First, dress the part. The basic theory is to get something louder than Eddie Jordan would wear and try not too look like a clown, although that part is optional. Second, when it doubt order two main courses just to try them both – live to regret it later. I have a new plan. Today […]
Feeding Swans
After a lazy morning we went back to Garda to hang out by the lake. Feeding swans is now off of the bucket list. These swans do like the German and Italian bread, although the grey swan was kind of dumb and kept getting all of his food stolen by its sibling. Then is started […]
New Friends
Evelina made a new friend today. Walking from the pool to the main house she heard a little bird chirp. Being a good soul that she is, she helped it get off the road and back into the shade in the grass where it could be cool and safe.
Tenuta la Presa – Wedding
Tenuta la Presa – the not so little winery hotel we are staying at is hosing a wedding this evening. The preparations started first thing this morning. Grass was being cut, the tents and tables set up, white linens covering all tables and chairs, and of course well before noon guests started arriving for tonight’s […]
Meanwhile in Italy..
By lake Garda a small family of whales was spotted wobbling towards a restaurant. It’s been at least 6 minutes since our last meal, we have done a lot of hard work, lazing around the pool and having a 3 hour nap which of course requires more nourishment. Tomorrow I will simply cut a hole […]
Lazise
Lazise is a small port town with a great castle dating back to late 800s. Like most old European towns this one too has a small beautiful square a nice old church, Saint Nicolò, dating back to 1200s and beautiful painted houses. Of course the lake is the dominant feature of this little municipality so we try […]
Hostaria la Cross
Today is Kasia’s and Volker 16th wedding anniversary so staying at Hotel Dogana was not an option. The winery at Tenuta Le Presa was a more appropriate choice and one more befitting the occasion. To celebrate this we went out for a dinner at a local spot called Hostaria la Cross where German really is […]
Tenuta la Presa
Agriturismo at its best. Kasia and Volker know this little place called Tenuta La Presa. It is a winery that is also a hotel with a proper pool and marble floors and clean everything. There is a wine rack in the lobby and a set of glasses and you are free to drink and […]
We made a terrible mistake!
PBC, PBC – Pretty Bad Call, Pretty Bad Call. We booked a quaint little place on Lake Garda Peninsula. Surround by lake views from 3 sides this seemed like an idyllic little place to relax for a bit. Well that is what the internet listing said. What is should have said is this: When […]
Lake Garda
Lake Garda is simply stunning. Imagine Lake Louise but 52 km long. Imagine it surrounded by towering maples and skinny Tuscan cedars. Imagine it peppered with small towns and old castles and miles and miles or wineries and olive trees. That’s Lake Garda – we can’t wait to check in after a short 5 hour […]
Going South
Today we are going to Lake Garda in Italy. We are excited as hell. It is going to be about a 6 hour drive. We are staying on the south tip of the lake which is warmer, nicer and far more beautiful. We can’t wait.
FertighausWelt – Showhomes
There is a little place outside Nuremberg where a set of home builders built a small village of homes they showcase. You have to pay to get in and see these homes €5 per family for two visits – but no one makes you take off your shoes as you go through and explore them. […]
Little People
Tilt shift is simply hours of fun and playtime.
Locomotion
Evelina got a new scooter. It almost rusted sitting in a box for a week with all this rain we have been having. Finally today the clouds broke and a bit of sunshine dried up the pavement so promptly she took it out for a spin. I think she is loving it.
Schllos Weissenstein
Garden Show. Every year, twice a year, for the past 16 years Volker’s brother who is a landscape architect organizes a garden show. One of the shows is at a nice little castle outside the city, about 20 min drive from Nuremberg, and the other is at the family residence, which while not as grand […]
Going Italian
We are planning a short trip to Italy next week. Today we decided to go for a pizza and some pasta to start getting our guts used to, not only the wonderful flavours of Italy, but also to the crazy portion sizes. At L’Osteria, a quiet little place on a side street in Nuremberg, real […]
Around Nuremberg
After the beer fest, and the walk around the castle grounds, we walked some more around the old town before going home. Every time it seems we get out for a stroll we find new and interesting things to look at and take in. Good times.
Castle Gardens
After some fun in the moat at the beer festival we went for a walk around the castle gardens and then the old town. It actually did not rain – unbelievable.
Festival Fun
Germans love their beer – that much is true. We don’t, but we try an occasional sip or two. Kids on the other hand can just run on beer fumes.
Half a meter of experience.
Many of you might be thinking that this adventure of ours is all fun and games, and you would be right for the most part but… In order to give you the best and the most immersive and realistic impression of this trip we face a huge burden of having to try and test as […]
Amazing Things
The toll highways in Poland are quite amazing. Rain or shine there is always someone working on their maintenance. Always! The second amazing thing is that, and I never will get tired of this, is that trucks are always and always in the right lane and they are restricted to going 90km/h. How awesome is […]
Often Imitated..
.. but never duplicated. I think today I found the missing link and the explanation as to why some Eastern European women wear carrot tops on their heads, and they do it with such pride. “Words are very un-necessary” here so just click through and shake your head in disbelief.
Łazienki – Beautiful Warsaw
Łazienki or the Royal Baths is a 17th century park in Warsaw. This is the largest park in Warsaw and it is located in the centre of the city. We went for a nice afternoon walk, listened to Chopin concert in the park. The kids run around trying to scare the peacocks and force them […]
Bransk – here we come
Today we are heading to Bransk, a small town of about 4000 people in the eastern part of Poland. We are picking up some more documents and visiting family. On 18 January 1493, Brańsk received a city charter based on Magdeburg rights from the Grand Duke of Lithuania, Alexander Jagiellon. It was the first city in Podlaskie to receive such a […]
Bylaws are good
Lord thundering Jesus. I never thought I would say this but I do now see the benefits of bylaws. I say the more the better. Edmonton is said to be the king of bylaws and everyone always complains about it. This is what happens to a city that has little to no bylaws. This is […]
Plock
Our relentless pursuit of the required documents continues. Sometimes I think it would have been easier to find a Yeti in the Himalayas than to get the right stamp on the correct piece of paper in the Bureaucratic Republic of Poland. Undaunted we forge ahead. Today we set out to Plock, the last place where […]
Storming of Warsaw
There is much that can be said about navigating the Polish bureaucratic maze and perhaps even more that shouldn’t be said about the same. I have to say that while no one is particularly helpful about what we need to do, everyone is exceptionally nice and polite about it. I feel like we are […]
To Poland and Back
Today we are going to Warsaw! For me it is a first trip back to Poland in 29.5 years. For us, as a family, it is the first trip to Poland. We are going to be staying in Loziska just outside Warsaw with Anna’s cousin Robert. The drive itself is about 960km but we managed […]
Nuremberg – Großgründlach Walk
Today we went for another walk around our neighbourhood. We went towards the centre of the neighbourhood where we found more beautiful and quaint old homes, shops and old buildings – some dating back to 776.
Pottenstein – The Village
After a bit of fun and exploration we sat down for a piece of traditional plum cake and a cup of coffee in the village just below the castle. Great atmosphere, great views and beautiful weather.
Devil’s Cave – Pottenstein
After doing some summer sledding we headed over to the Devil’s Cave a short drive up the road. The Devil’s Cave is about 1.5km long which makes it the longest cave in Germany. The only way to get in and see the cave is with a guided tour. It is about a 45 min walk […]
Pottenstein
The plan for this Saturday was to go to Pottenstein. Pottenstein is a small village about 60km north of Nuremberg. It is famous for its cave, its trout smokehouse and the summer sledding park as well as a beautiful castle perched on the top of the hill.. We decided to spent a relaxing day away […]
Around Germany and a Galaxy Far Far Away
Legoland is great. The food is great, the shopping is great, the rides are fun, the shops are cool and millions and millions of little Lego bricks just make it special in a way that warms your heart and makes you feel like a kid all over again, it is impossible to be unhappy there. […]
Legoland – Deutschland
The happiest place on earth, at least right now for Boris and Evelina is Legoland. About 197km outside Nuremberg or 1.30h drive from Nuremberg is Legoland-Allee, Günzburg Legoland. We got a family pass for all Legoland attractions throughout Europe for 1 year, unlimited admission for €257 including parking. This includes all Legoland fees, free parking, London […]
Nuremberg – Großgründlach
For the first time this week we managed to have an early dinner which was at 7:00 pm, this left us some free time to go out for a walk around the neighbourhood. The neighbourhood is an eclectic mixture of old homes, new houses, and historic homes that have been fully renovated but totally modernized […]
Nuremberg – Around Town
We headed out to get a hair dryer and after searching far and wide, in one electronics’ store, Saturn, we found what we needed. Then a quick stroll around the old town for a pretzel sandwich. You heard it right, a giant pretzel cut in half and stuffed with a whole whack of goodies, from […]
Munich – Old Town Tour
While the Polish Consulate in Munich was a huge disappointment, or preformed as expected, the rest of the city was a treat. We were expecting to spent good 2 to 3 hours waiting to see the Consul but with this option out of the way there was simply more time to explore the city. […]
Munich
We set off to Munich to get our passports done. It took exactly 2 min to be sent off with a litany of excuses. Wrong documents, wrong translations, wrong day, wrong time, wrong reason and with the wrong rhyme! With a whole day ahead of us we decided to explore this wonderful city and it’s […]
Nuremberg – Old Town
Today we had a chance to get out and see the old town. We had a quick stop over at Volker’s office, a nice lunch with some friends and off we went to get our to do list out of the way. Passport photos, laptop connectors, and lots and lots of pretzels to eat. Most […]
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