Well we decided to take advantage of the depressed real estate market and the low mortgage rate and buy a weekend place. It's a little 2BR/1Bath in a gated waterfront community at Lake Tillery, just under 2 hours drive from our house. We've named it Schloss Diana.
We spent the long holiday weekend there, even adding a couple of days to burn some "mandatory" PTO. Had a blast. Cassidy came up for a couple of days and grilled some brats. We even had an uninvited house guest (the lizard).
Here's about 9 minutes of video we took over the weekend. Turn your speakers on, it's all clean.
Tuesday, September 8, 2009
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
Catching Up on Social networking
Ok, we're on twitter and Facebook now. I found this "Cities I've visited" site that seems custom built for us.
Thursday, July 9, 2009
Back in 1 piece
Well we all made it back to NC in one piece. The doggies arrived fine, though I know it was a struggle for Diana to stay up long enough to pick them up.
We're all still pretty jetlagged, have been in bed by about 8:00 every night and getting up really early. That'll last another day or two.
Darkstar and Elijah are trying to figure out if this is just a weekend trip. They don't remember the house and it's all so different from the UK to them. Darkstar hasn't asked about the pub yet, but he will.
It became obvious to us that we've got a lot of work to do on the house. We bought it and moved just before we went to the UK, and it's pretty clear we just sort of dropped everything in and left. Now we've actually got to live there.
To all of our friends in the UK: Vicky and Cosmo, Paul and Jo (and the whole group from the Crown), Fara and Jools, Chris and Sadie. We'll miss you guys and hope to see you again soon.
To all of our friends in the US, we'll be reaching out to catch up with you over the next couple of weeks. Looking forward to seeing you and spending some time together again.
We'll try to continue to keep the blog going. It's been a great way to document what we've done and share our experiences.
We're all still pretty jetlagged, have been in bed by about 8:00 every night and getting up really early. That'll last another day or two.
Darkstar and Elijah are trying to figure out if this is just a weekend trip. They don't remember the house and it's all so different from the UK to them. Darkstar hasn't asked about the pub yet, but he will.
It became obvious to us that we've got a lot of work to do on the house. We bought it and moved just before we went to the UK, and it's pretty clear we just sort of dropped everything in and left. Now we've actually got to live there.
To all of our friends in the UK: Vicky and Cosmo, Paul and Jo (and the whole group from the Crown), Fara and Jools, Chris and Sadie. We'll miss you guys and hope to see you again soon.
To all of our friends in the US, we'll be reaching out to catch up with you over the next couple of weeks. Looking forward to seeing you and spending some time together again.
We'll try to continue to keep the blog going. It's been a great way to document what we've done and share our experiences.
Thursday, July 2, 2009
Into Single Digits
Our days have been numbered here for a while, and now the number is in single digits. The movers come today, so the computer goes. We'll go the Wales for the July 4th weekend, then Diana and the boys fly out Monday, and I follow Tuesday.
We'll be offline more than online during the next several days.
It's sure been a great experience, both professionally and personally. We'll miss the culture and lifestyle here, but it's always nice to go home.
Hope to see you all and catch up soon.
We'll be offline more than online during the next several days.
It's sure been a great experience, both professionally and personally. We'll miss the culture and lifestyle here, but it's always nice to go home.
Hope to see you all and catch up soon.
Guinness Premiereship Finals May 16th, 2009
We finally got to go to a Rugby Match. We live in an area that is big into rugby. I was able to get cheap tickets to a Finals game via an Internet promotion. The two teams playing were the London Irish and the Leicester Tigers. The game was sold out with as many as 81,601 supporters at the match. James and I walked to the stadium which is the next town across the river called Twickenham.
We're still are not quite up on the rules of rugby, but we had help by the fans seated next to us. We found out that they don't have play by play in the stadium only if you have brought a radio to hear the commentary. James and I supported the London team and we bought London Irish rugby shirts.
Our luck they lost by one point. We found a new way to sell beer, walking through the crowd with small kegs attached to their backs. The English like their beer just barely
cold.
After the game we walked back to Richmond with the 81,000 supporters walking through town and stopping at the local pubs and restaurant's. We found a good Italian restaurant who had one man band playing American songs and diners in the restaurant all sung along with him. It was a good day out and ticked the box of going to a rugby match.
We're still are not quite up on the rules of rugby, but we had help by the fans seated next to us. We found out that they don't have play by play in the stadium only if you have brought a radio to hear the commentary. James and I supported the London team and we bought London Irish rugby shirts.
Our luck they lost by one point. We found a new way to sell beer, walking through the crowd with small kegs attached to their backs. The English like their beer just barely
cold.
After the game we walked back to Richmond with the 81,000 supporters walking through town and stopping at the local pubs and restaurant's. We found a good Italian restaurant who had one man band playing American songs and diners in the restaurant all sung along with him. It was a good day out and ticked the box of going to a rugby match.
Wednesday, July 1, 2009
Salisbury and Stonehenge May 29-31, 2009
I finally got James to Stonehenge. We spent a weekend in Salisbury at a B&B that was a old coach house on the River Avon called the Legacy Rose and Crown Hotel, a 13Th century coaching Inn. The B&B was dog friendly and had a great open lawn on the River Avon.
The weather was great warm and sunny. We traveled by train to Salisbury which was a 2 hour trip. After getting off the train we walked from the station through a series of meadows to the old mill which dates back to 1135. The old mill is now a hotel and a dog friendly pub and beer garden.
The Salisbury cathedral is famous for it's tallest spire in England of 404 feet and a original copy of the Magna carta is in it's library. The city it self was a very small and friendly. Salisbury is a medieval town with many historic buildings with olde world atmosphere.
I was able to arrange for all of us, including the boys, to take a bus tour to Stonehenge and Old Sarum. Since I have already seen Stonehenge I stayed outside with the boys. We later visited Old Sarum, a castle ruin from the 11th century built by William the Conqueror. The boys had a hard time because there was no shade and it was a very warm sunny day.
We walked back to Salisbury which was about a 2 mile walk via the River Avon. Along the way back we passed a few thatched homes and walls. It was a perfect week-end at a wonderful place that was very relaxing and we could have the boy's with us.
The weather was great warm and sunny. We traveled by train to Salisbury which was a 2 hour trip. After getting off the train we walked from the station through a series of meadows to the old mill which dates back to 1135. The old mill is now a hotel and a dog friendly pub and beer garden.
The Salisbury cathedral is famous for it's tallest spire in England of 404 feet and a original copy of the Magna carta is in it's library. The city it self was a very small and friendly. Salisbury is a medieval town with many historic buildings with olde world atmosphere.
I was able to arrange for all of us, including the boys, to take a bus tour to Stonehenge and Old Sarum. Since I have already seen Stonehenge I stayed outside with the boys. We later visited Old Sarum, a castle ruin from the 11th century built by William the Conqueror. The boys had a hard time because there was no shade and it was a very warm sunny day.
We walked back to Salisbury which was about a 2 mile walk via the River Avon. Along the way back we passed a few thatched homes and walls. It was a perfect week-end at a wonderful place that was very relaxing and we could have the boy's with us.
Windsor Castle Royal Tattoo May 13, 2009
The Tattoo is a charity show for the Royal British Legion. It's a military band and music event. They support millions who served and currently serve in the armed forces. The show is held at night so the show had a great effect.
This year the line up acts included the Royal Navy Field Gun Race,Royal life Guards of Denmark. The Danish soldiers looked like toy tin soldiers! There was also the military band from Trinidad and Tobago, all steel drums with a limbo dancer! A massed band and fifes and drums and the Kings troop Royal Horse Artillery,and a musical ride of the household Cavalry.
And a modern military re enactment with modern equipment.
*** lots of uniforms*****lots of uniforms*** and men wearing skirts ******
James had to keep a hold on to me all evening, he knows I love a man in uniform and especially if he is on horse back.It was a great night out. He loved the artillery demonstrations too.
Pictures were hard to take as it was night time and you didn't want to use a flash. Night time settings on the camera are ok, but movement usually blurs them.
This year the line up acts included the Royal Navy Field Gun Race,Royal life Guards of Denmark. The Danish soldiers looked like toy tin soldiers! There was also the military band from Trinidad and Tobago, all steel drums with a limbo dancer! A massed band and fifes and drums and the Kings troop Royal Horse Artillery,and a musical ride of the household Cavalry.
And a modern military re enactment with modern equipment.
*** lots of uniforms*****lots of uniforms*** and men wearing skirts ******
James had to keep a hold on to me all evening, he knows I love a man in uniform and especially if he is on horse back.It was a great night out. He loved the artillery demonstrations too.
Pictures were hard to take as it was night time and you didn't want to use a flash. Night time settings on the camera are ok, but movement usually blurs them.
Chelsea Flower show May 22nd, 2009
For 5 days in May a world-famous flower show happens in London in the grounds of the Royal Hospital Chelsea. The show starts off the summer season. Since moving to London I wanted to go to the flower show. I was able to go this year. But James could not make it. He had to go back to the States for a dear friends funeral. We planned to go with some friends from Sweden, Lars and Petra, who came for a weekend visit.
Again we chose the busiest day to go to the flower show. The flower exhibits were incredible and the smells of the flowers was overwhelming.
This year the main attraction was a large rose pedal perfume maker that made perfume with the same ingredients that were used for Queen Elizabeth I perfume. The whole area smelled of roses.
The Great Pavilion was where the displays of the best of the best were showcased. I could have stayed all day just in the pavilion. It was a great experience and wonderful to have shared it with friends like Petra and Lars.
Again we chose the busiest day to go to the flower show. The flower exhibits were incredible and the smells of the flowers was overwhelming.
This year the main attraction was a large rose pedal perfume maker that made perfume with the same ingredients that were used for Queen Elizabeth I perfume. The whole area smelled of roses.
The Great Pavilion was where the displays of the best of the best were showcased. I could have stayed all day just in the pavilion. It was a great experience and wonderful to have shared it with friends like Petra and Lars.
Royal Ascot June 20th, 2009
Royal Ascot is a week long horse racing event sponsored by the Queen herself. James and I decided to go to the event when we found out that we were coming home this summer. It was something we needed to do and go full-out for. The Queen is in attendance the whole week so the dress attire is very strict, especially in the the royal enclosure. We could not get into that area. But we got the next best area.
The Brits love to dress up for events. This week long event is a huge production. Most men wear top hats and Morning suits and the women in fancy hats and beautiful dress's even when they don't have to. James opted out of the Top hat and morning suit so I got a new outfit for the event. We also ordered picnic box's for lunch. We were able to see the Queen twice, once coming into the race course and again presenting a trophy to the winner of the race the Golden jubilee stakes winner which is named for her.
The attendance that day was 80,000+. We choose to take the train to the race. It took 3 attempts to board the train. The train was packed full with race goers. I now know that the phrase means packed in like sardines. Overall the day was wonderful and a once in a life time event to experience.
We liked it so much we changed the title picture on the blog.
The Brits love to dress up for events. This week long event is a huge production. Most men wear top hats and Morning suits and the women in fancy hats and beautiful dress's even when they don't have to. James opted out of the Top hat and morning suit so I got a new outfit for the event. We also ordered picnic box's for lunch. We were able to see the Queen twice, once coming into the race course and again presenting a trophy to the winner of the race the Golden jubilee stakes winner which is named for her.
The attendance that day was 80,000+. We choose to take the train to the race. It took 3 attempts to board the train. The train was packed full with race goers. I now know that the phrase means packed in like sardines. Overall the day was wonderful and a once in a life time event to experience.
We liked it so much we changed the title picture on the blog.
Dangerous visit to Richmond Park
June 3rd
The boys and I went to the park the morning of June 3rd. It started out great a nice day sunny and warm. Important note "Spring time" in the park means baby animals in the park to include deer and fowl and bunnies. In walking the boys we saw a few baby deer in the open areas. As I crossed the main road with the boys and making my way up to a shady tree line I was soon followed by a deer very closely. She eventually had me trapped around a tree for about a 30 minutes before I could get a jogger's attention.
I yelled for his help. I had tried for 30 minutes throwing sticks at it to go away. With help,finally I got back to the main road. With the deer still following us. I was never so frightened in my life because she could have hurt me or the boys.
I now think twice walking the park with the boys. In hind sight I should have realized why the deer was so aggressive she probably had young in the high grass area in the tree line.
To get my heart beating at a normal rate I found a pond with water fowl with their young I found this beautiful wood duck and his family.
The boys and I went to the park the morning of June 3rd. It started out great a nice day sunny and warm. Important note "Spring time" in the park means baby animals in the park to include deer and fowl and bunnies. In walking the boys we saw a few baby deer in the open areas. As I crossed the main road with the boys and making my way up to a shady tree line I was soon followed by a deer very closely. She eventually had me trapped around a tree for about a 30 minutes before I could get a jogger's attention.
I yelled for his help. I had tried for 30 minutes throwing sticks at it to go away. With help,finally I got back to the main road. With the deer still following us. I was never so frightened in my life because she could have hurt me or the boys.
I now think twice walking the park with the boys. In hind sight I should have realized why the deer was so aggressive she probably had young in the high grass area in the tree line.
To get my heart beating at a normal rate I found a pond with water fowl with their young I found this beautiful wood duck and his family.
Kew Gardens Visit April 22,2009
Spring time in England
James and I are very lucky that we live near a a wonderful garden. When My family came over for visit we spent a day at the gardens. The rhododendrons and azaleas and lilacs were in bloom. Tulips and other bulbs plants were in wonderful show in flower beds all through the park.
The gardens were once the home for the Royal Princess Augusta in 1759. The garden is the world leader in plant science and conservation. We saw exotic Orchids and wildflowers from across the world. Kew botanical garden also has a millennium seed bank. They are able to freeze seeds of plants that will be extinct plants and save them for hundreds of years. They have about 23,000 plant species from every continent. This year is it's 250 anniversary.
James and I are very lucky that we live near a a wonderful garden. When My family came over for visit we spent a day at the gardens. The rhododendrons and azaleas and lilacs were in bloom. Tulips and other bulbs plants were in wonderful show in flower beds all through the park.
The gardens were once the home for the Royal Princess Augusta in 1759. The garden is the world leader in plant science and conservation. We saw exotic Orchids and wildflowers from across the world. Kew botanical garden also has a millennium seed bank. They are able to freeze seeds of plants that will be extinct plants and save them for hundreds of years. They have about 23,000 plant species from every continent. This year is it's 250 anniversary.
Wednesday, June 3, 2009
Diana’s Family Visit April 10th –April 24,2009
Diana’s Family Visit April 10th –April 24,2009
Hello everyone, Back in April my family came over for a visit. In the 1.5 years we have been in London they’re the only family members to visit except for Cassidy. Because it was a holiday of a life time I tried to plan that they experience and do as much as possible. My dad and Dolores and younger sister Sabine came for a visit. Ms Dolores was like the energizer bunny. She was up for doing and seeing everything. Her favorite phrase was “you can rest when you get home”. As you all know by now we don’t have a car here in the UK so we walk everywhere or take public transport (Tube, Train, or Buses). So I think I wore them out.
The only thing I had no control over was the weather. The weather was mostly cloudy and periods of rain. A few days of sun shine. It was still a shock because they live in Augusta Georgia.
Knowing that this was a trip of a life time, I was able to book a week-end in Paris, France traveling on the Eurostar. The train travels from London to Paris in 3 hrs under the English Channel. Spring time in Paris it was not. It rained the whole time except the very last day of our visit. We saw almost everything in Paris from a bus. This was a good thing because of the rain. The mornings we were on the bus and the afternoon we were free to do what we wanted. We saw the Mona Lisa at the Louvre, saw the Effel Towel and was able to attend a church service at the Notre Dame Cathedral, and Sacre-Coeur, drove around the Arcde Triomphe and toured Chateur de Versailles. We also did a Seine River cruise.
In London we did all the must do or see as a tourist. Hop on and off tour of London, river cruise up to Greenwich, tour tower of London (seeing the crown jewels),walking across the Tower Bridge. Hearing Big Ben Chime, Walk through Harrods (famous London store) walked in Hyde and James and Green Park. Walked down to Piccadilly Circus and the shopping street of Oxford Street and due to the weather we were unable to see the changing of the guard at Buckingham palace. Toured Windsor castle spent a day at Kew Gardens which is walking distant from the house.
Wanting to get out of town I arranged a bus tour trip to see Stonehenge, the Roman Baths in Bath and see Salisbury cathedral in Salisbury and the English country-side.
In the time that my family was here we were able to ride most modes form of transport, Ferries, Trains, buses and the underground tube system.
It was great having the time with my family here in London. Usually we only see each other on a week-end visit when I go home to the states.
We are attaching a link to our picture album because we all had cameras and my family like to take pictures. I get it honestly.
There's lots of pictures, and many are redundant as we had 4 cameras going most of the time. Rather than put it in a slideshow, I'll just link to the photo album
Hello everyone, Back in April my family came over for a visit. In the 1.5 years we have been in London they’re the only family members to visit except for Cassidy. Because it was a holiday of a life time I tried to plan that they experience and do as much as possible. My dad and Dolores and younger sister Sabine came for a visit. Ms Dolores was like the energizer bunny. She was up for doing and seeing everything. Her favorite phrase was “you can rest when you get home”. As you all know by now we don’t have a car here in the UK so we walk everywhere or take public transport (Tube, Train, or Buses). So I think I wore them out.
The only thing I had no control over was the weather. The weather was mostly cloudy and periods of rain. A few days of sun shine. It was still a shock because they live in Augusta Georgia.
Knowing that this was a trip of a life time, I was able to book a week-end in Paris, France traveling on the Eurostar. The train travels from London to Paris in 3 hrs under the English Channel. Spring time in Paris it was not. It rained the whole time except the very last day of our visit. We saw almost everything in Paris from a bus. This was a good thing because of the rain. The mornings we were on the bus and the afternoon we were free to do what we wanted. We saw the Mona Lisa at the Louvre, saw the Effel Towel and was able to attend a church service at the Notre Dame Cathedral, and Sacre-Coeur, drove around the Arcde Triomphe and toured Chateur de Versailles. We also did a Seine River cruise.
In London we did all the must do or see as a tourist. Hop on and off tour of London, river cruise up to Greenwich, tour tower of London (seeing the crown jewels),walking across the Tower Bridge. Hearing Big Ben Chime, Walk through Harrods (famous London store) walked in Hyde and James and Green Park. Walked down to Piccadilly Circus and the shopping street of Oxford Street and due to the weather we were unable to see the changing of the guard at Buckingham palace. Toured Windsor castle spent a day at Kew Gardens which is walking distant from the house.
Wanting to get out of town I arranged a bus tour trip to see Stonehenge, the Roman Baths in Bath and see Salisbury cathedral in Salisbury and the English country-side.
In the time that my family was here we were able to ride most modes form of transport, Ferries, Trains, buses and the underground tube system.
It was great having the time with my family here in London. Usually we only see each other on a week-end visit when I go home to the states.
We are attaching a link to our picture album because we all had cameras and my family like to take pictures. I get it honestly.
There's lots of pictures, and many are redundant as we had 4 cameras going most of the time. Rather than put it in a slideshow, I'll just link to the photo album
 |
| Diana's Family visits |
Monday, May 18, 2009
The loss of the biggest wolf pack fan
We have lost a dear and wonderful friend today.Jennifer lived her life to the fullest. Never complaining and asking for special treatment even when we her friends all know that she was in pain. James and I will miss her terribly. Her strength and big heart and ready smile we will never forget. Her support of the wolf pack went back to her time at North Carolina State University. She always spoke of the time of the wolf pack basketball championship game and what the experience was like on campus at the time. Our memories of Jennifer at the our tailgating parties will stay with us. We will always remember her side line coaching and yelling and singing the state's fight song at the games.GO WOLF PACK
A Better Place
She’s in a better place right now
Than she’s ever been before;
All pain is gone; she’s now at rest;
Nothing troubles her anymore.
It’s we who feel the burden of
Our sadness and our grief;.
We have to cry, to mourn our loss,
Before we get relief.
We know we’ll reconnect with her
At the end of each life’s road;
We’ll see her cherished face again
When we release our earthly load.
By Joanna Fuchs
Jennifer rest in peace and pain free
A Better Place
She’s in a better place right now
Than she’s ever been before;
All pain is gone; she’s now at rest;
Nothing troubles her anymore.
It’s we who feel the burden of
Our sadness and our grief;.
We have to cry, to mourn our loss,
Before we get relief.
We know we’ll reconnect with her
At the end of each life’s road;
We’ll see her cherished face again
When we release our earthly load.
By Joanna Fuchs
Jennifer rest in peace and pain free
Friday, May 15, 2009
Dover
So when we found out we need to head back, we sat down and made a "bucket list". Basically, what is it we wanted to do, versus how much time have we got left. Obviously the first list is much longer than the second.
However, you'll see an acceleration of activity from now till we leave, as we try to pack as much into these last few weeks as we can.
If you remember this post from last Easter, I made this post as I went through Dover to take the ferry to France. It was cold and miserable, but struck me as some place I'd like to bring the family (Diana and doggies) back to. I'd heard that walking along the Dover downs at the top of the white cliffs was incredible.
So last weekend we decided to head back down there. The weather for London was very iffy, but it looked better in Kent.
We couldn't go into the castle with the doggies, but we had a great time anyway. The walks along the cliffs and through the downs were awesome and absolutely wore us out! But we all had a great time, the views were breathtaking, and the place was great.
Pictures below:
However, you'll see an acceleration of activity from now till we leave, as we try to pack as much into these last few weeks as we can.
If you remember this post from last Easter, I made this post as I went through Dover to take the ferry to France. It was cold and miserable, but struck me as some place I'd like to bring the family (Diana and doggies) back to. I'd heard that walking along the Dover downs at the top of the white cliffs was incredible.
So last weekend we decided to head back down there. The weather for London was very iffy, but it looked better in Kent.
We couldn't go into the castle with the doggies, but we had a great time anyway. The walks along the cliffs and through the downs were awesome and absolutely wore us out! But we all had a great time, the views were breathtaking, and the place was great.
Pictures below:
Germany and Heike's Birthday
I had to work Cisco Expo Germany. Below is a video of the highlights of this event. And to answer Heike, yea, I call that work. Someone has to set this thing up and tear it down.
After the event, I worked in Germany for a couple of days and Diana flew over. It was Heike's birthday (we don't know how old she is) so we went to spend the weekend with her and Frank and Kai. The weather was warm and sunny, and we had a great time.
After the event, I worked in Germany for a couple of days and Diana flew over. It was Heike's birthday (we don't know how old she is) so we went to spend the weekend with her and Frank and Kai. The weather was warm and sunny, and we had a great time.
Monday, April 27, 2009
Time For Another Chapter
If we look at life as a book, then it has to be made up of chapters. We began a new and exciting chapter in the fall of 2007 when we decided to accept the international assignment to the UK.
It's been great. personally, we saw and did a lot, as the entries in this blog attest to. We've tried to take maximum advantage of being here, to see as much as possible of both the UK and Europe.
It's also been a great cultural experience. Living here has really opened our eyes to the similarities and differences in the cultures between the Brits and Americans. There are things we could certainly learn from each other.
But now it's time for it to end. We'll be repatriating this summer, exact timing TBD. Will definitely get there while it's good and hot though! And in time for football season.
So now we're planning through our remaining weekends here, trying to again maximize the time. Looks for updates and more details soon.
It's been great. personally, we saw and did a lot, as the entries in this blog attest to. We've tried to take maximum advantage of being here, to see as much as possible of both the UK and Europe.
It's also been a great cultural experience. Living here has really opened our eyes to the similarities and differences in the cultures between the Brits and Americans. There are things we could certainly learn from each other.
But now it's time for it to end. We'll be repatriating this summer, exact timing TBD. Will definitely get there while it's good and hot though! And in time for football season.
So now we're planning through our remaining weekends here, trying to again maximize the time. Looks for updates and more details soon.
Saturday, April 4, 2009
Madeira - Wow!
Back in January, when the days were 6 hours long, it was cold and nasty, we decided to look for a place we could slip away to for a few days of warmth and sunshine. In searching through our timeshare trading options, we found Madeira. My friend Lars' wife Petra recommended it, and are we glad she did!
Since this is not one of the most well known places around, let's look at some geography. Madeira is a Portuguese island in the south Atlantic ocean, about 300 miles off the coast of Morocco. It's basically a mountain in the middle of the ocean. But it gets all of the trade winds and the rain they bring, so it lush and green. There's no beaches, all the coastline is rocky.
this is one of those places that you kinda don't know where to start in describing it. Beautiful, breathtaking, warm, cold sunny, misty, foggy....friendly, inexpensive, sometimes a bit frightening.
We had planned to do a lot of walking, through the mountains, etc. Centuries ago, we they created stone ditches called levadas to bring the rainwater from the mountains to the lower levels to use it for agriculture. Now, all of those are walkways. Most are beautiful, some are very dangerous.
I've also never seen a place so vertical. Every road was a 15 degree slope. The hairpin turn made West Virginia roads look wide and flat! And there were times when all you saw of the edge of the road was a set of dragon's teeth stone barriers and blue sky. That was a bit freaky!
Yes, we decided to rent a motorcycle. All they had the day I went there was a 650 or 1200 cc BMW. I took the 1200 (R1200GS). Wow, what a bike! Powerful, smooth, heavy and way too tall for me. But a lot of fun to drive. We basically went all over the island on it in 3 days, seeing some of the most spectacular scenery ever.
Bottom line, we had a fantastic time. The food was great, and cheap. The most expensive dinner we had the entire week was about 60$ for the both of us, and most of the others were about half that much.
Of course, we took lots of pictures. The slideshow is below.
Since this is not one of the most well known places around, let's look at some geography. Madeira is a Portuguese island in the south Atlantic ocean, about 300 miles off the coast of Morocco. It's basically a mountain in the middle of the ocean. But it gets all of the trade winds and the rain they bring, so it lush and green. There's no beaches, all the coastline is rocky.
this is one of those places that you kinda don't know where to start in describing it. Beautiful, breathtaking, warm, cold sunny, misty, foggy....friendly, inexpensive, sometimes a bit frightening.
We had planned to do a lot of walking, through the mountains, etc. Centuries ago, we they created stone ditches called levadas to bring the rainwater from the mountains to the lower levels to use it for agriculture. Now, all of those are walkways. Most are beautiful, some are very dangerous.
I've also never seen a place so vertical. Every road was a 15 degree slope. The hairpin turn made West Virginia roads look wide and flat! And there were times when all you saw of the edge of the road was a set of dragon's teeth stone barriers and blue sky. That was a bit freaky!
Yes, we decided to rent a motorcycle. All they had the day I went there was a 650 or 1200 cc BMW. I took the 1200 (R1200GS). Wow, what a bike! Powerful, smooth, heavy and way too tall for me. But a lot of fun to drive. We basically went all over the island on it in 3 days, seeing some of the most spectacular scenery ever.
Bottom line, we had a fantastic time. The food was great, and cheap. The most expensive dinner we had the entire week was about 60$ for the both of us, and most of the others were about half that much.
Of course, we took lots of pictures. The slideshow is below.
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
Happy St Patrick's Day
We stopped by our local Irish pub for a quick pint of the black last evening. It got a little crazy! Funny thing is, we were really there for less than an hour!
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| From St Patty's 09 |
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| From St Patty's 09 |
Monday, March 9, 2009
Calendars
We've had some requests to add our Google Calendars back to the blog. For some reason, I'm having trouble doing this, so I'll add them embedded in this entry and try to keep it updated:
Walks in February
We still try to get out and walk every weekend when the weather is not too bad. A couple of weekends in February were good for getting out with the right clothing.
We went into London (without the doggies, it's just too crowded) to Portobello Market, where they sell everything from antiques to fresh fruit and veg. This goes several blocks down a street in central London.
Went to Hampton Court one day. This palace was the favorite of Henry VIII and is now open to the public. You can't go into the palaces with the doggies, but they are aloud to walk around the grounds. We took the train to Kingston, so it was only about a 3 mile walk. After lunch in the local pub, we grabbed a bus back.
Then we got a little out of town by going out into the Surrey hills for about a 5-6 mile walk. This was great as it was really out in the country.We meet other walkers with their dogs most all the dogs are very friendly. We met a couple with a unusually colored coat. We stopped and had lunch in Oxted, a town who's high street is still primarily 16th century buildings. The fish and chips with a pint of local ale really hit the spot!
You'll notice the pictures of streams and pond show the water oddly colored. The hills are all chalk here, and it runs into the water giving it a really unique look.
We went into London (without the doggies, it's just too crowded) to Portobello Market, where they sell everything from antiques to fresh fruit and veg. This goes several blocks down a street in central London.
Went to Hampton Court one day. This palace was the favorite of Henry VIII and is now open to the public. You can't go into the palaces with the doggies, but they are aloud to walk around the grounds. We took the train to Kingston, so it was only about a 3 mile walk. After lunch in the local pub, we grabbed a bus back.
Then we got a little out of town by going out into the Surrey hills for about a 5-6 mile walk. This was great as it was really out in the country.We meet other walkers with their dogs most all the dogs are very friendly. We met a couple with a unusually colored coat. We stopped and had lunch in Oxted, a town who's high street is still primarily 16th century buildings. The fish and chips with a pint of local ale really hit the spot!
You'll notice the pictures of streams and pond show the water oddly colored. The hills are all chalk here, and it runs into the water giving it a really unique look.
Monday, February 16, 2009
Switzerland
As always, we're way behind in updating you folks. Trying to catch up a little this morning as James is off and we're waiting to catch a flight. More on that later.
In February, James was doing yet another road show. These are usually grueling events, where you spend about 6 hours in each city and run to catch a plane to the next one. However, now that there are 3 people on the team here, we were able to break it up some and do some customer meetings between the actual presentations. The entire event was impacted by weather, as it was snowing all over Europe for 2 weeks. James got stuck in Stockholm as all the airports in London were snowed in. Then the London event was hampered by snow so everyone attended remotely. Same with Frankfurt. The last stop was Zurich, Friday, Feb 13.
So we went to Switzerland for Valentine's Day weekend. Again, snow impacted it as James was delayed getting out of London by snow in Zurich. Diana arrived late Thursday and we hoped for the best.
While James worked on Friday, Diana played tourist. She went up to a mountain (hill) overlooking Zurich where everyone was sledding down. I took a train up from the city. On the way up several people got on the train with their toboggan sleds. At the top I had to walk about a half a mile to the summit to get the view of the city. The Swiss were enjoying the snow they usually don't get this amount of snow. Instead of taking the train down I walk back down to the city via the walking paths in the mountain(hill). The only sound in the forest was birds and small mountain streams and your own foot steps it was a great experience.
Zurich has several churches famous for their stain glass windows. You could not take any pictures so I picked up some post cards of them.
On Friday night, she found a country and western festival in town. We shared a table with some great people and had a really good time. The first band was led by a guy from SC, and they weren't very good. The second was a Canadian band and they rocked. A few original songs and lots of covers. James got his dance card punched for 2009.
Then on Saturday she booked us a trip to the Jungfraujoch, one of the highest peaks in Switzerland. There's a cog train that climbs all the way to the summit, some 11,000+ feet. In places, it actually goes through the mountain and has places you can detrain and look out through viewing areas.
At the summit of the mountain, it was -27C (-17F). We only stayed out in it long enough to take the pictures. The coolest thing here was the glacier. They had actually carved walking trails through the inside of the glacier. I can't imagine how deep the snow was here.
Because of the altitude you had to move very slowly. Take it from us it was hard to breath and walk.
James is yet again playing with some new ways to show the pictures and trying to convey the spirit of what we experienced. He's put it all in a video this time, tell us how it works for you and how you like it.
In February, James was doing yet another road show. These are usually grueling events, where you spend about 6 hours in each city and run to catch a plane to the next one. However, now that there are 3 people on the team here, we were able to break it up some and do some customer meetings between the actual presentations. The entire event was impacted by weather, as it was snowing all over Europe for 2 weeks. James got stuck in Stockholm as all the airports in London were snowed in. Then the London event was hampered by snow so everyone attended remotely. Same with Frankfurt. The last stop was Zurich, Friday, Feb 13.
So we went to Switzerland for Valentine's Day weekend. Again, snow impacted it as James was delayed getting out of London by snow in Zurich. Diana arrived late Thursday and we hoped for the best.
While James worked on Friday, Diana played tourist. She went up to a mountain (hill) overlooking Zurich where everyone was sledding down. I took a train up from the city. On the way up several people got on the train with their toboggan sleds. At the top I had to walk about a half a mile to the summit to get the view of the city. The Swiss were enjoying the snow they usually don't get this amount of snow. Instead of taking the train down I walk back down to the city via the walking paths in the mountain(hill). The only sound in the forest was birds and small mountain streams and your own foot steps it was a great experience.
Zurich has several churches famous for their stain glass windows. You could not take any pictures so I picked up some post cards of them.
On Friday night, she found a country and western festival in town. We shared a table with some great people and had a really good time. The first band was led by a guy from SC, and they weren't very good. The second was a Canadian band and they rocked. A few original songs and lots of covers. James got his dance card punched for 2009.
Then on Saturday she booked us a trip to the Jungfraujoch, one of the highest peaks in Switzerland. There's a cog train that climbs all the way to the summit, some 11,000+ feet. In places, it actually goes through the mountain and has places you can detrain and look out through viewing areas.
At the summit of the mountain, it was -27C (-17F). We only stayed out in it long enough to take the pictures. The coolest thing here was the glacier. They had actually carved walking trails through the inside of the glacier. I can't imagine how deep the snow was here.
Because of the altitude you had to move very slowly. Take it from us it was hard to breath and walk.
James is yet again playing with some new ways to show the pictures and trying to convey the spirit of what we experienced. He's put it all in a video this time, tell us how it works for you and how you like it.
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| From Switzerland |
Saturday, February 7, 2009
Pictures We've received
Sometimes we get pictures emailed to us. Cassidy sent us some shots of her doing things. Heike sent us some pictures she and Frank took on our last visit. Here's a slide show of those pics.
February Snow Storm
It never snows in London! Well, in just over a year I've seen it snow about 6 times, and this last one was a doozy!
James left Sunday night for a business trip to Stockholm amid a few flurries. By 6:00 am Monday morning, there were 6-8 inches on the ground and it continued to snow all day. By late Monday afternoon, there was about a foot of snow.
This shut down the entire country! Not only were buses, roads and airports shut, but even the trains and subways were closed.
And James was stuck in Sweden, where there was no snow! He was supposed to come home Monday night, but instead got home late Tuesday afternoon.
The dogs enjoyed it. Elijah had really never seen snow before. Of course, DarkStar is so short, the snow was deeper than he is tall in some places.
Pictures below:
James left Sunday night for a business trip to Stockholm amid a few flurries. By 6:00 am Monday morning, there were 6-8 inches on the ground and it continued to snow all day. By late Monday afternoon, there was about a foot of snow.
This shut down the entire country! Not only were buses, roads and airports shut, but even the trains and subways were closed.
And James was stuck in Sweden, where there was no snow! He was supposed to come home Monday night, but instead got home late Tuesday afternoon.
The dogs enjoyed it. Elijah had really never seen snow before. Of course, DarkStar is so short, the snow was deeper than he is tall in some places.
Pictures below:
Saturday, January 31, 2009
Business Travel: Barcelona
Yes, I travel a lot. Lots of locations, international cities, etc. Many people ask if they can come along, it sounds so exciting and exotic.
I just came back from working our annual conference in Barcelona. This was a 4 day conference in which I had to set up and man 4 demos in the exhibition hall, speak at the seminar twice for 2 hours each, and participate in what we call a BOF (Birds of a feather) session. Basically an open discussion forum on a specific topic.
Barcelona is a lovely city and has a lot of great things to see, at least as far as I can see from the back of a taxi. This is the second conference I've worked there, each trip being a week long. Last year I had 2 hours on the last afternoon to go see the old city. This year none.
So, here's my pictures of Barcelona. All of them are taken from my hotel, either from my window or from the windows in the elevator lobby on my floor. The final picture was taken the evening after we tore down the demos. My colleague Lars and I went to the grocery stire to get our wives some chocolates. He was carrying a router from the demos, and the security guard made him check it as she had no idea what it was.
I just came back from working our annual conference in Barcelona. This was a 4 day conference in which I had to set up and man 4 demos in the exhibition hall, speak at the seminar twice for 2 hours each, and participate in what we call a BOF (Birds of a feather) session. Basically an open discussion forum on a specific topic.
Barcelona is a lovely city and has a lot of great things to see, at least as far as I can see from the back of a taxi. This is the second conference I've worked there, each trip being a week long. Last year I had 2 hours on the last afternoon to go see the old city. This year none.
So, here's my pictures of Barcelona. All of them are taken from my hotel, either from my window or from the windows in the elevator lobby on my floor. The final picture was taken the evening after we tore down the demos. My colleague Lars and I went to the grocery stire to get our wives some chocolates. He was carrying a router from the demos, and the security guard made him check it as she had no idea what it was.
Richmond Park in Winter
This is the coldest winter in the UK in 10 years. From about mid-November until early January, we had only a few days where the high temperature rose above freezing. Also, here in the UK, you occasionally get really heavy fogs. When the fog and the extreme cold meets, you get what they call hoar frost, and it looks like a snowstorm came through.
You've seen the seasons in Richmond park in other postings:
Autumn
Summer
Spring
Here's some pictures from Winter. The first several pictures were taken on a brutally cold day with lots of frost everywhere. The last few were taken exactly 1 week later. What a difference a week makes!
There was also a large heard of deer we were able to get very close to. I thought I'd shoot them in video
You've seen the seasons in Richmond park in other postings:
Autumn
Summer
Spring
Here's some pictures from Winter. The first several pictures were taken on a brutally cold day with lots of frost everywhere. The last few were taken exactly 1 week later. What a difference a week makes!
There was also a large heard of deer we were able to get very close to. I thought I'd shoot them in video
Monday, January 12, 2009
Bath
James and I and the boys spent a week–end in Bath . We found a dog friendly B&B called the Pratt House.
We again took the train up. We were able to get first class seats for a reasonable price. Bath is famous for
its roman baths which still exist today. We were only able to see the outside of the baths. We found out
early in the week-end that Bath was not so dog friendly. We only found two pubs that we could take the boys
into. And being right after Christmas the shops were full with people looking for bargains. We spent a lot of
time outside walking along the river Avon and canal and playing ball with the boys. The weather was very
cold, the boys even got cold in their sweaters. We found a patch of green to play ball with boys it was near
Pulteney Bridge. It was a kind of a walking maze pattern.
Some info about Bath I found of interest.
Romans built a magnificent temple and bathing complex that still flows with natural hot water.
One of the largest buildings in Bath is it’s Abbey,
Bath Abbey is the last of the great medieval churches of England.
The West Front is unique as it depicts the dream that inspired the Abbey's founder, Bishop Oliver King, Over
the past twelve and a half centuries, three different churches have occupied the site of today’s Abbey: An
Anglo-Saxon Abbey Church dating from 757 pulled down by the Norman conquerors of England soon after
1066. Worship has taken place on the site of today's Abbey for over one thousand years.
The Royal Crescent is one of the world's best known landmarks. Built between 1767 and 1775
and designed by John Wood the younger, the crescent contains some 30 houses,
Pulteney Bridge, together with the Ponte Vecchio in Florence, is one of the world's most beautiful bridges.
Like the Ponte Vecchio it is one of a handful of historic bridges in the world with shops built into it. Built for
William Pulteney by Robert Adams, the bridge was an attempt to connect central Bath to land on the other
bank of the River Avon and make Pulteney's fortune. In spite of its practical origins it is surely the most
romantic bridge in the world, best viewed from Parade Gardens park by the crescent weir.
Over all it was a pretty low key week-end. We walked pretty much all of Bath.
We again took the train up. We were able to get first class seats for a reasonable price. Bath is famous for
its roman baths which still exist today. We were only able to see the outside of the baths. We found out
early in the week-end that Bath was not so dog friendly. We only found two pubs that we could take the boys
into. And being right after Christmas the shops were full with people looking for bargains. We spent a lot of
time outside walking along the river Avon and canal and playing ball with the boys. The weather was very
cold, the boys even got cold in their sweaters. We found a patch of green to play ball with boys it was near
Pulteney Bridge. It was a kind of a walking maze pattern.
Some info about Bath I found of interest.
Romans built a magnificent temple and bathing complex that still flows with natural hot water.
One of the largest buildings in Bath is it’s Abbey,
Bath Abbey is the last of the great medieval churches of England.
The West Front is unique as it depicts the dream that inspired the Abbey's founder, Bishop Oliver King, Over
the past twelve and a half centuries, three different churches have occupied the site of today’s Abbey: An
Anglo-Saxon Abbey Church dating from 757 pulled down by the Norman conquerors of England soon after
1066. Worship has taken place on the site of today's Abbey for over one thousand years.
The Royal Crescent is one of the world's best known landmarks. Built between 1767 and 1775
and designed by John Wood the younger, the crescent contains some 30 houses,
Pulteney Bridge, together with the Ponte Vecchio in Florence, is one of the world's most beautiful bridges.
Like the Ponte Vecchio it is one of a handful of historic bridges in the world with shops built into it. Built for
William Pulteney by Robert Adams, the bridge was an attempt to connect central Bath to land on the other
bank of the River Avon and make Pulteney's fortune. In spite of its practical origins it is surely the most
romantic bridge in the world, best viewed from Parade Gardens park by the crescent weir.
Over all it was a pretty low key week-end. We walked pretty much all of Bath.
Saturday, January 10, 2009
Wraysbury Walk
We didn't spend our entire winter break cooped up in the house, eating and drinking too much. We got out almost daily for good long walks and playing with the doggies. We had about 3 days where it warmed up a few degrees, and on one of them we took off to Wraysbury. This is a town about 15 minutes from home on the train.
You can find the map of the walk here
As it was a little warmer, everything was very muddy, and I think we both had mud up to our knees!. But the walk was along several waterways full of birds and other wildlife, plus some historical markers. We even passed Runnymede, where the Magna Carta was signed (the English still don't have a constitution, but the Magna Carta is the closest thing they have).
At the end of the walk was a lovely pub where we stopped for s Shepherd's pie and pint before riding the train back to Richmond. It was a great day!
You can find the map of the walk here
As it was a little warmer, everything was very muddy, and I think we both had mud up to our knees!. But the walk was along several waterways full of birds and other wildlife, plus some historical markers. We even passed Runnymede, where the Magna Carta was signed (the English still don't have a constitution, but the Magna Carta is the closest thing they have).
At the end of the walk was a lovely pub where we stopped for s Shepherd's pie and pint before riding the train back to Richmond. It was a great day!
Friday, January 9, 2009
Christmas 2008
Our First Christmas in London England, we stayed home and vegged from our whirl wind tour in Germany and eat light ie. the salad. The Christmas holiday lasted over 2 weeks. The boys were so confused that daddy (James) was home so long, what a long week-end. We took long walks and played lots of ball. When James did sit down at the computer the boys immediately jumped into his lap.
We were able to get a small Christmas tree and wreath for our place. We picked up some German Christmas decorations to decorate the tree and have some memories of our trip to Germany Christmas markets tour.
A few days before Christmas we got tickets to a concert at the Royal Albert Hall. It was a called Carols by Candlelight. The music was by the Mozart Festival Orchestra and the Mozart festival chorus. The Orchestra was dressed in period dress. Our seats were amazing 3rd row from the stage. The hall was absolutely amazing to experience a concert in. The only sad part is that they did not allow photos to be taken during the concert so we only had time to get a few before the start.
I got a new hair do for the concert and we both got dressed up for the night out in London.
We made reservations at a local pub/restaurant (The Duke) for a proper English Christmas lunch/dinner. Most places were closed Christmas day and the next which is called Boxing Day. Boxing Day was a day for charity putting things or money in a box. Not the fist fights that happens in the USA when we return unwanted gifts.
James and I chose different options from the menu so we can taste different things.
The meal was great, we liked most things. The staff and owner of the Duke spoiled us (Americans) and we had not tried some of the things on the menu before especially the desserts and the chutney’s. James had the consommé and the roast turkey I got the tart and the beef Wellington. We tasted the Christmas pudding, bread and butter pudding and the crumble and the mince pies.
The boys exchanged gifts with Vicky and Cosmo their wonderful pet sitter. She is a
great friend. The boys get very excited when we mention her or Cosmos’ name and they seem to look for them when we’re out on walks.
New Years Eve we went to our local pub called The Crown. We’re now regulars there. The owners Jo and Paul are wonderful people and have made us very welcome. I can even go there by myself with the boys and not feel uncomfortable. They had a DJ who played 70-80’s disco music. I danced a lot. The only thing at was unusual was that they did not have champagne or noise makers or funny hats.
Cassidy was able to come over for a few days in the New Year. This winter has been very cold like freezing as a high and 2-6 below at night. She figured out fast to wear layers and wearing hat gloves and scarf. We exchanged Christmas gifts. And pretty much had low key days and we planned some evening entertainment. We took her to the Hyde Park winter wonderland and had German bratwurst and beer. Then we went to a theatre in Greenwich via a ferry to a panto (Pantomime) (not to be confused with a mime artist referring to a theatrical performer of mime) is a musical-comedy theatrical production traditionally found in Great British , and is usually performed during the Christmas and New Year season. The show was from the Jack and the Beanstalk tale, but was for both kids and adults. A must do if you all have a chance to see a show. We also went to a walking Jack the Ripper tour, we had many layers on and still we were cold we even saw some snow flakes fall. It was great to have Cassidy here for a few days and catch up. James and I have missed seeing and talking to her.
Thursday, January 8, 2009
German Christmas Market Tour
Still catching up. Seems like we're always doing that.
So in order to get into the Christmas spirit, we decided to go to Germany. We wanted to visit our friends Frank & Heike, Diana's Tante Hannelore and her family, and go to the German Christmas markets. I wanted Diana to see some other areas of Germany, as most of her experience has been in Bavaria.
So we hit 5 cities in 4 days. We got some cheap flights round trip from London. I used hotel points and we stayed in the Hilton in Cologne and Munich, and Diana found an awesome deal on the German railways, so we traveled as 1 cheap person rather than 2.
So we started in Cologne. beautiful city, and we were staying right beside the Dom, the big cathedral. It's been incredibly cold in Europe this winter, since about the middle of November, it's rarely gotten above freezing, so we were traveling heavy, taking lots of warmth.
In Cologne, we hit no less than 5 or 6 markets. The most interesting was the Mittlearts Markt, or Middle Ages market. This was right beside the river, everyone was dressed from the Middle Ages, and there was no electricity, so the only lights were by candle and firepot.
Also went to Dusseldorf. It was a bit disappointing. The markets have become somewhat commercialized, and there are several shops you can find at all of them. Most of the markets offer some truly unique shops that are local and you can't find elsewhere. The markets in Dusseldorf didn't offer such. The local beer is sold in small glasses called alt beer, not James's favorite beer.
After 2 cold days in Cologne, we hopped the train to Aschaffenburg, where our friends Frank, Heike and Kai live. I've known Frank and Heike since 1991, and they are mine and Diana's oldest friends. They were closing down their summer place and we got in on the end of season party. there was lots of dancing! And, of course, we hit the local Christmas market on the way out.
We left there on the train to Munich. German trains are so great, they run on time and are very clean, safe and fast. We were in Munich about 1 1/2 hours faster than we could have driven it under best conditions.
The whole time we were in Cologne and Dusseldorf, we were hearing that it was snowing in Munich. We didn't get any snow there, but Diana found some on the ground. We saw several patches of snow, but none fell. I think it was too cold.
The Christmas markets are full of food and drinks. Bratwursts, fried potato cakes, roast pork sandwiches, candied almonds and other treats are everywhere, and we ate our way through. Also, Gluhwein, a hot mulled wine in lots of variants, schnapps and other drinks are in abundance. We sampled some of them as well. Finally, I tried the feuerzangenbowle, a mulled wine drink topped with 70% rum and a sugar cube, then set on fire. It warmed me :) and how, not a drink for Diana. She enjoyed the gluhwein.
Leaving Munich we took the train to Nurnburg to finish our visit at the oldest market, the Nurnbrug Christkindlsmarkt, and see Diana's Aunt. We had a great visit, saw the christmas angel, and had some nurnberger brats, the little ones. Nuremberg market is also famous for selling figurines called Zetschgenmannie made from nuts and dried plums. Then it was time to head for Frankfurt and the airport to come home.
All in all it was a wonderful trip. We had bought a small tree before we left and we picked up unique decorations and ornaments for it on the trip. We'll show those pictures in a later post. We tried to label the pictures as to where they were taken, then a comment about them.
So in order to get into the Christmas spirit, we decided to go to Germany. We wanted to visit our friends Frank & Heike, Diana's Tante Hannelore and her family, and go to the German Christmas markets. I wanted Diana to see some other areas of Germany, as most of her experience has been in Bavaria.
So we hit 5 cities in 4 days. We got some cheap flights round trip from London. I used hotel points and we stayed in the Hilton in Cologne and Munich, and Diana found an awesome deal on the German railways, so we traveled as 1 cheap person rather than 2.
So we started in Cologne. beautiful city, and we were staying right beside the Dom, the big cathedral. It's been incredibly cold in Europe this winter, since about the middle of November, it's rarely gotten above freezing, so we were traveling heavy, taking lots of warmth.
In Cologne, we hit no less than 5 or 6 markets. The most interesting was the Mittlearts Markt, or Middle Ages market. This was right beside the river, everyone was dressed from the Middle Ages, and there was no electricity, so the only lights were by candle and firepot.
Also went to Dusseldorf. It was a bit disappointing. The markets have become somewhat commercialized, and there are several shops you can find at all of them. Most of the markets offer some truly unique shops that are local and you can't find elsewhere. The markets in Dusseldorf didn't offer such. The local beer is sold in small glasses called alt beer, not James's favorite beer.
After 2 cold days in Cologne, we hopped the train to Aschaffenburg, where our friends Frank, Heike and Kai live. I've known Frank and Heike since 1991, and they are mine and Diana's oldest friends. They were closing down their summer place and we got in on the end of season party. there was lots of dancing! And, of course, we hit the local Christmas market on the way out.
We left there on the train to Munich. German trains are so great, they run on time and are very clean, safe and fast. We were in Munich about 1 1/2 hours faster than we could have driven it under best conditions.
The whole time we were in Cologne and Dusseldorf, we were hearing that it was snowing in Munich. We didn't get any snow there, but Diana found some on the ground. We saw several patches of snow, but none fell. I think it was too cold.
The Christmas markets are full of food and drinks. Bratwursts, fried potato cakes, roast pork sandwiches, candied almonds and other treats are everywhere, and we ate our way through. Also, Gluhwein, a hot mulled wine in lots of variants, schnapps and other drinks are in abundance. We sampled some of them as well. Finally, I tried the feuerzangenbowle, a mulled wine drink topped with 70% rum and a sugar cube, then set on fire. It warmed me :) and how, not a drink for Diana. She enjoyed the gluhwein.
Leaving Munich we took the train to Nurnburg to finish our visit at the oldest market, the Nurnbrug Christkindlsmarkt, and see Diana's Aunt. We had a great visit, saw the christmas angel, and had some nurnberger brats, the little ones. Nuremberg market is also famous for selling figurines called Zetschgenmannie made from nuts and dried plums. Then it was time to head for Frankfurt and the airport to come home.
All in all it was a wonderful trip. We had bought a small tree before we left and we picked up unique decorations and ornaments for it on the trip. We'll show those pictures in a later post. We tried to label the pictures as to where they were taken, then a comment about them.
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