ROANOKE VALLEY PHOTOS

On the wings of an eagle



Don't fence me in









F
I
E
S
T
A
!








Have not hearts of wood nor stone
Sit a spell



Old time refreshments!





















Photos property of D.Cashwell

OKTOBERFEST!

Our first day in Munich was also the first day of Oktoberfest 2006. The opening parade began just a couple of hours after we arrived. I think it was my favorite part of Oktoberfest. The horses were gorgeous! Notice the crocheted head piece that many of them wore. Each brewery had a different color horse.
The little girl shown was so cute. She nearly stopped the parade when she spotted a flower that had fallen off a float and she ran over to pick it up.
There was only one winery represented in the parade.
I loved the way the horses were decorated and flowers were everywhere. At the end of the parade all the people just fell in behind the parade, including us not knowing where we were going. We were just kind of moved along with all the people. Anyway, we ended up at the Oktoberfest grounds which is a huge fairground with rides galore. There were 12 beer ‘tents’ each holding about 8,000 people and every one we went in was full…I’ve never seen so many intoxicated people in my life…I felt a little out of place as I don’t drink beer.
We went to Oktoberfest four nights while there. It was addictive…great place for people watching!

















The food...

At one of the concession stands I had a hot cheese sandwich. The cheese was a huge chunk and was kept under a burner that melted the cheese. To make the sandwich the girl poured the melted cheese onto the bread. I asked what kind of cheese it was, but couldn't make her understand what I was wanting to know.
Anyone here know? It was so good! >>>June 23...I posted about this on another board and got this answer:
"This is Raclette - pronounced [rah-KLEHT]
The term raclette refers both to the famous cheese from Switzerland as well as the dish. The word raclette is derived from the French word racler which means to scrape."





While in Germany, we spent one day in the Bavarian Alps. There were three ways to get to this castle...an at least 45 minute walk up the mountain, horse and carriage, and bus half the way up the mountain. We chose the bus - wrong choice. We had to walk the rest of the way and that was the steepest part. I walked sideways for the next couple of days! Look at the center of the lower photo. You will see a suspension bridge over the gorge. I was on that to take the first photo. While I was inside the castle I took the photo of the bridge that I had been on. (BTW, Hubby wouldn't go on the bridge)

Neuschwanstein Castle, royal palace in the Bavarian Alps of Germany, the most famous of three royal palaces built for Louis II of Bavaria, sometimes referred to as Mad King Ludwig, who grew up nearby at Hohenschwangau Castle

We walked all the way back down the mountain...that took about twenty five minutes.

Begun in 1869 and left unfinished at Louis's death in 1886, the castle is the embodiment of 19th century romanticism. In a fantastical imitation of a medieval castle, Neuschwanstein is set with towers and spires and is spectacularly sited on a high point over the river gorge.

Oh yes, this castle is the one that Walt Disney used as a model for Cinderella's Castle at Disney World.

Top photo of castle taken from the suspension bridge.
Bottom photo of bridge taken from a window in the castle.
Photos property of D.Cashwell

DRINKIN’ FROM A MASON JAR

Drinkin’ from a Mason jar

shows where you’re from and who you are.

You know you’re from the South

when those ringed rims touch your mouth.



You know a true Southerner you are

when you drink your sweet tea from a jar.

Fill it to the top with ice -

fresh made Luzianne - that’s my advice!



Sitting on a white painted porch in mid-July,

sun is high and you’re feeling dry.

Sipping on tart lemonade

with crushed cold ice and in a Mason jar made.



The genteel gents with the Southern drawl

drink the perfect Mint Julep made without a flaw.

Crushed mint leaves, sugar, bourbon and brandy,

ten days in a turned over Mason jar makes it just dandy.



Drinkin’ from a Mason jar

shows where you’re from and who you are.

You know you’re from the South

when those ringed rims touch your mouth.



~Copyright D.Cashwell~

OLD-TIME BEEF STEW

Easy comfort food tonight!
Old-Time Beef Stew Recipe courtesy Paula Deen

2 pounds stew beef
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 cups water
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 clove garlic, peeled
1 or 2 bay leaves
1 medium onion, sliced
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon paprika
Dash ground allspice or ground cloves
3 large carrots, sliced
3 ribs celery, chopped
2 tablespoons cornstarch

Oh, it smells so good!

Brown meat in hot oil. Add water, Worcestershire sauce, garlic, bay leaves, onion, salt, sugar, pepper, paprika, and allspice. Cover and simmer 1 1/2 hours. Remove bay leaves and garlic clove. Add carrots and celery.
Cover and cook 30 to 40 minutes longer.
To thicken gravy, remove 2 cups hot liquid.
Using a separate bowl, combine 1/4 cup water and cornstarch until smooth.
Mix with a little hot liquid and return mixture to pot. Stir and cook until bubbly.

POMEGRANATE

One of many things I love this time of year,

pomegranates magically appear



Leathery thick skinned, red

Cut into it - looks like it bled!

Hands dyed with the bleeding juice,

juice of love that can seduce


Break it open. Walled clustered nuggets tumble out,

fall onto the counter rolling about

Luscious intoxicating ruby gems

that so inspired me to write this poem



A mouthful of exploding fruity marbles

hide tiny bitter seeds that draw the jowls

Worth the addictive nectar that stains my lips,

the scarlet liquid that from my mouth drips



Would that I could grow the tree

that bears this fruit that so pleases me


~Copyright D.Cashwell~

Bravo! Bravo!

My time with a legend was a dark and stormy night,

My sensitivity would be taken to new heights.

November 16, 2002, an evening I will not forget…

My dream was fulfilled. The memory had been set.



The lights went down, silence reigned.

I felt as from my face the blood had drained.

I held my breath, my heart pounded….the drum BOOMED!

His larger than life presence filled the room!



Standing there before us - the man with the golden throat.

We were on our feet cheering before he sang a note.

He offered “Addio, fiorito asil” from Madame Butterfly and we accepted.

“Che gelida manina” from La Boheme followed. It was like a blessing.



He sang again, again and again.

Passion, crying, joyfulness, humor and laughing.

He spoke to my mind. He sang to my soul.

He comforted me. My heart he stole.



He poured out his heart in song. I fought back the tears.

Each note that echoed was like to God a prayer.

We rose to our feet again and again.

“Bravo! Bravo Luciano!

Amen and Amen!



How happy I was to be there, yet it was bittersweet.

Daddy was not beside me - my joy was incomplete.

Love of music he taught me, love of song he left me.

He admired greats like Enrico Caruso, he wanted to see Pavarotti.


My promise was to take him if he were ever near.

But he came too late for Daddy - late by three years.

I could not contain myself as I thought of my beloved.

Each song I heard brought back memories of what he had dreamed of.



Three times Luciano came back when we thought he was through.

Each time returning to the stage to the sound of the drum’s “BOOM!”

Each time we rose, thrilled that he did not go.

Each time yelling fervently, “Bravo Luciano, bravo!”



I thought he was magnificent! I didn’t want this to end!

The last time he stood before us, I thought my body would ascend.

For he sang “O Sol A Mio”. A grateful heart I then surrendered.

How often I had heard Daddy’s voice sing it, oh, so tender.



Luciano, Luciano, we raise our glass to you!

Luciano, Luciano, we bid you Adieu!

I had spent an evening with the Maestro.

“Bravo, bravo Luciano, bravo!



~Copyright D.Cashwell~

My Evening with Luciano Pavarotti

My evening with Luciano Pavarotti was a dark and stormy night,
November 16, 2002, an evening I won’t soon forget.
Attending this concert was an opportunity of a lifetime.
Pavarotti is on his Farewell Tour.
If I’m not mistaken, Raleigh, North Carolina, was one of only four cities in the United States where he performed on that tour.
How lucky for us!

First, let me tell you that my father who died in April of 1999 was a lover of music and also an admirer of Luciano Pavarotti. He very much wanted to see him and I had always said that if Pavarotti came close to our city I wanted to take my dad.
As it was, he didn’t come until November 2002 and it was bittersweet for me.
How happy I was to be there and how sad that my dad wasn’t there beside me.

That Saturday evening I, along with my husband, attended a pre-concert “Champagne Toast Reception”. Pavarotti was not in attendance. I understand he was eating North Carolina Barbecue in another part of the building.
At several stations around the room was Greek food and Italian food being cooked and served. The women were all dressed in their best and the men were in tuxedos. I think all men look very handsome in tuxedos - how about you?!
The music at the reception was a trio playing Italian music on guitars.
How my dad would have loved that!
He was taught to play Italian music on the mandolin by his Sicilian foster uncle in West Virginia.

Those at the reception were then taken to the auditorium where we would hear Pavarotti. We had wonderful seats…second row, center aisle seats. We were no more than fifteen feet from where he would be performing!
Accompanying Pavarotti would be the North Carolina Symphony. It was 7:00 pm - time for the concert to begin!
The symphony conductor appeared and said the concert would be delayed because of the heavy rain that night. Close by a few minutes later we overhead someone say they had heard that Pavarotti had to finish his garlic bread. I don’t know if that was a fact.
Then the lights went down and everyone grew quiet.
The music began and there was a deep “BOOM!” of a drum.
Out came Luciano Pavarotti and everyone stood and applauded and cheered! My heart was pounding! He was larger than life! Not his size - his presence. Then he sang. There are those who say he is not as good as he once was - I had not heard him before. I thought he was magnificent!
He sang two songs - one I recognized as being from Madame Butterfly. The other I didn’t know but it was beautiful. He was very passionate with his voice. At times it seemed he was crying and other times he would laugh as he sang. Even though I didn’t understand the language in which he sang - I understood the emotions. At the close of each of those songs the audience stood and yelled, “BRAVO!, BRAVO LUCIANO!

With him was a soprana, Renee Monti. I thought she sang very well. However, at intermission it was announced that she was not well and could not give her best and therefore would stop. Another soprana, Annalisa Paliyenko took her place and did she ever wow everyone. She looked to be only in her twenties. She made my hair stand on end and Larry said he had never heard anything like it. Apparently everyone thought the same. She got a standing ovation several times! At some points during her storytelling songs, her eyes would grow dark (we could see that because we had such wonderful seats!) and it sounded as though her heart was breaking at times. What a performance! I do think she will be famous in the near future.
Back to Pavarotti! He sang again and again. I had to fight back tears. Opera really gets to your heart. Then it was over - I could not believe it!
Already?! I didn’t want it to end … and it didn’t. Three times he came back to sing when we thought he was through. Each time he returned to the stage the drum repeated a reverberating “BOOM!”. The second time back out he invited the audience to sing along with him. What fun! He has a sense of humor also!
He said in his broken English. “No clapping!” during the sing-along. He knew it would be hard for us not to clap. We all were so excited we would just spontaneously clap and he would stop and look at us - then he would laugh. The third and last encore he sang “O SOL A MIO”. That is when I broke. That was my dad’s song. He sang it often. On one of my parent’s wedding anniversaries the family had taken them to an Italian restaurant where there was a singer. My dad sang that song with the singer. What a way to end a wonderful and unforgettable concert.

You might think that was the end of our evening with Pavarotti.
No, it wasn‘t!

No, it was not over for us! Now we would be going to a late supper with Pavarotti. Of course, there were about 500 others there having supper with him also.
The ballroom was gorgeous. Lit candles everywhere cast a magical glow and beautifully set tables were filled with sweet smelling flowers.

When Luciano entered the ballroom a roar when up!
He had changed from his formal clothes into a shirt, slacks and a very colorful scarf-like shawl around his shoulders and was wearing a white hat which somehow ended up on the head of Annalisa Paliyenko a little later.
He was seated at a long table on an elevated stage along with the two sopranos and members of the North Carolina Opera. He didn’t mingle with those of us who attended the supper. That disappointed me.



The food was wonderful. On the menu was Antipasto of tomato and mozzarella, prosciutto di Parma over baby greens with a balsamic vinaigrette and garlic bruschetta…that was the first course.
The second course was a maple marinated pork chop over a bed of root vegetables in a gorgonzola-shitake sauce, truffled potato, vegetable timbale, and grilled asparagus. The pork chop was the largest I have ever seen … very thick with a long bone. If I had been at home I would have just picked it up by that bone and ate it that way, enjoying every bite! Had to behave myself here however!
The dessert was unbelievable! It was a chocolate marquise topped with ganache and baked hazelnuts with white and dark coulis and fresh berries. To be honest, I don’t know what all the fancy names mean for the food we ate. I only know it was delicious!

Now our tummies were full as well as our hearts and minds. We had taken in a lot that stormy November night. It was something we had not experienced before and it is something we will not soon forget.

My daddy many times told me about Enrico Carruso and others who he enjoyed. He instilled a love of all things good in me. This night was one of those good things.

Photos property of D.Cashwell