Hanging on a boat and some more walking.....

Just hopping around through town

So the the day began much the same as the last...amazing breakfast and lots of coffee.  The only goal of the day was to take a boat ride.  The rest was kinda up in the air.  We decided to first take a short stroll to the Cathedral again to walk through it and see the inside.  We got there and had just enough time to take in the beauty before we got kicked out for another mass or prayer thing.  Not quite sure which this time.  Anyway, worked out ok for us since we were ready to be on the move again.  We took a different route through town which led us into the more modern "shopping district".  It was alive and buzzing with people and there were tons of sales going on.  I picked up a couple little items to work into my wardrobe which has been feeling quite limited and repetitive since I have been wearing the same clothing for almost 3 months now!  Yep I have been gone for almost 3 months...can you believe it!  It's going by so quickly.  As we continued to walk I finally realized what the true end goal was...the Stieff  store.  Jennifer had one from when she was quite young and still after all the years of love it was still around and so she wanted him to experience that too.  Such a sweet thing...so Dante

A boy and his tiger

carefully searched through his options and decided on a snuggly tiger who spent the rest of the day with us on our adventure.  After the store and the shopping district we made our way back to the river to check out a boat tour.  As we walked Dante did a lot of hopping over posts.  We kept warning him that those hops might not end well but he kept going and didn't hurt himself.  We got to the boat tour location and the timing was pretty good...we were about 30 minutes before the next departure so we bought our tickets and waited to board.  Once on we found a great table by the edge and in the shade.  The kids ordered some Fanta and

Cheers!!!

we had some local beers before the ride got started.  As you can see the kids were happy so life was good.  The boat ride was really nice.  I love seeing cities from the water.  It just gives them a whole different look and feel.  Cologne had a few big bridges in the city too and they are all really different so going under each one was neat.  I really enjoyed just sitting on the upper deck, taking in the views and chatting with the kids.  It was such a nice respite from all the walking around.  The city has a lot of cool buildings that you can't really fully appreciate until you see then from a distance and the ride down the river was the perfect vantage point.

Under the bridge.

 Especially for these new modern ones they have that are shaped like upside down L's and hang out over the water.  They are apparently super expensive to buy and it is where all the rich football players live.  After the boat tour we were all a bit hungry...some verging on "hangry"(if you don't know what that is just ask me).  We found a spot for lunch...refueled for the rest of the day and headed out for more walking.  We decided to wander our way to a dance museum since Guliana (the oldest daughter) is very into it.  Along the wander we went through the main square that I had been at last year only it was empty this year and last year it was

The Original Cologne 4711

the location of my very first german festival of the trip!  It was kinda weird seeing the whole bit empty.  As I have stated time  and time again sometimes you have to get lost to find something.  Jennifer and I had heard there was a glockenspiel, saw it on the map but just hadn't really been able to work out where it was.  It wasn't a high priority in viewing so we didn't put too much effort but each time we were walking in that direction we tried to see it.  Well finally by complete accident we stumbled upon it and it happened to be going off when we got there so we got to watch it.  The other fun bit was it was in the top of the Cologne 4711 (the original cologne of the city) factory building.  Double surprise...it was great.  We popped in and checked out the factory a bit too.  Such a neat find.  Those are the moments I love most...the little treasures you stumble upon along the way.  After that we just kept walking in the direction of the museum.  Now I must remind you here we do not know exactly where we are going but that is not usually a problem..feeling our way places is usually easily done.  Especially on the last day because you have a feel for the city.  Well unfortunately that was not the case this time.  We were in a different

That is what Lost looks like.

    part of the city which was really neat to walk through but not always for everyone when you don't know exactly where you are going.  We had 2 maps, a phone and asked for directions and we still kept getting lost.  In the end we did finally make it and to our credit it was not well marked and was off the beaten path a bit up inside a big office looking building.  We did have one stroke of luck upon our arrival...oh wait maybe 2 it was still open for another hour and the admission was free that day.  There was some great dance photography inside and some really interesting dance videos.  Guliana enjoyed it and that was the main goal.  The other little ones got a treat when we went outside after and there was this big man made lake outside that had bumper boats in it.  They quite enjoyed that spraying and smashing into each other.  The walk back to the hotel was

Good bye Cologne....its has been lovely

easy and enjoying an adult beverage and some snacks in the executive lounge was much needed and greatly appreciated by all.  We just sat and chatted while the kids played kings, counts and knights with empty pop bottles.  Gotta love their imagination.  As the night drew to a close we pack up our bags and got into bed.  The night then took a turn towards a teenage slumber party when Jennifer, Guliana and I found ourselves doubled over in hysterical laughter over who knows what.  I was in tears, and Guliana could not breath.  It was probably one of the best moments I have had in quite a while.  It reminded me again of what true friendships are and how much they can warm your heart and fill up your buckets.  The next morning we said our goodbyes sadly and I headed towards the train to head to the airport.  I shed only a small tear knowing that I would see them again soon and feeling so grateful for the time we spent.  I love that we had this adventure together and can't wait till we get to do it again.  I have a feeling they will be back over here at some point again.  Now it's back to spain for my final bit there....more to come.        

    

Climbing a cathedral, eating chocolate and lots of walking....

yep...I climbed that! 

The day in Cologne begins with a fantastic buffet breakfast and an amazing amount of coffee to get me going!  Hanging with this family was being in full tourist mode which I love....I had been slacking off on my exploring and this brought me back to it.  After breakfast we met up with another couple of their friends who live in the area and headed over to the cathedral that I spoke about in the last post.  The goal was to climb the 500 or so stairs up to the top and take in the view.  Now we chose to do this on a sunday so there was mass going on inside when we arrived.  We did pop our head inside to see if it was in between services and we could walk around but there was a service going on.  For me it actually was quite a treat.  When I was there last year I got to walk through and see everything but it was quite beautiful to see it being used in the way it was intended for worship.  The organ was playing and it was quite moving.  We only stayed in a minute and then headed around the side to enter into our real goal of the morning...climbing the stairs to the top.  The group was divided on who was going to climb and who wasn't but in the end we persuaded the non climbers to take the risk and come so the whole big group of us took to the tiny

Tiny winding staircase

winding cement steps to begin the journey.  The kids took off first and you could hear them as they took the steps in stride as many others were getting winded after a few flights.  The staircase was so tiny at points you had to stop and turn to the side so others could pass going down.  Also there weren't many windows along the way so being claustrophobic would make this a bit challenging.   In the end we all made it up and it was truely worth it.  I didn't make the climb last year since we were kinda pressed for time but I am so happy I did this time.  From the top you could see out over the whole city from all the different angles which was

View through top window in Cologne Cathedral 

beautiful.  There were also points where you could see out into the city but also down into different parts of the cathedral.  I think one of my favorite spots along the climb was when we got to the level just below the top and you could see out down through the windows into the other parts of the Cathedral.  This place really is a marvel.  You look at it and just think how in the world did they make this at that point in time with the crude tools and resources they had.  Everything is so beautiful and intricate.  I really am in constant awe of it all.  The view from the top was every bit as beautiful at expected.  After wandering around for a bit and soaking it all in we started the climb down.  Truth be told going down was worse then going up.  You would think the reverse however it was not.  The stairs were so small that stepping on them was not possible using your whole foot.  This means the front part hangs off and then your balance is thrown off.  Now add in jelly legs from climbing up and you are in big trouble.  No...I didn't fall but there were some mis-steps that could have ended badly if I wasn't quick about my recovery.  Fortunately we all made it down safely and were

City view from the top!

  ready for the next part of the day....Lunch!  Marcus who had been with us for our castle tour joined us again for our second half of the day.  We wandered around town a bit headed towards an area near the Rhine River to have lunch.  Along the walk we stopped at a few fun things.  There were these 2 statues you had to rub for good luck.  Funny part about them was that they had hands placed in strategic locations so that when you stood in between them with out really thinking about where you were standing it could look like they were trying to get a bit "handsy" with the person.  It was pretty funny to watch unexpecting

Cute little old town

ladies walk up, stand in-between and all of a sudden she had a hand on her in an inappropriate location.  It really was super funny.  Also along the way we walked through all sorts of squares that has fountains or water features in them.  There was one really beautiful one and the kids ran directly over to it and started playing in it.  Dante the youngest call out to me "Hey Sara, you gotta come look in here!"  Of course being the kind person that I am I started to make my way over so he can show me whatever it is that is so exciting.  As I get closer he says "Look real close....there's a fish in there!"  That's the moment I knew it was all a trick.  I slowly started to back away and both kids knew they had been found out so the quickly recovered by saying " It's a spitting fish!" and started flinging water at me.  Cheeky little guys...almost had me.  This "spitting fish"  made an appearance at just about every water spot the rest of the time and totally made me laugh.  When we arrived at our spot for lunch it was smack dab in the middle of old town.  Might be the cutest spot in the city.  If you haven't already picked up on this I love old towns in cities.  They are always so lively and cute.  This one did not disappoint fortunately.  The colorful buildings

Designing chocolate wrappers.

with a lovely church in the back ground set along side the river.  What's not to love!  It was a lovely spot to enjoy some lunch and a pint of the local beer.  After we were full and happy we headed to the next stop of the day which was a sweet one...literally.  One of the main attractions in Cologne is the chocolate museum.  We of course had to check it out.  The building was beautiful but super hot inside.  I know, you wouldn't think a chocolate museum would be but it was.  The weather outside was really hot too so it was a double downer.  The museum was pretty interesting though.  We got to see how all the little mini wrapped

Local beer on the River....perfect night! 

chocolates were made.  There also was a huge chocolate fountain that we got to taste dipped wafer cookies from.  Might have been the best chocolate I have ever had.  I also kinda nerded out on the molds and packaging design.  It was really interesting how they created the patterns and final product for the chocolate wrappers.  All in all it was pretty interesting but not as exciting as it was hyped up to be.  After stopping at the giftt shop for some to-go items we headed back to the hotel for a snack then out for an evening walk along the river.  It was a gorgeous night.  I enjoyed a local beer while strolling...yep that's legal in Germany.  It was a

Everything is better with good friends!

lovely day of touring and walking.  There were so many moments I was just overwhelmed with joy thinking about how lucky I am to be on this journey and that I have so many wonderful friends all over that I get to spend time with and want to be a part the adventure I am continuing on.  If you would have asked me 2 years ago would I be touring Germany with a family from San Diego and their German friends I might have said that would be nice but not likely.  Well here it is happening!  Life is amazing if you open your self up to the things that seem far fetched or not likely.  I will never shut down anyones dreams or ideas ever...anything is possible if you just go for it.
As we walked home that evening I was so grateful for true genuine life long friends.

One more germany day to come....Stay tuned!    

Weekend getaway in Germany....

ok don't get confused guys....I know it's hard to keep up with me but technically I am still living in Spain at the moment but when an opportunity to travel strikes you gotta take it.  At least that is what I believe.  So here is how my weekend in Germany happened...I got an email from a family who I have known for years back in San Diego that said they were going to be making a trip over to Europe.  Ya, ya I know Europe is a big place but luckily they were going to be in locations kinda near me.  Also the beauty of this place is you can fly anywhere way easier then the states and usually much cheaper.  So I ended up deciding to meet them at the end of thier

Me and the Kids at Burg Eltz

 holiday in Cologne, Germany.  This is a place that I went last year on my adventures however I only got to spend 1 day there and really wanted to spend more time so it worked out great they would be there.  I was only able to get 3 days off so to make the most of my time (thank you to the other nanny I share with here Ezrah) I took a super early flight that required me to be in a taxi at 5am.  Due to an unexpected long Skype call the night before I only got a few hours sleep before the flight but it was all worth it (late Skype call and early flight) once I arrived.  There really is nothing like walking out of the Cologne main train station and being hit in the face with the amazing cathedral.  It is beyond gorgeous and overwhelming just sitting smack in the middle of the city!  Another moment that will never get old no matter how many times I do it.  I didn't know exactly where their hotel was and I didn't have a phone but would just feel my way there as I have become quite good at.  I found a Starbucks with internet to let them know I had arrived and was in wondering route to them.  After a few wrong turns and one stop for directions I was knocking on their hotel room door and hugging

Burg Eltz

 these wonderful people I had not seen in months.  It was so special that I was getting to see them in Europe because I really didn't get to say a proper good bye to them when I left and they are such an important family in my life.  As I walked in they said "Are you ready to go see a castle?"  Ummm is there any other answer to that then yes?  So I set my bag down, used the loo and headed to the car to drive to a castle.  Oh...in the middle of all that (not while I was in the loo) I met their friend Marcus who lives in Dusseldorf and was hanging out with us.  The drive was fine...only a few u-turns due to some GPS directions trying to take us down roads with construction..we made it to the castle.  We had to walk into

Champagne tasting at the castle

 the castle, which was down hill thankfully) but we had some great views as we walked.  The difference between this and other castles is this one was built more for personal use instead of battle so it was hidden in the hills instead of up on the hill to see everything.  Usually castles are more about the views you get from them but this one was about the castle itself which was really cool.  The family that built the castle was into hunting and fishing so it was right on a river that the kids went and played in.  The other cool thing was that the castle is still in the hands of the decedents of the family that built it.  I believe that

Love Lock Bridge

some of them still live there at times.  I loved all the different rooms that were set up for specific things to do.  I would have lived in the ladies workroom which had sewing equipment.  After the castle we headed back into town and the hotel. Now Dave (dad of family I am staying with) has access to the executive lounge at the hotel we were staying at which was amazing!  I have to say this little 3 days was luxury like I haven't known on my travels.  I love my hostels but man sometimes it is nice to have a hotel bed, buffet breakfast and an executive lounge at night with amazing German beers.

City Lights

 After our day at the castle we were all pretty tired so we had a quick rest and snack at the hotel then decided just to take a lovely evening stroll.  We walked the bridge that all the lovers have pledged true devotion to each other with the closing of a lock.  There were a lot of really creative ones on this bridge....different then the other Love Lock bridges I have seen.  We also had some beautiful night time views from the bridge.  The other great thing about visiting people is I get to go walking at night since I am not alone.  Once we felt we had taken in enough for the day we headed back to the hotel to rest up for the next day which was to be packed with more sights and excitement.  I will leave you for now but the weekend in Germany will continue soon.

Old stuff, new friends, random art...

My computer, a glass of wine and an amazing salad is how I end just about everyday here in Mallorca.  The days are gorgeous and the nights are restful.  Doesn't get much better.  This week was no exception except for one over cast day but I think Maxime put it best when she said "It was nice not to be so hot today."  We all need a tiny break from the heat every once in a while.  This week has been filled with all sorts of random fun.  The kids and I have had a blast just playing around.  Also there have been some family friend here from Hamburg so we have had a full house.  One day we were joking that is is almost like a compound with all the people living

Antique Heaven

here.  I think at that point there were 5 adults, 2 teenagers, and 5 children living here.  It really was so much fun.  I love having so many wonderful people around all the time.  One morning all the visiting crew went to the beach so Diana, Maxime and I took off to Diana's friends Antique Shop.  Ok now my grandma had an antique shop (and a couple of storage units) and this was way beyond.  This place was multiple rooms like the one in the photo piled high with gorgeous stuff from all over.  We were there specifically to look at a hand-carved bed from India for Maxime.  It was absolutely gorgeous.  Diana and I were in love with it but found the 7 year old Maxime was a hard sell.  The room where the bed was kept was one of

Illetes Beach

my favorites though.  The owner kept saying "oh nothing is sorted out in here" But that is what I loved.  the kids were just rummaging through bags of old hats and clothes and putting them on.  Then they started pushing around a doll pram that was so vintage I wanted to take it home with me.  The room was just piled with treasure...I loved it.  I'm still not sure we can convince Maxime that she likes the bed but both Diana and I are wanting to go back and take another look around just to make sure.
Later in the week we all took a family and friends outing to Illetes beach.  It was a lovely day out, the

Just digging a hole

ocean was sure to be blue and we were all excited for our day.  All nine of us (3 adults and 6 children) piled in the big van and headed out.  Now you would think that a ratio of 3 adults to 6 children would be good but when they are all under the age of 7 it can get a bit tricky.  Sweet Olivia who is about 2 couldn't take it anymore and needed a nap so we laid down in the sun lounger and she napped covered in her little muslin she snuggles with on my chest.  Might have been the sweetest thing ever.  Once she woke up we had a great time down by the water digging a huge hole...what kid doesn't like digging a big hole...and just

Picasso...Yep It's real

 enjoying playing in the Mediterranean Sea.  The day was so much fun an really quite perfect. We all arrived back at the house tired but happy.  After that day I had a lovely day off which I spent in downtown Palma.  As I was walking the streets I remembered from last year, stopping in all my favorite shops and seeing all the familiar street performers.  However there were quite a few old beautiful buildings that were open this time that weren't before.  One happened to have a really great art exhibition going on.  Apparently it had just opened this year and was featuring some local spanish artists and     also had some more famous work by Salvador Dali and Pablo Picasso.  It was such a gorgeous old building and such a surprise to stumble upon such great works of art amongst the streets lined with modern day shops like Disney and Desigual.  Unfortunately the church on the street that I love was closed but that was ok....the heat was getting to me and I was needing to make my way back home.  I did come across some really great buildings along my walk and of course during tourist season some great people watching.  All in all my day off was great but I was happy to get home and change into my

Just hanging with Luis!

   swimming costume and hang out with Luis!  In this heat we have been having here (mind you I am not complaining) it is nice to have a pool in walking distance to just hop in and cool down.
Mallorca is still treating me well and there is plenty more to come...hope you all stay around for the rest of the story!

Sunshine and complete happiness.....

My heart is so happy!!!! I have arrived back in Mallorca and feel like I came home again.  There are only a few places I feel that way and this is one of them.  Diana met me at the airport when I arrived and we drove to the lovely hills of Son Vida in Palma De Mallorca.  It was a bit late when we got home so no one was up plus I was coming off my weekend of Bavarian partying so I was beat.  I went to sleep easily and slept like I was at my own home.  I didn't have to start working (AKA playing with some of the cutest kids ever) till the afternoon so I had a bit of a lie in.  The first sweet friend I saw was my little Luis.  He and the current nanny Ezrah came into the room where I was sleeping.  I think he was a bit

My Lovely Luis!

caught off guared at first but once he realized who I was I got a big cuddle and a kiss!  I headed upstairs and saw the other two ladies in the house, Maxime and Olivia.  Maxime in all her sweetness just kept hugging me and showing me all sorts of stuff and telling me all about everything I needed to be caught up on.  Little Olivia who is just 2 years old now even remembered me too. Not by name but she had no problem letting me hold her and take her from Mum which is always a huge sign that a little one is comfortable.  After saying hello to everyone and getting some coffee from the best in the wall coffee machine ever...seriously every home should have one of these...I moved my stuff from my temporary room for the night to the downstairs rooms.  Since they have family and visitors in town during the first half of the month I am sharing with Ezrah.  I felt a bit bad stepping in her space but she couldn't be nicer and is so kind to share.  I am also happy to have someone else around since so much of my travel is spent alone.
Like I said I pretty much started working with the kids on day one which I was more then happy to do.  After the weeks of not doing anything but whatever I wanted it was nice to have some routine

My office :)

and purpose again.  Plus seriously it is great fun being with these kiddos.  When your office is a beautiful house with a gorgeous pool and lovely views and your uniform is a swimming costume you can't really complain about getting up for work in the morning.    It has been really easy settling back into a routine here and it feels so natural.  Diana and I get on quite well so it is good to be back in her company.  Michael had to travel for work the first few days I was here but we were able to catch up when he returned and it was great.  Diana's family has been in town which has been fun.  They speak very limited english and I speak

The other side of my office...yes that's a kid in the trampoline!

limited German so communication was tricky but even with out talking it was fine.  We shared meals, played with the kids and just enjoyed the days.  There was the regular sunday BBQ with their friends whom I love.  It was so fun to see them and catch up with them again also.  I actually have seen them quite a bit over the week I have been here and it has been really nice.  Their kids have learned a bit more english so I can talk to them.  I also have discovered that the common language of Spanish works well too.  I speak baby level spanish so it works out well with the kids.  I really must improve my languages though.  Being over here

Beauty at night

again is making me realize how much I want to speak multiple languages.  Everyone has taken the time and energy to learn our language.  The least I can do is attempt to learn theirs.  Plus I really would like to be able to join in the conversations around the dinner table.  I love sitting and just listening to the language  and I am starting to pick up quite a bit of it but I really want to speak it.  I suppose if I end up long term I can make it happen.
As I close out my first week here I am just so happy...tired but content in a way that I haven't felt for a while. There is a beautiful relaxing quality about this place that you can only understand by experiencing it.  I have 3 more glorious weeks here and will keep you updated on all of it....just know I am beyond happy and content at the moment.

Party like a Bavarian....

I am not sure if I have the words to explain how absolutely amazing this bit of my trip was.  My brother and sister in law have a good friend in Hamburg Germany who had visited them in the states and then invited them to come visit him whenever they wanted.  They scheduled the trip and it happened to be right during a free week for me so I decided I would come over and hang out too.  I booked a hostel in town because I had only really met their friend Alex once over Skype and didn't want to impose...well that didn't fly and Alex insisted that I could stay which was so kind and made the trip so much better since it meant I would get to be around Bryce and Nichole 24/7.  Now those of you that know me well know that seeing and spending time with family and close friends mean everything to me.  I used to see Bryce and Nichole at least every other month when we were living in California so the

Family Love!!!

fact that I haven't seen my brother in over a year and a half and Nichole I have seen once in that same amount of time for less then 24 hours I was beyond excited to see them.  Alex graciously offered to come pick me up at the airport with was such a luxury...no busses or metros to take...and as soon as they stepped out of the car I lost it.  Tears of joy...shedding a few as I write this also.  The fact that they were right there in front of me in Germany none the less was so fantastic.  I also finally got to meet Alex face to face witch was great.  We headed back into Hamburg...they all worked out

Non-Stop Good Times!

while I decompressed from the travel then we went out for a great dinner at a cute little wine bar near Alex's flat.  We had a great evening just laughing and talking.  Bryce and Alex are pretty much cut from the same personality mold just living in different countries. The next day we got up and headed to the gym to train...Side note Bryce, Nichole and Alex are very religious about their training.  It needs to happen most days which was good for me...motivation.  Afterwards we headed up to a festival called Kieler Woche (Kiel Week).  Unfortunately it was pouring down rain pretty much the entire day while we were walking around this lovely German festival

Kieler Woche (Kiel Week)...in the rain

but we still had a great time.  I had a sausage right off the grill with spicy mustard.  Nichole ate this big ball of chocolate cake like goodness.  We all enjoyed a beer together before we headed back to Hamburg.  Now some fun facts about Germany that I learned...Like vegas you can drink on the street.  You also can legally drink as a passenger in a vehicle.  I think really the only place you can't drink is on the metro which is a recent law do to too much puke and mess to clean up....Fair enough I think.  I unfortunately did not do either of these novel things but there is still time...I am sure I will be back

Ladies on the town...Hamburg.

 there another time. The following morning we had to get up early to go to the gym and meet a guy who was delivering stuff for Alex's birthday party...oh ya, forgot to mention that another big reason for being there was to celebrate with Alex.  He was having a big celebration with all his family and friends coming in.  While waiting for the delivery of course we needed to do some more training.  Already being a bit sore from the day before I was not excited but I couldn't say no.  The workout kicked my butt however apparently my performance was impressive.  I think I am underestimated

Boat tour

sometimes in my strength....my guns might be little but they pack more of a punch then you would think.  Now by the end of the day I was walking quite stiff but I suppose that is to be expected.  Drinking some good German beer eased the pain.  That evening all of Alex's family arrived and it was such fun meeting them all.  Thankfully they all spoke english really well so we could talk to everyone.  We had a lovely dinner out and then headed home to rest up for the big day.  I think that the day of the party was my favorite day so far in my travels.  One of Alex's friends Melanie was kind enough to

Schlagermove...an excuse to get drunk and dress in bad costumes.

take us on a little walking tour of the city.  We started the day with a boat tour in the harbor.  It was cool to see the city from the water and also see all the cargo ships and containers.  When we got off the boat and headed into the city we were hit by a mob of people dressed in 70's clothing and really bad wigs.  Apparently it is a celebration called Schlagermove which is a celebration of Scheager music.  Can't really describe the music you just have to look it up.  It was hilarious.  Nichole kept going up and asking groups of people if she could take a photo.  She couldn't get enough of it.  After we worked our way through

Love this city...so beautiful!

 the crowed we ended up in a lovely quiet area of town with gorgeous views and beautiful architecture.  We also strolled over to the city hall where I got to eat another wonderful german sausage and we just sat by the water and soaked in the sunshine that had broken through the clouds.   As the day turned to evening we headed back towards Alex's gym where the big party was.  It was really a fun night getting to know all his friends and family, drinking amazing beer and just partying like the Bavarians do.  Now Hamburg is not in Bavaria however that is where Alex is from and he will tell you that it is a proper country so I

I heart this beer...Thank you Alex!

believe him and go with it.  You would too if you heard him talk about it.  And while we are on the subject of Bavaria some of you my recall from may trip last year when I was in Bamburg for my birthday I fell in love...with a beer that is...not a person.  I have not been able to find it anywhere in the states or along my travels and sweet Alex found it and made sure it was there for me.  I couldn't believe he remembered that I liked (or have a slight obsession about it depending on who you ask) it from one Skype call in December but I guess it stuck and I was so grateful! 

Obviously the day after the party was spent laying low and cleaning up but it was still lovely.  There were so many moments where one of us would just say "I am so happy you are here with me."  And truly that is what it's all about.  Just being with each other.  I am so fortunate to have such a wonderful family and now another new amazing friend in Germany.  

My travels are always great and exciting with new adventures around every corner but having others there to share in the moments with you make it just that much better.  It's with a heavy heart I said good bye to Bryce and Nichole since I know it will be quite sometime before I see them again but I also am grateful for this amazing opportunity to hang with them in Germany.  As I move on to my next spot I am really looking forward to shedding some of these layers of clothing and spending some quality time in my swimming costume...Mallorca here I come!

Back to my roots...

So for this edition of my blog I traveled back to the place of my ancestors...Sweden!  My grandpa was a full blooded swede and was incredibly proud of his heritage.  He unfortunately never got to travel there but would have loved to.  This trip was in part for him.  When I was there and walking around there were many times I thought how much he would have loved it and how excited he would have been to be experiencing it.  I was staying in the city of Stockholm which I found out (I am clearly geographically challenged) is a bunch of islands.  You can travel in between them via bridges or boats.  When I finally arrived after my hellish day of travel (5am bus, 6am tube, 8am bus, 11am plane, 2pm bus) I asked at the info desk about catching the metro to Old Town and she looked at me like I was

Old Town Square

crazy.  She said" Don't you just want to walk?  It's only about 5 minutes." In my head I was thinking...if you only knew the day I've had you would not want to walk but I figured it would be fine...I can handle 10 minutes walking (I added 5 since I am pulling a suitcase).  So off I headed.  I have to admit it was a good intro into the city because I crossed one of the bridges and saw how the city changes from newer to old.  I also got a feel for how small the town really is.  I knew immediately it was my kinda town.  As I crossed over into the old town area I was even more excited.  It

Harbor view City Hall 

was medieval with cobblestone streets (rough on the suitcase but such charm).  The walk really ended up being about 20 minutes because of the location of my Hostel but it was worth it.  The place I was staying was perfect!  Walking distance to everything but removed enough that there was no crazy party noise. I had fantastic roommates and the place had a great kitchen which was much needed due to the crazy expensive meals there.  I had one meal out while I was there and it was about 22 dollars.  Now you might say that sounds ok...well let me just tell you what is was...one spicy tuna roll.  Yep that's right...no drink no

Still friends.....after 20 years!

 miso soup.  Nothing else...just that.  Crazy right!  It was all worth it though because I was having lunch with a friend whom I haven't seen in about 20 years.  We spent some summers together in our younger jump roping days and just haven't been in touch till now.  It was so great to see her and just catch up.  The photo is taken in her Design studio where she is an architect.  She is doing quite well as a host for a home type show in Sweden and then getting quite a bit of recognition for her buildings.  I was so happy to hear about how well she is doing and just to have her back in my life.  We were

Loving the views!

laughing because we haven't seen each other for so long but it was so easy to just pick back up again.  I will definitly be going back and seeing her.  She walked me around the area where she lives which was just across the bridge from where I was staying but was the more up and coming art scene area.  There were lots of cool shops and gorgeous views.  After lunch I just cruised around town and took in some more sights like the city hall, the palace, and the old church.  I had done a city walk the first day so I just used that as my basis and then just let myself get "lost" in the side streets and alley ways.  I felt really safe here.  Plus the cool part is there is day light all the time.  It

My Family...in Sweden!

doesn't start to get dark until about 10:30 and then is light again by about 3am.  It makes sleeping a bit tricky but gives you tons of time to explore!  Now I did get to do one other really cool thing while I was in Stockholm and that was meet some members of my family whom I have never met before.  Like I said I am 1/4 Swedish and recently we have had some family members doing some searching and connecting so I was put in contact, via some emails, with the Lundstroms' in Stockholm.  They were so kind and invited me over for a proper dinner (yes I ate pickled herring) and a chat.  It was a lovely evening talking about family heritage and how were are all connected.  It made me want to find out more.  It also made me miss my grandpa and all his stories that he told and the ones I will never get to know.  I really appreciate the family I have and the new ones I am meeting.  I realize now even more how much we need to just take to heart each moment.  On the morning I left Stockholm I also met up with one more friend whom again I haven't seen for 20 years!  Since she had been out of town for Mid summer (which is a huge celebration in Sweden) she got up super early to come meet me before I got on the bus so we could chat.  It was so great to catch up with her.  We agreed that next trip we have to plan more to do together.
As I left Stockholm I felt like I had just scraped the surface of what I would have liked to see there. This trip was just the intro with more to come here.  It was definitely more about the people I saw then the sights but that was perfect.  It is now with so much excitement that I head on for my next stop!  Check in soon for a bit in Germany.

Shakespeare and the street...

I have to start this blog out with an apology...I'm So Sorry!  I have been out of touch for too long but am coming back.  Sometimes this travel stuff just gets away from me and I forget to sit down and take the time to reflect on what has happened and where I have been.  I seem to enjoy it more when I do so here is the latest.  I am going to step back a few days and recap my final week in London.  I had booked a full day tour of the Cotswolds a while back and now it was time to take it.  I was on a bus and headed out into the countryside by 8:15 am and was really looking forward to it.  Our tour guide was this man who had grown up in the area and fit the perfect description of an english gentleman.  Silver-haired, dashing smile, charming and so kind and helpful...no I did not ask for his number since he was slightly out of my age range but if he's any indication of how the english age sign me up....I'll

Burford Church

take one!  Our first stop was this adorable little town called Burford.  It was full of little side streets with shops just like most towns but it's main attraction was the church.  It was lovely and incredibly old. There were also some original stones in it from when it had first been built which was neat to see.  When you were inside it was kinda tricky to decide whether it was catholic or church or england because the statues and other bits in the church looked a bit Catholic.  The cool part I found out was that these Catholic statues had been saved somehow when Henry VIII came through and destroyed all Catholic items.  They had been

White Swan Hotel

uncovered later and are now on display.  It speaks volumes that words just can't about what the country had been through.  The next town on the tour was our lunch spot.  We walked along a river and ended up at a lovely hotel called the White Swan.  The hotel was right across from a lovely trout farm.  The best part about this spot was our lunch was fresh trout from the river.  It was so tasty.  It is always intersting being on these big bus tours though.  I don't usally take them but these spots were tricky to get to with public transport and there was a living social deal so I took it.  Anyway, what is interesting is the people.  I feel like

Stratford-Upon-Avon Church

everyone is always complaining about something or rushing to get to the next stop.  It makes it so hard to just enjoy the moments you are in and instead you feel like you are in an episode of the Amazing Race looking for the next clue to lead you to your next activity.  I find it really hard but I suppose sometimes it's the way to get in a lot in a small amount of time and then go back for more later if you really enjoy a spot.  Oh, and also on this one add in a lunch stop where you have to sit at a table with a bunch of people you don't know...makes it even better.  I unfortunately sat down at the silent table.  It was like pulling teeth to get a conversation going.  I finally gave up, ate my fish and went for a walk outside.  After my little walk about the bus took us to the spot I was most excited about, Stratford Upon Avon.  This was the home of Shakespeare.  The town definitely had a bit more of a touristy vibe to it but there still was the England charm beneath it.  Once again because I had so little time I was not able to really go in anywhere but I did get to see the outside of his home, his daughters home and then also the lovely church he and his family are buried in.  The church was really beautiful and they had all sorts of stories

Here Lies Shakespeare

about his life in there.  Apparently he was christened in this church also.  They had the baptismal bowl in there too.  I chatted with the tour guide and one of the men in the church about some of the crazy requests they get and apparently on an almost monthly basis they get a request to exhume the body.  There are tales that he was buried with some unpublished works that people want to get there hands on.  The church will not allow it for two reasons...One because you just don't do that...it's sacred.  Two because there is a curse supposedly on anyone that digs up the body.  That is what the plaque in the photo is.  The grave has only ever been marked by this plaque...no name.  Gotta love those crazy artists.  Speaking of crazy artists we are gonna switch gears now and touch on the other cool thing I did in London...well I suppose it isn't the only other cool thing but the most different thing.  I went on a walking tour called the London Alternative walking tour.  It was down in the Brick Lane area of London

near Spitalfields.  I thought it was just like your average walking tour but it really wasn't.  It was such a cool different area then any where else I have been in London.  Apparently it's the new artsy area...no wonder I liked it.  So my adorable tour guide took us on a walk through the streets near Brick Lane and we learned about the history of the area but also the passion and beauty of the street art.  He had so many cool stories about all the pieces of art along the way.  Some of the art we saw was done illegally and would be considered graffiti if they got caught but many of the big pieces were done with permission from the buildings.  The community there usually is ok with the art that is up because many of the artists are well known and people come to look at it.  If people come to look at a piece on the side of a convenience store many times they will pop in the shop to buy something too.  I was really intrigued buy the community and the lifestyle.  All the thought behind a painting that is put out there for the world to see and make a statement.  Once it's out there though the artist disconnects from it and knows that it will not be there forever because at some point there will be a

 new picture to be painted or statement to be made and they can't stand in the way of that because of an emotional connection to a painting.  There has been a problem with this lately with the Banksy street art.  Now I am sure you have all heard of Banksy.  His work is all over.  There are some in LA that I have seen.  I didn't see any in London but that is beside the point.  Apparently because he has made quite a name for himself his street art is treated differently then everyone else's.  The police actually will put plastic covers over his work but then paint over other artists.  It is not what any of these artists would want and it really isn't fair. They get put in jail if they get caught and then Bansky gets his preserved for life.  Just

 seems really silly.  Anyway, just something to think about next time you see something you think is graffiti.  Outside of the spray painted street art, which is amazing considering how hard it is to control a spray paint can, there also was this really cool piece that was made by using explosives and chipping away at the plaster.  He basically put plaster all over the wall and would place small explosives inside areas he had chipped away at and explode the plaster.  He would then refine it of course but I was just amazed at the beauty that he created on a wall in an alleyway.  We could go up and touch it and really experience it and it was just as beautiful if not more then something you would see in a gallery.  I really enjoied learning so many new things and having my eyes opened to a world I know little about.
So this ends my time in London...for now.  I am headed out to Stockholm to see friends and family.  You will hear all about it quite soon!