Wild beauty

Another shot from my recent trip traveling the German Austrian border. I was immediately intrigued about the jagged mountain range, although our trip took us the other direction, away from this wild beauty.

Our destination, Hallstatt was overrun by tourists, even this time of the year, which was surprising to me. I would later hear that there is an exact replica of Hallstatt in China and the tourists were here to see the original. We soon found ourselves seeking an area that wasn’t buzzing with quite as many humans. And guess what, that jagged, wild beauty seemed like a perfect solution. And it was.

This particular picture was taken at the end of the day when the clouds rolled off the mountains, leaving its breathtaking landscape in a mysterious and little eerie looking fog. Imagine the sound of church bells echoing through it all and you are literally right there.

Arriving in Germany

The flight was pretty smooth and went better than expected. My layover in Seattle flew by and before I knew it I was on the plane to Frankfurt. For the first time ever, I napped on the plane….here and there. I’m sure the days leading up to the flight, and the news about Moms passing left me naturally exhausted and tired. Perhaps I could have napped standing.

“Ok another part of the journey behind me” I thought once I arrived in Frankfurt. Off to the next one, claim my luggage which was one of the last suitcases to enter the carousel. All belongings in tow, I was heading for the rental car counter. Luckily I felt wide awake and any sign of sickness due to exhaustion was not present at all.

With the car located, I made the trip to my village with little to no problems and arrived in time to change, freshen up a bit, and off we were to the most emotional part…Moms viewing. All in all the day passed filled with adrenaline and my body was strong and supportive, knowing this was something I had to power through. Today my feet are swollen and I didn’t sleep all that much, but I feel rested and ok.

Mount Rainier

This picture was taken at the Seattle Airport while making my connecting flight to Frankfurt. What you see in the distance is Mount Rainier a active stratovolcano of 14,000 plus feet. As you can see it’s massive and above the clouds.

It feels strange to fly again after the scare coming back last year. I’m not sure what happened, but I barely made it once I landed and could hardly walk. It’s been a journey ever since to get back to health, so naturally it frightens me a bit.

I am catering to every whim to make sure my body makes it. It’s strenuous that’s for sure and I’m already feeling exhausted. It’s not like in the old days as I put these trips behind me without a second thought. I don’t make the long trips with ease anymore and I don’t like that they are soooo long.

I think I’ll do some Reiki in the plane and place some power symbols within myself for the long flight to Frankfurt, the car ride home and Moms Service tonight.

Picture perfect

A older picture of Lake Tahoe, bluest of blues besides Crater Lake, Oregon.

Golden Gate

Have a beautiful week everyone.

Picture from my recent trip coming back from Germany.

Am I there yet?

Man it’s a Long haul und yesterday on Christmas Day I flew back to the states. The flight went pretty smooth, except I was in a lot of pain and struggled with the stress of the trip.

Las Vegas took Christmas off and nobody worked the recheck counter for your connecting flights and luggage. So I had to check in at ticketing all over and yep drag the suitcase over a few flights and halfway through the airport. And I had the pleasure to go through security again and now lose my three euro water from Germany I wish I had now. All things considered I am ok, although I am not done while I am writing this and this post is scheduled for tomorrow morning. I still have a few hours ahead of me until I have finally arrived.

The silver lining is that things could have been bad and I didn’t even know. I was gone 10 month and I guess I can only leave for a max of six month with my green card before needing a reentry certificate. Maybe I got a little Christmas blessing and boarder patrol let me go without citing me. I have no clue how much that even costs and for all I know I could have been detained again like that time I forgot to bring the green card. I don’t ever want to experience that, that was a nightmare.

St. Michael’s

St. Michael’s church in Schwäbsich Hall.

Mittenwald Highlands

This place is near the Bavarian Stonehenge that I have written about. It’s an idyllic place for me where serenity and beauty peaks. These little barns store hay and other materials over the winter month and are beautifully dotted all over the landscape. A definite must visit place to see. 💙

Lichtenstein Fortress

Earlier this year I got to visit the fortress at Lichtenstein. It’s close to my home in Germany and yet I had never been there. Lichtenstein offered the backdrop for a medieval fair, with street vendors and food from long gone times.

I also saw a jousting match and had my first homemade glass of met, a honey wine. It didn’t take much and after the first sip it was obvious of how potent the mix was. A glass later it was a smart choice to wait for awhile and eat something before attempting to drive home.

It was very neat to watch old blacksmith techniques, as well as seeing battles re-enacted. The music took me back to a time that felt as if I had lived another life within those sounds. Dancers and jugglers roamed the streets, filled with laughter, good mood and fun.

The beauties above in the picture were a part of a group that got to hang out and roam freely in the mot. I heard that the activities were only the second annual ones, and it’s definitely something to go back to.

Nürnberg Hbf

The little birthday weekend in Mittenwald was beautiful and I felt like coming home to my mountains. I’m already reflecting and there have been a few firsts as well as things I will never forget.

Friday was my birthday and it was my first time on a bullet train. Also the first time on a train period since decades. I can’t wait to do it again and overall I loved it, despite having to watch like a hawk for changes and trains leaving from different stations. Almost missed the train twice.

Friday night was also when the trouble started and I got bit by something in the face just past midnight, which made my left eye swell nearly shut. It’s been an uncomfortable weekend as far as that goes, and this morning the swelling is finally going down. I have a ways to go yet, but thank goodness. All not that easy and definitely a scare with no health insurance now that my job and company is no longer in business. Puts things into perspective and definitely something to consider should I be here longer. I’ve been pretty fortunate that nothing drastic has happened, but there is always that possibility. Not that I want to put that energy out in the universe….I will be fine.

I made my step goal for the past three days and doubled it on Saturday and Sunday. Boy did I walk a lot and pictures will follow soon.

Returning last night and sitting at the Nürnberger Hauptbahnhof (the main train station in Nürnberg), I was reflecting how easy it is to take the train anywhere. I have a dear friend and WordPress blogger to visit in Nürnberg and will have to schedule a visit when he isn’t traveling to my part of the country in the states. 😉