Last summer, in July 2020, we spent an amazing two and a half weeks exploring Iceland. We’d been dreaming and planning this trip for several years, and through some combination of pure dumb luck and our German residencies, were actually able to go. It definitely felt like a once-in-a-lifetime trip for a lot of reasons, and we loved every minute of it. Iceland is just has it all: spectacular waterfalls, vast glaciers, steaming geothermal pools, charming towns and cities, beautiful wildlife, wonderful food, and lots of opportunities for adventures. Just when you think you’ve seen it all, Ic ..read more

In October, we spent a week exploring Slovenia, and we found a country full of surprises and hidden gems. One of those places that you return from and immediately tell all your friends that they have to go! Our expectations were exceeded in every way. The natural scenery of the Julian Alps, lakes, caves, and intensely green Soca River blew us away, along with the choice of activities offered that make Slovenia one of Europe’s best outdoor destinations. There’s tons of history here too, from medieval castles and churches, but the spirit of the country is super young, fun, and modern. &nbs ..read more

Folegandros, an eight-mile long bit of heaven in the Aegean, may just be my all time favorite Greek island (I know I said that about Milos, but I think Folegandros is even better). There’s not much here, but what there is is amazing: the most perfect whitewashed Greek village anywhere, some gorgeous beaches, the beautiful sunsets. The island definitely still feels very untouched, undeveloped, and little stuck back in time- it’s called the “island of peace” for a reason. It requires a little more planning and effort to get here, but once you do, you may not want to leave. WHERE ..read more

Berchtesgadener Land is one of Germany’s most beautiful places, filled with stunning snow-capped mountains, crystal clear glacier lakes, onion-domed churches, fields of wildflowers. But even among all that crazy beauty, the mirror-like, magnificent Obersee and the gorgeous Königsee stand out as the stars. This is my favorite place to visit in the area, and how I would recommend spending your time if you only have one day here (but I hope you have longer)! Obersee can only be reached by first taking a boat, then walking. This hike, which includes the boat ride on Königssee, a hike around Obers ..read more

One of the best parts about being expats is that it gives you a push to explore your local area, since you know you have a limited time. In our three years here in Germany, we’ve taken countless little day trips, and we’ve discovered some favorite spots that we always go back to. Rudesheim is one of our go-tos. This  town on the Rhine River is, admittedly, very touristy, and often jam packed with groups from buses and river cruises. But, it’s also pretty fun. The old town is very charming and typically German, with half-timbered houses and castles, there are beautiful views of the Rhine ..read more

Last summer, in July 2020, we spent an amazing two and a half weeks exploring Iceland. We’d been dreaming and planning this trip for several years, and through some combination of pure dumb luck and our German residencies, were actually able to go. It definitely felt like a once-in-a-lifetime trip for a lot of reasons, and we loved every minute of it. Iceland is just has it all: spectacular waterfalls, vast glaciers, steaming geothermal pools, charming towns and cities, beautiful wildlife, wonderful food, and lots of opportunities for adventures. Just when you think you’ve seen it all, Ic ..read more

In October, we spent a week exploring Slovenia, and we found a country full of surprises and hidden gems. One of those places that you return from and immediately tell all your friends that they have to go! Our expectations were exceeded in every way. The natural scenery of the Julian Alps, lakes, caves, and intensely green Soca River blew us away, along with the choice of activities offered that make Slovenia one of Europe’s best outdoor destinations. There’s tons of history here too, from medieval castles and churches, but the spirit of the country is super young, fun, and modern. &nbs ..read more

One of our favorite things to do each October is to visit the annual Kürbisausstellung (Pumpkin Festival) in Ludwigsburg. It’s all things pumpkin, from giant pumpkin sculptures, pumpkin canoes, pumpkins for sale, and of course, pumpkin food. One dish I especially look forward to is the pumpkin Käsespätzle! If you’ve never tried it, Spätzle is a noodle-dumpling hybrid, and one of my favorite German dishes. Add cheese to make it Käsespätzle and it’s even better- add pumpkin and it’s German fall perfection. I haven’t seen it anywhere but this festival though, so I decided to recreate i ..read more

Folegandros, an eight-mile long bit of heaven in the Aegean, may just be my all time favorite Greek island (I know I said that about Milos, but I think Folegandros is even better). There’s not much here, but what there is is amazing: the most perfect whitewashed Greek village anywhere, some gorgeous beaches, the beautiful sunsets. The island definitely still feels very untouched, undeveloped, and little stuck back in time- it’s called the “island of peace” for a reason. It requires a little more planning and effort to get here, but once you do, you may not want to leave. WHERE ..read more

Picking fruit is truly one of of favorite things to do each summer. Something about fresh fruit you’ve picked yourself, warm from the sunshine, just tastes so much more intense and delicious that anything you can buy in the store. We’ve picked cherries before, and apples of course in the fall, but this was our first experience picking strawberries (if you’re local to Frankfurt, we picked them at Bauer Lipp in Wieterstadt). Strawberries do require a bit more labor, crouching down to pick them from the vine, and lots of care to not crush them. We had a little family debate over which shade of r ..read more