From Lexington to Madrid...

 

We left Bluegrass Airport at 12:50 on Friday afternoon and after a short layover in Charlotte, flew to Madrid, Spain, arriving at 7:30 Saturday morning.  Ben's folks were at the airport to see us off and we were fortunate to have a hassle-free, everything's-on-time type of trip!

 

Wherever we travel, we enjoy meeting members of the Deaf community.  We could hardly believe it when we found our seats on the international flight and immediately met 2 Deaf couples traveling back to Madrid!  They had spent a few weeks touring National Parks in the western U.S.  We had some excellent visits and learned a little LSE, the Sign Language used in Spain.  Here is a photo of our group after we deplaned after a night in the air over the Atlantic.

Summer 2013: Salamanca, Spain!

 

 

Manuel Collazo, of the Spanish Embassy, presented Ben with the scholarship at Bryan Station High School Spanish Immersion Program's Graduation ceremony.  Sr. Collazo oversees the International Spanish Academy programs in Indiana, Ohio and Kentucky.  This year, Bryan Station High School's Spanish Immersion Program was named the #1 Spanish Immersion High School in the United States.

 

This Spring, Ben was awarded a scholarship offered by the

Embassy of Spain and Mester...

So, it seems that our next international journey will be to Salamanca, Spain for a few weeks this summer. The scholarship covers the expenses connected with a course for teachers regarding incorporating technology into the classroom.  I look forward to sharing photos and perspectives via this blog.  Another personal goal is to improve my Spanish language fluency.

...Signs of Spring @ Kentucky Children's Garden & ...

This spring, we are enjoying discovering and re-discovering places right here in the Lexington area.  Spring is in full bloom here in Central Kentucky! 

Here is a little photographic evidence....





We enjoyed an evening stroll @ Yuko-En on the Elkhorn, Japanese Friendship Garden, in Georgetown.

 

http://www.yuko-en.com/



 

 

We were very impressed by the Kentucky Children's Garden at The Arboretum.  The bright mosaic map at its entrance is just a taste of the artfully designed space for children of all ages to explore gardening techniques, search for signs of native animals, and feel right at home in the kid-sized cabins and potting shed.

 

 http://www.ca.uky.edu/arboretum/childrens_garden.php

The stone work throughout the garden is reflective of the fences throughout the Bluegrass.

We always run into someone we know whenever we go to the Arboretum! 
Today, we were delighted to catch up with our friends, Naomi and her dad, Bona.

Potting shed in the distance is constructed of recycled and other found objects. 
In the foreground are little ponds traversed by a series of footbridges.

Interspersed among the native plants are displays of cheerful, nature-themed artwork. 
This piece is composed of plastic bottle caps.

The redbud are outstanding this season.  We look forward to planting the redbud seedlings we received at the Arboretum's Annual Arbor Day celebration.

...farewell, Dragon...

Apparently people born in the Year of the Dragon are particularly lucky.  Ben and I were both born in the Year of the Dragon.   Here in the US, our year was more famous for bicentennial celebrations.  Either way, the Dragon is getting ready for its cyclical siesta and the Year of the Snake will slither in on February 10, 2013.  We reflect on our good memories and think of our friends on the other side of the globe quite often.

We are excited to hear that another group of University of Kentucky students is preparing to go to Xi’an as the partnership continues.  We wish them the very best of experiences!

In the meantime, we find ourselves craving the flavors of Old Xi’an… Fortunately, there are some international food markets here in town, and many restaurants.   

Our current favorite is Panda Cuisine on Nicholasville Road here in Lexington, Kentucky.  http://www.pandaky.com/menu.html 

The pork belly, garlic eggplant, dumplings and other dishes we had were very much like we enjoyed in China.  Of course, the vastness of Chinese cuisine can hardly be experienced in one meal!  

We just ordered Peter Hessler’s book, Country Driving, and look forward to more of his clever, insightful and informative style of writing.  (see previous posts)

...many happy returns...

Friday, May 11, 2012

From our friends' apartment, we walked to the subway, our suitcases bouncing behind us.  We transferred once and arrived at the Maglev station, where the fastest of the fast trains spirited us to Pudong International Airport in 8 and a half minutes flat.  Its speed topped 300 km/hr for a brief moment before it had to start slowing down.  I should mention that taking this train saved us 45 minutes on a rush hour subway.  [*just a note to anyone traveling to Shanghai via air-- there are 2 airports, so be sure you know which one you are flying in/out of] 

Take-off!

What will this plot of ground look like if/when we get back to Shanghai?

2 minutes later--an increase of 297 km/h

Pudong International Airport

Hope the brakes work!



They did.

The Shanghai to Detroit flight was just as smooth as the one two months prior and we glided into the morning just as it dawned above the Canadian Rockies.  We gathered our luggage in Detroit, were welcomed by the border patrol, and breathed deeply of Michigan sunshine & blue skies before boarding the flight to Lexington. 

... Humble Administrator's Garden in Suzhou...

Thursday, May 10, 2012

This was our last full day in China and we looked forward to spending it peacefully, in the late spring warmth, surrounded by the most greenery we'd seen in our entire stay.  Guidebooks and local residents advised that the gardens of Suzhou were well worth the fast train ride from Shanghai to Suzhou.  (65 miles due west)  Suzhou is currently a rather industrial city and we arrived into what appeared to be an endless construction zone.  Eventually, we finally found a pleasant taxi driver who drove us to the Humble Administrator's Garden.  Apparently we could tour gardens for a week if we were so inclined, but this one had the highest ratings, and we did not have a week. 

UNESCO's website offers this summary:
Classical Gardens of Suzhou
Classical Chinese garden design, which seeks to recreate natural landscapes in miniature, is nowhere better illustrated than in the nine gardens in the historic city of Suzhou. They are generally acknowledged to be masterpieces of the genre. Dating from the 11th-19th century, the gardens reflect the profound metaphysical importance of natural beauty in Chinese culture in their meticulous design.

We spent 4 hours following the garden paths, pausing in the pavilions, and talking about how much we had enjoyed our Chinese experience. 

 

Stone walkways joined pavilions



Each window had unique latice designs carved in stone.

The stone patios were as detailed as the buildings.

 


The bonsai garden contained dozens of specimens.

 

 

 

...on to Shanghai...

We arrived in Shanghai on Monday evening, May 7th, for our last few days in China.  Some American friends of ours who are working in Shanghai had invited us to stay at their apartment, which we greatly enjoyed and appreciated.  True to all the reports we'd heard, Shanghai is a very large, very fast-paced, very modern city.  It is located on the coast and is considered the commerce center of China. 


We visited the Oriental Pearl Tower, walked along the Bund, and shopped near an iconic tea house.  As with the other Chinese cities, transportation was efficient; even though the prices were a bit higher for subway fares compared to Xi'an and Beijing, they were still reasonable.





We walked by this fruit market every day we were in Shanghai.

The Soup Dumplings (far left with straws) are popular in Shanghai.

 

This park near the Bund appears to be a popular gathering place for the local residents.  

Tea house near Yu Gardens.



On the Bund.  The border patrol station is next to the flag and in the background is the Oriental Pearl Tower.

This French bakery is right near the subway station at the center of town.  Shanghai's French colonial history is evident in many design  & dining aspects.

Stella was still traveling with us!  The dragon topiary in the background is much larger than it appears.

The Oriental Pearl TV & Radio Tower was built 1990-1994.  It is one of Asia's highest buildings.  It is 1,535 feet high.  (Chicago's Willis Tower, formerly Sears Tower, is 1,451 feet high.)

We had afternoon tea in the revolving restaurant (Asia's highest restaurant) near the top of the tower.

The observation platform is some sort of plexiglass, I think!  The barges chugging by on the river below look like Legos.  This platform is near the top of the building, but not at the very highest point.

Walking on air?

At the base of the Oriental Pearl Tower is the Shanghai Museum.  This museum is one of the nicest we visited.  The wax figures and detailed displays describe Shanghai's colorful culture and history.  This scene highlights cricket fighting, a popular sport enjoyed by all ages.

Pepe, too, enjoyed the view!  This diorama modeled the historical setting of the buildings we passed during our walks along the Bund.