Overnight ferry and a couple of days in Oslo.

Although the idea of an overnight ferry had long appealed to me, I had been hesitant to book it, due to my tendency toward severe sea-sickness. But it looked so cool and like such a fun way to travel! I decided to try out the transdermal patch, which sticks on behind your ear and gradually delivers medication. I was thrilled to have it work well. (Also, the seas were completely calm for the entire journey…)

Boarding the ferry from Copenhagen was easy and well-organized, and we were soon ensconced in our little cabin. We arrived with plenty of time before the ship departed. I decided to go explore the ship, while Cami opted for a nap! The day was beautifully sunny and I availed myself of the open-air bar on Deck 9, where I had a lovely mojito as the ship pulled away from the shore…with the requisite blast of the horn. As we pulled out of the harbor, people stood waving at us from the shore.

Later, we went to one of the many restaurants on board and had mediocre Italian food and a most excellent panna cotta. The beds were comfortable and the sea continued to be smooth. It was a bit disconcerting to wake up to bright sunlight only to find that it was 3:20am! By 8:00am we were on the outskirts of Oslo and could see little towns, boats and inlets as we sipped our coffee. We disembarked about 10:30am and made our way to the hotel.

It turns out that July is kind of a “dead” month for local entertainment in Norway. However, we managed to find an authentic Irish bar, with decent food, good beer and a genuine session happening.

The next day, we planned to do the “hop-on, hop-off” bus tour and see the whole city. This seemed like a good plan at the time. But the fates had other ideas. After being misdirected to the bus stop, we were finally able to board. We settled in with our head phones and anticipation of seeing interesting sites. We rode one stop. The bus then paused for about half an hour while they sold tickets to new passengers. It finally moved again, only to completely stall out as it tried to make a turn in a narrow intersection. And there it stayed.

Passengers finally disembarked. Other buses were backed up behind it and nobody could go anywhere. The tour staff were going back and forth between the different buses trying to figure out what to do. Another bus driver arrived. He seemed more knowledgeable and Cami was hopeful that this guy would get things going again, but I was done with the bus. I went across the street and got a coffee and a croissant. (And contacted the company for a refund!)

Since our carefully laid plans to see the city were pretty much shot, we decided to visit the History museum right nearby. They had an exhibit about Vikings (what else!) that was fairly interesting. But I was hot, tired and cranky, so I made my way back down to the hotel where I could get cooled off. The walk was pleasant, on a broad, car-free pathway in the middle of town. And downhill!

That evening, we had a stroke of luck. Brandi Carlile was in town and performing at the Sentrum Scene, a venue very close by. The concert had been sold out for weeks, but when I checked StubHub, there were exactly two tickets available. I snagged them! It was a fantastic concert!

All in all, we did not see as much of Oslo as we’d hoped. But it was still a fun time…and maybe we’ll be back!

Look, my lad, I’ve had just about enough of this! That parrot is definitely deceased, and when I bought it not half an hour ago, you assured me that its lack of movement was due to it being tired and shagged out after a long squawk.

It’s probably pining for the fjords.

PINING FOR THE FJORDS?! What kind of talk is that? Look, why did it fall flat on its back the moment I got it home?

The Norwegian Blue prefers kipping on its back! It’s a beautiful bird. Lovely plumage.

(And also Berlin…by train!)

After the choir tour finished, I got myself to a different hotel in Warsaw, where I could await my friend Cami who would be traveling on with me. I was pleasantly surprised by this new little hotel, the “Apple Inn”. It was situated in a little courtyard, with a coffee shop and a restaurant and little tables. The room was adorable, fitted out with twin beds and a small kitchenette. This was perfect!

I sat in the courtyard with an Aperol spritz, read my book and people-watched.

Due to some unfortunate circumstances, Cami was not due into Warsaw until almost 9:00pm…after a -hour layover at Heathrow. I had tried to make things easier by booking her a taxi that would meet her at the airport. Alas…even that did not go smoothly. After numerous texts and contacting the taxi service, her ride finally arrived. She made it to the hotel a little after midnight, a little worse for wear. But after a few hours sleep, she was (almost) back to normal.

The next day, we made our way to the train station for our journey to Berlin.

Boarding the train was a bit of an adventure, because they had the wrong track listed until almost 5 minutes before departure. We had been waiting on the designated platform, along with numerous others when suddenly everyone started to make their way to the escalators. We checked the board and lo and behold, the track had changed! Oh, no!

We dragged our bags up and then down again and found the train. Unlike some trains, these have a huge gap between the train and platform AND steps into the train carriage. Cami got on, reached back and grabbed my bag as I managed to basically crawl onto the train carriage. 30 seconds later, the train started moving. After initially sitting in the wrong seats, we found our proper place and breathed a sigh of relief. After a little while, I got myself down to the cafe car and enjoyed a fantastic meal of Wienerschnitzel, potatoes and cucumber salad.…on real china, too! And a local beer.

We only had one night in Berlin but I was determined to make the most of it, and maybe find some jazz. The hotel clerk had several recommendations and I decided to go with the one he said was “the most laid back” at a venue called “The B-Flat.” Because we’d had a long journey, I decided to take a taxi to the venue. (Cami, wisely, decided to catch up on sleep!) Instead of calling an Uber, I (inexplicably) opted to grab a cab that was waiting outside the train station. I gave him the address – on Dirckenstrasse. He took me to Birkenstrasse, which was on the other side of the city. Once corrected, he proceeded in a round-about route to the right destination, with colorful commentary along the way. Like a private tour I hadn’t asked for. He charged me more than twice what I would have paid for an Uber. But since I had been reimbursed for the terrible airport taxi ride, I felt it had evened out.

The jazz show was a big-band style group, which played original tunes in a kind of fusion style. They were very good! And there were five female members of the band, which is quite unusual for a traditional big band. I had a very nice beer and enjoyed myself.

The next day, we had time for a short walk along the river before boarding the train to Copenhagen. A much smoother process than our trip from Warsaw. The train was smooth and spacious and it was so relaxing to just sit back and look at the scenery. There was one very easy train change in Hamburg and then, we arrived in the city of Hans Christian Anderson.

Copenhagen is an interesting city. The open-to bus tour took us around to the sites of note and I stayed on for a second “loop”, this time doing a bit more “hopping-on-and-off.”

The next day, we visited the National Museum of Copenhagen, where they had a fascinating exhibit about the Vikings. This included a pretty cool interactive exhibit about the Viking Sorceress.

We had a fabulous lunch in the square, with a sculpture in the middle, protesting the proposed building of a parking garage by a company called “Q-Park.” Yes, that’s a middle finger…and the sculpture is called “Fuck Q Park.” 😂

And then it was time to board the overnight ferry to Oslo. A most luxurious boat and smooth sailing.

Wonderful, wonderful Copenhagen
Friendly old girl of a town
‘Neath her tavern light
On this merry night
Let us clink and drink one down

10 days in Poland.

For many reasons, I rarely (ie: never) sign on for pre-planned, guided group tours. However, this choir tour to Poland presented itself. I had never been to Poland and I had been unable to sing with my regular choir this past season, so I decided to give it a whirl. The singing was wonderful. Many things went well, other things, not so much. But I lived to tell the tale.

We visited Warsaw, Gdansk and Krakow, all cities with fascinating histories. And, unlike my usual digs when I travel, we stayed in 5-star hotels. I’d paid a bit extra for a private room, so I could crash out when I needed to. Breakfast was included and it was a far cry from the usual pre-wrapped pastries and instant coffee you might find at a Motel 6.

Our first concert was at a shopping mall. There was a small performance venue in a sort of balcony area and it had been set up with a piano, sound system and chairs. It was surprisingly well-attended and fun to sing to an appreciative audience.

We were originally going to do a full concert in a church the next day, but it turned out to be a holiday – Corpus Christi – so our guides felt that it would not be well attended. Instead, we got to sing as part of the procession through town. This was quite special and involved many priests, nuns, bands and flowers, along with different symbols of the Church. We sang at one church, and then walked down to a second church and sang again.

I did not anticipate the amount of walking that would be involved…mostly on uneven, cobblestoned paths. Even though I had a stout waking stick, I took a spill walking back to the hotel after lunch. This was actually the second fall I’d had on this trip (the first was when I stepped into an indentation in the pavement in London) and although I wasn’t seriously hurt, it shook me up a bit. I resolved to forgo the scheduled walking tours and take an Uber when needed. This turned out to be a good plan.

I tried many different foods in Poland. My absolute favorite was the traditional “sour rye” soup with sausage and egg. But I also had delicious borscht, some excellent pasta, several varieties of potato pancakes, goulash, fantastic bread and cheese, great beer and incredible pastries. And of course, pierogi!

In Gdansk, we sang in a beautiful old church that had been restored many times. Gdansk was basically blown to smithereens during WWII and the indefatigable Poles rebuilt it, minus the “German” elements and with straighter drain pipes.

I also visited numerous other churches, all with amazing architecture, inside and out.

The Basilica of St Mary in Gdansk had this amazing astronomical clock. I was lucky enough to get there right before noon, when it did its thing. Adam and Eve at the top rang the chimes, 12 apostles marched around in formation and were followed by the inevitable Death (with a scythe!) it was pretty cool.

There were also these two sculptures, one modern, one old, which I found incredibly moving.

In both Gdansk and Krakow, I did a “Golf Cart” tour of the city. These are fun, because they’re a little smaller and more personal than the huge “hop-on, hop-off” bus tours. (In Gdansk, I was the only one, so I really got special treatment.) The history goes back centuries. Both cities were very much affected by WWII and the Holocaust, and they still echo that today. (And sadly, it seems we have not learned much from the past…)

Many more scenes from the cities…

I think I’d like to return – there is so much I didn’t see!

Tomorrow, we all disperse. I’ll miss singing with the group. Most of the choir is heading back to the states, but some of us are staying on. Including me!

This is one of the songs in our repertoire. It was written by Martin Sedek, our director.

Pokój, miłość, piękno, radość
Peace, love, beauty, joy
When all are together
I can hear a song of old
It is in the voice of the birds
In the blanket of the sun
All of life sings out!
Peace, love, beauty, joy!

A trip to Poland and beyond, with a brief stop in Old Blighty!

I was offered the opportunity (through the Worcester Chorus) to participate in a choir tour of three cities in Poland. Having never been to Poland, I jumped at the chance. And then, since I was already going to be “over there” I decided to tack on a train and ferry journey through Scandinavia! Since I hate jet lag, I opted for a couple of days in London to rest up first.

I stayed at the Hotel Alexandra, conveniently near Paddington Station.i had stayed there before…a very basic little hotel, with small, simple rooms, but everything I needed, reasonably priced and spotlessly clean.

I had taken an overnight flight and was feeling rumpled and a bit cranky. So I was pleasantly surprised to find that my room was ready early! I took a hot shower and a long nap…and emerged feeling almost normal.

I had plans to go down to the South Bank, so I got myself a bento box at a place in Paddington Station and then took the Circle Line to Blackfriars Bridge. Paddington is a hub for many lines and has been built up and modernized over the years. But you can still see the old “bones” of the station. In fact, all of London is like that…old bones with new bones on top. Modern buildings next to ancient pubs and houses, tiny alleyways next to 4-lane roads.

The Globe Theater is an almost exact replica of Shakespeare’s original theater on the Thames, just a bit further down the river than the first one. They do amazing productions and I had purchased a ticket for their “Romeo and Juliet” that evening. It was set in the old West, with typical costumes (and cowboy hats) of the time. The words, however, were pure Shakespeare. I especially liked Juliet, who played the character not as a starry-eyed fair and delicate flower, but as an angsty, emo, willful teenager, determined to get her man at all costs.

The next morning, I slept in and had a couple of cups of strong tea while I reviewed the choir music. Then I took myself to a lovely pub right down the road and had a a decent latte and a spectacular lunch….pâté, an incredible warm salad with roasted chicken peas and butternut squash and “affogato” for dessert. (Vanilla ice cream with espresso poured over it!) I sat outside under a honeysuckle vine and relaxed.

This Pub had a very cool interior and some elegant rooms upstairs.

There had been some issues with TSA at the gate when I boarded the plane in Boston. Seems my walking stick (which has a large rubber tip at the end) had a metal nub under the rubber tip. Which, if you squinted, could be seen as a “point.” Which, according to the very serious TSA man, could possibly be used to break a window in the plane. I have brought this walking stick on at least half dozen flights and never had a problem. The TSA man told me that they probably “just felt sorry for me” and let me through. I suggested that maybe he could also feel sorry for me. He finally relented, but I decided to see if I could get a proper, classier walking stick with no “point” at the end. I went to James Smith & Sons, a venerable British company that has been in business since 1830. They fixed me right up. After I’d chosen the perfect stick (made of hickory wood) the worker in the shop customized it for me for length and made sure the metal tip under the rubber bottom was blunt. Not pointed.

That evening I met up with some old friends. We sat at a table at Browns near Covent Garden, had some drinks and some nibbles and chatted for several hours! So nice to reconnect.

The next morning, I had to be at Heathrow for a 7:35am flight, so dragged myself to Paddington at the ungodly hour of 4:30am. Slept on the plane and was picked up in Warsaw by one of the tour coordinators. We are staying in a beautiful 5-star hotel right near Old Town and I am so looking forward to singing with the group!

London calling, Yes, I was there, too
And you know what they said? Well, some of it was true
(London calling) At the top of the dial
And after all this, won’t you give me a smile?
London calling…

The Buffalo Bisons and eastward..

The border crossing at Niagara Falls was a bit more serious than when I crossed into Windsor. Everyone on the train had to deboard, with all our luggage and stand in a line while a diligent German Shepherd and his handler sniffed our bags and shoes! Then we filed in, were asked questions and had our passports inspected. Finally we could get back on the train. We arrived at the Buffalo Exchange Street station about 20 minutes later. Sahlen Field was right across the street.

The public bus system in Buffalo was a bit quirky and I was tired. I took an Uber to my AirBnB, which ended up being the cutest little loft apartment I’d ever seen. Brick walls, a tiny but fully equipped kitchen and a cupola outfitted as a cozy reading nook.

I had a snack, a nap, read for a while and then headed down to Sahlen Field for the Bison’s Game. Oddly enough, it was the Bisons that gave me the idea for this whole trip. I’d had a ticket for a game last September that got rained out. The subsequent email said that I could exchange the ticket for my game in April…so now, here I was!

The Bisons are a farm team for the Blue Jays, so once again, both National Anthems were sung. There wasn’t much of a crowd, but people were pretty enthusiastic. I got an excellent brown ale no it was $2.00 hot dog night! I was initially seated in the sun, on the third base line. Which was fine…until the sun set. At which point, the temperature dropped and the wind picked up and I started to feel like an icicle. I made it until the 7th inning.

I got back to my cozy nook and made myself a cup of hot tea. Then I doubled checked my bus for the next day. My friend was picking me up in Rochester and I wanted to be sure I had the time correct. I had planned it so I’d get in a little after noon. I checked my ticket…

Notice anything? 🙄 Yeah…I’d booked my ticket for PM instead of AM, and the bus would get in after midnight. Not noon. (This is why I’m a huge fan of 24-hour time. If it had said “22:45” I wouldn’t have made such a bone-headed mistake.) Luckily I caught it in time. Trailways wanted $20 to change the ticket, which was more than the actual ticket cost! So I ate that ticket and booked a train. And now I’m at the station, ready to choo-choo my way to Rochester and towards home!

I’ll go home and get my panties
You go home and get your scanties
And away we’ll go
Ooh ooh ooh!
Off we’re gonna shuffle
Shuffle off to Buffalo

Crossing the border and the Toronto Blue Jays.

The Via Rail from Windsor to Toronto was exceedingly comfortable and I slept almost the entire way. We arrived at the magnificent (and huge) Union Station at about 6:00pm. It was sunny and not too cold outside, so I decided to walk to my hotel, about a mile away.

My hotel was called the “Cambridge Suites” and I was pleasantly surprised to find that my room was a bona-fide suite with a separate living room and dining area. (Sometimes, it’s just a couch shoved in the corner!) I took advantage of the laundry in the hotel and ordered Chinese food (which was pretty terrible, but at least it was hot.)

The next day was Easter Sunday and I decided to go to church. I picked a Presbyterian Church right near the stadium. I wanted something familiar and something with great music…for me, music IS worship. I was not disappointed. They had a brass quartet, a proper organ and a small but excellent choir. The sermon was short but meaningful and we sang the requisite Easter hymns.

They had the names of the brass players listed in the bulletin and the trombonist was named James Chilton! Of course, I had to go meet him afterward. We decided that we must be related, somehow!

The organist played Widor’s Toccata from Symphony Number 5 for the postlude…one of my favorite pieces. And they brought the brass into it, too. Quite spectacular!

After church, I headed over to the game. I had come prepared for the cold, because I wasn’t sure if the dome would be closed. But it was and so I was quite comfortable. I got there early enough to watch them prepare the grounds…I love how they rake the dirt and even out the grass. It’s a nice stadium. Originally it was called the “Sky Dome” and some fans still call it that! I had a great seat, up to behind home plate. It was fun to hear both national anthems. Good crowd, but the Blue Jays lost to the Mariners 8-3.

The next day was cold, wet and rainy, but I still wanted to see some of Toronto. so I took the open-top bus tour. I only lasted in the open for a few minutes! Some weird-ass sculptures, interesting architecture and I made one stop to get some food and visit the Shoe Museum! Yes, a whole museum dedicated to the history of shoes. It was actually pretty interesting.

I had some thoughts about going out later that evening to find some music, but by the end of the tour, I was chilled to the bone. I went to a nearby convenience mart to supply myself with food, wine and chocolate, took a hot shower (my enormous bathroom had both a tub AND a shower!) put my cozy things on and watched mindless TV. And knit. The perfect end to the day.

The next morning, I’d be on my way to Buffalo!

O Canada!
Our home and native land!
True patriot love in all of us command.
With glowing hearts we see thee rise,
The True North strong and free!
From far and wide,
O Canada, we stand on guard for thee.

Tigers at Comerica Park and crossing over the border!

Detroit is a gray city, with a dubious reputation. The Amtrak Station is a tiny, utilitarian building in a somewhat sketchy-looking part of town. I had thought about trying to take a bus to my hotel, but opted for an Uber. My driver was friendly and knowledgeable about the city, which he assured me was “improving.” He got me safely to my hotel and told me to have a great time at the game.

The Hotel Indigo has been newly refurbished and my room was spacious and comfortable. I unpacked, took a hot shower and a much-needed nap. Then I headed to the ballpark.

Comerica Park, home of the Detroit Tigers, is literally right in the middle of the city. It was only a few blocks from my hotel and an easy walk.

This is a fun, quirky kind of ballpark. They have an amusement park inside the stadium and Tiger-themed statues and merchandise. During the game, the music includes songs featuring tigers, including “The Tiger Rag”, “Eye of the Tiger” and “Don’t Stop Me Now” by Queen.

(I’m a shooting star, leaping through the sky
Like a tiger defying the laws of gravity)

The evening was warm (real baseball weather at last!) and there was a good crowd.

I got myself the requisite beer and found my seat…which turned out to be next to an amiable young man from Toledo named Anthony. We had a great chat about the Tigers and the Mud Hens (Toledo’s minor league team) before I moved down for a better view.

It was a good game…Tigers won 7-3 against the Royals, although the Royals had a good chance of tying it up in the top of the ninth. The Tigers first closer loaded the bases and then walked in a run, so they took him out and replaced him with a different closer, who finally did the job. And they had fireworks after the game!

Detroit has a lot of history; baseball and more. The Tigers are one of the original 16 major league teams and Ty Cobb is their most famous players. There is also history of American westward expansion. I found this plaque about the “Chicago Road” outside my hotel and looked down Michigan Avenue, imagining how many feet and wagons had passed down the way.

The next morning, I had to get myself over the border into Windsor, Ontario. There are several ways to do this, and the easiest seemed to be the “Tunnel Bus” which makes a loop between downtown Detroit and the Windsor International Transit Station. (Which is not, oddly, where I would board my train to Toronto.)

However, the information about how and where to get this bus was…a little confusing and even contradictory on line. No worries, I thought. Surely the staff at the hotel would have the most up-to-date info for me! This turned out to be an erroneous assumption, although two of the desk clerks tried mightily to find out for me from Google. Which was my source as well. They finally admitted that they actually had no idea about the “tunnel bus” because most people just drove.

I decided to go on the best info I had, which was a time table listing stops and approximate times. One stop was a few blocks down from the hotel, so, giving myself plenty of extra time, I headed for the location. And was happy to see the sign…”Tunnel Bus.” Understated, to be sure, but it said the right thing. And sure enough, the tunnel bus arrived! Yay!

The driver was very friendly and told me he’d drop me off where I could get the cross-town bus to the Via Rail Station. Getting through customs was no problem, finding the local bus was easy, and I was soon at the station, with plenty of time to spare.

The Via Rail station was sparse and bare, with very few outlets and not even a vending machine. However, it was clean and dry. I could have stopped at the Tim Horton’s I passed, right across the street, but it was a wet day and I just wanted to get out of the rain. I sat and knit and chatted to the other passengers who were waiting.

And now, I’m on the train headed up to Toronto. I’ve been told that a trolley comes through with food and drink, so I should be all sorted.

It’s carbon and monoxide
The Ole Detroit perfume
And it hangs on the highways
In the morning
And it lays you down by noon

The Windy City and the hapless White Sox.

I love the city of Chicago, but I didn’t see much of it this trip. The main event, of course, was the White Sox game at “Guaranteed Rate Field.” This field replaced the old Comiskey Park, where Shoeless Joe Jackson played and the scene of the infamous “Black Sox” scandal.

Although Charles Comiskey was a cheapskate and a tyrant (one of the reasons for the players’ ill-fated decision to throw the 1919 World Series) the stadium bearing his name had an elegant charm and was an imposing structure. The new field resembles nothing more than a big mixing bowl, plunked down in the middle of some grass.

Last year, the White Sox broke the record for most losses in a single season, previously held by the 1962 NY Mets. They lost 121 games…and lost in every conceivable fashion. (A regular season only has 162 games. You can do the math.) Sadly, they seem to be on track to surpass that dubious milestone this year. Their fan base has dwindled, although there are still the faithful who hang on, game after game. This game had so few attendees that they closed the upper decks and I had my pick of seats in the 100s. The play was haphazard and lacked any real energy, although I have to say that their right fielder, Michael A. Taylor made some excellent catches and showed a bit of pizazz. Alas, one player does not make a team and the White Sox went down in flames, 8-0.

A baseball game is always fun, though. I enjoyed watching the families with little kids running up and down the stairs, the Dads holding their babies for a picture of their “first game” and the kids (and adults) who’d brought their baseball gloves in hopes of catching a foul ball. Most fans seemed resigned to their team sucking once again this year. Of course, it’s only April and in baseball, ya never know!

I had two memorable meals while in Chicago. Before I got the subway to the game, I had breakfast at a quirky diner known for being sarcastic and rude. (Sort of like “Durgin Park” from the Boston area.) They immediately popped a chef’s hat on my head and demanded my order. It was kind of silly and the food was excellent.

After the game, I found a cool little Mexican place that made killer margaritas (with a Grand Marnier “float”) and excellent shrimp fajitas.

I had this idea that I might like to go hear some jazz, but the two places that had the kind of traditional jazz I wanted were a bit of a hike to the north. And I had to be up at the crack of dawn for my train to Detroit. And it was raining. I got some chocolate, walked back to my hotel and had a cozy evening.

The next morning, I got the bus to Union Station for my train to Detroit, the “Wolverine.” (Someday, I’ll do a whole blog post on the train names.) Chicago’s Union Station is huge and magnificent, and their “grand hall” befits the name.

And now, I’m on my way to Detroit!

Chicago, Chicago, that toddling town
Chicago, Chicago, I will show you around, I love it
Bet your bottom dollar you’ll lose the blues in Chicago, Chicago
The town Billy Sunday could not shut down.

24 hours in Brew City.

The train trip to Milwaukee passed through fields, farms and little tributaries that would eventually become the mighty Mississippi. Here, however, they were merely trickles.

Milwaukee’s train station is not an elegant structure. And it’s called the “Intermodal Station.” But it is spacious and easy to navigate.

I had chosen my hotel based on its proximity to the station…it looked to be about a half mile and I thought my legs could use a stretch. However, the map did not indicate that this was mostly uphill. It was windy and chilly and I was glad I had leggings on under my skirt, which was blowing every which way. I was happy to see the hotel appear…the Doubletree Downtown.

The Doubletree is part of the Hilton chain and I had booked with my membership card. I was thanked for my loyalty, given a warm chocolate chip cookie and an upgrade…which meant my room had a couch, apparently. All good! I got myself sorted and decided to have dinner in the hotel restaurant…a real meal for a change. With wine. It was delicious.

After sleeping in a hostel and then a train, I was happy to have an actual bed. I slept soundly and long. The game the next day was at 12 noon. I bundled up against the predicted cold and after a decent breakfast (again at the hotel!) grabbed an Uber. (There is apparently public transportation to the stadium, but it is a bit convoluted and involves a change. So I went the easier route.)

My driver seemed a bit confused about where the drop-off was, so I ended up on the back side of the stadium. But I figured it out. I didn’t realize that American Family Field has a dome! It was a little weird, seeing baseball inside. But I was happy not to be freezing.

This is the “home run slide” and the mascot takes a ride down it and waves a team flag if there is a home run…which happened twice! I was told that first-time visitors to the park could go down it during the 7th inning stretch. I decided to pass.

They honored a 105-year-old veteran of Pearl Harbor. He stood and saluted during the National Anthem, which was played quite nicely by a local high school band.

It was a fun game and the Brewers won, 5-1 against the Tigers. (I’ll be in Detroit in a couple of days and rooting for the Tigers in their home field.)

On the way back, I grabbed one of the free shuttles from the local pubs. I walked back to my hotel and was able to see a bit of downtown Milwaukee. And I got some excellent Pho at a local place on the way.

Rather than hang around my hotel, I was able to change my train to an earlier time. This is the new Amtrak route called “The Borealis.” It was crowded and a bit chaotic, but it put me in Chicago before 7:30pm. And then the White Sox the next day!

Well, I’m a gonna get on that ol’ turnpike and I’m gonna ride
I’m a gonna leave this town till you decide
Which one you want the most them Opry stars or me
Milwaukee here I come from Nashville, Tennessee.