It was a 45 degree day outside (very odd in January!) so we went and spent some time at the Nature Conservancy’s Christman Sanctuary. Nestled in Delanson just west of the Capital District is a nature sanctuary with a wonderful little set of trails and a large waterfall. Our hike was cut short due to poor walking conditions, but it was so lovely to see the sanctuary at this time of year.
One of my bucket list items in life has always been to hike in the Black Forest; the very same forest where Hansel and Gretel got lost. So during our drive through this part of Germany, we spent a few days exploring the area, and hiked the Feldberg Steig trail. We were in the very same woods where Little Red Riding Hood encountered the wolf and my heart couldn’t be happier.
It was a mild winter day, and we decided to take another walk in a local wetland preservation area. We visited the Swift Wetland Preserve, a small nature conservation area in Delmar, New York, and for just a little while, we were able to get away from it all.
We stopped in to pay our respects at the Greyfriars Kirkyard during our stay in Edinburgh, Scotland. Dating back to the 16th century, the Greyfriars Kirk and the cemetery attached to it have an extensive history. Walking amongst the graves, you can feel it in your bones.
We had a mild winter’s day, and wanted to give our year and a half old son some fresh air. So, we decided to take him for a walk along the boardwalk at the Lewis A. Swyer Preserve. We had a beautiful winter walk that heightened the senses and energized the whole family. Even on a winter’s day, it was a wonderful way to spend some family time together and be closer to the nature that we love so very much.
On our trip through Sweden, we stopped overnight to camp at Kalmar County to see two things; the Rumskulla Oak or Kvilleken, and the Norra Kvill National Park. Sweden is world renown for its abundance of trees and this park promised us a close look at some old growth forests, which are rare this far south in Sweden. Not only did we find old growth forests, but large areas of moss covered rocks, a lake covered with lily pads, and heather flowers. It is a truly magical spot.
Hallig Hooge, the Queen of Halligen, is a small island off the northwest coast of Germany in the Wadden Sea; the southeastern part of the North Sea. It is one of ten small islands that make up the halligen, the German part of the North Frisian Islands. The North Frisian Islands are located just off the coast of the European mainland next to Germany and Denmark.
When we booked our trip to Morocco, we knew that we wanted to visit Marrakesh. Not only because of the song, “Marrakesh Express” by Crosby, Stills, and Nash, or the wonderful book, “The Drifters” by James Michener, but because of this lovely little book I read in school titled “Reflections on Fieldwork in Morocco” by Paul Rabinow. Jemaa el-Fnaa is the main square in the old part of the city where Marrakesh truly comes to life. Here, you can experience the sights and smells of all of Morocco into one small condensed area. It is a sensory overload in the most fantastic way!
I love art and because of that, I’m trying to get my son exposed to art from an early age. We have been to several museums, but it gets tricky with a one year old. This is especially true because we don’t want to inadvertently ruin the museum experience for anybody else. This is where Art Omi comes in to save the day. There is art and it is outside. Win and win! My son can run around all he likes, scream, and be fascinated with the giant sculptures scattered throughout the grounds, and it won’t ruin anybody else’s own personal art experience.
I first encountered the Holger the Dane character (or Holger Danske) in the underground passageways of Kronborg Castle in Helsingør, Denmark. There, I found an immense statue of a sleeping warrior sitting in a chair with his sword and shield at the ready. I had not heard of Holger before my visit to Kronborg, but was immediately enraptured. Spotlights periodically turned on and off, brightly illuminating Holger in between periods of darkness, creating a breathtaking vision. Who was this man? What was he known for? Was he myth or history? So, I decided that I had to do a little bit of research.