5 years later...

these were already "finished"... but I decided to paint the swords again

fastest paint job ever!!!

trip to the land of the vikings

friday night we took the plane to Oslo, and headed straight for the hotel!



on saturday we had breakfast in one of the many Deli de Luca
and afterwards went past towards the Domkirke, passed the Opera building
and the headed towards the Akershus Fortress were we took a stroll.
we went back into the city, passing by the Parliament bulding
and stopped at Karl Johans Gate for lunch, with a view of the Royal Palace
afterwards, we went through the Royal Palace's gardens to the Bogstadveien,
towards the Frogner Park, where all the Vigeland Park sculptures are
after enjoying the view, we went to spend the rest of the day in Aker Brygge
eating ice-cream, taking some sun and watching the sea at the Oslo Fjord



on sunday we left towards the Margaretakyrkan and the Trefoldighetskirken
afterwads, we crosssed the Karl Johans Gate again, past the National Theatre
and went to take a peak at the City Hall building and the Nobel Peace Center.
close by, we took the boat to the area of the Viking Ship Museum
after a stroll through the museum area, we came back to Aker Brygge,
where once again we enjoyed the sun and watched the boats and the sea



monday we left early by train in the Bergen line towards Myrdal
crossing the spectacular Hardangervidda plane (with snow and everything)!
in Myrdal, we took the Flåmsbana (impressive engineering work)!
and spent the remainder of the day at the end of the fjord, in Flåm,
were there is nothing else to do except enjoying the fantastic landscape



on the next day we woke up with the Sognefjord in our bedroom window!
and stayed in the sunlight, while we waited for the train.
we wend back up in the Flamsbana towards Myrdal (back to the snow)
and there we took the train to Bergen, to complete the journey!
arriving in mid afternoon, we went to the typical Pepes for a pizza for lunch
(at 5 pm, when many noruwegians were already having their dinner)!
afterwards we went to the Johaneskirken in a typical wooden houses' area,
went past the Bergen Museum and the Botanical Garden
and came down to the Lille Lungegårdsvannet before going back to the hotel



we left in the morning towards the Market and the Tourism Centre
and stopped at the harbour for breakfast in the sun,
afterwards we too the Fløibanen to the viewpoint over the city
from where, after meeting a Troll, we came back down
into the typical wooden houses area in the harbour
we kept going to the Bergenhus Fortress where we had lunch
afterwards we came back to the central area with the wooden houses,
that we crossed to the Aquarium and the surrounding gardened area
and wentto the hotel through the harbour, on the oposite side of the fortress



thursday we still took a stroll through the city before shipping out,
we went to the Cross Church and the Bergen Cathedral
and came back to the Market where we had fresh seafood for lunch.
and finally we went to the peer where we took the Hurtigruten ship
and where a mega buffet with all kinds of seafood was awaiting us!!
it was well worth it, I hear it was a fantastic birthday!



after a nigh of still adapting to the noise and ship motion,
we had breakfast in Ålesund and, during the first half of the day,
went through the Storfjorden heading towards the Geirangerfjorden
while the mist layer above the water would slowly disappear
and the mountains would grow and close in towards the ship!
we finally landed in the town of Geiranger
to come back by bus, through the several viewpoints in the area.
we boarded the ship back in Ålesund, but not without having before gone
to the top of the Aksla for a spectacular view of the town and the atlantic
almost at the sunset!



saturday we arrived to Trondheim in the morning, where we left the ship
and, after leaving our stuff at the hotel, next to the train station and the peer,
we went into the town, passing through the pedestrian street of Nordre Gate
we went to the Market Square and from there to the Nidaros Cathedral
after having lunch by the Nidelva we went up to the Kristiansten Fortress,
past the Old Bridge and the old wooden warehouses
and after one more icecream in the sun we came back to the hotel,
first stopping at the train station to buy a certain ticket...



sunday was a long day back, spent in transportation...
it started early leaving Trondheim for the train trip (7 hours),
through landscapes filled with snowy mountains and endless lakes,
in the middle we had 4 hours of waiting at the airoport (very boring)...
and finally we arrived in Darmstadt in the evening, ready to go sleeping!



it was a fantastic trip filled with grand landscapes,
and always lucky to have the sun and warm weather following us!!

cheap one way ticket to hell

gone skiing

that's it, we ended the ski season in Chamonix, by the Mont Branc!



3 days with lots of skiing (even without great snow) and lots of sun!!
and with spectacular views and nice food (half board in the hotel)!

again in Budapest

friday night we flew to Budapest to spend the weekend
we arrived, did our check-in at the hotel and went resting!
and the taxi driver told us: well, no snow yet, it's a pitty...



saturday morning, when we left, snow was starting to fall!
we went towards the Opera and then passed by the St Stephan Basilica
we continued through the Freedom Square towards the Hungarian Parliament
and stopped for a while to warm um at a cafe because of the cold!
afterwards, along the Danube, we passed the Chain Bridge, Vigadó Square
and turned to the Vorosmarty Square wuere the Christhmas market was at
after having lunch (and warming up) we went south through the Vaci Utca
to the Great Market Hall, which unfortunately was closed...
we went back ro the Hotel, to get the bathing suits and towels...
and went straight to the Szechenyi Bath to relax!!
sauna, thermal pools and exterior pool with snow falling!!



sunday we took the tram to Moskva Ter on the Buda side
from there we went to the Castle where we visited the Matthias Church,
the Fisherman's Bastion and the Palace, with spectacular views!
afterwards, we went down in the cable car, close to the Turul statue!
we continued on foot along the river (no rain anymore) passing by Rudas
and went up the Gellert Hill where we visited the Citadel
to end the day in style, we went to the Gellert Baths, right next door



2monday the sun finally came but the wind was chilly, chilly!!
we decided to go to the Great Maket Hall (this time it was open)
and then we went back to the Christmas market to eat something typical!
finally we went to the airport and flew back home



the impression from the 1st trip still stands: I like this city very much!
and I managed to be in the baths, outside, with falling snow!

skiing in Sölden

we left friday right after worlk with snow already falling,
but we caught lots of traffic, we only arrived at the Alps 9 hours later!



saturday morning had blue sky and sunshine in Sölden (stayed the whole day)
after breakfast we left to rent the equipment and there we went!
in the end of the day we went to have a few drinks at the fashionable bar!
it was just a pitty that Marta hurt herself in the knee...



sunday we went back, this time with covered sky and cold weather,
bu the show that fell the whole day ended up making spectacular tracks!
despit the bad visibility it was a great skiing day!
in the end of the day we came back home, tired but happy...
monday was a work day (for some)!

visiting Lisbon

finally some time to place some pictures here!!
which we took when we were in Lisbon (and outskirts),
in the S. Jorge Castle, the Pena Palace, and the beaches of Arrábida
and, finally, in the Avante festival with very nice food!

snorkeling in Riviera Maya

finally one week of holidays at the beach doing absolutely nothing!!!



we left Frankfurt thursday and 11 hours later (no sleeping) we were there!
in Cancún we took une of the many vans from the agencies,
which travel down the Riviera Maya coast towards Tulum,
leaving the tourists in the the several resorts along the road...
2 hours later we left our stuff in the room, had dinner and went to sleep!



on friday we woke up wtill with mixed schedules (too early!),
and, after a nice breakfast (the meals we buffet style),
went to explore the resort and take some dives at the beach!!
after lunch we came back to our room to get the mask and breather,
the coral reef, filled with colourfull fish, comes right to the beach!
its the ideal place to try snorkeling!!
and this way also survive the extreme heat and humidity of the day!
at night we went to bed really early to try to recover from the jet-lag.



saturday morening we picked some of the tours (guided) to take
and we selected one visit to a theme park and another to a pyramid!
the rest of the day, apart from meals, was spent in the sun and in the water,
doing snorkeling and trying out the new water proof camera!
takes some practise but we could already take some nice pictures!



sunday we did a tour of the jungle where, besides being heavily stung,
we did rappel into a cenote (very cool) and rode canoes
it was nice but we were expecting we could do some snorkeling too...
after, in the afternoon, we went to the Coba ruins up the tallest pyramid
sweat running down, it was fun to see jungle all arround, from up there!
but the complex is very degraded and the trees dominate the ruins...
maybe it would have been worth going to Chichen Iza, despite the tourists...
the mexicans always have some extra that you can pay for!
be it photos of the view, a ride to cross 3 hard kilometers... oh well!



monday we took the Colectivo (easy, cheap and safe) to go to the Xcaret
right at the entrance we bought the polemic biodegradable sun screen
which we ended up not using because that day we even had rain...
and for the first time we had the dollars exanged properly,
12,9 pesos and not the convenient 10 like it seems to be traditional...
we started with the snorkeling tour in the cenote, towards the beach (1 hour)
where we watched the dolfins and the had lunch.
afterwards we went by the sea side to the Flying Men arena
and checked out the aquarium (very cool, especially the turtles!!!)
afterwards we passed by the felines and checked out the butterflies.
in the evening we saw the show about the mayan and mexican cultures
very well done and with the impressive ball game
and came back to the hotel well tires, again in the Colectivo!
it was a very well spent day, the park is impressive!



tuesday, apart from meals and shopping, was spent in the sun and water
again doing snorkeling and now experimenting with videos!
the new camera was really a good investment!



on wednesday the day was spent again at the beach doing nothing,
once again only interruped by lunch (tired of the buffet...)
and a small nap in the bedroom, to avoid the hours of hardest heat
this time I decided to try the swimming glasses, in the afternoon!



in the last day, thursday, we still could enjoy the beach in the morning!
after lunch we had to take the van to the airport,
but we still waited 4 hours for the flight and 11 more in the air!
we arrived home friday, dying of sleep (could not sleep in the airplane)!!



these were different holidays and mainly very relaxing!!
and I found that snorkeling is actually really cool,
but with a proper breather snorkel - with a valve at the bottom!!

road trip to Legoland!!

this week and the next I am finally on holidays!!!
and what better way to start than going to Legoland?!?
in the middle of a trip through north Bavaria (Franconia)
and a hot to some Baden-Württemberg cities on the way home!



we left sunday heading towards Nördlingen
but after having seen Rothemburg a while ago
in the end it did not seem so interesting...
afterwards we headed to Augsburg passing by Shloss Harburg.
we had ice cream in the pedestrian area in Augsburg
going along a wide street where the trams go through...
and kept on going to Günzburg where we spent the night (near Legoland)!



monday really early, a sunny and warm day, we went into Legoland!
it was a fantastic day! I need to make a post only about this visit,
and show some of the hundred photos I ended up taking!
but it's for the kids that Legoland is especially fantastic!



tuesday we woke up early again (staying in the centre is not always good...)
the churche's bell rang at 7h, without stopping for 10 whole minutes,
and it rang at 8h... and afterwards at 9h... and every 15 minutes...
we headed towards Ulm to see the enormous Ulmer Münster
had lunch close by, close to the clock in the oposite side of the square,
which rings with a composition played in bells (looked like porcelain).
afterwards, before coming back to Darmstadt, we went through Karlsruhe
with an interesting urban organization based on the location of the Palace
and the normous gardens that start in its back!



today is for resting and for preparing tomorrow's trip!

weekend in Vienna

last weekend we took a trip to Vienna!
we left Darmstadt friday night and came back on sunday...
the plan was to come back on monday but,
with the launch postonements it became a simulation day!



saturday, after breakfast, we left the hotel, close to Karlsplatz
went through the market next door on the way to the Opera
where, after some time, we finally found the ticket office!
we kept going north in Kärtnerstrasse (comertial pedestrian street)
until we got to the Stephansdom were we climbed the tower (nice view)
as the weather was good, we stopped in a cafe at Graben,
to have a snack and get some sun!
afterwards we went to Peterskirche and kept going to Am Hof
where we found an Easter Market filled with handycraft,
we kept going untill Maria Am Gestade and came back south for lunch.
in the afternoon we went south to the enormous area of the Hofburg
through the Spanish Riding School e in the National Library,
in the direction of the Burggarten, where we stayed to get some more sun!
still going sul, back to the hotel, we went in the Museums Quarter
passing in front of the Natural History and the Ancient Art Museums.
after resting in the hotel, at night, we went to the Opera, to see Arabella
which I followed in german (including subtitles), and managed to understand!



sunday we went around touwn, starting where we left off last day
past the Volkstheater, the Main Court, arriving at the Parliament
going paralell to the Volksgarten, we went past the Burgtheater
and stopped for a coffee in front of the City Hall
afterwards we went north past the University and the Votivkirche
and caught the Subway back to Karlsplatz searching for lunch!
before having some enormous doses of spare ribs and Kaiserschmarrn
we still visited the Karlskirche and the Monument to the Red Army!
we still went to the Stadtpark for a last stroll before returning to the hotel
to get the luggage and go to the airport.



Vienna is a beautiful city, with majestic buildings and wide avenues
and with the good weather we had the trip was nice, although short!

ski in Feldberg!

this weekend was spent in the Black Forest, in Feldberg!
the tracks were a bit icy and without snow...
but still, it was a nice weekend with friends!

snow in Heidelberg

this saturday it snowed again and now its is freezing cold...
but it was worth it to see Heidelberg white again!!
...there you go, we were playing tourist guides again!

København

last weekend we took a Lufthansa promotion
and went for a trip to Copenhagen, in Denmark
we arrived friday really late and only had time to search for the hotel



saturday we went by the river bank towards the Kastellet
passing right in front of the Opera and also by the Gifion Fountain
we ent back passing by the Design Museum and the Marble Church
with a view to the Amalienborg Palace and to the gardens
afterwards we went to the pedestrian area passing by Nyhavn
we got to the City Hall and came back through the University
and went to the hotel to take a rest for the next day



sunda we went back tot he Kastellet to see the famous (little) mermaid
(we hadn't realized saturday that it was so close)
and we came back again to the pedestrian area, this time to the Tivoli
after lunch we went to Cristianshavn
before we had to go back to the airport to get the plane back



despite the gray weather and the colds it was a really nice weekend!

romantic Edinburgh

las weekend we went to Edinburgh,
and I wasn't the one who booked, I only foun a bit before!!
but it was wprth it, the city is beautifull and fill of life
(it is just a pitty it is so grey... like the weather...)



we arrived friday afternoon, still with some time to walk around
after passing through a dodgy street...
we went by the National Museum of Scoltland and the Old College
and went in the Royal Mile right next to the area's Games Wokshop!
we continued going past the St. Giles Cathedtral, Real Mary's Close
and next the City Council and, across the street, the Parliament Hall
already tired we took a peek at the view from the North Bridge
and then went back to the Hotel (we only left later for dinner)



saturday we went to look at some more sights
went up to the Castle from where there is a very nice view over the city
afterwards we went to the comercial area, across the valey
where the National Galleries' and the Royal Academy's garden is
after walking around some more towards Queen Street we went back
to the romantic dinner we had reserved at the Hotel



sunday we slept till late and got the plane back
to arrive at Darmstadt a little after lunch time
and have a rest from the lightning visit!