Adventure Culinary Travel
Our first stop in Iceland was the magnificent Hallgrimskirkja in Reykjavik! Fresh off the bus from the airport early in the morning, we had the whole area to ourselves! We check out the church and marvel at the splendid architecture, pay homage to the great Icelandic explorer Leif Erikson, and delve a bit into Ásatrú, the ancient religion of the Vikings that is having a modern resurgence!
Read MoreIreland’s Wild Atlantic Way… a route stretching along the west coast of Ireland that shows off the most rugged, natural, stunning wild landscape the country has to offer. Over the next week of our anniversary trip, we will explore the nature and history of this beautiful area!
Read MoreA morning feast in Brend was the perfect start to the day, especially as since getting into the woods and hiking on some trails are part of the plan! We take an easy-going trail through the forest to the Balzer Herrgott tree carving, and just let ourselves get in touch with the forest that surrounds us.
Read MoreOur last morning in France we spend getting in touch with some local wine. We talk about terroir and its impact on wine as we taste some of the winery’s finest. Beth tours the church, and I get some medicine and reflect on the difference between our health care and that in Europe.
Read MoreUpon arriving to Colmar we were greeted by a severe storm. No worries, we just waited it out in a cafe, then went exploring! The city is just stunning, with the typical Alsatian style on a larger scale. We found a nice little artisan show, wandered the old streets, and checked through the city’s amazing covered market. We ventured through the Fishmonger District and Petite Venise, two of the most beautiful areas we’ve ever been through, and ended up at the quirky House of Heads!
Read MoreThe Trois Chateaux du Eguisheim are three castles that overlook the town. The oldest dates back from 1006! We took a hike up to the castles, climbed the old walls, and contemplated the way of life from one thousand years ago.
Read MoreDespite some pain, we took our time walking through Ribeauville as we made our way down to the Trimbach Winery. This is French wine country after all, and what would wine country be without some wine?
Read MoreEvening in Ribeauville, where we strolled the streets, popped into a grocery, and went back to the hotel for dinner. Over a wonderful meal full of wine, sauerkraut, sausages, and cheese, we pondered the duality of Alsatian culture… half French and half German, but in the end… all Alsace.
Read MoreThe beautiful town of Ribeauville! We found our cute hotel, then took to the streets where we enjoyed the scenery by the little square, marveled at the colors and the narrow streets, enjoyed a keugelhopf, met some nice people, and wound up sipping garlic brandy at a local distillery!
Read MoreMorning in Strasbourg! We leave behind our cute little cabin and explore Alsace's largest city. We walk through the old bridge and see the crazy statues inside, visit the Notre Dame cathedral, and get some cookies!
Read MoreWe arrived in Alsace! We check into our cute camp cabin before heading into Strasbourg, where we were greeted by a sky-spanning rainbow! We wander the old city streets, find a great little grocery, and head back to the cabin to cook a French dinner!
Read MoreA town I flagged as a must stop, Gengenbach did not disappoint! From the beautiful platz lined with colorful buildings to the back alleys and tiny Bächle, and one of the most impressively painted little churches we've ever seen, this was a great "goodbye" to the Black Forest!
Read MoreWe continued up through the Gutach Valley in the rain to Alpirsbach – a small town with a large monastery and a brewery. Sounds good to me! We toured the monestary, sought out some beer in a nice little place, and got some great chocolate!
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As we arrived in the beautiful and ancient city of Freiburg, we discovered the cute little street-side canals and beautiful towers all connected by old cobblestoned roads. We found little toys throughout the bächle, an amazing old cathedral, and had the pleasure of hearing music from truly angelic voices. We were also on a mission - those old cobblestones had to lead us to some beer!
Read MoreFrom the legends we have read since we were kids, the images of picturesque little German villages, and our love for nature all combined into our fascination with the Black Forest. It has long been a destination both of us have dreamed about, and we are finally here! We stood in complete awe surrounded by the towering trees and green moss in the forest, drove a long woodland road to our remote hotel, found a waterfall in a cute cuckoo-clock village, and had a wonderful sausage dinner. The night ended perfectly with the best clear, starry sky that we’ve seen in years!
Read MoreLiechtenstein is a fascinating place, and one we’ve wanted to visit for some time. Something about these tiny countries… We went straight into the mountains, where a bit of cold rainy weather wasn’t stopping us from a hike through the Alps!
Read MoreLeaving the city behind, we drove out to the east through the Swiss countryside. The mountains rose from incredibly green fields, and just down from the highway was a stunning fog-covered lake to explore. Just below Liechtenstein we wandered through the open air museum that was Heidi’s village!
Read MoreGood morning Zurich! I got to cook in our little apartment kitchen before we set out to explore! We had some amazing coffee at a famous Zurich cafe, and then explored the pristine train station. After a bit of a freak out over finding something from our favorite brewery ever, we took a relaxing walk through the park along the river.
Read MoreI’ve lived in or on the immediate outskirts of this city for most of my life. Aside from that summer down the shore, or the few years I lived upstate for a job (where I met Elizabeth!), I have always lived within sight of the Philadelphia skyline. I learned the city by the same adventurer’s mindset that I still have when travelling, eagerly exploring all its neighborhoods and all of the exciting ins and outs that a major city offers. I spent many hours of my formidable years riding the el train through the west end of the city to downtown, then walking to South Street, Center City, or through the historical areas. It was during these formidable years that I would dream of...
Read MoreWe said our goodbyes to Nuremberg and headed west toward the Romantic Road, starting off in the beautiful medieval city of Rothenburg. We marveled at the city gates, strolled through a cute little park, picked up some of the local favorite schneeballen, and climbed the city walls!
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