tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-64906915792789951792024-03-14T04:59:50.032-04:00B.A. in HousewiferyTake a look into the life of a modern housewife! Follow along for recipes, travel experiences and more with a military spouse.Kristenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09395982353422232042noreply@blogger.comBlogger491125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6490691579278995179.post-86234706213798903182024-01-02T04:27:00.003-05:002024-01-02T04:31:52.479-05:00Epic Christmas Market Trip 2023<p>We embarked upon an epic Christmas market spree in December that took us through the Black Forest, Switzerland and Alsace region of France for a variety of markets. Let's dive in...</p><h2 style="text-align: left;">Rottweil</h2><p><a href="https://www.tourismus-rottweil.de/das-erlebnis/veranstaltungen/weihnachtsmarkt" target="_blank">Rottweil </a>is the oldest city in Baden-Wurttemberg and was the first market of our journey. It was along the route to Ravenna Gorge, so it was worth a pit stop. If you have driven in this direction you may remember the giant tower that looks like a drill bit. We still don't know what that tower actually is, but we can now stay we've been to the town where it's located. </p><p>Rottweil has a small, quaint market that greeted us with local musicians, gluhwein and quesadillas (the latter being quite unexpected). Their mug celebrated the 30th anniversary of the market, so we made sure to keep one to add to our growing collection.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY57SX73tre70Xy3ywW5vfdiQZh5BHHzlkqxmXp27gpOTSy5excfhfgC1ieGyPull24eBxO0PpYT1GJlNolNZtFk_6quk863UvisKh8qSI7MEDvIuj2YyYmPSWjEaxhHfLmxa18hZEFZ8tSeMSdEh4SWHoHagMM37yzV2-8Jc4WS9pX5nF9ZDLDLFPU5Q/s4032/20231217_124104.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY57SX73tre70Xy3ywW5vfdiQZh5BHHzlkqxmXp27gpOTSy5excfhfgC1ieGyPull24eBxO0PpYT1GJlNolNZtFk_6quk863UvisKh8qSI7MEDvIuj2YyYmPSWjEaxhHfLmxa18hZEFZ8tSeMSdEh4SWHoHagMM37yzV2-8Jc4WS9pX5nF9ZDLDLFPU5Q/w480-h640/20231217_124104.jpg" width="480" /></a></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLuUb8SenbmMaqs0iOwk_AemIDo8AwLsErDt99-Rh2JpeikpfxPV7hZ3vP8_FnRUg4oW2SfYz0tpF8qXpmDjh_1V8rRLUq08jR40r-l3Zbes_oh9TDwgJvqcMVZolKz0ZrAFfyCl2I13PEp7xKh7r3Sm9VqwoCHJChD-EAPs1frNE9dKBnOF_QZNnUvn4/s4032/20231217_125721.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLuUb8SenbmMaqs0iOwk_AemIDo8AwLsErDt99-Rh2JpeikpfxPV7hZ3vP8_FnRUg4oW2SfYz0tpF8qXpmDjh_1V8rRLUq08jR40r-l3Zbes_oh9TDwgJvqcMVZolKz0ZrAFfyCl2I13PEp7xKh7r3Sm9VqwoCHJChD-EAPs1frNE9dKBnOF_QZNnUvn4/w480-h640/20231217_125721.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Charles tried the quesadillas and thought they were tasty enough. Good Mexican food is quite hard to find in Germany. I loved the quirky styling of their booth.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><h2 style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Ravenna Gorge</h2><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://www.hochschwarzwald.de/veranstaltungen-hochschwarzwald/weihnachtsmarkt-ravennaschlucht" target="_blank">Ravenna Gorge</a> often makes the top of Baden-Wurttemberg's Christmas markets. A few people I know had been in the previous year and warned me that, while it's magical, it is <i>crowded</i>. I was hesitant to go because that, but figured it would be good to visit while we had the chance. We went on the final day of the market and booked a ticket with shuttle pickup from Hinterzarten. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The warning about the crowds was right on point. We opted for the 4-6pm time slot and it became more and more packed while we were there. It was shoulder to shoulder in some parts making it a little hard to navigate and view booths. I did not love it. But I had a delicious variation of gluhwein called a Schwarzwald Marie which included a cherry liqueur to mimic the flavor of black forest cake.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">We stayed one night in Hinterzarten which was an adorable Black Forest town. It was a Sunday which typically means shops are closed in Germany, but a few gift shops were open so we visited before our shuttle to the Market.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://www.zartenbach.de/" target="_blank">B&B Zartenbach</a>: Our hotel was very quaint and comfortable. We booked a very small room since we stayed for only one night; it was snug, but perfect for our short stay. The included breakfast was the perfect fuel for our onward journey towards Switzerland!</div><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYe85Frnd0aDlBstvKSvU3oPYsnAnvQ5-vC1S1yH4nvzileUkBh4mWP0F9enIE9GcmQny3jFdVd_kOOhoC42E97KIR7feLwehGlSfUN4TQOLPGF9ZUIifo-gl2L2eQk1apLA9lsneQMd1RnjxGuBY26uzD9eC9w7p76E0CUqDZqLPnAEdpmjn08IX1GtQ/s4032/20231217_163919.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYe85Frnd0aDlBstvKSvU3oPYsnAnvQ5-vC1S1yH4nvzileUkBh4mWP0F9enIE9GcmQny3jFdVd_kOOhoC42E97KIR7feLwehGlSfUN4TQOLPGF9ZUIifo-gl2L2eQk1apLA9lsneQMd1RnjxGuBY26uzD9eC9w7p76E0CUqDZqLPnAEdpmjn08IX1GtQ/w480-h640/20231217_163919.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDMS64qVoe80uuK9-Z5z4R1FBCqw1DRJYI1CLmb5ukBdyju5eCASW81enh0oaqODq1vS7rnm94EaApTwYfNREtMjWFET_j5OXlNJJJ-PBcNlydYVxfTH3GTmynR3dlz5gHMdlL5lUbsTq04dfLIa9WAG539KeWv_0XLqtStjKOBMuB0UR-kOi5VCQvtjM/s4032/20231217_171427.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDMS64qVoe80uuK9-Z5z4R1FBCqw1DRJYI1CLmb5ukBdyju5eCASW81enh0oaqODq1vS7rnm94EaApTwYfNREtMjWFET_j5OXlNJJJ-PBcNlydYVxfTH3GTmynR3dlz5gHMdlL5lUbsTq04dfLIa9WAG539KeWv_0XLqtStjKOBMuB0UR-kOi5VCQvtjM/w480-h640/20231217_171427.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">We arrived at the market before dark, so it was fun to see it transform as the darkness set in.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGemfgtc05uDTTGaGn8QYQwJYYNO3J-JYAf-AE_8kO_6TQkouus36y3Tbrk41RgG6Qn0YZCclVts-kBQ0kL5-Dk0onBfudSdUUDwI7VJFIPPjn-tKW0kJPwZdmHlpnvRKCG3WeL-IcC-PWaos6j286fzXkuepGh939eaiPe8aqiRE2yC_D2yovfk6F8r4/s4032/20231217_170405.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGemfgtc05uDTTGaGn8QYQwJYYNO3J-JYAf-AE_8kO_6TQkouus36y3Tbrk41RgG6Qn0YZCclVts-kBQ0kL5-Dk0onBfudSdUUDwI7VJFIPPjn-tKW0kJPwZdmHlpnvRKCG3WeL-IcC-PWaos6j286fzXkuepGh939eaiPe8aqiRE2yC_D2yovfk6F8r4/w480-h640/20231217_170405.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><h2 style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Konstanz</h2><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">We had visited <a href="https://www.constance-lake-constance.com/plan-book/top-events/christmas-market" target="_blank">Konstanz </a>earlier in the year to see <a href="https://bahousewifery.blogspot.com/2023/05/bodensee.html" target="_blank">Mainau Island</a>, but did not explore the city very much. The market lines the lake and was a nice size, not too busy and had a variety of booths. I was excited to eat Tirol Knodel which reminded me of last year's epic Christmas market trip to the <a href="https://bahousewifery.blogspot.com/2022/12/christmas-markets-of-northern-italy.html" target="_blank">Dolomites</a>.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgo8FlPbEDwFmV5RGKx0s-oMWshpThGZmvjdPa0wxIrkhiKQxQjt_KqkJTDon-98nDmdcNbjDI4MgxXswPpCKAUrEwOYWOCo6c6neWrmV49yiorEV5E5fpyeG7Bswq3JCK0IJuXwfSpkfW1QxzxMWjbCC1Jh3hHsXUFsZxeZysPJYzWk-Va9ro7KNVaAD4/s4032/20231218_120849.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgo8FlPbEDwFmV5RGKx0s-oMWshpThGZmvjdPa0wxIrkhiKQxQjt_KqkJTDon-98nDmdcNbjDI4MgxXswPpCKAUrEwOYWOCo6c6neWrmV49yiorEV5E5fpyeG7Bswq3JCK0IJuXwfSpkfW1QxzxMWjbCC1Jh3hHsXUFsZxeZysPJYzWk-Va9ro7KNVaAD4/w480-h640/20231218_120849.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><h2 style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Winterthur</h2><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://www.zuerich.com/en/visit/shopping/christmas-winterthur" target="_blank">Winterthur </a>was our first market in Switzerland and was just a quick stop before arriving in Zurich. The market was very small, but we enjoyed some delicious apple rings with vanilla sauce. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC_TqLZUw8zC4sBv1jqFc3yzJt_EMe-YRPh1xRYys4SQ48HggFJkee82Q3Hasz60WbdtAU7tcPG1eHGfaWCshWfDGIBRQvRKibeJB1qVumGbR-Th7kZ8mN3dtNLcFMuhzsEGR0OOJswTFWAen6JWIzmjmqf-n0ESUVC7ltU08-iHiJkqVEph7i85IJuuE/s4032/20231218_141148.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC_TqLZUw8zC4sBv1jqFc3yzJt_EMe-YRPh1xRYys4SQ48HggFJkee82Q3Hasz60WbdtAU7tcPG1eHGfaWCshWfDGIBRQvRKibeJB1qVumGbR-Th7kZ8mN3dtNLcFMuhzsEGR0OOJswTFWAen6JWIzmjmqf-n0ESUVC7ltU08-iHiJkqVEph7i85IJuuE/w480-h640/20231218_141148.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><h2 style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Zurich</h2><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://www.zuerich.com/en/visit/christmas-in-zurich/christmas-markets" target="_blank">Zurich </a>boasts several markets spread throughout the city and we visited them all (I think). Zurich proved to have an impressive array of food options that made my heart very happy. To name a few: Indian, empanadas, tacos, arancini, Ukrainian, African, Portuguese, Asian, Swiss (of course) and so much more. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I adored the <a href="https://www.zuerich.com/en/visit/shopping/zurcher-weihnachtsallee" target="_blank">Weihnachtsalle</a> market the most. Throughout the market were little booths styled like living rooms where you could sit and enjoy your gluhwein and food. I, sadly, did not snag any photos, so you'll just have to take my word for it. This market was also close to the one located in the train station which exceeded my expectations, as well. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://www.25hours-hotels.com/hotels/zuerich/langstrasse?gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAiA4smsBhAEEiwAO6DEjTZ3nxM86KrrAHfdTaLauO0L_efeudW4BndQuEbTqCZpXPmrkhwK_BoCab0QAvD_BwE" target="_blank">25hours Hotel Langstrasse</a>: I was in LOVE with our Zurich hotel! It was right down the street from the Weihnachtsalle and train station markets which made it super convenient for this trip. Aside from that, the hotel was so fun! It was decorated with a modern-vintage mix and had some really cool special touches. For example, there was a Polaroid camera in the room. You could buy film in the little lobby shop and use the camera around town. This hotel is now one of the benchmarks that I'll use to judge future hotels on our travels.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHLWpgJPizIOrITctkdFcRCETlm4G2VoE4_N4sYosQYZZ-Dsi91ei6EpOnKRdX-KDQtl2dtTvSKCxcpCcibZs26j2fUlh266BbS6iDwBpsh-JiH7rd2oBtWot_fqS0rL7mHApBT4BojE9uobsuREdNjYju9jDPIas4Jx6Rjg5e6my6ELvOTi8Kz86ZX6I/s4032/20231218_170127.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHLWpgJPizIOrITctkdFcRCETlm4G2VoE4_N4sYosQYZZ-Dsi91ei6EpOnKRdX-KDQtl2dtTvSKCxcpCcibZs26j2fUlh266BbS6iDwBpsh-JiH7rd2oBtWot_fqS0rL7mHApBT4BojE9uobsuREdNjYju9jDPIas4Jx6Rjg5e6my6ELvOTi8Kz86ZX6I/w480-h640/20231218_170127.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">I have been dreaming about arancini since visiting <a href="https://bahousewifery.blogspot.com/2022/02/southern-sicily.html" target="_blank">Sicily</a>. When I saw it at the train station market, I had to have one!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8yVDq3VjdZ2oZA4B9_f0GvmN9sLw-fwbkvEyp1eW0O6BsLcj7-NYpoPFuzUjLMcm47UAVFdsedKI5CB-dfqOTSy8oAPMIuppsYj1KIUmeUpvgQ-YJLq4dAUSVb5OZ1Ek4p-4tGeMD6chWA5_MccidDGWFel5tzyeBcsz2mFIvtVP3uNt4lbF3k-XSc0E/s4032/20231219_102158.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8yVDq3VjdZ2oZA4B9_f0GvmN9sLw-fwbkvEyp1eW0O6BsLcj7-NYpoPFuzUjLMcm47UAVFdsedKI5CB-dfqOTSy8oAPMIuppsYj1KIUmeUpvgQ-YJLq4dAUSVb5OZ1Ek4p-4tGeMD6chWA5_MccidDGWFel5tzyeBcsz2mFIvtVP3uNt4lbF3k-XSc0E/w480-h640/20231219_102158.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Breakfast on our first morning in Zurich was spent at <a href="https://babus.ch/" target="_blank">Babu's Bakery and Coffeehouse</a>. The hotel offered a breakfast add on, but it was a bit pricier than we wanted, so I opted to look for other spots in the area. Charles hates waiting in line for a restaurant, but I took a chance on this place despite the almost guaranteed wait. It was well worth it for this breakfast sandwich and my latte.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizcpwq1sJgVAWK_GejTTZ0CGBFGcu1xrhTxCNBLpJLpUpFyWjG4VJUHgwd29XSWPFrLwx4RZO0Im7q9TSALoJUgripYL96Jm6pgCxJG_nFvHa58vAsnLC-FI8L8j9zfAFVJsXUkTWEm8gVwmFiHlxgeJGrQ7IRATr5uFprugrqCd6Kqy0RCHsFf4Oi5PM/s4032/20231220_093406.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizcpwq1sJgVAWK_GejTTZ0CGBFGcu1xrhTxCNBLpJLpUpFyWjG4VJUHgwd29XSWPFrLwx4RZO0Im7q9TSALoJUgripYL96Jm6pgCxJG_nFvHa58vAsnLC-FI8L8j9zfAFVJsXUkTWEm8gVwmFiHlxgeJGrQ7IRATr5uFprugrqCd6Kqy0RCHsFf4Oi5PM/w480-h640/20231220_093406.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Our second morning was spent eating breakfast at <a href="https://www.bankzuerich.ch/" target="_blank">Bank </a>which had really cool latte art! I had a croissant breakfast sandwich that was good, but not as drool worthy as the previous day.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><h2 style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Mulhouse</h2><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">After stopping in <a href="https://www.basel.com/en/events/christmas/christmas-market?utm_source=adgrant&gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAiA4smsBhAEEiwAO6DEjUhkxvIeEGPnwVmYLyIeshF7XdBKBWqqO21XgqnyDi_SP3DasHOyjRoCnuMQAvD_BwE" target="_blank">Basel, Switzerland</a> and being very much disappointed in their market, we continued to the Alsace region of France for the next round of Christmas markets. Our base for the next two nights was <a href="https://www.christmas.alsace/mulhouse-christmas-market/" target="_blank">Mulhouse </a>(it's pronounced very differently from how it looks for English speakers). </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://www.hotel-mulhouse.com/" target="_blank">La Maison Hotel Mulhouse</a>: I had some high expectations for our hotel in Mulhouse. The website made it seem very hip and funky (we were worried that we were too "square" to stay there). But it was kind of a mixed bag. The common areas like the lobby and breakfast room were fantastically decorated for Christmas. If you enjoy a vintage, maximalist vibe, these rooms will make your heart sing. Our room was a bit of a disappointment in comparison, but still very comfortable and right around the corner from the Mulhouse Christmas market. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The Mulhouse market was on the smaller side, but in the shadow of the beautiful cathedral. The town is beautifully lit up for the market and hosts a little Christmas train that plays music as it drives you around the city. We could hear the train's music from our hotel room as it drove by. It was adorable!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Mulhouse is also where I discovered that vin chaud blanc is <i>far superior</i> to gluhwein. I have since reached out to my local community for a recipe so I can recreate it at home.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTeJWC62Jyeq5NOBDjBghLJAdVuaJzbuxVFP8K1nzRfOowGPJJIGupIbC8dDg1279ZdPpJuj8shIYu7G86Bck_Yu5CcOynu3eFyOUj74Y8kwVX3FEHn8ZgTJc50MFutyQKqLwMzSC0OpadCo48ZnIlIPrYR7AQbGYKeeTl378NgCitTgkSJGWhZW27uwM/s4032/20231220_162013.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTeJWC62Jyeq5NOBDjBghLJAdVuaJzbuxVFP8K1nzRfOowGPJJIGupIbC8dDg1279ZdPpJuj8shIYu7G86Bck_Yu5CcOynu3eFyOUj74Y8kwVX3FEHn8ZgTJc50MFutyQKqLwMzSC0OpadCo48ZnIlIPrYR7AQbGYKeeTl378NgCitTgkSJGWhZW27uwM/w480-h640/20231220_162013.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">A slight letdown about the markets in Alsace is they use plastic cups versus mugs for the hot wine. They were beautifully designed, but harder to hold with the hot beverage inside.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHM_dX6jX7-sxyaByzTZgyJifpOkJZX1dbJIW1rIPDICR6YupVF3XW-UXMOKtg47TjA6WLicZeSxb6tkUDLFcyGTjDeuc_Ch5BMFkLCC4s3HvbAMndKZ0yJyWlbGQ__GRbODSBvlkEjlM7l6I5WDRNlRQciFR0ljxx1JNGgBfQ8X6lDb-iMnCmZNw99fo/s4032/20231220_164327.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHM_dX6jX7-sxyaByzTZgyJifpOkJZX1dbJIW1rIPDICR6YupVF3XW-UXMOKtg47TjA6WLicZeSxb6tkUDLFcyGTjDeuc_Ch5BMFkLCC4s3HvbAMndKZ0yJyWlbGQ__GRbODSBvlkEjlM7l6I5WDRNlRQciFR0ljxx1JNGgBfQ8X6lDb-iMnCmZNw99fo/w480-h640/20231220_164327.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">We found a booth selling Canadian poutine at the Mulhouse market and ordered the Authentique poutine. It hit the spot!</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSUXZP3EOiAMdW-l0g-CqZBMsVgb0yJ6CR1QlP3vbLe1InwEx4107fQpjphetuqgirGSgothTHs_J4Sb_SUkpOByal9bhPSFXy4M-6zFQ27VWDjNBA8uozs3E4mPR72_2XErlwCVKXzlFCkOdy0dmfsVakY2gl7-lWA9StNghID2t6AiUtLFZyERzERg4/s4032/20231220_172901.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSUXZP3EOiAMdW-l0g-CqZBMsVgb0yJ6CR1QlP3vbLe1InwEx4107fQpjphetuqgirGSgothTHs_J4Sb_SUkpOByal9bhPSFXy4M-6zFQ27VWDjNBA8uozs3E4mPR72_2XErlwCVKXzlFCkOdy0dmfsVakY2gl7-lWA9StNghID2t6AiUtLFZyERzERg4/w640-h480/20231220_172901.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZH6RhZnOuEYUg5HNhyIux4HkTTNXP95z46lycdUM07oX7wruLWjhXGsz2VWkcH6CFS80PRiDVo0_GsRSscnN-W_Z8NQKzqOKwzSHT-PsoPPX-B6sOBIl9Ji2MJF4aqnS3WarpCx0xxvB-Sk-qG-2B73mwM_La-xEYFdb1ZNjeGdSbeYOFhicx8jjIk18/s4032/20231220_174035.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZH6RhZnOuEYUg5HNhyIux4HkTTNXP95z46lycdUM07oX7wruLWjhXGsz2VWkcH6CFS80PRiDVo0_GsRSscnN-W_Z8NQKzqOKwzSHT-PsoPPX-B6sOBIl9Ji2MJF4aqnS3WarpCx0xxvB-Sk-qG-2B73mwM_La-xEYFdb1ZNjeGdSbeYOFhicx8jjIk18/w480-h640/20231220_174035.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><h2 style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Eguisheim</h2><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://www.christmas.alsace/eguisheim-christmas-market/" target="_blank">Eguisheim </a>is a small town in the Alsace region. I had visited back in <a href="https://bahousewifery.blogspot.com/2023/05/eguisheim-and-riquewihr-france.html" target="_blank">March with friends</a> and loved it. With it all decked out for Christmas, it was just as magical. The market is very tiny with just a small selection of booths. But we enjoyed some vin chaud and window shopping. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikYU0ukW0_5kWbsHQYNU7A88otouSu3GoWx6MBZvDXZEMpJmMQbx5A_tiT2TlZAjA3-pJ9tpijVLduInMXqHaahjT1mpkWAXMPPRFGdekybW1GcKutrQhoU2axfWNQdQbHNY3f9Oww4CUtB2yT-kJY99pPiWEu9PPIXW3JryXyMyB-BLUiGv6JL81fkug/s4032/20231221_112710.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikYU0ukW0_5kWbsHQYNU7A88otouSu3GoWx6MBZvDXZEMpJmMQbx5A_tiT2TlZAjA3-pJ9tpijVLduInMXqHaahjT1mpkWAXMPPRFGdekybW1GcKutrQhoU2axfWNQdQbHNY3f9Oww4CUtB2yT-kJY99pPiWEu9PPIXW3JryXyMyB-BLUiGv6JL81fkug/w480-h640/20231221_112710.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Side note: The Eguisheim vin chaud booth charged a deposit (pfand, if you're familiar with the German term) for the plastic cup. However, they did not take the cups back so we were stuck with it.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><h2 style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Turkheim</h2><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Sadly we did not fully get to experience <a href="https://www.christmas.alsace/235016930-chasse-au-tresor-de-noel-turckheim-au-pays-des-lutins/" target="_blank">Turkheim</a>'s market. When I was researching for the trip I had noted that its market opened at 11am. We arrived around 12:30pm, but sadly it did not open until 2pm. We walked around the area and saw the shuttered whimsical and colorful booths. We did get to say hi to some sheep, so it wasn't a total loss.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZYcV7IAEdOIxkh9mWvIPb8ywT3S_bgt80B3pIreXAlui5mq7Qzz4uL4ThTklEDaDUpKhc0gu95KPDGg_mzDUHQdWh7ge-OylyrXpp9YZX_ytu_CauJnHZtTJveMcOGkoSVJ0ToU2zBULj8g73yTvdRJOWMcphpSsZB2woxhZdJwKDvlhaYZuOOBvkOE0/s4032/20231221_123214.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZYcV7IAEdOIxkh9mWvIPb8ywT3S_bgt80B3pIreXAlui5mq7Qzz4uL4ThTklEDaDUpKhc0gu95KPDGg_mzDUHQdWh7ge-OylyrXpp9YZX_ytu_CauJnHZtTJveMcOGkoSVJ0ToU2zBULj8g73yTvdRJOWMcphpSsZB2woxhZdJwKDvlhaYZuOOBvkOE0/w480-h640/20231221_123214.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><h2 style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Colmar</h2><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I visited <a href="https://bahousewifery.blogspot.com/2023/05/colmar-france.html" target="_blank">Colmar </a>twice in 2023, each time with different sets of friends. <a href="https://bahousewifery.blogspot.com/2023/06/petit-prince-and-alsace.html" target="_blank">Colmar </a>is an adorable town and often tops the Christmas market lists. There are a variety of markets spread around the town. Since I had been before, Charles left me in charge of navigating around which was a <i>huge </i>mistake. I am directionally challenged to say the least. We ended up walking in circles the whole afternoon. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Charles enjoyed a meal in the gourmet market. Aside from a yummy croissant bagel sandwich and tasty hot spiced apple juice, I was not in love with the <a href="https://www.christmas.alsace/235012289-magic-of-christmas-in-colmar/" target="_blank">Colmar market</a>. It was just too spread out and crowded for my taste.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhx92fqj31_v6-ZZ_aIDRTJOIOhmTZ0F2_OLhTEsatzKexIuTvsQ2-RrV79ucOc__XG1nVoMxC0u1eRdikIpGkm8g0HpzVDX70Ai2JZijA5ZGb0bY5IEu3NgRBip6DlYWyRkEKMioFuRUCpqWX4ouuQRiQrOMfYHCaJ65_inpC8of8QCqQUABGRYzIXbvw/s3264/20231221_145428.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3264" data-original-width="1836" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhx92fqj31_v6-ZZ_aIDRTJOIOhmTZ0F2_OLhTEsatzKexIuTvsQ2-RrV79ucOc__XG1nVoMxC0u1eRdikIpGkm8g0HpzVDX70Ai2JZijA5ZGb0bY5IEu3NgRBip6DlYWyRkEKMioFuRUCpqWX4ouuQRiQrOMfYHCaJ65_inpC8of8QCqQUABGRYzIXbvw/w360-h640/20231221_145428.jpg" width="360" /></a></div><div><br /></div>We had hoped to visit at least one more market on our 2023 Christmas Market spree, but it was unpleasantly rainy on the day of our departure from France, so we visited the <a href="https://www.cora.fr/" target="_blank">Cora </a>grocery store to stock up on some French goodies like crepes, butter and soap before heading home to relax after so much excitement. <div><br /></div><div>I hope you have a chance for your own Christmas market spree in 2024! </div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFomkDTRh8euWTzint0YcH6-uML_JxLXMFRtgXwHrAm3LgpZ4UoimG1qiGKtAO5Y1hrE5mJVit7OIC9skEyoYS0VMgS9K4JapUfpacTxfl4RUcu-w-8v9IpfeEH0NrqK5tZPOTWjol-oV5z8xYcsAQcWq4cLrpd4J7FKpK6U9QPcd5GHyhoSrMJUkR4mg/s1500/Christmas%20markets.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="1000" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFomkDTRh8euWTzint0YcH6-uML_JxLXMFRtgXwHrAm3LgpZ4UoimG1qiGKtAO5Y1hrE5mJVit7OIC9skEyoYS0VMgS9K4JapUfpacTxfl4RUcu-w-8v9IpfeEH0NrqK5tZPOTWjol-oV5z8xYcsAQcWq4cLrpd4J7FKpK6U9QPcd5GHyhoSrMJUkR4mg/w426-h640/Christmas%20markets.png" width="426" /></a></div>Kristenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09395982353422232042noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6490691579278995179.post-7623802177026224452023-11-06T13:53:00.000-05:002023-11-06T13:53:08.271-05:00Edinburgh, Scotland<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Our tour of Scotland was fast approaching its conclusion when we arrived at our last stop--Edinburgh. We began the visit with an introduction to our next Rick Steves guide and an orientation walk around the Grassmarket and the Royal Mile. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSWoxtLeIO4HMgAF66wzAVudpD8Jw27EVc0_5Btw0NX6FIoqel53Rz7ChhggbL1I3VEg_0QMaFpJdTCXr_W8YGpSLzOP3jxND5F3Gc_sNr6ECdQIoZCk6iL2xE6qwHgd4zrb5l4DUPPwmGP96qp0DjcTPZtm2bTv7pgZheUH4sw2tQku9XWylTElQMb_o/s4032/Edinburgh%20(2).jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSWoxtLeIO4HMgAF66wzAVudpD8Jw27EVc0_5Btw0NX6FIoqel53Rz7ChhggbL1I3VEg_0QMaFpJdTCXr_W8YGpSLzOP3jxND5F3Gc_sNr6ECdQIoZCk6iL2xE6qwHgd4zrb5l4DUPPwmGP96qp0DjcTPZtm2bTv7pgZheUH4sw2tQku9XWylTElQMb_o/w480-h640/Edinburgh%20(2).jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">After the walk, we ended up at a <a href="https://www.mammas.co.uk/" target="_blank">pizza place</a> for dinner where I finally had the chance to try some Scottish cider. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfIHpl4R2n6vnXo0bnO2XYUD4MzI205yQY7baNCIDgyAdfuquTMFpbBe4juRinuFNdlt_578rZOhZd3UBUpruyFL24dAVWt-3QGu5kcAFxbcQrLZ2iX_rBgIGblXXSz6ZRaII4oQHKKg4LlmYNxPyv6ArfCnv_NNWeyJqOowEk4Y_lOAMvjLAEqoOP1lM/s4032/Edinburgh%20(1).jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfIHpl4R2n6vnXo0bnO2XYUD4MzI205yQY7baNCIDgyAdfuquTMFpbBe4juRinuFNdlt_578rZOhZd3UBUpruyFL24dAVWt-3QGu5kcAFxbcQrLZ2iX_rBgIGblXXSz6ZRaII4oQHKKg4LlmYNxPyv6ArfCnv_NNWeyJqOowEk4Y_lOAMvjLAEqoOP1lM/w480-h640/Edinburgh%20(1).jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div><br /></div>The next day we started off our time with a guided tour of the city where we saw a lot of highlights.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCMuEypZ_pE4siZR6TQ9t6UCnlL6WYohLh_S1_xSalAQ2Ea65_RX_2cOQccHMizVfIWPg2pRnhhAVqf90vkip67diONFzfIvw0DAb_1GneIBGyQfkJXFoQS5TM4RdnlOZOcaP-z2bfFDyXowUqn_COeP3zvVnaEhB3DveT9gQ3zrH3spbxBa4gaVPeCwY/s4032/20231013_090435.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCMuEypZ_pE4siZR6TQ9t6UCnlL6WYohLh_S1_xSalAQ2Ea65_RX_2cOQccHMizVfIWPg2pRnhhAVqf90vkip67diONFzfIvw0DAb_1GneIBGyQfkJXFoQS5TM4RdnlOZOcaP-z2bfFDyXowUqn_COeP3zvVnaEhB3DveT9gQ3zrH3spbxBa4gaVPeCwY/w480-h640/20231013_090435.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgY8raLZ_PxN3v1VzkKvyi8BJ8yYA7Uk-3xFHWXsP0wVjZYBlAR-JBBTvG4R7xguAoBH_RlyWgoGUCsMQ_7_gdBOkxvNA1j9BUAxZIblAK-W0HAFEftPIGaI5XpiVTedd66_gOr61ZYFPpeCh_gkIsIgBlxQZz_KeKH6dGYWqDLqy5oO58Q2aHFFzjPhW4/s4032/20231013_110854.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgY8raLZ_PxN3v1VzkKvyi8BJ8yYA7Uk-3xFHWXsP0wVjZYBlAR-JBBTvG4R7xguAoBH_RlyWgoGUCsMQ_7_gdBOkxvNA1j9BUAxZIblAK-W0HAFEftPIGaI5XpiVTedd66_gOr61ZYFPpeCh_gkIsIgBlxQZz_KeKH6dGYWqDLqy5oO58Q2aHFFzjPhW4/w480-h640/20231013_110854.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_gbix6uvgk21QAxzDIOwyKSd_CaE_BsAsbbARbSqwKgxiKyH5CVSHXx7ciyNnh5fem2JYhBxnw497yVwhA0lbPoCUqjIY2ePmQinnkbjyTbGXDQdJw8ncDTRDkMyTioBBIM7D8CcmmnqcNEbzi0nBm7GwAIIeF7kHOVY9IiIE8D1kKXQwL_3l1JOCQLo/s4032/20231013_120938.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_gbix6uvgk21QAxzDIOwyKSd_CaE_BsAsbbARbSqwKgxiKyH5CVSHXx7ciyNnh5fem2JYhBxnw497yVwhA0lbPoCUqjIY2ePmQinnkbjyTbGXDQdJw8ncDTRDkMyTioBBIM7D8CcmmnqcNEbzi0nBm7GwAIIeF7kHOVY9IiIE8D1kKXQwL_3l1JOCQLo/w480-h640/20231013_120938.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">After our tour and time at the castle, we were hungry. With it being chilly, comfort food sounded good and we found a place called <a href="https://www.monstermashcafe.co.uk/" target="_blank">Mum's Great Comfort Food</a> that hit the spot. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7LK6T0OiiI-9RG2RGOao3UD6zOF3zhOKfvCCBr-xdOK36PxiMxanRgr4Qe2_b6jg8co966yjh1cAO7A-DwEIWapIbRf-uQ5zYHzsWAZy2O5dlU7cHR17gZFHkPQf2guuim_qmnhW_gNx3BQcc_JC5nA9tion-IgndSXx_zfmM8HcNZAO6GxFbHFtIsgg/s4032/Chicken%20and%20ham%20pie.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7LK6T0OiiI-9RG2RGOao3UD6zOF3zhOKfvCCBr-xdOK36PxiMxanRgr4Qe2_b6jg8co966yjh1cAO7A-DwEIWapIbRf-uQ5zYHzsWAZy2O5dlU7cHR17gZFHkPQf2guuim_qmnhW_gNx3BQcc_JC5nA9tion-IgndSXx_zfmM8HcNZAO6GxFbHFtIsgg/w640-h480/Chicken%20and%20ham%20pie.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">As a kid visiting Scotland I remember seeing and hearing bagpipe players on the street corner. I'm not sure if it was in Edinburgh or another Scottish city, but I was really hoping to experience that again on this trip. Edinburgh was THE spot! We saw several pipers in the few days we were there and it filled my heart with so much joy each time. Were they all super good? Probably not, but it didn't matter to me.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwlK9GPyHuog4mLh2ChcreC0RR3mpwFH-gPJfGI_la7_TddOURfqluAbr2xZgaNQdPaUAIBSfOGuY_K_BEi6YEmh2aUgfgP2iIMGG_TmBp9suobpargGTPQzl1Wztm5Pb5jBdHxxR3ITZf_XYJyqmFkbQMzu7l7g9PJ3o65r1CYy4nQ4zpo3Vrn01-Pco/s4032/Bagpiper.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwlK9GPyHuog4mLh2ChcreC0RR3mpwFH-gPJfGI_la7_TddOURfqluAbr2xZgaNQdPaUAIBSfOGuY_K_BEi6YEmh2aUgfgP2iIMGG_TmBp9suobpargGTPQzl1Wztm5Pb5jBdHxxR3ITZf_XYJyqmFkbQMzu7l7g9PJ3o65r1CYy4nQ4zpo3Vrn01-Pco/w480-h640/Bagpiper.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">On our final day in Edinburgh (and Scotland...sadness), we visited Holyrood Palace and the Scottish Parliament. I fell in love with the Parliament building, but did not take any pictures. The design of the building was so well thought out with the intention to really represent Scotland and be a place for the people of Scotland. It was beautiful. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeVKhDPWmLVqN3oiAfF_nhyphenhyphen8UBPQcoGODezyiYjlYwgYXrIjK5AONjqnDDWF93NkcEiL8oX9fPPC-GFMiOzrafw7WqydnqXXMC5BlzKKTM9HVduLnJpIg4DVWD-2gX2jp92Zh-GJuO2clbaiIOh4VXWfiXVlYKAB3eJQJmQsaDLXmtc2eOiY9fchA8BuE/s4032/Holyrood%20Palace%20(6).jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeVKhDPWmLVqN3oiAfF_nhyphenhyphen8UBPQcoGODezyiYjlYwgYXrIjK5AONjqnDDWF93NkcEiL8oX9fPPC-GFMiOzrafw7WqydnqXXMC5BlzKKTM9HVduLnJpIg4DVWD-2gX2jp92Zh-GJuO2clbaiIOh4VXWfiXVlYKAB3eJQJmQsaDLXmtc2eOiY9fchA8BuE/w480-h640/Holyrood%20Palace%20(6).jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">After lunch in the Parliament café and a bit of a stroll, we took a walking tour of the Edinburgh new town (circa Georgian period) with our Rick Steves guide and another couple from the group. It was an optional tour that most people skipped out on. But it was neat to see the difference in that part of town compared to the side that most tourists stick to. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Our tour ended at the <a href="https://www.nts.org.uk/visit/places/georgian-house/" target="_blank">Georgian House</a>. The whole time we walked through the house I felt like a Bridgerton. It was a neat museum to compare with the <a href="https://bahousewifery.blogspot.com/2023/10/glasgow-scotland.html" target="_blank">Tenement House from Glasgow</a>. </div></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKfBIZhCOx0N8uT-Ext86aAJwmKRkh7kxQPKpxcd3WY1yV9EFuVQHlUAY4-w6yAIEy3vd8MTZJU1vx2Fv_MB8_7o-GtT7nKyMcrEplPRi9RE2XQSBQUhALQ_B5qTaABat63Bn3aCR-9amTfHzXvqEouY-Ijbbr2IufGY1i0FBQo63Ctgdr59GsSrXSkHE/s4032/Georgian%20House%20(1).jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKfBIZhCOx0N8uT-Ext86aAJwmKRkh7kxQPKpxcd3WY1yV9EFuVQHlUAY4-w6yAIEy3vd8MTZJU1vx2Fv_MB8_7o-GtT7nKyMcrEplPRi9RE2XQSBQUhALQ_B5qTaABat63Bn3aCR-9amTfHzXvqEouY-Ijbbr2IufGY1i0FBQo63Ctgdr59GsSrXSkHE/w640-h480/Georgian%20House%20(1).jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />It was really hard to leave Scotland to return home. I would return in a heartbeat as there is so much more to see and experience.<div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAzOWGWBzKTHhSfVw3YD5SNFo49H8lSKlnflAec1Alz07KerGHkpopCWiaNq0HRlzUNk6VTYeaVb71Z0QwtbAFRmH36QefVXvEggWgegCfK3jQ2NAyojTs9i2C9NVYPEJT103p2jkgzt3q71dbKVYDVCZhkTva2MXn9K9RToinXuUPiIRaySyWBVtuDiw/s1500/Edinburgh.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="1000" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAzOWGWBzKTHhSfVw3YD5SNFo49H8lSKlnflAec1Alz07KerGHkpopCWiaNq0HRlzUNk6VTYeaVb71Z0QwtbAFRmH36QefVXvEggWgegCfK3jQ2NAyojTs9i2C9NVYPEJT103p2jkgzt3q71dbKVYDVCZhkTva2MXn9K9RToinXuUPiIRaySyWBVtuDiw/w426-h640/Edinburgh.png" width="426" /></a></div><p></p></div>Kristenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09395982353422232042noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6490691579278995179.post-15481823385841476342023-11-04T15:19:00.001-04:002023-11-04T15:19:17.050-04:00St Andrews, Scotland<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">It was time to leave Perthshire and make our way to Edinburgh! Up until this day, I had lucked out and not experienced significant motion sickness from the bus ride. However, the combination of sitting towards the back of the bus and curvy roads, even with medicine, meant the morning's bus ride was not a fun one for me. But I survived! </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Our first stop of the day was to St Andrews. We enjoyed a beautiful day in this picturesque city. We only saw a few of them, but St Andrews has a bunch of decorated Scotty dogs around town. Very cute!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheAukPW3bqhAiHsXYBUmUluOvieSK_SaV7q70GS43bzAQqOiUiMscos8NBrdtZt2Gp-PMFZW0KpQQ2RLY21T9BtqZlP4WZlcyzXjXyY6TFqAAih4AQw3ES36BMAvDBeatTfpy4Eb95ncCmbMKa5MYAoYC5cSDGouA1v4bUjQMpVnzMtn6NFfgodEMfGi4/s4032/St%20Andrews%20(3).jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheAukPW3bqhAiHsXYBUmUluOvieSK_SaV7q70GS43bzAQqOiUiMscos8NBrdtZt2Gp-PMFZW0KpQQ2RLY21T9BtqZlP4WZlcyzXjXyY6TFqAAih4AQw3ES36BMAvDBeatTfpy4Eb95ncCmbMKa5MYAoYC5cSDGouA1v4bUjQMpVnzMtn6NFfgodEMfGi4/w640-h480/St%20Andrews%20(3).jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">We visited the St Andrews castle ruins which included an audio guide. Our time in the city was somewhat limited, so we hurried through and snapped some pictures.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGNS62orbQcTB5vZeCUWmHJ-wP7TZlBsV0uC0HmooIQwkHHXgbRu6WYmjBs5uIQrOPd_5dmqp0G-FBOaUN67cEvsr1oJmVszLpkC3a0mYGU-byqYZ8JTO49PxFbBEee8C_-0klMSZhhnUbf50CizVbQ3-nAc0Y2VHCJWQROFaegKNMBKH0rKePbtYuXkA/s4032/St%20Andrews%20(8).jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGNS62orbQcTB5vZeCUWmHJ-wP7TZlBsV0uC0HmooIQwkHHXgbRu6WYmjBs5uIQrOPd_5dmqp0G-FBOaUN67cEvsr1oJmVszLpkC3a0mYGU-byqYZ8JTO49PxFbBEee8C_-0klMSZhhnUbf50CizVbQ3-nAc0Y2VHCJWQROFaegKNMBKH0rKePbtYuXkA/w640-h480/St%20Andrews%20(8).jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">We also walked around the St Andrews cathedral ruins. It was fun to imagine what the building would have been like before its ruin. </div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHCh3uz7i4qSQ5b59k7x2K9dICyQ1Uo6MHsktyu0r0AXRBJwXI97fmjb17xUH6UfSmUxDrh6LXQzRn69ELHGC1YZ_9sr_Gp9eUlgf5Y600Oy94fHT986e_EbEVmOPEOW5KfHoFWjKdbYUli5b7WdjQZSlJsHxKxvO7ZXnpANDQ800S063NdtLPC1t1c_E/s4032/St%20Andrews%20(23).jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHCh3uz7i4qSQ5b59k7x2K9dICyQ1Uo6MHsktyu0r0AXRBJwXI97fmjb17xUH6UfSmUxDrh6LXQzRn69ELHGC1YZ_9sr_Gp9eUlgf5Y600Oy94fHT986e_EbEVmOPEOW5KfHoFWjKdbYUli5b7WdjQZSlJsHxKxvO7ZXnpANDQ800S063NdtLPC1t1c_E/w480-h640/St%20Andrews%20(23).jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br />Next up was a stop to <a href="https://www.kingsbarnsdistillery.com/" target="_blank">Kingsbarns Distillery</a> for a tour and whiskey tasting. Charles and I decided that whiskey is not our thing, but it was interesting to learn about what goes into making the different types.<p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsosH-5eZ2ZGTM4VCs4Hj64afQD_7xoI12aSgdow_PuoZBCSTVH7j-1rmXSRm9S2vwBzLDRu_dSc77qreRWpzs92gdSmzPFTiT4M1qE1stpzAdZNYof6HFNs3h1bgGCuxxJaBOJpPFpIs3kvwCO5q7rnCZ4y02DQ1ZAMBWb0oNONz5X5kqL1sw5uoBaeg/s4032/Whiskey%20tasting%20(2).jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsosH-5eZ2ZGTM4VCs4Hj64afQD_7xoI12aSgdow_PuoZBCSTVH7j-1rmXSRm9S2vwBzLDRu_dSc77qreRWpzs92gdSmzPFTiT4M1qE1stpzAdZNYof6HFNs3h1bgGCuxxJaBOJpPFpIs3kvwCO5q7rnCZ4y02DQ1ZAMBWb0oNONz5X5kqL1sw5uoBaeg/w480-h640/Whiskey%20tasting%20(2).jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzVVJDPe9rkk2Li2BzWM-cIblrqu8QofalU3U8p9qcuUwhfYolqrBqL4dfpl5S5LU-8kyg5TuIFh7MAwMJMKZYsQHmZ0x6X0uqs-c9DmyHkNPTxJoDD81vvuevvNVec-5YeN83eoez0wjA3sEOZ5cG-XdZVCdgtJUgPdDTohhk-s7UmRUvhvlITpNtY_4/s4032/Whiskey%20tasting%20(1).jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzVVJDPe9rkk2Li2BzWM-cIblrqu8QofalU3U8p9qcuUwhfYolqrBqL4dfpl5S5LU-8kyg5TuIFh7MAwMJMKZYsQHmZ0x6X0uqs-c9DmyHkNPTxJoDD81vvuevvNVec-5YeN83eoez0wjA3sEOZ5cG-XdZVCdgtJUgPdDTohhk-s7UmRUvhvlITpNtY_4/w480-h640/Whiskey%20tasting%20(1).jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The last stop before arriving in Edinburgh was to the Firth of Forth. This spot has three bridges spanning the river, each a marvel of engineering. We also used this stop to toast our guide, Charlie, and driver, Jimmy, before they headed off. </div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqs1Fib5z_F_daSUKzjDoFv2fstBIIyafaG0twbIHOImfJMwiMZKEAn1OjcR6b7LESyovxRii2cirHM1ctUDhHXZiwzMrXRf_-6Fw5QxZpgk198VNDbTwsAQZwQx3Ijl_qEryymnMU7Y7rZe5arUtj_Eh-iipos07j39Yfe6SSQI_zpZ8MNsGpFi5aNSE/s4032/Firth%20of%20Forth%20(5).jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqs1Fib5z_F_daSUKzjDoFv2fstBIIyafaG0twbIHOImfJMwiMZKEAn1OjcR6b7LESyovxRii2cirHM1ctUDhHXZiwzMrXRf_-6Fw5QxZpgk198VNDbTwsAQZwQx3Ijl_qEryymnMU7Y7rZe5arUtj_Eh-iipos07j39Yfe6SSQI_zpZ8MNsGpFi5aNSE/w480-h640/Firth%20of%20Forth%20(5).jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRFwJzm1Wwv6cT48YK5tPGacsB8CCkLlC6hi0Pe5JwxiW6ttbBcdns6cCjXgF3UelmfFqFpL0HObP0s86Whsa24MoX3bQp8t26SZlOfcTLZd-0lLOA8fCLu9tf7A2qws0CRqTIWWAk-tCwDa8vDIy4nZHcCHg_k5v6MbM_TxhOuybfvaZzC5qPfBmqNDw/s4032/Firth%20of%20Forth%20(2).jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1949" data-original-width="4032" height="310" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRFwJzm1Wwv6cT48YK5tPGacsB8CCkLlC6hi0Pe5JwxiW6ttbBcdns6cCjXgF3UelmfFqFpL0HObP0s86Whsa24MoX3bQp8t26SZlOfcTLZd-0lLOA8fCLu9tf7A2qws0CRqTIWWAk-tCwDa8vDIy4nZHcCHg_k5v6MbM_TxhOuybfvaZzC5qPfBmqNDw/w640-h310/Firth%20of%20Forth%20(2).jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidUoljqTX0pSpITOZLRypZH7hJAt-XOIYVxvF9UCvqdFRmxQpWiZctpXoaQB-RcRh-IoMuK-tWcBTGMqJZDmhvAK2SW3aQKbpfs1ao_GtVxoTLP8bmGegiOI-PYNRXZPXbJz0lqW1Utc9pO5j7gNQIIOCI6LjJIICaOQbkZvdVGSgG89oERiKreGg5a7g/s1500/St%20Andrews.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="1000" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidUoljqTX0pSpITOZLRypZH7hJAt-XOIYVxvF9UCvqdFRmxQpWiZctpXoaQB-RcRh-IoMuK-tWcBTGMqJZDmhvAK2SW3aQKbpfs1ao_GtVxoTLP8bmGegiOI-PYNRXZPXbJz0lqW1Utc9pO5j7gNQIIOCI6LjJIICaOQbkZvdVGSgG89oERiKreGg5a7g/w426-h640/St%20Andrews.png" width="426" /></a></div><p></p>Kristenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09395982353422232042noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6490691579278995179.post-77333163118453535122023-11-02T11:06:00.000-04:002023-11-02T11:06:51.333-04:00Perthshire, Scotland<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Our next day was spent exploring more of Perthshire. Starting from our hotel, <a href="https://www.lochrannochhotel.com/" target="_blank">Loch Rannoch</a>, we bussed to the <a href="https://crannog.co.uk/" target="_blank">Crannog Center</a>. This Iron Age outdoor living history museum was filled with lots of interactive areas despite its current small size. I love museums like this so I was very excited for the visit. It was really interesting to learn about pottery, textiles, food and other things from the Iron Age. This museum is currently expanding to a larger site to include rebuilding a replica crannog. This will be high on my wish list for a return visit to Scotland!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIUx2GRRAbJf3VuTjQnRUL4ZJmXj3PaBo6lvuJeJQZWGQi3XSmGUkph93Yw8K2z_QqEqvhfnNShp4qkzTeSmexXSf7ixS9o_5ZwIyAylAId_oxAMIgcxGt-oYoW5eKkrV_IsP2MCpwABcAq4my40vMz9mMzTH2b6jSNKZJ4K1nX-WAKJiklgRhkuhO3xU/s4032/Crannog%20Center%20(2).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIUx2GRRAbJf3VuTjQnRUL4ZJmXj3PaBo6lvuJeJQZWGQi3XSmGUkph93Yw8K2z_QqEqvhfnNShp4qkzTeSmexXSf7ixS9o_5ZwIyAylAId_oxAMIgcxGt-oYoW5eKkrV_IsP2MCpwABcAq4my40vMz9mMzTH2b6jSNKZJ4K1nX-WAKJiklgRhkuhO3xU/w640-h480/Crannog%20Center%20(2).jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtC5AeVFtqxuzuijF6_vxWejFo9vz4n0mJ3zxaHWslNhpCUAqAwF2xEs2AUqCaz6foTHHfw-rAK_7X8MXt_weWV0WzQOU1PY-pr6jO1l8D0Kq-0_MCPHDbRrQhC4K-WV8_xAzjA7J4YZxsci5x_BzgAQFEBp8Rwi7GCT8jguowT4K43pmdqy8IWIlrl-Q/s4032/Crannog%20Center%20(5).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtC5AeVFtqxuzuijF6_vxWejFo9vz4n0mJ3zxaHWslNhpCUAqAwF2xEs2AUqCaz6foTHHfw-rAK_7X8MXt_weWV0WzQOU1PY-pr6jO1l8D0Kq-0_MCPHDbRrQhC4K-WV8_xAzjA7J4YZxsci5x_BzgAQFEBp8Rwi7GCT8jguowT4K43pmdqy8IWIlrl-Q/w480-h640/Crannog%20Center%20(5).jpg" width="480" /></a></div><p>We also visited a park with a beautiful waterfall! Unfortunately, this was a quick stop so we did not have a lot of time to explore the trails. It was a beautiful day for a walk in the woods, though!</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeMgkuVgAjmG9Py2xwKPkpfxumCkQ5d6xxiBQZaT8weAyXYtdwlA_b9r7-d9TYi4rKwRDe0TvhersEN29FB0nuxDKDH5PygVvCn3_Cn6meSEDqYBbMdcrxc8emfGu_lCsgGFrkxzJrjjauSDzGN1lro0fw13vUd-gIDjTZ5yrAi9Pq_IJ-JOkk1J2EStc/s4032/Waterfall%20visit%20(7).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeMgkuVgAjmG9Py2xwKPkpfxumCkQ5d6xxiBQZaT8weAyXYtdwlA_b9r7-d9TYi4rKwRDe0TvhersEN29FB0nuxDKDH5PygVvCn3_Cn6meSEDqYBbMdcrxc8emfGu_lCsgGFrkxzJrjjauSDzGN1lro0fw13vUd-gIDjTZ5yrAi9Pq_IJ-JOkk1J2EStc/w640-h480/Waterfall%20visit%20(7).jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYoQEeLn9sErdx7h_pxpSzJrjQxPaJpJ24lrZgavfYtfQ-s47kYLlrHzDDzLgqxd3co4iJNDHR9iQyd4Z_IYKe7tULEwRup0FiAAbZO3q4cq2j9r8AELC3SjwdndIJh5C4JbKcTnFmM_GoLRPr8FwNA7bsghQONurLr47uO-FVMy2TpT551bEPNYVMS_o/s4032/Waterfall%20visit%20(3).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYoQEeLn9sErdx7h_pxpSzJrjQxPaJpJ24lrZgavfYtfQ-s47kYLlrHzDDzLgqxd3co4iJNDHR9iQyd4Z_IYKe7tULEwRup0FiAAbZO3q4cq2j9r8AELC3SjwdndIJh5C4JbKcTnFmM_GoLRPr8FwNA7bsghQONurLr47uO-FVMy2TpT551bEPNYVMS_o/w480-h640/Waterfall%20visit%20(3).jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv3e5S_eJ0PY2yLs6hF-xZBCBH58Zi-iT0cMuNf430C1dHQMIWmQd7AJlvK03zl4CmhJPMgSEEmIVgBugzvxoo_R6pVq3ne0Qj8qmvx-4aI4MZMwGh1HOGtjAszDS6PRr2GtWx-rPdOMuH24kxi3dt4w6MCCYN1ot1nefd1AOxrJQNTbnMf-ynKpVJB_k/s4032/Waterfall%20visit%20(1).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv3e5S_eJ0PY2yLs6hF-xZBCBH58Zi-iT0cMuNf430C1dHQMIWmQd7AJlvK03zl4CmhJPMgSEEmIVgBugzvxoo_R6pVq3ne0Qj8qmvx-4aI4MZMwGh1HOGtjAszDS6PRr2GtWx-rPdOMuH24kxi3dt4w6MCCYN1ot1nefd1AOxrJQNTbnMf-ynKpVJB_k/w480-h640/Waterfall%20visit%20(1).jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">For lunch, we stopped in Dunkeld. Charles and I enjoyed our sandwiches and soup at a little <a href="https://www.corbeniccamphill.co.uk/dunkeld-shop" target="_blank">café </a>with a charitable cause. The café also had a super cute shop where we picked up some postcards and a souvenir for ourselves.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">After lunch, we had a walking tour that included the Dunkeld Cathedral and surrounding area.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgK3hZcSbwlP9qzT6CKURp1mRuPCOLR38t1DsuqamNao16ti-jmCvrB6j6G49YgNBwOvERml9JcsN7qzDM0X-CLza8T-_-yW56lfeuiRqRDWnWTVD4GgVnPCAps7g57o95MlMdiGYIqvt5FhFf_DbqcwU0unZR4akH_B4SWhhoy8Ej-zSzYCZrMyBeO5YI/s4032/Dunkeld%20(6).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgK3hZcSbwlP9qzT6CKURp1mRuPCOLR38t1DsuqamNao16ti-jmCvrB6j6G49YgNBwOvERml9JcsN7qzDM0X-CLza8T-_-yW56lfeuiRqRDWnWTVD4GgVnPCAps7g57o95MlMdiGYIqvt5FhFf_DbqcwU0unZR4akH_B4SWhhoy8Ej-zSzYCZrMyBeO5YI/w480-h640/Dunkeld%20(6).jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH031_tvK7YomTJSZd8_Odle4eMGw8dxD67Jm8eVX5dK3yqV7pZJHmUiRF4t7yT6JlXwQmMffwGH4BJr9ZSEifUs2GQqxGRedTrXtPvNfklMHGVEiPbOjU6QfIKF_30QfDV57BXUSFC5YMnNk7ALav1OOUFkF9oZ6BiruuF1JP7ebThJ_mZ0Umk3RPibY/s4032/Dunkeld%20(2).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH031_tvK7YomTJSZd8_Odle4eMGw8dxD67Jm8eVX5dK3yqV7pZJHmUiRF4t7yT6JlXwQmMffwGH4BJr9ZSEifUs2GQqxGRedTrXtPvNfklMHGVEiPbOjU6QfIKF_30QfDV57BXUSFC5YMnNk7ALav1OOUFkF9oZ6BiruuF1JP7ebThJ_mZ0Umk3RPibY/w640-h480/Dunkeld%20(2).jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAtB_3y18oxSgEWx9bIkwCbQuhean9BkiSWbq-BHtIiZCYtCgbomHtvEb2ItwgwG8tgFis4AOyMkiLAedtFbUPvTaAJywW04LOK5fSiAa9DNlWn-iNSB3umbe7JBG1snAeGXD4QI1W-uiY1ILhJnkKYal13GfNMs1nBjwkwTR8QAQ8fvXmMOB0KiJ3lAs/s1500/Perthshire.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="1000" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAtB_3y18oxSgEWx9bIkwCbQuhean9BkiSWbq-BHtIiZCYtCgbomHtvEb2ItwgwG8tgFis4AOyMkiLAedtFbUPvTaAJywW04LOK5fSiAa9DNlWn-iNSB3umbe7JBG1snAeGXD4QI1W-uiY1ILhJnkKYal13GfNMs1nBjwkwTR8QAQ8fvXmMOB0KiJ3lAs/w426-h640/Perthshire.png" width="426" /></a></div>Kristenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09395982353422232042noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6490691579278995179.post-76264732040724448402023-10-31T04:36:00.000-04:002023-10-31T04:36:03.409-04:00Onto Perthshire, Scotland!<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Sadly our time in Inverness came to a close and our group was off to the next destination--Perthshire! </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">On the journey towards the hotel, we made a few stops. The first was to a cooperage. They make and refinish whiskey barrels for distilleries. We were able to watch as they worked while learning more about the process. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEge2Yt_G9HH_A8UW9GhSbp03XynFF4QU_OnhpOZgs4ndk4tfNnuqBZnf6RN1dvHVGhxXQsbIFVGJyTdYYqZ__gYss_BXflxNO5gHLCCtilDntGjLHRA2eMV6n1CZlWkGCxBpTRVtXKg6vgYckjuvWqKqO1WzMLTm0Ah9B0qea2sg3b4XxRMEEJSulntceA/s4032/Cooperage%20(3).jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEge2Yt_G9HH_A8UW9GhSbp03XynFF4QU_OnhpOZgs4ndk4tfNnuqBZnf6RN1dvHVGhxXQsbIFVGJyTdYYqZ__gYss_BXflxNO5gHLCCtilDntGjLHRA2eMV6n1CZlWkGCxBpTRVtXKg6vgYckjuvWqKqO1WzMLTm0Ah9B0qea2sg3b4XxRMEEJSulntceA/w640-h480/Cooperage%20(3).jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbSvDEa2LjTIuA8MxDL3PHVJS4plFaJA4EKVQ5T047C1FMayeaEtMx2kH9OIQjwnGmVGYiqxhPYaAadOjvCYYrygv3o0ekhEfj6-xk6Q6OBeM0lCmxnWCj-8wrmv0w-MCeDWMdXJY4u_SiWgoYMtEb8l7Dq5TgVB9IeOJvZUW0kE4C1aU7_N4wRDDLMyo/s4032/Cooperage%20(14).jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbSvDEa2LjTIuA8MxDL3PHVJS4plFaJA4EKVQ5T047C1FMayeaEtMx2kH9OIQjwnGmVGYiqxhPYaAadOjvCYYrygv3o0ekhEfj6-xk6Q6OBeM0lCmxnWCj-8wrmv0w-MCeDWMdXJY4u_SiWgoYMtEb8l7Dq5TgVB9IeOJvZUW0kE4C1aU7_N4wRDDLMyo/w480-h640/Cooperage%20(14).jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Another stop was to see a sheep dog demonstration. Wow! Those are smart dogs! The sheep dog owner also has a baby coo (Highland cattle) that we were able to meet. Charles had the opportunity to feed her, too.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSGop0ELwcgrBboDW9ggyLPSOKywzJRCk4DLLIolUlkaEAn4I5CehyphenhyphendhHa9S20aGiOc7Y17HzjIeBwbVLpkB7k7-42Ik__jyqMDPqM0gX9p2OlxATSjHSZAyTErmP4cVqYxM1jnHUW19sgK-sIemWMgJo6ghskJiPR4_aOrKKUZhD_CAGL7oOut20blKY/s4032/Sheep%20Dog%20and%20Coo%20visit%20(1).jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSGop0ELwcgrBboDW9ggyLPSOKywzJRCk4DLLIolUlkaEAn4I5CehyphenhyphendhHa9S20aGiOc7Y17HzjIeBwbVLpkB7k7-42Ik__jyqMDPqM0gX9p2OlxATSjHSZAyTErmP4cVqYxM1jnHUW19sgK-sIemWMgJo6ghskJiPR4_aOrKKUZhD_CAGL7oOut20blKY/w480-h640/Sheep%20Dog%20and%20Coo%20visit%20(1).jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjycyb4Z-ofKsohaLTXyRA790L-qaSy7b4ospU8u-6Ufo9dDYjbns2_fwwqmfxHkxCHnQNeOE7QhxKXYZ5Ntkvx256Q7IGrE4VLGxYrmXcVT-zbrX3boyR8Nu5noTqcG6jcT4hbqktj9lTMnEj3-1hF3VFSnfzqEMRtXMh21UJDD6NiZX-oAy-664LIsGI/s4032/Sheep%20Dog%20and%20Coo%20visit%20(7).jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjycyb4Z-ofKsohaLTXyRA790L-qaSy7b4ospU8u-6Ufo9dDYjbns2_fwwqmfxHkxCHnQNeOE7QhxKXYZ5Ntkvx256Q7IGrE4VLGxYrmXcVT-zbrX3boyR8Nu5noTqcG6jcT4hbqktj9lTMnEj3-1hF3VFSnfzqEMRtXMh21UJDD6NiZX-oAy-664LIsGI/w640-h480/Sheep%20Dog%20and%20Coo%20visit%20(7).jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">After dinner at our <a href="https://www.lochrannochhotel.com/" target="_blank">hotel</a>, we were treated to a show from famed female bagpiper, Gilly. She was so entertaining! She told us about how she became a bagpiper (to get a guy) and all her adventures as a female piper. She has so much personality and it was fun to listen to her stories in-between her bagpiping.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOCI4mEHaLf5zvr2aLudLPNBs1F4IECGWEKHyw7vwXMmpr6lc2a1wciWCdTK2rvlw4EKVT8i-o1q7W_S6dIPoVJLPovM9ysoQf7kFUdHFGx3wfYgiIpb3lleKPjnx4FyEH_g8tMaGi7JZNIf4n4x29v15pJ_JB-H0pgNyYoUc7d7jODZO6jNGx1SGK3_M/s1207/Gilly%20bagpiper%20(3).jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1207" data-original-width="1207" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOCI4mEHaLf5zvr2aLudLPNBs1F4IECGWEKHyw7vwXMmpr6lc2a1wciWCdTK2rvlw4EKVT8i-o1q7W_S6dIPoVJLPovM9ysoQf7kFUdHFGx3wfYgiIpb3lleKPjnx4FyEH_g8tMaGi7JZNIf4n4x29v15pJ_JB-H0pgNyYoUc7d7jODZO6jNGx1SGK3_M/w640-h640/Gilly%20bagpiper%20(3).jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVzbjSy4RGy3FLxeiCl2GgjnGYQ6o6ltQGHlpR_NzeoX389E5LeVpFAe7bGmh6dw8cBXAUKtg89EmCTyzzfJTgyUo6NHlo7I0ilG8llk0Qqm71JFdDbFNvnd02D9M-GLKABcO0ZDnHIHSP4o7h7LDbu3LXdSAtnm33-g2Rbo1yGTWJN6inyAxUrvZHW3o/s1500/Perthshire.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="1000" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVzbjSy4RGy3FLxeiCl2GgjnGYQ6o6ltQGHlpR_NzeoX389E5LeVpFAe7bGmh6dw8cBXAUKtg89EmCTyzzfJTgyUo6NHlo7I0ilG8llk0Qqm71JFdDbFNvnd02D9M-GLKABcO0ZDnHIHSP4o7h7LDbu3LXdSAtnm33-g2Rbo1yGTWJN6inyAxUrvZHW3o/w426-h640/Perthshire.png" width="426" /></a></div><p></p>Kristenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09395982353422232042noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6490691579278995179.post-50205993242014407472023-10-30T11:59:00.001-04:002023-10-30T11:59:14.317-04:00Inverness, Scotland<p>After our two nights in Glasgow, we headed to Inverness to start our tour with the <a href="https://www.ricksteves.com/" target="_blank">Rick Steves tour group</a>! We had originally booked a train from Glasgow to Inverness, but after some record-breaking rain, the trains were cancelled. Luckily Charles did his research and booked bus tickets as a backup before they sold out. </p><p>We arrived in Inverness and quickly walked from the bus station to our hotel to meet up with the group for an orientation. We were supposed to arrive an hour earlier, but arrived right at the start of the orientation so we had to go in soaking wet from the rain. We met everyone, including our guide, and received a nice introduction to the tour. We checked into <a href="https://www.glen-mhor.com/" target="_blank">Glen Mohr</a> for our two nights and relaxed for a bit before our group Inverness Orientation Walk and dinner at <a href="https://www.mustardseedrestaurant.co.uk/" target="_blank">The Mustard Seed</a>.</p><p>Our hotel was situated right by the river. Due to the heavy rainfall, the river was dangerously close to the banks. </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1IWM6tQOyuI6VLsTNBzkQCMWw2ELQ6G2KoNJKFUU9uvnTK9qB0keDCd_jvzuvNcyyyLsKySyEb5jP9wtuwRZ9c6ea7KK-cBzS5dB9OQv1GdfEYBYDFnZVoo8iVJcjVlP9iv-QpC0f4KJhkmBFIHKy5z_4WOgJMhpa2z5lXh63Svch2PZtHt4IiYaONvA/s4032/Inverness%20river%20(12).jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1IWM6tQOyuI6VLsTNBzkQCMWw2ELQ6G2KoNJKFUU9uvnTK9qB0keDCd_jvzuvNcyyyLsKySyEb5jP9wtuwRZ9c6ea7KK-cBzS5dB9OQv1GdfEYBYDFnZVoo8iVJcjVlP9iv-QpC0f4KJhkmBFIHKy5z_4WOgJMhpa2z5lXh63Svch2PZtHt4IiYaONvA/w640-h480/Inverness%20river%20(12).jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The next day was filled with lots of activities! After our breakfast at the hotel, we were off to Loch Ness for a boat ride to <a href="https://www.historicenvironment.scot/visit-a-place/places/urquhart-castle/" target="_blank">Urquhart Castle</a>. Unfortunately, no one spotted Nessie. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipIrrxz8JcI1N0vVsTuidayMtV3hSKfBgZESgiNjK_bqqgxlMO3SynVKTQpf2acp8allwdiYln6HXEYA9gY4YDgnsPzQfq82WkaN5eCSgMpFLfIn7sIez5mhhyphenhyphenh0QcyxycTb7YikLsfDNIQbIMqjvDI36XmXpoVCMrA6Sy7qNZ-bWyN8mEdiWtyr6ziQ0/s4032/Loch%20Ness%20cruise%20(4).jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipIrrxz8JcI1N0vVsTuidayMtV3hSKfBgZESgiNjK_bqqgxlMO3SynVKTQpf2acp8allwdiYln6HXEYA9gY4YDgnsPzQfq82WkaN5eCSgMpFLfIn7sIez5mhhyphenhyphenh0QcyxycTb7YikLsfDNIQbIMqjvDI36XmXpoVCMrA6Sy7qNZ-bWyN8mEdiWtyr6ziQ0/w640-h480/Loch%20Ness%20cruise%20(4).jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgzmSYAkL69T3M3fa_FaNPSr_ziH-jGcusQGzRhmVFyUPyXYh8dzF5pjskoVE9mCeZoosJiYaWhmGkvat_BcaZ03tUeWDYs5WGmDTY3-XEHaRU8gJ3xWuGR-xQo7uqDOaNJKEihvReDstP0XhUBXy-Yi2EWdvZuEoB6EPaqqEI-te4t5kgbpSLEjJOwSM/s4032/Loch%20Ness%20cruise%20(5).jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgzmSYAkL69T3M3fa_FaNPSr_ziH-jGcusQGzRhmVFyUPyXYh8dzF5pjskoVE9mCeZoosJiYaWhmGkvat_BcaZ03tUeWDYs5WGmDTY3-XEHaRU8gJ3xWuGR-xQo7uqDOaNJKEihvReDstP0XhUBXy-Yi2EWdvZuEoB6EPaqqEI-te4t5kgbpSLEjJOwSM/w480-h640/Loch%20Ness%20cruise%20(5).jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN6hxP_qqEgmWh4Cq2bhYWGUDCAs4YcsIU1Oijfg7jcO8G1oPsg9tMqaXnwIvOCkEburrkwvuq_SxC6bwo0PV6Uc_AQCyUO_2_3y3KHp4CfJBpYkDU48JJx1MG5i9C27P_SVmIIOCk3Pn6WyxJ916cgigbd5Rxoxm4q3N1NvR26fKcgiJMrNYPdgTPlbg/s4032/Loch%20Ness%20cruise%20(24).jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN6hxP_qqEgmWh4Cq2bhYWGUDCAs4YcsIU1Oijfg7jcO8G1oPsg9tMqaXnwIvOCkEburrkwvuq_SxC6bwo0PV6Uc_AQCyUO_2_3y3KHp4CfJBpYkDU48JJx1MG5i9C27P_SVmIIOCk3Pn6WyxJ916cgigbd5Rxoxm4q3N1NvR26fKcgiJMrNYPdgTPlbg/w640-h480/Loch%20Ness%20cruise%20(24).jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicta0I9mfX6skeVf_lzlg_ShZ_LlyNknrprS5-piGdidUD5VXKbYE27ePqUlHAke08IYbQWTxuaiPCiiPb-eNLcQ8YBxswEDZzaqUliFs8IQMwciwFFrf-NJJ6bv1l30lafkw5NDZNyLtfPbRg523tUTJhAe08NQ3VJy3zD1oOu2qZSUehE_FHIT-z4Ak/s4032/Urguhart%20Castle%20(7).jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicta0I9mfX6skeVf_lzlg_ShZ_LlyNknrprS5-piGdidUD5VXKbYE27ePqUlHAke08IYbQWTxuaiPCiiPb-eNLcQ8YBxswEDZzaqUliFs8IQMwciwFFrf-NJJ6bv1l30lafkw5NDZNyLtfPbRg523tUTJhAe08NQ3VJy3zD1oOu2qZSUehE_FHIT-z4Ak/w480-h640/Urguhart%20Castle%20(7).jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimxxW7S_H_78b4gxscCh1t_gR-llRibnlndtB3F-2j_DvOOya5iJnAIjqGuKWDFwMChtbPKqKoNppyGirx1qzg_sjj4Pi2wmEIN0cOd34NfyMjW37z1AN-_KQTgCj8OzMIHIDCEZdijm6p4tui_1VH_HJigDfaPEYlb8tCIPechtEIK9woxDOKOHmSVs4/s4032/Urguhart%20Castle%20(11).jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimxxW7S_H_78b4gxscCh1t_gR-llRibnlndtB3F-2j_DvOOya5iJnAIjqGuKWDFwMChtbPKqKoNppyGirx1qzg_sjj4Pi2wmEIN0cOd34NfyMjW37z1AN-_KQTgCj8OzMIHIDCEZdijm6p4tui_1VH_HJigDfaPEYlb8tCIPechtEIK9woxDOKOHmSVs4/w480-h640/Urguhart%20Castle%20(11).jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">This little bird was happy to hang out while tourists (like ourselves) snapped his picture. </div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhNJ3-ZxfyaQhablMLwSk8X2Q3aXxb5BBBAohA4pBcAr9_tqaDz9VnsUb-p7NPjZS42fOvYTq3S3n3Y7mAN9ckKdwQWnCRM4jvHZo6OcpBfg2THVP5gMjEyGYbHVCfoG3ojXHIS0iv1PMQHcHtsy0cWuNMrOzoI88Cx9Kdzawil69ifwQa5DgCJzvd2fU/s2474/Urguhart%20Castle%20(16.2).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2474" data-original-width="2474" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhNJ3-ZxfyaQhablMLwSk8X2Q3aXxb5BBBAohA4pBcAr9_tqaDz9VnsUb-p7NPjZS42fOvYTq3S3n3Y7mAN9ckKdwQWnCRM4jvHZo6OcpBfg2THVP5gMjEyGYbHVCfoG3ojXHIS0iv1PMQHcHtsy0cWuNMrOzoI88Cx9Kdzawil69ifwQa5DgCJzvd2fU/s320/Urguhart%20Castle%20(16.2).jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Another stop of the day was to <a href="https://www.historicenvironment.scot/visit-a-place/places/clava-cairns/" target="_blank">Clava Cairns</a>. Have you heard of Stonehenge? This place is similar. No one knows the purpose of these stone mounds and structures. Our guide encouraged us to come up with our own theories while walking around the area. I am amazed that this place is completely free to visit. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLvU0q8zDQa02DSjQcrM_hItsT2rKu5mdXd2gkwXwpdYrOndi9wumqVx2kKhrjdGUo5vpScgGjQjF9lK9AxqtWLSuk6mjiCFrIj0o5stV31H3sdDAzrngx7E2wbCrDmlyo1MAIjkl6kFb_eoL1cD48nnE7eVXeQwDwpMqiIptw61dsUZf109JZvmVKI4k/s4032/Clava%20Cairns%20(11).jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLvU0q8zDQa02DSjQcrM_hItsT2rKu5mdXd2gkwXwpdYrOndi9wumqVx2kKhrjdGUo5vpScgGjQjF9lK9AxqtWLSuk6mjiCFrIj0o5stV31H3sdDAzrngx7E2wbCrDmlyo1MAIjkl6kFb_eoL1cD48nnE7eVXeQwDwpMqiIptw61dsUZf109JZvmVKI4k/w480-h640/Clava%20Cairns%20(11).jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Another stop was to <a href="https://www.nts.org.uk/visit/places/culloden" target="_blank">Culloden Battlefield</a>. Honestly, my expectations for pretty low for this stop. Why would I care about a battlefield? However, after spending an hour with our battlefield guide, this became one of my favorite stops of the trip. She provided us so much interesting history about the Jacobites and the history of the battle. It was also interesting to think about how history could have been completely different if the outcome of the battle was different. Would America be what it is? Would the French Revolution happened? </div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGHEtoo6dp7Q2mqdSWsy6pZtQCzovQDozqzOWcjfHreS5-xJ6rIw96cuI6AMktGNauZIFG2HM_vqThcYuN7u37sL87ApxxCn5ruVvF70M62RJyNx7ie-I1nj8vjOsmM0ZTRI_unWoRDO_CpZgt36by8CKu2FN9ynzfydxZsa0RWHvAoPXJNYVJFAMD5fs/s4032/Culloden%20(2).jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGHEtoo6dp7Q2mqdSWsy6pZtQCzovQDozqzOWcjfHreS5-xJ6rIw96cuI6AMktGNauZIFG2HM_vqThcYuN7u37sL87ApxxCn5ruVvF70M62RJyNx7ie-I1nj8vjOsmM0ZTRI_unWoRDO_CpZgt36by8CKu2FN9ynzfydxZsa0RWHvAoPXJNYVJFAMD5fs/w640-h480/Culloden%20(2).jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">At the battlefield, stones were added to represent several clans that were part of the battle. These were added much later on and not necessarily historically accurate. I looked for clan markers for my ancestors, but did not spot them. Mixed clans it is!</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOMeeqXRG1Y1nh5wH7fVlD1YNTPcWL7VLBJY8Wp9z-yslxgCkLpjihpO3sc-3QFg36fYMHKnw3zEeK6CU2DbSlfUZWnQ0uBnYEUrgJ2n5DNyWyKug0waUGq_-UFq-DDkwVCqnWbXIbxestrN0uQx8Nm2R6_Fw0fyIZI4jD9WmE3ywAFZOPDyIIoIYIaZI/s4032/Culloden%20(4).jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOMeeqXRG1Y1nh5wH7fVlD1YNTPcWL7VLBJY8Wp9z-yslxgCkLpjihpO3sc-3QFg36fYMHKnw3zEeK6CU2DbSlfUZWnQ0uBnYEUrgJ2n5DNyWyKug0waUGq_-UFq-DDkwVCqnWbXIbxestrN0uQx8Nm2R6_Fw0fyIZI4jD9WmE3ywAFZOPDyIIoIYIaZI/w480-h640/Culloden%20(4).jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Throughout the tour, our guide gave us snacks and treats to try. This was our first taste of whiskey and Scottish tablet. Tablet is the Scottish version of fudge.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhf-o-33HeAh8Arrdi8g2u04QicOh3DOqUn8N_MB_Z4TSU4c7r9t0kRudTgkxGDt-iNPB2KYmd0_q0vIMPcGpqP0-hYcCrWBBaTsZcBgu0zHe8zoDg7v9bn15Kb16iEPl-W0LccQhLe4f_F_rvshbxO0QEzeRB1SUrD0-xfm2jPmTJl5VV0APnbgUOMsT4/s4032/Whiskey%20and%20Tablet.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhf-o-33HeAh8Arrdi8g2u04QicOh3DOqUn8N_MB_Z4TSU4c7r9t0kRudTgkxGDt-iNPB2KYmd0_q0vIMPcGpqP0-hYcCrWBBaTsZcBgu0zHe8zoDg7v9bn15Kb16iEPl-W0LccQhLe4f_F_rvshbxO0QEzeRB1SUrD0-xfm2jPmTJl5VV0APnbgUOMsT4/w640-h480/Whiskey%20and%20Tablet.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9hBZJKBIHke79hnUGkd6DmKKJbG7f0hexOBCLEQuJfzcYPjoIllTJ7GJo3kG7EQDmM3sMNuDXDiyb7auAHfTj4qiIXnK5fB-aUeZ351GsjAS622rnNn7UDlv1fo4wcEA83ru7e1R1h7HDPWJ_uiiMUj1Sej5EaXtb37gviVZx41n9p-ShPkRyI-c_YPA/s1500/Inverness.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="1000" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9hBZJKBIHke79hnUGkd6DmKKJbG7f0hexOBCLEQuJfzcYPjoIllTJ7GJo3kG7EQDmM3sMNuDXDiyb7auAHfTj4qiIXnK5fB-aUeZ351GsjAS622rnNn7UDlv1fo4wcEA83ru7e1R1h7HDPWJ_uiiMUj1Sej5EaXtb37gviVZx41n9p-ShPkRyI-c_YPA/w426-h640/Inverness.png" width="426" /></a></div><p></p>Kristenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09395982353422232042noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6490691579278995179.post-67008368253989187192023-10-29T06:30:00.000-04:002023-10-29T06:30:33.847-04:00Glasgow, Scotland<p>To celebrate fifteen years of marriage, we booked a trip to Scotland! When I was a little kid, my family visited Scotland and I fell in love with the green landscape and bagpipers on the street corner. Ever since I have been dreaming of my return. </p><p>Most of our trip was spent with our <a href="https://www.ricksteves.com/" target="_blank">Rick Steves tour group</a> (more on that later), but the first day was spent in Glasgow on our own. We flew into Glasgow airport, took the airport shuttle bus downtown and explored the city. I wish we could have spent more time in Glasgow, but that just means we will have to return in the future to see more. </p><p>Our first excursion was meant to be a <a href="https://www.tripadvisor.com/AttractionProductHighlight-g186534-d24166934-Gothic_Glasgow_Walking_Tour-Glasgow_Scotland.html" target="_blank">spooky tour of Glasgow</a> the first night we arrived. However, with 100% chance of rain (and a lot of rain at that), we opted to skip out. It sounded like it was going to be a really interesting tour, so I am a little bummed that the weather was so poor. Next time... </p><p>On our first full day, we headed to the <a href="https://www.nts.org.uk/visit/places/the-tenement-house" target="_blank">Tenement House</a>. It's a small museum for a slice of life in Glasgow's recent past. We visited something similar in <a href="https://bahousewifery.blogspot.com/2022/07/seeing-bulgarias-communist-roots.html" target="_blank">Bulgaria </a>so I was curious to see this place. It did not take very long to go through it all, but it was fun to look at all the old everyday items that were showcased throughout the museum. They also had a fantastic gift shop! </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjM0ecv9pghMkxhWe2lwQhXJ596AasZ93cRH5G2O1rXnBNuoO8jLLth5N81F8sDgP93KKMcpdE365BxY0O6BaznficXLvj0HUBq5Njl_vecQMUndQm1KaRB_c9GXBOpG0-wlMJWL95b_H-M_pumnLFyH48WXqbdebb4kqX0UrQoUjJlDvZqbKdAIMopdX8/s4032/Tenement%20House%20(2).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjM0ecv9pghMkxhWe2lwQhXJ596AasZ93cRH5G2O1rXnBNuoO8jLLth5N81F8sDgP93KKMcpdE365BxY0O6BaznficXLvj0HUBq5Njl_vecQMUndQm1KaRB_c9GXBOpG0-wlMJWL95b_H-M_pumnLFyH48WXqbdebb4kqX0UrQoUjJlDvZqbKdAIMopdX8/w640-h480/Tenement%20House%20(2).jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVRmDIynT-qrCZRIR7bHoXNe4PqwlOBfvSv1Nrt2UlXOCp7jGupZyPw_ic-zHAgVxI5bCxsyE3W-7hgCIDkw_W0tgWX7B45PQxLRa2LUX4Z3vfX606JNQE1egQA3EV4ALkv_91O2rf_AFrp0Qt8vJJsbl9ehchJ3JJ0p2zNvYV-HYEzKhxf1IYNxAYsz4/s4032/Tenement%20House%20(1).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVRmDIynT-qrCZRIR7bHoXNe4PqwlOBfvSv1Nrt2UlXOCp7jGupZyPw_ic-zHAgVxI5bCxsyE3W-7hgCIDkw_W0tgWX7B45PQxLRa2LUX4Z3vfX606JNQE1egQA3EV4ALkv_91O2rf_AFrp0Qt8vJJsbl9ehchJ3JJ0p2zNvYV-HYEzKhxf1IYNxAYsz4/w640-h480/Tenement%20House%20(1).jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Glasgow is known for its plethora of street art. Next time I visit, I hope to take a street art walking tour to see more of it. However, just walking around we saw quite a few pieces. This one is said to depict their patron saint, Saint Mungo. </div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3o7dMp_1_MPvzxyx5ArVSc8u2d2_NOZkypZX4FdGV8wLidiW9RXL5PswgVKr0aTxVCLyEATgqSiuZo2e_1XwLGJL4J1Q8GvE8daZkje8GYlvakWuEdTiAUq_olwdLvXinIVC5k8YUBTQsdmFSlqSdMIN8cxqm3qVT16ccAX1O37406tsl-MPFSVEGpvE/s4032/Street%20Art%20(11).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3o7dMp_1_MPvzxyx5ArVSc8u2d2_NOZkypZX4FdGV8wLidiW9RXL5PswgVKr0aTxVCLyEATgqSiuZo2e_1XwLGJL4J1Q8GvE8daZkje8GYlvakWuEdTiAUq_olwdLvXinIVC5k8YUBTQsdmFSlqSdMIN8cxqm3qVT16ccAX1O37406tsl-MPFSVEGpvE/w640-h480/Street%20Art%20(11).jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">When in the UK, you almost have to do two things: ride on a double decker bus and drink tea. Well, we crossed off both of those in one go with an <a href="https://www.tripadvisor.com/AttractionProductReview-g186534-d14038032-Glasgow_Afternoon_Tea_Experience-Glasgow_Scotland.html" target="_blank">afternoon tea experience</a> <i>ON </i>a vintage double decker bus! It was a rainy day, so this was a convenient way to see the city while sipping on delicious tea and enjoying little sandwiches and desserts.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEDRXDryvs8WXlHPcu-81OQLfuzhSJonHtNN1qOANUffQXGz-9lQGtlI9bEr5g186kw2xXRRnvQq3KkY0bNNwumWEC_ljqqKr6WRWJGrMvzKwol3A7IVfYFOFkh-vrdbi2htjyR9L8ABBtWOujxH81fXiNZMqpn6WdoCJ2j_JnFNk1EkbjyCMZMmVj8nQ/s4032/Afternoon%20Tea%20(4).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEDRXDryvs8WXlHPcu-81OQLfuzhSJonHtNN1qOANUffQXGz-9lQGtlI9bEr5g186kw2xXRRnvQq3KkY0bNNwumWEC_ljqqKr6WRWJGrMvzKwol3A7IVfYFOFkh-vrdbi2htjyR9L8ABBtWOujxH81fXiNZMqpn6WdoCJ2j_JnFNk1EkbjyCMZMmVj8nQ/w480-h640/Afternoon%20Tea%20(4).jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">After our ride around Glasgow, we walked over to the Glasgow Cathedral to see it. We have visited many churches and cathedrals around Europe. This one had the most number of people working (or volunteering?) inside. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4i2oC0n4fnaCxQAKAXfBnw60mM4U7h3BXLqzGuNToz27Hvpo3xqjP47pP2Rhp9YeBOoCvISwmS0lgZ_GAkbGBtUJT-AJBbopHJI5uyIk4pp2GwXAvAST1S0wkEbPTR6m38npDSpcesgbiC_WIitn8__Rrpg4ozLQD1_zlHFzCXP2lJf8Rsv-j9Fdgbww/w480-h640/Glasgow%20Cathedral%20(8).jpg" width="480" /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div>One really great thing about visiting Scotland is that it's an English speaking country. I love visiting other places in Europe, but there was something so convenient about not having to translate restaurant menus. For our final dinner in Glasgow, we opted to visit <a href="https://www.stackandstill.co.uk/welcome.php?uri=https://www.stackandstill.co.uk/" target="_blank">Stack & Still</a> for pancakes. They offer both sweet and savory options. We ordered one savory and one sweet and shared. </div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcUSCLGAH8-vlI0loRAvtmxEOprBZ9fDqCCGvC094RM43E0CNbhP6lHkYH4rFzVJzpKY3NgxknFnRD0G0au1047O7BCmeLhZP7MleUfumRNJrDN3vjeQlwFYKVOhYZsTdUe-HRfp42tS2fwdLEwXYAx3wXhS34uFQhx9I-PWpA1DpXsHckzzh86xJd8pU/s4032/Stack%20and%20Still.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcUSCLGAH8-vlI0loRAvtmxEOprBZ9fDqCCGvC094RM43E0CNbhP6lHkYH4rFzVJzpKY3NgxknFnRD0G0au1047O7BCmeLhZP7MleUfumRNJrDN3vjeQlwFYKVOhYZsTdUe-HRfp42tS2fwdLEwXYAx3wXhS34uFQhx9I-PWpA1DpXsHckzzh86xJd8pU/w480-h640/Stack%20and%20Still.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3o08O2GUcdpjHrEGavjYUMrcoKWB78YSeNjEpSzfP4EAwzX9g3LO9_GNjJPa6cf_5LWOIkMlKMlMebT9wVO-8eyfmNkiZNbns0uNMPSBAb8kzCpg7070Eo8xi_HwzceAF_F64gmEiYiaTVnDIS5wUoYI1fIRn3ANcXSl_AElovBECIWeutNHjNNu1jJA/s1500/Glasgow.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="1000" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3o08O2GUcdpjHrEGavjYUMrcoKWB78YSeNjEpSzfP4EAwzX9g3LO9_GNjJPa6cf_5LWOIkMlKMlMebT9wVO-8eyfmNkiZNbns0uNMPSBAb8kzCpg7070Eo8xi_HwzceAF_F64gmEiYiaTVnDIS5wUoYI1fIRn3ANcXSl_AElovBECIWeutNHjNNu1jJA/w426-h640/Glasgow.png" width="426" /></a></div><p></p>Kristenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09395982353422232042noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6490691579278995179.post-29029720631629229882023-09-16T09:06:00.005-04:002023-09-16T09:06:38.659-04:00Oberammergau, Germany<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Charles had a work trip to Oberammergau. For years, whenever he has had a work trip planned he asks if I want to go. In the past, I had work or some other commitments that prevented me from tagging along. But this time nothing held me back! </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">He had been to Oberammergau once before, but in the winter, and raved about it. I was excited to visit this time of year. Germany is beautiful in September and October. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglDESNDLNJkUSy-wwvgT4WkckV22lH4iaNqMglboYJVLeGvjZjOg_gwLGc4MzI3TxLYU-CBeghIDdCmaMGHXWzU2fGDLqoIiMjehQwRNQiVcuE5l_qybSv3PmnktzPDD4RMH7AnAHGDcWGnAhOstocaYOLGV50m6OfPNdskZDHqX4hobGgbIEAumzYqzI/s4032/20230910_190156.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglDESNDLNJkUSy-wwvgT4WkckV22lH4iaNqMglboYJVLeGvjZjOg_gwLGc4MzI3TxLYU-CBeghIDdCmaMGHXWzU2fGDLqoIiMjehQwRNQiVcuE5l_qybSv3PmnktzPDD4RMH7AnAHGDcWGnAhOstocaYOLGV50m6OfPNdskZDHqX4hobGgbIEAumzYqzI/w640-h480/20230910_190156.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">We stayed at <a href="https://www.hotel-in-oberammergau.de/" target="_blank">Hotel Garni Fux</a> and had a spacious suite. This was our view! Oberammergau is a small town and everything is walkable, so I don't think you can go wrong choosing any hotel in town for the walkable convenience. Hotel Fux was no different, but the place was great! Our stay included breakfast which was the perfect way to start my day. </div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2j_r-hPWGfG1EIpYTmbH1S19gdw953_r7E3oVPCWRnIC8u-0j043kp0qDtZOmK6SiP6tt1nIMvS6wCKHZHVJQCMLNdZF38QskUO_bJGhVcLHD6PzbEFAp3Fci2dEKQCwVaC-BSINz7-2TLTNtMp9tJTGWy8ERsLBPdg7eZJqtY14Pfu39thEBiIYqWZI/s4032/20230915_082805.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2j_r-hPWGfG1EIpYTmbH1S19gdw953_r7E3oVPCWRnIC8u-0j043kp0qDtZOmK6SiP6tt1nIMvS6wCKHZHVJQCMLNdZF38QskUO_bJGhVcLHD6PzbEFAp3Fci2dEKQCwVaC-BSINz7-2TLTNtMp9tJTGWy8ERsLBPdg7eZJqtY14Pfu39thEBiIYqWZI/w480-h640/20230915_082805.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Hotel Fux was dog-friendly which suited Suzie perfectly. She spend a lot of time snoozing the day away in comfort.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSJQZMIgk_7k2yh2twCPl5-O_tugURsnq4_cYj-OS2m3PTawkxXANAPEZbphuIC_kT_W7HMkYYMfVMxnRReNtCqvzgmrtPY9cgUoyFvsQ6Sl1NJ2auu16FzQm-bz6CubzLNIjNRsiTXzEmFEkagse579UAKztr4N_CEBN9orM7cJVlRa-4EG0s5uF5mq0/s4032/20230915_090347.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSJQZMIgk_7k2yh2twCPl5-O_tugURsnq4_cYj-OS2m3PTawkxXANAPEZbphuIC_kT_W7HMkYYMfVMxnRReNtCqvzgmrtPY9cgUoyFvsQ6Sl1NJ2auu16FzQm-bz6CubzLNIjNRsiTXzEmFEkagse579UAKztr4N_CEBN9orM7cJVlRa-4EG0s5uF5mq0/w480-h640/20230915_090347.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Everywhere you look in Oberammergau there are beautiful flowers! </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjq5pdnTUaXPea02qkno_8mAeCl1CxnY6Dc0IHCQ34l7m6PPKMwuGo_zR4lFFPVkh7j6LlLF27dEx5UqmG2bqs-anz4kK4EcD0a4XO02SnHTGbDtJ38b9hc1K9NaPMQfY5JywJJxIznpHdLjeif5cE6Dv5H0qKhNbEK8PpkIS_qfxCZr_-XyTWAFKs2m0I/s4032/Oberammergau%20church%20(4).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjq5pdnTUaXPea02qkno_8mAeCl1CxnY6Dc0IHCQ34l7m6PPKMwuGo_zR4lFFPVkh7j6LlLF27dEx5UqmG2bqs-anz4kK4EcD0a4XO02SnHTGbDtJ38b9hc1K9NaPMQfY5JywJJxIznpHdLjeif5cE6Dv5H0qKhNbEK8PpkIS_qfxCZr_-XyTWAFKs2m0I/w480-h640/Oberammergau%20church%20(4).jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYdkf06B77IQdWLGUyCVjfKRAljxqprpnkZOEkJN2cEIp4pt8xEp5-wO8cwPw-gyF-uVcb3_b04HDaCZ3f5Oe2gia4OVlxLfu8ZUADzRutHZNz2UMCG9GODT0thDetKQxG3ch5IxC_4QaYPEPoDuZeeQOo9dveUne9U4Bi-SoW7l8Y3b1rvVX8AYovuvI/s4032/Oberammergau%20church%20(1).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYdkf06B77IQdWLGUyCVjfKRAljxqprpnkZOEkJN2cEIp4pt8xEp5-wO8cwPw-gyF-uVcb3_b04HDaCZ3f5Oe2gia4OVlxLfu8ZUADzRutHZNz2UMCG9GODT0thDetKQxG3ch5IxC_4QaYPEPoDuZeeQOo9dveUne9U4Bi-SoW7l8Y3b1rvVX8AYovuvI/w480-h640/Oberammergau%20church%20(1).jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I explored the church and churchyard while in town. </div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVeWRw1kwxAb4JQw81jLaQdFcn5sczgHrXBqYrJYST7Z6rFCpLnhBugsXRTKiBjA1IWtjMSYnMj5x1fec0TmB8uBGFn1onIqHdzo1DcgS8H24pbSV4bB5MYxz8hPsq69uzYqbnzxI7hcTvHmalElM6mZvsAP1lF76sC0rdXncg9fu4Jt-bv7V5y3Rpdng/s4032/Oberammergau%20Museum%20(2).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVeWRw1kwxAb4JQw81jLaQdFcn5sczgHrXBqYrJYST7Z6rFCpLnhBugsXRTKiBjA1IWtjMSYnMj5x1fec0TmB8uBGFn1onIqHdzo1DcgS8H24pbSV4bB5MYxz8hPsq69uzYqbnzxI7hcTvHmalElM6mZvsAP1lF76sC0rdXncg9fu4Jt-bv7V5y3Rpdng/w480-h640/Oberammergau%20Museum%20(2).jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Oberammergau has a long history of woodworking. The <a href="https://www.oberammergaumuseum.de/de" target="_blank">Oberammergau Museum</a> had great displays showcasing the talent. We purchased the combined ticket and visited the <a href="https://www.passionsspiele-oberammergau.de/en/home" target="_blank">Passion Play Theater</a> afterward. <i>Save 1 Euro on the ticket if you're staying in Oberammergau, BTW.</i> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The Passion Play has been performed every ten years (with some exceptions throughout the long history) in Oberammergau since 1634. It started off as a promise to God during the plague. The most recent play was performed in 2022 (postponed due to COVID) and will be back on schedule again in 2030. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHPKTXfAKUNdzN_RzJtvt4ZGymMmVlB7mDafMx4hPbfkUaeSHjgLRrbgZm8L5GS8fUXw83RD0FJOfzOP7UrrYSiyyyiMjANoG3IhyxG2hcNgJQ8p6MCq0o3hnsugXzK_rbKkvosM-WLmJGS50rSUIUJEfmAl-jdM0xlH0aF-gL5vZjnWtFtsCZQYbagpM/s4032/20230910_175755.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHPKTXfAKUNdzN_RzJtvt4ZGymMmVlB7mDafMx4hPbfkUaeSHjgLRrbgZm8L5GS8fUXw83RD0FJOfzOP7UrrYSiyyyiMjANoG3IhyxG2hcNgJQ8p6MCq0o3hnsugXzK_rbKkvosM-WLmJGS50rSUIUJEfmAl-jdM0xlH0aF-gL5vZjnWtFtsCZQYbagpM/w480-h640/20230910_175755.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">We ate really well while staying in Oberammergau. On our first night in town we enjoyed dinner at <a href="https://dumplingsushi.webador.de/" target="_blank">Dumpling and Sushi</a>. The avocado bowl was so delicious! I kind of wish we had gone back and tried other items from their menu. It all sounded so good.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEga9CxPXKOHbzRzDper4yrb0w6tN3NqjwFUFRe-UdJ1WDYWlY0ElGH6DFTFyQ157h-KXehSbp-AOWBgTvX3JpK-VVoJcY2ASK2P6HxtGbuQ0gG2QyCHRfjVvi7XYX9TWZXY0y3KbUfcmJ1JdNTq0KT6Kimo48Gh_1NOYe7EIEwizMXEJriwsYy_lFXM7e8/s4032/20230915_090103.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEga9CxPXKOHbzRzDper4yrb0w6tN3NqjwFUFRe-UdJ1WDYWlY0ElGH6DFTFyQ157h-KXehSbp-AOWBgTvX3JpK-VVoJcY2ASK2P6HxtGbuQ0gG2QyCHRfjVvi7XYX9TWZXY0y3KbUfcmJ1JdNTq0KT6Kimo48Gh_1NOYe7EIEwizMXEJriwsYy_lFXM7e8/w480-h640/20230915_090103.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">We found this place while walking around town on the first evening and returned later in the week. They specialize in burgers and they were worth the wait! I had the <a href="https://hoerbis.com/" target="_blank">Hipster burger</a> which had a habanero-blueberry sauce. It was very messy, but very tasty! The crispy sweet potato fries were an excellent compliment; one order was enough for the two of us to share.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2AFaCC568uFzyBVnQzMbA9m3bh1-9YaflkZyqoEgitYka08jCgd-DtNCMp-QlOqjZAhZ4TOkZFyOJ4y2-RJgQA8vcCCG38iczq0CVs6IbGoDiu6YsuxNvY5i6BpxBCFdarbP7n0ZCsnM9JRUVvWaV1774s0MvEMkzgcX54CqFcGIO2zh7rw7uacFBvFo/s3646/Ettal%20(2).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2816" data-original-width="3646" height="494" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2AFaCC568uFzyBVnQzMbA9m3bh1-9YaflkZyqoEgitYka08jCgd-DtNCMp-QlOqjZAhZ4TOkZFyOJ4y2-RJgQA8vcCCG38iczq0CVs6IbGoDiu6YsuxNvY5i6BpxBCFdarbP7n0ZCsnM9JRUVvWaV1774s0MvEMkzgcX54CqFcGIO2zh7rw7uacFBvFo/w640-h494/Ettal%20(2).jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">On a previous trip to Garmisch, we had visited the <a href="https://www.kloster-ettal.de/" target="_blank">Ettal Abbey</a> but decided to visit again while in Oberammergau. The inside is very ornate which seems at odds with it being a home to monks. Make sure to pick up some beer or liquor while visiting. </div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbFiN6R4MVSaTHB9hQkvZH7iNTZVoO94dSy1mfrMICzVhzNrjvAbxQB3s1r9ReyRfVGv-hdw6ZN5UfsMMfilf1bKep7zTQIsRwiERKQpDzC1BN81J_LvgFWIvmKhaJsNXcu603N1d0nd89TD7OrsAynsy_SC1KhiPyu-__XESl-zHg8Pon2ATC0CMGouk/s4032/20230915_125209.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbFiN6R4MVSaTHB9hQkvZH7iNTZVoO94dSy1mfrMICzVhzNrjvAbxQB3s1r9ReyRfVGv-hdw6ZN5UfsMMfilf1bKep7zTQIsRwiERKQpDzC1BN81J_LvgFWIvmKhaJsNXcu603N1d0nd89TD7OrsAynsy_SC1KhiPyu-__XESl-zHg8Pon2ATC0CMGouk/w640-h480/20230915_125209.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Lastly, on our way home we stopped to see the <a href="https://www.neuschwanstein.de/" target="_blank">Neuschwanstein Castle</a>. It is one of those places you kind of have to see at least once while visiting or living in Germany and this seemed like the best time to cross it off our list. Even though I did a bit of research in advance, I did not realize the uphill hike it would take to get to the bridge for this viewpoint. Well, now that's done!</div><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3W8DRrEyYxm4IHJkisUvODOXnJXw0ah6I0reXMsjjh_YSaFGLKgmj6ZsZ9IC8UUBP3564OvCLiavSaOkbcPdAwTEXwjcjrzEZkusLjEJurYIfMBwrLSHdByBGw6FVZg3KqQCUqgINPweBwn7rslGZv0Ew0JN_v0Y59SslERWDIW3PcwKBW4DqzfmOvxM/s1500/Oberammergau.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="1000" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3W8DRrEyYxm4IHJkisUvODOXnJXw0ah6I0reXMsjjh_YSaFGLKgmj6ZsZ9IC8UUBP3564OvCLiavSaOkbcPdAwTEXwjcjrzEZkusLjEJurYIfMBwrLSHdByBGw6FVZg3KqQCUqgINPweBwn7rslGZv0Ew0JN_v0Y59SslERWDIW3PcwKBW4DqzfmOvxM/w426-h640/Oberammergau.png" width="426" /></a></div><br /> <p></p>Kristenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09395982353422232042noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6490691579278995179.post-47049301833366399662023-09-06T03:54:00.003-04:002023-09-06T03:54:59.895-04:00Belgrade, Serbia<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">For Labor Day weekend, we jetted off to Serbia. Why? The flight on Wizz Air was affordable and it gave us another country to cross off our list. I do not know anyone who has visited before, so I went in with little knowledge about the city. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">We stayed at <a href="http://www.hotelnevski.com/sr/" target="_blank">Hotel Nevski</a> which was in a convenient location to the places we wanted to see while in town for the long weekend. The room was huge and the breakfast spread was plenty to fill us up for days of touring the city. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">After checking in, we headed to Republic Square and the <a href="http://www.narodnimuzej.rs/" target="_blank">National Museum of Serbia</a>. They had a ton of great pieces of art on display including some very well known names like Picasso, Degas and more. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvcjv5FTHAmoWkNArmZbkc0agZXFeHujLoMAzqYF5XM5gm50lLy1KIRR3__ey3rOR-9A2ihyhWtgHJ6eSeCuODIF2lr45hGdVpxJfn7ngrMO86gzUhggkWmdnNtLyU9trJ5JsusasFqTvKpQ-12ly4KKEGGVEAO06-FeM9H3ER7GEAFPtgqz6_DDcwm_w/s4032/20230902_160706.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvcjv5FTHAmoWkNArmZbkc0agZXFeHujLoMAzqYF5XM5gm50lLy1KIRR3__ey3rOR-9A2ihyhWtgHJ6eSeCuODIF2lr45hGdVpxJfn7ngrMO86gzUhggkWmdnNtLyU9trJ5JsusasFqTvKpQ-12ly4KKEGGVEAO06-FeM9H3ER7GEAFPtgqz6_DDcwm_w/w640-h480/20230902_160706.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">A major attraction in Belgrade is the <a href="https://www.beogradskatvrdjava.co.rs/" target="_blank">Belgrade Fortress</a> and Kalemegdan Park. We booked a walking tour through Tripadvisor. Part of the tour included the underground tunnels/bunker which was a really cool (literally and figuratively) part to see. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEighbolw9bGntjv4z8gVLgiWMrX4r7lxs6UE8zYQbgN-iHm7ImUQXsc9VI4mi4VBWZpXd-l4mBACstbP3kiEQlswTe7p8rwCS6UtymomIJUKIN9CrMJLi3D0lzlZnZbSSD62Z_oQQdqWOuHngrvXujfeD9rHZeiyhYz47y0G-2xGGEOq8vnf_Hnee5ARuI/s4032/20230903_111650.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEighbolw9bGntjv4z8gVLgiWMrX4r7lxs6UE8zYQbgN-iHm7ImUQXsc9VI4mi4VBWZpXd-l4mBACstbP3kiEQlswTe7p8rwCS6UtymomIJUKIN9CrMJLi3D0lzlZnZbSSD62Z_oQQdqWOuHngrvXujfeD9rHZeiyhYz47y0G-2xGGEOq8vnf_Hnee5ARuI/w480-h640/20230903_111650.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">This statue was originally in the town center back in the day, but was moved up here because it was offensive to the lady folk. Delicate ladies should not have to gaze upon a naked man. ;)</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiv_nWGA5RU5cboKo5EpiVYHlvXc_Sg2HbC-wE8Vtk8I27h6bKjygEDBHVY2sTnUWDN7oxU2krF5C4IBbT9Cr-ukEb_ZYVdllXGp8Zqr6klPHTnayjWUUJmmG9GczMSEgmjElaCBsuiE85ffBs6mPbBU6uepu1BlSzqVDgfOqgujmQv83PWHladFZTMxE/s4032/20230903_112741.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiv_nWGA5RU5cboKo5EpiVYHlvXc_Sg2HbC-wE8Vtk8I27h6bKjygEDBHVY2sTnUWDN7oxU2krF5C4IBbT9Cr-ukEb_ZYVdllXGp8Zqr6klPHTnayjWUUJmmG9GczMSEgmjElaCBsuiE85ffBs6mPbBU6uepu1BlSzqVDgfOqgujmQv83PWHladFZTMxE/w640-h480/20230903_112741.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The military bunker was an interesting place to visit. These tanks were used to hold drinking water for the soldiers living in the bunker.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8I1AWANNomTEWyfRGn2qW0oDuQKyrDHG6oImzsfWq0Ufo1zJyjSVBMVcv5ig_pXPZzd2roVDcLsVFes9w3HdqznKMrvMJPe24mDGMqU53s9c5_2hEgc81ZrHiEd5cf9Np6lNW39AxakhOGx3rad3Ey6uEhaOqHFaw5Ayc3i0Ory6SwVxk6w1uan_F16s/s4032/20230903_115547.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8I1AWANNomTEWyfRGn2qW0oDuQKyrDHG6oImzsfWq0Ufo1zJyjSVBMVcv5ig_pXPZzd2roVDcLsVFes9w3HdqznKMrvMJPe24mDGMqU53s9c5_2hEgc81ZrHiEd5cf9Np6lNW39AxakhOGx3rad3Ey6uEhaOqHFaw5Ayc3i0Ory6SwVxk6w1uan_F16s/w640-h480/20230903_115547.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUv0o9tpFtFIb_l1v_-Lp6sXF2AWwmeNfrjPA3K-DAtcUYVic7qRK9AU7lBsA6IaQsZ6-94dD5uWVv3gXO4tzNuJ4LFT-lu8W5AIqDQDi3KNzCM2bdV0glKInc0MUtjr8BLafZ-56Cd6O0laIa7CHlLMSNNz56QT-cIMG1eIJHFqg0hAeLjXb6KjWEkPQ/s4032/20230903_115851.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUv0o9tpFtFIb_l1v_-Lp6sXF2AWwmeNfrjPA3K-DAtcUYVic7qRK9AU7lBsA6IaQsZ6-94dD5uWVv3gXO4tzNuJ4LFT-lu8W5AIqDQDi3KNzCM2bdV0glKInc0MUtjr8BLafZ-56Cd6O0laIa7CHlLMSNNz56QT-cIMG1eIJHFqg0hAeLjXb6KjWEkPQ/w640-h480/20230903_115851.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">All around Europe you can find some version of Mexican or Tex-Mex food and most of it is not worth the effort. We strolled by a restaurant after the fortress tour and thought why not! It was billed as "Santa Fe Tex-Mex" which made me chuckle. My chicken tacos had a Carolina BBQ sauce on top. A little weird, but tasted good enough. </div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHYRP-Pi7gDjcfiOXCJiDX9NtM1z9Wc18L2R7z6lmHtNFtgTFsaoR5qGTMo7Ach6cXlhcy91Ct9jeWeRQz2f9eDrt6bTNO61F4NPMZ15-fvUT4SvgbTBWFhNDzEpdeNgxvKWSViNs9r14zbBA0GfOnU_VwmgSkltII4199dF9sYMPOp4vbGGS4UgBX9qw/s4032/20230903_134016.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHYRP-Pi7gDjcfiOXCJiDX9NtM1z9Wc18L2R7z6lmHtNFtgTFsaoR5qGTMo7Ach6cXlhcy91Ct9jeWeRQz2f9eDrt6bTNO61F4NPMZ15-fvUT4SvgbTBWFhNDzEpdeNgxvKWSViNs9r14zbBA0GfOnU_VwmgSkltII4199dF9sYMPOp4vbGGS4UgBX9qw/w480-h640/20230903_134016.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">After our inauthentic taco lunch, we had a boat tour. It was a leisurely ride on the Danube and Sava rivers (the two meet here in Belgrade which has led to some turbulent times in the city's history). </div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja2aFACuOdCu_A_j3NrjWB2LYfgxbJr7p2aEZoL9U7Ft7B4ERwMAzKjGwtymwzlR9XSbu-sGWSO13stmaJX1EnWstIB9pOi_mr6xQ8QXrTBFKZ9RPuj6ZBULdxvQ89h6aRjQovdciS7BwncVjPAmLg1f58ouZMch9Jm7ly1CMFC1_kVn-lEppvOz2zqww/s4032/Boat%20tour%20(4).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja2aFACuOdCu_A_j3NrjWB2LYfgxbJr7p2aEZoL9U7Ft7B4ERwMAzKjGwtymwzlR9XSbu-sGWSO13stmaJX1EnWstIB9pOi_mr6xQ8QXrTBFKZ9RPuj6ZBULdxvQ89h6aRjQovdciS7BwncVjPAmLg1f58ouZMch9Jm7ly1CMFC1_kVn-lEppvOz2zqww/w640-h480/Boat%20tour%20(4).jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Another tour that we enjoyed during our visit to Belgrade was a street food tour. The first stop was to a "pie" shop where we tried a traditional Serbian dish that is often served at breakfast or dinner. It's filo dough with different fillings like meat, cheese, potato or spinach. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">We also tried "meat fingers" (don't ask me the Serbian name...), pizza topped with "salad" (think chicken salad), a Serbian pre-game wine shot and dessert balls of Austrian/German influence. </div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFhLssnycIv38zpisUS4X_0PhJCW3Z3UWWNJ2a2V-36ceaPd-NjO-ddrC4bmwDe_WZCB03LYo3jReyVJqFp9LjyfsBXJPgrICV5NHUnFTXwRKxvMTnv6O2-hC73LlNPQ6R6SrqHCxwrq2kAIGmrxneZnq2teQbxIg2eNs1tzEHcEAfhwHK0lhFVPK1Rs4/s4032/Food%20tour%20(1).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFhLssnycIv38zpisUS4X_0PhJCW3Z3UWWNJ2a2V-36ceaPd-NjO-ddrC4bmwDe_WZCB03LYo3jReyVJqFp9LjyfsBXJPgrICV5NHUnFTXwRKxvMTnv6O2-hC73LlNPQ6R6SrqHCxwrq2kAIGmrxneZnq2teQbxIg2eNs1tzEHcEAfhwHK0lhFVPK1Rs4/w480-h640/Food%20tour%20(1).jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">And finally we went on a street art tour. Belgrade was covered in tags, graffiti and street art. Many pieces are inspired by the two soccer teams. The city has also hosted many out of town street artists to create beautiful murals. The bird mural was my favorite of the tour and was created by an Israeli couple. </div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4nSRnUJBhR1vIxI4dbpcY93cciLB4r_YX1sw0qi-9tkfvTOV5oRYsbRNbCtE5C_BoQEdt0FGFd94Rmwjt0rzjW-xCVwoKTL2Tmyv2UlziEAje53UAta0Cg0QrQMhdcPht7Z-AZExY8tadnOJmtqiDjI-1Ji10yNzRwaS_ki1R3Cxz8Xji0qmbvOLCNQ4/s4032/Street%20art%20(17).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4nSRnUJBhR1vIxI4dbpcY93cciLB4r_YX1sw0qi-9tkfvTOV5oRYsbRNbCtE5C_BoQEdt0FGFd94Rmwjt0rzjW-xCVwoKTL2Tmyv2UlziEAje53UAta0Cg0QrQMhdcPht7Z-AZExY8tadnOJmtqiDjI-1Ji10yNzRwaS_ki1R3Cxz8Xji0qmbvOLCNQ4/w480-h640/Street%20art%20(17).jpg" width="480" /></a></div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfeB7noI_qMU2t9XFc329g-PmlSAtmqCN3F4WIxsR4SzTqC5zfmvMgd2Y408IQsJvyZf-onygxxdq2Ndv150LAs3hvN6B3XHqzqmxQQhGNdnqt8lHXkUw6RaFtQK-C_lhjY_1Acl04yF9v0XSLV1yYRyjTBH43RJCIqqRNR4hQ3AMKGn3aQjzXnxHtIp4/s1500/Belgrade.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="1000" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfeB7noI_qMU2t9XFc329g-PmlSAtmqCN3F4WIxsR4SzTqC5zfmvMgd2Y408IQsJvyZf-onygxxdq2Ndv150LAs3hvN6B3XHqzqmxQQhGNdnqt8lHXkUw6RaFtQK-C_lhjY_1Acl04yF9v0XSLV1yYRyjTBH43RJCIqqRNR4hQ3AMKGn3aQjzXnxHtIp4/w426-h640/Belgrade.png" width="426" /></a></div><p></p>Kristenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09395982353422232042noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6490691579278995179.post-5989734704023131192023-09-06T03:31:00.002-04:002023-09-06T03:31:38.029-04:00Nove, Italy<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The annual spouses' club board trip to Nove, Italy was at the end of August! I visited with the club two years ago and was excited to visit again for some camaraderie and shopping. We left bright and early to caravan down.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOPkxi48sWDxENnjJj6_F0XZ1EM_86src7K69UnhAUgiDZU1l_fvgcDN3vV3-9eP1Dby1qFbOq2U4ssaWenHRuWV2TowMSW2MLss0huJcfrhkl7H1AJ61NGi_noDV29AF4xx3_zJ22Ia2vRsfBkrhusH7QHjRye4XsJktjrVd-YVwWExivI-Y2fgccB3k/s3264/20230825_051734.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3264" data-original-width="2448" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOPkxi48sWDxENnjJj6_F0XZ1EM_86src7K69UnhAUgiDZU1l_fvgcDN3vV3-9eP1Dby1qFbOq2U4ssaWenHRuWV2TowMSW2MLss0huJcfrhkl7H1AJ61NGi_noDV29AF4xx3_zJ22Ia2vRsfBkrhusH7QHjRye4XsJktjrVd-YVwWExivI-Y2fgccB3k/w480-h640/20230825_051734.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><p>We made one pit stop for lunch at a restaurant overlooking a beautiful lake. Once we arrived at <a href="https://www.lenovehotel.it/" target="_blank">Le Nove</a> hotel and got settled, we immediately visited a couple local pottery shops. The first one was <a href="http://www.ceramichedelweiss.it/" target="_blank">Edelweiss </a>which has so many cute pieces. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRJjSoNll6bXA6nN0PW8Zok9Qssx_337INHbqUrjMdBdup-RJIGTlBzO8CkhvyNeU0P4RyLkJMdry9qka2fAqFZ1WyDOIpH8-ni58sF_oJtcCkhi1x3ymVr6guTnNvlGgZD0cJb_BLmHc_G64LA_QanABfvSBBUpyYRBjjoH_eWjjM-V93IYWI8JJQxP4/s4032/20230825_155253.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRJjSoNll6bXA6nN0PW8Zok9Qssx_337INHbqUrjMdBdup-RJIGTlBzO8CkhvyNeU0P4RyLkJMdry9qka2fAqFZ1WyDOIpH8-ni58sF_oJtcCkhi1x3ymVr6guTnNvlGgZD0cJb_BLmHc_G64LA_QanABfvSBBUpyYRBjjoH_eWjjM-V93IYWI8JJQxP4/w480-h640/20230825_155253.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Another Nove favorite is the "chicken man" who offers a variety of chicken pitchers. I don't remember the story behind them, but there is a story. They come in several sizes with many different designs so everyone is sure to find one that suits them. Since my last visit, he had moved locations to the town center across from the tower. </div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjugRJdgbDaltyO6ret6Jy7ZhQH6oqk-zwodICS9qPAadvM4uBgk72pdxHXPK6CJHYIjezY0NDJCXJ9z2aIKj4b1NfAF4c6cb4Q-eRKY2HW0yAf1asONgQWksJ0kIz72kRrRRE0ur8hYT69b2_4PENreojFih31GghhZwyD_ZCaQ_sbaC7xV5IN5QoWVlM/s4032/20230826_093251.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjugRJdgbDaltyO6ret6Jy7ZhQH6oqk-zwodICS9qPAadvM4uBgk72pdxHXPK6CJHYIjezY0NDJCXJ9z2aIKj4b1NfAF4c6cb4Q-eRKY2HW0yAf1asONgQWksJ0kIz72kRrRRE0ur8hYT69b2_4PENreojFih31GghhZwyD_ZCaQ_sbaC7xV5IN5QoWVlM/w480-h640/20230826_093251.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">A new-to-me shop was the pewter store. I had LOW expectations for this shop thinking that it would be filled with a bunch of old people stuff. I was pleasantly surprised by the interesting variety of items. They must work with the local bases often because we found a ton of US military items like these decanters. </div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgA8yDXDJQEKQd6Ya9MVDZIcyK1ASzcgW991kcnYytdaDkGmzG3d2AFhMjIJT4qb0YDLxSYXnr3OcRxAzvk0NGQ2iexu5urw-Gjrmyeyf7J2F3BS78TRnJNsbBzq4ltT454UE9TVxLBlAR2f0ys11Y_jKyQscjwNGDOzDUfk3R1BxkiKQBTz-kLODWErSQ/s4032/20230826_101123.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgA8yDXDJQEKQd6Ya9MVDZIcyK1ASzcgW991kcnYytdaDkGmzG3d2AFhMjIJT4qb0YDLxSYXnr3OcRxAzvk0NGQ2iexu5urw-Gjrmyeyf7J2F3BS78TRnJNsbBzq4ltT454UE9TVxLBlAR2f0ys11Y_jKyQscjwNGDOzDUfk3R1BxkiKQBTz-kLODWErSQ/w480-h640/20230826_101123.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I splurged for a single room on this trip and it was so worth it! This is the view from my room. Le Nove is a surprisingly modern hotel with air conditioning and a nice breakfast spread.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt-W2WBb_xXj9NJ_KBYEon3lvvdzfcShHomVT3HUHNFH8z9Cgj155zG7_zjh9QIQaCUW3Z-tmBKFhlX6h0fP9327SMePrf6bge_lvltTWfoNRpeTW3aQ8MS5F8HviKKJ5MuOUqTYROt5I4OQAJBNoHif136fr-noK_6gU0Jh1Rite8RGlvxdYq6BTC4Zc/s4032/20230826_115542.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt-W2WBb_xXj9NJ_KBYEon3lvvdzfcShHomVT3HUHNFH8z9Cgj155zG7_zjh9QIQaCUW3Z-tmBKFhlX6h0fP9327SMePrf6bge_lvltTWfoNRpeTW3aQ8MS5F8HviKKJ5MuOUqTYROt5I4OQAJBNoHif136fr-noK_6gU0Jh1Rite8RGlvxdYq6BTC4Zc/w640-h480/20230826_115542.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">You cannot visit Italy without some wine tasting! Two of the ladies set up a visit to one of their favorite wine producers--<a href="https://www.rivagranda.com/?lang=en" target="_blank">Riva Granda</a>. We planned to just stop and pick up some cases of wine, but they treated us to some snacks and a little tour of their vineyard. </div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheqw4YGja1ax94tUTi1BJDt-3yYF1NZP-K-IFTYygRWB4vPwQxLu9Zz9j88UEVxu1tQlxIIGR-hpSYxowTzgKtqCzFiCsPAv72_eK4fJNVb7lSpVKATB3vaUQDB_EpaGOmAvV5fEkanRp6MdrG8q_gxKJg2N25Xc_78YC8AIFMOpmnI5W9jtYrGnl5AJY/s4032/20230826_123149.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheqw4YGja1ax94tUTi1BJDt-3yYF1NZP-K-IFTYygRWB4vPwQxLu9Zz9j88UEVxu1tQlxIIGR-hpSYxowTzgKtqCzFiCsPAv72_eK4fJNVb7lSpVKATB3vaUQDB_EpaGOmAvV5fEkanRp6MdrG8q_gxKJg2N25Xc_78YC8AIFMOpmnI5W9jtYrGnl5AJY/w480-h640/20230826_123149.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">On our second evening in town we visited nearby Bassano del Grappa to walk around before heading to dinner at a nearby winery.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUEvGnDCAINrQP3vWo3iupG-KBXo1uF50Ggmf1saSIVvA7FVL4MMj8tHeU7R9emxFESoWzNlijOn7HGvrhxovZNeIsDbiEiDOUQGIyPGjz-_LxQkc7yIChQqOA7W1zVIrf_afQw0-YemJPE197oMdP1OPcMoKe77NMhM1eWqmySORfjo8mcd7SVCQsWk8/s4032/20230826_161052.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUEvGnDCAINrQP3vWo3iupG-KBXo1uF50Ggmf1saSIVvA7FVL4MMj8tHeU7R9emxFESoWzNlijOn7HGvrhxovZNeIsDbiEiDOUQGIyPGjz-_LxQkc7yIChQqOA7W1zVIrf_afQw0-YemJPE197oMdP1OPcMoKe77NMhM1eWqmySORfjo8mcd7SVCQsWk8/w480-h640/20230826_161052.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Our Trips & Tours chair set up a wine tasting at this local winery. I opted to be a DD for the night, so I did not have a chance to sample any of their wines, but the estate was lovely! It is owned by sisters; supporting a female owned company felt really good. </div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8whHPJReHflzXww8kAjPbRCysotdnkmFTOMA0nLWINmfXS8gaYjI6RzBbZdPt2wExWokh7a9bgOaMdk3Qly7tvcuudx_p89ZoYYaAhYqEZvzCcwXD6MDvW54VeAKkSdlL6UYw-DJy1jfT68NQ4L4zfdxbUNUFKfjvlNj0Z9Bf9wrd-nxOTg1iK6rd5JM/s4032/20230826_174655.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8whHPJReHflzXww8kAjPbRCysotdnkmFTOMA0nLWINmfXS8gaYjI6RzBbZdPt2wExWokh7a9bgOaMdk3Qly7tvcuudx_p89ZoYYaAhYqEZvzCcwXD6MDvW54VeAKkSdlL6UYw-DJy1jfT68NQ4L4zfdxbUNUFKfjvlNj0Z9Bf9wrd-nxOTg1iK6rd5JM/w640-h480/20230826_174655.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Aside from pottery shopping, the big draw was a huge flohmarkt (flea market) in a nearby town. This market happens on the last Sunday of the month. When I say it's huge, I am not exaggerating. We spent hours walking around, haggling and enjoying gelato and did not even see all the booths. </div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHaudyBoghobJT0NjEI8k8MMr8AWBK1_7eeb-nzpkANM92PMW9gWtbM1Vm0ks8PJLaEKiSR3FClXX6CY-lRLy3LoBEqlvhNGcastNqcx0F50km9pKjlz60_5hmTGV_5NtFc9QUZMSVvRUsIPaJNQwEIDCVAdaxIg8-WqepSRtRA0K1biTUQSvdxmWt-2s/s4032/20230827_110456.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHaudyBoghobJT0NjEI8k8MMr8AWBK1_7eeb-nzpkANM92PMW9gWtbM1Vm0ks8PJLaEKiSR3FClXX6CY-lRLy3LoBEqlvhNGcastNqcx0F50km9pKjlz60_5hmTGV_5NtFc9QUZMSVvRUsIPaJNQwEIDCVAdaxIg8-WqepSRtRA0K1biTUQSvdxmWt-2s/w640-h480/20230827_110456.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Two years ago when I visited Nove, a friend and I had hoped to visit the inside of the church that is located near the flohmarkt, but ran out of time. This year I made a point to check it out. </div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEis29tNy-C9AuepmmfxZRfDeZv1BgrRfW0WwmTeYcO0mK9P_msx9Aoqg5almmDaNRzr4kLo89f5LMepnnNsIKUCEZjAomIikK28Nrea3ylWjuTqaruaVwbPfE2Qy7Z3oODAWIStp0UchTv3y6O9f2wvikCZpteoGVAdSOFMyP0ZDTclz5hcz-ZTFZLZM-M/s4032/20230827_130835.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEis29tNy-C9AuepmmfxZRfDeZv1BgrRfW0WwmTeYcO0mK9P_msx9Aoqg5almmDaNRzr4kLo89f5LMepnnNsIKUCEZjAomIikK28Nrea3ylWjuTqaruaVwbPfE2Qy7Z3oODAWIStp0UchTv3y6O9f2wvikCZpteoGVAdSOFMyP0ZDTclz5hcz-ZTFZLZM-M/w480-h640/20230827_130835.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I am not a big spender and came home with only a few treasurers from the weekend, but am really happy with all of them. I was extra excited to find the tiny greyhound figurine to gift to Charles. </div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpdi0FXMteXpBlO3avG05kgRRVz2CWwmZhC6PkS73aidpdviCiz7qL990RWAQQdkXDOv96ELvxr6jDtBj9p4q5liyYpdKW6Zv4oNfUJWq7dfkLaqFInHShbGeEG48cUpxfIBVlnT8KivqWu7t-u6cCsIU31S0GdJPL1HgcQsGOPH7BFechCGbStb8iCEA/s4032/20230829_094722.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpdi0FXMteXpBlO3avG05kgRRVz2CWwmZhC6PkS73aidpdviCiz7qL990RWAQQdkXDOv96ELvxr6jDtBj9p4q5liyYpdKW6Zv4oNfUJWq7dfkLaqFInHShbGeEG48cUpxfIBVlnT8KivqWu7t-u6cCsIU31S0GdJPL1HgcQsGOPH7BFechCGbStb8iCEA/w640-h480/20230829_094722.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUyOp24okUqoS1ifbzFMTOv92xE_iN623SVK4ILnZtOCZmkjpJojLqiKLC-o1DsPDozwelS2sTWhnXVhx37-V1YdvewBUn8yvoEtU7lYKVQsvXij1IpDUbVjgw_zrI05UL-cF_z3abjdSK3RXw1136ShJXDNCCBhckhOjy3Ol2zRUqbi5fXN00j-DGWgE/s1500/Nove.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="1000" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUyOp24okUqoS1ifbzFMTOv92xE_iN623SVK4ILnZtOCZmkjpJojLqiKLC-o1DsPDozwelS2sTWhnXVhx37-V1YdvewBUn8yvoEtU7lYKVQsvXij1IpDUbVjgw_zrI05UL-cF_z3abjdSK3RXw1136ShJXDNCCBhckhOjy3Ol2zRUqbi5fXN00j-DGWgE/w426-h640/Nove.png" width="426" /></a></div><p></p>Kristenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09395982353422232042noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6490691579278995179.post-65176688543207196932023-07-25T14:11:00.002-04:002023-07-25T14:11:58.681-04:00Copenhagen, Denmark<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Our cruise ended in Copenhagen, Denmark. We opted to stay one night to squeeze in a bit of the city before heading home from our epic vacation. However, one day in Copenhagen is not sufficient!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8TB417_duTBr_sJPVMq2da04Yb3eC3J-mXt-eUymThijpOgCJTKAnov3aUFeze7NHwYY0gU0cQc0SmZqu0-SNLJf1PPEyR9hnuIxMCNrq6qfqL7SdCzIBkF40_wrK-ofic4RsFPCa51awroVWcbMLL71HcbnBerO7n-A1Cukg1UlCUWMny-r-QhBqlDI/s4032/20230702_100038.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8TB417_duTBr_sJPVMq2da04Yb3eC3J-mXt-eUymThijpOgCJTKAnov3aUFeze7NHwYY0gU0cQc0SmZqu0-SNLJf1PPEyR9hnuIxMCNrq6qfqL7SdCzIBkF40_wrK-ofic4RsFPCa51awroVWcbMLL71HcbnBerO7n-A1Cukg1UlCUWMny-r-QhBqlDI/w480-h640/20230702_100038.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I am a fan of Scandinavian design, so a top priority for me was the <a href="https://designmuseum.dk/" target="_blank">Design Museum</a>. It was filled with fascinating displays and artwork. </div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifNoYIitVx491294IQmUpV0k1qNEgnhqAz98jhPn_8r455Mog4L-ivLRo3OBrk8ISRKR_FInGUeWbuGqnuOo_CVQR5oMSe0VWsfbd-Qv9i4np8x_MzV2xGJ_Lp3tHPG8Fm-aovjJ0Nhy7j6HuLAvwd2iwW-HmzY6cWEZ__4PwL8-SHgTKFkAmkCeyUFzI/s4032/20230702_102950.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifNoYIitVx491294IQmUpV0k1qNEgnhqAz98jhPn_8r455Mog4L-ivLRo3OBrk8ISRKR_FInGUeWbuGqnuOo_CVQR5oMSe0VWsfbd-Qv9i4np8x_MzV2xGJ_Lp3tHPG8Fm-aovjJ0Nhy7j6HuLAvwd2iwW-HmzY6cWEZ__4PwL8-SHgTKFkAmkCeyUFzI/w480-h640/20230702_102950.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNaF6IFfAsuLj4-6aEJA12xMQDzTkpKcOorWttlbpJtn07EyTKR_5qKLshCZWJXhNoHaZH2-Xb7NnIadMFPV6lLybjoGe4kZOZCLV3w3bafOVnl-CCBzfoIIlmc7I0NiuAJZUcHl81MFj0ziJ-95FE5EWkF6vxzfRaX1mbmp2i7SUVJtoVYMGNY6k2r9k/s4032/20230702_103741.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNaF6IFfAsuLj4-6aEJA12xMQDzTkpKcOorWttlbpJtn07EyTKR_5qKLshCZWJXhNoHaZH2-Xb7NnIadMFPV6lLybjoGe4kZOZCLV3w3bafOVnl-CCBzfoIIlmc7I0NiuAJZUcHl81MFj0ziJ-95FE5EWkF6vxzfRaX1mbmp2i7SUVJtoVYMGNY6k2r9k/w480-h640/20230702_103741.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_uVocak8Pmx0CFbHTfLuZ6JKMar34TbuZVJnVXlN64ZTpGkLqYDDakmqeH3FzbAnB_16OxGxTTm2VDXHwyg4J8An5_SYcuetUIFpqNd2KLNBeVV_MfFSnpcsczZmFTa6SngcyHRzT6C-13LWC5M7Tr4kBF_vi3aX9ZsvGMY-hQWgI3I7yfC30OZgzIbA/s3161/20230702_104759.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3161" data-original-width="2432" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_uVocak8Pmx0CFbHTfLuZ6JKMar34TbuZVJnVXlN64ZTpGkLqYDDakmqeH3FzbAnB_16OxGxTTm2VDXHwyg4J8An5_SYcuetUIFpqNd2KLNBeVV_MfFSnpcsczZmFTa6SngcyHRzT6C-13LWC5M7Tr4kBF_vi3aX9ZsvGMY-hQWgI3I7yfC30OZgzIbA/w492-h640/20230702_104759.jpg" width="492" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgloJSVMaRQ_0tA72DJtEtoqPfeNqDnZLTCIr0PHJCFL6kneiIMpJaatz-sir3ldom2y71bXl0MmOlae0mhctWW14N-JA5pTXED9T6v9sqZls9UlMhMYdQ_AwQIXqBIhJIko1xeTrHq1rOmggI6wQ2mzOOksYDVP8djOYN4F6dQN_N1J6TS9Ed2QQ8y-hg/s4032/20230702_110747.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgloJSVMaRQ_0tA72DJtEtoqPfeNqDnZLTCIr0PHJCFL6kneiIMpJaatz-sir3ldom2y71bXl0MmOlae0mhctWW14N-JA5pTXED9T6v9sqZls9UlMhMYdQ_AwQIXqBIhJIko1xeTrHq1rOmggI6wQ2mzOOksYDVP8djOYN4F6dQN_N1J6TS9Ed2QQ8y-hg/w480-h640/20230702_110747.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxNzETmQWEZYwqDJxyDX7ZR5ONxFy-yw6pRKN2wWu_jxWDO9mhkimhVQXQJ2WigxoZ0ozCa6zp0x-AbQZMN0BI4DCOd_S3XmkODn3kxYHsFIqsVLjfVIDWyqbmmDVSZWCUpzR_Yvi3faVTn0GZbdwoip4DWY47klApDxTsJuwg1EnOppNazMIfbKI_id4/s3038/20230702_112524.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3038" data-original-width="2013" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxNzETmQWEZYwqDJxyDX7ZR5ONxFy-yw6pRKN2wWu_jxWDO9mhkimhVQXQJ2WigxoZ0ozCa6zp0x-AbQZMN0BI4DCOd_S3XmkODn3kxYHsFIqsVLjfVIDWyqbmmDVSZWCUpzR_Yvi3faVTn0GZbdwoip4DWY47klApDxTsJuwg1EnOppNazMIfbKI_id4/w424-h640/20230702_112524.jpg" width="424" /></a></div><div><br /></div>Aside from the Design Museum, we had planned to do a bike food tour. However, the weather forecast called for strong winds and rain. That sounded miserable, so we bailed on the tour. Instead, we visited the <a href="https://en.natmus.dk/" target="_blank">National Museum of Denmark</a> where we started our visit off with lunch in their <a href="https://restaurant-smor.dk/" target="_blank">restaurant</a>. They specialize in the famous open-faced sandwiches. My roast beef sandwich was way better than I was expecting and quite satisfying. If I remember correctly, Charles has the salmon. <div><br /></div><div>The museum was extensive and had a lot of interesting displays. It made for a good rainy day activity.<br /><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjItRAy7XUuT1m2VJ36ylwQ9SlhBxNheQ5iR_eBiSa3QGGZMpTOJICU5TTWNxrVZ6OMgfJPxuHeQysWKPMSgN1bdR6Q-skpRHlq487aPAmAKqx35i7QKkcwGt0e-kBdpkjxbOu2QE8JmtaiukbuEzHF9wEP7Bv-H-CpdBG5y3vECQTkx99MvuUn6AQTb70/s4032/20230702_125938.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjItRAy7XUuT1m2VJ36ylwQ9SlhBxNheQ5iR_eBiSa3QGGZMpTOJICU5TTWNxrVZ6OMgfJPxuHeQysWKPMSgN1bdR6Q-skpRHlq487aPAmAKqx35i7QKkcwGt0e-kBdpkjxbOu2QE8JmtaiukbuEzHF9wEP7Bv-H-CpdBG5y3vECQTkx99MvuUn6AQTb70/w480-h640/20230702_125938.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Our hotel, <a href="https://coco-hotel.com/" target="_blank">Coco Hotel</a>, was lovely! They are part of a food collective and gave a fantastic recommendation for <a href="https://corsapizza.dk/" target="_blank">pizza </a>from one of their partner restaurants. They even had arancini which made my quarter Sicilian heart happy. We ordered take away and cozied up in our hotel room and relaxed after a long vacation with lots of sightseeing. It was a bummer not to see more of Copenhagen, but it just means we will have to return one day. </div><p></p></div></div>Kristenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09395982353422232042noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6490691579278995179.post-33903610663182664812023-07-25T13:56:00.000-04:002023-07-25T13:56:40.239-04:00Kiel, Germany<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Our penultimate cruise stop was to Kiel, Germany. We had a walking tour booked through NCL. Charles was feeling a little under the weather that morning, so I went on the tour without him. Our guide took us to see the highlights of Kiel including a couple museums like the <a href="https://www.kiel.de/de/kultur_freizeit/museum/schifffahrtsmuseum_fischhalle.php" target="_blank">Kiel Maritime Museum</a> and the <a href="https://www.kiel.de/de/kultur_freizeit/museum/stadtmuseum_warleberger_hof.php" target="_blank">Kiel Stadt Museum</a>. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyj7RNdRvMEdEciZKYYADbEWRNUOxdO_yalKRuX8vKkUC64imK8amqEkChdp3jtvBMM2QTwDq59bJ5MJGu7ZSAbzgmwtFNFEmbJRhF_2abfI4yEV7h4JG-O9wSDNJFWyAsCYmjXEUAXwSN-TWs1iGgyx89kAUt_Tv3QQs0CCm8KEqx7qoNAsCugkn5eNY/s4032/20230701_103315.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyj7RNdRvMEdEciZKYYADbEWRNUOxdO_yalKRuX8vKkUC64imK8amqEkChdp3jtvBMM2QTwDq59bJ5MJGu7ZSAbzgmwtFNFEmbJRhF_2abfI4yEV7h4JG-O9wSDNJFWyAsCYmjXEUAXwSN-TWs1iGgyx89kAUt_Tv3QQs0CCm8KEqx7qoNAsCugkn5eNY/w480-h640/20230701_103315.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2MZUqzY67akNGk8XIurwe2ZvFVFEUNhjxp47bnPzQynRY9bXy_pOeZEtOLbAqU3VuDTVT_ZXeyCjSMCOnW0enuYIdlpzz9mNXiiz5pBCANyplAiDJpBW047NCsgkb4FG9K7UI90pA6eRKHiJV4Wckkdj97E-YioHGT6gE4lEyIJlow9C9qF81CBIvv3w/s4032/20230701_104756.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2MZUqzY67akNGk8XIurwe2ZvFVFEUNhjxp47bnPzQynRY9bXy_pOeZEtOLbAqU3VuDTVT_ZXeyCjSMCOnW0enuYIdlpzz9mNXiiz5pBCANyplAiDJpBW047NCsgkb4FG9K7UI90pA6eRKHiJV4Wckkdj97E-YioHGT6gE4lEyIJlow9C9qF81CBIvv3w/w480-h640/20230701_104756.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieDsIwIy3jmOK5uqvyKdjvSThs3Ylt97PXhyu-4h2JD67_oPJ9wvYxQqRTS-VFl5Nmatbb8GiEW0TnfJTsq0wK1jzlTdOa1IEuISmWeuuWVfqXyW8cMGa71G94BH1GwB2ZI_cIs93IpnmvFQYxgCYyZSVuKT22uMchKmsfEvnoIxU0wEZeLK98Kyqe1jM/s4032/20230701_110215.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieDsIwIy3jmOK5uqvyKdjvSThs3Ylt97PXhyu-4h2JD67_oPJ9wvYxQqRTS-VFl5Nmatbb8GiEW0TnfJTsq0wK1jzlTdOa1IEuISmWeuuWVfqXyW8cMGa71G94BH1GwB2ZI_cIs93IpnmvFQYxgCYyZSVuKT22uMchKmsfEvnoIxU0wEZeLK98Kyqe1jM/w480-h640/20230701_110215.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">On the first Saturday of the month, this tower plays songs using their bells. We were lucky enough to be visiting Kiel on the first Saturday of the month and our tour guide made sure we enjoyed a bit of the bell concert. The music lasts for about an hour, so if you're visiting Kiel on the first Saturday of the month make sure to include this into your itinerary. </div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIRWdMAXWKrZSJ_GSCQckZb2Qe2jLGoLQleSkGFOxgKmH0Ia2hsxXJgoq4kYTv0N6c4VldQddBwjKTkdRQmhchi18K0Otf1q_lg-f02OFLmqDeOo9uBmrWlPaapjgjxiZaO4FXffBCfkUxo96bq5iC0LvqHSdqyx2typNJozToxXHNg3znA26HxpZXXnA/s4032/20230701_135000.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIRWdMAXWKrZSJ_GSCQckZb2Qe2jLGoLQleSkGFOxgKmH0Ia2hsxXJgoq4kYTv0N6c4VldQddBwjKTkdRQmhchi18K0Otf1q_lg-f02OFLmqDeOo9uBmrWlPaapjgjxiZaO4FXffBCfkUxo96bq5iC0LvqHSdqyx2typNJozToxXHNg3znA26HxpZXXnA/w480-h640/20230701_135000.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibT2MI2b07h6BuvD47CdEMYF2H-QX3yuDGg7XDwdY0RjUHZa6JXGEhv0oo4RWYytYpNiNMTkWfsk3WF8GwftLMMGWMjr5f3-zA-JJoIN0L2AgHJ4RDD2LNcz6fpq88clr41B8yZXOkEirXl82tVAocRA0jBm-WBja8ZGcDM0_jdZD_J8ORNPpfh6YpJZo/s4032/20230701_142656.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibT2MI2b07h6BuvD47CdEMYF2H-QX3yuDGg7XDwdY0RjUHZa6JXGEhv0oo4RWYytYpNiNMTkWfsk3WF8GwftLMMGWMjr5f3-zA-JJoIN0L2AgHJ4RDD2LNcz6fpq88clr41B8yZXOkEirXl82tVAocRA0jBm-WBja8ZGcDM0_jdZD_J8ORNPpfh6YpJZo/w480-h640/20230701_142656.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">After the walking tour I went back on the boat to check on Charles. He was feeling better after his nap, so we went back out to explore Kiel. We grabbed some pastries and coffee at a bakery, walked through the o<a href="https://www.alter-botanischer-garten-kiel.de/" target="_blank">ld botanical garden</a> (where we encountered the snail) and visited the very small <a href="https://www.aquarium-geomar.de/" target="_blank">aquarium</a>. </div><p></p>Kristenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09395982353422232042noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6490691579278995179.post-4479747481282132472023-07-23T11:31:00.001-04:002023-07-23T11:31:15.823-04:00Warnemünde, Germany<p>The next couple of stops on our NCL cruise brought us to northern Germany! This day was billed as "Berlin", but with a three hour train ride just to get to Berlin it made more sense to stay closer to the ship. Berlin can wait until another day when we have more time to spend exploring the city. </p><p>This stop was Warnemunde. We booked an excursion through the cruise which brought us to the <a href="https://www.off-to-mv.com/destinations/a-mecklenburgische-baederbahn-molli" target="_blank">Steam Train Molli</a> for a short ride before visiting a seaside resort town and a church. </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgM53M0I79CJau3D9BOCryUMIuOKWkbh8byi3u-uTZDcXzpoI-6K_iK3PNfp46vH_XcyckS8cBbMAxLBhzEpbGtavy1RsKohpxo9D9bXwEUDxJRZvjslW_uPH_pQUCk37l6m6ul2Nv7MzcBt8k5fEzvUnyNhW7qCQR7DDVBUWoyjUWlo7GnaJ-K9hSnJZ4/s4032/20230630_092801.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgM53M0I79CJau3D9BOCryUMIuOKWkbh8byi3u-uTZDcXzpoI-6K_iK3PNfp46vH_XcyckS8cBbMAxLBhzEpbGtavy1RsKohpxo9D9bXwEUDxJRZvjslW_uPH_pQUCk37l6m6ul2Nv7MzcBt8k5fEzvUnyNhW7qCQR7DDVBUWoyjUWlo7GnaJ-K9hSnJZ4/w480-h640/20230630_092801.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBHGLCh4ajWvvqwSbc_0RHnVqpr9092RJ-jXjvuQ2Mwr7LGMDm0mOqKYD6OW-OFCZ6U4-zpgJPr0wlhBxeqs1uWJuNEUNtuUB3EJHBZoJxUbE37wJsXNvQLeu0-et7eVwVQXWkyl7LexyRRNGAWXqqKJ09OOl1VD5D2BY7shF9kJdMCGebugThHkXvmP0/s1440/20230630_104015_capture.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1440" data-original-width="1080" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBHGLCh4ajWvvqwSbc_0RHnVqpr9092RJ-jXjvuQ2Mwr7LGMDm0mOqKYD6OW-OFCZ6U4-zpgJPr0wlhBxeqs1uWJuNEUNtuUB3EJHBZoJxUbE37wJsXNvQLeu0-et7eVwVQXWkyl7LexyRRNGAWXqqKJ09OOl1VD5D2BY7shF9kJdMCGebugThHkXvmP0/w480-h640/20230630_104015_capture.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Our guide (a very fun German guy, BTW) recommended visiting this tower. This part of Germany was under Soviet rule during the post-WWII era. This tower was used to patrol and look for people trying to escape East Germany. They had a display outside the tower showing some of the inventive ways people tried to escape. </div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivjXBoMvfv7y6OWnhQFOf9kCaYaq77cuKIiaJJzenDSIPCEZBoL5IJ87X7Jc7GcPaQ7l1RJv6xd54erUoPTRKvIuIbVaBUyKzRCSul-yq9SpgNKeOteDsGKDCeaANyq-vq7CeC0eHSMWjT8tUo2Bh-D4LgsWU4lAQLu6EGFdwwi2fkSfi7wRAGFdSPv9c/s1440/20230630_104458_capture.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1440" data-original-width="1080" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivjXBoMvfv7y6OWnhQFOf9kCaYaq77cuKIiaJJzenDSIPCEZBoL5IJ87X7Jc7GcPaQ7l1RJv6xd54erUoPTRKvIuIbVaBUyKzRCSul-yq9SpgNKeOteDsGKDCeaANyq-vq7CeC0eHSMWjT8tUo2Bh-D4LgsWU4lAQLu6EGFdwwi2fkSfi7wRAGFdSPv9c/w480-h640/20230630_104458_capture.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">For two Euros (honor system), you can climb the tower to look out. Charles ventured up there and I stayed on the ground.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfXqse1hId8XSXhM9Qd3NmC2RzKxtkM0s55oJr4aZcyVM0mg2TMJo50_s7LZZ1653HPUv-K7eHRcCGY9bC6tV_9CaHYqVuYyKfMo9ni3QLwJY739VD7X87c7sDkadiO79sdK4kdcUCkDqX1usZ8GPZvn_MeE08V5DCg3HKIid0BprxN7lK1t_JEN__seM/s4032/20230630_124537.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfXqse1hId8XSXhM9Qd3NmC2RzKxtkM0s55oJr4aZcyVM0mg2TMJo50_s7LZZ1653HPUv-K7eHRcCGY9bC6tV_9CaHYqVuYyKfMo9ni3QLwJY739VD7X87c7sDkadiO79sdK4kdcUCkDqX1usZ8GPZvn_MeE08V5DCg3HKIid0BprxN7lK1t_JEN__seM/w640-h480/20230630_124537.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvEGyrnovi0GpGBZOVvS00Y9DaeLMAKRke1j_DAB1M3D_pDAYVPzOUD9dxye-n0eu-obAmtlW2P2dHq-9GLa90Gc1aZ536eHocoIeEysMdhh4Dz1ah_L1ZoL2kgbMq6f6fKjtvoJbqBAUibYrzh_qyCEl6sCAmMNMC6-ZUqwfSfcNGJzI_opSaA98VqUw/s4032/20230630_124257.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvEGyrnovi0GpGBZOVvS00Y9DaeLMAKRke1j_DAB1M3D_pDAYVPzOUD9dxye-n0eu-obAmtlW2P2dHq-9GLa90Gc1aZ536eHocoIeEysMdhh4Dz1ah_L1ZoL2kgbMq6f6fKjtvoJbqBAUibYrzh_qyCEl6sCAmMNMC6-ZUqwfSfcNGJzI_opSaA98VqUw/w480-h640/20230630_124257.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I honestly cannot remember what the significance of stopping at this church was, but it was cool to walk around inside. </div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbbPQ8S8yjbxL1N6wThJYr0Eh9vHfidHBCazWGFsAKS3Ugkq_gFR6GLedSzUnytU4nVtk2fn9FbrrjV9lYX6tNPoBdrkTJO3XhVARSR28KzFgn7Zf1FV04ii8-nTTWPMX9mmUiFjxx4SyQCc2crPLzLwYWdo_XZmbUHDm1YI7ZzUsIgZoYLvSzgZYMvYw/s4032/20230630_155906.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbbPQ8S8yjbxL1N6wThJYr0Eh9vHfidHBCazWGFsAKS3Ugkq_gFR6GLedSzUnytU4nVtk2fn9FbrrjV9lYX6tNPoBdrkTJO3XhVARSR28KzFgn7Zf1FV04ii8-nTTWPMX9mmUiFjxx4SyQCc2crPLzLwYWdo_XZmbUHDm1YI7ZzUsIgZoYLvSzgZYMvYw/w640-h480/20230630_155906.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">After returning from the tour, we had some time to walk around the town where the cruise terminal was. They had two lighthouses--one green and one red. The town had a variety of shops and restaurants. </div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhk3eIddotBzZlLhUCDDixmykqCDIRPB-DAJRBRxvFfBJq1SHhjY7IUkayXykd1jnbAzSrqpCPgAycpfUPc8F1UsdkdKmXLUiZzgdzMGOsTrFYcOYK_4jF4byDcEHd34MnOccCAcQs2dtuHKgPg4fM8t-v5fI_68Fq-6IZMIJPmFhLlFYb-rvjvBuiU2xM/s4032/20230630_170828.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhk3eIddotBzZlLhUCDDixmykqCDIRPB-DAJRBRxvFfBJq1SHhjY7IUkayXykd1jnbAzSrqpCPgAycpfUPc8F1UsdkdKmXLUiZzgdzMGOsTrFYcOYK_4jF4byDcEHd34MnOccCAcQs2dtuHKgPg4fM8t-v5fI_68Fq-6IZMIJPmFhLlFYb-rvjvBuiU2xM/w480-h640/20230630_170828.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">It seems like every bridge in Europe presents the opportunity to attach love locks. </div><p></p>Kristenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09395982353422232042noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6490691579278995179.post-62818728695146045232023-07-20T14:51:00.000-04:002023-07-20T14:51:15.737-04:00Gdansk, Poland<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The day of Charles' birthday was our stop in Gdansk, Poland. It was a short day and we booked an excursion through NCL. We bussed from the cruise port to Gdansk where we embarked on a walking tour with a very fun guide. He showed us around his favorite city. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">We very much enjoyed walking around the town, but both agreed that it was too short. We did not have much time to enjoy a Polish baked good, perogies or beer. So we might have to plan another visit in the future! </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGNpmUKN2dl_un1vMvV4BgCGn_u2HcbEHjZUDtLsy1UEdAxeIGCxjOLCkYRtutZFwxiaYguF0OaypmljxZ2uJIYIUP7IryITzXaasDYQg-lc0GrUz4CEW81RPwgsnvseiI5H0UIF8u8jRGXzHIwGf5orP0GzeRI00E9Kuqo1PKgLiizmpJ8AlUI6YcdoQ/s4032/20230629_092727.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGNpmUKN2dl_un1vMvV4BgCGn_u2HcbEHjZUDtLsy1UEdAxeIGCxjOLCkYRtutZFwxiaYguF0OaypmljxZ2uJIYIUP7IryITzXaasDYQg-lc0GrUz4CEW81RPwgsnvseiI5H0UIF8u8jRGXzHIwGf5orP0GzeRI00E9Kuqo1PKgLiizmpJ8AlUI6YcdoQ/w480-h640/20230629_092727.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5-CUXxB2dWvb_WKe6NIo2xQHiG93ltH_pHvgyifB9z61g5H3G1O3YtrDh1VFh6-T7UDRDa2z9_kcJYH6nB5BgWjyq8Stk0P4t7NjDWV6hiZxNoRtaCUweNTR6ikwkKiQIkFtaEATNWic0cE4BsItmTho5BsS45pvPB0PdbB7nKC0Iu4s47CJ5IB5DG9U/s4032/20230629_094214.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5-CUXxB2dWvb_WKe6NIo2xQHiG93ltH_pHvgyifB9z61g5H3G1O3YtrDh1VFh6-T7UDRDa2z9_kcJYH6nB5BgWjyq8Stk0P4t7NjDWV6hiZxNoRtaCUweNTR6ikwkKiQIkFtaEATNWic0cE4BsItmTho5BsS45pvPB0PdbB7nKC0Iu4s47CJ5IB5DG9U/w640-h480/20230629_094214.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0drOx4OIL1wie2IduVshV2iguo4g15egAYgNmwgPKpCf3FF9kJHRMUZHKdt2fffETnkGXzRV8puNKjwnvYK1R0LzDR2trtmRjcHcdr8J8kb7ZgCG_LbEfuWO2iouCF9oAi7yH7nxJPG2c2NEOfik-funEpz-WyVdO7p2EJoiCBKv4OWc6kujuc3mq1p8/s4032/20230629_094550.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2721" data-original-width="4032" height="432" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0drOx4OIL1wie2IduVshV2iguo4g15egAYgNmwgPKpCf3FF9kJHRMUZHKdt2fffETnkGXzRV8puNKjwnvYK1R0LzDR2trtmRjcHcdr8J8kb7ZgCG_LbEfuWO2iouCF9oAi7yH7nxJPG2c2NEOfik-funEpz-WyVdO7p2EJoiCBKv4OWc6kujuc3mq1p8/w640-h432/20230629_094550.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnNFvDjqOaJ3XbkeJPGUN0NGIBIlHXGUs4VKhuVd9_HL57ICqLNFBFCOiqN6O7W-KslD5CaAR2ZuYpcIfl_vMxQa0wfqPDMJT_1I3vGATCo8nEs_2g4wZPohcdBzsMnacrK-05NS64d2kekfAvMTMRschroA36Ua31bBIDMHrPPMTLZHlPJ2PcRx2DLSA/s4032/20230629_104334.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnNFvDjqOaJ3XbkeJPGUN0NGIBIlHXGUs4VKhuVd9_HL57ICqLNFBFCOiqN6O7W-KslD5CaAR2ZuYpcIfl_vMxQa0wfqPDMJT_1I3vGATCo8nEs_2g4wZPohcdBzsMnacrK-05NS64d2kekfAvMTMRschroA36Ua31bBIDMHrPPMTLZHlPJ2PcRx2DLSA/w640-h480/20230629_104334.jpg" width="640" /></a></div> <p></p>Kristenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09395982353422232042noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6490691579278995179.post-69072679491026278012023-07-18T11:50:00.000-04:002023-07-18T11:50:33.138-04:00Klaipeda, Lithuania<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Our NCL cruise brought us to Lithuania as the next stop in our journey. Charles has visited Lithuania for work a couple times, but never near the coast. We disembarked in Klaipeda and had an excursion booked to visit Witches Hill. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7hBk9iHv-Yj-eL-0xZwZp-c1vWJXaacPv41-okRnFqbe9KM6LZPmLqoNMZ_2byweJhD9GXuFITlIiSx4Kq0kbNHs1YRz1_nWhJIBGicMcTfII7-wa0mYyH_2vBHv2j5Hg8WljLmvz3S7zieXq3EIplmRMIGVwuQIo2Sovwj1MErLdIRiLK4DfQixRrVQ/s4032/20230628_143627.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7hBk9iHv-Yj-eL-0xZwZp-c1vWJXaacPv41-okRnFqbe9KM6LZPmLqoNMZ_2byweJhD9GXuFITlIiSx4Kq0kbNHs1YRz1_nWhJIBGicMcTfII7-wa0mYyH_2vBHv2j5Hg8WljLmvz3S7zieXq3EIplmRMIGVwuQIo2Sovwj1MErLdIRiLK4DfQixRrVQ/w480-h640/20230628_143627.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The excursion stopped at the beach for a way too short visit. We had just enough time to walk past the dune, snap a picture and then go back to the bus.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyswNbJmDZsRyx46R_N8vDMnbJGXM2JBG_bWU9P_P_EYiSM41tlq8XNLRZ5xRqquEswm9egfHE3jNxvVrivBjxQRFC7qo6cs-MncLGbRRGFlT8UxMfM3I_TlpPcJv9h1Gcx4zaX5vReTMfgs8ND5sMqLlNAlXl2InFBGX_TM-o-WnXSg7Hr0Eg7cYRD00/s1440/20230628_144023_capture.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1440" data-original-width="1080" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyswNbJmDZsRyx46R_N8vDMnbJGXM2JBG_bWU9P_P_EYiSM41tlq8XNLRZ5xRqquEswm9egfHE3jNxvVrivBjxQRFC7qo6cs-MncLGbRRGFlT8UxMfM3I_TlpPcJv9h1Gcx4zaX5vReTMfgs8ND5sMqLlNAlXl2InFBGX_TM-o-WnXSg7Hr0Eg7cYRD00/w480-h640/20230628_144023_capture.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkKqGHJ_NT5oiHp-eHJn3plbNESZArsbnqD6SX8stdOfxAHZWfNarwrGfMeJ-HcZceIrPoZ7cXuehNYxIqOJylvVXyLQrAXmEHB1qhbC9rLbtU8FyBULTRellQBBsRxRYrTaOOgVC01oRkAJFm1yhL9V9OyE7aGoPYCqwsf2K8b5nXVxAuYha4LQIEWpk/s4032/20230628_154241.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkKqGHJ_NT5oiHp-eHJn3plbNESZArsbnqD6SX8stdOfxAHZWfNarwrGfMeJ-HcZceIrPoZ7cXuehNYxIqOJylvVXyLQrAXmEHB1qhbC9rLbtU8FyBULTRellQBBsRxRYrTaOOgVC01oRkAJFm1yhL9V9OyE7aGoPYCqwsf2K8b5nXVxAuYha4LQIEWpk/w640-h480/20230628_154241.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The main part of the excursion was to <a href="https://www.neringosmuziejai.lt/en/hill-of-witches/" target="_blank">Witches Hill</a>. It features wooden sculptures depicting folk lore for Lithuania. I was very much looking forward to this part because it sounded like a really fun combination of nature, art and stories. Our guide shared a few stories, but her storytelling skills were not fantastic. She rambled, so it was hard to follow along. </div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFhSmI4LMeC3EEFSEPlPOO63nl0Mmug9T-EEYcQhBx2CAetDpUK5aHQS__Ybjc50C_kMmtEtX1eim_DW_v8ixRhBZveXGBiZ1-0jC9hECvgqg5Uw8J3kw4feYk8eUko941UwURSTwVWP47OP8FujboFUPrsN9gt5jzHuLFyyHJvqUmrXD0E3w5TkNtnxw/s1440/20230628_160305_capture.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1440" data-original-width="1080" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFhSmI4LMeC3EEFSEPlPOO63nl0Mmug9T-EEYcQhBx2CAetDpUK5aHQS__Ybjc50C_kMmtEtX1eim_DW_v8ixRhBZveXGBiZ1-0jC9hECvgqg5Uw8J3kw4feYk8eUko941UwURSTwVWP47OP8FujboFUPrsN9gt5jzHuLFyyHJvqUmrXD0E3w5TkNtnxw/w480-h640/20230628_160305_capture.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Shortly after arriving to Witches Hill, it started to rain which then turned into a DOWNPOUR! We got completely soaked. Before departing on the excursion we decided not to bring our rain jackets. There wasn't a cloud in sight by the ship. Huge mistake! Because of the downpour, we were not able to hear all the stories throughout Witches Hill and were just a bit miserable through the rest of the walk back to the bus.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">After getting soaked on the trail, our excursion brought us to a weather vane shop where they make beautiful, custom <a href="https://www.lithuania.travel/en/facility/learn-to-read-a-weathervane-1" target="_blank">weather vanes</a>. The stories behind the designs were really cool. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The other thing the Baltic area is known for is amber. At the weather vane shop, we had the opportunity to try amber tea and amber schnapps. I did not try any. After being soaked through from the rain, ingesting more liquid did not sound appealing. The shop had a beautiful selection of amber items and we purchased a piece to use as a Christmas ornament. They also had a book of Lithuanian folk tales. Since we were not able to successfully hear the stories along Witches Hill, I thought the book would come in handy. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEc-G8MQn4do4Dq4tPOnP4mlxBs3WzXAhxng1kVc_V7HmMLzxKEjUpMMJZnRHrmZj34VDU047UoXfeZlfnlMVpXN7yy_fD-jgeUgj60cGqN1o9PmOSEOkAJFZY1lKkMHUQboQW9rMoWqHMZhoTYRhFEzqWYw4Fib7tnfdRh7y6BDmWJQTPnzfGLmeiAA8/s1500/Lithuania.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="1000" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEc-G8MQn4do4Dq4tPOnP4mlxBs3WzXAhxng1kVc_V7HmMLzxKEjUpMMJZnRHrmZj34VDU047UoXfeZlfnlMVpXN7yy_fD-jgeUgj60cGqN1o9PmOSEOkAJFZY1lKkMHUQboQW9rMoWqHMZhoTYRhFEzqWYw4Fib7tnfdRh7y6BDmWJQTPnzfGLmeiAA8/w426-h640/Lithuania.png" width="426" /></a></div><p></p>Kristenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09395982353422232042noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6490691579278995179.post-37657505475961916142023-07-16T08:19:00.000-04:002023-07-16T08:19:40.661-04:00Riga, Latvia<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Onto Latvia! Our NCL cruise stopped in Riga. We booked an excursion through the cruise, but had some time before to walk around the city on our own. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRY3CyKQdESfPY3yoS-k_1n4Q27-xhj41uXbcSBZeoT0FtL7LLQ73mTc1FbB6SEIhef7qr6DEa44aYn8k-DM6yoRsP0rqMde1vBENngFPMYn_cDgE6TRxRzGPCa2pcev3KaMLgvw_2O-1tmhRw6C_FoM94UaWtqraAOgWtgKkAeHzcJ0VBHquqYLjC9dE/s4032/20230627_111205.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRY3CyKQdESfPY3yoS-k_1n4Q27-xhj41uXbcSBZeoT0FtL7LLQ73mTc1FbB6SEIhef7qr6DEa44aYn8k-DM6yoRsP0rqMde1vBENngFPMYn_cDgE6TRxRzGPCa2pcev3KaMLgvw_2O-1tmhRw6C_FoM94UaWtqraAOgWtgKkAeHzcJ0VBHquqYLjC9dE/w480-h640/20230627_111205.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I liked how this statue seemed to break free from the ground. I am not sure what the statue represents, but it spoke to me.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuYTQJP6Ru4otAx6bsPM6l7dCO5DIHCuANzlt-_VWe42zgNdfDOkD3gZ31fJGKceLSa4h0EkyW7LZvspamDGBBGRor2BUTkIOa_W-3G0zb9wa0LOim8LMEkFI_3ELvB04B3MUTV5Jv6U-I0QSnT0PjzsvXYbg48rABKoed_XKaTkQrLwaVQOszyJbg1UE/s4032/20230627_113003.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuYTQJP6Ru4otAx6bsPM6l7dCO5DIHCuANzlt-_VWe42zgNdfDOkD3gZ31fJGKceLSa4h0EkyW7LZvspamDGBBGRor2BUTkIOa_W-3G0zb9wa0LOim8LMEkFI_3ELvB04B3MUTV5Jv6U-I0QSnT0PjzsvXYbg48rABKoed_XKaTkQrLwaVQOszyJbg1UE/w640-h480/20230627_113003.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I am not an assertive enough person for these kind of photo opportunities. Eventually I scooted in for a quick photo before we continued our stroll.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmp-Mu0kxpR8NQPRXbsLHupfxrjhDVPJSlx_k9Lflv206lGi1JSF-skzFnIS2P8KR6qY3jlLExUqVf9usKE70nW-e_jg9oHcY0Q-hQ4XfdXP-dqZag-6W4rWEX6VoRbUwI9IG5bHZUp3xURSZb9-SaIuNtFav1WUiY1RUkylgDYfvsQQmC1ABTPT99-fw/s4032/20230627_120525.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmp-Mu0kxpR8NQPRXbsLHupfxrjhDVPJSlx_k9Lflv206lGi1JSF-skzFnIS2P8KR6qY3jlLExUqVf9usKE70nW-e_jg9oHcY0Q-hQ4XfdXP-dqZag-6W4rWEX6VoRbUwI9IG5bHZUp3xURSZb9-SaIuNtFav1WUiY1RUkylgDYfvsQQmC1ABTPT99-fw/w640-h480/20230627_120525.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6KYQrN9DVECect0VOso0Aej7beKJ6HvlVYvChZIlAjBsaN6Fvo3w-06ekSipGB2od__iwF_awPXP9mZ5hjg7U7XqGJYGw7GYnwYywi4H6ib8yIMFfF47Fay5UJvj1A1f0qZInyW4Y4UwF4a4zuzzxJAKZEM2k2vbr0dc6cplg7wfRzt332HFFo0O4P_I/s4032/20230627_145534.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6KYQrN9DVECect0VOso0Aej7beKJ6HvlVYvChZIlAjBsaN6Fvo3w-06ekSipGB2od__iwF_awPXP9mZ5hjg7U7XqGJYGw7GYnwYywi4H6ib8yIMFfF47Fay5UJvj1A1f0qZInyW4Y4UwF4a4zuzzxJAKZEM2k2vbr0dc6cplg7wfRzt332HFFo0O4P_I/w480-h640/20230627_145534.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Our excursion was a visit to a nearby resort town, <a href="https://www.visitjurmala.lv/en/" target="_blank">Jurmala</a>. After driving a bit through the area, we got off for some free time to walk along the beach. Man, did it feel nice to stick my feet in the sand. The time at the beach was way too short, though. After the beach, we walked by some shops on the way to the meetup spot to get back on the bus.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Jurmala has a ton of cute little houses. Someone on the tour called them doll houses and the description was so fitting. I would love to spend more time here soaking up the sun and relaxing on the beach.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgitIVBGjfO9ntmxID6nAOSh240eJH-wPpTLuUqfef410A24XY7wj_FxByspHcaP0c_ySYIUI7uJqUwm-wSviOw1P6nRJfgY_SMzc6g-3l01HS9fZvZ7PDHjoTQkZh-OOPuLXgPhfRElOWfDsROf28zbdFC3PsQ8FW_ACuoE_m4ZbaMkM5BXsmRmOzU194/s3968/20230627_155010.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3968" data-original-width="2232" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgitIVBGjfO9ntmxID6nAOSh240eJH-wPpTLuUqfef410A24XY7wj_FxByspHcaP0c_ySYIUI7uJqUwm-wSviOw1P6nRJfgY_SMzc6g-3l01HS9fZvZ7PDHjoTQkZh-OOPuLXgPhfRElOWfDsROf28zbdFC3PsQ8FW_ACuoE_m4ZbaMkM5BXsmRmOzU194/w360-h640/20230627_155010.jpg" width="360" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Is it a beach trip without ice cream???</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgs_0Dowveqmjcl61bVUxykGsHae2TFepxSG_VrE-gBEtU6244oy5qR0xK6ZFKP0rOWLQRfoXShktpOqhhPl4r5ngbW7jdJR-R5L2Ix6YLnXVc-X5dWczs_LAM00DDzVjxINpAq4JGxU2Qpzf1PdaVg0DYa60bu9xJSeH6RPuSoJ36OfBYlgIYnSt3-WjQ/s4032/20230627_171133.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgs_0Dowveqmjcl61bVUxykGsHae2TFepxSG_VrE-gBEtU6244oy5qR0xK6ZFKP0rOWLQRfoXShktpOqhhPl4r5ngbW7jdJR-R5L2Ix6YLnXVc-X5dWczs_LAM00DDzVjxINpAq4JGxU2Qpzf1PdaVg0DYa60bu9xJSeH6RPuSoJ36OfBYlgIYnSt3-WjQ/w640-h480/20230627_171133.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Latvia's favorite sport is hockey and we happened upon this in a park. </div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLeRTAf2hr_ZydM_NQe4qiu3qdmj1HseBCvLPGztttBSxSEdB6GahvzPsTv1z4XGQxij4NV-xyY-jL2y1OUX7JwHYHETUnF0pGOovPA5L-YA8IaYbB18uMOqiEf4kgKqYCTRvNitqmB2NZxAlm4r2t3djYZZmzrQoGJ1wGevTtPuASWDYpcHvocONyVOE/s4032/20230627_171427.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLeRTAf2hr_ZydM_NQe4qiu3qdmj1HseBCvLPGztttBSxSEdB6GahvzPsTv1z4XGQxij4NV-xyY-jL2y1OUX7JwHYHETUnF0pGOovPA5L-YA8IaYbB18uMOqiEf4kgKqYCTRvNitqmB2NZxAlm4r2t3djYZZmzrQoGJ1wGevTtPuASWDYpcHvocONyVOE/w640-h480/20230627_171427.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Another large Riga photo opportunity!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXacIeVIPkqA0Mj-dyUCAwVgou8A_VvfTnvGLp-eR6sGq7uaB4OLCwMvB9_hoClYSAkaXCjkI6URa_t3ZMo3hi6EZH7sX4xLZwJ9Be2fS3GSNnmPsu4rQPkLbk1Msf-mnT3zba7KFthQv18KroGzzcExOa_Yj2NbH9s34gAaj5319pqlgmBTlh7iCVppY/s1500/Blog%20Pinterest%20pin.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="1000" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXacIeVIPkqA0Mj-dyUCAwVgou8A_VvfTnvGLp-eR6sGq7uaB4OLCwMvB9_hoClYSAkaXCjkI6URa_t3ZMo3hi6EZH7sX4xLZwJ9Be2fS3GSNnmPsu4rQPkLbk1Msf-mnT3zba7KFthQv18KroGzzcExOa_Yj2NbH9s34gAaj5319pqlgmBTlh7iCVppY/w426-h640/Blog%20Pinterest%20pin.png" width="426" /></a></div><p></p>Kristenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09395982353422232042noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6490691579278995179.post-56965598023382014632023-07-15T10:26:00.000-04:002023-07-15T10:26:01.876-04:00Tallinn, Estonia<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The third new country visited on our Baltic cruise was Estonia! We booked a <a href="https://foodsightseeing.ee/tours/tallinn-food-tour" target="_blank">food tour</a> (not through NCL) and had some time before the tour to explore Tallinn on our own. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPavv7t75AmF8dNEXztefdrKOt3B58DabLi5onc37C13ue_roNe_eVaKaIMi2kQfY62wMCI_3VCPWiM7C9Ur77kGUlV5unfK4tpO3yC6MQnZB86cUcc4PDIHkXg6_QsdlAubAUqSQv0P3zuKMtq7-UFeHnZKE2zT4LI64G0hJHYxWt4WNkgzdS1HUUZ_s/s4032/20230626_091748.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPavv7t75AmF8dNEXztefdrKOt3B58DabLi5onc37C13ue_roNe_eVaKaIMi2kQfY62wMCI_3VCPWiM7C9Ur77kGUlV5unfK4tpO3yC6MQnZB86cUcc4PDIHkXg6_QsdlAubAUqSQv0P3zuKMtq7-UFeHnZKE2zT4LI64G0hJHYxWt4WNkgzdS1HUUZ_s/w480-h640/20230626_091748.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-j6MZ0xfj45rkeiP1A9qLuqgEyCGSL0Xm3WfV_iJ02Z6qhQFcW8VdP06nXhNMjVxkDv1kN0rwX-W1iNEnDLsnCRqfmKx9vRfpFzjqcOKQgWx06F3lmPvM5lOGQNpiFXrdjANGFBD46cf6sVlu4hq7dpyr_IO8i4ViNrdfZ4U8StEKdpPuK27wfBCVuUQ/s4032/20230626_102051.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-j6MZ0xfj45rkeiP1A9qLuqgEyCGSL0Xm3WfV_iJ02Z6qhQFcW8VdP06nXhNMjVxkDv1kN0rwX-W1iNEnDLsnCRqfmKx9vRfpFzjqcOKQgWx06F3lmPvM5lOGQNpiFXrdjANGFBD46cf6sVlu4hq7dpyr_IO8i4ViNrdfZ4U8StEKdpPuK27wfBCVuUQ/w640-h480/20230626_102051.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">We toured the <a href="https://meremuuseum.ee/en/" target="_blank">Estonian Maritime Museum</a>. It is located in the Fat Margaret tower (Tallinn towers have some quirky names), so as you visit each level of the museum you get better and better views of the city. The very top level is an outdoor bar that offers a great vantage point. The museum was very well done with a lot of interactive displays. Strangely, there was a karaoke booth on one of the levels.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3Zt3vWQXt5oXydIfl0-Nd77TtpjXLTNcfQRd6ClnpSOFj03VOLE47TtOkfwhYB5uOckTnnzy1yzcxZpV66WS-YR6dtJszo8hyk_su7UUNfjAVQkRjg1sXF4zAExCZcREGb__s1OBD9hBdl-fMse60JM5vO6B1QH3iQtGpamI_hEIdNBO1HOPxlmUTlPc/s3494/20230626_105005.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3494" data-original-width="2985" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3Zt3vWQXt5oXydIfl0-Nd77TtpjXLTNcfQRd6ClnpSOFj03VOLE47TtOkfwhYB5uOckTnnzy1yzcxZpV66WS-YR6dtJszo8hyk_su7UUNfjAVQkRjg1sXF4zAExCZcREGb__s1OBD9hBdl-fMse60JM5vO6B1QH3iQtGpamI_hEIdNBO1HOPxlmUTlPc/w546-h640/20230626_105005.jpg" width="546" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrg25qO37MuSFlquIa3ES782ezMTzuXxamCoqNc10Ib_0c9TyznQBXvJhqqmnd5CQtbMBa2UQHfKmatWoDA1W8lQD0xG3SWnC4ySeN12mzigSWBEeXqvvWydxAkCsLe3FZiwYXvSK4cHLjY0Aipcutgq7VUmp9fLFW0o8cagj-SGZJPqiYBX4j08UGIIM/s4032/20230626_111430.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrg25qO37MuSFlquIa3ES782ezMTzuXxamCoqNc10Ib_0c9TyznQBXvJhqqmnd5CQtbMBa2UQHfKmatWoDA1W8lQD0xG3SWnC4ySeN12mzigSWBEeXqvvWydxAkCsLe3FZiwYXvSK4cHLjY0Aipcutgq7VUmp9fLFW0o8cagj-SGZJPqiYBX4j08UGIIM/w640-h480/20230626_111430.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">A large part of the Baltics has some warranted emotional baggage in regards to Russia. We happened upon the Russian embassy while strolling around Tallinn. As you can see, people don't much care for Russia.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg64cyQWvNXnlqDBWsittXVpo4lMNi4HPWUz69QCrq20WNKfBkebZYXpXu9sWYP2Wwue_RDIqQNaZINYN6CfvxwzKIV9ODFrgoiwlrNrsds3mtlJvavS0E7sgI58E5o-hlR0ihzGNOij6IldgmY-GUgGnFf0hK8bhD_N-Ol1XmYcSulC4cfGg9-7-Lms3c/s4032/20230626_121007.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg64cyQWvNXnlqDBWsittXVpo4lMNi4HPWUz69QCrq20WNKfBkebZYXpXu9sWYP2Wwue_RDIqQNaZINYN6CfvxwzKIV9ODFrgoiwlrNrsds3mtlJvavS0E7sgI58E5o-hlR0ihzGNOij6IldgmY-GUgGnFf0hK8bhD_N-Ol1XmYcSulC4cfGg9-7-Lms3c/w480-h640/20230626_121007.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">We enjoy food tours! It takes the pressure off finding places to eat and helps us learn more about the city and culture that we're visiting. The Tallinn food tour was fantastic and so varied! The first stop was one of my favorite bites of the tour (I'm getting a bit hungry just looking at the picture). These are lamb dumplings served with a garlic oil and sour cream. So delicious! </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLKHMffHwYvO4hlHyxZQBbv2UjTsdp8eXzdrDhjE93Ndko-K8Yxwk2ZbolaV8CQJO5UrGZ1sQEMqwWy-4f4FQfR9qBMP9uL6j3-OHCjR2Onmt9ZwR-EFFmgr0ElggnSONuMGEcwENyv4k4WaiOCe3mmXbg1E5YtVuObxDbHmryvBKt4QWG_71vG7RlyRk/s4032/Seabuckhornjuice.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLKHMffHwYvO4hlHyxZQBbv2UjTsdp8eXzdrDhjE93Ndko-K8Yxwk2ZbolaV8CQJO5UrGZ1sQEMqwWy-4f4FQfR9qBMP9uL6j3-OHCjR2Onmt9ZwR-EFFmgr0ElggnSONuMGEcwENyv4k4WaiOCe3mmXbg1E5YtVuObxDbHmryvBKt4QWG_71vG7RlyRk/w480-h640/Seabuckhornjuice.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">We also tried <a href="https://www.rabenhorst.de/en/science-of-juice/fruit-vegetable-encyclopedia/sea-buckthorn/" target="_blank">sea buckhorn juice</a>. I had never heard of sea buckhorn, but the juice was refreshing.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwVWZfIXEWy16GKMQ9Gj2Wp-L4QMaLc2mble5t2c7G0QaTfsAbN3JQ0HlaFKKp2SE57Fmg58dCAG7aXdlGU8ZHXB1ezAK2yvQ_d_Nc_4vII6F9mYXUyWhKgIjxT7bwSyzA32xxBZ2LiTMAfBdstD4Nwx-KZgwjojmMUmIXNBmFH_2EXGNdghnOIl8ElWE/s4032/20230626_124635.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwVWZfIXEWy16GKMQ9Gj2Wp-L4QMaLc2mble5t2c7G0QaTfsAbN3JQ0HlaFKKp2SE57Fmg58dCAG7aXdlGU8ZHXB1ezAK2yvQ_d_Nc_4vII6F9mYXUyWhKgIjxT7bwSyzA32xxBZ2LiTMAfBdstD4Nwx-KZgwjojmMUmIXNBmFH_2EXGNdghnOIl8ElWE/w480-h640/20230626_124635.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Another stop was to a <a href="https://chocolala.ee/en/" target="_blank">chocolate shop</a>! They had some common flavors, but also some very unique ones. We all tried <a href="https://chocolala.ee/en/product/natural-reindeer-moss-in-chocolate/" target="_blank">chocolate with reindeer moss</a>. They also had flavors like spruce and kama flour (more on that in a little bit).</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRj2g5Urp02B6FjkxQd1nn71m1CmrrBxsD5Jv90mm7gezjp2BvGYkpLZ4DfCdoDZ-cpkFMmSq4ExGwardIHBbb7QBP4u_yRdtyakSpC6hHOmjwim4ScHWU3xpHmKQxip4knQZBDLYrunxzwH_4LEXxtwY81LRHGyYsNgeWHyRN1kQzKwGzOSHgTC66Q9E/s4032/20230626_130221.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRj2g5Urp02B6FjkxQd1nn71m1CmrrBxsD5Jv90mm7gezjp2BvGYkpLZ4DfCdoDZ-cpkFMmSq4ExGwardIHBbb7QBP4u_yRdtyakSpC6hHOmjwim4ScHWU3xpHmKQxip4knQZBDLYrunxzwH_4LEXxtwY81LRHGyYsNgeWHyRN1kQzKwGzOSHgTC66Q9E/w480-h640/20230626_130221.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">There were a few medieval style restaurants in Tallinn. We visited this one that had some cool ambience inside. We tried a soup and sausage roll. It felt like we stepped back in time.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDJzC4RuX4m3naXaqYkIDOHrIoZhaSN_uqjMllQ2p88QXwPEPdoFtiy2VdUqXw2J9O2n1hnGZtv3FV9eckXAtTvR69-39nLzuOQZvef0_GJk3B_84fnwMKj12CmFIOoZAY8jekdlmHEh6v1XUQk2fJ7B7QJJSMamds01lASss4JkwyzCtUj2hBdHQchx0/s4032/20230626_132350.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDJzC4RuX4m3naXaqYkIDOHrIoZhaSN_uqjMllQ2p88QXwPEPdoFtiy2VdUqXw2J9O2n1hnGZtv3FV9eckXAtTvR69-39nLzuOQZvef0_GJk3B_84fnwMKj12CmFIOoZAY8jekdlmHEh6v1XUQk2fJ7B7QJJSMamds01lASss4JkwyzCtUj2hBdHQchx0/w480-h640/20230626_132350.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Another stop brought us to a <a href="http://raeapteek.ee/en/" target="_blank">pharmacy</a>, which may seem strange. They have been making marzipan forever! We were able to sample some. According to their website, this marzipan is "a good cure for alleviating the ache of love and promoting brain activity." </div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbk9wJJiOHYvMAKBtwe6U-pPKG2Uf2NZEO0_4KlnxcvsohLNttYKv9ZoWXpeJg0yXxrcBiY5zkVljMif6qUzaVgwYGEcLu3EVbNXkQ5t2ftZz0ythpPaUj5FjWkmF_1WJ8PISPJhIIBIHeks-DLv6ZpPETYPSJGggs5i5RkHPcneV7IQIPU6BgiyeDvyQ/s4032/20230626_133225.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbk9wJJiOHYvMAKBtwe6U-pPKG2Uf2NZEO0_4KlnxcvsohLNttYKv9ZoWXpeJg0yXxrcBiY5zkVljMif6qUzaVgwYGEcLu3EVbNXkQ5t2ftZz0ythpPaUj5FjWkmF_1WJ8PISPJhIIBIHeks-DLv6ZpPETYPSJGggs5i5RkHPcneV7IQIPU6BgiyeDvyQ/w480-h640/20230626_133225.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Our next stop was to sample <a href="http://www.piimaliit.ee/en/kama-a-drink-with-sour-milk-and-berries/" target="_blank">kama</a>. I was at a table with three other people who sampled their kama before I had a bite and they had me worried. They did not seem like big fans. Upon trying it, it just made me think of yogurt. To be fair, yogurt in Europe is a little different than yogurt in the US and I have grown more accustomed to European yogurt. It tends to be more sour tasting. Kama has an interesting texture from the grains. I don't know if this is something I would order on my own, but I'm glad to have tried it.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgPE3v17bcvn35tTg5ViJXv1efEqj8CgP_Q8Wir6Hf4qunBMFrAzitwKnbY7l4kH6PrwZYS8Y4RpnaBT42Aew1DcXLyj9WBvu6S1fuBTfUzKJpEBXTTZY5Xyd8Dzb8a6qyKPhYeo-K2viHcDcjwD6CV_t4hhe0ZVL59fRCLz2AzH2WCFu9ec4Ai3-dgDE/s4032/20230626_133040.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgPE3v17bcvn35tTg5ViJXv1efEqj8CgP_Q8Wir6Hf4qunBMFrAzitwKnbY7l4kH6PrwZYS8Y4RpnaBT42Aew1DcXLyj9WBvu6S1fuBTfUzKJpEBXTTZY5Xyd8Dzb8a6qyKPhYeo-K2viHcDcjwD6CV_t4hhe0ZVL59fRCLz2AzH2WCFu9ec4Ai3-dgDE/w640-h480/20230626_133040.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The <a href="https://kohvikmaiasmokk.ee/en/" target="_blank">café </a>where we tasted kama is also known for marzipan, although we did not try any of theirs. I loved the display case filled with the painted marzipan figures. They are too cute to eat!</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjE2Br-M2M9o3z1lNTl4cmTWncOzDDuBPQ1wPUCw4dVX6IlQDBH9mA0J9vVTOibUo7L13Db9E94BO9DNJCMaKT7JbvulmzKcb6r2iKav_clxdKNb8aASK7astljQsNKlqza15ol4uTkDkxPKfVm-Qkp3oPYlkIAtwmH2ViIknlHXPI1zZzJh0MO5i-J040/s4032/20230626_141422.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjE2Br-M2M9o3z1lNTl4cmTWncOzDDuBPQ1wPUCw4dVX6IlQDBH9mA0J9vVTOibUo7L13Db9E94BO9DNJCMaKT7JbvulmzKcb6r2iKav_clxdKNb8aASK7astljQsNKlqza15ol4uTkDkxPKfVm-Qkp3oPYlkIAtwmH2ViIknlHXPI1zZzJh0MO5i-J040/w480-h640/20230626_141422.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">We walked through a food hall and tried some delicious lemonades! Charles had the kind in the orange can and it tasted like apple pie. Mine was an apple lemonade, but did not have the cinnamon spice flavor.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5EHtQaAHOofiQaI_CCzL1Tm1DhIP2ApUdszq4f5pw_YXd8E1hIP3xl71rkVqAxn6V4pkNBp2YKmgQfbBu2rwT482BVHUg7S8Eih4ExykR-yjd8xLt2heRSiLOwTbZrM4OBB4yKFmkDU1qyEo-U6Ai8RttsDXnlcEWr6WLLN0Jz6s0K0Xw7hOoAF4Govw/s4032/20230626_141737.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5EHtQaAHOofiQaI_CCzL1Tm1DhIP2ApUdszq4f5pw_YXd8E1hIP3xl71rkVqAxn6V4pkNBp2YKmgQfbBu2rwT482BVHUg7S8Eih4ExykR-yjd8xLt2heRSiLOwTbZrM4OBB4yKFmkDU1qyEo-U6Ai8RttsDXnlcEWr6WLLN0Jz6s0K0Xw7hOoAF4Govw/w480-h640/20230626_141737.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">These mini pancakes were so yummy! Charles had condensed milk on his and I chose Nutella.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibTvEsi4pN8Hhw8KDGdFEm3KTWqUAOvx3M6T-An_TlTukwJuKSNyYhb8dN-BdbnTRboTADF84c-LyU76Rty3iW3WFWBnXhak4e6dcsBrmpnpwfFnjUmRBj0HHk-TQL2EBtRC0tTavNf4Gbmm-XaDeMNEQvPGLg46CcyAXowiztCwlyPvshRq5VkpuAA-E/s4032/20230626_143718.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibTvEsi4pN8Hhw8KDGdFEm3KTWqUAOvx3M6T-An_TlTukwJuKSNyYhb8dN-BdbnTRboTADF84c-LyU76Rty3iW3WFWBnXhak4e6dcsBrmpnpwfFnjUmRBj0HHk-TQL2EBtRC0tTavNf4Gbmm-XaDeMNEQvPGLg46CcyAXowiztCwlyPvshRq5VkpuAA-E/w480-h640/20230626_143718.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">For the last stop our guide gave our group the choice between ice cream or local brewery. We chose brewery! This part of town was covered in really cool street art, too. Charles and I enjoyed a refreshing cider while enjoying the sunny afternoon.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0HmvLpncY1RhrYR-T7QfDHaWjPhsCWgif4ewN_8YdHG4hoR4e8y67GwpwFOPKIqDbdaTEo8bWxAUZzJEkEbg3u8cRRhLlfbJxJRoWCw4QXrCBNN1DsOaCUmP5yLyFpMY9OSfIWJIsKD4czCviKPKnAdNuiqgNX3brLOQT68NqrmSIkgosD511Npgu-HM/s4032/20230626_151552.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0HmvLpncY1RhrYR-T7QfDHaWjPhsCWgif4ewN_8YdHG4hoR4e8y67GwpwFOPKIqDbdaTEo8bWxAUZzJEkEbg3u8cRRhLlfbJxJRoWCw4QXrCBNN1DsOaCUmP5yLyFpMY9OSfIWJIsKD4czCviKPKnAdNuiqgNX3brLOQT68NqrmSIkgosD511Npgu-HM/w640-h480/20230626_151552.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">We thought about booking a street art tour in Tallinn, but there were no tours offered the day we visited. I would love to return to Tallinn to go on that tour, though! There were so many cool pieces!</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHmN_62R75xDjYmHmd1l96RHdp78f3wzo8HdXZ3_uE6yePbHzZhGgquLtxd0ImUBqzokxsXWV34M4C4yi6YV9rTS4FYukHNJsAh4imXoivItOXmvIPHDaOMnmEbAH7pn3c1qIiBcWGGyFss1vpS33JF1CeoGupuYAhkcYGzzAQsYxltmjEi0GQ-79WRTg/s1500/Tallinn.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="1000" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHmN_62R75xDjYmHmd1l96RHdp78f3wzo8HdXZ3_uE6yePbHzZhGgquLtxd0ImUBqzokxsXWV34M4C4yi6YV9rTS4FYukHNJsAh4imXoivItOXmvIPHDaOMnmEbAH7pn3c1qIiBcWGGyFss1vpS33JF1CeoGupuYAhkcYGzzAQsYxltmjEi0GQ-79WRTg/w426-h640/Tallinn.png" width="426" /></a></div><p></p>Kristenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09395982353422232042noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6490691579278995179.post-82291744524378743162023-07-10T10:10:00.000-04:002023-07-10T10:10:37.831-04:00Visby, Sweden<p>Before the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Baltic cruises would stop in St. Petersburg. To replace this stop, they added Visby to the itinerary. When planning ahead, there were no excursion options available through the cruise for Visby so we planned to walk around the town and see the sights for ourselves. Once onboard, excursion options opened up but we decided to stick to our own plan. </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFdGFZy7TsjOwHVsCCrfKDuIvR0k7nJDdTCln5aZgBqgYMP8LenASauYQ3rBtgnl3Lx9C5u2tAcuwb74iGHzt0KgszSD5mw3RBrWZqFkbC_Od9iSZFvDxLncypauxni10j3mCvhLvpFmZimhjia9tSCwsY9p6lR6igvwT1ChT7aStgsqRYoWgRcDLrX7A/s4032/20230625_113649.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFdGFZy7TsjOwHVsCCrfKDuIvR0k7nJDdTCln5aZgBqgYMP8LenASauYQ3rBtgnl3Lx9C5u2tAcuwb74iGHzt0KgszSD5mw3RBrWZqFkbC_Od9iSZFvDxLncypauxni10j3mCvhLvpFmZimhjia9tSCwsY9p6lR6igvwT1ChT7aStgsqRYoWgRcDLrX7A/w640-h480/20230625_113649.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Visby is right on the water, of course. Most of the town is hidden behind the old town walls, but when you get on the other side of the wall you can have this beautiful view. We walked along the water for a bit.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2gwkLO_WJUJQ3pBBo3xS8u51uBaRSg_fCRdQWgpF6KY2tAk6Sb4WW92pRvo1e_I4ngptKLe6ZhxRXo6B2vfYnb_uTeejCGFkxDnC2Ijz0vO87ApEu9RbGTcStIDC3iQHa6KeF9xMCcwmWOMaBs9tk3eeAVZl4CQtf9U_jIjsQk40dZM1B6mFHx0A2thI/s4032/20230625_112323.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2gwkLO_WJUJQ3pBBo3xS8u51uBaRSg_fCRdQWgpF6KY2tAk6Sb4WW92pRvo1e_I4ngptKLe6ZhxRXo6B2vfYnb_uTeejCGFkxDnC2Ijz0vO87ApEu9RbGTcStIDC3iQHa6KeF9xMCcwmWOMaBs9tk3eeAVZl4CQtf9U_jIjsQk40dZM1B6mFHx0A2thI/w480-h640/20230625_112323.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Visby also has a great <a href="https://visbybotan.se/" target="_blank">botanical garden</a> that is free to visit. Coming in June provided us the chance to see tons of different flowers in bloom!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjqJ5vXyhWllgz5y_Zm-X7hHkeczFbXnWjeuIvFfLulwb07r69xUoMmTUf9GItAiNm5JPofOFyLnqKNuxxMW7KH5Ku6Qdyf_yWLmBezLAwQj5Pfr5z5eGYxFcE4u24ELeZXfGbPpAt_4n6ZP5eM-flPjrprl-MW3DVQesU6J-N6jzH7TMcI7f4dd_69Ic/s4032/20230625_103101.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjqJ5vXyhWllgz5y_Zm-X7hHkeczFbXnWjeuIvFfLulwb07r69xUoMmTUf9GItAiNm5JPofOFyLnqKNuxxMW7KH5Ku6Qdyf_yWLmBezLAwQj5Pfr5z5eGYxFcE4u24ELeZXfGbPpAt_4n6ZP5eM-flPjrprl-MW3DVQesU6J-N6jzH7TMcI7f4dd_69Ic/w480-h640/20230625_103101.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGu4-vlZd2nNbgmV5BPCJjqNh1JYxquZcz1MkrwLTgVkv-TNbzYCAyoH6j6eytJB2uRtYfod44UXJTWsbNfhjXkz-OZjqlWLcQU-9JInnMps-BDQYaizw_snst0NWUsLds89NtJDUw0Wdhz7Bw2_zmu0hEjBIGa0UlXFAKYOqrewsygLSQTLaC3BeNsMM/s4032/20230625_105302.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGu4-vlZd2nNbgmV5BPCJjqNh1JYxquZcz1MkrwLTgVkv-TNbzYCAyoH6j6eytJB2uRtYfod44UXJTWsbNfhjXkz-OZjqlWLcQU-9JInnMps-BDQYaizw_snst0NWUsLds89NtJDUw0Wdhz7Bw2_zmu0hEjBIGa0UlXFAKYOqrewsygLSQTLaC3BeNsMM/w640-h480/20230625_105302.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHs8uvdrNKxpjTMui5guRPKgnFcXBkbvU6KWaVt6MxyDahtJPmOrZ8T5F-etNIC5pIdg59VSdBh-x94vElAC-grbp8ijtN6u3CcWIFMvgPhIFZjYpUfveAx2bWb0ankDjqp691gS6gBXyMr94GBIkyMR7LjjOwrP75uR_LWCN2WtVM1LtQOCB7jCfT63w/s4032/20230625_102609.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHs8uvdrNKxpjTMui5guRPKgnFcXBkbvU6KWaVt6MxyDahtJPmOrZ8T5F-etNIC5pIdg59VSdBh-x94vElAC-grbp8ijtN6u3CcWIFMvgPhIFZjYpUfveAx2bWb0ankDjqp691gS6gBXyMr94GBIkyMR7LjjOwrP75uR_LWCN2WtVM1LtQOCB7jCfT63w/w480-h640/20230625_102609.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The other gem that Visby had to offer was church ruins. I don't know why, but I love church ruins. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig8OWOrMAUP4HeRL_OPGWnHOGd931T4Lpbq02lnT5yEwpUe-Kd5uBaxzqs8u_yoZq2nC_6dzmpQIUoZlE00VkkVBrdhAL8kRf-fbqB5uA3twTZihfPq4FcQjaQXYZyK19Lrk4pZ2RJ0LAN6CnZ55qfDcDkyDl9Wq4TylbdQvSmBuyZS6hF12FjDigwRmI/s4032/Chocolate%20cake.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig8OWOrMAUP4HeRL_OPGWnHOGd931T4Lpbq02lnT5yEwpUe-Kd5uBaxzqs8u_yoZq2nC_6dzmpQIUoZlE00VkkVBrdhAL8kRf-fbqB5uA3twTZihfPq4FcQjaQXYZyK19Lrk4pZ2RJ0LAN6CnZ55qfDcDkyDl9Wq4TylbdQvSmBuyZS6hF12FjDigwRmI/w480-h640/Chocolate%20cake.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">And being in Sweden meant we just <i>had </i>to make a fika stop before getting back on the ship! We enjoyed cake and coffee from a little café with outdoor seating. I had carrot cake, but Charles made the best choice with this slice of chocolate cake. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGG0qHv_q17_KX9s9SW8Sm8i_LUpT0e11-zgesMj3OpCm0WKYg_2lOEQ1mdpiopy8qho0KjIw38LDzKyXnyP51KjiJJgwuK8aGlVbxKIpZoYnK6attQ8rxUWIgMMdI2zJr-qZfeShdnfUbID08bmc6ecPQ7XMP7HoiYPsxqx2YveHL9GTdIyk-UTw-1T4/s1500/Visby.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="1000" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGG0qHv_q17_KX9s9SW8Sm8i_LUpT0e11-zgesMj3OpCm0WKYg_2lOEQ1mdpiopy8qho0KjIw38LDzKyXnyP51KjiJJgwuK8aGlVbxKIpZoYnK6attQ8rxUWIgMMdI2zJr-qZfeShdnfUbID08bmc6ecPQ7XMP7HoiYPsxqx2YveHL9GTdIyk-UTw-1T4/w426-h640/Visby.png" width="426" /></a></div><p></p>Kristenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09395982353422232042noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6490691579278995179.post-50551608369458100582023-07-10T02:57:00.000-04:002023-07-10T02:57:03.032-04:00Kotka, Finland<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The next stop on our NCL cruise was Kotka, Finland. Never heard of it? Neither had I. For this stop, we booked an excursion through the cruise for a hike in <a href="https://www.visitkotkahamina.fi/en/places/valkmusa-national-park/" target="_blank">Valkmusa National Park</a>. The excursion was rated as a three, one of the highest difficulty ratings for excursions. We have been on cruises before, so we knew their rating of a three was probably a little dramatic and we were proven correct.</div><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9DF9seHkcI6l-fGg8vq9QUcRwHFZ1_GMXfZXUz1pRoacLE908S0kKSn1-WPDVPeK-aw3-8-3DoqY8Ouoli7y6dvbTPHEpF8Uysa6KtnYJpH0NiVlweRLy9jEzDAHaL81e583t2ywsO4fP8KTV1-nKJbctL2nsk_r8-oMbb-kEyTEAohiYKhfy_bbKA40/s4032/20230624_120855.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9DF9seHkcI6l-fGg8vq9QUcRwHFZ1_GMXfZXUz1pRoacLE908S0kKSn1-WPDVPeK-aw3-8-3DoqY8Ouoli7y6dvbTPHEpF8Uysa6KtnYJpH0NiVlweRLy9jEzDAHaL81e583t2ywsO4fP8KTV1-nKJbctL2nsk_r8-oMbb-kEyTEAohiYKhfy_bbKA40/w480-h640/20230624_120855.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The hike was about a mile and a half round trip, if I remember correctly. It was mostly on the wooden boardwalk that you can see in the picture above. We had a guide, but because of the limited space he did not have a chance to offer much information on the park or the area. Charles and I hike (or walk in the woods) fairly often, so it was weird to hike with about 50 other people. It took a little of the peacefulness of being in nature away, but it was still nice to get out and spend some time among the trees.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjh5bGWnO83ZijI-phK6EHXa-HpuWM9hwH6atkVtCmYKkQD-LmegT1klvcFbLnD0wYTGP0kggwi2YRbOBsDQqWrpLQPi8XxDDLCI_g155S8nTuy8WymEFgQXkeGN4lcLbhx2BlBFVY7ckmlYjAwkmaImQp5ZVyX4LGfPgokPNmANzRiGu4HI8C3RVbkf4M/s4032/20230624_122832.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjh5bGWnO83ZijI-phK6EHXa-HpuWM9hwH6atkVtCmYKkQD-LmegT1klvcFbLnD0wYTGP0kggwi2YRbOBsDQqWrpLQPi8XxDDLCI_g155S8nTuy8WymEFgQXkeGN4lcLbhx2BlBFVY7ckmlYjAwkmaImQp5ZVyX4LGfPgokPNmANzRiGu4HI8C3RVbkf4M/w480-h640/20230624_122832.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKBxO5xF1MGJoMHX4LZUR0BvirW_eDWMJsKTzLKMSJgqvVI42EyAoYjLg0rCJkpvNQrCFgGD9BEkSbOHBQYHnAtmDWc3LbFhu0Pqj4TPBFqhpUl62iU-PT7zrHhi77JoTcXIGmQhH2wss2F8IltM8u7sEGg-rwEs1KafOuv8g1BK9w_479J44TaU7bGgQ/s4032/20230624_123229.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKBxO5xF1MGJoMHX4LZUR0BvirW_eDWMJsKTzLKMSJgqvVI42EyAoYjLg0rCJkpvNQrCFgGD9BEkSbOHBQYHnAtmDWc3LbFhu0Pqj4TPBFqhpUl62iU-PT7zrHhi77JoTcXIGmQhH2wss2F8IltM8u7sEGg-rwEs1KafOuv8g1BK9w_479J44TaU7bGgQ/w480-h640/20230624_123229.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">This is the trail that we used for the excursion. It was an easy loop with a lookout tower at one point. </div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMDGECtaizoElFVgezh7zJfn8NVwskLFtdpIOUh_XUFXssqkSrt9LZEyyR_dFov4Jtwu1CK5ouqlMUEIDQTs8jxl5Jm0jzEF_ivnQTpw4DEsS_iOiiQdbC13uRb1MTRWZS3f6Uf9Y9v_kOSKZCnQ_j-72mtQu5LYDdbkE2qwkx80E2abkBaff-yPS8k-c/s1500/Kotka.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="1000" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMDGECtaizoElFVgezh7zJfn8NVwskLFtdpIOUh_XUFXssqkSrt9LZEyyR_dFov4Jtwu1CK5ouqlMUEIDQTs8jxl5Jm0jzEF_ivnQTpw4DEsS_iOiiQdbC13uRb1MTRWZS3f6Uf9Y9v_kOSKZCnQ_j-72mtQu5LYDdbkE2qwkx80E2abkBaff-yPS8k-c/w426-h640/Kotka.png" width="426" /></a></div><p></p>Kristenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09395982353422232042noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6490691579278995179.post-72603172070370472432023-07-09T14:42:00.002-04:002023-07-09T14:42:25.554-04:00Helsinki, Finland<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The first stop on our <a href="https://www.ncl.com/" target="_blank">Norwegian Cruise Lines</a> Baltic cruise was Helsinki, Finland. We did not book any excursions through the cruise line, but opted to explore on our own. It was easy enough to grab a taxi right off the boat (although a bit more expensive than finding our own through Bolt or another ride share app). Charles pre-purchased a day pass for public transportation which included the ferry to the nearby <a href="https://www.suomenlinna.fi/en/" target="_blank">Suomenlinna Island</a>. This is where we headed to first.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5GNU9fNIj6UeogLykKICo1R3BpratKqyWe0L_SYStwB-_2Mt7qAs9Cy3O0DXwbTvSRdvO14rTUMBKN-yaUXNJh0n1OsuKATGjI-_HLNcbfckOWaYGDNSqXVfD32_HbopMAmeWX_V7vDWJhrKV9muRNCoXD43ANIqtSIqFVmdJwTBkHRrjORg5NKzzsgc/s4032/20230623_120434.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5GNU9fNIj6UeogLykKICo1R3BpratKqyWe0L_SYStwB-_2Mt7qAs9Cy3O0DXwbTvSRdvO14rTUMBKN-yaUXNJh0n1OsuKATGjI-_HLNcbfckOWaYGDNSqXVfD32_HbopMAmeWX_V7vDWJhrKV9muRNCoXD43ANIqtSIqFVmdJwTBkHRrjORg5NKzzsgc/w640-h480/20230623_120434.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The island has a suggested route called the Blue Route to see all the highlights of the island. Just looking out over the water was one of my favorite parts!</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5YEP72agj2vq9oowl7TjZdotlXCITxfRczaVSsOuJ3llXyoM4BSEP8k-6Ra5K3UaUsZQ24mMmMmDuIlExP_YG3wHpbxw-gKGfFxl8YYClV5Y3JHu9THvOs_Pv8jbIJXWikCtAKafxTzk1iUNMa2XQB7psOZ9ejP-29x2T2X21DxLgHUmw_ouRwK3u34U/s4032/20230623_122251.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5YEP72agj2vq9oowl7TjZdotlXCITxfRczaVSsOuJ3llXyoM4BSEP8k-6Ra5K3UaUsZQ24mMmMmDuIlExP_YG3wHpbxw-gKGfFxl8YYClV5Y3JHu9THvOs_Pv8jbIJXWikCtAKafxTzk1iUNMa2XQB7psOZ9ejP-29x2T2X21DxLgHUmw_ouRwK3u34U/w640-h480/20230623_122251.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">It was a warm and sunny day, so we spent some time by the water. We dipped our feet in to cool off. The water was a little shockingly chilly at first, but it felt so great after walking around the island.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Some things on the island and around Helsinki were closed or operating on reduced hours in observation of Midsummer. Before planning this trip, I was unaware of this holiday. It is observed throughout Scandinavia and celebrates the summer solstice. Our guide in Stockholm suggested that it is such a big celebration because it is the longest day of the year. This part of the world experiences such short days during winter that it's worth celebrating the long period of sunshine during the summertime. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">There were some museums and shops on the island that we did not experience due to the Midsummer holiday. We stopped by one <a href="https://www.suomenlinna.fi/en/visitor/museums/suomenlinna-museum/" target="_blank">museum </a>for a light lunch and to snag some souvenirs, but did not tour the museum itself.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeDRh6-d2aNGHyMxndAqnEXVRqkjSyiWkWF8jI1XzpGKqB_VkhjGule6hmgTzpo-a8a0jIl_jyXRB_IQXB5byQT9bxSvsrC9ReQelT7lw6b1Novy8WGbuQoizUZ_Mq_-o-uw1gMd9S5TPHCOLQ3S_B5P270EVlmc72yggrNiBJqDVaFfeAPANr7LQRGVg/s4032/20230623_142459.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeDRh6-d2aNGHyMxndAqnEXVRqkjSyiWkWF8jI1XzpGKqB_VkhjGule6hmgTzpo-a8a0jIl_jyXRB_IQXB5byQT9bxSvsrC9ReQelT7lw6b1Novy8WGbuQoizUZ_Mq_-o-uw1gMd9S5TPHCOLQ3S_B5P270EVlmc72yggrNiBJqDVaFfeAPANr7LQRGVg/w480-h640/20230623_142459.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">After riding the ferry back to Helsinki, we visited a couple of churches. This is the Uspenski Cathedral. It was a little bit of a walk up some stairs to get to it. The inside had some beautiful Orthodox-style art, but was quite small. We sat down for a bit to take in the interior, but did not walk around too much because we did not want to disturb the people worshipping. </div><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht2YgwZuc0JgvFxMtqtCS0WoGj-Iu1zJF8wNBKb_KigRsCDscth86sLZPOk2t7eHG4B76kLbMMWQDw91INy_LkcoCTynn5gvAQhnhkHXgkaZ0CIYHvaRKIKpiQryhZ0raoBMyE52aEVyLNaKmubXSmLwv9cq86yiOvbF888DrU7056dbyyMPcnqlrL8FM/s4032/20230623_145555.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht2YgwZuc0JgvFxMtqtCS0WoGj-Iu1zJF8wNBKb_KigRsCDscth86sLZPOk2t7eHG4B76kLbMMWQDw91INy_LkcoCTynn5gvAQhnhkHXgkaZ0CIYHvaRKIKpiQryhZ0raoBMyE52aEVyLNaKmubXSmLwv9cq86yiOvbF888DrU7056dbyyMPcnqlrL8FM/w480-h640/20230623_145555.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Then we headed over to the Helsinki Cathedral. We had seen it on the Helsinki Travel Man episode. The stairs look quite intimidating, but we hiked up to peek inside. However, the interior was a huge letdown! After seeing so many beautiful churches throughout Europe, this one felt cold and sparse. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">After descending the stairs, we stopped for some ice cream and then hailed a cab back to the ship. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid94eN50z_RxeXtfhXF-o3C5o7WmacJ9ketcYs8Tk8W6Xf9bZo21Xl2dkP0ZRfiPRXMkM3w9AHJSlxufpMakrA5dEluMMrKMM5jaxA1ffQb9ftwSLk2IT-K60UhlO4EXGlJ0AS4MpfQx_AY-TY_OJDXz6UJ0IMBiNwRI_8jBp6RoS7p_rxBW7paq6GxNg/s1500/Helsinki.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="1000" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid94eN50z_RxeXtfhXF-o3C5o7WmacJ9ketcYs8Tk8W6Xf9bZo21Xl2dkP0ZRfiPRXMkM3w9AHJSlxufpMakrA5dEluMMrKMM5jaxA1ffQb9ftwSLk2IT-K60UhlO4EXGlJ0AS4MpfQx_AY-TY_OJDXz6UJ0IMBiNwRI_8jBp6RoS7p_rxBW7paq6GxNg/w426-h640/Helsinki.png" width="426" /></a></div><p></p>Kristenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09395982353422232042noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6490691579278995179.post-28909984749935471292023-07-06T09:13:00.002-04:002023-07-06T09:13:50.363-04:00Stockholm Museums<p>While visiting Stockholm, we checked out two vastly different museums. Both were equally cool to visit, so I highly recommend if you're in town!</p><p>The first was the <a href="https://toymuseum.se/" target="_blank">Stockholm Toy Museum</a>. Charles and I have visited a couple other toy museums (<a href="https://www.spielzeug-welten-museum-basel.ch/en.html?gclid=CjwKCAjwzJmlBhBBEiwAEJyLu2nrQHaGAXtz0nMOl7I2em4XYesQp-PDGu9AM-YvAPa2fY5nVT3KXxoCdAsQAvD_BwE" target="_blank">Basel, Switzerland</a>, <a href="https://toyandminiaturemuseum.org/" target="_blank">Kansas City</a>, and <a href="https://museen.nuernberg.de/spielzeugmuseum/" target="_blank">Nuremberg, Germany</a>). It makes for a fun trip down memory lane. The Stockholm Toy Museum was unique because of the building--it was a cave! </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiP3PnfkLV_5zfqXJ-NTZnrm83qm3NQHQU_FUmAKvOX4y0mrEqRfX4Mp8qfwkUEFc0AQMEbjBPzJjr4oQ3uUANzMd6dArl-vkA7LGcc045A7Jx6OoVcxWezXCK8vU1L0eiQHWMmsl1DWCyrb2ytzu6nNkKX2T-A_oXQl4FuVFlfVRJCz2jL-pLFGYMxH18/s4032/20230622_112416.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiP3PnfkLV_5zfqXJ-NTZnrm83qm3NQHQU_FUmAKvOX4y0mrEqRfX4Mp8qfwkUEFc0AQMEbjBPzJjr4oQ3uUANzMd6dArl-vkA7LGcc045A7Jx6OoVcxWezXCK8vU1L0eiQHWMmsl1DWCyrb2ytzu6nNkKX2T-A_oXQl4FuVFlfVRJCz2jL-pLFGYMxH18/w640-h480/20230622_112416.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifTDiqALXJoEQm4az37S0zvTEY-pFsY2Sf3CLrC_KeFTuYKEHXE8deb3pVXDyLSODHeLK3v0SYDhWntEgSv4S55790Z9SLW2znH5Hng5-STZ3VTIx5HOp3kryvB8MK08kCMkdRsyZlA0V8Zmgsrt6zpFlKSAInyOoJTbmDQeInPTHWUCjWo-LEsSdDJVg/s4032/20230622_104927.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifTDiqALXJoEQm4az37S0zvTEY-pFsY2Sf3CLrC_KeFTuYKEHXE8deb3pVXDyLSODHeLK3v0SYDhWntEgSv4S55790Z9SLW2znH5Hng5-STZ3VTIx5HOp3kryvB8MK08kCMkdRsyZlA0V8Zmgsrt6zpFlKSAInyOoJTbmDQeInPTHWUCjWo-LEsSdDJVg/w640-h480/20230622_104927.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I loved the way they displayed the toy cars in a car!</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmgsh_8tW4t4BJse67ZoeGeOsXxgt-ExpNMVTHPxmb9Fuy61aZzuwrFEp9L-7oIHvApZp5ePfzrT9mA8bfJzPwTLRLsrsdFxDAgHg7Dd4dwPHqSaUQQ6jLPZB2vwkUeymW4fqOZOR7XH3TJtrgJC0I3l2nHh1iBjtu0Z_IujelXFyBEKN3ZKhcPZ5secM/s4032/20230622_104425.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmgsh_8tW4t4BJse67ZoeGeOsXxgt-ExpNMVTHPxmb9Fuy61aZzuwrFEp9L-7oIHvApZp5ePfzrT9mA8bfJzPwTLRLsrsdFxDAgHg7Dd4dwPHqSaUQQ6jLPZB2vwkUeymW4fqOZOR7XH3TJtrgJC0I3l2nHh1iBjtu0Z_IujelXFyBEKN3ZKhcPZ5secM/w640-h480/20230622_104425.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">One of my favorite things is doll house displays. However, what the heck is a skeleton doing in the closet of this one???</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEire1QsBdjFaKa0NRbyGWUXxNWxVTSrQbX6DX9IZz3VVmNjXvZHiKRgEkW3NRyDQi9tpMZn0MjbHQ1mpFm3mSbMm5zRqNOA7bKduJ-DJU5k1dclENWmlXsQz4vFox9keb_UKFYYEmKXOv9VV4Y8LRO8o5OSF8-wpiNdzSgFm31y91WINtiO91nfhMPHF_M/s4032/20230622_102644.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEire1QsBdjFaKa0NRbyGWUXxNWxVTSrQbX6DX9IZz3VVmNjXvZHiKRgEkW3NRyDQi9tpMZn0MjbHQ1mpFm3mSbMm5zRqNOA7bKduJ-DJU5k1dclENWmlXsQz4vFox9keb_UKFYYEmKXOv9VV4Y8LRO8o5OSF8-wpiNdzSgFm31y91WINtiO91nfhMPHF_M/w640-h480/20230622_102644.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The other museum was not really on my radar until I was chatting with my Dad. I called him on Father's Day for a quick chat and he mentioned the <a href="https://www.vasamuseet.se/" target="_blank">Vasa Museum</a> and recommended that we go. When Dad gives a recommendation, you listen! </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The Vasa Museum features the world's only preserved 17th century ship. On our <a href="https://bahousewifery.blogspot.com/2023/07/stockholm-sweden.html" target="_blank">Old Town walking tour</a>, we learned that the museum is managed by a guy from South Carolina. Small world! He had learned about the Vasa when he was growing up and was so fascinated by it that he became an expert in it. </div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3EFqRraZVDSnxWJinXhNuxl4pxXr1LzuHe2okbRTs6D8oVtrQT94n9mtaWPnLrxi5lGKBGoXLebG8-RI17urppRZ9ig4BzAKN8BS-qPSNziQs7otMwcvNQsVVAyqfOE8QTvVg_mk-n5njlldiOjbY1MNg_9ypUqtPj7SZZujBA420FIAO8A5-nJLAdxk/s4032/20230621_134816.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3EFqRraZVDSnxWJinXhNuxl4pxXr1LzuHe2okbRTs6D8oVtrQT94n9mtaWPnLrxi5lGKBGoXLebG8-RI17urppRZ9ig4BzAKN8BS-qPSNziQs7otMwcvNQsVVAyqfOE8QTvVg_mk-n5njlldiOjbY1MNg_9ypUqtPj7SZZujBA420FIAO8A5-nJLAdxk/w480-h640/20230621_134816.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The whole museum is built around this ship that they recovered from the ocean. It sank immediately upon its maiden voyage and lay submerged in the water for hundreds of years.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUZ1i62-R_fxvMedCC5nVLaEW5SFUY9l7MBcmjbsfSuZWFBIx_alSr6ZvBgdKRW8hbHEZmhZryRPpqM7uyIc838w6EWEallVB-liXXcM4WV-XvpTa5g47GBkRIeFNsQGrH_1P3ZMLlGGHQKx0SYNgwuG6JfXkIgpZvwRdfbVXR7SkLa_QrgJT6E6B9bwY/s4032/20230621_134544.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUZ1i62-R_fxvMedCC5nVLaEW5SFUY9l7MBcmjbsfSuZWFBIx_alSr6ZvBgdKRW8hbHEZmhZryRPpqM7uyIc838w6EWEallVB-liXXcM4WV-XvpTa5g47GBkRIeFNsQGrH_1P3ZMLlGGHQKx0SYNgwuG6JfXkIgpZvwRdfbVXR7SkLa_QrgJT6E6B9bwY/w480-h640/20230621_134544.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiw1jeKgFvBVBUpd9fFfZpZWRIfjvc3VQVMRci7T667uz6TX3jIM7nxBxTiKmV_RM4sLGXzSYGys74polrZvgRXo9gytWNCzhC9cc7rQnEMFLUIlPS9D_6uuPSq9powUzfM-3zlDewbWbggIIudHuZtsnM4bdTV7-A4veBEyepaqTp3wdEU9dKBaI85aM/s4032/20230621_133230.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiw1jeKgFvBVBUpd9fFfZpZWRIfjvc3VQVMRci7T667uz6TX3jIM7nxBxTiKmV_RM4sLGXzSYGys74polrZvgRXo9gytWNCzhC9cc7rQnEMFLUIlPS9D_6uuPSq9powUzfM-3zlDewbWbggIIudHuZtsnM4bdTV7-A4veBEyepaqTp3wdEU9dKBaI85aM/w480-h640/20230621_133230.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbMp2vHwe7vyBlZd1k_XHRck8uqDcTscXf6G_RQrVnspWRvOuoYPfZC-1wwgX7oki8PtM_e8NkpQH9V3rfZ2nrBTjK7qwhG1BUxBtH6a-m23L9Facv9Z9kNIBrHaK4g5vFaTd_JJpz3tOt6Cl6Rza9Ii7Me_KSZU9i6hvoDU-HxAskojfoTWpd4rIXtco/s1500/Blog%20Pinterest%20pin.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="1000" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbMp2vHwe7vyBlZd1k_XHRck8uqDcTscXf6G_RQrVnspWRvOuoYPfZC-1wwgX7oki8PtM_e8NkpQH9V3rfZ2nrBTjK7qwhG1BUxBtH6a-m23L9Facv9Z9kNIBrHaK4g5vFaTd_JJpz3tOt6Cl6Rza9Ii7Me_KSZU9i6hvoDU-HxAskojfoTWpd4rIXtco/w426-h640/Blog%20Pinterest%20pin.png" width="426" /></a></div><p></p>Kristenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09395982353422232042noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6490691579278995179.post-69380467550911914302023-07-06T08:51:00.003-04:002023-07-06T08:51:54.351-04:00What is fika?<p>Have you heard of fika? I was first introduced to the concept when watching the Stockholm episode of <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt4719744/" target="_blank">Travel Man</a> (highly recommend the show if you enjoy dry, British humor). After learning about it, I knew it was something I had to experience when visiting Sweden. We found a fika tour through <a href="https://toursofstockholm.com/tour/stockholm-fika-tour/" target="_blank">Tours of Stockholm</a>. </p><p>According to the Tours of Stockholm fika tour description, fika is the word to describe meeting up for coffee and pastry. However, it has come to mean any mini break.</p><p>Our fika tour guide was a transplant from Brazil (Italian heritage) who came to Sweden and fell in love with the country. It was really interesting to have an "outsider's" perspective about living in Sweden and it gave us the opportunity to learn so much about her experience moving to the country. She had such a great vibe and was so easy to spend time with. </p><p>Our first stop on the fika tour was to a little candy shop inside <a href="https://hotorgshallen.se/" target="_blank">Hotorgshallen</a>, one of Stockholm's food markets. Neither Charles or I are fans of licorice, but it's very popular in Scandinavia. We tried a few different types--traditional sweet and progressively more salty types. We ended with some candy covered licorice which was actually tasty.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUEuVE_k7pXyIVCZelaePHiYlk8TzHrU6QMFzqE8kV4EMIF7glrIAlUvPvAbHglsWqgkf4IdrpF5Agn7NjebSSHKI5zq4uOFk1L3PtxvZ04n-Nsl9P0zsfwAHMyKQgfztsdFhkGXYZ3xRc_RjK8lvLjo69FVUDVT4z4S_eBzBOxLe-JtmE7UnLZq6hWj0/s4032/Saffronbraidandcinnamonbun.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUEuVE_k7pXyIVCZelaePHiYlk8TzHrU6QMFzqE8kV4EMIF7glrIAlUvPvAbHglsWqgkf4IdrpF5Agn7NjebSSHKI5zq4uOFk1L3PtxvZ04n-Nsl9P0zsfwAHMyKQgfztsdFhkGXYZ3xRc_RjK8lvLjo69FVUDVT4z4S_eBzBOxLe-JtmE7UnLZq6hWj0/w480-h640/Saffronbraidandcinnamonbun.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Another stop was to a <a href="https://www.cafefika.se/boka-bord" target="_blank">café</a> for some coffee and pastries. Charles enjoyed a cinnamon bun and I had a saffron bun. </div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNkDenFmaxFfaycbt7NSCLqBWCAPnWNo1rQjjz4Y4__5B73RarTu-1a_K_FovjFb2LzfcO04gbgnL--yRgjy93av8Dl3_4a6lnnog8m-OBUbhW2YX9j1xswAsIqGwL-hsTZ8XdCUUCTmOMQKYsjwLRKHv6OJAowRhYfpDDee60SfQtSoK7dyWFOh1aoGs/s4032/20230621_114857.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNkDenFmaxFfaycbt7NSCLqBWCAPnWNo1rQjjz4Y4__5B73RarTu-1a_K_FovjFb2LzfcO04gbgnL--yRgjy93av8Dl3_4a6lnnog8m-OBUbhW2YX9j1xswAsIqGwL-hsTZ8XdCUUCTmOMQKYsjwLRKHv6OJAowRhYfpDDee60SfQtSoK7dyWFOh1aoGs/w640-h480/20230621_114857.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Another café visit where I had a cinnamon bun and Charles ordered a cardamom bun. This café was located in the Old Town near the colored buildings and famous fountain that we saw during our <a href="https://bahousewifery.blogspot.com/2023/07/stockholm-sweden.html" target="_blank">Old Town walking tour</a> the previous day, but I don't remember the name.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixgbZpzJyv0pI92OIemHKaI1kDgLRUPmCA-lKM6l5cPHH2lOQOhkgXB4AOiX-Zqjc1XQNd2XYgV96O-g2I-VZT-jYk4jep7CPpAzIps9WTq_HW7J_W3crIWGF8Fnoj_dCYxBUUQv-DzPbzQZwu_pXzf75rkpkxKXyl3SbQLxhOFkg3kM7aPIPKv-Mq0f4/s4032/20230621_103850.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixgbZpzJyv0pI92OIemHKaI1kDgLRUPmCA-lKM6l5cPHH2lOQOhkgXB4AOiX-Zqjc1XQNd2XYgV96O-g2I-VZT-jYk4jep7CPpAzIps9WTq_HW7J_W3crIWGF8Fnoj_dCYxBUUQv-DzPbzQZwu_pXzf75rkpkxKXyl3SbQLxhOFkg3kM7aPIPKv-Mq0f4/w480-h640/20230621_103850.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">At the chocolate shop stop, I had some yummy ice cream and Charles tried the hot chocolate. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcLY4mpta_VZHKkB7VhdL-Il93FgQtCpTH4mG8J1ptIji6rsEnkP9AglWHGJaJp3P1-IG6G49M3lO4uHH7T9LU9iK_4pDPyoXkZFGch-zTnwYZsE5BQUalM-MSZFughTA7ROqhVvI9thsTBpGue3e-DLtzPJEwXsoNPPiMwXn1pWE_1DWeb0dRKNJtBzs/s4032/20230621_183941.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcLY4mpta_VZHKkB7VhdL-Il93FgQtCpTH4mG8J1ptIji6rsEnkP9AglWHGJaJp3P1-IG6G49M3lO4uHH7T9LU9iK_4pDPyoXkZFGch-zTnwYZsE5BQUalM-MSZFughTA7ROqhVvI9thsTBpGue3e-DLtzPJEwXsoNPPiMwXn1pWE_1DWeb0dRKNJtBzs/w480-h640/20230621_183941.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The last experience, not part of the fika tour, was a visit to the <a href="https://hotelcstockholm.com/icebar-stockholm-by-icehotel/" target="_blank">ice bar</a>. This was also featured on the Travel Man episode for Stockholm and Charles was very keen to experience it. It was COLD inside! They don you with a warm cape and gloves, but it was still a bit too chilly for me to really enjoy it for very long. Entrance to the ice bar includes one drink of your choice and they are served in ice cups. Very cool (excuse my pun) experience! If you visit during the summer, go ahead and wear pants and a long sleeve. The cape only keeps you so warm.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9KnaEUKvgejmWUx3FW_JfC32XJ9gSkfKrarwSlXN0nu6fkLTFK7KGkX_rjF-iwFMvkCvim1mJXVV60gWVTdGKw-5BxvsLsAf8REgqesZUx-mwgkQgOw8-qP0T2YQhqA2SqreTEMifYk3bcNBvlQnfxaZOGvXjqFCxd6h8kpIvhNRoxzjEEV8Yd5FP7d0/s1500/Fika.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="1000" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9KnaEUKvgejmWUx3FW_JfC32XJ9gSkfKrarwSlXN0nu6fkLTFK7KGkX_rjF-iwFMvkCvim1mJXVV60gWVTdGKw-5BxvsLsAf8REgqesZUx-mwgkQgOw8-qP0T2YQhqA2SqreTEMifYk3bcNBvlQnfxaZOGvXjqFCxd6h8kpIvhNRoxzjEEV8Yd5FP7d0/w426-h640/Fika.png" width="426" /></a></div><p></p>Kristenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09395982353422232042noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6490691579278995179.post-86214281372120713492023-07-06T08:29:00.004-04:002023-07-06T08:52:42.195-04:00Stockholm, Sweden<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Our next travel adventure brought us to Stockholm, Sweden! The main draw was our Baltic cruise that departed from Sweden, but we took the opportunity to spend a couple of extra days in the city before embarking. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">We splurged a bit on the hotel by staying at the swanky <a href="https://hotelatsix.com/" target="_blank">Hotel At Six</a>. Service was excellent, the room was comfortable, the breakfast buffet was plentiful and the location was perfect to see all the Stockholm highlights. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9xRCeCW72Er0ODEwCjDY20dU0Q74QC65HsNDvz_6dcZUMqRcWFZOai6jDAg_g9NMkUiWWb8JO2SASnZZ_85avxXZu_XM6ant6F5lLgVWmLvXi0P6AqbzimjoZXvZCEjgtzjcG3UIsIeH7DwiTz4RRjusI47uoL5YqzYiMFRyzcxLS1dO9jNk08YciJSw/s4032/20230620_173933.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9xRCeCW72Er0ODEwCjDY20dU0Q74QC65HsNDvz_6dcZUMqRcWFZOai6jDAg_g9NMkUiWWb8JO2SASnZZ_85avxXZu_XM6ant6F5lLgVWmLvXi0P6AqbzimjoZXvZCEjgtzjcG3UIsIeH7DwiTz4RRjusI47uoL5YqzYiMFRyzcxLS1dO9jNk08YciJSw/w640-h480/20230620_173933.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">During our first evening in Stockholm, we took a guided walking tour of the <a href="https://toursofstockholm.com/tour/old-town-tour/" target="_blank">Old Town</a> with Tours of Stockholm. We saw the iconic row of buildings in the picture, learned some history about Sweden's royal family, learned more about the Nobel prizes and enjoyed the company of our fellow tour participants (two families of which ended up being on our cruise).</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiW6VuNPmKz7vpD2BqDDvc1_x3fVAMzEFxi_vXqhErux2Vse00Z5-2J0fEzOBcJqW1zaO3nz_M4t1N45tMJHhayurYbUlNItVgM6n178FyE3-ERplMekaTVKgEyODkZSk8jSELLswqBbMAEgfirfcNyzUp5zs_a2-Qo7ja1r-z0oW5ZasVxaIcUZxPtqVU/s4032/20230620_183231.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiW6VuNPmKz7vpD2BqDDvc1_x3fVAMzEFxi_vXqhErux2Vse00Z5-2J0fEzOBcJqW1zaO3nz_M4t1N45tMJHhayurYbUlNItVgM6n178FyE3-ERplMekaTVKgEyODkZSk8jSELLswqBbMAEgfirfcNyzUp5zs_a2-Qo7ja1r-z0oW5ZasVxaIcUZxPtqVU/w480-h640/20230620_183231.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Unfortunately we ran out of time to check out the inside of this pink church. Our guide told us about some of the original artwork that is housed inside. Just one reason to return to Stockholm in the future!</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicpYg6TLMu4X45cjjt1jJF0grWP9RFg77rcTWqZYpxKZTim2WR8ReHGGKqZzw_OkLDpUtlxd4Nrd4IOqgLXG1Dz3tDLfQAAx4fUt0Dxbc5qGBYnLPXRZOHEcMjMyFzMSBE3QrXJ2qXeN92DUt5idB_yC1iGaEHK5bhSjgdroFREyTbyrmXt-RvNj6GzLs/s4032/20230620_195555.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicpYg6TLMu4X45cjjt1jJF0grWP9RFg77rcTWqZYpxKZTim2WR8ReHGGKqZzw_OkLDpUtlxd4Nrd4IOqgLXG1Dz3tDLfQAAx4fUt0Dxbc5qGBYnLPXRZOHEcMjMyFzMSBE3QrXJ2qXeN92DUt5idB_yC1iGaEHK5bhSjgdroFREyTbyrmXt-RvNj6GzLs/w640-h480/20230620_195555.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXGpqBACPOoNYZAoI37y0NYYfNMEuSQjXH_b9zF62rixW-WfdFmL5JwZToSwK5dBE-Sl6W7vQMb1-oDalrVBu9B-u3Ed4GEGtO74z6Z8A16rYEHeVnwJ8e1vLjGYgTmIaY2YywvMWVsZD4PfO8g48GEyNb6bNSLo5EqTf2kqFd7a5LSyuO4HRMicWWDTM/s4032/20230621_111854.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXGpqBACPOoNYZAoI37y0NYYfNMEuSQjXH_b9zF62rixW-WfdFmL5JwZToSwK5dBE-Sl6W7vQMb1-oDalrVBu9B-u3Ed4GEGtO74z6Z8A16rYEHeVnwJ8e1vLjGYgTmIaY2YywvMWVsZD4PfO8g48GEyNb6bNSLo5EqTf2kqFd7a5LSyuO4HRMicWWDTM/w640-h480/20230621_111854.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNJbWt8ULqbSPbwNNOmJvF1oTg04VZq3cOG05ObS388LB1HJahPCH1gf8XNpyv4spezSyaKyYxjUDsQS7_3OSi-194bB-Wn9o0zZm4BWT_OYxps9B02jq5sNmNoyCN6hqIERHKPARR5KEWfuhyf8pV7gs-Erl2pX9ju45aO_86mMUec1y0ExPjWWgQucM/s4032/Stockholm%20burgers.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNJbWt8ULqbSPbwNNOmJvF1oTg04VZq3cOG05ObS388LB1HJahPCH1gf8XNpyv4spezSyaKyYxjUDsQS7_3OSi-194bB-Wn9o0zZm4BWT_OYxps9B02jq5sNmNoyCN6hqIERHKPARR5KEWfuhyf8pV7gs-Erl2pX9ju45aO_86mMUec1y0ExPjWWgQucM/w480-h640/Stockholm%20burgers.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Before our walking tour, we stopped at a restaurant near our hotel for a quick bite to fuel up. <a href="https://booburgers.se/" target="_blank">Boo Burgers</a> satisfied a craving for good ol' fashioned burgers and fries. The burger has a delicious crispy edge on the patty. It kind of reminded me of Steak & Shake.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0MAO-4wqT9AZQqAFv4SdZo1rXTe0KfHbHW9hyQzTqlhiNlvHzITDqYs0EqIXzQLi0f-HfBlVta1JJsWIM5oa8pu46ycGEy4vxMFg_mM4a1BqZMEWKxmBYPUngWQM6LHeL1PPUyFN08plz7lW6LGj98s0te8NkXcxmlGUMo-RJyZF8a8_V_JkgBLI6jfA/s4032/Swedishmeatballs.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0MAO-4wqT9AZQqAFv4SdZo1rXTe0KfHbHW9hyQzTqlhiNlvHzITDqYs0EqIXzQLi0f-HfBlVta1JJsWIM5oa8pu46ycGEy4vxMFg_mM4a1BqZMEWKxmBYPUngWQM6LHeL1PPUyFN08plz7lW6LGj98s0te8NkXcxmlGUMo-RJyZF8a8_V_JkgBLI6jfA/w640-h480/Swedishmeatballs.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Another top priority for me was to enjoy some Swedish meatballs while in Stockholm. During our <a href="https://bahousewifery.blogspot.com/2023/07/what-is-fika.html" target="_blank">fika tour</a>, our guide recommended enjoying the meatballs at the <a href="https://en.ostermalmshallen.se/" target="_blank">Ostermalms Saluhall</a>. The <a href="https://www.mseger.se/" target="_blank">M Seger</a> vendor had a little restaurant section and the meatballs were everything I had hoped they would be!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDRRbDako58WKMfsT520QSvy6LCk8jVXPPVoFJ6Eu64DDVuQgBP3fKNdVyUU1LKOYGWEGqUrnJI5KDqfbMP8ZT-gDM6CW866XoFiDJQv_SvG81OrpiBThCHsde1T8O20nNYCEuMWxHfkBHOtOTrPAZnuTpwXLEBd8dlrVg7vZTlGY9n9wtzF2pkC6aUmg/s1500/Stockholm.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="1000" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDRRbDako58WKMfsT520QSvy6LCk8jVXPPVoFJ6Eu64DDVuQgBP3fKNdVyUU1LKOYGWEGqUrnJI5KDqfbMP8ZT-gDM6CW866XoFiDJQv_SvG81OrpiBThCHsde1T8O20nNYCEuMWxHfkBHOtOTrPAZnuTpwXLEBd8dlrVg7vZTlGY9n9wtzF2pkC6aUmg/w426-h640/Stockholm.png" width="426" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><p></p>Kristenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09395982353422232042noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6490691579278995179.post-90559475038353214342023-06-18T11:08:00.002-04:002023-06-18T13:51:02.703-04:00Petit Prince and Alsace<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">With France being so close to Stuttgart, we made an overnight trip to the Alsace region. We started off in Ribeauville where we grabbed sandwiches before a wine tasting at <a href="https://www.trimbach.fr/" target="_blank">Trimbach</a>. The wine tasting was quick with a tasting of five wines. Our host did not speak a lot of English, so we did not receive a lot of the history of the winery. However, the wines were enjoyable and I purchased two bottles to bring home. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimAO6CW-WKoUUXdgFoWzD0kkK25N0l83Ss218AM8A1_fPNGGqjeX6sZegLrzFfYp3tYB8u_wx-1i-KKB9QqmeGJg5aAdsl1DsaKSpdWcyNB08tzc-pvS4g-WGQLT03UKeK3EoK_OiPjVT0I9Vl0Qqz-UVD7_gm6DkrlcFgupKA09p5R3dTk2E5qDAT/s4032/20230616_135007.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimAO6CW-WKoUUXdgFoWzD0kkK25N0l83Ss218AM8A1_fPNGGqjeX6sZegLrzFfYp3tYB8u_wx-1i-KKB9QqmeGJg5aAdsl1DsaKSpdWcyNB08tzc-pvS4g-WGQLT03UKeK3EoK_OiPjVT0I9Vl0Qqz-UVD7_gm6DkrlcFgupKA09p5R3dTk2E5qDAT/w480-h640/20230616_135007.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXGprFszv-bxbDRGi1HN1LAaDbMUmdSKEQNj4zt-5AuzZiSd2j1yX7FIntut3IN4vjAtfp9ShAEpCOjAn5tgYWc44uPxROcuor7zNJxGRXewFpfL63EgrTp-wH1hpFdOcoDdABqvDn-SYf5TJUJ_fbMv1HIRlakYEXpoBpVI0i3htBM16vpfKExcZs/s2640/20230616_152312.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2640" data-original-width="1980" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXGprFszv-bxbDRGi1HN1LAaDbMUmdSKEQNj4zt-5AuzZiSd2j1yX7FIntut3IN4vjAtfp9ShAEpCOjAn5tgYWc44uPxROcuor7zNJxGRXewFpfL63EgrTp-wH1hpFdOcoDdABqvDn-SYf5TJUJ_fbMv1HIRlakYEXpoBpVI0i3htBM16vpfKExcZs/w480-h640/20230616_152312.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">After Ribeauville, we drove on to Colmar to check into our hotel. <a href="https://all.accor.com/hotel/B9Z7/index.en.shtml?utm_campaign=seo+maps&utm_medium=seo+maps&utm_source=google+Maps" target="_blank">Greet Hotel Colmar</a> is a little outside of the city center, but offered a great rate, free parking and breakfast. I really enjoyed their design aesthetic and air conditioned room.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">We headed into Colmar and rode one of the little trains for an overview of the city. It was a little hot under the plastic roof, but it was good to see all parts of the city to orient ourselves.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5qaGCKaY7kYY9EYxZc-ymd0hcW7rtEuIvrXaf8a2SwE3dWetz6cDpTY6Eq6pI5RoVPgzfZW_409UwMOx3m8kH2hBbmMKbuO-7xQiemSRjQrnai1fMVibO8-fPvRcT7v2sRdaDD5HNpkuR0_OxIJSJL5G1Gjj2wKjFCyp40KnMrjrCcqpAAfMgVHym/s4032/20230616_171302.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5qaGCKaY7kYY9EYxZc-ymd0hcW7rtEuIvrXaf8a2SwE3dWetz6cDpTY6Eq6pI5RoVPgzfZW_409UwMOx3m8kH2hBbmMKbuO-7xQiemSRjQrnai1fMVibO8-fPvRcT7v2sRdaDD5HNpkuR0_OxIJSJL5G1Gjj2wKjFCyp40KnMrjrCcqpAAfMgVHym/w480-h640/20230616_171302.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">We walked around the town to see things a little closer up and visited a bunch of shops in search of the perfect trinkets to remember our trip by. I purchased an ornament featuring three Alsatian girls to commemorate the time with my two friends. </div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3CFj3vK0nHgSoLTkbZxBUEkzpNb9vs2ehr_OauftjRVahR0VRn55uapFglv7p8684r9L95-x6VnUFv_5C5bGsPlIv7xDNxSA-vqBhkzzvjoh4E4Nja_0MfKxjUzijgDTEleXH0VmZwwixAL8-rUwh0HPHc-OxHrjXtYnl2_VrGeZ4JiuPBJpSFN8Y/s4032/20230616_180901.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3CFj3vK0nHgSoLTkbZxBUEkzpNb9vs2ehr_OauftjRVahR0VRn55uapFglv7p8684r9L95-x6VnUFv_5C5bGsPlIv7xDNxSA-vqBhkzzvjoh4E4Nja_0MfKxjUzijgDTEleXH0VmZwwixAL8-rUwh0HPHc-OxHrjXtYnl2_VrGeZ4JiuPBJpSFN8Y/w480-h640/20230616_180901.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Before heading back to the hotel to rest after our day's adventures, we stopped at a restaurant for dinner. I ordered one of the <a href="https://www.brasserieschwendi.com/en" target="_blank">rosti dishes</a>. It was so delicious!</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzmVO6MDIL2SnZjaTisWQQNfDvQ1rifYaO0t2yx1c4WggkCfm3kD7JQ4LPBCn-ajcgh0-ZohePlKieMtB-AoZJoXIcC0lJ3ntQtgOGcXaYNM8scijH22-s7sAiBi0QH9UX_fr-pPjUBhvsjW9Ls0aQWnjjeVPtGWtAs5FRQIbIyPz9x9ImBfqjgTK0/s4032/20230617_114509.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzmVO6MDIL2SnZjaTisWQQNfDvQ1rifYaO0t2yx1c4WggkCfm3kD7JQ4LPBCn-ajcgh0-ZohePlKieMtB-AoZJoXIcC0lJ3ntQtgOGcXaYNM8scijH22-s7sAiBi0QH9UX_fr-pPjUBhvsjW9Ls0aQWnjjeVPtGWtAs5FRQIbIyPz9x9ImBfqjgTK0/w480-h640/20230617_114509.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The next morning, after enjoying some local specialties for breakfast, we drove to the <a href="https://parcdupetitprince.com/" target="_blank">Parc du Petit Prince</a>. One of my friends is a big fan of the book, so I made sure to add this to the itinerary. I had low expectations and expected to only spend an hour or so at the park, but it ended up being super fun! We rode a few of the rides, including the little train, and took a bunch of pictures. </div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiL58nPBzkdIwfe2yxdBOhQc7haB0NGOLe0YsUdHPa_eZexP953vdtAycavFJKu0Zb1KPM4kxywqj8MnRQB6UOrFrFf6QT_N2IEVQweG0PyfT8Wf0HntwHYKQ9Tsxb7O4T9cvmvDfvGIvxBcy43N9GqxFgkc0bqLE8XeI1QIIym9C2Bf76zx49OxX3j/s3264/20230617_132426.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3264" data-original-width="2448" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiL58nPBzkdIwfe2yxdBOhQc7haB0NGOLe0YsUdHPa_eZexP953vdtAycavFJKu0Zb1KPM4kxywqj8MnRQB6UOrFrFf6QT_N2IEVQweG0PyfT8Wf0HntwHYKQ9Tsxb7O4T9cvmvDfvGIvxBcy43N9GqxFgkc0bqLE8XeI1QIIym9C2Bf76zx49OxX3j/w480-h640/20230617_132426.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSdObe3KekaNUCvISgBONF2FDalo1sWjg0tSS-HfTRNigIL41nusiX0BJIc1A7O6-U49s_Xu_8Jp2R4Y_vP3_kqWyjejyxUIBuhj44IBBIJ_0KDNjE9ZK6RRt4b1-pYMvJMkp8xcIJEFaa8RuuNqlyjkTEd4O2vYoZLJsdk_7qrk7vGG0l9uGYctiG/s4032/20230617_135119.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSdObe3KekaNUCvISgBONF2FDalo1sWjg0tSS-HfTRNigIL41nusiX0BJIc1A7O6-U49s_Xu_8Jp2R4Y_vP3_kqWyjejyxUIBuhj44IBBIJ_0KDNjE9ZK6RRt4b1-pYMvJMkp8xcIJEFaa8RuuNqlyjkTEd4O2vYoZLJsdk_7qrk7vGG0l9uGYctiG/w480-h640/20230617_135119.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">We agreed that we wouldn't travel out of our way to visit this park, but while in the area it was a fun activity. Even as three adults, this park was a win. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTayKTOJrsMIUgKBv4RTBqfEOiyYYh0QyxZNO3Dpy8sk7_0l3fTliku6ogh2V3KQv7Ib9810aIE96C4ddjioOPyBdz1gz-3p8i1eQHGz-UNbO7ZwKouRkJXhVzl8dBbNzhd3OKPo-3Bve9oK0qNVQteSwRKgJcrlh2XenSOuNBKj_QV4cLcuWRSomO/s1500/Alsace.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="1000" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTayKTOJrsMIUgKBv4RTBqfEOiyYYh0QyxZNO3Dpy8sk7_0l3fTliku6ogh2V3KQv7Ib9810aIE96C4ddjioOPyBdz1gz-3p8i1eQHGz-UNbO7ZwKouRkJXhVzl8dBbNzhd3OKPo-3Bve9oK0qNVQteSwRKgJcrlh2XenSOuNBKj_QV4cLcuWRSomO/w426-h640/Alsace.png" width="426" /></a></div><p></p>Kristenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09395982353422232042noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6490691579278995179.post-32894585968984743132023-06-18T10:51:00.000-04:002023-06-18T10:51:12.819-04:00A Tour of Nuremberg<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The next stop on the itinerary for my friends' visit was to Nuremberg. I booked a walking tour through <a href="https://www.airbnb.com/experiences/2404244" target="_blank">Airbnb</a> that was one of my favorite tours in Europe so far. It was billed as a four-hour tour with a break for lunch, but ended up being around six hours. During the first half of the tour, we walked around the interior of Nuremberg and visited St. Lorenz. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLv3o5YGR5yYNp4rDlF57jT_P8DjKl7V3_ojDaJXAPAysim1RcaTAlOZ5OweiG1gUTGEz6SMEWcatnl13COknBzAmvDQ2Ltuq_3E8sNlTlujLhtQG6yvntPOjcFQFz1_MzTOhCV7L5pMRJaH7prtYMlG-0sXCoxUkKrhZ6URAAN66is-40odWS_ggq/s4032/20230614_115919.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLv3o5YGR5yYNp4rDlF57jT_P8DjKl7V3_ojDaJXAPAysim1RcaTAlOZ5OweiG1gUTGEz6SMEWcatnl13COknBzAmvDQ2Ltuq_3E8sNlTlujLhtQG6yvntPOjcFQFz1_MzTOhCV7L5pMRJaH7prtYMlG-0sXCoxUkKrhZ6URAAN66is-40odWS_ggq/w480-h640/20230614_115919.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCM-Zf-FM6pAsXJUI2_sF451JnOG4YjEsDUjq6Bt2Xj5jwTbLu8Z7m6rVi0Yqgjh4IFJF3tNxKT4TiLKrVsqT9XRZKNVob3n8E_xvmnYcRSMQpuoHmYX_YeVDluEcB4iG3IGg3eL1yDiQmRtLmM5BEbTMOWIgOIL07ESIwANc0iNGrVZSwoPkMrX_w/s4032/20230614_125009.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCM-Zf-FM6pAsXJUI2_sF451JnOG4YjEsDUjq6Bt2Xj5jwTbLu8Z7m6rVi0Yqgjh4IFJF3tNxKT4TiLKrVsqT9XRZKNVob3n8E_xvmnYcRSMQpuoHmYX_YeVDluEcB4iG3IGg3eL1yDiQmRtLmM5BEbTMOWIgOIL07ESIwANc0iNGrVZSwoPkMrX_w/w480-h640/20230614_125009.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">We huffed up the hill to see castle for some fantastic views of the city.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEmzgW6CgqNMt5TBtyy_-H4kVR5SQWyBzIZziNLFHfS1LYtH75TASw5yqRZ1WBLHMVrnnHNqNMDpOSy3AkUCdHdlXHZQlju8y_PZ0GnlnRhvyyaa5zdhwz2GzLGO98KtRkKpIqfB3XU0OlY6J3thG06j3_R5rAiN88QGDUErCUmLLMBx20dryDZ4IC/s2048/received_777569163814931.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1542" data-original-width="2048" height="482" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEmzgW6CgqNMt5TBtyy_-H4kVR5SQWyBzIZziNLFHfS1LYtH75TASw5yqRZ1WBLHMVrnnHNqNMDpOSy3AkUCdHdlXHZQlju8y_PZ0GnlnRhvyyaa5zdhwz2GzLGO98KtRkKpIqfB3XU0OlY6J3thG06j3_R5rAiN88QGDUErCUmLLMBx20dryDZ4IC/w640-h482/received_777569163814931.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><i>A little plug for something unrelated to Europe... I recently made my first purchase from <a href="https://www.thredup.com/r/HDBODO" target="_blank">ThredUp</a> and was so impressed. The top I wore in Nuremberg (pictured here) was part of that purchase. </i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3gC0ZKD_mhf45LLUyjhGvyFPs4CD_jxSbCXCJz_-sCQJ42_y-paYMN7kIlB_GbbyOmn_XsrN7yB2lx-D0c1btJqdQBI_hPlJXPFVDeZWd1AwxlvF-eU2ZisAUPfIOWJCZvaJlGp4vVR1CX7bFWv3y62xrE-uzMZT1OeLkHwwwui5PYufpXaQqx-F-/s4032/20230614_153500.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3gC0ZKD_mhf45LLUyjhGvyFPs4CD_jxSbCXCJz_-sCQJ42_y-paYMN7kIlB_GbbyOmn_XsrN7yB2lx-D0c1btJqdQBI_hPlJXPFVDeZWd1AwxlvF-eU2ZisAUPfIOWJCZvaJlGp4vVR1CX7bFWv3y62xrE-uzMZT1OeLkHwwwui5PYufpXaQqx-F-/w640-h480/20230614_153500.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">After our lunch in the Altstadt (we all enjoyed Nuremberg sausages...yum!), our group hopped on the train and rode out to the rally grounds. We walked along the lake with stops to hear our guide share history and his perspective about Nazi Germany. It was very insightful and thought provoking. </div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZKqBEQlaRjPPe1zukdvAzHYNWFnCLtVDVREkk-eCCXmx_x3gTSDauOxJk8tS4OW1xUb-ZP9OuEbFC6RyfARX_rfI3iMlwOIaou-BZAS919wb-TUGeTFWOtLLTpZa7B8INVkGm7F7iH72xxzo8o3C1lrywMq4_mMsObP352G5Ydwgrr8iviEZedyNY/s1500/Nuremberg.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="1000" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZKqBEQlaRjPPe1zukdvAzHYNWFnCLtVDVREkk-eCCXmx_x3gTSDauOxJk8tS4OW1xUb-ZP9OuEbFC6RyfARX_rfI3iMlwOIaou-BZAS919wb-TUGeTFWOtLLTpZa7B8INVkGm7F7iH72xxzo8o3C1lrywMq4_mMsObP352G5Ydwgrr8iviEZedyNY/w426-h640/Nuremberg.png" width="426" /></a></div><br />Kristenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09395982353422232042noreply@blogger.com0