Things have settled quite a bit for us in the last six weeks. We are finally feeling at home. So it's time to leave home . . . to travel! It's one of the benefits of living in the center of Europe, and as you all know it's a bit of a passion of mine.
First up was our fall break trip to Denmark. My husband returned from the US on early Monday morning, and we left Tuesday for Glückstadt, the town in northern Germany where my grandmother lives. We had dinner and breakfast with her, then headed on to Søndervig on the coast of the North Sea. We spent Wednesday and Friday relaxing, walking on the beach, wandering through the small town, and reading. Søndervig is a HUGE haven for German tourists, and it's easier to get around (and read menus) in German than in English. Thursday we took a day trip across the Jutland peninsula to Vejle to visit my sister, whose husband has his dream job working for Lego (he studied lots of math and science so he could become an engineer, which led to this job--good thing he did his homework). It was nice to see where they live (and they really do have a great apartment in an amazing location in the center of town) and to see how quickly she is picking up on Danish. We walked along the fjord and saw the harbor--including the sailboats. We're looking forward to trying our hand at sailing again. Our trip also introduced me to elderflower, with which you can make great juice. Saturday was a long day of driving back home.
The beautiful (but wet) Jutland is covered in reed roofed homes, small (and thin) forests, swamps and marshes, and little towns. Lots of birds, cows, and open areas. Not a lot of people. Very pretty.
Many of the trees are bent over like this one from the constant wind blowing off the North Sea. Actually, this one isn't bad--many were far worse--but I didn't get a good picture from the car.
The dogs loved the windswept beach on which our cottage sat. We played a ton of fetch, which Jimmy enjoyed (and so did we). It was chilly when the sun went away but nice in the sun. It looks very lonely, but it wasn't. It was just the right blend of civilization and isolation for relaxation.
The little town of Søndervig.
The beach was littered with pillboxes from WWII.
The following weekend I hopped a train to Prague. The object of my visit was to see one of my best friends. Her family is Czech, and she was in town visiting her friends and relatives. It was a quick trip, and we didn't do a ton of sightseeing, but it was a blast! It's also kind of cool that I can just hop a train, sit comfortably and move around (unlike in a car or plane), meet some cool folks, and end up in Prague. The city is beautiful and old--we'll definitely go back and do some sightseeing. In fact, I have to say that it's probably one of the prettiest cities I have ever seen. You should all visit!
Hradcany Castle
The Lennon Wall was once a place where oppressed Czechs could voice grievances with the Communist regime through graffiti. It is now a place that represents youthful ideals and peace and love. Kinda cool.
This couple was taking wedding photos on a bridge covered with locks. Couples put a lock on the bridge to symbolize that they are locked together forever. It's pretty and a cool tradition at the same time.
Prague is full of beautiful buildings, old streets, and charm. It's worth a lengthy visit. It also has a vibrant social scene.
A few weeks of hard work (including final repairs on the new car, school stuff, etc) and generally being at home brought us to last weekend and the first Advent. Christmas here is called the Advent time (stretches from the first to Advent to Christmas--since we don't celebrate Thanksgiving). We decided to finally take our friend and colleague up on his offer and visit his home near Salzburg. Anyway, we took last Saturday to head down to the mountains of Austria. We drove past St. Gilgen (the town on the lake seen in the opening scenes of The Sound of Music) and to Strobl, which is also on the Wolfgangsee. That night we headed into Strobl to see the Christkindlmarkt, or Christmas market. We moved on to the one in St. Wolfgang. The three towns have complimentary markets, each a bit different, and you can travel between them by car, bus, or ferry across the lake. The old world charm of Austrian villages, the mountains, the snow (yes, we have snow), and the markets combine for a perfect Christmas atmosphere, but more on the markets in the next post. We spent the next morning walking along a river, enjoying the mountains, and talking with friends. Pretty fun way to spend a weekend.
St. Gilgen. Just imagine sunshine and green instead of snow, and you'll recognize the opening of the Sound of Music.
It's a dramatic mountain town.
This is beautiful country full of old world charm and cute older buildings. These are just the ones I could photograph through the snow while driving with a dying camera battery. They are certainly NOT the prettiest buildings in the region. It's stunning.
Yes, Schinkinchips--Schinken (ham) dried into chips. My husband was excited to find such a wonderful snack. What man doesn't love bacon and chips--why not combine them?
This weekend we also attended a few markets, and we plan to visit the famous Nürnberg (Nuremberg) market next week. I'll post about those next week. Then we're off to Glückstadt for Christmas itself. Here's hoping you enjoy the holiday season as much as we are.
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