I took a second to check out all the photos I had on my phone. After discovering that I had over 300 from a slew of places in three different countries...I concluded it was time dump many of those photos onto my blog. :) By going through my photos, I also learned that I am really bad at deleting "accidental photos"...you know, the ones where you leave your camera on, put it in your purse, and end up with 15 random shots of the inside of your bag...
Since Greg and I have moved to Stuttgart..it seems we have been exploring other cities more than our own.
(This is a pond near my school...it was so beautiful in the winter.)
But in the past few months, we have taken some time to admire and adventure around our immediate area.
About 15 minutes from our apartment, is "Rubble Hill". This is literally a hill built with rubble from WWII. We took a hike to the top. We weren't sure how long the hike would be...so we came prepared with a backpack full of picnic snacks and endless water. Never know when you're going to get stranded and need to whip out those survival tools.
Turns out it only took about 12 minutes to reach the top. So glad we did our research.
...we tried finding our apartment from here.
Last weekend, Stuttgart hosted their yearly "Long Night at the Museum". Basically, over 90 museums throughout the city were kept open until 2 am. We were able to knock out a WWII bunker, the Wine Museum, and a wine cellar bunker.
The bunker is actually located right underneath the Markthalle, which a market where Greg and I like to get fruit and cheese. All this time, all those purchases of the random cheeses labeled in German that we pointed at to indicate thats the one we wanted...all that time, and we had no idea there was this bunker. What other secrets is Stuttgart hiding from us? Not only was it a bunker during WWII, but thereafter, it was turned into a hotel. Looks cozy, huh?
Yeah, you'd think that with the number of photos I boasted about being on my phone, that I'd have more than one picture of the bunker. Nope, sorry, I don't.
After the bunker we made our way to the wine museum, where we sipped some local wines and admired all things around us.
^^ Now THAT is art.
We climbed to the top of this cathedral to get a bird's eye view of the city. (Seems to be the thing to do 'round these parts.)
The image above is from the cathedral museum. These are original statues from the cathedral (which was built in the 1200s). Pretty much most of everything around here has been rebuilt after wars. So this cathedral is no exception. The cathedral is not its original...but this museum had many artifacts that are originals.
I do not have any photos from that dinner which I said was a highlight. But I'll just tell you....big pots over fire of melting cheese with wine poured into it. Mmmmmm Mmmmm!!!! Also I ordered a cheese plate (I love cheese, can't help these things). The Cheese Man of the restaurant came over and explained the history and origin of all my cheeses, as well as instructions on how to eat them.
After our day in Strasbourg we drove home, back to Germany. The very next day, Lauren and I headed to a German town called Blaubeuren. Its about an hour from where we live, and somewhat of a hidden treasure. When I think of Germany I do not think of caves and ancient artifacts. Which is exactly what one will find in Blaubeurin. There are many trails for hiking, some of which lead to caves. It was rather freezing on that January day, and we decided to forego the hikes (we can return now that it is getting warmer.) Instead, we toured a good OLD monastery:
...so the faces in the benches are meant to mimic everyday expressions of monks hanging around the monastery way back when.
LOOK at that WATER. Its the prettiest blue I've ever seen!
This water comes straight from a cave nearby.
Mind you that the sky was all gray...so this is not a reflection of the sky.
We ate lunch at an "off the path, fairly empty except for locals" type of restaurant. It is times like this that we can practice our German. ;)
This is Colin Meloy and Chris Funk, the lead singer and one of the instrumentalists from the band. As you can tell, we had some up close and personal spots. But actually, we were even MORE up close and personal just about two hours before this was taken. Before the concert, Greg and I were hungry. So we scouted out a restaurant near to the venue. We walked down an alley that had a giant tour bus parked (guessing it was the band's.) We walked into this small Thai restaurant...seemed empty at first. Suddenly, we heard some other people speaking English around the corner. Turns out it was Chris Funk and a couple of the other band members. Greg and I are cool, calm, and collected folk. We did not barbarically bombard these nice people who were just getting a bite to eat (much like us). Greg and I had a table near the door, and as the band members were leaving, Greg just said "See you at the show".
Smooth, coy. I know.
Chris Funk just turned and waved at us...problem a bit taken aback to hear such American English at a Thai restaurant in Switzerland.
I think I was more excited to see the wide array of instruments they played on that stage, than I was running into band members at dinner. The Decembrists are such talented artists, and put on a fantastic live show. I love instruments, I think they look and sound beautiful. They played everything from the accordion (my fave!) to the harmonica, the guitar, xylophone, bass, violin, piano, drums, to some other things that I am not even sure the name! I admire people who are musically inclined, that is for sure. During a song toward the middle of the concert, Colin Meloy handed his guitar to me. Not sure why, perhaps he needed to run to the restroom, and could just see the trust in my eyes. Greg says that every time I cheered or shouted, band members looked right at me. (I've got a very distinct voice, you know) Greg could learn a thing or two from this band...when Gina speaks, you look at her (and listen). ;)
The next day was a "tour Switzerland day". A tour bus picked us up at our hotel, and we journeyed through Switzerland to the city of Lucerne. I quite enjoyed the bus ride, with the awesome countryside views:
The journey was not so long, and soon we reached Lucerne:
This lion that is carved into this rock, represents the Swiss soldiers who died fighting for King Louis during the French revolution.
This is the oldest wooden bridge in Europe:
On top of Mt. Titlis, we were able to walk through a glacier!
Here we have a glorious chocolate mountain, and a chocolate angel, who seems to be looking at something glorious... ??
We said "goodbye" to Engelberg, and headed back to Zurich for dinner.
...after being on that freezing mountain all afternoon...35 degrees fahrenheit felt like "lets eat outside" weather!
Seems to you maybe that the tour up the mountain was leisurely, but actually it was just about as exhausting as it is for you to read this far into my blog...
Since Greg and I have moved to Stuttgart..it seems we have been exploring other cities more than our own.
(This is a pond near my school...it was so beautiful in the winter.)
But in the past few months, we have taken some time to admire and adventure around our immediate area.
.....and there is no denying it...we certainly have some nice views from our neighborhood.
In January, Greg took me to the Stuttgart State Theatre for my birthday to see "Le Nozze di Figaro" (The Marriage of Figaro). It was an Italian opera, with German subtitles. Do I understand Italian? No. Can I read German? Barely. Have I always wanted to hear the "Figaro Figaro Fig-a-roooooo" song live? Yes.
Enough said.
..before anyone says anything about my crooked or blurry photos...I just want to say, that no one ever said I was a professional photographer...I know and own this fact. I'm also not a perfectionist. I don't have time for that...
About 15 minutes from our apartment, is "Rubble Hill". This is literally a hill built with rubble from WWII. We took a hike to the top. We weren't sure how long the hike would be...so we came prepared with a backpack full of picnic snacks and endless water. Never know when you're going to get stranded and need to whip out those survival tools.
Turns out it only took about 12 minutes to reach the top. So glad we did our research.
Last weekend, Stuttgart hosted their yearly "Long Night at the Museum". Basically, over 90 museums throughout the city were kept open until 2 am. We were able to knock out a WWII bunker, the Wine Museum, and a wine cellar bunker.
The bunker is actually located right underneath the Markthalle, which a market where Greg and I like to get fruit and cheese. All this time, all those purchases of the random cheeses labeled in German that we pointed at to indicate thats the one we wanted...all that time, and we had no idea there was this bunker. What other secrets is Stuttgart hiding from us? Not only was it a bunker during WWII, but thereafter, it was turned into a hotel. Looks cozy, huh?
Yeah, you'd think that with the number of photos I boasted about being on my phone, that I'd have more than one picture of the bunker. Nope, sorry, I don't.After the bunker we made our way to the wine museum, where we sipped some local wines and admired all things around us.
^^ Now THAT is art.
...check it out: I'm still trying to teach Greg not to laugh at me when I'm being serious.
I did not take any photos of the wine cellar because by that point, the wine had gotten to me. I probably forgot that I even had a camera/phone.
Strasbourg, France is only about 2 hours away from Stuttgart. Over MLK weekend, we spent a day in Strasbourg with a couple of our friends, The Jelles. It is a pretty neat experience to go just a little ways away, and the culture is so different. Strasbourg is a city on France's border, and has gone back and forth between Germany and France throughout history..but it is very much a French city. One minute we were in Germany (road signs in German, restaurants with German employees), we crossed a bridge, and the next minute we were in France (signs in French, food is French...its all FRENCH). Touring around I was wishing that I had focused more in my high school French class....
The two major highlights from the day were visiting the Notre Dame Cathedral/Notre Dame Museum (no, its not THE Notre Dame from Paris...its some other one...in Strasbourg), and eating dinner at a fondue restaurant.
...Oh, and of course since this was right after Christmas, there were many-a-after-Christmas-sales. So Lauren (Mrs. Jelle) and I could not resist the urge to stop inside one or two clothing shops. Getting a few deals while shopping, was also a highlight for me. ;)
We climbed to the top of this cathedral to get a bird's eye view of the city. (Seems to be the thing to do 'round these parts.)
Here is that bird's eye view!
Sometimes, when I'm traveling, I like to get ideas for what I want in my future home. I want stairs like this....annnnnnd I suppose I want dancing bunnies falling from the sky too.
The next few photos are just some snaps I took as we galavanted around the city:
Something about this kind of tree, makes me laugh. What is this tree?!
...Look, I know that I need a lint roller, ok? But did I have time to use one? No. Did I just make up that excuse instead of telling the truth which is that I always forget to pick one up at the store because lint on my coat is last thing on my mind? Yes. Does it matter anymore because it is getting warmer and I do not need this coat? No.
Better luck next year.
After our day in Strasbourg we drove home, back to Germany. The very next day, Lauren and I headed to a German town called Blaubeuren. Its about an hour from where we live, and somewhat of a hidden treasure. When I think of Germany I do not think of caves and ancient artifacts. Which is exactly what one will find in Blaubeurin. There are many trails for hiking, some of which lead to caves. It was rather freezing on that January day, and we decided to forego the hikes (we can return now that it is getting warmer.) Instead, we toured a good OLD monastery:
...so the faces in the benches are meant to mimic everyday expressions of monks hanging around the monastery way back when.
The coolest thing in Blaubeuren, was this little water hole:
This water comes straight from a cave nearby.
Mind you that the sky was all gray...so this is not a reflection of the sky.
..more photos of the cute little town:
For Christmas I bought Greg tickets to see The Decembrists in Zurich. So a few weekends ago, we headed to Switzerland for the concert and some sight-seeing.
Smooth, coy. I know.
Chris Funk just turned and waved at us...problem a bit taken aback to hear such American English at a Thai restaurant in Switzerland.
I think I was more excited to see the wide array of instruments they played on that stage, than I was running into band members at dinner. The Decembrists are such talented artists, and put on a fantastic live show. I love instruments, I think they look and sound beautiful. They played everything from the accordion (my fave!) to the harmonica, the guitar, xylophone, bass, violin, piano, drums, to some other things that I am not even sure the name! I admire people who are musically inclined, that is for sure. During a song toward the middle of the concert, Colin Meloy handed his guitar to me. Not sure why, perhaps he needed to run to the restroom, and could just see the trust in my eyes. Greg says that every time I cheered or shouted, band members looked right at me. (I've got a very distinct voice, you know) Greg could learn a thing or two from this band...when Gina speaks, you look at her (and listen). ;)
The next day was a "tour Switzerland day". A tour bus picked us up at our hotel, and we journeyed through Switzerland to the city of Lucerne. I quite enjoyed the bus ride, with the awesome countryside views:
The journey was not so long, and soon we reached Lucerne:
This is the oldest wooden bridge in Europe:
More photos as we skipped around Lucerne, ate chocolate, etc:
We were soon back on the bus, eating swiss chocolate, on our way to Engelberg, where we journeyed 10,000 feet up Mt. Titlis. It was a cloudy day, so on top of the mountain we were not able see very far...in fact we could see until about 10 feet in front of us. I have never seen so much white in my life!
However on the ascend and descend, I was able to get some whoville-esque pictures:
On top of Mt. Titlis, we were able to walk through a glacier!
Here we have a glorious chocolate mountain, and a chocolate angel, who seems to be looking at something glorious... ??
Seems to you maybe that the tour up the mountain was leisurely, but actually it was just about as exhausting as it is for you to read this far into my blog...
Here is how the day left us:
...exhausted, out of breath, and succumbing to bathroom mirror selfies.
You won't find a couple that is more photogenic than The Hargraves' ;)
Greg really knows how to find his light.
Thats it! There are the highlights from the past few months. And now I'll go make some room on my phone by deleting all those photos. Just in time, too! In two weeks, Greg and I will be on a Mediterranean cruise!
Now, after starring at this screen for however long you've been starring, go rest your eyes. :)
-Gina
OH! PS: I wanted to share this delicious HEALTHY dessert that I discovered yesterday. So, excuse me while I pretend that I'm a foodie, as I tell you about a recipe you probably already know about because I'm always the one out of the loop.
Here it is: Macadamia Fudge. Thats right, (healthy) fudge.
1 cup of macadamia nuts
1 TBS of raw honey
1 TBS of coconut oil
1 TSP of vanilla extract
A dash of salt
Blend all of the above together until it is creamy. Pour it onto parchment paper (on a plate), and stick it in the freezer. Wait about 30 minutes, and VOILA! You have FUDGE!
You're welcome ;)
Disclaimer: I did not invent this masterpiece, I found it online. I just wanted to share. I don't know who invented it.
OH! PS: I wanted to share this delicious HEALTHY dessert that I discovered yesterday. So, excuse me while I pretend that I'm a foodie, as I tell you about a recipe you probably already know about because I'm always the one out of the loop.
Here it is: Macadamia Fudge. Thats right, (healthy) fudge.
1 cup of macadamia nuts
1 TBS of raw honey
1 TBS of coconut oil
1 TSP of vanilla extract
A dash of salt
Blend all of the above together until it is creamy. Pour it onto parchment paper (on a plate), and stick it in the freezer. Wait about 30 minutes, and VOILA! You have FUDGE!
You're welcome ;)
Disclaimer: I did not invent this masterpiece, I found it online. I just wanted to share. I don't know who invented it.
