Exploring Bavaria

Hiking in the German Bavarian countryside has become a favorite activity for us while living here.  Especially if good food and drink are involved.  This past weekend I was lucky enough to experience the sequel to last year's Pinnacle Tour.  The plan this year was to start out in the small city of Kelheim located near the junction of the Danube and Altmühl rivers and continue on to the neighboring cities.    

The beginning to our day-long hike: Gasthof Berzl in Kelheim.  Home of a tasty drink and Ms. Denial.

Mike and Klaus suited up and ready for what the day brings.  

Second stop of the day: Schneider Weisse.

A quick beverage later and we were on our way to the third stop of the day: the city of Essing. Of course on the way there, it is always a good idea to confirm the route on the local map.  

Approaching the town of Essing......

The town of Essing is set just below the tall cliffs and offers some amazing views.  Our next destination is easy to locate with the blue umbrella's on the deck...just waiting for our arrival.   

The approach into Essing over the wood pedestrian bridge.....

Our view from the deck....quite a sight for a lunch break.. 

After lunch it was time to make the big hike onto the next destination: Kloster Weltenburg. The route involved going across the longest wooden bridge in Europe (according to the local signs).  Regardless of the claim, it is a pretty unique design......

One of the best parts of the hike was walking along the former defensive mounds that were built by the Celtics around 500 B. C.

Arriving at our destination...the Kloster Weltenburg that sits on the shores of the Danube river. 

The Kloster Weltenburg is not only located in the perfect spot, it is the world's oldest monastery brewery.....  

....and home to one of the most beautiful churches I have seen.  

The courtyard of the Kloster Weltenburg is a perfect spot to waste away a few hours.....

There is only one catch for visiting the Kloster: you can only get there by crossing the Danube river, which is easily done with the help of the local boat captains...such as this fun guy.  

One last look at the Kloster Weltenburg......

Walking along the Danube river back to the city of Kelheim.  The views were amazing and have officially become my "visual happy place".  

Kelheim at sunset.....what a great place.

The last stop of the day....the patio of the Schneider Weisse.  A perfect ending to a perfect day. 

The next morning after a healthy breakfast we wanted to enjoy one last look of Kelheim before we headed home.  Here Klaus and Mike are enjoying the morning sun on the infamous U-shaped bridge over the Altmühl  river.  

Klaus and I with the Befreiungshalle in the background.

Another perfect hike in the Bavarian countryside....and another perfect Pinnacle experience.  With two very successful Pinnacle trips it seems natural to make this an annual tradition.....because after all, you can never really get enough of Bavaria.  

Tour de France....again

Watching the Tour de France is something we look forward to each year....especially with the opportunity to watch it live.  This year we selected the city of Metz, France to watch a finish versus the traditional hill climb. When we visited Metz this past winter the extreme cold weather prevented us from truly enjoying all the city has to offer.  Not this time.  As it turns out, July is a great month to explore any city.   

Watching the Tour live is always an experience, as we learned first-hand during the 2010 Tour de France.  

Arriving at the finish line well before the riders....

The caravan before the riders is always entertaining.....

Pretty sure these guys were not riding the Tour....

Watching the tour live does have one downside; you never really know what is going on with the race until you watch the rebroadcast later that day.  So you simply hang out and wait for the tell-tale sign that the riders have arrived: the helicopters approaching.  

The lead riders coming down the final stretch....

Peter Sagan in fourth place...he went on to win the stage and flashed the 'Hulk' across the line.

The rest of the Peloton arrives.....

The crash about 20Km from the finish split the Peloton into several small groups and forced some top contenders, like Frank Schleck here, to finish up minutes behind the lead riders.  

As anyone who as watched a finish stage will tell you: after waiting a long time and enjoying the caravan, the real moment of the riders passing by lasts about 2 seconds.  After they pass and the winner is determined, there is nothing more to do than pack up and call it a day.  Our plans included avoiding the traffic snarls by spending a few hours walking around Metz and getting a bite to eat before we headed home.

The Cathedrale St. Etienne.....

A little more walking around, a tasty stone-baked pizza, and we were ready to call it a day.  With the exciting finish and near-perfect weather, watching a tour finish in Metz was a great call.  

Relaxing vacation in Spain and Portugal

The big trip for our summer thus far has been visiting our friends in southern Spain.  Enjoying the beaches, exploring a few cities, and venturing into Portugal were all part of the itinerary.  

The first stop, after a few days of enjoying our friends company and taking in the warm, sunny beaches, was to Seville, Spain.  This city is the fourth largest in Spain and is located in the southwestern corner of the country.  The city itself is well over 3,000 years old has a strong medieval and renaissance heritage with some Arabic thrown in for good measure (thanks to the Moores....not the Moops, for those Seinfield fans out there).  

Andrea ready to explore.....

The Torre del Oro (Gold Tower).  Once a watch tower where a chain was strung across the river to prevent boats from traveling in the river port.

Palace of San Telmo, headquarters of the Presidency of Andalusia.

University of Seville

The impressive Plaza de Espana built for the 1929 Expo...

Some views from the Parque de Maria Luisa, the beautiful park that resides next to the Plaza de Espana....

Plaza de America inside Maria Luisa Park.....

The tiled Province Alcoves along the walls of the Plaza de Espana....

A birds-eye view of the Plaza de Espana....

Plaza de Toros...the bullfighting ring.

Inside the ring.  What I couldn't imagine was sitting in these seats for up to 6 hours in the heat.  On our tour the temperature was pushing 113 and we appreciated the shade and cold water.....

The Adriatica building....

A tour of Seville Cathedral was a not only impressive, but a great way to escape the heat....

When you step inside you immediately appreciate the sheer size of the cathedral....it was the worlds largest cathedral when construction was completed in the 16th century.  Today it is the third largest cathedral in the world. 

Tomb of Christopher Columbus....

Impressive architecture found on the ceiling.....

The view from Giralda Tower, part of the Seville Cathedral

The courtyard of the Seville Cathedral that is filled with orange trees.....

Directly facing the Seville Cathedral is the Alcazar, a royal palace that once served as a Moorish fort that today is filled with several unique gardens.

The architecture throughout was amazing....

The gardens....

Baths of Lady Maria de Padilla, the official bathing area for the royalty...

...more of the gardens...

..leaving the Alcazar and looking into the Seville Cathedral.

Seeing all the sights on the list, and losing a few kilos in water from all the sweating, we made our way to the coast of Portugal for a few days of relaxing on the beach.  Our destination was Lagos, Portugal....a fine little city located on the Atlantic Ocean along the southern tip of the country.

Assume the position.....

Our chosen location to waste away an afternoon spent reading, relaxing, and perhaps a siesta or two. 

The sunsets were amazing.....

Oddly enough, Portugal was taking on Spain in the Semifinals for the Euro Cup.....and watching the action in this beach-side establishment was the perfect venue.  Sadly, Portugal lost in a shoot-out....

The heart of Lagos....

Andrea taking a break from the heat and enjoying the moment.....

One of the things you must do should you ever find yourself in Lagos, is to take a boat tour of the nearby cliffs that stretch along the southern edges of the Atlantic. This is one time in life where you want to be in a small-sized boat so that you can enjoy all the caves and arches found in the cliffs.

Of course the old city is fun to explore as well.  You'll find plenty of restaurants, bars, and night clubs to get your late night boogie on.

After a few days in Portugal, we headed back to Spain with the thought of visiting one last city: Cadiz.  As the sign says, the city is known as the 'smiling city'.....

Cadiz Cathedral

Plaza de Las Flores

Plaza de San Francisco 

One of the many long, narrow roads that are common throughout Cadiz.....

A quick boat ride back to car, a fun last evening with our friends, and our week-long vacation was complete.   Spain has so many more sights to see and we wish we could have spent a few more weeks exploring....but that job thing can be quite an obstacle when it comes to such adventures.  We're not worried though....we know Spain will always be there waiting for us to enjoy....and enjoy we will with all the great weather, delicious restaurants, and inviting beaches.  Next time however, we may want to 'tan up' before we go.....we were the only two people on the beach with bleached-white legs.