If I ever own a brick and mortar store, you can bet that I’ll have a unique sign. I have learned a thing or two from Europe about the value of a lovely sign. One city stood out above the rest, however. Nearly every sign in Krakow caught my eye and made me want to stop and snap a photo. Perhaps I was paying more attention since I had recently read this post by Travel Gumbo about the signs of Krakow. […]
Author: Ava
What You Don’t See in My Travel Photos.
I became more than a little bit obsessed with traveling shortly after we moved to Germany. Unfortunately, the arrival of my sudden wanderlust coincided with a diagnosis of fibromyalgia. I had already been dealing with various health issues due to early onset osteoarthritis, but figuring out how to deal with a lot of pain while living in a foreign country was a much bigger challenge. I was discouraged by the pain ravaging my body but determined to travel despite it. Although […]
Half-Timbered Houses in Erfurt.
Erfurt is the capital and largest city of Thuringia, a state in central Germany. While it’s a popular destination for German tourists, it’s often overlooked in favor of bigger or more well-known cities by foreign tourists. There are so many reasons to visit the city, from its old town being one of the most intact medieval cities in Germany to seeing the Dom St. Marien, where Martin Luther was ordained. I’m looking forward to sharing all of the details about […]
Visiting the Wurstelprater Amusement Park in Vienna, Austria.
The Wurstelprater amusement park is located in Wiener Prater, a large public park in Vienna (Wien), Austria. While there is a lot to see and do in the massive park, Wurstelprater is special because it is the oldest amusement park in the world. Publicly opened in 1766, it currently features the iconic Wiener Riesenrad (a Ferris wheel), 13 roller coasters, a Madame Tussauds, and plenty of other fun attractions. Prater is open 24/7 year round and some venues, such […]
50 Things I Miss from Home.
I furiously made this list about four months ago, when we had been living in Germany for a total of six months. I saved it and then it went into the depths of my “potential blog posts” folder because I was afraid of it. I knew I couldn’t open it and finish editing it without having a meltdown about missing home. It was a rough time. But I’ve gradually become more stable and happier in Germany – despite all the […]
The Value of Fleeting Friendships While Traveling.
Sitting on a train in Thuringia we received a resolute “nein” from the train conductor – the kind that meant we had made an expensive mistake. To our dismay we were informed that the “Regio120” train ticket we had purchased was not actually a regional ticket. As we tried to work out a resolution amid frustrations about the vague Deutsche Bahn guidelines that have fooled us twice now, a young woman turned around in her seat to help us communicate […]
Love Locks in Europe.
Love locks; for some they are physical representation of unbreakable love. For others, they are considered an eye sore or even vandalism. Regardless of how you feel about them, it’s unlikely that you’ll be able to avoid seeing a few no matter where you travel these days. In fact, the only European country I’ve visited where I haven’t encountered them was Spain (although I’m sure I could have found some if I’d tried). I’ve been cataloging them throughout my European […]
A Day in the Life: Expat in Small Town Germany.
“A day in the life” posts have become really popular on Imgur (an online image sharing community); people all over the world have been taking photos throughout a normal day of their life and sharing them. The Imgur blog said the following about this idea: As we go about our daily routines, we rarely stop to consider how fascinating our lives may be to others. Our homes, the commute to work or school, what we have for dinner, and how we […]
6 Interesting Things to Know About Zurich.
I had some extra time while I was planning our trip to Zurich and so I happily browsed the internet and soaked up lots of details about interesting Swiss city. While I was a mostly blank slate to start with – I didn’t know anything about Zurich except that it has a lake and it’s in Switzerland – I think most people will find these facts fascinating! Six interesting things about Zurich: 1| It’s not the capital of Switzerland. Not only […]
Walking Along the Wall of Rothenburg ob der Tauber.
The stairs were uneven, the path was narrow, and some portions seemed on the verge of crumbling, but I loved it nonetheless. Walking along the wall of Rothenburg ob der Tauber may not be for the faint of heart, but it’s a rewarding experience that is worth the possibility of risk. The city of Rothenburg will gift you with sights of half-timbered homes, stretches of green valleys on the horizon, and peaks of the inner city between rooftops. As my […]