An Introduction to "Train Chasing"

Yesterday, my husband decided that today was the perfect opportunity to enjoy a "vacation" day, and he asked me if I'd be interested in traveling north to witness the debut of a steam engine train.  I didn't hesitate to agree, especially when an invitation to lunch at a unique restaurant was mentioned as part of the deal.  After all, would you pass on that type of an offer?

My husband has always enjoyed watching trains, but seems to have developed a keen interest as of late, after he met someone who has a passion for heading out in search of steam trains and photographing them.  So, when he learned of today's debut train,  leaving Port Clinton  and traveling to Tamaqua, pulling no less than 100 cars (I know...I counted them), he couldn't resist making the trip to witness the event.  And, of course, he needed someone to share that excitement with him. I can't say that I was the best choice in regards to exhilaration involving trains, but I did try to at least muster up some oohs and ahhs along the way.  

We could see the smoke from the train as we drove through Port Clinton, where we witnessed dozens of people who had pulled their vehicles onto the side of the road and set up tripods in anticipation of the event. 

Marty decided to mark our "spot" on a road in New Ringold that runs parallel to the tracks. And we soon found ourselves joined by others who were there for the same reason. 

As we sat in the car, waiting for the special event, I took in the surroundings.

As you can see, not much happening here,  unless you are a fan of watching trucks repeatedly attempt to maneuver a tight curve, over and over again.

The highlight of the intersection was this entertaining sign:

Marty was eager to take our photo in front of it.

As we continued to wait, he began chatting with a young man, who looked to be in his early 20's, who had left his home near Morristown, NJ at 5:00 am, to travel to New Ringold to stake out his spot.   This is when I learned that there are quite a number of people out there who call themselves "Train Chasers", who apparently do this regularly as a past time.  I don't know about you, but I can assure you that the call of a steam train would NOT be enough incentive to get me out of bed at that hour of the morning!  Although we did head out at 8:45 am, at the request of my husband, because we wouldn't want to miss anything. And, guess what?  We had plenty of time to enjoy the surroundings while we waited, as I have highlighted for you already. 

Finally, the big moment arrived and we could hear the chug chug of the engine and the screaming of the whistle before it rounded the bend in our direction.  And, then it came into view:

As I mentioned, it was a VERY LONG train, and it took some time to pass by.

And then, what would be a steam engine train without a little red caboose to complete the excitement?

I watched the Train Chasers jump in there cars and zoom out on the road, in an attempt to get to the next crossing before the train, so that they could do it all over again.  Luckily for me, my husband wasn't one of them.  Whew!

We headed to Tamaqua, to a restaurant that had been the original train station, located right along the track.

We sat outside and enjoyed a fabulous lunch!

Marty had supposed that the train would be coming by as part of the journey, but the steam engine had been replaced with a standard engine that pulled the 100 cars by, minus the caboose. 

 It then backed up in the direction from whence it came, more than likely to attach the cars to the steam engine and the caboose for the return trip to Port Clinton.  There had been quite a number of people hanging around the station, in anticipation of seeing the steam engine, only to be disappointed that it never traveled that far. 

But, no worries....I've been told that the Reading and Northern Steam Crew repeats the testing journey next weekend, so those who missed it this time, can travel just a bit further down the road to enjoy the experience.  

Sorry, I don't have any of the details should you be interested. You'll have to find one of those "Train Chasers" if you are interested in the details.  Or comment on the blog, and I'm certain that someone whom I live with knows just how to get that information.

Until next time.....

Destination: Radio City Music Hall!

I realize that there has been a distinct gallivanting draught as of late, but things are looking brighter on the horizon.  And this last 24 hours certainly didn't disappoint in excitement as I headed out on a venture with these three lovely ladies yesterday morning. 

The day began early, (which might explain some or our "tired" faces), as we headed out the door towards our destination:  New York City!  The event had been planned months prior by these lovely woman, as a Christmas gift for me:  tickets to Josh Groban's Great BIG Radio City Show, which was to be held at Radio City Music Hall.  How lucky am I?

If you've been a follower of my blog over the years, then you might recall that I am a fan of this enormously talented singer, having seen him in concert numerous times when the opportunity has availed. He is certainly a gifted entertainer who is a pro at keeping his audience engaged, whether he is belting out a ballad, poking fun at himself during the performance, or engaging his audience in laughter.  So, you can certainly relate to my excitement when I opened my Christmas gift from them.

So, yesterday morning, we headed out with Stacey behind the wheel, driving through a persistent, heavy rainfall that plagued us until we nearly reached the city, where the skies began to clear a bit upon our welcome to Broadway. 

We dropped off our luggage at the hotel and began our trek through the city to the Terrace room, where Amy had secured a lunch reservation.  The restaurant was quiet and peaceful and offered just what we needed to refuel our energy for a day in the Big Apple.

Heather had purchased a seat to see the Music Man, which happened to be showing in a theater directly across from our hotel, but the girls and I opted to do some touring instead.  So, as she headed to the performance, we made our way to Macy's to take a peek at the Spring Flower Festival which was coming to its end. 

Once inside, the strong scent of flowers greeted us along with the myriad of colors and arrangements.

Ok, so these aren't flowers, but I did wonder just how someone manages to walk in them.

Outside, in the front window, was this cute set up where Stacey managed to take a photo of us surrounded in florals!  How clever was that?

After our sinuses convinced us that we'd seen enough flowers, we began the mile walk to Rockefeller Center, as we had tickets to travel to the "Top of the Rock".  We were excited that the weather had cleared, as we were looking forward to seeing the awesome views from the 47th floor. 

As we began our walk along sixth street, it became very obvious that something special was happening, when we kept passing men dressed in full Scottish garb, many with a drum or bagpipe swung over his shoulder.  Little did we know that it was the annual Tartan Parade!

It was obvious that some of these groups were quite serious regarding their role in this parade. 

While others took a more care free approach.  (Photo credit to Amy for capturing this gem.)

The parade seemed like a delightful surprise.....until we realized after walking quite a distance, that we needed to be on the OTHER side of the street to get to Rockefeller center.  The parade traveled a very long route, and it was obvious that none of the police guards were willing to let pedestrians cross over to the other side while it was going on.  

We ended up extending our walk several more long blocks, where the parade dispersed and we could jaunt across to the other side,  Then, we headed back along the route until we came to the crossroads that would lead us to Rockefeller Center.  We managed, somehow, to make it with ten minutes to spare, and the guards at the door were adamant that we would not be permitted to enter until our reservation time.

Once through the door, we traveled along an information path, opted out on the touristy "photo memory", and headed to the elevator where we traveled to the 47th floor.   Once we stepped out of the doors, we were absolutely awed at the beauty of the city that surrounded us. 

I had taken my small camera and was able to zoom in on the Statue of Liberty that I had spotted in the distance. 

One of the out of town visitors on the observation deck offered to take our photo.

Didn't she capture a great image? 

We were offered the opportunity to travel up to the 67th and 70th floors for yet another view, but we declined and decided to head to our hotel where we could check in and recoup a bit prior to heading out to dinner and the show.

We passed some entertaining views along the way.

After a delicious dinner at Azalea's Italian Restaurant, we headed to Radio City Music Hall to get settled into our seats prior to the performance. 

We weren't sure how complicated the check in  process would be, but we streamed through the ID/Covid check, had our bags searched and were seated with 30 minutes to spare. 

The venue had chosen some entertaining "old time" piped in music to keep us entertained and the girls and I had a grand time bopping to the oldies. 

As I would have expected, Josh's performance did not disappoint.  The event had been originally scheduled for April of 2020, for just 3 nights, in this awesome venue.  Obviously, that plan was put to a halt, and now, two year later, Josh finally realized his dream of performing in the Radio City Music Hall.

The show was set up quite differently from other performances which I've attended.  There was an amazing backdrop with awesome special effects to enhance the mood.  Apparently there were several guests included in this special event, with a different set each of the three evenings.  He sang a duet with Rita Wilson (Tom Hanks's wife), had a sit down "chat" with Rachel Brosnahan of "Mrs. Maizel" fame, which was quite entertaining,

and he joined Cindy Lauper as she belted out her hit "Time After Time", sounding as incredible as the first day she sang it.  He also included some local musicians on stage, highlighting his support for the arts, for which he is well known.

He finished with his own version of two beautiful ballads:  The Impossible Dream, and Somewhere Over the Rainbow.

and after one last amazing piano performance, confetti seemingly dropped from the ceiling. 

An awesome finish to an amazing event. 

After a rested night at the Michelangelo Hotel, we treated ourselves to some morning delights from Angelina's Italian bakery,

then bid farewell to the city and headed home.

Honestly, I can't thank my daughters and daughter-in-law enough for gifting me with this very special gift.

Believe me, I know just how lucky I am.

We covered a LOT of ground in 24 hours.  My gallivanting adventures might be picking up again  in the near future, but I might have to consider a slower version for future travels!   Perhaps it might be more appropriate to call myself Gallivanting Geisgrandma! 

Violins of Hope

These past two weeks, Berks County has had the privilege of hosting the Violins of Hope Exhibition, and I feel lucky to have been able to witness just a small part of what the program has to offer. One of the sponsors is the Jewish Federation of Reading/Berks, who has a reputation for featuring excellent programs  in respect to increasing awareness of the Holocaust.  Once again, they did not disappoint. 

The featured violins were once the prized possessions of people of Jewish heritage.  Each tells its own unique story.  But, it's much more than the history and refurbishing of an instrument.  It's a reminder that many of those who once held one of these precious violins, were victims of genocide.  History shows us the numbers, but rarely details the individuals.  This exhibition is designed to highlight many of those individuals.  To honor them by letting their love of music play on as it has for centuries, since the violin has been a vital part of maintaining traditions in Jewish Culture. 

Before I briefly introduce you to some of the stories,  you might be interested in knowing the origins of the project.  The man who founded it is Ammon Weinstein.  He grew up in Palestine, where his parents had emigrated in 1938.  As he grew up, Ammon would learn that 400 of his family members, who remained in Eastern Europe, perished at the hands of the Nazis.  Ammon eventually became an accomplished violin maker. Once his reputation had been established, he set out to locate many of the violins that had been played by Jews, and made it his mission to repair them so that they could once more resonate the sound that had once been heard prior to the horror of the Holocaust.  According to the details explained on violinsforhope.pa, Ammon, himself, called these instruments Violins of Hope, allowing the voices and spirits to live on. 

Although there were several venues that featured various violins, I chose to begin my tour at the Berks Military History Museum, which is only a few miles from my house.  There were only two violins on display there, but I learned a wealth of information from the two volunteers who were there to represent the tour. 

It seemed appropriate that one of the violins on display was reconstructed as a memorial to all of the soldiers who fought alongside the Allies against Nazis, honoring those who lost their lives in doing so.  This particular violin was repaired by J. Panzram in Elmdale, Kansas.  There was no story about the origins of this violin.  It is featured on the right of this photo.

The instrument to the left belonged to Paul Lesser.  He was a German-Jewish immigrant, born in Hanborn, Germany in 1921.  He emigrated to the US in 1938 with his family as tensions were rising in Europe.  He studied to become a mechanical engineer at the University of Cincinnati.  When the war began,  this Jewish man enlisted in the Army and went to Germany to fight for his new country.  His violin had been stashed in a closet for thirty years before it was donated to this program.  

By this point, I was interested enough to learn more, so I decided to drive the five miles to Alvernia College, where there was another small display located in the Miller Arts Center.  There was the added surprise of festive holiday decorations on campus. What a treat that was!

It was there that I learned that Nazis used these instruments as tools to control the prisoners.  They were forced to perform for their oppressors, and for their fellow prisoners, oftentimes as they were being sent to their deaths. 

In some cases, it was a safety net, as musicians were valued for their forced performances. It was difficult to even try to imagine the anguish that these former musicians must have endured. 

The first violin that I spotted had been tossed from a train, back in 1942, after a large population of Jews had been arrested in Paris, and herded into cattle cars for transport to Auschwitz. 

The owner, upon realization of this situation, took the opportunity to toss his boxed violin when the train made a brief stop. He shouted that he certainly would not need the instrument where he was going, and as he tossed it onto the tracks, he exclaimed "Here, take my violin so it may live."  A french rail worker retrieved it, but since he did not play the violin, he stashed it in his attic where it sat for many years.  Upon this man's death, his children found the violin in the attic, and recalling the stories about it, they took it to a French violinmaker who told them about the Violins of Hope.  The instrument was donated, ultimately fulfilling the wish of its original owner.

This violin on the left of the photo below belonged to Abram Merczynski.  He was imprisoned in Auschwitz and Dachau, where he was forced to play his instruments.  He survived the holocaust and upon release, he purchased a new violin.  He gave his old violin to a young man who gave it to a violinmaker later in life.  It was then donated to the Violins of Hope program. 

In 1941, a group of Polish Jews was forced into a barn which was lit on fire by the local Polish citizens.  This violin, which had been in the barn,  was somehow saved from permanent damage.  All of the Jews perished. 

The brightly colored violin on the left is known as a Klezmer violin. The Mother of Pearl inlay was common among these folk group instruments. 

The violin was owned by a prisoner who was held in Auschwitz, and managed to survive, along with his violin.  It would have been played as part of a traveling performance group. 

Mark Gendler owned this violin.  

He was born in Latvia, and managed to evade German occupation by escaping east to Russia with his mother, and his violin.   Mark eventually became a performer and composer.  

These two venues that I visited gave just a glimpse into the collection.  The stories that I have repeated, vary in time, place and circumstance. Each one unique to the instrument.  

This afternoon, however, I was able to actually hear some of these violins showcased in a performance at the United Church of Christ in Shillington.  The program was entitled, "Songs of the Shoah", and it consisted of a series of musical performances ranging from vocal solos to a full choir as well as various string ensembles to full string orchestra.  

The program explained how Jews were deported to the Czech town of Theresienstadt (present day Terezín) as early as 1941.  The camp was used for Nazi propaganda since it held a large number of artists and musicians.  As an example, when the Red Cross scheduled a visit in 1944 of this camp, the Nazi's painted the houses, planted pretty gardens, decreased the population, and set up an orchestra performance for the delegation.  Their deception worked, and the Red Cross was no wiser to the brutality that the inmates were forced to endure. 

It was in this camp that hundreds of vocal and musical works were composed.  A handful of the musically gifted writers were featured in tonight's program.  All would lose their lives in a concentration camp, most of them in a gas chamber.  

Each piece was meticulously performed by local artists.  As the songs were sung and the pieces played, it was obvious that the authors of these works each had an unmatched talent.  Lives so tragically taken.  It's amazing to me that their work was preserved for future generations to hear.   They weren't sad or solemn, but rather musical stories...some of young girls in love, some of the beauty of the land, some pieces with a slight jazz featuring a lot of pizzicato.  Each one unique musically, but sharing the common tragic thread.

The actual violins were played by a string orchestra that featured students from local schools. They played "Elegy from Holocaust" which was the background music for a PBS series that featured the subject. 

After a brief intermission, we then sat for the final performance.  A full choir performed Selections from Annelies by James Whitbourn.  They were accompanied by an oboe, cello and violin who were truly remarkable.  I can honestly say that their music melted my heart with its beauty.  My eyes misted as the instruments melded as one, each complimenting the other, adding an extra dimension to this performance.

Each piece is a selection from Anne Frank's diary, set to music.  A truly moving performance. Words really cannot describe the depth of emotions that transpired upon hearing the words of a young girl of whom we all know the tragic ending.  

I feel quite fortunate to have had the opportunity to see this performance first hand.  The musicians were outstanding.  And the Jewish Federation of Berks County has once again managed to support a program that tells the story of the Holocaust while incorporating the talent of local musicians.  Kudos to the UCC Church for planning and hosting such an excellent opportunity for our local community.