookcase and up into the tiny, dark, cramped rooms of the Secret Annex. The knowledge that Anne and her family survived in hiding for 761 days only to be arrested by the Gestapo in August 1944 and taken to concentration camps to die (only Anne's father survived) was heartbreaking. In one of Anne's diary entries from May 11, 1944, she wrote: “You've known for a long time that my greatest wish is to be a journalist, and later on, a famous writer. We'll have to wait and see if these grand illusions (or delusions!) will ever come true, but up to now I've had no lack of topics. In any case, after the war I'd like to publish a book called The Secret Annex. It remains to be seen whether I'll succeed, but my diary can serve as the basis.”  Oh, Anne... you more than succeeded. What a legacy you've left the world. This was a visit I know I'll always remember... If you would like a tour of The Secret Annex online, I highly recommend this one. There is also a wonderful 14 part series on Anne's life and death on YouTube right here.

On Saturday, we were able to check in to our lovely room on Avalon Waterways "Vista" ship. 

Our home away from home for seven nights

We enjoyed a buffet lunch on board and then headed out for our first excursion... a visit to Zaanse Schans which is like an open-air museum for Dutch life in the 18th and 19th centuries. Windmills and other buildings were relocated to this spot in an effort to preserve them and educate visitors on life in the past. It was a beautiful sunny day, as you can see!

Interestingly, my father's  earliest known ancestor in America came from The Netherlands (settling in New Amsterdam). His town of Wormer, is located only about four miles from Zaanse Schans. He sailed to a new life on the Dutch ship "De Trouw" back in the year 1659 and I love looking at the landscape in this photo and imagining what life must have looked like for him way back then!

 
One of my favorite photos of us in Zaanse Schans

Such a relaxing scene!

While at Zaanse Schans we saw a cheese-making demonstration, wooden shoe making demonstration, and climbed up into a working windmill

On Sunday morning, the Amsterdam canal cruise took place under partly sunny skies.

We were told that many of the canal cruise boats are gradually being replaced with electric models. I'm sure the residents who live along the canals greatly appreciate the noise reduction!

Many houseboats (which sell for huge amounts of money!) are docked along the canals.

The famous crooked "Dancing Houses" of Amsterdam

One pretty scene after another

In the afternoon, we had the choice of doing a bike ride in the countryside or doing a walking tour for some "Bites and Highlights" of the charming Jordaan district. We chose to do the walking tour and feasted on an assortment of cheeses, Stroopwafels (freshly warmed!), and these tasty Poffertjes.

These mini Dutch pancakes, known as Poffertjes, were so tasty. I just may have to try my hand at making some here at home.

 

A final look at one of the beautiful canals

The Amsterdam portion of our trip was over and it was time for our ship to set sail. Overnight our ship cruised to the next stop on our itinerary:

COLOGNE, GERMANY

I can't say this was one of my favorite stops, but that may have had a lot to do with the weather, which turned gray and cool. The fact that so much of the city was destroyed during WWII didn't help either. 95% of the buildings in the old part of the city were damaged and the landscape of the city forever changed.

Pulling into port in Cologne

 
I thought these pastel houses in front of Great St. Martin Church were so pretty. This beautiful Romanesque church was just reopened in 1985 after being badly damaged in WWII.


I know nothing about this sculpted wall--just thought it was interesting. Perhaps they are celebrating Carnival (Kölner Karneval) which is such a big part of life in Cologne each year?

One of the most charming statues (and stories) in the city of Cologne is The Heinzelmännchenbrunnen (or Pixies' Fountain) which depicts a group of hard-working little pixies/gnomes baking bread, sawing wood, and doing all sorts of chores secretly at night so that the citizens of Cologne could relax and take it easy during the day. This all went well until the tailor's wife (at the top of the statue) became determined to see what they looked like that she scattered peas on the steps causing the pixies to all fall down. They became so infuriated that they left the city forever, leaving the residents to do their own chores. You can read about this charming tale right here.

The Heinzelmännchenbrunnen Fountain

Some of the little gnomes hard at work

The tailor's wife (at the very top of the statue) placed peas on the steps causing all the little gnomes to tumble down the stairs and leave the city forever

Of course, the Cologne Cathedral is the iconic sight in this fourth largest German city. In fact, it is Germany's most visited landmark. Construction began on the cathedral in the year 1248, but was stopped in the mid-16th century. Finally in the mid-19th century, construction resumed and was completed in October of 1880.

Even after damage from repeated bombings in WWII, the Cathedral remained standing. Today, it is the third tallest church in the world.

The stunningly carved West Entrance

Just a few of the many stunning art works, stained glass windows, and sculptures inside the Cologne Cathedral

We bravely decided to climb the 533 steps up to the bell tower--and we paid €6 each to do so. Were we brave or simply crazy? Whew--those winding, aged stone steps were exhausting (at least to me!), but we did it! And the views at the top were wonderful.

 
Views from the bell tower


I think that is a good stopping point for today's post! Whew--these posts take me many hours to sort through and edit my photos, look up facts, link to more information on the sights, and then write the actual content. I do hope you enjoyed Part 1 of my Rhine River Cruise travelogue. I always enjoy seeing parts of the world that I might never get to and I hope you do, too! Next time, we will visit two more destinations in Germany and I'll share some of the actual scenes from cruising down the Rhine River.

Don't forget, if you want to enter the giveaway for the PS mini-card charts, please make sure to include your email address in your comment! Sending hugs to those of you who are grieving loved ones or battling health issues right now. And to those of you affected by Hurricane Helene, my heart goes out to you. Thank you to everyone who sent me a message wishing me well in my latest health concerns. The Holter monitor that I wore for 48 hours last month did pick up some irregularities in my heartbeat so I'm heading to the cardiologist in October. Hopefully, it is nothing serious and just something I have to learn to live with.  Here's to a better month for all in October. Bye for now...

32 comments:

Melisa- pinkernpunkinquilting said...

Good morning, Carol and Happy Monday. What an amazing post! It certainly looks like you had a grand time and went to so many amazing historical sites. Thank you so much for sharing your adventure with us. I wish you the best with your cardiologist visit in the coming weeks. Hugs.

butterfly said...

Hi Carol,
What great photos , we also visited Holland it is beautiful.
We stayed with friends there some years ago.
Beautiful stitching , it's been a month since I have had a needle in my hand . Hugs June.

Marilyn said...

Your Santa is nice.
Oh Carol, what a fantastic trip, thanks for sharing all of the pics.
That's a nice pic of you & hubby with the Windmills in the background.
Love those Windmills!
Positive thoughts for your appointment next month.
Marilyn

Gabi said...

Happy Monday to you. What a trip and very intersting places you visited. I should have known, the River Rhine is not very far from me. I should have known, we could have had a short meeting.
Lovely picture of you and your husband.
Yes you are right, taste changes. The Santa looks very nice.
All the best for your appointment.
Hugs, Gabi

Anonymous said...

What a lovely piece! The frame is perfect. Great travelogue. I especially love the recap of the little helpful gnomes in Cologne. Thanks for a great time!

Anonymous said...

LOVE everything about this post :) why can't we have such quaint and pretty houses here? why is everything bulldozed and rebuilt into "sameness"? I also loved the frame, as said "oh no" when you said it was discontinued. The story of the elves finishing the shoes jogged something in my memory. I must have heard a story about that when I was little (?) Yes! include me in the drawing :) and as to where would I like to go - - anywhere! but especially Italy, France, and also Alaska.
Barb rhubarb73@comcast.net

Robin in Virginia said...

Welcome home, Carol! I totally enjoyed reading and seeing the pictures of part 1 of your adventure. Your PS Autumn Leaves piece looks fantastic in its frame. Bummer that molding has been discontinued! Your PS Santa for the September ornament is darling. Thinking of you!

Anonymous said...

Wow looks like an incredible trip ! Thanks for all the details I just bought that autumn prairie school over here’s hoping I can finish it as beautiful as you did

Vickie said...

Autumn Leaves is gorgeous in that frame Carol! What a trip!! I do not want to enter your giveaway, but I would love to go to Hawaii. I have always wanted to go there. My BIL went to Holland last year and to Anne's home also. He bought a book from the home and I read it. Thank you for sharing this post. I love it!

Anonymous said...

I very much enjoyed your trip through Amsterdam and Cologne. I felt as if I was there with you. I appreciate the time and effort it takes to assemble such a post. But I must say, I click on every link and enjoy learning something new! (That must be the teacher in me!!) I would love to visit Portugal one day. My daughters have been there and said I would love it. One day...I would also love to win the two mini charts! I just love those little things!! Thank you for sharing. Theresa Grdina; tjgrdina3@aol.com.

Rita said...

What a wonderful trip! Thank you for sharing about it. Your Prairie Schoolers are beautiful.

Isabel para ALROMASAR said...

I'm glad you're back and that you shared with us these wonderful pictures of your vacation, Carol
I'm glad you enjoyed it!
Lovely Christmas embrodery.
Have a blessed week
Hugs

Sandy said...

The trip looked amazing. Like you I would have wanted to have that tour of Anne Frank's home. The pictures are amazing and I loved reading your take on things.
Those PS seasonal stitches are among my favorites and yet, I haven't stitched one yet. So many things I want to do.
Take care and praying all goes well at the appointment.

Barbara from Kansas said...

Hi Carol! I enjoyed your travelogue. It sounds like you covered alot of ground. I am looking forward to reading more about your travels. I would love to visit the Scottish Highlands in the future. Your PS Santa ornament was a perfect one to capture your worldly travels. I would love to win the 2 small PS Santas since I love decorating my house and Christmas trees with Santas. Good luck with your appointment in October.
hiemstra.barbara@gmail.com

Anonymous said...

Thank you for sharing these pictures and details of the first part of your wonderful trip, Carol. I would love to visit the Anne Frank museum one day. Looking forward to part 2!! Lynette

Katie said...

First and not most important beautiful finishes. The frame looks meant to be for that gorgeous autumn piece. Please don't enter me in the drawing. Good luck to those who enter.

More importantly I LOVED your travel photos. I'm not the type of person who would leave our wonderful country but your beautiful post made me feel like I was right beside you. Thanks for all the effort. It was sure lovely. Mackinac Island in Michigan is run by bikes and I just hate going when it's busy. They are so rude to everyone that's not themselves. The canals are just beautiful. The cruise would be fun but I doubt I will ever go on one. Can't wait for more travel posts.

Anonymous said...

I loved the details and photos of your travel adventures and look forward to Part 2. Travel is so important in reinforcing the knowledge that even though we may be of different cultures, religions or races, underneath and at heart we are all the same. I am looking forward to the time when it will be safe to visit the Middle East again.
I have stitched many Prairie Schooler pieces over the years and would be very happy to win one (or both!) of these.... janefreddo01@gmail.com

Leslie O said...

Your photos are amazing! I have a niece who lived in Amsterdam for several years and she absolutely loved it. The Canadian Rockies has been on my list to visit for some time, but I think my traveling days are dwindling. I would love to win the Prairie Schooler patterns. Your autumn piece looks beautiful and your frame complements it perfectly!

MartinaM said...

a beautiful autumn work. It's good that it can finally be shown in the perfect setting. And the Santa is a wonderful ornament.
I would like to take part in the competition, somewhere I have never been before, I have wanted to go to Rome for many years. Before Covid everything was already planned, booked and paid for, and with Covid everything was canceled. Now we want to try again next year. But Vienna is also a city that I would like to see.
How nice that it was a successful trip to us, thank you for all the beautiful pictures, you were able to make the most of the few beautiful days. I also read Anne Frank's book. It's a shame that you had such bad weather in Cologne.
Now I'm really looking forward to further reports.
Have a nice start to October,
Martina

Donna King said...

Good morning Carol and Happy October! I just can’t believe it’s October already. This year has really flown by. Your trip looks to have been fabulous. Your memories of this adventure are something to cherish. I dream one day of traveling to Germany. My maternal grandfather came to America prior to the start of WWI, he was just 17 years old. His mother sent him off with money in his pocket and one suitcase. He did alright though. He attended college and worked as a financial officer with a NY bank. He always shared stories of his life in Germany and has me wishing to see the country. I would love to have the Prairie Schooler charts, I have seven of these precious little Santa’s stitched so far this year. As you can see from my email I am a collector of all things Santa and love stitching them. (SantaStitcher330@gmail.com) Thank you for offering this giveaway.

ndavis said...

I always enjoy your "travels" stories, they are so interesting. My dream would be to visit Rome and Venice Italy. I am interested in the museums, statues and architecture of the areas. I love the Prairie Schooler Santa designs and would very much like to win the two you are offering. Nan Davis - ndavis2124@gmail.com

Heritage Hall said...

What a lovely time "living" those important moments in Amsterdam and
Cologne through your eyes, Carol. I don't know if I would have your courage to hike those steep steps in the Cathedral Tower, but what a rewarding view at the top. The Anne Frank portion and much appreciated links were a were a great insight into that time. Hopes that your cardio visit will be good news and encouragement.....Love the photo of you and your beloved.

Christel said...

C'est toujours un plaisir d'admirer et de broder un modèle de The Prairie Schooler. Je ne connaissais pas celui que vous avez brodé, il est très beau.
Le père Noël de 1995 n'attend plus que les finitions.
Dans le monde j'aimerai aller dans votre grand pays mais aussi au Canada... Il y a également des îles qui m'attirent beaucoup.
Quel beau voyage vous avez fait ! Merci pour le partage de vos photos.. Je connais bien Milan (ma famille est italienne du côté maternel, nous avons encore des cousins à Venise, Milan, Turin et Belluno. Je suis allée passer un week-end à Amsterdam il y a longtemps, j'avais été étonné comme vous par le nombre de bicyclettes mais je ne garde pas un souvenir extraordinaire de ces 2 jours car nous avions été mal accueillis à l'hôtel... Le journal d'Anne Frank, je ne sais plus combien de fois je l'ai lu, il est et restera toujours dans ma bibliothèque....
J'espère que la visite chez le cardiologue ne sera qu'une formalité.
Amitiés de France,
Christel

Gail L. said...

What a great post! I absolutely loved seeing your travelogue. This is the closest I will ever get to seeing these wonderful places. I would like to be included in your giveaway. My dream would be to visit Ireland and Scotland. I’m not sure, but somewhere in my ancestry there must be a connection as I absolutely love anything to do with either country. Looking forward to visiting your next travel adventure.( gailalinden@gmail.com)

Sandra said...

Your Autumn Leaves looks gorgeous, the frame is beautiful, you can always rely on Prairie Schooler designs, even though they just use ordinary DMC threads and nothing fancy. Great travel photos.

Manuela said...

Hello Carol,
your frame is wonderful for your autumn stitching. I like this motiv very much.
Please count me in for the giveaway. My wish is to visit is the Indian Summer in USA.
Danke für deinen ausführlichen Bericht von Amsterdam und Köln. Vieles, was ihr euch in Amsterdam angeschaut habt, hat mich an meine Reise im Mai diesen Jahres erinnert. Auch die Windmühlen haben wir besichtigt. Gefreut hat es mich, dass ihr Karten für das Anne Frank Museum bekommen habt.
I'm looking forward to the next stop on your journey.
Have a nice time in October and a big Hugs, Manuela

Jackie's Stitches said...

What great fun you have been up to! Love the frame you chose. So surprising it is discontinued! Your trip looks wonderful and I'm glad you had some sunny days.

I got goosebumps and emotional when reading the excerpt from Anne's diary. She definitely more than succeeded. I'm glad the legacy of this brave brave girl remains!

Jill said...

Thank you, Carol, for taking the time to share the enjoyable travel photos. Thoughts of doing a future European river cruise is on our radar. Although I don’t always comment, I enjoy your many completed cross-stitch projects. Centuries ago, one of my ancestors sailed from Amsterdam to the new country as well.

Stasi said...

Your framed PS piece is wonderful and the frame is perfect. So smart to buy more than one!
Love traveling along with you, but sorry you didn't feel well for part of the trip. I love the Anne Frank story.....such an optimistic girl in the face of such despair!
I look forward to reading about the rest of your adventure.

Carol in Texas said...

Carol, I so appreciate your sharing your travels with your readers. I’ll never get to Holland or Germany, but I love seeing scenes from there and hearing about the things you did and enjoyed. I’m so sorry you had some puny days…..how miserable to be ill away from home. I look forward to your next installment. These photos are gorgeous!

Shelly said...

I will probably never make it to that part of the 🤞🏼🤞🏼world so it's nice to see the pictures! I would love to travel to London and Spain, and closer to me would be to Franklin, Tennessee. It's the site of a major Civil War battlefield and a home that was turned into a field hospital. A book I have that I've read over and over has to do with the Carter House, and I also have a sampler that I have yet to stitch is related to the Carter House. I hope to make that trip next year sometime when I get my house sold 🤞🏼🤞🏼great frame job and and another wonderful PS finish! I hope you hear some good news at your appointment! Keeping my fingers crossed🙋🏻‍♀️

Barb said...

What a great posting about your wonderful trip down the Rhine, Carol. Thanks so much for sharing your beautiful pictures (I want to go, too!). Everything about it is so interesting - I knew bicycles were very big in Amsterdam, but it is quite curious to me that so many wind up in the canal water. It really makes me wonder why??? Climbing 533 steps up the bell tower in the Cologne Cathedral is quite the memorable accomplishment, too - congratulations!! Loved reading about your trip and so looking forward to reading more.
I must also say how much I love your stitching (and framing) of Prairie Schooler “Autumn Leaves” - perfect for this time of year. I have that chart and you’ve inspired me to stitch it, too. (Hopefully done by next year!)
I hope your health and heart issue are very minor and that you are feeling and doing really well. All the best to you and your family.
xoxo Barb R.