Baby Spendlove

On February 22, 2013, Jonny emailed us a picture of Jenny's and his new baby. The ultrasound looked like a piece of modern art, with a familiar-looking face half-hidden among the abstract creases and folds.  We could see Jenny's nose and small chin....

Columbus III--Fishies and Sauerkraut

We obeyed the entreaty of the Newport Aquarium, in the Kentucky suburbs of Cincinnati, to "See Mighty Mike before he leaves."  On Saturday, February 16, 2013, we crossed the sleek bridge over the Ohio River to Kentucky.  We thought of the many slaves who fearfully swam or paddled across the river beneath us, bound for freedom.

The Newport Aquarium has an excellent collection of ocean life, from sea turtles to jelly fish, and displays it attractively.

We paused by the huge tank where sharks and giant turtles swam.

 

A diver peered at us through the glass.

 

Crabs crept along the floor of the tank.

We hunted down "Mighty Mike," a huge alligator that is shuffled from one aquarium to another.

 

Ezra, Sophia, and Mia stood next to a chart that compared their height to Mighty Mike's length.

We appreciated Mighty Mike's tiny lizard cousin.

We hovered around the pool with the baby alligators.

 

 

The Aquarium even had amphibian video games (Frogger), and amphibians to climb on.

 

We explored our dining options after visiting the aquarium, and we quickly discarded grilled cheese donuts!

We chose the Hofbrauhaus, a scale model of the famous Munich Hofbrauhaus, and a favorite with the many German immigrants in Cincinnati. 

Over a lunch of weinerschnitzel, sauerkraut, dark bread, and other German specialties, Jono and Emilie told me about their Ebert ancestors, who came from Germany.  Steve's grandfather was first generation German, living in the US during World War II.  He was circumspect about telling anyone he was German.

 

 

 

Ezra didn't quite catch the vision of German food.  He ordered macaroni and French fries! 

 

Columbus has two of the best ice cream shops anywhere--Jenni's and Graeter's.  We tried both, during my visit in Columbus.

We also celebrated Ezra's birthday with presents.

 

 

Columbus II--Jungle Jim's, the Underground Railroad, and Cincinnati Chili

Road trip!  One incentive for me to fly to Columbus over the Valentine's Day weekend was that Camille and her friend, Mindy Morris, had planned a trip to Cincinnati.  The Morrises and Eberts drove to Cincinnati together on Friday.  The Morrises returned to Columbus Friday night, but the Eberts stayed for more sightseeing on Saturday.

Our first stop was Jungle Jim's, a grocery store covering many acres.  It had humongeous collections of cheeses from all over the world, 30 or more types of olives, 100 types of hot sauce, and a special kitchen for making sushi. 

 

 

 

 

We searched through the selection of fresh fruits and vegetables from around the world for lunch treats.  The kids played in nooks and crannies of the store, while Camille, Mindy, and I explored the specialty products from individual countries, such as lemon curd from England, lingonberry jam from Sweden, and tamarind chutney from India.  I bought a bag of chapatti flour to take home with me, and Camille's kids found Belgian caramel cookies like the ones they ate in Europe last summer.

 

 

Our stop at the Freedom Center in Cincinnati was much too short.  The Freedom Center is a magnificent museum focused on the underground railroad and slavery, but with displays on human rights issues throughout the centuries.

The kids were drawn to the life-size bronze statues of slaves, slave traders, and early colonizers of America.

 

 

We went inside a building, moved to Cincinnati from the South, where slaves had been auctioned. 

We were inspired by the displays on the individuals, both Anglo and African-American, who had risked their lives running the underground railroad.  The underground railroad spirited slaves north from Kentucky, across the Ohio River, and on to Canada and freedom.



All over Ohio, "Cincinnati chili" is a favorite dish.  We dropped by Skyline Chili for supper, to taste the authentic dish in the city of its birth.  Cincinnati chili is actually Greek spaghetti sauce, flavored with cinnamon, served over spaghetti, and topped with shredded cheddar cheese and chopped onions.  Cincinnati has been home to many immigrants, including the Greek restaurant owner who created this dish.  It is much better than it sounds!

 

 

 

 

 

 

"I don't like video games and I don't like cartoons," Camille said, "so Wreck-it Ralph was not my favorite film."  Camille and I dozed in our seats as the kids watched, transfixed, as Wreck-it Ralph saved (after almost destroying) a damaged video game.  We then collapsed for the night at the nearest Courtyard Marriott.