Harvey Travel Arts

Yesterday was exciting! Brian and I received our "unaccompanied baggage" or express shipment of household goods. What this means is that a quick, small shipment of around 500 pounds arrived. We had most of our kitchen supplies in this shipment, as well as the large computer (hooray!) and small television, and a few miscellaneous items. Now we just have to wait on the household goods shipment, you know, all of our furniture and stuff! So you are probably wondering what we are doing with such an old fashioned kitchen, no? This isn't my kitchen; mine looks like most other everyday regular kitchens.  Okay, in the excitement of everything, I have been going through photography files looking for something to print large format, frame and donate to a local fundraiser auction. Certainly not pictures of an old residence in the Loire Valley of France, but I saw that and had to make the connection to the arrival of our household goods. Yep, people used to have to cook in thes...

When we were searching for a new home here in Germany, one of our requirements was that we didn't want a lot of stairs up to the place. We knew we'd have some stairs, but the flights within our unit are much better than having to take three or four flights up just to get inside. Carrying groceries in is much easier. The last time we lived in Germany, we had an elevator ride up to the fourth floor. Thankful for the elevator, but there was the possibility of it breaking. Fortunately it never really broke. So, why, then, the photo of the Eiffel Tower? Gustave Eiffel built a small apartment in the top of the tower. On one hand, it was neat to see. You would definitely have the best view and the most privacy. But I can't imagine climbing all those stairs. I wonder if he liked the solitude. The next time you complain about the flight or two of stairs in your building or house, just remember, you could live at the top of the Eiffel.

I've just submitted another story for publication consideration, and decided to take a break. Putting yourself out there for rejection is a nerve wrecking task for someone who takes criticism personally like I do. "Develop a thick skin," is what the advice says on the forums. Knowing that rejection will happen in the writing world isn't going to make it any easier when they start flooding in. However, getting rejected for small pieces will hopefully cushion the blow for when I get my novel ready to go. I'm hoping to have it ready to go soon, possibly by the first of the year. It's about time. I've been working on this thing since 2003. Of course, one should know that I laid it on the shelf for a few years before tackling it again recently, now with more determination than ever. I'm setting goals, and sticking to them! Okay, now on to today's photograph. There is but just one. I saw this picture of a cathedral in Strausbourg, France. Just...

Today I'm feeling lighthearted and relaxed after a great long weekend. In honor of the long weekend, I thought I would share some fun pics that we took several years ago in the Mulhouse Automobile Museum in France. One of the many things we enjoyed doing while living in Germany was traveling to see exhibits such as these! We loved the road trips; they were always filled with beautiful scenery and good roadside food. Even a simple stop on the highway meant a delicious fresh sandwich or a hot cup of soup--often served in the adorable lion bowls. From the most sleek of vehicles (above) to the most humble (below) visiting this museum was a fascinating day for us both.