10 Things Scotland does Better than America

(Got a few more posts to squeeze in go before we head back across the pond.) Even after living here for 3+ years, we still do a bit of romanticinzing about the culture and comparing UK to US life- so here goes of few of the things we will miss the most: Public Toilets! Yep. The …

I wrote a poem for Scotland- of sorts.

Oh Scotland you are making it impossible to ever leave! Like a sea, your sky breaks and breathes mists, stormy grey. Shy sun. Employing all manner of means to avoid being known.  Stooping low to make eye contact, giving us brief shadows, apologizing for getting our hopes up, sinking quickly with a blush. Your austere …

Bookstore Habit: Leakey’s of Inverness

In bleak mid-winter what better place to hide out than a cozy, slightly cluttered, used bookstore with a blazing fireplace: Leakey's is your scene! This is our favorite place to stop in Inverness actually. Bibliophiles will have already heard of this gem of a bookshop- it is truly epic in scale- at least for Scotland! …

Damp ‘Disney’ en Deutschland

[Another dispatch from our month in Germany] You've seen pictures of this mind boggling castle- its appeared in magazines, commercials and probably movies and it always looks like this: Legend tells it was the inspiration for the Disneyland castle and you can see the similarities! But when you are actually standing there in person, in the …

Six Hours in Lucerne Switzerland

I was going to say 'a day' but really it was a much shorter visit! We were in the middle of our month in Tubingen Germany and had quite a list of weekend road trips to choose from but Switzerland is always at the top of the list! We took this tour bus for a day …

Day Trippin’ Around Germany: Konstanz

We departed Tubingen at around 6am for our day trip to Konstanz. It sits on a large lake called Lake Konstanz or Bodensee, thus adding to its attractiveness--it's also on the Swiss-German border adding to its shopping appeal for those Swiss residents looking for cheap Euro* buys! We rode on the Flixbus, (a discount a …

Sprechen Sie Deutsch? in Tubingen, Germany

This was the first time in Germany for both of us and some quirks immediately became apparent: All grocery and most retail stores are closed on Sundays. Hungry? Too bad for you! Germans do not drink tap water! Really. We did the whole month and lived. Germany has banned Google street view. Bread and pastries …

Munro Bagging: Cairn a Mhaim from Linn of Dee

We called ourselves the Epic Munro* Baggers- we four from Aberdeen watched the weather forecast app and Tuesday was 'SUNBALL' with confidence; no equivocating with the little cloud on the side or nothing!!! I had done lots of research about which epic munro in Lairig Ghru we should attempt since the glen is full of …

Coffee Problems in Paris

Our hotel had no in-room coffee, or tea, or kettle. Thus begins the quest of every traveller- the basic sustenance of life- coffee.  Cast into the wilds of Paris, one would think coffee could be easily attained as we tend to assume certain things about Europe: like that its just like America, only smaller and …

Five Reasons to Visit Scotland in May

Scotland is spectacular year-round but when is the best time to visit? My vote is for May- here's why:         1.) LAMBS! They are everywhere! They are so stinkin' CUTE! I burst into squeals of joy as we drive down the single track road almost hitting a lorry (truck)- they are totes adorbs!! …