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 :)

Coincidental, Parallel and Super FUN!

Honestly, before I get into the content of this blog, I must preface it with this idea . . . this experience was completely coincidental and a bit of a risk. However, I have in my head that a person should not let life happen to them but should make life happen. So, I just went with it.

At the start of the week, I was contacted by a complete stranger named Nicole (someone just in the area for consultant work at the local university for the week). I have been here long enough to know that when someone of intrigue comes along, you don’t say, “Wait, let me know think about it.” Instead, you take time for a get-together. So, that is just what I did. In the beginning of our first conversation, we each named our personal interests/hobbies and just like that, hiking came up. That was just the beginning of our parallel interest and thinking. Our conversations were loaded with fun and it was bizarre to have such a random run-in with someone who did not seem like a stranger at all. We share some of the same thinking, interests and beliefs. One of the highlights of our time together was when she spoke of the concept of “Geocaching.” This was something that I had never heard of before that evening.

In my own words, Geocaching is like a serious game of Hide-and-Go Seek. It is a world-wide quest where outdoor enthusiasts plant objects to be found with logs to document finds and Geocachers. From the moment that the concept became of topic, I was “in.”

A day or so later, we reconnected to GEOCACHE! We, well really, I chose the Chessie Trail Geocache which included the potential of walking among large free-to-roam livestock. YIKES! This find had a difficulty rating of 2 out of 5. We used her “handy dandy” GPS Easy Tracker device (which I totally need to get one) and even with all the stops, we were unsuccessful. I can’t wrap up this account of the Chessie without telling what I saw and heard. We had to walk along the river and it was just at dusk (NOTE: The trail signage reads loud and clear . . . No trespassing between dusk and dawn!). The sky was so clear and the stars were out. It was one of the clearest nights of the week. The moonlight was bright which gave us a little more light than our crank flashlights were putting out. Unfortunately, what I saw and heard was very different. After we spent about 30-40 minutes following the guide of the GPS compass readings and digging under rocks (just like the trail notes told us to), we walked back through the cow pasture to return to the car. Just then, I heard this awful cry. It was so spooky. I was panicked so much that Nicole was keenly aware that I was on “edge.” She reacted accordingly and quickly established the ground rule, which was oh so very simple: No one goes anywhere without the other! I think she was just as scared as I was but was trying to keep it together for me. Darkness, large livestock and a crazy spooky animal howling were just enough to FREAK me out! We never really determined what the howling truly was nor did we see any animals . . . all that mattered was making it to the car safely and with a sigh of relief, we did.

She was about seven steps ahead of me in thinking and had anticipated this reality of possible failure. She then challenged me to another Geocache. She had programmed about 3 or 4 “maybe” Geocache coordinates in her GPS (all of which were nearby). My mouth dropped. I was thinking that I had been living and hiking in this area for almost 3 years and probably have walked right by Geocaches many times over. Honestly, I probably have picked up a Geocaches and placed them in my litter bag thinking that someone was an irresponsible hiker and littered on the trial :-0

So, we tried one other Geocache at a local park in the downtown area. The clue was “it is magnetic, look under.” We had our crank flashlights going and we were wandering around the park area looking under each and every bench searching for the “find.” I kept thinking that a local police officer was going to be highly suspicious of our peculiar behavior and question us but we were able to skirt that run-in. Sadly, we were unsuccessful at the two dedicated attempts to locate a Geocache. We settled on having a drink or two at the one and only pub in my hometown called the “Grey Stone Pub.”

We closed down the place but not before the bartender took our picture to mark the end of a totally and completely random week. I might not have found a geocache but I am thinking that I might have found a new friend :)

Below, you can find some pictures of the trail so you can put a visual to the totally and completely FUN madness!

Margot, My Buddy

In October, I spent some time at the local SPCA shelter in VA. I visited two days in row and found myself very interested in a puppy that the shelter workers called "Connie." She was so cute and spunky that I could hardly stop thinking about her. There was a 48 hour waiting period where the Shelter Manager would check into your application and my references so when I got the call of approval . . . I was enthusiastic. Since that day, we have had an incredibly smooth adjustment. Of course, there have been bumps but it is normal puppy stuff.

I have chosen to name her Margot but recently two of my friends have been on me to re-name her Marla Hooch for my favorite character in one of the greatest movies ever (League of Their Own). In a compromise, Margot wears a dog tag that reads, "Margot AKA Marla Hooch." Usually, if anyone takes the time to read her tag and has a frame of reference to the film, it typically makes them smile and laugh :)

I have been told by every person that inquires about her this similar remark pops up. In so many words, they say that there is a special bond between the owner and an adopted SPCA animal because there is a loyalty and thankfulness that the animal has to and for her owner who rescued her.

I am not sure about that but I am not discounting it. I just know that I am giving her a home that she otherwise would not have. For the last couple months, we enjoy walks along the Maury River in VA and laps in Ritter Park in WV (when we visit). Really, I can't wait for Spring when we can hit the Blue Ridge Mountains for true hiking :) Also, for Christmas, Margot got a life jacket and I am particularly excited to take her on the lake for canoe rides :)

I have taken some pics of our time in VA and WV.

I would like you to meet Margot.

Dec. 2008: Kayaking Remedy

This day was like a gift . . . it was Dec. 27th and it was 69F degrees. It was unseasonal and so incredibly perfect. I had to take a double take when I read the forecast just days earlier but as soon as I saw that it was going to be nearing 70F, I had a plan!

The plan was to GET ON THE WATER :) So, I packed the kayak and all the necessary gear and hit the lake. That was that ;)

It was the most unusual feeling. The sun was shining, there was a breeze and even the breeze was warm. I did not want the day to end. Once on the lake, I quickly noticed that the water level was down about 15-20 ft. That was weird but it allowed me to see so many things that otherwise go unseen.

Beech Fork Lake is located in Lavalette, WV and it is man-made so of course, there are trees. When the water is at normal level, the trees are completely submerged but today, they were tipping out of the water surface. I describe it as a "graveyard." It was cool to paddle in and around the trees. It was spooky but also, super neat. The day was just perfect and I am pretty sure that I officially have SPRING FEVER after today :)

All in all, it was a day that I did not want to end and being on the water was exactly the remedy that I needed :)

Cambridge and Boston, MA

This was a whirlwind of a trip. It happened over the course of a weekend. We caught a flight to Boston on Friday, experienced Harvard and downtown Boston on Saturday and at dawn, we were catching a cab to the airport. It was jammed but that is the only way to organize a weekend trip. My motto is "Do all that you can do in the time that you are given."

The main purpose of the trip was to escort selected high school students to an orientation seminar at Harvard followed by a campus tour. Sounded simply enough but from the start, he had its trials. First, our flight was delayed which made us miss our connecting flight. This was crucial because if we did not make the connecting flight then that could have potentially crushed the purpose of the trip (to attend the early AM seminar at Harvard). However, by some magic and good will, US Airways was able to find 11 seats to accommodate my traveling group on the last flight to Boston out of Charlotte.

We stayed at an interesting hotel/house that reminded me of "nice" hostile. It was owned by Harvard and was in business to provide housing for prospective students and their families while visiting the campus. The next morning, I was "in charge." I managed to get us lost in Cambridge just by making a left instead of a right. Finally, a man walking along the street was able to steer us in the right direction. All the while, I was very upset because the students were clearly going to be LATE for the seminar because of my silly mistake. Turned out, that we booked it and we were only about 7 minutes late for the hour long presentation. Still, I was disappointed that I was not able to get them there in a timely manner. Then, I grounded myself by realizing that in the scheme of things: "We made it to Boston safely, we attended the seminar and now, it was time to enjoy the city of Boston."

As a way to culminate the trip, we had dinner on the wharf (which is the bay area). It was a perfect way to end the trip. Most of us ordered seafood just because that is what you do on the wharf ;) In summary, it was terrific traveling experience with unusually warm temperatures and rainy weather (Rain and Boston are married, that is just the way it is).


I have created a slideshow to bring the trip to you.