Pop Quiz!

I have a quiz for you! See if you've caught on to Julie and my traveling habits by answering these questions about our day in Munich, Germany!

1.  How much did we spend visiting an historical site?

2.  What was the name of the walking tour in which we participated?

3. What type of fact, building or attraction did we enjoy the most on the walking tour?

4. What was our afternoon snack?

5. What type of business did we shop at for our supper?

6. Where did we eat our supper?

7. What activity did we do in our jeans at the place we ate our meal? (Trick question as we've not shared this in our blogs before!)

8. Where did we sleep?

9. What treat did we want to eat before sleeping but resisted?

10. What part of our time in Munich was most likely our favorite?


Do you have the answers? Some ideas?


Give up?




Here you go:

1. Nothing! We went to the free Dachau Concentration Camp Museum. We also were able to use our train pass all day from the ride from Austria, so no new transportation costs, either!

2. FREE Walking Tour!
These tours are led by the company, Sandemans, and the guides work for tips.

3. The fact and memorial we found the most unique: The Golden Road! Those who didn't support the Nazis took this path to avoid giving the salute to Hitler. This hand gesture is illegal in Germany and you can be deported if seen doing it.

4. Carrots! We love a good vegetable snack and bought two at a local farmer's market stand! So good!

5.  A grocery store! ALDI to be precise! Less than €5 for enough food for three or more meals.

6. A park! We love laying out my citenge and sitting down in the grass and having ourselves a nice little picnic!

7. Our fitness challenge program for the day! We did 50 squats, 35 lunges and 30 bridges right there in the green of the public park.

8. The Munich airport, of course!

9. Manner and Mozart kugels! These Austrian treats are our favorite! We told ourselves we would wait until after we left Austria and Germany for these treats!

10. The grocery shopping, quark (fresh cheese almost similar to ricotta, but sweeter and better), and enjoying our time in the garden! This is how we best love to spend our days wherever we may be!

Hope you all passed! Or just keep coming back and reading more about our adventures!

Farewell To Austria

July 19th, 2015 at 5am, Julie and I rolled into Salzburg on an overnight bus with the morning sky lighting the Untersberg and the night rain wetness still clinging to the sidewalks and grass. This was the beginning of the last few days in Salzburg and Austria. 

The next couple hours we meandered the streets of south Salzburg reminiscing about our time in this most beautiful city and in Austria, the country we both now know and love. What adventures and amazing experiences we were granted in this wonderful German speaking land!

Over the three months in Austria we learned new skills and techniques as well as about ourselves. We learned how to milk goats and keep cow milk curds properly separated while making mountain cheese. We learned how to cook venison, choose herbs from the garden or fields for meals and tea, and fed trout in a small family pond. On the amazing family pig farm we experienced new foods, were taught different skills in preparing and processing meat and pork, and gathered honey from beehives. Lastly, in southeastern Austria, we learned about shepherding sheep along public roads and highways and were shown all the amazing berries nature provides for us to pick and eat. 

Not only have we become more competent in a variety of new practices, we've grown personally. First and foremost, Julie and I have grown to appreciate even more the benefits of regular exercise and healthy eating. We've actually developed a habit for running several times a week and doing different exercises for strength and toning. We feel great! I've learned from all the wonderful people we've met more about the person I want to strive to be. I will always be myself, but I want to be the best version of me. I want to allow others to sometimes be in control, to be flexible, to find the wonder and joy in daily happenings and give the deserved love and thanks to all my amazing family and special friends! Each and every person we have met in the valleys or mountains or rolling fields of Austria have shaped us in one way or another. And we thank them! 

Strolling through the familiar streets and walking trails of Salzburg gave Julie and I time to fully appreciate and remember these fantastic three months we've experienced. 

We were able to spend the remaining couple days with my beloved host family near the old city and share time and conversation with them. Julie was even able to play in the pool with the children! 

Julie and I also attended our last service with the Salzburg International Christian Church. What a friendly and open-armed bunch of folks! We were then able to enjoy a Kenyan meal following the service with a great friend and her husband. It was SO SUPER to have NSHIMA! Nshima is the corn-made staple food from Zambia I ate while in Africa. Kenyans also eat this, but call it a different name, Ugali. I was taken back to my village as we enjoyed nshima with our hands and a tasty relish of meat and vegetables. What a super memorable day! 

The last full day in Austria, Julie and I chose to culminate our time by hiking up the Gaisberg, a 4225 ft high mountain in the city Salzburg. The day was hazy with low clouds and a few showers helped cool down our trek to the top. However, it was a wonderful hike up with amazing views of the old city below and the beautiful green fields beyond the city limits. We even were able to see the mountains that we lived among with our dairy farm host north of Salzburg! 

As Julie and I made our way up, and eventually down, the damp and sometimes rocky path, we were again reminded about all the ways we've grown. We have the endurance and patience to make it all the way to the top of a mountain. When we missed the last bus for several hours, we instantly knew we would still be able to enjoy and make the most of the steep route back down! The rain and mist didn't deter us for a moment, and when our feet thought they were getting tired, we focused on the neat trees, the beautiful green fields and the wonderful views from the vantage points on the mountain. These may seem simple every day ways to go about anything, but we've learned how looking at the positives and bright side of everything how much more pleasant daily events and views can be. The thin air may have been getting to us as we trundled down the rough slope, but we will credit our Austrian experiences for the amazing laughter we found for ourselves on that mountainside! 

Tuesday, July 14th around 8:30am, Julie and I headed by bus to the Salzburg train station. We boarded the train bound for Munich, Germany and watched as the Salzach river and Austrian mountains faded from view. 

The first and main priority of this trip was for my intense longing and need to be in Salzburg and Austria to be fulfilled. I loved every minute in Austria and cherished all the familiar faces and places I revisited in Salzburg. It is with great happiness that I declare I still love and adore Austria, but I no longer need to be there. I can enjoy new places, feel content where I am now and live each day with a fresh start. This is an amazing feeling. I feel free to live and love and be alive wherever I find myself!  

I am fulfilled! Julie, of course, has the Austrian urge now and may be finding her way back again before me! 

Farewell to Austria for now!

The morning sky surrounding the Untersberg. 

Catching a nap under the trees in a woody park!

We never tire of this view!

A ride in an old USA army truck in Austria with our amazing host!

NSHIMA!!!

Our wonderful nshima, called ugali in Kenya, lunch host! 

Mirabel Garden, always beautifully landscaped! 

Salzburg at night! The old city 'tor' or gate. We enjoyed street concerts before heading home. 

The city at the foot of the Gaisberg. 

Here we go! Up the mountain! 

The amazing views only twenty minutes up. 

Julie making some sport as she runs up the hill! 

Cool rocks along the trail. It started to warm up under the canopy of trees! 

Almost to the top! 

We made it! 

And down we go. It was REALLY steep and rocky. 

Salzburg. Beautiful Salzburg, Austria. 

And Another...Prague

As Dana and I were discussing where we should go since our host experience wasn't what we expected, Dana asked, "What about Prague?" My response was, "Well I know it's a place people go!" I never would have thought that we would have some of the best days of our trip so far in this city I knew so little about. So yes, Dana and I found yet another city to love!

What encouraged us most about Prague was that our cousin is teaching English there and we had hopes to meet up somehow. It seemed like the perfect opportunity to see her. We are so thankful to have a friendly face to show us around, share the little details you wouldn't know as a tourist, and be able to share stories that only family members can understand.

For example, we were introduced to some of our favorite treats found at the local supermarket, Tesco! These were dangerously delicious and though we maybe bought them more often than we should have, it was cheaper than going to a bakery! We were also shown the best parks to visit and where to get the best views of the city!

Although our trip to Prague was not planned and arose out of a not ideal situation, we feel that it all worked out the way it was supposed to. It could not have come at a better time and we are just so thankful for this opportunity. It has taught us to look at the positives, be thankful in all situations and do everything to make the most out of what life brings you!

The best way to show you this beautiful city is through all of the photos we took. Photos can't quite do this city justice but it'll have to do until you can come to this city that people go to!

A really cool floating statue near our hostel

We decided to get up early our first morning here and watch the sunrise from St. Charles Bridge!

There are not many people on the bridge at 5am

Here it comes!

We are learning to like mornings, especially if it means you get to see the sunrise!

Catching up with our cousin on an island on the river!

Shopping district in front of a museum

Prague lights up at night!

Tesco treats on the river!

St. Charles Bridge in the daylight - but it is still early as no one else is there

Early morning visit to the astronomical clock

View from one of our favorite spots in Prague - Vyšehrad

The Vltava River

A white peacock we found in one of the many awesome courtyards and gardens around the city

The courtyard had many cool statues and buildings

We love the old water pumps!

Crazy rock formations - they are man made rocks!

We took a break on our climb up to the castle

We love the views!

Austrian suppers are our favorite - bread, butter, and wurst!

Eis! Eis! Eis!

Another view of the river

Awesome tower of books!

Trying traditional Czech treat - trdelník

Picnic at sunset on our full last day

Our last treats from Tesco. No we didn't eat them all in one sitting!

We got to go with our cousin to pick up her parents at the airport! It was so nice to see family.

Late night food on the bus - noodles and veggies in a plastic bag!

On the bus leaving Prague - we are sad to leave but excited to return to our beloved Austria for a few more days!