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A Toast to Oktoberfest
“Ein Prosit, ein Prosit, Der Gemütlichkeit. Ein Prosit, ein Prosit, Der Gemütlichkeit.” -Traditional German beer drinking song that wishes good health and cheer to companions. I was first exposed to...
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Photo du Jour #68: Into the Wild Blue Yonder
Perched on a column near Bali’s sacred 11th-century Uluwatu Temple, a wild Balinese Macaque gazes out over the Indian Ocean. This critter’s serene stance could be misleading, however, given the...
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Celebrating the International Day of the Girl
Indonesia. October 11th is the first-ever International Day of the Girl Child - a day dedicated to recognizing girls’ rights and advancing their lives and access to opportunities. India In honor of...
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Azure Skies, Emerald Firs & a Sparkling Lake Tahoe: A Second Anniversary...
Now you will feel no rain, for each of you will be the shelter for each other. Now you will feel no cold, for each of you will be the warmth for the other. Now you are two persons, but there is only...
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Photo du Jour #69: The Golden Lane – Reno, Nevada
The golden age is before us, not behind us. -William Shakespeare Filed under: Photos du Jour Tagged: autumn, golden lane, high desert, Nevada, photography, quote, Reno, travel, USA, William Shakespeare
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Appreciating the Flora of Fall
Even in the buff-colored, high desert of Nevada, neighborhood trees and shrubberies are sporting their autumn finery. During most mornings these past weeks, we’ve pounded the pavement for three-mile...
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Pumpkins, Proceratosaurus & a Palace: Perusing the World’s Largest Pumpkin...
The scene is reminiscent of a quirky fairy tale: an elegant 18th-century Baroque palace, dinosaurs fashioned out of more than 450,000 pumpkins, squash and gourds, and Rapunzel’s braid dangling from a...
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Woodcarvings, Passion Plays & Bavarian Attire: Germany’s Oberammergau
For the next few months, we’ll be hanging our (warm winter) hats in Oberammergau, a village situated in Germany’s Alps, where residents sometimes still sport traditional feather-adorned, green woolen...
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Celebrating Saint Nicholas Day & Germany’s Christmas Market Season
On the eve of December 6th, as a young girl, I placed my shiniest shoes in front of my bedroom door, anticipating the arrival of Saint Nicholas. The next morning, I eagerly popped out of bed,...
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Of Angels & Alphornists – Out & About in Oberammergau, Germany
We had merely set out on a seemingly-routine errand to find a hair stylist and pharmacy in Oberammergau, Germany, and instead, we found ourselves pleasantly distracted by something quite out of the...
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Winter Wonderland Wisdom
Nature is full of genius, full of the divinity; so that not a snowflake escapes its fashioning hand. -Henry David Thoreau With craggy mountain peaks and evergreens on the hillsides dressed in a...
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A Nibbling Donkey & A Snow Camel in Bavaria: More Holiday Scenes from...
The sign declared, Bitte Esel nicht füttern, and in Germany, the land so famously-known for its rules, I obliged. Even though visitors to the Christmas Market in Oberammergau, Germany were asked not...
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Welcome, 2013!
Greetings Dear Readers, and Happy 2013! 2012 was an outstanding year, and it’s been a great pleasure sharing our journeys with you and virtually traveling along on yours as well. Thank you for your...
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Photo du Jour #70: Saved by a Superhero – San Francisco
During a recent jaunt to San Francisco, we were attempting to cross the street when a hurried driver came rushing into the crosswalk. In a scene out of a comic book, our hero stopped traffic – much to...
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Europe, Somewhere in Time: An Interview with Artist & Photographer, Maurice...
Venice 1956, © Maurice Sapiro I recently happened upon the beautiful, timeless work of Maurice Sapiro, an accomplished photographer, painter and sculptor who calls Connecticut home. The images from his...
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Apprentice for an Afternoon: Lessons with Germany’s Old World Artisans
During Oberammergau’s peak tourist seasons, visitors can easily while away an hour observing artisans demonstrating their trades on the ground floor of the beautifully-frescoed, 18th-century...
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Snowy Vignettes from an Alpine Paradise
Having ‘escaped’ winter by spending five wonderful, but scorching months in Asia last year, I must admit – it’s been a bit of a shock wintering in the Alps these past months. Fortunately, there are...
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Photo du Jour #71: Coffee Crybaby – Oberammergau, Germany
A grumpy baby adorns a wall of a bakery in Oberammergau, Germany, enticing customers with the establishment’s promise of a tasty cup of joe. The poster reads: “Still tired? Here, you’ll find really...
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Twisting Tongues in Bavaria
German words have a reputation for being long, and at times very expressive. Two of my descriptive favorites are Zahnfleisch (literally ‘tooth meat’ or ‘gums’) and Schneebesen (which literally...
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Dizzied by a Dazzing Array of Dirndls in Bavaria
Whenever I see Bavarians dressed in traditional German attire, I can’t help but recall a playful prank that my former American colleagues routinely played on friends and family who would come to visit...
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