Spain

Spain was unknown territory to me. This type of surprise was exciting and a little scary. When we landed in Madrid, I could tell this was going to be a trip that would put me out of my comfort zone. I knew this immediately because I could not differentiate between the women's and men's restroom. Then, there was the informal greetings that we all are accustomed to like good morning, good afternoon and the niceties like please, thank you and you're welcome. I didn't even have those under my belt. I was upset about this but after the first half of my first day, I decided that I was going to try and so I did. I can't say that it was a success because truly, my Spanish-speaking skills are a "wash" but the fact that I tried has to mean something, right? :)

Highlights in Spain:
Real Madrid Soccer Stadium
Royal Palace
German Oktoberfest Bar (just kidding but I did have a good time)
Toledo Cathedral (Spain's 1st capital)
Segovia Cathedral and Castle
Roman Aqueduct (still working)

Real Madrid Soccer Stadium-
The Bernabéu Stadium has capacity for around 80,400 seated spectators and was built in 1947. The Real Madrid Soccer Team was named the BEST in the 20th Century by the FIFA. The Espanians truly take soccer seriously! It is not a sport is a way of life :)

Royal Palace-
Known as the Palacio Real de Madrid, this palace is not where the Royal family actually lives but it is place where the Royal family will entertain or hold important meetings. This was actually one of my favorite things in Madrid. It was very close to our hotel and served as a great landmark if and when I was LOST. Thank goodness for the palace :) I enjoyed walking the grounds and photographing the many fountains and statue gardens on location. **The Royal Family actually resides on the outskirts of the Madrid.

German Oktoberfest Bar-
You know me . . . I love my German heritage and when I heard of the bar, I had to make a stop. It was located about 3 minutes walking distance from our hotel so of course, some friends and I had to enjoy some German "cervezas." That is the Spanish word for beer. One of the few I learned during my whirlwind 5 day stay in Spain.

Toledo-
Toledo is located about 1 hour and 15 minutes south of Madrid. It was the original capital of Spain.
To be honest, I really am not one to enjoy the hussle and bussle of a big city. Madrid is home to 4 million so you can imagine the size and the overall feel to the city. Anytime, I had a chance to take a trip outside of the city, I did! This day trip to Toledo was a perfect escape to the craziness of Madrid. The old city is located on a mountaintop with a spectacular view, surrounded on three sides by a bend in the Tagus River, and contains many historical sites, including the Alcázar Cathedral. It was also the birthplace to the Famous painter Greco. I was able to tour a museum with a wing completing dedicated to his works. The Alcazar Cathedral was massive and I only wish that I could share pictures of it with you but no photography was permitted. Just imagine Gothic-style architecture and colossal everything! My favorite part of the cathedral was the natural lighting because it truly accentuated the alters and the many statue carvings that made cathedral so grand!

Segovia Cathedral and Castle-
Segovia is located about 1 hour and a half north of Madrid. The origins of the actual name of the city translate to "City of Victory." This might have been my absolute highlight of the entire trip. I was able to do my very favorite thing: climb the tallest tower and take pictures of the surrounding countryside! From the top, you could see snow covered mountains that looked like the "baby Alps." It was incredible! I toured the castle which was so basic but so elegant. In fact, it was explained to us that the family crest was bordered with pomegranates because it was said by the King and Queen that serving one's kingdom was both sweet and sour. That Royal duties and service to their people brought much happiness and much pain.
The Cathedral of Segovia was beautiful. It had some of the most intriguing paintings of Christ. I was totally sucked in by the artwork. I enjoyed my time as I tried to make meaning out of some of the most bizarre paintings depicting Christian beliefs. After our tour of the castle and cathedral, I enjoyed an afternoon of walking about the city. I made a stop at a local pastry shop to enjoy a delicious apple pastry and then, a cup of cappuccino. To end the trip to Segovia, we saw one of the most amazing feats of Roman engineering... The Roman Aqueduct. The really amazing part is that it is still working to this day! It brings water from the mountain springs to the city center. It is 2,950 ft long and at its hight point 900 ft tall. I was able to see the tallest point and it was gigantic as I stood at the bast looking up. Again, the Roman were very innovative. I still can't seem to think how they were able to construct such massive monuments using nothing but the power of working men.

Spain 2010

Monticello and Ash Lawn-Highland, VA

I feel very fortunate to have opportunities that I do with travel . . . this one was a little unexpected but it was on my list of historical things to do while living in VA. I made this trip with about 60 fourth graders and it was a blast. The first stop was Ashlawn-Higland. This is a historic house museum, 535-acre working farm, and performing arts site in Albemarle County, Virginia. President James Monroe and his wife, Elizabeth Kortright Monroe of New York, owned Ash Lawn-Highland from 1793 to 1826 and made it their official residence from 1799 to 1823. After the Monroes' death, the name of their farm was changed from "Highland" to "Ash Lawn"; today both names are used. We toured his home and grounds plus there was a neat demonstration about weaponry of the day/living the plantation. I would highly recommend making this part of your visit if you are in the Charlottesville area. In fact, Monticello and Ash Lawn can be made into a day of historic fun!
That’s exactly what we did! After the Ash Lawn-Highland tour, we made our way to Monticello. During lunchtime, slowly, the weather turned from chilly and gray to soaking wet and cold! Then, by the time the buses arrived at Monticello, the rain was steady and the fog was settling in. The fog was so thick that when you looked ahead, you could not see more than 25 yards. At one point, I looked at the backside of Monticello from Thomas Jefferson’s garden and it gave me a chill. I was actually spooked because it was the perfect setting for a ghost story. Yikes! To top it off, nearly ¾ the way through the tour, you are given the chance to roam the grounds. President Jefferson is buried on the grounds and you are permitted to visit his graveside. I walked to his memorial (through the thick fog, a little creeped out) to discover that we were there on his birth date. That was truly an accident because when I talked to the 4th Grade Teaching Chair to tell her what I had discovered, she reacted the same way I did. She was like, “No way, what coincidence.” I was sure to mention that to the students and they all got a kick out of it as well.

**I actually took a picture of the spookiness so be sure to check that out.**

Seriously, the grounds and President Jefferson’s home was really something to see. I wish that I could have been sneaky and took pictures inside but the household guides watched you like a hawk and threatened to take your camera if they caught you photographing after been warned. They were serious.

The rooms that I most enjoyed inside Monticello were President Jefferon’s library and bedroom. Each had so much character. He had so many inventions that I just could not believe it. President Jefferson designed the house himself and the things that I found to be so neat was the use of alcove beds to maximize space, skylights for use of natural lighting and President Jefferson’s closet.

In his bedroom he had a skylight and a partition wall to form a bed between his study/office and his bedroom. He had an alcove and a closet above. You would never know that it was a closet because it was simply visible from his bedroom or study as holes in the wall near the ceiling. The closet was reached by a steep stair or ladder. The closet was a simple, narrow hallway that was located directly above his alcove bed. The elliptical openings in the wall were there for ventilation. He was definitely innovative and it was super neat to see his ideas on simple living—luxuries of the time.

Munich, Germany & Dachau

It was a monumental day . . . I had the opportunity to visit a Nazi Concentration Camp called Dachau. This one is particularly historic because it is the model. It was the first Nazi camp to be functional and all the rest that were scattered across Europe were modeled after the functionality of Dachau. My Omi spoke graciously bowed out because that is a little too close to home for her.
Since middle school, I have always been keen on learning about the Holocaust and for me to have the opportunity to see an actually concentration camp was incredible. When I was actually there, I can remember thinking, “This is one of things that some humans actually deny that ever happened.” My forethought that I had running in my head the entire time I toured the grounds was: This was the site of unjust actions toward humans beings and it was all done by human beings to human being. I mean, Dachau and Aushwitz . . . You see movies/documentaries or to read about it in history books but to visit the actual grounds and see it with my own eyes . . . it was one of the most humbling experiences. There were times I just wanted to cry for all the humility and cruelty that so many individuals endured just because they were “different” from the supposed “supreme race.”

**Out of respect, I feel it is most appropriate for me not to post the pictures that I took from inside some of the camp’s facilities. **

After Dachau, I knew that I needed to take my mind off the intensity of the experience. I needed to “shelf” all that I saw. So, my Omi and I went downtown Munich, Germany. Munich is home to the all-famous Glockenspiel. It consists of 43 bells and 32 life-sized figures. The neatest thing happened, it was like if perfect timing existed . . . I experienced it. My favorite thing to do in a European city is to climb the highest tower and get a perspective on the happenings from above. So, that is exactly what I did in Munich and it just happened that I could climb the city tower and watch the Glockenspiel’s high noon demonstration of 43 beautiful bells ringing a tune as the Glockenspiel’s life-size figures dance around telling the story of the Duke and his marriage (which happens to be the history behind the Oktoberfest as well). I climbed 300 something steps and as I hit the last step, I heard the bells begin to ring. I rushed out on the observation deck and took it all in. It was so neat!

Later that night, Omi and I went to a place called “The Hofbrau Haus.” It is a party spot for Bavarians with lots of freshly brewed in-house beer and a live Polka-Band! My Omi and I spilt our favorite beer called the Radler. We enjoyed the fellowship of totally friendly strangers. For me, it was a time to have a great beer and have a chance to speak German in a fun and not-so-serious atmosphere. It was a great way to take a load off a day that started so intensely. Good times!!

Italy and Greece

Part of this trip was like "coming home" because Italy is one of my favorite countries. I had the pleasure of first visiting Italy--North to South--in April 2006. This time, we only toured Rome, Vatican City and Sorrento.

Highlights in Italy:
The Colosseum
Vatican City/Easter Blessing
St. Peter's Basilica/Sistine Chapel
Pompeii

During my stay in Italy, I had the once in a lifetime chance to attend the Easter Blessing given by the Pope. It was amazing! For some reason, it was different than my first experience in 2006. The overwhelming feeling was not dominating my experience and I was able to truly take it in. I was able to hear the blessing in my home language and also in German. Very exciting! After experiencing Rome and the Vatican, I caught a ferry to a lovely place called Sorrento. It was a wonderful place for shopping. The locals were so kind and everything was delicious. We had the chance to stumble upon a farmer's market. There, we found Olive Oil galore and Limoncello. Italy and Greece are known for lemons and Limoncello is a fine liqueur that is trademark. It is strong but very tasty. One of the workers at the market pulled my friends and I into a back room designed especially for tasting. We had every kind of Limencello that you could think of. My favorite was the Limon-Chocolate liqueur. Yummmm!

Pompeii was unlike anything that I could have antiicpated. I can't imagine the people of Pompeii's experience when Mount Vesusvius erupted. They were such an advanced civilization but when natural disaster struck, they had no where to go. The ruins of the city have been so well preserved that you can't even tell that it was under volcanic ash as tall as 13-16ft. I was really taken aback by the visit to Pompeii. It was beautiful but very sad to know that all the suffering the people had endured.

Once Italy was complete, it was time to board a cruise boat in Brindisi bound for Greece. At first glance, you may be thinking that I had a luxurious cabin with all the perks that American cruises have to offer but no, no, no! I was in a very small cabin, top bunk and no windows. The entire room had a very odd odor to it. However, I made the best of it. I tried to stay out of the room until as late as possible. This was easy because I was able to get some amazing photographs of the Adriatic and Mediterranean Sea from the ship's deck. After that, I enjoyed some time in the ship's disco! After morning came, it was time to disembark. I was very excited because this was my first time in Greece!

Highlights in Greece:
Acropolis/Parthenon
Temple of Zeus
Isle of Capri
Apollo's Temple

Greece is a beautiful country full of so many beautiful ruins and the countryside is something that I did not expect. GORGEOUS! The agenda in Greece was Isle of Capri, Delphi and Athens. The day trip to the Isle of Capri has a special place in my heart. This was one of the most beautiful places that I can say that I have ever seen. The ocean was as blue as the sky and the coast was lined with rock cliffs. It was a place to remember. It was originally planned that we would take small row boats to some of the caves on the coastline but the sea was rough and unsuitable for small boats. We simply had to admire the sea from cliff's edge.

Then, there was Delphi! I climbed to the grounds of Apollo's Temple. It is beautiful ruins nestled in the mountains. I was so amazed at the Greeks for their workmanship because it is unthinkable to me that men could bring such colossal building materials to construct temples to such a high elevation. It still baffles me but that's the Greeks for you :) I have to say that Delphi is a gem in the mountains. It is small but a perfect destination for those of us who enjoy a beautiful mountain stage with the water settled in the gorge of the range. It was there that I had the chance to climb the mountains and a couple hours later, put my feet in water. It was like heaven to me.

Of course I had to visit Athens to see the Parthenon. That was another moment of AWE because again, such colossal materials to construct temples that truly make you want to sit down and stare for hours. That is pretty much all that I did. I found a seat and I stared in AWE. The view from Acropolis was stunning. You could see all of Athens. You sort of felt like you were among the Gods.

More Germany, Austria and Switzerland!

The last leg of my trip was probably the most gorgeous sites I have ever laid my eyes on! The mountains kept growing bigger and bigger . . . the snow caps turned into snow-cover mountains! The ALPS are AMAZING! The great mountains stretch from Austria and Slovenia in the east; through Italy, Switzerland, Liechtenstein and Germany; to France in the west. In my 9 day tour, I had the opportunity to see them in 4 out of the 7 countries. Wow! Each country showed them a little differently.

My goal in every city or village I visited was to find the tallest tower (usually a bell tower or church temple) and get "The View." In my shared pictures, you see those views and I hope you can enjoy them as much as I did. The only thing that you won't get from the pictures but I will certainly share is the smell of freshness, crisp mountain air. It was a smell that I had never experienced but now, will never forget.

My Omi and I truly enjoyed ourselves. My Omi did not sport the trek to the top of the towers with me. She did, however, enjoy her own pleasures: shopped and then, she would find a cafe' to enjoy a cup of cappuccino and maybe a yummy pastry.

**Omi has an eye for finding the finest pastry shops :)

Besides the inner village sites and attractions, my Omi and I made it off the beaten path for some other adventures too! These next couple of experiences were my favorite!

1. Before leaving Germany, we visited Neuschwanstein. That was my first true taste of the Alps. You could see them in the distance. King Ludwig truly had an eye for knowing where to place his castle because his view was something that would inspire me day in and day out. He also had bridges that crossed the river canyon. I walked for about 20-30 minutes to cross one of these bridges and looked down only to find 2 large waterfalls. It was amazing! I tried to find a trail to lead me down the canyon but the rangers had blocked it off. I am guessing that it was due to the seasonal rainfall, the water levels were up making it dangerous for hikers at times.

2. Innsbruck, Austria: We enjoyed the good people of Innsbruck (some of the friendliest people) and the spectacular panoramic views of the Swiss Alps. They actually have a ski lift that leaves from the center of town to the top of one of the many mountains. Literally, some working people take their lunch breaks to hop the lift and enjoy a run down the mountain on their lunch hour. Totally cool!

3. Lucerne, Switzerland: This was a beautiful town that sits at the foot of Mount Pilatus--7,000ft in elevation! Omi and I rode a gondola from the base to tip-top. The locals say that it is a 50/50 chance that you will have visibility at the top but the risk is worth it. On this day of our adventure, we got LUCKY! The views were breath-taking . . . literally, the air was thin and I found it hard to breathe when venturing on the walking paths to higher points of the peak. The gondola ride was exciting too. At times, I was frightened because you start out in gondola that carries 4-5 people and then, mid-mountain, you switch to a large "cargo" gondola that houses about 30-40 people. I kept thinking about the elevation and the cable that was our means to take us to the top. At the top, there was an observation deck with a very fine clubhouse building that had a shop, eatery and a cafe'. If you wanted to enjoy the outdoors, they had "beach chairs" with wool blankets on standby. Truly a neat experience. I spent my whole last hour just lounging and taking in the view.

4. Rheinfalls (Waterfall in Northern Switzerland): The waterfall sizes at 75ft tall and 450ft wide. The observation area seemed to be at least 2 football fields away from the falls but you could still feel the mist off the cascading water. Waterfalls are my favorite so you can imagine that I was in "Courtney Heaven."

5. Heidelerg, Germany: This was another slice of "Courtney Heaven" but not for the adventure. This University town is home of the one and only "Schwabbish Maultaschen." The yummiest German ravioli-like dish that is specific to Heidelberg. It is made with pork, spinach and easy, lite cheese. It is a German paradise in your mouth :) Besides the food, it is a neat place to visit because it has ruins of an old castle on the hill that still offers tours of its outer shell (only the walls of the castle have lasted the ages).

I think what I loved about the trip was that all these places allowed for my Omi to enjoy them too. She is not as mobile as I am but still she still was given the means to get to the sites and experience them with me. **Even if she was taken to the castle in a horse-drawn carriage while I trekked the mountain and met her at the top :)

I truly hope you enjoy these pictures. These places that I have mentioned are very special and something worth seeing!

April 2009: Rothenberg, Germany

Where to begin . . . It all started a year ago when I got in my head that I was going to share my European experience with my Omi. Before this trip, we had not traveled abroad since y second grade year in elementary school. We both have been to Germany since but not with the company of each other so this was special. h

So as you read this, consider that this trip has been in the making or the last year and half so try to imagine my excitement :)

The flight over was perfect. We got on, had dinner, watched a movie, slipped away in sleep . . . woke up and we landed. it was a good flight. The big deal about the arrival was that my host family was going to greet me at the gate. I lived with them in 2000 during my course of study in Frankfurt, Germany. It had been 9 long years since we last saw each other but over the years, we have kept in contact via email, instant messenger and short letters now and again. This was an emotional experience for both Kat and I. Before I could get through the gate, I was all smiles and then, I spotted her. We both gave each other a huge hug and then, we cried. As I squeezed her, she said in my ear, “We can never let 9 years happen again. Jenny, her sister, was there too and it was so nice of them both to come and welcome me to Germany. We then traveled by bus to Rothenberg (about 2 to 3 hours from the the Frankfurt Airport) to a placed called Rothenberg.

Omi and I split up for most of the evening. I explored the village and Omi met up with Kerstin, Ronald (Kerstin’s husband) and Alina (who is 5 years old)—they drove 5 hours from Berlin to visit. This was a great opportunity to catch up with her family who she had not seen for years. I know it has to be hard on my Omi being an ocean away from everything that is home to her--family, friends and culture. Before exploring the city, I played with Alina and her cousin, Jans. I was able to use my elementary German skills. They were really the only ones I could speak to without really being truly self-conscious about my German grammar. It was fun. When it came time to say goodbye, Omi and Kerstin (with her crew) met up with me at a local eatery for final picture. That was emotional because Kerstin told me thank you for bringing my Omi to her and to continue to be good to her Aunt Elfriede. I cried again because it was so overwhelming for me to see Omi so happy to be “home” with family.


The next day, Kat and her boyfriend, Tim, came to spend the morning and lunch hour with me in Rothenberg. We toured a beautiful church, Kat and I shopped a bit and then, we had a picnic lunch in a park on the castle grounds. It was a place that i had picked out the evening before because I thought it was one of the most perfect places for a picnic :) My #1 craving for lunch was my very favorite quick snack called Currywurst! Kat and I found a little deli and that is exactly what I had for lunch on my first full day of vacation :) It was a day that I will never forget :) It was a great way to begin our 9 day tour through Europe.

P’Nat & P’Noi and BIG fun in Norfolk, VA

First, you probably read the title and think, “What? Is that even a word?” The answer is “Yes, kind of.” :) These are the nicknames for the recently hidden geocaches that my friend, Nicole and I planted.

What is geocaching? Geocaching is an outdoor treasure-hunting game in which the participants use a Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver or other navigational techniques to hide and seek containers (called "geocaches" or "caches") anywhere in the world. A typical cache is a small waterproof container containing a logbook and "treasure," usually toys or trinkets.

P’Nat = Positive Nature/Lexington Cache
P’Noi = A Powerful Noise/Norfolk Cache

We have planted two geocaches which are “sister caches” because they have the same directives/purpose. One is located in Lexington, VA to mark my home and the other in Norfolk, VA because that is home to Nicole. The idea behind our caches relates to our friendship’s common bond . . . the quest to make meaning in everyday life. I recently had the chance to hear one of the most accurate descriptions of Nicole and oddly, I thought to myself . . . that is exactly why we get along so well. We both take time to peel back the layers of those in our lives so that connections can be made. After all, life is about connections and discovering the “things” that bind us all together. For Nicole and I, we are all about making the most of anything and everything so this adventure of planting two identical caches was right up our alleys :)

Let me tell you a little bit about the caches: The idea is that anyone who finds our caches, they are to leave a quote behind, something that has meaning to them. Essentially, the quote book is the logbook for cache but being that we enjoy the analytical side of things . . . the quote sharing piece made perfect sense.

Here is where the “making the most of anything and everything” plays in . . . I made a trip of the geocaching event. It was a weekend trip to Norfolk (which Margot made with me) and on Saturday, we woke up early and hit the ground running but the neat thing is that it was relaxed at the same time. We woke up, chit-chatted on her front porch, then hopped in the Mini Coop and went to the beach to plant “A Powerful Noise” geocache. Along the way, I saw the house where my Uncle and Mom lived when they were around my age and even their local hangout spot (which seeing this was TOTALLY unexpected and random but just added to the coincidental meaning of the trip). Planting the cache at the beach is an idea that I am in love with since the ocean and all the fun that comes along with the beach is my absolute favorite thing in life! It is like a little bit of me is living on the beach ☺ After that, we went back to her house to pick up the dogs for a walk on the beach! This was Margot’s first trip to the beach and she was so much fun to watch as she messed around and made fast friends with Nicole’s dogs (especially Dolce). One of my favorite memories of Margot’s beach visit was the moment when she was walking close to the water and a breaking wave got her . . . she had this confused look on her face that made me laugh. She was like, “Hey! How did that water just come up and get me?” So cute!!

After our stroll on the beach, we picked met up with Angie to kayak at the Norfolk Botanical Gardens, which was AMAZING! Not only did I get to kayak but I was able to find my very first geocache (with a little help from Angie) but still, I count it ☺ The fun does not stop there . . . later that evening, we went to a super fun birthday party where I got to dance and if you know me at all, you know how I like to dance ☺ This was all in one day but I coin this kind of a trip as a very Nicole/Courtney-esque . . . making the most of anything and everything :)

I think it is best summed up by a simple quote that my dear friend, Nicole, shared with me just this morning . . .

The purpose of life is a life of purpose. ~Robert Byrne

I have a slideshow that will best tell the story of my eventful geocache plant and my Norfolk trip :)