Tag amazing places to eat
All Under one Banner
What a rally and march to see!! The streets are packed with seekers, the March filled with banners, flags, and more, in march for an Independent Scoltand!! What an experience to see first hand.
The march last well over an hour and chants were said, responses given, and flags were waved in high glory, too!!!


Crathes Castle, Aberdeenshire, Scotland (near Banchory)
Crathes Castle is a place that dreams are made of and fantastical stories are written about-an abundance of beauty, history and a stunning gardens, well kept and outstanding!
It’s on the National Historical marker and “free” when you purchase a historical place (well worth the money to buy one!) I wouldn’t have known about this stunning secret if I hadn’t purchased the historical pass.
I tried stuffed tatties for the first time in my life at the cafe inside the castle, also awesome! The place offers the perfect get away and is an easy walk from the bus stop (the regional bus driver knew where to drop me off when I inquired!)
Wear comfortable shoes as the gardens are extensive, as is the castle, stretch out and enjoy all the beauty this castle has to offer! I absolutely love it here yes, while my article here does sound like an “advertisement’ to sell this place as an adventure, it’s all true (and no, it’s not sponsoring me, I am just seriously enjoying the place and want to share this secret with others!)
It’s a historical treasure that I would love to call home, assuming I won the huge lottery and it was for sale (which it’s not because it’s on the historical treasury!)










Reykjavik, Iceland
A layover has never been more exciting. My flight on Icelandair proved to be very successful, flying from London to Denver, via Reykjavik, Iceland.
I arrived just little before midnight, went through customs (getting another stamp in my passport, woohoo!!) I was able to sleep a little on a terminal bench in a quiet area, which was super after so much adventuring and travel..
Upon waking up, I grabbed some coffee and a breakfast sandwich, and booked a round trip local bus ticket to the town of Reykjavik, where more unexpected adventures awaited, and the beauty was an unexpected surprise. The bus drove by the old lava fields (now covered in sparse shrub and grasses) and dropped off passengers not far from city center square.
The pictures tell the rest of the story, and I even sampled fermented shark (not shown). A rare delicacy I have never tasted or had available anywhere else!!!

Joe and the Juice Coffee

Leif Erikson

Monument

Atlantic Inlet to the coastline

Iceland sweater for sale at $400

Mural in the airport

Loki Cafe entree, amazing

Tulips

Loki Cafe

Thor Tea

Lief Erikson monument

Church hours in Nordic and English

Hallgrimskirkja Church, Iceand

The Loki cafe is an amazing place to dine and has some incredible views but be warned, Iceland is very expensive to enjoy, even on a basic level…be prepared to drop some cash on even basics. For example, a cup of regular coffee (roughly $2 to $3 in the USA) is easily $8 to $10 in Iceland, even outside of the airports. Why is everything so costly?? From what I understand, most things have to be important to Iceland and with a population of roughly 350,000 (for the whole country), costs are higher due to the enviroment and import costs, etc. It is worth seeing but plan accordingly…and apparently the higher winds and chill are constant, so dress warmly!!!
13 months in Baden Wurtemburg
Whew!! 13 months here have really flown by and now it is time for the next chapter!! A review in photos of all the fun I have experienced living abroad here in Germany.
Bühl and the Burg Windeck Ruins

And of course, we had to stop for a coffee break!!!

A Sunday Drive in the Black Forrest
Chilly Day Chili
Steinbach
A Small, quaint town in the heart of the Black Forrest, Thomas and I stopped at the Guesthause Hirch for a wonderful german meal, the church bells rang, and the service was nice, the food superb. A town that one can easily relax in and fully enjoy!!! A place to get a breath of fresh air and enjoy the day. It is also easily accessible, not far from Baden Baden
St. Barbara Capella Ruins, Langensteinbach, Badische History
The St. Barbara Capella (church) was built in the beginning of the 1300s in the town edge
of Langensteinbach here in the Alb Valley.
A little history (compliments of the a German information website) tells the story beautifully here:
“The first documentary mention of the Barbara Chapel as “capella sanctae Barbarae” dates from 1432. The building itself dates back to the 14th century. Before the annexation of the chapel and the associated source to the Holy Barbara, a Celtic sanctuary was found there. Surely the dedication of the chapel is connected with it. Next to the church there was a graveyard for some time – wall remains can be seen on the square and foundations under the ground. Various legends surround the chapel and spring. For almost one and a half centuries, the chapel was a popular place of pilgrimage and the square before it was used for markets. A change took place in the second half of the 16th century with the rejection of the pilgrimage through the now reformed Wuerttemberg Duke. However, it would still be many years before the pilgrimage of the pilgrimage took place. In 1590, the church was still described as “a magnificent temple consecrated with artistic paintings on the Barbaraberg, sacred Barbara”. Twice a year in the presence of a large national market held before this temple. In the Langensteinbach camp book of 1605, however, the first records of the death of the church are described. The subsequent times of the Thirty Years’ War also made travel on land too dangerous, so that the pilgrimage finally fell into oblivion. The assignment of the church to the restituted monastery of Herrenalb did not change, as this was now impoverished. Only the market was continued on the Barbaraberg. In 1818 St. Barbara had completely ruined itself and remained exposed to the decay and plundering of the entire 19th century. In 1902 one remembered the ruin and began a restoration. Above all, the tower was to be used again as a lookout tower. During a new renovation, a massive spiral staircase was installed in the tower in 1966. The tower is open daily as a view tower and is located in the Waldpark St. Barbara in Karlsbad-Langensteinbach.”























































































































































































