Not Quite Norwegian...Yet

Since leaving in 2012 the City of Houston has undergone some positive changes; downtown has been revitalized with shops, cafes, etc., older venues have been restored and converted into museums and other attractions, green spaces have been created, and bike/walking trails have been added.  Houston is not at the Norwegian level of love and acceptance of walking/bike trails but the city now has 128 miles of trails/paths.  Along with dedicated paths bike-share lanes can be found on many streets.  Most importantly the attitude has started to shift away from seeing cyclists as hinderances.  The network of paths now allow riders/walks to safely get in riding miles, commute or go for a leasurly ride.  The paths provide the user with some interesting and new views and perspectives of the city.

I am not sure who to credit but it has been a pleasure being able to get out to see and enjoy our city.

Spanning the Globe With Gratitude

Gratitude goes out to all of my readers.  My most read post came from May 25, 2018 "Sweet and Sour" with 242 views.  Readers have come from 25 different countries:  Canada, United States, Norway, Sweden, Germany, South Africa, France, Spain, Portugal, Peru, Vietnam, Philippines, Poland, Ukraine, Lithuania, India, Mexico, Russia, The Netherlands, Congo, Austria, Singapore, Tanzania, Brazil and Region Unknown.

Thank you to all of my readers, wherever you are from.  Our time of repatriation and recalibration continues as will my updates.

How Did They Do That?

I marvel at the brilliance and creativity of mankind, particularly that of past generations.  The engineering and architecture of history is amazing especially considering the knowledge and technology they had to work with.

Roman Coliseum (2000 years old).  Network of tunnels and prison cells below the floor.  Covered seating for the upper class.  Could be flooded for aquatic battles.

Theatre next to Acropolis in Athens (2000+ years old).  Beautiful.  Acoustics for all in attendance.  Versatile stage.

Aqua duct in Segovia, Spain (2000 years old).  Constructed by the Romans.  Beautiful design.  How did they design it?  How did they construct it?  How did they come up with the idea to channel water across the countryside?

Streets of Pompeii (2500 years old).  Raised crosswalk to help keep your feet dry and clean.  Openings in the raised crosswalk to control traffic, this street is a one way.  Streets with effective and efficient waste and water drainage.

Pompeii.  Indoor plumbing and public water fountains.  I drank out of this water fountain, although the tap is new the fountain itself is original.

Stonehenge, England (3000 years old).  Stones came from several hundred miles away.  Tongue and groove design to help stones fit together.  How did they stack the stones?

Castle on Dordogne River, France (1000 years old).  How did they get the stones to the top of the cliff?  Build a castle so imposing that it deters invaders from even attempting capture.  Conversely aggressors build weapons so threatening that targets surrender.  Many kingdoms were saved/captured without a battle ever taking place.

Neuschwanstein, Germany (500 years old).  Incredible engineering and architecture.  How did they get the materials to the top of the cliff?  What kind of plans or blue prints did they use?  How did they heat/cool the castle and provide sufficient lighting?

Oslo Ballet and Opera House (completed 2007) with Barcode District in the left background.  My favorite attraction in Oslo.  Beautiful and fun (you may walk anywhere/everywhere on the "roof").  Made to look like an iceberg.

I marvel at and enjoy engineering and architectural wonders around us.  Take away modern technology/equipment and the old structures become that much more impressive.

One of My Favorite Topics

Regardless of where we live or visit the one constant I look forward to is food.  I love trying new things to eat.

Returning to Houston I was concerned about getting good healthy food be it in a restaurant or from the grocery store.  Realistically I knew that as a family we would deviate some from the path we had been on in Europe.  After roughly six months I can say we have succumbed somewhat to the convenience of easily accessible and affordable restaurants (two or three visits a week versus one or two a week in France) although we have tried to stay with reasonable quality selections.  Cooking at home has been easier to stick with what is good.

One observation I have made is that restaurant food does not seem to taste as good as before we left overseas.  We have tried many restaurants with great reviews and/or came highly recommended from friends only to find that the food was fair or mediocre.  I hypothesize that the food tastes the same but it is our taste buds that have changed .  In most cases the food is not bad, it just isn't as good as I remember.

I have been pleasantly surprised at the amount of organic/natural/local/non-GMO/etc. food selections that grocery stores now offer.  With the increasing popularity of healthy options some prices have nudged down.  Farmer's Markets and vegetable co-ops are popular.

A few points to take-away (pun intended) is that good food is out there.  Several characteristics/trends hold true for good food wherever you are.  Look for "mom-and-pop" places often equating to passion and care in what they make and do.  Smaller places allow for attention to detail.  "Slow food" tends to be fresh and hand made.  Limited menus often mean specialized high quality items.  Take advantage of healthy options at the grocery store.  Patronize local producers and merchants.