We flew in from Delhi – dirty and travel worn. In five days, you fed us more pork than we’ve had in the last ten months You reminded us what good beer tastes like. You were kind when I embarrassed the hell out of myself. You helped me figure out where my family came from. And you [...]
We had planned to spend the weekend in Schönau, in a cabin our friends keep as a summer retreat. During my other visits this place has been a lush oasis – the perfect place to relax and unwind for a bit. I guess in my mind, it is always summer in Schönau, and the weather [...]
When traveling in Germany, one is often struck by the fact that all buildings appear to be very new. This is of course because of WWII: most major towns were flattened by Allied airstrikes at the end of the war. The famous university town of Heidelberg is an exception. Allegedly, an US President studied [...]
Simple pleasures, such as eating fresh vegetables and unpeeled fruit, were a staple in my life before this trip. Granted, I didn’t usually give them much thought. Why bother being grateful about eating a freshly washed lettuce leaf or unpeeled carrot? It’s no big thing, right? Well, no, actually it’s a privilege. You see, [...]
A smart person once said, “Discussing poo makes a bad first impression.” It’s sound logic. A first impression immersed in toilet talk is generally bad for business. Well, today gave me not one opportunity, but two to test that theory. Let me explain – without getting into too much detail, for obvious reasons. This [...]
As I mentioned in my post about my German roots, my ancestors are from Gauersheim, Germany. Yesterday’s trip there revealed it to be a surprisingly well-to-do farming town, complete with a little church and a town cemetery. We searched the gravestones, hoping to find some hint of the past. A Blomeier [...]
I never expected to find myself on a Jewish cemetery in Germany, but today I just did just that. It is a crazy, spooky and beautiful place. Fairly recent tombstones mingle with thousand-year old grave markers, creating a very strange and ambient location. It is of course impossible to visit this cemetery without thinking [...]
There are many things to see and do in this part of Germany: anything from ancient Celtic graves and Roman fortifications to World War II memorials and natural wonders. Today, our focus was the ancient city of Worms. The very beautiful cathedral was one of the standouts. There has been a church in Worms [...]
Before marrying into a Swedish family and taking Martin’s last name, my maiden name was Greenamyer. Though I’m technically an American mutt (German, Serbian, French & Welsh plus many more, I’m sure), the Greenamyer name is of German descent. We’re currently visiting Martin’s old travel buddy Juergen who lives in Lampertheim, Germany – which [...]
It’s official. We believe that it’s impossible to take as big a cultural leap as we just did: India to Germany. We’ve gone from the crazy streets of Delhi to the spotless, eat-our-lunch-off-the-sidewalk streets of Lampertheim in southern Hessen, Germany. We’ve stuffed ourselves with pretzels and cheese. Sausage and beer are on [...]
You know the saying, “to fly by the seat of your pants?” Well, that's been our philosophy for most of our adult lives – before and after meeting, falling in love and marrying. We're now taking that idea on an extended round-the-world trip. Follow us as we share the good, the bad and the downright nasty of life on the road.
