Conclusions of Our Caravan Adventure
This vacation was a learning adventure. Now let me tell you about the other side of the vacation – living in a caravan for a week. We deliberately chose different levels of parking lots and campsites in order to get the full experience. At the low end was Eisenach, where we stayed in a lonely,…
Our Bavarian Vacation, part 3
Stage 3: Highline179, Zugspitze, and Garmisch-Partenkirchen With stories of royal intrigue behind us, we started our day with the Burgenwelt Ehrenberg and Highline179. Burgenwelt Ehrenberg is a complex of castles and fortifications in the valley and on the mountains above. The complex dates back many hundreds of years ago and was a major defensive facility…
Our Bavarian Vacation, part 2
A pilgrimage stop at Andechs On Monday we traveled on to the next stage of our trip – Bavaria’s most famous castles Neuschwanstein and Hohenschwangau. But first, we had to make an important stop at Kloster Andechs. What’s so special about the Andechs Monastery? For one thing, it owes its existence to a mouse. According…
Our Bavarian vacation part 1, Munich
What does every American want to see during a vacation to Germany? Neuschwanstein, Oktoberfest, Hofbrauhaus, Linderhof. These are the most famous places in Germany, at least to most Americans. How many of these places have I seen since moving here? 1. Hofbrauhaus. In 7 years I have yet to see the “real” Germany. With COVID-19…
10 Days on the Weserradweg, part 2 – Flachland
Welcome to part two of our Weserradweg story. We ended part 1 leaving Petershagen after a very soggy arrival the day before. Day 6 of our tour began with dry clothes, shoes, and weather. The section of the bike route from Petershagen to Cuxhaven is described as Flachland – flatland. It was farmland as far…
10 Days on the Weserradweg, part 1 Bergland
Back in 2019 B.C – Before Coronavirus, as we were thinking about 2020s bike trip, we decided on the Moldau river route in the Czech Republic. Then the corona hit the fan and traveling out of the country was risky, so we looked for something in Germany. The Weser river bike route was on our…
A Forest Photoshoot: Frankfurt’s Stadtwald
The Coronavirus situation has brought our travel schedule to a standstill. That doesn’t mean, however, that there are no photographic opportunities. A few weeks ago Kathrin wanted to do some geocaching in Frankfurt’s city forest. The route took us past many scenic lakes and ponds. I vowed to come back with my camera. It took…
Stairway to Heaven – Hiking the Hermannsweg
It all started 2 years ago… On the first weekend of September 2017, Leon and I went on a weekend hiking trip to the Alsace region of Germany and France. We hiked the 7 Burgen Tour. The route takes you to 7 castles in various states of repair, from fully restored to ruins. It was…