tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-112015372012-02-16T10:05:30.958+01:00"...Far away places...with strange sounding names...Far away over the sea. Those Far away places are calling to me...just calling...calling, me." "...it is not the destination, but who is beside you that counts..."Katalina Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04378100135672034661noreply@blogger.comBlogger1301100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11201537.post-68300269402594402492012-02-11T07:13:00.003+01:002012-02-11T07:21:48.344+01:00

One of my last views of France (Meaux)...that is etched in my memory...a country that I never tire of visiting...J'attends avec intérêt de retourner...sigh...

Katalina Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04378100135672034661noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11201537.post-78597356610374778672011-12-04T19:14:00.004+01:002011-12-04T19:27:22.329+01:00

FALL - Katzenbach (Stuttgart Germany 2008) God once again painting his landscape for all to see the beautiful colors of His palette.What a wonderful time of the year as mother nature prepares her "children" for winter! She makes them warm and cozy so that they will give up their leaves--these delicate leaves will not feel the 'sting' of Winter's snow. Rather, the tuff covering of bark surrounds

Katalina Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04378100135672034661noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11201537.post-41548818164687138762011-03-26T20:54:00.003+01:002011-03-26T21:01:03.011+01:00

IN FLANDERS FIELDS the poppies blowBetween the crosses row on row,That mark our place; and in the skyThe larks, still bravely singing, fly. . .So begins the poem In Flanders Field by Canadian Physician Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae, in May of 1915 upon witnessing the battles in Ypres salient, France. One of the most recognized symbols of Veterans Day is the corn poppy, or red poppy Papaver

Katalina Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04378100135672034661noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11201537.post-70023577400547057602011-03-21T01:47:00.002+01:002011-03-21T02:00:30.280+01:00

In the forest deepthere is a villageunknown to man...Where mushrooms growto shelter thoselittle folk of the forestYou may wander this earthlooking for these...the mushroom villagesthe little folk...Alas! You will not find them!Unless you are looking...really looking.

Katalina Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04378100135672034661noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11201537.post-5683386557292938362010-01-09T05:00:00.003+01:002010-01-09T05:05:36.566+01:00

Katalina Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04378100135672034661noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11201537.post-67087917775433061452008-12-29T21:24:00.002+01:002008-12-29T21:26:50.758+01:00

Katalina Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04378100135672034661noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11201537.post-69317116930122506742008-12-21T19:30:00.005+01:002008-12-21T19:37:20.255+01:00

Me 'oe ka makana makamae o ke alohaa me ka maluhia i keia wa kamaha'o(Wishing you, the Gifts of Love and Peace this Holiday Season)

Katalina Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04378100135672034661noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11201537.post-87837425152516521912008-08-13T20:52:00.003+02:002008-08-13T20:54:40.826+02:00

Katalina Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04378100135672034661noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11201537.post-10574142222734802942008-01-13T10:00:00.000+01:002008-01-13T10:04:30.507+01:00

Katalina Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04378100135672034661noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11201537.post-59520393367241758902007-10-24T14:25:00.000+02:002007-10-24T14:37:22.080+02:00

We are still living in Stuttgart Germany (Aichtal-Aich to be exact).We have still been traveling as often as we can.(Most recent: Prague (Praha), Czech Republic...such a beautiful city!)

Katalina Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04378100135672034661noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11201537.post-50172593746284065742007-03-14T22:26:00.000+01:002007-03-14T22:58:25.060+01:00

Katalina Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04378100135672034661noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11201537.post-73927035802017880242007-02-22T22:12:00.000+01:002007-02-22T22:34:18.914+01:00

Katalina Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04378100135672034661noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11201537.post-42017942396486018832007-01-24T10:24:00.000+01:002007-01-24T10:31:19.766+01:00

While others are cold...at least our "birdies" are cozy and snug!

Katalina Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04378100135672034661noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11201537.post-39646496907854470182007-01-02T22:17:00.000+01:002007-01-02T22:23:19.347+01:00

Do you know where this is???

Katalina Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04378100135672034661noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11201537.post-5611676181870067602007-01-02T13:27:00.000+01:002007-01-02T13:36:12.333+01:00

Porter and I went to London in November 2006 to celebrate our 37th anniversary. (This was also the same weekend as Veteran's Day). The weather was beautiful...no rain or fog! We visited the memorial to the veterans at Westminster Abbey and we observed Queen Elizabeth dedicate the new memorial to the New Zealand soldiers! (...never thought we'd see the Queen!...we even saw the Prime Minister and

Katalina Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04378100135672034661noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11201537.post-78865086894631823792007-01-02T12:46:00.000+01:002007-01-02T13:00:14.008+01:00

Welcome to 2007! We hope your 2007 will bring you good health, love of family, and much prosperity! On a "spur of the moment", we decided upon a trip to Amsterdam to "ring" in the New Year! What fun we had and what a way to say "goodbye" to the old year and what a way to "welcome" the New Year -- by doing one of the things we love most -- traveling!!! (The only thing missing of course, was our

Katalina Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04378100135672034661noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11201537.post-67018783129871362562006-12-24T15:58:00.000+01:002006-12-24T16:30:06.112+01:00

Merry Christmas to all of our Family and Friends so many miles away!!! "Let us celebrate the beauty and grace of this Holiday Season." May God Bless you all during this beautiful Season. . . . . . .

Katalina Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04378100135672034661noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11201537.post-1166042175140222072006-12-13T21:25:00.000+01:002006-12-13T21:36:15.153+01:00

Here we are in Roma. We were only there for four days and we must have walked at least a 1,000 miles!!!!! We are Saint Peters, Vatican City. I must have been blessed because I was very ill at the time of the visit and did not even realize it!!! (Another story, for another blog!) Well, the good thing is--I lived to see another beautiful day! ...more to follow...

Katalina Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04378100135672034661noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11201537.post-1154291136207490002006-07-30T22:14:00.000+02:002006-07-30T22:49:09.516+02:00

Buon giorno from Verona, Italy! What a beautiful weekend it turned out to be for us! Every weekend this summer has turned out to be an adventure! ...so many destinations...so little time ...uh..and so little "kala"...

Katalina Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04378100135672034661noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11201537.post-1153771329047151572006-07-24T21:55:00.000+02:002006-07-24T22:02:09.090+02:00

In May (Memorial Day Weekend to be exact), our eldest grandson came to visit us here in Europe. He stayed a whole 17 days and let me tell you, we wasted no time in taking him to see as much of the Continent as we could! One of my favorite pictures from our travels is this shot of Fino and his "Papa" underneath the Eiffel Tower in the evening.

Katalina Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04378100135672034661noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11201537.post-1142169590794718942006-03-12T14:19:00.000+01:002006-03-12T14:19:50.800+01:00

Office View 

Katalina Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04378100135672034661noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11201537.post-1142169393008002392006-03-12T13:53:00.000+01:002006-03-12T14:16:33.043+01:00

Aloha all!!! YUP!!! I'm (we) are still here in Germany! It has been a long while since I have posted...just been a little busy! (The picture you see is from my home office window. You can see we have a little snow today...such a beautiful sight!)Well, let's see...where did I leave off? Oh yes, it has been since December when I started back to work. All is well in the job arena...except I am no

Katalina Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04378100135672034661noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11201537.post-1135436384370546532005-12-24T15:55:00.000+01:002005-12-24T16:01:18.093+01:00

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!!!Mele Kalikimaka me ka Hau’oli Makahiki Hou!!!Vrolijke Kerstmis en een Gelukkig Nieuw Jaar!!!Joyeux Noël et une nouvelle année heureuse ! ! !Frohe Weihnachten und ein glückliches neues Jahr!!!Καλά Χριστούγεννα και μια καλή χρονιά!!!Natale allegro e un nuovo anno felice!!!Christmas alegre e um ano novo feliz!!!Веселое рождество и С Новым годом!!!¡Feliz Navidad

Katalina Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04378100135672034661noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11201537.post-1134421751562907572005-12-12T22:05:00.000+01:002005-12-12T22:09:11.596+01:00

I am 55 years old today and have come to the realization that I am Blessed. God has Blessed me in so many ways and this day, my birthday, is and always has been a very special day to me. Special and unique things seem to happen on this date (for me that is).There have been many birthdays in my life and all special in different ways, but starting with last year, it seems, that the “Special”

Katalina Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04378100135672034661noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11201537.post-1133205831346571202005-11-25T20:19:00.000+01:002005-11-28T20:40:37.160+01:00

Thanksgiving this year was spent thousands of miles away from our family. While we did indeed, miss everyone, we were not sad nor were we lonely. Rather, we spent the day with newfound friends.We spent the day in Bavaria at a family home that dates back to the early 1600’s. In fact, if you were to view a “copperplate” of the town circa 1602, you would find our host’s home and the exact location

Katalina Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04378100135672034661noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11201537.post-1131004884509827542005-11-03T09:01:00.000+01:002005-11-03T09:01:24.533+01:00

Esslingen am Neckar 

Katalina Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04378100135672034661noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11201537.post-1131002034057811252005-11-03T08:13:00.000+01:002005-11-23T11:14:24.530+01:00

We decided to take a “Sunday” drive and visit Esslingen am Neckar as it is about a 20 minute drive from our home. Esslingen is a charming mediaeval town located on the Neckar River.Like many of the German towns and villages we have visited, there is an ascetic mix of the old world charm and the modern world. From some of my reading regarding Esslingen, it is said this town was first mentioned in

Katalina Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04378100135672034661noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11201537.post-1130162279862761082005-10-24T15:41:00.000+02:002005-11-23T11:16:08.236+01:00

In a recent “Meme Tag” that I received from “da Local Girl” in Italy, I have been tasked (challenged!) to the following (verbage taken from Rubbahslippahsinitaly Blog: Here are the instructions for this meme:1. Dig into your blog archive.2. Find your 23rd post or (closest to).3. Find the 5th sentence (or closest to).4. Post the entire text of the sentence along with these instructions.Ponder it

Katalina Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04378100135672034661noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11201537.post-1129832636043103042005-10-20T20:23:00.000+02:002005-10-21T10:25:28.380+02:00

Castleberg on the way to Garmisch

Katalina Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04378100135672034661noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11201537.post-1129832506029173642005-10-20T20:21:00.000+02:002005-10-21T10:25:08.120+02:00

One weekend, back in August actually, we decided to take a drive to Garmisch and do some exploring and visit some of the places Porter had visited as a young boy in the 1960's. The drive took us thru Bavaria, out of Germany and thru Austria (for just a short bit), and back thru Germany before reaching Garmisch. We drove past cities, villages, farmland, lakes, mountains (Alps), and through a

Katalina Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04378100135672034661noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11201537.post-1129832897795174102005-10-20T20:20:00.000+02:002005-10-21T10:24:45.930+02:00

Of course, after a long drive...we were famished to say the least! We happened upon the cafe above...but unfortunately (or "fortunately"??? ...check out the name!!) the cafe was closed!

Katalina Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04378100135672034661noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11201537.post-1129832971487755992005-10-20T20:19:00.000+02:002005-10-21T10:23:58.550+02:00

We did stop in at Clausing's Post Hotel Restaurant/Cafe and had a wonderful lunch! This property has been around since at least 1639. According to our hostess, the hotel (in days gone by) was once a stopover for weary travelers. More recently the hotel has been taken over by new management and major renovations have been made. From what we could see, the property looks to be a delightful place to

Katalina Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04378100135672034661noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11201537.post-1129833017774660092005-10-20T20:18:00.000+02:002005-10-21T10:23:33.070+02:00

I know this dish looks to be a little "sloppy"...but OMG!!! It was so delicious! The sauce was so tasty and to "sop" it up with the homemade bread was just the thing to do!

Katalina Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04378100135672034661noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11201537.post-1129833062529643412005-10-20T20:17:00.000+02:002005-10-21T10:23:08.783+02:00

This is what Porter ate-Zwiebelrostbraten mit hausgemachten Bratkartoffeln (pork with potatoes).

Katalina Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04378100135672034661noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11201537.post-1129833138000975062005-10-20T20:16:00.000+02:002005-10-21T10:28:06.130+02:00

Once refreshed, we set out to explore the joint villages of Garmisch-Partenkirchen. Just about every building is painted with scenery of the area or some type of religious paintings. We became so accustomed to seeing this type of artwork on the buildings, that when came across a building with no decoration or painting whatsoever, we were instantly disappointed.

Katalina Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04378100135672034661noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11201537.post-1129833205195868192005-10-20T20:15:00.000+02:002005-10-21T10:22:24.143+02:00

While staying in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, we decided to hike around the area directly behind our hotel and just happened upon this little pond. It was very picturesque, complete with the mountains (which you cannot see because of the low clouds), the forest, pond, and shack. The water was so clear, you could actually see these large fish swimming around! There was a German gentleman fishing just

Katalina Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04378100135672034661noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11201537.post-1129833276784141292005-10-20T20:14:00.000+02:002005-10-21T10:35:21.380+02:00

Nature's Picture frame - After departing Garmisch-Partenkirchen, we were not quite ready to call it a day. We were hoping to catch the cable car which would take us up to the Zugspite (Germany's highest mountain, 9,717 ft). The weather, however, proved to be a hindrance and the cars were not running this day. Since we were at Lake Ebisee and even though it was raining, we decided to hike the

Katalina Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04378100135672034661noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11201537.post-1129833319087690872005-10-20T20:13:00.000+02:002005-10-20T20:50:26.750+02:00

We were a bit "soaked" because the rain was continuous during the hike around the lake so we decided to stop at the Resort Cafe and have a snack and warm up a bit before departing for home. Some good German coffee and apfel strudel was just the thing to bring our energy levels back!

Katalina Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04378100135672034661noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11201537.post-1129622639554257622005-10-18T10:03:00.000+02:002005-10-18T10:10:38.003+02:00

Garmisch (Then and Now)In the early 1960's, Porter (my hubby) visited Lake Eibsee Resort with his family. Lake Eibsee is near the village(s) Garmish-Partenkirchen located in the Bavarian State of Germany. As stated earlier in one of my previous posts, we (the family) had heard so many stories of the Balanza's escapades while living in Germany that when we found out Porter would be working in

Katalina Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04378100135672034661noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11201537.post-1127131997006229482005-09-19T14:13:00.000+02:002005-09-19T15:57:13.446+02:00

"Ein Prosit!" (More photos following post)Everyone we have talked with since arriving in Germany told us, “...you don’t want to go to the Munich Oktoberfest! It’s too crowded...you won’t have fun! There are too many tourists there!” Well, we “bit the bullet” and went anyway! And you know what???? THEY WERE WRONG!They were right about the “crowded” and they were right that there were a lot of

Katalina Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04378100135672034661noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11201537.post-1127135486625403202005-09-19T14:12:00.000+02:002005-09-19T15:19:49.736+02:00

Oktoberfest 2005

Katalina Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04378100135672034661noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11201537.post-1127135758920328222005-09-19T14:11:00.000+02:002005-09-19T16:00:22.026+02:00

Oktoberfest 2005 - A Polizei who stopped to "smell" the flowers!

Katalina Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04378100135672034661noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11201537.post-1127135279804760032005-09-19T14:10:00.000+02:002005-09-19T15:22:59.873+02:00

Oktoberfest 2005

Katalina Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04378100135672034661noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11201537.post-1127135401828094652005-09-19T14:09:00.000+02:002005-09-19T15:21:59.673+02:00

Oktoberfest 2005

Katalina Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04378100135672034661noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11201537.post-1127135355254508412005-09-19T14:08:00.000+02:002005-09-19T15:22:30.026+02:00

Oktoberfest 2005

Katalina Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04378100135672034661noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11201537.post-1127135587037072992005-09-19T14:07:00.000+02:002005-09-19T15:21:15.620+02:00

Oktoberfest 2005

Katalina Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04378100135672034661noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11201537.post-1126087537087550492005-09-07T12:05:00.000+02:002005-09-07T14:17:21.586+02:00

Well, the day finally arrived and we departed for Paris—a city we have studied about in history; read about in fiction, non-fiction, and magazines; seen in movies and heard about in the news.One of our first stops and, in our eyes, one of the landmarks known throughout the world and synonymous with Paris was the Eiffel Tower! They say a picture is worth a thousand words...well, in a “nutshell”

Katalina Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04378100135672034661noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11201537.post-1126085254220857772005-09-07T12:04:00.000+02:002005-09-08T08:59:20.276+02:00

Sunrise on the River Seine...This was a peaceful sight as we walked across the bridge leading to Notre Dame in the early morning hours. The waters were calm. There was no traffic. No noise to speak of (other than the “clicking” of our cameras!) Certainly a peaceful moment that we knew would not last as the day would progress...

Katalina Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04378100135672034661noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11201537.post-1126080882532620432005-09-07T12:03:00.000+02:002005-09-08T09:06:35.980+02:00

Notre Dame - Pictured here are two of the "Rose" windows of the Cathedral. This is a beautiful structure with so much beautiful artwork within its walls! Again, (as in the Strasbourg Notre Dame) there are over 300 steps--387 to be exact--that must be negotiated to reach the top of the towers! Definitely worth the effort! As always, I am in such awe of the beauty housed within the Cathedrals

Katalina Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04378100135672034661noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11201537.post-1126083280810061802005-09-07T12:02:00.000+02:002005-09-08T14:32:22.533+02:00

"Le Bistrot" - I wish I could tell you that we ate at this wonderful little Bistrot, but I cannot tell a lie! I posted this picture because it appeared to be the a little "hole in the wall" type of place I would like to eat in. We spied this little bistrot in the the "early" morning hours of our touring and it had not yet opened for business. Being a lover of “tartes” and food in general, we

Katalina Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04378100135672034661noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11201537.post-1126085504840474102005-09-07T12:01:00.001+02:002005-09-08T08:57:14.963+02:00

"BEP'z..where are you?? We were on one of the boulevards where there are shops all about and we happened to look up across the way and spotted a concert hall where the “Black Eyed Peas” were playing. Porter had to go and check it out since he had just purchased BEP’z latest CD. (Heh..heh..What a "tourist"!!!)

Katalina Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04378100135672034661noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11201537.post-1126081040582150652005-09-07T12:01:00.000+02:002005-09-08T09:36:44.406+02:00

Hotel des Invalides - This is not your typical "hotel". The Hotel des Invalides is not a hotel per say, rather, it was founded by Louis XIV to house wounded soldiers. Currently, there are only a few veterans residing within Invalides. The complex houses one of the world's most extensive military collections. (Again, because of our limited time, we were unable to view the collection as we would

Katalina Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04378100135672034661noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11201537.post-1126087557160662962005-09-07T11:59:00.001+02:002005-09-08T14:36:40.516+02:00

The River Seine - We took this “shot” of the River Seine because it was the complete opposite of our earlier “sunrise” picture. Not only was there heavy boat traffic on the river, but there was also heavy automobile traffic on all the streets as well as pedestrians everywhere! So much for the “calm” we had enjoyed earlier in the morning!

Katalina Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04378100135672034661noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11201537.post-1126082426109503142005-09-07T11:59:00.000+02:002005-09-08T09:25:45.683+02:00

Pyramid at the Louvre - While we did view the "Mona Lisa" and the "Venus di Milo" there was only so much we could view in a few hours! The museum itself, is a work of art--the walls, ceilings, flooring... This is a definite "must return to..." museum. Our plans are to return during the winter months and take our time viewing the magnificent works of art.

Katalina Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04378100135672034661noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11201537.post-1126085325757769652005-09-07T11:57:00.001+02:002005-09-08T14:38:06.743+02:00

Breaktime! Touring can leave you hot, tired, and hungry! Since it was not yet the hour for our next meal, we did the next best thing—stop for crême glacée. I have to admit even though I got “caught” taking a big ‘ol bite...I really did not mind. The look that Porter caught when he snapped the picture says it all, “mmm...this is SO good!!!”

Katalina Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04378100135672034661noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11201537.post-1126076219924470342005-09-07T11:57:00.000+02:002005-09-08T09:20:37.176+02:00

Eiffel Tower - Of course we are "tourists" and of course we must have our picture taken with the Eiffel Tower in view!!!

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Sacré Coeur or "Sacred Heart" - This Basilica was built as a memorial to over 58,000 French soldiers who perished during the Franco-Prussian War. It is the second highest point in Paris, second only to the Eiffel Tower. The view is "free" and thousands of Parisians and tourists alike flock here for the beautiful view of the the City. We visited this site just before sunset and indeed, the view is

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Arc de Triomphe - I got the feeling the German tour operator did not want to stop at this monument. I can only speculate the reasoning. Everytime we came near, she would say..."..this is the Arc de Triomphe...blah...blah...", but we never stopped! (We had to "catch" photo's as we drove by!) It was the same with the Champs Elysee! We never stopped! We must have traveled (going to different

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Eiffel Tower at night - After dinner we decided to take an evening cruise down the River Seine. Upon arriving at our location to board our boat we got out of the bus and was looking towards the river admiring the view. For some reason we both turned around (not even realising the glorius view that awaited us!) The sight was definitely something to behold! As we turned, we immediately saw the

Katalina Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04378100135672034661noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11201537.post-1126085411300668662005-09-07T10:38:00.001+02:002005-10-19T10:33:41.390+02:00

Tourist in Paris - Yes...that's me with my new camera (still trying to figure out how to use it!!!)

Katalina Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04378100135672034661noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11201537.post-1126083849559515982005-09-07T10:38:00.000+02:002005-10-19T10:35:36.640+02:00

Pont Alexandre III Bridge - Quite a beautiful sight! It's truly amazing how everything (monuments/bridges) are lit up at night! Truly makes for a wonderful and romantic evening!

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Moulin Rouge - Ah...the famous Moulin Rouge! We did not see any shows/performances...but we were excited just to do a "drive-by" and see the lights and all of the "interesting" people in and around the area!

Katalina Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04378100135672034661noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11201537.post-1126083003216649552005-09-07T08:21:00.000+02:002005-10-19T10:38:10.866+02:00

Versailles - This is the beautiful "Hall of Mirrors" and the sight of the "signing" of the Treaty of Versailles which officially ended WWI.

Katalina Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04378100135672034661noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11201537.post-1126087508252414772005-09-07T08:20:00.001+02:002005-10-19T10:39:12.896+02:00

Reflection of Paris..via Starbucks! - This was interesting shot that Porter took while we were taking a break. It's almost as if I am reflecting on a "refreshing" drink from Starbucks--as well as on our Paris visit/touring! (I was actually reading some brochures that we picked up along the way and there was a Starbucks poster off to the side!)

Katalina Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04378100135672034661noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11201537.post-1125401775801382052005-08-30T13:36:00.000+02:002005-08-30T13:36:15.806+02:00

Strasbourg, France 

Katalina Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04378100135672034661noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11201537.post-1125401709076313042005-08-30T13:35:00.000+02:002005-08-30T13:35:09.093+02:00

Strasbourg, France 

Katalina Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04378100135672034661noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11201537.post-1125400402146953172005-08-30T12:58:00.000+02:002005-08-30T13:24:47.890+02:00

Our FIRST adventure and travel to France was to Strasbourg. This French City is located in Alsace and is only about a three our drive from our home in Germany.We started out at “Oh-Dark-Thirty” so as to beat the traffic on the German Autobahns. Just before the border of France, we saw signs for a local Saturday flea market. Since we made good travel time, we decided to stop and see what “

Katalina Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04378100135672034661noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11201537.post-1124886839952241792005-08-24T14:33:00.000+02:002005-08-24T14:35:30.306+02:00

Schloss Solitude

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Another short drive from our home is Schloss Solitude. The Solitude Palace was built in late Baroque style by Duke Carl Eugen between 1763 and 1767 and was completely renovated between 1972-83.The Schloss’ grounds offer the visitor a restful place to come and enjoy the large grassy area that is located between the Palace and a panoramic view of the Stuttgart area. While we were there, we saw

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Ludwigsburg Castle 

Katalina Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04378100135672034661noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11201537.post-1124885160112305622005-08-24T14:01:00.000+02:002005-08-24T14:08:32.813+02:00

There is always “somewhere” to go here in Deutscheland! A short drive from our home in Aichtal is Ludwigsburg and home to one of King Ludwig’s castles”.The drive is short, pleasant, and a good excuse to stop at the local eatery and have a bite to eat (especially after an exhausting tour!) ...Well maybe not exhausting...

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We took an “extended weekend” trip to the German city of Trier. The travel guides and online website touts this city as being the “...oldest City of Germany...” Indeed Trier spans two millenia! We chose to visit this city because of its location (strategic and military), its history, and the Roman ruins.We did indeed see Roman ruins! One of these included the Porta Nigra which is known as one of

Katalina Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04378100135672034661noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11201537.post-1124881065294084552005-08-24T09:20:00.000+02:002005-08-24T13:04:36.433+02:00

Luxemborg

Katalina Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04378100135672034661noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11201537.post-1124879643889067292005-08-24T09:19:00.000+02:002005-08-24T13:41:37.976+02:00

This first set of photos are the "Then" and "Now" set that show a couple of locations that my husband had visited with his father during the early 60’s.The FIRST TWO is of Gëlle Fra” Memorial: set up in 1923 to commemorate the Luxembourgers who perished in the First World War.The SECOND SET is in front of the Cathedral to the Blessed Virgin. Above is the Deer Crossing mentioned later on in the

Katalina Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04378100135672034661noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11201537.post-1122362100715051562005-07-26T18:15:00.000+02:002005-07-26T09:15:45.516+02:00

Schloss Lichtenstein

Katalina Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04378100135672034661noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11201537.post-1122361987060927372005-07-26T18:12:00.000+02:002005-07-26T09:13:49.360+02:00

Schloss Lichtenstein (Castle Lichtenstein) was a formiddable 19th century fortress and is located in the Schwäbische Alb. The castle is perched atop a craggy peak high above the surrounding villages. The interior of the castle is not on the grand scale of the Bavarian castle Neuschwanstein, but I rather enjoyed touring this castle more, simply because the rooms were cozy and reflected a “lived in

Katalina Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04378100135672034661noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11201537.post-1122319826292868252005-07-26T06:28:00.000+02:002005-07-25T21:32:19.266+02:00

Fino "The Great Bambino"!!!

Katalina Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04378100135672034661noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11201537.post-1122319690514275192005-07-26T06:27:00.000+02:002005-07-25T21:28:10.523+02:00

I would like to introduce you to “grandson number one”. His name is Rufino, or as we all call him Fino (pronounced “Fee-noh”). Fino is the grandson who gave me my nickname that to this day all of my grandsons, my children, my grandsons’ friends, and my son and daughter’s friends call me ... “JAMA”! You see, when Fino was learning to talk, he could not pronounce “Grandma”. Grandma always came out

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I have finally decided to post a little (very little) on our trip to Munich or as the Germans refer to it here in Deutschland, "München". (It is ironic that I should happen to update today as it is "VE" day (Victory in Europe day...60 year anniversary).As my husband and I have an interest in military history, we decided to take the "Third Reich Tour" of Munich (which also included a tour of

Katalina Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04378100135672034661noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11201537.post-1119426764190388682005-07-10T19:59:00.000+02:002005-07-11T12:17:12.076+02:00

Munich

Katalina Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04378100135672034661noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11201537.post-1120047146639064082005-06-29T23:12:00.000+02:002005-06-29T14:16:53.006+02:00

The Ice Cream and The Grin! 

Katalina Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04378100135672034661noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11201537.post-1120046403107962142005-06-29T23:11:00.000+02:002005-06-29T14:17:47.003+02:00

This is grandson number two. His name is Joshua. Joshua is eight years old. He loves to read and draw AND play video games! He loves to look at German “Tank-a-Tanks” (his old baby word for “tanks”) and used to sit with his Papa for hours looking at books about the tanks. Joshua loves basketball and plays quite well for his age. Regarding his drawing--he can be quite imaginative and artistic

Katalina Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04378100135672034661noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11201537.post-1119866333427236112005-06-27T20:58:00.000+02:002005-06-27T11:59:27.070+02:00

Rosie (Lokenani)

Katalina Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04378100135672034661noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11201537.post-1119865987504343292005-06-27T20:52:00.000+02:002005-06-27T11:53:07.523+02:00

Recently, a friend of mine from Citrus Heights, California visited her German acquaintances to help them celebrate a "40th" birthday. While scheduling did not allow us to meet up until the day of her departure, it was, none the less, a happy experience to see one another once again!I (we) have known this person, Lokenani (my Hawaiian name for her meaning "beautiful rose"), for over 20 years as

Katalina Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04378100135672034661noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11201537.post-1119617338371854092005-06-24T14:48:00.000+02:002005-06-24T14:48:58.376+02:00

Keoni (aka: "Oni-Boy") 

Katalina Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04378100135672034661noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11201537.post-1119617204269731512005-06-24T14:36:00.000+02:002005-06-24T14:46:44.276+02:00

I thought I would post something different than my usual, “visit here...travel there”...The little gentleman above is named Keoni. He is four years old and will be five in October. Keoni is my third grandson and quite a precious little fellow! Keoni means John in Hawaiian.His personality is unique (of course I am partial!). He has his own mind and his own ideas about how things should be done. (

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Cafe am Beethovenplatz 

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During a recent tour in the city of München (or Munich as we from the States call it) we stopped at a delightful Konzertcafe called Cafe am Beethovenplatz.We (the group) was offered one of three dining choices, (1) Schweinebratin mit Mehlkloß und Krautsalat (Roast pork with dumpling and German style coleslaw). (2) Nuremberg Brats mit Sauerkraut (Roasted Brats with sauerkraut) (3) Mischsalat mit

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Langastof der Lillie

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"Hers"

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"His"

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During a recent trip to town of Triberg (located in Schwarzwald or Black Forest), my husband and I stopped in for a bite to eat at the Landgasthoff der Lillie. A cafe that (as their internet site indicates) may have been in business since 1608? (See website).The interior of the establishment was clean and met our "newcomers to Germany" expectations of what a gasthof might look like. The staff was

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Gutach Falls

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Haus der 1000 Uhren

Katalina Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04378100135672034661noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11201537.post-1118922905059483942005-06-16T22:54:00.000+02:002005-06-16T13:55:05.066+02:00

“The Romans described the Black Forest as an impenetrable wilderness inhabited only by wild beasts and barbarians.” (source: Insight Guides-Germany)I recall having heard fairy tales and numerous other stories about the “Black Forest”, so imagine my excitement when we decided to take a drive to Schwarzwald!The Black Forest is about a two hour drive from our home and I must say, a very scenic drive

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Birkenopf Memorial

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Birkenopf Hill

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My husband and I took a short ride to a place called Birkenopf –“Rubble Hill” also known as Monte Scherbelino to the locals.We knew from previous research, the city of Stuttgart was bombed during the second world war and that the top of this hill was created from the rubble to serve as a memorial.The following is from a memorial plaque at the site:“Dieser BergNach dem zqeiter

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Burg Hohenzollern 

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View from Burg Hohenzollern 

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