Roadtrip...final days

On Friday I got up early to drive to Kasteel De Haar, a castle close by to Utrecht. I am glad I went early because the grounds were fairly empty so I was able to get some great shots. The castle's history goes back to the middle ages, but it was restored and partially rebuilt in the 19th century. The tour was in Dutch, but they had audio guides to listen to in English while following the group tour. It was very informative and the rooms inside were beautiful but no photography was allowed. After the tour, I drove back to Utrecht and walked around the shopping areas. I visited the Dom (church), and ended up going to the movies because they had Monsters University playing in English which is harder to find in Germany. I had seen just about everything I was interested in seeing in Utrecht and I was pretty tired by this point in the trip. I had an early morning and a long day ahead of me.

Saturday morning was the fabric market. It takes place every Saturday morning and it was absolutely excellent. First stop was Starbucks while they were setting up. I spent almost 2 hours at the market because there was just so much to see and check out. The prices were cheap and a lot of things were marked down for the market. I had so many heavy bags by the time I was done, and my walk to the car was slightly difficult. I really wish there was something like this locally more often. When I was done, I checked out of the hostel and began driving home, with a couple stops on the way. First stop was Burg Eltz, a castle in Germany. It was quite out of the way, and I had to drive through a few small towns, but when I did finally find it, it was definitely worth it. This was the most impressive castle so far. It was built in a valley in the 12th century, and is still owned by a branch of the same family. It was just a quick stop because I still had a lot of driving ahead of me. My next stop was in Aschaffenberg near Frankfurt to check out another TK Maxx. I planned this stop just to give myself a break from driving.  From here, I had 2 more hours of driving and then I was home. Exhausted and ready for bed :)

Kasteel De Haar

Kasteel De Haar

Burg Eltz

 Burg Eltz

Links: 

Kasteel De Haar

Fabric Market, Utrecht

Burg Eltz

Roadtrip continued...Amsterdam

My favorite part about visiting cities on vacation? Starbucks. I usually brew at home, but I enjoy the Starbucks experience and there are none locally. I was very happy Thursday morning to grab Starbucks and get on a train to Amsterdam. The train ticket was very reasonably priced. Cheaper than our train to Nürnberg, and about the same amount of time. When I arrived in Amsterdam, I went to the tourist office and got the Iamsterdam city card. I don't usually do things like that, but I was only planning on spending one day in Amsterdam and the museum ticket prices individually were very expensive. Most were about 10 euros minimum. The 24hr card was 42 euro and it also included a canal boat tour and unlimited use of the city public transportation. The canal boat tour was a bit lengthy but very informative if you are interested in the history of the city. My next stop was the Amsterdam Museum. This museum was very modern and appealing but there was way too much information. It would be good if you had many days in Amsterdam and had at least half a day to commit to it. The city of Amsterdam is very crowded, think Times Square crowds, but everywhere you go. I found my way on the tram to the  modern art museum, Stedelijk (I have no idea how to say that). This museum was huge but I made my way through it, and then headed over the Van Gogh museum which was right next door. There was a fairly large line at the Van Gogh museum, but the city card allowed me to get on a shorter line, and I was inside within 15 minutes. The museum was very crowded and hard to enjoy. Perhaps this is something to do first thing in the morning. They had a lot of great pieces of Van Gogh's work, and a good audio guide to go along. I needed a little break from museums, so I found a small flea market I had seen from the canal tour. Mostly tourist things, and there was also a plant market. Lots of tulip bulbs being sold, but I knew I would not be able to keep it alive so I didn't even bother. Instead, I purchased some painted wooden carved tulips. Next I was off to the Rembrandt house which was very interesting. After this, I tried to go to the Jewish history museum which was close by but they closed early at 5 pm. After picking up a few more souvenirs, I was quite exhausted and worn out from the museum spree so I headed back to Utrecht. Amsterdam is a great city to visit and is very unique, so I highly recommend visiting. There is lots to see and do, and lots of shopping.

The canal tours

The pole sticking out at the top of the houses is a hoisting bar. The staircases are too windy and narrow so every house, even modern ones have a hoisting bar to move large furniture.

Loved the old crooked buildings

Tulips!

Van Gogh 

Although very different, I see the influence the Dutch had on NYC architecture

Links: 

Iamsterdam city card

Roadtrip to Cologne and Utrecht continued

I debated checking out the Cologne Cathedral the night before but I decided against wondering around at night and waited till the next day. Of course, it was raining the next day, so it wasn't as beautiful as it could have been but it was still certainly impressive. Cologne Cathedral (Kölner Dom) is a Roman Catholic cathedral that was built in 1248 but not finished until 1880. It is the most visited site in Germany. After a couple minutes inside the cathedral, I headed around the corner to the Museum Ludwig, a modern art museum. It was a bit pricey, but this is coming from someone who knows the Met is a suggested donation and otherwise visited the free museums in Washington, D.C. Their pop art collection was impressive, but I didn't come to a German modern art museum just to see American art. They had quite a variety of work, but nothing special enough for me to want to go back. On my way back to the hostel, I walked down the main shopping street, Schildergasse, which has any type of store you could want. I checked out of the hostel and began my drive to Utrecht in the Netherlands.

Unfortunately, the rain followed me all the way there. It was a slow drive, especially because there are actually speed limits on their highways. I guess I am getting used to the German Autobahn. There were almost no cars around when I crossed the border, and it was simple as crossing from state to state, although the signs were now in Dutch. I arrived at Hostel Strowis, and got checked in. I wasn't that impressed. It had all the amenities needed but it was very basic and very 'backpacker'. I guess all of the other places I have stayed in had a special charm, and this one was just not interesting. Not to mention, the lockers mentioned online were downstairs in the basement. That was incredibly inconvenient. Parking in Utrecht is next to impossible and incredibly expensive, so I researched a 24 hour parking garage that was at the mall and train station and drove my car over there. Had a fun time getting lost on the walk back to the hostel. Utrecht is very windy with canals all over. There were lots of little shopping districts and cafes. It was quite a charming little city. After all that driving, and the fact that it was still raining, I wasn't up for doing much so I grabbed a bite to eat and went to bed.

Cologne Cathedral

Ludwig Museum

Utrecht

Links: 

Hostel in Cologne

Cologne Cathedral 

Hostel Strowis

Roadtrip: Day 1 Cologne

I started off my trip early and reached Schloss Drachenburg by around noon after getting a little bit lost as I got closer. The signs in town weren't clear, and it was certainly frustrating being able to see the castle from the road, but not be able to figure out how to get there. Finally after a quick internet search, I figured out where I could park to walk up to the castle. It was a nice walk up, and was pleasantly pleased when I arrived. It was quite a beautiful castle, and had a beautiful view from atop the hill. The grounds were beautifully kept and there were a few rooms inside to view. There was no tour in English, so I didn't learn much but did enjoy touring the rooms myself. After my visit and a quick bite to eat (currywurst, of course) I was on the road again headed to Cologne.

 I arrived less than an hour later, and walked around until I could check in to my hostel, Die Wohngemeinschaft. With not a lot of time, I didn't want to head too far, so I found the TK Maxx which was close by and checked it out. Not quite as awesome as the ones at home, but better than nothing. Unfortunately there are none very close to me. When I finally checked into the hostel, I was very impressed. The facilities were amazing: clean and new showers, clean bathrooms, and amazingly decorated rooms. My room was decorated with a rock n' roll theme, and each bed was double size with a curtain, shelf, outlet, and light. Each person also got a nice sized locker for their belongings for the night.

 The room across the hall 

Shortly after checking in, I was on the road again to go meet the lady in charge of adoption for the galgos (spanish greyhound) through Scooby Medina in Germany. She was about 45 minutes away and the visit went well and I was approved for the adoption. The town she lived in looked very different from ours which perhaps is just because it is more north, but I definitely found it interesting. More modern and it almost somewhat resembled an urban American town.

Back to Cologne I went, and I was quite exhausted by the time I got back. I head out for a quick bite, and randomly met a young girl from the states also looking for somewhere to eat, so we ended up grabbing dinner together. After that I went to bed because I had more driving ahead of me tomorrow and not to mention, some site seeing to do before I left Cologne.

Time to Catch Up Spain Part 3

It's been quite awhile since I wrote on here, but I have a good reason. I was working at a Girl Scout Sleepaway camp here in Germany for a month. I will write about that soon! But first, I must finish what I started, and that was writing about Spain. 

On my third day in Spain I started early with a walk up Alcazaba, castle ruins that were originally built by the Hammudid dynasty in the 11th century. The walk up and around it was absolutely beautiful, and some of the details were stunning. My only complaint would be there was next to no information in English at the displays of artifacts. Afterwards I took a free walking tour that was advertised in the hostel. Although I had already seen so much, it was great to learn some of the history of the city. After a short lunch break I set up the very steep hill to the other castle ruins, Gibralfaro, which dates back to the 10th century. Even the views from the hike up were absolutely stunning. The steep hike up was well worth it. The site was beautiful and peaceful. The scenery was perfect, hills to one side, city, and ocean to the other. 

After all of the sightseeing, I decided to take a break from it all and check out the shopping mall in town. This took me to the other side of town that wasn't for tourists. As you could imagine, I thoroughly enjoyed seeing where real life took place in Málaga. I found the mall, and it had many shops I had never been to before, and some that don't have locations close near me in Germany like Zara and Primark. While I was in Primark, a super cheap (hit or miss) British store, I found a Ryanair carryon size suitcase that I bought on impulse. I already paid to check a bag on the way home, so now I didn't have to worry about cramming my stuff into the backpack. 

On my last day, Friday, I started the day with a visit to the Museuo Interactivo De La Musica. The museum had exhibits of instruments throughout history as well as different types. There were some parts of the exhibit that were interactive so you could test out the sounds of unusual instruments. The museum was good and quick, so I went to another museum, Centro de Arte Contemporáneo de Málaga. That day was free entry which is always a bonus! It was one large room with dividers, but the modern artwork was really awesome. It was also displayed really well, which is something only art geeks like me could really appreciate. I would definitely recommend checking it out. My memory is a bit fuzzy about what I did the rest of the day, but I'm sure it had something to do with shopping. My brain was fried from all the museums and history, so I believe I went back to the mall, since I now had more space in my luggage :) 

 And my lunch! Roast beef with arugala and cream cheese. yum.

Overall, Málaga might not be Barcelona or Madrid, but I thoroughly enjoyed it. There were many other things to see on the list, but I had to pick just a handful-the ones I could understand and the ones I could afford. I would definitely recommend visiting this city if you ever travel to Spain. It was absolutely beautiful and charming, and being on the water is an added bonus. 

Màlaga, Spain! Part 2

Màlaga is a city on the Costa del Sol of the Mediterranean Sea, and is one of the oldest cities in the world, having been founded in 770 BC by the Phoenicians. It has been under rule of different empires including the Romans and Islamics. It's colorful and long history makes this city a very interesting place to visit.

I had half the day left after I arrived, so after getting settled into Feel Hostels City Center, I walked around the old part of town for the afternoon. It was a beautiful day to walk down the streets and explore. This part of the city had beautiful and detailed buildings, narrow windy roads, and historical sites everywhere. I even made it down to the shore and walked along the beach. I had an early dinner of 'way too fresh' mussels, and called it a night. It had been a long day of traveling. 

For my first full day, I started out with Picasso's birthplace (Casa Natal De Pablo Ruiz Picasso). The museum was very interesting, offering background information on Picasso and his family, and their life in Màlaga. They didn't stay long but the city is proud to claim Picasso as their own. The museum also had a special exhibit next door featuring the art of Ramón Gaya, who was a follower of Picasso's style. Next I was off to the other Picasso museum (Museo Picasso Màlaga), which had a decent collection of his artwork. This museum was less informative, and the most expensive one I visited. It seems necessary to go because you are in his birth city, but it wasn't worthwhile in my opinion. But this is coming from someone who has seen plenty of Picasso paintings in the museums in New York City. If you haven't seen any of his work in person, this would be a must see. Keeping with the theme of the day, I checked out another art museum, Museo Carmen Thyssen Màlaga. This museum featured work of different periods and mostly Spanish artists. The art was beautiful, and it was nice to spend an hour or two inside. 

The rest of my day was spent trying to read menus and just walking around the streets discovering cute shops everywhere.

Picasso's birthplace

 Some really neat antiques in the window 

Màlaga, Spain!, Part 1- Ryanair travel tips :)

Two weeks ago I took advantage of the army taking away my husband to a boring class for a couple of days, and decided to take the time to go on a trip. I chose Màlaga in Spain for a few reasons. 1, because ryanair (a discount airline) flew there right from Nürnberg, 2, because the weather was going to be nice, and 3, because there was lots to see and do there. I definitely was not disappointed with the trip. But first, lets talk about Ryanair.

For any of you who might be planing to plane hop around Europe, Ryanair is a great choice. Easyjet is another discount airline to use, but does not fly many places from Germany, so it's not much help to me anymore. Ryanair has cheap flights, and can get you almost anywhere you want to go, and many places you didn't know you wanted to go to. When I looked at where they flew to from Nürnberg, I was originally disappointed that it was so limited, but now I can see it as a positive. It allowed me to think outside the box-see a city that wasn't necessarily well known, but still had a lot to offer. One thing I always do before I book my flights, is to check the public transportation options from the airport to the place that I am staying. Everything has to work with each other. The hostel I chose had a 24h reception, so I didn't have to worry about a super early or late flight, but I did have to make sure that I would be able to get to and from the hotel at a strange hour. I did my research, and was able to confirm that the train opened early enough for my early Saturday morning flight home. Okay, so the times worked out, so I went ahead and booked the trip! My next dilemma was Ryanair's super stingy bag limitations. I get it, it's a discount airline, so they need to make their money somewhere. Their carry-on size is significantly smaller than most airlines. To check a bag, it starts at 20 euro, and can be 60 euro if you decide to check it at the airport and haven't prepaid. Really? 40 euro's because a person has to ring you up. So when I got to the airport, I had to rearrange some things to make my backpack fit. Hint-don't use a backpack-use a suitcase with the limitation dimensions, and don't pack it full so it doesn't expand. I also went online on my phone, and paid to check my bag home because at that point, if I bought even one thing, it wouldn't fit, and I did not need to pay 60 euros.

Besides the bag limitations, I have nothing else to complain about Ryanair. Boarding is different than other airlines - there are no assigned seats, first come first serve - which works out well for me because I am always early. The flight was smooth and on time, and they had reasonably priced food available to buy on the plane.

Beautiful scenery from the airport in Màlaga