The remainder of our time in Croatia was spent poolside. My parents took Owen back for a nap and we got some kid-free time to read by the pool and sip mojitos. I love my child and everything but that was probably the highlight of the trip for me. I rarely get time away from the kiddo let alone me time to read my book. The next week we spent in Germany getting quality time in with my parents. We went to an airplane museum just up the autobahn from our house. Owen dressed for the ... View the Post
A day in Frankfurt
We get bored very easy on weekends. We welcome them with wide open arms, but after breakfast and a little playtime, we're antsy to get out of the house. Owen is the first to get bored. He'll bring us our shoes as a ploy to get us out the door. To beat the boredom, a few weekends ago we took a short train ride to Frankfurt. We have been to the airport more times than we can count but we'd never seen the city itself. It is more modern than most cities in Germany. We were discussing the last ... View the Post
Nuremberg’s Old City
There is more to Nuremberg than just the Nazi history. In fact, in the heart of the city is the charming Altstadt (old town). It was just a short stroll from our hotel so we squeezed in a quick tour before getting on the train toward home. The building below is an old granary. Grain was stored in the attic behind all those cute little dormer windows to ensure residents would have enough food in case of famine or siege. Now it's home to a beer hall. These are the doors to the St. ... View the Post
Traces of Evil
For the three day President's Day weekend, we found cheap train tickets to Nuremberg, so we packed a bag and hit the rails. The city is known for its Christmas market, architecture, little bratwursts, and has a haunting Nazi past. We've always talked about a quick trip to Nuremberg, but always put it off. Don't put it off, people. This place is fascinating. When people visit Germany, they don't have to look very hard to find the causes and effects of the deeply troubled Nazi-era. Many ... View the Post
Tour Guide Emily & Cousin Casey
My cousin Casey came to visit us last week. We grew up together, we spent many summers getting into trouble on the farm, going to wrestling meets (our uncle coaches), and playing with grandma's beads, sequins, and lace (she's the world's greatest seamstress). This is us a quarter of a century ago. Her time with me in Deutschland consisted of trips to Trier, Bernkastel, Brussels, Luxembourg, and Cologne. We did a wine tasting at a popular winery on the Mosel, Owen sampled ... View the Post
The most amazing Christmas market of all times!
Hi guys, it's me. I'm somehow functioning, but barely. The bubs is cutting teeth like a machine and that means lots and lots of night wakings. Which also means lots and lots of snuggles. :) Rewind a few weeks to when my parents were here and you would find us in Leipzig and Dresden (Germany). Why we waited until our last Christmas in Germany to go to the Dresden Christmas market, I don't know, but it was spectacular to say the least. We stayed in Leipzig and took the Deutsche Bahn (the train) ... View the Post