"Our journey really started over 2 years ago when during an organ lesson Gayle, Bob, and I talked about Europe.  And the idea of going to Europe was born.

Of course, it didn't seem real.  And taking all that time planning the trip made it seem like it never would happen.  But guess what?  It did happen!!!  And here I am laying down in the bed of our first stop in Europe writing the account of the past 2 days..."

This is the beginning of my journal of our trip to Europe.  We started in Rome and ended in London.

For me the highlight of the trip was being invited to be the "Artist in Residence" at Camelot Castle in Cornwall, England.  The streets to Tintagel got narrower and narrower the closer we got to the small village.  It's a small village at the end of a road.  Camelot Castle is at the end of the only road into and out of town.   And Camelot Castle sits on the cliffs of Cornwall with the Atlantic Ocean below it.  The village of
Tintagel is so small there is not even a gas station there.

The evening that we arrived at Camelot Castle I played the piano.  We had been on the road for several weeks.  Boy, I sure did miss the piano.  The piano was very old and the touch was not a hard touch like my piano.  It sure was a beautiful piano though.

Each morning that we were at the castle I played the piano and wrote music.  Every evening I'd play the piano before dinner.  Let me tell you about it.  Picture it...Sicily...oh wait...that's another person's story...Picture being a guest of the king at his castle.  Each evening dinner is served at 7:00 pm.  Never a moment before or after.  You and the other guests arrive at the main hall between 6:30 and 7:00 and with drinks in hand, converse, and wait for the chef to open the dining hall.  It was during this time that I played the piano.  Guests helped me decide titles for my songs, or sang as I played something they knew.  There were even some nights that I played the piano after dinner.  Dinner itself was an event.  Young waiters in tuxedos waited on us.  First soup or salad, then the main course, then dessert, then coffee or tea and retiring to the main hall.  This is done as a group, because you are the guest of the castle.  Very interesting!  Very elegant!

One of these days let's plan a group trip to Camelot Castle.