The day started right as the kids slept better and enjoyed waffles as we all got dressed up for family pictures on the beach at our resort. The photographer, Jef, was referred by our old neighbors Brandon and Melissa, did a good job by having the kids playing and all of us working for an hour on the beach. We did the photoshoot at 7am so there would not be any wind and there are some great photos Read on...
Only one more stop on our road to Cape Town, our final destination in South Africa. Dec 25 we are supposed to fly back to Switzerland. Do we really want???
This second last stop of ours is the famous South African wine district of Franschhoek and Stellenbosch. To get there we left Oudtshoorn after a nice morning breakfast on the estate and an elaborated chat with the owner. His son played with Nu Read on...
For the Czech people, the Easter holiday signifies the end of winter and the beginning of spring, the time of year most often associated with eggs, an ancient symbol of life and rebirth. It was believed that the miraculous power of the egg was brought out through coloring and decoration.
Children finish school on Ugly Wednesday (kared středa), which is a good idea because they need to spend some Read on...
I am standing alone on the top of dArguilhe. I can see 360 degrees all round and it is a long way down . 368 steps I think that wind their way around the Puy. The ancient remains of a volcanic plug. One of a number in the immediate area . In fact, I can see another two of them as I look around . One has a statue of red sandstone the Notre Dame de France . The furthest away is an abbey of some desc Read on...
In the fall of 1944 the Allied decided they need to take Aachen, the westernmost city in Germany, prior to an advance into the industrial Ruhr Basin. Aachen was an ancient city, heart of Charlemagnes empire, and for 6 centuries the place of coronation of the kings of the Holy Roman Empire.
A young lieutenant from Orangeburg SC was a member of an American division attached to the British Second Ar Read on...
During my 2012 visit to Albanias Cursed Mountains, imposing Maja Jezerc stood out in the distance viewed from the summit of Zla Kolata situated on the border with Montenegro and that countrys highest point. On this recent trip the Queen of the Accursed (2694 m ASL and the highest peak entirely within Albania as Mt Korab is higher but shared on the border with Macedonia) was definitely the number o Read on...
Belgians Ive met have said Brussels is surprisingly sketchy and thats certainly the impression I had venturing out from Midi Station. It didnt seem fitting for the capital of the EU, though I suppose some would claim it is fitting.
But once in the city center the scene shifts to a high concentration of waffle stands, chocolate shops and Delirium umbrellas. And architecture that rivals the other g Read on...
Last blog of the year! How was your year of 2021? Just four weeks to go and we are already in 2022! Well, we are clearly not going about our year 2021. I have to admit, to this minute, I have no idea what is in for us in 2022...but there are a lot of options!
One thing for sure, 2021 brought us the chance to visit amazing places and stay in more amazing places in lovely South Africa. Few weeks ag Read on...
Sunday and Monday in Romewent far better than the first day. After breakfast at the hotel, we got tickets to a bus tour with Greenline and got to see and learn much more of the city than if wed only walked around by ourselves. The tour came with earbuds we could use to hear all about the sites as we drove by and stopped at each one.
We got on the bus just a block from our hotel, Hotel Borromeo, Read on...
Where in the world is Gabby the motorhome ? She was destined for a day out. The plans had been laid . Criccieth Castle . The last of the stronghold of castles built in North Wales to subdue the Welsh. A castle we had passed on many occasions but never actually managed to set foot in. Today was planned . We would head for Wrexham , top up with fuel and LPG , travel to Criccieth and spend the night Read on...