¡Feliz cumpleaños, Reg!

Needless to say, it was a must that we rang in the last year of Reggie's twenties in a big way. His request was simple: the beach. Stat. It's gotten C-O-L-D in Hamburg this month so a beach vaca seemed obvious. Each trip we plan requires a lot of consideration because we recognize the fact that our time here will surely fly and have quickly learned that there are a bajillion gorgeous sights to see in Europe. So, after lots of travel deal searching we found Mallorca. Water + sun + sand = perfecto.

Mallorca, the largest of the Balearic Islands and off the western coast of mainland Spain, is scattered with beaches and tikis and is surrounded with aquamarine water. Though often bustling, the beach we visited in Playa de Palma, a resort town adjacent to the capital city, offered the opportunity to achieve supreme relaxation, necessary rejuvenation, and the ultimate birthday celebration festivities.

We divided our time evenly: 80% near or in The Sea, 15% eating, 5% sightseeing.

 How can you go wrong?

Because we have a sense of humor, we decided to have a go at the sketched portrait scene. It turned out to be entertaining, and though we're not quite sure who the woman is in the portrait with Reg, (my cousin, perhaps?) we decided the final product is a framer.

*No charge for adding the long hair.

An hour and a half well spent. I guess from the side it KIND OF looks like me...

On our last day in Mallorca we dragged ourselves away from the beach to do some touristy activities. Though no day at beach, the capital city, Palma de Mallorca, is a beautifully manicured haven colored with boutiques, art, and tapas.

Not every house can pull off banana yellow. This one does it with ease.

The nightlife in Mallorca comes highly recommended. According to Tripadvisor.com Bar Abaco has to be seen to be believed. After witnessing this intriguingly unique establishment, I cannot think of a better way to describe it. Expecting a booming bar, Reg and I were stumped when we found the unusually massive and admittedly confusing door to Bar Abaco.

Soon enough Reggie and I built up the courage to enter. We couldn't have been more shocked when we walked in and realized that Bar Abaco is not the standard bar we were expecting. Oh no, it is so much more. Yes, that is a large pile of fresh fruit decorating the floor and yes you counted correctly, there ARE a bajillion fresh flowers in this empire of attractive gaud. Around the corner is the outside section of Abaco, adorned from head to toe with bubbling fountains, birds in gorgeous cages, and loads of happy customers. No travel guide will ever do justice to Bar Abaco's appealing grandeur. Seeing was believing.

 With bevies at €16 a piece we opted for some tapas and Sangria at a place around the corner. And for the tapas and Sangria--tasting was believing.

Mushrooms and red peppers never looked or tasted so good.

¡Feliz cumpleaños, Reg!

Bathing-Bathing in Baden-Baden

Living in Germany has broadened my horizons in such a way that I now found myself trying things that would have never interested me before. I'm more of a risk-taker now than I have ever been. I guess that when everything around you is brand new you either face life with an open mind or sink. So, when I read about Baden-Baden (literally, bathing-bathing), a spa town built on top of thermal springs in  southern Germany, I only hesitated briefly before booking. This is not the type of trip that would have appealed to me before I became a pseudo-European. However, now that I've discovered the lavishness involved in spas here, I had my bags packed early.

Baden-Baden resembles a Somerset Mall minus the roof. Perfectly manicured and brimming with uber-expensive shopping, it is the former playground for the German and Russian elite. It is small, yet elegant and although many steps outside our norm, Baden-Baden was a fantastic experience.

We reached the city by train in the evening. Reg's suggestion to take a detour from dropping our bags at the hotel to go straight to the spa was well received by me. We had a thirty-minute window to reach the spa from the train before they admitted their last guests for the night. We made it with three minutes to spare.

Welcome to Caracalla Therme: a big, refreshing glass of relaxation--with a splash of spring break. Caracalla is a palace of warm and hot pools, saunas, damp baths, and relaxed folks. It's laid back and comfortable and our three-hour limit expired far too soon.



Caracalla's big brother, Freidrichsbad, stands handsomely 100 meters from Caracalla. It is the more mature, no nonsense brother. There is no spring break mixed in this stately glass of relaxation. Just the water, you, and your past.

Friedrichsbad proves its mature nature with its superior organization. Where Caracalla is essentially a free-for-all, your time at Friedrichsbad is segmented into stations.

These are the first of 17 stations. They include multiple showers, both warm and cold, saunas, pools, whirlpools, and soap-brush massages. I've never felt so clean. The final two stations allow you to lather yourself up with lotion and be wrapped into a warm-blanket coccoon by an attendant and relax as long as you choose, just you and your happy thoughts. I choose forever. Bliss.

Although the baths alone warrant a trip to Baden-Baden, it is equally as famous for its casino.

A coat and tie are mandatory in this prestigious 150-year old playing hall. I watched the subdued high roller scene for a bit and then wandered around to find the real action--dime slots.

Elegant and stately Baden-Baden served to be a perfect relaxation spot...until the 7:15am train back to Frankfurt. Auf wiedersehen, baths...Guten morgen, real world.

 

Ooooh! I la la love Strasbourg!

The European rail system consistently amazes me. It's always on time and can be accessed everywhere--even in the smallest towns (only there you better know what you're doing because there's no one to help you). Feel like going to another city? Country, even? Find the nearest train station and you can be there shortly. No passport required. Not having a car has been easy because of the public transportation in Hamburg and beyond.

We took a day out of our weekend in Baden-Baden, in the Black Forest region of southern German, to visit Strasbourg, France by train. The trip took one hour and I wasn't even sure when we exited Germany and entered France. No matter. Bonjour, Strasbourg!

Our first stop: Le Petit France. Reg studied French so he was able to get us there. (Phew.) When you've got limited time there's nothing more frustrated than getting lost. Take it from me.

Le Petit France was a darling area of the city paved with cobblestones, decorated with an unreal amount of planted flowers, and trimmed with traditional half-timbers.

Le Petit France was enough for me. I would have been perfectly fine meandering along those cobblestones all day. Then I saw this in the distance...

Sigh. I'm speechless when it comes to describing the way one feels standing in front of such a remarkable piece of art. So many structures in Europe have left me feeling humbled and in awe, and this one is no exception. The Strasbourg Cathedral is 142-meters tall and was constructed from 1015-1439 (that's right, four hundred years were spent building this gem).

In the Cathedral Square you can find a bajillion treasures that you can't live without, including biscuits from this cozy little shop.

I spent a long time picking out the perfect biscuit for my lunch/dessert. I finally settled on an almond praline biscuit. I was tickled when the cashier said, "Bonjour, Madame!" I looked around. She couldn't really be calling ME madame?! Cross my heart, I was the Madame. With a smile of pride, I handed over my euros.Transaction completed, I admired my prize. For a second I thought it was too pretty to eat. But just for a second.

Several excusez-moi's later we found our way to the train and back to Baden-Baden. Spending the day in Strasbourg was perfectly charming. Now for some spa time in Baden-Baden.

Just Me and the Rhine

At the risk of sounding cheesy, I have to say that my solo trip to the Rhine Region was one of the most liberating experiences I have had to date. I jumped at the chance to visit several sleepy quaint Rhine River villages nestled at the feet of castles on my way to meet Reggie in Wiesbaden, his place of work this month, before we headed south for the weekend. With lots of advice from Rick Steves, my travel-writer hero, I took a 7am flight to Frankfurt out of Hamburg. Excited? Yes. Nervous as heck about how I’d manage to get myself from here to there and multiple places in between? Oh yeah.

The flight was the easy part. I spent those brief fifty minutes gearing myself up for a day of the unknown--in German. When the pilot announced our descent I had myself so worked up I was sweating. But, I pulled myself together enough to stand up and exit. Eventually and miraculously my busting-at-the-seams backpack and I found our way to our first train. Success.

After several stops, multiple long waiting periods, and lots of ipod listening, I reached destination number one--St. Goar. Just as I had hoped, St. Goar is a charming, teensy town of half-timbered homes sitting along the barge-covered rainy Rhine. Then you look up. There she is: Rheinfels Castle. Rheinfels, my first castle ever, sits beautifully and dominantly in ruins above the town. Too good for a touristy train, I opted to walk up to the castle. I emphasize up. It must have been the size that made Rheinfels  appear to be close to where I was standing when I made the executive decision to use my feet to reach it. Many stairs, gorgeous view shots, and what was I thinking?’s later, my heavy backpack and I reached the hulk of a castle (along with many others in cars—none of them sweating as badly as I was).

There are more where these came from.

500 years old and attacked by multiple French armies in the 1600s and 1700s, Rheinfels Castle is now only 1/5 of its original size. Using Rick’s book (I’ve read so much of his writing we’re on a first-name basis now) I took a self-guided tour. At one time the castle was self-sufficient and you can still find the remains of the slaughterhouse, prison, church, and cellar.

 

Walking through a place whose history began so long ago is incredibly humbling. As dominating as this sitting bull is, my time here was peaceful and satisfying. When I was finally ready to leave I was happy to realize that going down a cliff isn’t nearly as challenging as going up.

Next: Bachrach by boat. This tiny village is just two towns down The Rhine from St. Goar. Bachrach makes up for not having its own Rheinfels Castle with its cuteness. Bright half-timbered buildings decorated with pretty flowers are a big part of what make this place so adorable. Also on that list is the homemade riesling gelato from Eis Café Italia. Everyone should have the chance to taste this perfect food. 

That's right, people--riesling gelato.

Back on the train, this time in Reggie's direction, I had a huge sense of satisfaction. Maybe it was the gelato, but if I were a betting gal I'd say it was a feeling of accomplishment for not being afraid to take a risk.

Now if only my nephews weren't all the way across the pond...

The City of Endless Possibilities

I so declare it impossible to be bored in Hamburg. Anytime of any day there is a plethora of options to choose from. My list has more checkmarks than ever and continues to grow...quickly. I have found something new to experience each day and I haven’t even shopped yet! (Believe it.)

A recent discovery was one I had been eyeing for some time, but couldn’t quite figure out how to get to. Its top is not difficult to spot, being that it is 482-feet high, but being able to find its bottom half was another story. On one of our many excursions into new territory Reggie helped me locate the bottom half of the gothically gorgeous St. Nikolai Church.

I know, I know…”ANOTHER CHURCH ?!” you say. I have to admit I never realized how much I liked looking at them until I started traveling abroad. Though one of many stellar churches in Hamburg, St. Nikolai deserves recognition. It’s original structure dates back to the 12th century and the current building was completed in 1874. This handsome thing was the tallest building in the world for several years in the 1800s and is still the second tallest in Hamburg.


St. Nikolai is now in ruins as a result of WWII air raids. It will remain that way to recognize the magnitude of that horrific chapter in our history. A friend suggested I go see “the broken church,” and though probably not kosher, that’s a pretty-fitting nickname for this splendid site.

Now that I’m an avid market-goer I’ve discovered that delectable edibles aren’t the only enticing things offered by the talented Hamburgers. This weekend Reggie and I discovered a flohmarkt (flea market) a few stops from our apartment. Similar to most public events here, this one was chock full of excited folks, turning me into one excited German-speaking-bargainer-wannabe.

We came home empty-handed, but I had my eye on a few great finds:

I wouldn't know, but I imagine this is lots of fun to play.

There have been two days in the past six weeks that I have left our apartment without the camera. Both times I came across this man’s spectacular chalk art. (Yes, it was horrible.) This time I was armed with my camera and wasn’t leaving without many, many pictures.

If I was to make up my own name for this beautiful piece, I would call it (predictably) Global Appreciation. On a more exciting note, I am proud to say I can now recognize danke.

While St. Nikolai is cryptic and oh-so-fun to look at and The Feldstrasse Flohmarkt is a perfect way to spend a Saturday morning, Meridian Spa takes the cake for the best way to spend your day. Our new “gym” is no ordinary health club. Lucky for us, Germans take wellness seriously enough to offer a health club for the stars. Meridian Spa has all you would expect in terms of a gym, including great cardio and strength-training equipment, but it is the wellness center part of the club that initially caused me to have an extreme jaw-drop experience. The wellness center boasts a gorgeous pool and hot tub, not 1 but 3 saunas, a steam-bath, an ice bath (yikes), bars (adult beverages included), and a restaurant. Two words in the sales pitch caught my attention more than any others: unlimited yoga. I could hear bells ringing and birds singing at that moment. Where do I sign?

Now, there can't possibly be a better way to motivate oneself to get healthy than to join this place. Certainly, wellness is an important part of the German culture and I couldn't be happier about it.