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Here I would love to share with you our travels and adventures as international mushroom consultants. MEMOIRS about husband Pieter Vedder, who was a SCIENTIFIC PIONEER in Commercial Mushroom Cultivation Education. His practical handbook is in 9 languages and is called the MUSHROOM BIBLE: https://mariettesbacktobasics.blogspot.com/2020/08/modern-mushroom-growing-2020-harvesting.html
Showing posts with label Travel by Rail. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Travel by Rail. Show all posts

Monday, September 14, 2020

Adventure in Madras India, now Chennai

Yes, we had now worked, high in the mountains of South India, for Pond's India in their mushroom plant. This was during our four weeks off, after living/working two months in Indonesia.
Our first day, February 21 of 1992, driving up to the plant, we had a driver that had to hold the door shut with one hand, while driving in the mountains. So we swapped taxis!
Pieter had fallen on February 24, with one foot inside the goody pit... the entire day being smelly from those anaerobic bacteria. We stayed in a guest bungalow and washed his jeans, socks and hightop shoes, and dried it in front of an electric stove.
On February 25, we bought our leather jackets, from their Leather Garment Factory.
On February 28, we go one final time to the mushroom farm and received a silk chain stitch embroidered wall hanging, each of us the very same. 
They also proceeded to make a professional video about my Techniques for Harvesting Quality Mushrooms. Today, September 15, just received the converted version on a memory stick and will post it some time later...
Both of us had left our hightop shoes at the Pond's mushroom farm, for those poor workers that have to work in the hot (50-70°C) compost with bare feet. That was far easier than having to clean them up for packing inside our luggage. 
We drive back to Coimbatore, and from there we board a night train to Madras (Chennai).
We have a 1st class sleeping coupe with air-conditioning. 
This time, I slept in the top bed...
February 29, after a ten hour shocking and rattling ride, we arrive in Madras and we slept well.
We got told that we should keep the sliding door of our cabin closed, but having to wash up in the bathroom early morning, of course we opened it.
How in the world could we know that before arriving at the Madras station, a giant of a guy had jumped on the riding train and entered it!!!
He stood there, and grabbed our two suitcases and placed them on his head... Those are mine!
Two people from Pond's met us at the railroad station, and after a fierce dispute with the giant, he ignored them and only hollered: 'I have to feed a family of seven!' He then was so brazen to carry our suitcases on his head, at a rapid pace down the stairs. We had a hard time to keep up with him!
Finally the two people from Pond's located their car and the giant put them down, he got paid and left.
What a zoo...
That guy would be the perfect player in David and Goliath!
This Image from Chennai Central, formerely Madras Central, was created by User:PlaneMad.
We both were wide awake now
~
They bring us to Hotel Chola Sheraton at Cathedral Road.
Now it is called the Welcomhotel Chennai.
After a fresh shower and breakfast, we got picked up by 10:30 AM for a meeting with the manager from Pond's India in Madras.
We visited their Leather Garments Factory and found a better size for our leather jackets, so we swapped them.
On March 1, we wake up at 4:00 AM and depart from this 5 Star Hotel for the airport and our flight to Singapore.
We place our suitcases in a locker and go by taxi to the our Holiday Inn Singapore Orchard City Centre
We walk to Centrepoint for some shopping.
March 2, we are early, and by taxi we go to the Alberts Centre for reparation of our Rado watches. 
From there we went to the airport and picked up our suitcases from the locker.
As usual, we shop around at the airport and always did stock up on reading material.
My eyes turned BIG however when I found the Malay version of Times magazine and our boss was mentioned on the cover... Not looking good financially!

To be continued...

Related link:
{Our DEEPER Reach In Bedroom Closet} | previous post showing the silk chain stitch twin embroidery


Sunday, September 8, 2019

Stone Mountain Scenic Railroad with Mom & Dad and again with Pieter

Pieter had gone to China and Taiwan as a People to People Citizen Ambassador and meanwhile I went to The Netherlands.
After three weeks, Pieter briefly got reunited with me in The Netherlands and did some business for Campbell Soup in Europe that included traveling to England,  Switzerland and Austria... (see post below).
We flew back home on April 20, 1987, to Atlanta, USA, with Mom & Dad in tow for their very first flight and visit with us the coming 4 weeks.
On May 16, I would fly back to The Netherlands with Mom & Dad and did consulting work in Germany for 2 weeks before returning to the USA.
Pieter meanwhile was in Australia and in Christchurch, New Zealand for Campbell.

But on April 28, while Pieter was working for Campbell Soup, I took Mom & Dad to Atlanta for riding the Stone Mountain Scenic Railroad with them.
Mom & Dad are standing in the center in front of the train that we rode around Stone Mountain.
Stone Mountain Park Georgia's No 1 tourist attraction:  click the link
Summit Skyride at present time, just click it.
This picture also shows best the Confederate Memorial. You can read more when you click on the pink.
Mom & Dad standing now before the Stone Mountain Rail Road Station and with the Confederate Memorial visible above them as I stepped far enough back.
It is HUGE, the top of the summit is 1,686 feet (514 m) above sea level and 825 feet (251 m) above the surrounding area.
To the right you see Dad pointing out something to Mom...
It was a lovely day!
Was wishing then that Pieter could have joined us...
~
On Saturday, August 8, 1987 the same year, we both went with our friend Griffin to Stone Mountain!
So happy that Pieter got to see it now as well!
So this time Pieter too got to ride the train around Stone Mountain and we hiked the 2.5 km to the summit!
Yep we dared to hike up to the summit!
Pieter wearing his Burberry polo shirt with Ghurka shorts.
What a view!
We made it back down, just in time before a thunder storm!
Pieter in the center, behind that boy...
It sure felt like being on top of the world...
We even stayed for the Laser Show!
Miss those two director chairs that Pieter got from Campbell Soup.
We had them in our front porch and a friend who watered the plants while we were abroad, had used the sprinklers and left them on without removing the chairs; they got ugly rust stains...
At least I got this photo!
Laser Show at Stone Mountain Georgia click for more info...
We spent the night in Atlanta and next day we started with breakfast at 7:30 AM and went to the Cyclorama and to the Zoo in Atlanta... Yes, a city with LOTS to see and do!

Hope you enjoyed these fond memories and thanks for your visit and comment!


Related links:
Taking Husband Pieter back to Knoxville, TN in Mom & Dad's Footsteps | previous post
{Part XVI of Husband Pieter's Trip to East Asia - Taipei, Taiwan} | previous post by me
{Mom Lived 16 Days Short of Her 91st Birthday} | previous post by me with Mom & Dad's words in guest book

Wednesday, April 17, 2019

Two Days London with Husband Pieter

On October 1, after the MGA Conference, we both got dropped off by friends at the Hilton London Gatwick Airport Hotel where we would spend two nights on our own.
Pieter had previously spent one summer at the University and knew London pretty well via the Underground!
The back entrance at the Hilton hotel brings you to the airport and to the train station, so off we went by 12:30 and saw Buckingham Palace, Piccadilly Circus. Of course checked out shops as the Underground entrance is at Harrods... What a choice! Especially woolen goods, Burberry and porcelain...
We also saw the Tower, and St. Paul's Cathedral just before they closed!
We had a pizza and back to the hotel.... With a goulash soup at the Hilton we went to bed.
Sunday, October 2. We did sleep in and went by train now to South Kensington and visited two museums. The Victoria & Albert Museum was very impressive! 
Also the Natural History Museum.
Here I stand next to the Natural History Museum South Kensington.
To the right you can see the tower from Victoria & Albert Museum.
We were so lucky with the weather!
Natural History Museum at South Kensington click link...
Husband Pieter near Albert Memorial in Kensington Gardens, wearing his Burberry Polo Shirt...
Such perfect weather for walking in 1988, and what I noticed is that we could be on the stairs, close to the actual monument!
Pieter took a better photo of me, seeing the marble figures behind me...
Marble figure on corner of Albert Memorial click link.
Here you can clearly see that the area is protected and now people are being kept below the stairs.
What a lovely walk it was and now I also got to see the Royal Albert Hall, across from Albert Memorial.
Pieter had the 1980 MGA Conference Reception at Royal Alber Hall, see link below post.
*
We ended the day with a buffet dinner at the Hilton...
October 3, breakfast and packing in a relaxed way, no rush. At 12:45 we went back to Atlanta, this time in 9 hours! Strong head winds...
In 7 hours and 10 minutes we flew to London in a Jumbo 747 from Atlanta but now it took us 9 hours going back but with a DC-10.
That was the end of our Conference trip to Cambridge with before and after excursions!
A lovely time spent and now we could start packing up as only 16 days later, we would be moving to Pennsylvania... 
Campbell's Soup made us move!

Thanks for your visit and comment!
Wishing you all a Happy Easter Weekend 🐇

Related links:
Cambridge Conference and Newmarket Race Horses, England | previous post by me
From London by Train to Pullborough and Visiting Linfield Mushroom | previous post by me
1980 MGA Conference Reception in Royal Albert Hall, London | previous post by me

Tuesday, April 9, 2019

From London by Train to Pullborough and Visiting Linfield Mushrooms

On September 25, 1988 we flew on British Airways, in 7 hours and 10 minutes to London.
We were again on our way to the next MGA Conference with some extra time spent visiting colleagues and friends.
September 26, arrival in London and we did take the train to Pulborough, West Sussex.
The Roundabout Hotel West Sussex click link
We arrived early at The Roundabout Hotel and by 10:30 went to Harold Linfield's mushroom farm and had lunch there.
The entire afternoon we spent with them at the mushroom farm.
By 17:00 back to the hotel and we ate at the restaurant of The Roundabout Hotel with Peter & Lydia Baker and Harold & Cecily Linfield.
By 23:00 we went to bed.
No jet lag problems and straight at arrival to work...
But nevertheless the bed felt GREAT!
On September 27, we first did go at 9:00 to the old Linfield mushroom farm to see the huge open breakfast mushrooms.
Due to the heavy spore count, they kept these open breakfast mushroom sheds far away from their regular growing rooms. Those spores 'could' carry the dreaded mushroom virus, so-called 'die-back disease'...
On the above photo I'm showing them to the viewer, wearing my silk Burberry plaid scarf and Burberry cotton sweater... Of course, honoring the British!
To the right is Mr. Harold Linfield.
I've done a harvest demonstration for them as well.
We also went to GCRI (Glasshouse Crops Research Institute in Littlehampton, West Sussex, where Pieter met with his colleagues. Always a worthwhile exchange of knowledge on both sides!
We had lunch at a local pub in Littlehampton.
We went back to our hotel by 16:00 and had a supper on our own.
September 28, we did ride with Mike and Mary Rowland to Cambridge where the MGA Conference would be held again.

Stay tuned...

Thanks for your vist and comment.


Related link:

Thursday, March 28, 2019

St. Ives - Cambridgeshire, England

One night in hotel near Leeds airport and next day by train to Huntingdon after visiting mushroom friends. At least, that yielded me a nice tour of Castle Howard & Minster of York in September, 1985.
Too bad we had to leave mid afternoon by train...
We got picked up at the Huntingdon train station by someone from the Hensby Compost Ltd.
We got dropped off at motel Saint Ives in St. Ives.
We would be there for two nights.
A lovely place St. Ives
Saint Ives Motel in Cambridgeshire
River Ouse
Huntingdon Bridge         Godmanchester Bridge
Hinchingbrooke House
After breakfast we got picked up by Ian Hensby and went to their Compost place, only five minutes from our motel.
After lunch at a medieval restaurant we did visit a mushroom grower in Cambridgeshire and also a very large mushroom farm in Norfolk.
This photo is from some mushroom sheds where Pieter had climbed on the water tower to have an overview.
Ian briefly went home for a change and we went out for dinner at Pike and Eel Hotel and Marina in Needingworth with a group of twelve. A delicious meal!
Pike and Eel Hotel and Marina in Needingworth click link
Ian's Parents, Ferd and Sylvia Hensby did bring us back in their Rolls Royce to our motel.
Next day we got picked up by someone from Hensby at 10:00 after we had checked out.
From Hensby Compost Ltd. Pieter left with them for a mushroom farm-walk as part of the MGA conference.
Meanwhile I stayed with Elizabeth, the Scottish wife of Hensby's financial man, Gerard Baker.
We walked through St. Ives and I bought postcards, my Mom collected them and I always got her some nice ones.
After lunch Elizabeth and her husband Gerry walked with me alongside the river.
Pieter joined us by 18:30 and we both had supper at the Scottish couple's home.
After supper we left for Cambridge to check into our hotel...
Will show you next!

Thanks for your visit and comment.
Sadly in the February issue uploaded by the ISMS 1997-2 The Mushroom Journal we read about 
Gerry' passing following a gallant struggle with cancer... Too young at age 56!

May he R.I.P.!

Related link:

Sunday, March 24, 2019

My Visit to Castle Howard & Minster of York, England

En route to the MGA Conference in Cambridge we flew to Leeds.
Visiting our mushroom friends Paul and Pam Middlebrook.
We went to their home and had coffee with cookies on Monday morning, September 23 of 1985.
Pieter went with friend Paul to his mushroom farm and Pam did take Alice Carapiet (whom we also would meet at the two SPAWN MATE SYMPOSIUMS in Scottsdale, Arizona) and me for a ride.
During all International events we would run into our mushroom friends from all over the world!
Her husband George Carapiet was with SPAWN MATE at the time.
Both had Armenian background.
Here, friend Pam and I are in front of Castle Howard on September 23, 1985...
Wearing my tweed woolen Planet suit, the one that Pam helped select for Pieter  when he was shopping for me in 1982. That was after receiving his Sinden Award, at Marks & Spencer in Harrogate.
Pam was smart to ask Pieter, which of the sales ladies at the department store, resembled my build.
So that worked out perfect!
We enjoyed lunch at Castle Howard restaurant.
Nowadays they even allow people to have their wedding there...
See more info about Castle Howard just click it.
We had spent one night at the Post House Hotel in Leeds/Bradford Bramhope, near the Leeds airport.
Here Pam showed us the impressive Minster of York, seen from the city walls and inside.
See here: Walking around the York Walls just click it.
By the way, dear friends Paul & Pam Middlebrook were so gracious for allowing Pieter's niece Judith, to stay with them for several weeks one summer.
Coming from The Netherlands, she enjoyed this country side living and horse back riding very much.
Postcard from York where you can see the Minster of York to the right, from another side.
Bottom you see some of the old medieval city walls, from where my above photo was taken.

We did have to depart by train around 4:45 PM to Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire...
These were the pre-days before our MGA Mushroom Conference in Cambridge later that week.
Still have my Planet tweed woolen suit...
Also the same Italian Piero Erbacci bag from Florence.
Not the pumps I wore in 1985...
Of course Speckie girl and Spooky boy want to be near me.
Photos are from February 16... with Spooky's tail on my left side!
I also have shortened the skirt and with the fabric left over I created four belt loops for wearing a belt with it.
A bonus when you never gain weight!
Wearing my Escada silk blouse, Escada belt and pumps.

Thanks for your visit and comment!

Related links:
{1987 Scottsdale Arizona versus 2014} | previous post about SPAWN MATE SYMPOSIUM where I met Alice Carapiet again...
1982 Sinden Award for Pieter at The Hotel Majestic, Harrogate, England | previous post when husband Pieter bought the Marks & Spencer suit for me

Friday, January 18, 2019

My 7th Consulting Trip to India with Husband Pieter

On Tuesday, September 15, 1998 we both traveled again to India for consulting service to a new mushroom company in Pune, 
A business man from Connecticut had begged us to go there and help them out. They even paid us up front and booked our flights in business class.
So we caved in and went another time to India... On KLM Royal Dutch Airlines to Amsterdam in seats 15 A+B.
On Wednesday, September 16, we landed ahead of schedule at 6:50 in Amsterdam. With our telephone card we did call Mom, Dad seldom came to the phone. 
Pieter called with his brother Thé and around 10:45 we continued with KLM Royal Dutch Airlines to Mumbai. The time difference with The Netherlands is 3.5 hours and the flight takes some 8 hours.
We were one of the first passengers to be outside at 23:20 (again only carry on!) but after some 20 minutes there still was nobody!
With my sharp hearing, I just picked up the name "Vedder" and walked towards the person and said: "I back your pardon, did you mention the name Vedder?". It was our person, without name shield and his driver stood behind the masses of people. They just got there too late, due to a party...
We got dropped off at the Iskcon Ashram temple where his family was a life patron and thus had access to two rooms...
ISKCON Temple in Mumbai famous for its HARE KRISHNA
There was in 1998 in our room, NO SHOWER and it did not smell clean either.
Thursday, September 17, by 1:00 we each were in the rather short twin beds, with our feet sticking out. Our own goose down travel pillow helped for having some more comfort!
By 4:00 they started waking up everyone for prayers... by means of an instrument that sounded like elephants trumpeting. NOT pleasant to wake up to after only 3 hours on the mattress!
The monks started chanting...
By 6:00 we went with our person to the Rail Road Station. 
Train ride to Pune got cancelled due to heavy rain and tracks being under water...
Our person started calling for 3 airline tickets instead and suddenly realized that he had sent his driver off...
So by taxi we went to the airport and had a kind of breakfast there before take off at 11:00.
Again we got dropped off at a hotel and now Pieter was quick to jump into the shower, while I started to unpack.
Soon, Pieter yelled at me from the shower, that I had to repack everything: "We're NOT staying here he said firmly, after he'd shrunk from ICE COLD WATER!"
After lunch at the mushroom farm owner's home, we went to his farm for a first observation.
Afterwards we got dropped off at the Taj Blue Diamond Hotel in Pune, very good! It is in the same group as the Savoy in Ooty.
Hotel Taj Blue Diamond Pune just click link.
Pieter did attend right away a Rotary meeting in the hotel. Again, a meeting without any food, like before in Ketti Valley, Tamil Nadu/India.
We ate some cookies with fruit in our room.
We continued with our work and got up at 6:00 for having first breakfast before the driver of the owner came to pick us up.
On Sunday, Pieter did video tape while on the road due to less traffic that day.
We slept very well due to this hotel being a good distance off the main road and thus quiet.
Some of the staff members we knew already for many years as they'd worked for Pond's India at the time we consulted there.
On Saturday, September 26, we packed up and checked out after one more delicious Indian breakfast.
We went to the mushroom farm and together with the harvest manager Shubhada Sandeep Cruz, some photos got made when she handed me fresh flowers... We have them on our video tape!
Never seen those photos.
We did receive a very special gift, a beautiful stag, entirely made out of leather.
Did post about this gift in a previous post: {History of the Poinsettia} in 2011.
We got dropped off at the Train Station by 17:35 and our carry on luggage got placed for us in the overhead rack.
Pune to Mumbai
Dadar written on the back so we knew where to get off.
Just in case Amjad our driver would not be there...
By 20:45 we reached Dadar Station and the same driver from September 16, Amjad, recognized us and he dropped us off at the airport.
Checked in and we had time for relaxing in the Taj lounge before take off by 0:50 on Sunday, September 27. This stretch was flown by Northwest Airlines and the service was by far not as courteous as from KLM!
We landed in Amsterdam, called my Parents and flew on to Atlanta at 13:05 and got home by 19:15.

End of our Indian travels for work! That means 10 x for husband Pieter and for myself 7 x.
It is never easy such a long journey with time changes and lay overs etc.
But we always did it with love, for educating those that needed it MOST.

Thanks for your visit and comment!


Related links:
My 6th Consulting Trip to India with Husband Pieter | previous post by me
My 5th Consulting Trip to India & Visit of Taj Mahal | previous post by me
Pieter Hands Check to Rotary Club Ketti Valley, India | previous post by me
My 4th Consulting Trip to India after HUGE Landslide | previous post by me
Husband Pieter's DANGEROUS Trip back from India | previous post by me
My 3rd trip to India - Consulting Together with Husband Pieter | previous post by me
Consulting for Pond's (India) Limited Mushroom Project | previous post by me
My 2nd trip to India - Consulting Together with Husband Pieter | previous post by me
Brindavan Gardens Mysore with Luxury Heritage Hotel | previous post by me

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