Walking Continues

In the airport,  luggage-laden people rush hither and yon  through endless corridors,  like souls to each of whom the devil has furnished a different, inaccurate map  of the escape route from hell.  ~ Ursula K. Le Guin, Changing Planes  2022 turned out to be the year for travel. Who knew? One spring trip was canceled and the other was a nightmare of delays and rerouting and lost luggage.  Two fall trips were easy. Each was made easier by careful scheduling of direct (or almost direct) flights and refusal to check luggage. I stuck with my commitment to NEVER check another bag. And then came Christmas. The whole family was to gather where the grandchild lives. It was Christmas. grand babies need presents. They need presents of odd shapes and noisy nature. It's hard to mail such gifts especially when grandmothers are procrastinators.  <SIGH> So I checked two bags.  Don't make that face. I knew it was a risk. But the flight over was direct ...

A river seems a magic thing.  A magic, moving, living part of the very earth itself. ~Laura Gilpin The Danube  We were on our way back to Munich for flights the following day and decided to visit Regensburg,* a city along the banks of the Danube. We were not disappointed.** How did we decide on Regensburg? Luck? Hunch?  Normally when traveling I research options for "side trips" long before we get on the plane. I prepare schedules and bring files of maps and notes. But because I did not plan this trip (it was more a "get on the plane, Mom" thing) I spent little time running down Google, Trip Advisor, Atlas Obscura, and other rabbit trails in advance.  Five days earlier, on our way to Hohenberg (where we stayed for the family Christmas celebration) we somehow were diverted by the GPS around Regensburg so the name was familiar. We already had been to some of the other nearby cities. We didn't enjoy the struggle with parking in Munich. We had a recommendation for a...