I left Wednesday morning on my one week road trip through North Carolina in to Georgia. The first night I stayed near Washington, N.C. with John and Maureen Lavake, who I had met in 2010 when they cruised into the marina I was staying in Monnickendam in Holland. I swung into nearby Bellhaven N.C. on the way, for a nostalgic visit to the River Forest Manor marina where I stayed the Martin Luther King day in 2008 and again, with Lynne, in November 2008. The below pictures are of the Tundra swans passing the winter here.

 

 

 

 

 

Thursday I drove to Wilmington N.C. to see Norm an Betsy Riviere, friends since we both worked for Weyerhauser in the late sixties in Brussels. Then on to Waleska, Ga., about 50 miles to the north of Atlanta, in the Appalachian foothills, to see the van Buuls, friends I also made on the ICW trip on my way to Florida in 2008. They are members of the St. Elizabeth Orthodox church in nearby Canton, Ga. The parish members celebrated today the Julian calendar New Year, which is our Gregorian calendar January 14 th. (Christmas was January 7th). This was a real treat for me. First we had delicious hors d’oevres with caviar, smoke and pickled fish, wodka, dinner with pierogies, sausages, etc. Then we had a blind tasting test of five different sparkling wines, where I discovered that I am much better at drinking them than recognizing them.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tomorrow I shall attend high mass at the cathedral of Christ the King in Atlanta and meet more friends. Be sure to check in again.