Art project

After our trip to the battlefields we met up with Kent at the Cheesecake Factory back home and had a really yummy dinner!! It is one of my favourite places to eat....not going to lie...but the desserts is one of the major reasons why I love it. :)

Don't get me wrong but the food is pretty good too.

We had a little experiment when the desserts came in and of course I did pull out the ye old camera to document it.
A cool print to enlarge and frame....would be kind of neat. :)

What you need is a clear glassmug and dark liquid, we used coffee and then you need milk

Quite fun to see the milk turn into clouds inside the mug. :)
And it would be a neat idea to enlarge and frame.....hmm...

Until next time..

The trip part 3 - Gettysburg national cemetary

The last stop in our little getaway was the Gettysburg Battlefield. We didn't have enough time to tour the entire battlefield so we did the visitor center and the national cemetary. And for me it was just enough for that day. :)

In the visitor center we got to listen to the story of the whole battle in the cupola. Very touching and nice to get a glance on where it took place.

While we were waiting for our tourguide for the cemetary, I took some shots in the field around us.

The entrance and our group, our guide is the one infront in the green shirt. He was the best guide I have listened to, very precise and funny. :)

The podium were used for different speakers on memorials and such. Kind of misplaced but somehow fit. The fence were actually the same fence that went around the White House at the time of the Civil War. Although it didn't get to the Cemetary until the 1980's I think. But still a neat little story that makes it all come together.

Our guide told us that after the war they designed the Cemetary with the help of a landscaper. The dead bodies were placed by which state they belonged to and buried as such.

Photo above is the old visitor center, which became to small to occupy the visitors and that is when they started building the new one. I tell you, it looked like a red barn when we drove up! :) Probably 3 times bigger than the old one.

If you haven't gone I suggest you should, I will definetly go again and take in the whole park and its history.

The trip part 2- Antietam battlefield

I am a history buff true to heart. Just love it! I can spend days touring and getting into the vibe so to speak. And whenever I do get over to the States I at least incorporate some kind of history to it, since it is full of it.

This year Rene and I took a mini getaway to go to Gettysburg, and did a detour around Sharpsburg, Maryland. I had never heard of it before but am glad we went.

It was a selfguided tour by car and you had different landmarks where to stop. The map above gives you a idea of the tour.

First of was the visitors center (above) and a little guided tour inside and around the house. The view from there were spectacular.

We visited the house of Clara barton, who was the first president of the American Red Cross.
We took a little walk along the cornfield trail...which ended up taking us way back to the visitor center if we didn't take a shortcut....

...that shortcut cut right next to a big strong Bull, who didn't exactly give us the friendly eye!
His ladies however liked that we walked by, desperate for some attention :)
the picture above to the righ, is called the Bloody lane. Here about 5000 men were killed in just a few hours...hard to believe.

Now when we arrived to Antietam, we saw this field of sheep. My words:
"Oh look at the cute sheep"
A little later....we came across the sign above to the left. My words:
"Ugh...ohhh noooo, this will forever change my view of sheep!"
I think Rene laughed til she dropped...my poor image just went bloody...:(

Call me morbid or what, but I love cemetary's...not at night but during daylight. :)
This one was really pretty when the sun was setting. I feel them to be calm and sanctuary.

The view from the watchtower over parts of the cemetary.

Now we got some recommendations for dinner at the visitor center and figure we need to try it out.
So we set out to find this little café. We were in Sharpsburg, Maryland...Rene typed in the adress and off we went...and not finding the place. I think I drove every little street this town had for a good 30 minutes until I pulled over and looked at the address Rene had typed in.
Well the address were right, however it was supposed to be Shepardstown West Virginia not Sharpsburg in Maryland. So of we went...and I literally had a dejá vu! (a few years back after a wrong turn we went to Maryland, Virginia and West Virginia in a matter of 15 minutes! :))

Anywho, we got there and it was so cute. Loved the decor, a but quaint and rustic but very charming.
The waitress had us try a cucumber bruschetta....OH MY....soooo YUMMY! It was so good, my mouth was watering after that. We devoured the food soo fast that we didn't have time to take a picture of it. :) The dessert was good too, a lemon raspberry cheesecake! (starting to get hungry now)

After dinner it was back to the hotel and crash for the next adventure.....

The trip part 1

We stayed at the beach when I went over to the states in april. One glorious week in Virginia Beach, didn't stay in one of my all time favourite places (the Cavalier)...but the cabin came pretty close! :)

here are a few of many photos I took during that stay:





We took a windy walk at the nearby birdsanctuary, and not seeing any birds :) But is was beautiful.

The sign in the above photo was from the first restaurants we ate at coming down to Virginia Beach.
We made fires pretty much every single day, and I got to eat at my favourite restaurant ever..EAT! :)

Daily walks on the beach were mandatory since we lived so close! Brisk and windy but very peaceful, even had the company of a flock of pelicans too. And we saw a few of our next choices of houses to stay in...right on the beachfront. SOoooo pretty! :)

That is our house...the crowd pleaser. Really cool, I liked it a lot. The groupshot is of everyone that was staying at the cabin the entire week.

I had a great time, met some great friends and reconnected with myself a bit.

Stay tune for part 2

Tuscany day 9 and 10

Day 9 I didn't feel all to well, probably heat exhaustion from day 8. So I just spent it leisurely around the hotel and pool. Did venture to one of their "outlet" malls in the afternoon to see if I can score a bargain.

Should have brought the big wallet...yikes....I mean designer clothes are nice and all but NOway am I paying for the clothes they had. They had sale on the sale price and If I would have bought a scarf I would have blown my budget sky high. Was fun to see all the crazy people going through rack after rack just to buy something with the stores name on it. :)

Day 10 I took the train into Florence again to see the Pitti Palace and Boboli gardens (again...did sightsee that 8 years ago aswell).
It was as I had remembered, still beautiful. :)

Pitti Palace from behind.

View taken from or the river from Ponte Vecchio

view from the beginning of the Boboli gardens that are next to
Pitti Palace

 Following photos are taken from inside the Boboli gardens. A beautiful place that you can just wander around in for hours! :)

Spent the day in Florence and had dinner at one of the restaurants I ate in years before.
By the end of the day I was exhausted  and my head fell hard on the pillow.

Tuscany day 7 and 8

Day 7 was spent at the hotel, reading and just relaxing. Trying to hold on to my money so I ended up eating lunch at Ikea...:)

Day 8: One of the things I needed to do or wanted to see I should say is to drive through the Chianti region. I love wine...and to have come to Tuscany and not see that part, would just be dreadful. ;-)

So I packed the car with snacks and water and headed out to drive the "old" road, not the express highway that went along side it. It isn't "old" just very scenic and a beautiful road too. You drive right between the vineyards and have little pitoresque towns that you can stop and take a break if you will.

There were wineyards left and right of the road

My trustworthy friend that made some aweful noises at times but brought me
to where I wanted to go. :)

Stopped in Chastellina in Chianti for lunch and they had
beautiful number plaques on the houses.
The photo above were taken from the town out towards the fields

On my way back after a 3 hour long drive on the scenic route
I stopped in San Gimignano and had icecream

The people in the above photo were waiting in line to get
ice-cream!!! I kid you not...the line was long!
Miss Smartypants here wandered down a bit on the same
street and found a ice-cream parlor that didn't have that
long line...

Believe this day was the hottest of them all and my body felt it too. Up to about 40 degrees Celsius, I can tell that the A.C in the car was more than welcoming! :)

Want to read about my Tuscany trip from the get go? Here is day 1 & 2, day 3, day 4, day 5 & 6

Tuscany day 5 and 6

Day 5 was spent at the pool by the hotel. The day in Pisa took its toll and made my body complain in agony and begged to stay at the pool... ;)

So of course I obeyd and did just that.

Day 6 I took a drive to a nearby town called Vinci, Leonardo Da Vinci's homeplace. A really pitoresque town and pretty. Did the centre of town first and the 2 museums there were and then walked up the hill to see his birthplace.
In hindsight I wished I would have taken my rental car...boy it was hot that day.
3,5 km and HOT HOT HOT outside and all uphill and not the very best road...sums up to a very stupid thing to do. Don't think I have been panting for air like I did...
But it was somewhat worth it....the scenery was beautiful and I found a hotel I want to stay in the next time I venture back to Tuscany.

Here are a few photos from that day:

Vinci square

Leonardo Da Vinci's house

Love their houseplaques and witnessed a wedding ceremony too..

Above: Vinci is surrounded by vineyards and Olivegroves
Below: Vinci's house from the road

Hotel I want to stay in and beautiful flowers in town

Left: Road I walked on to get to Vinci's house....
Right: View of City Centre

various plaques around Vinci's house

Ended the day watching the sunset by the hotel while taking a leisurly walk in the chill evening air....

Stay tuned for day 7

Tuscany day 4

On day four I went for a drive to Pisa and spent my birthday there. It was a hot one let me tell you so there weren't a lot of walking around that day. But had a wonderful Birthday! :)


Planned on walking up the tower...but the heat and the steps combined put my mind said not to. And when I saw the line for it I was sooo pleased with my decision.

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Seeing this view after a 20 min walk to get here was breathtaking.

Here is a mini model on the Piazza

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I fled the scorching sun and ventured into the Sancturary/Cemetery
and enjoyed the quiet and coolness of it.

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I was basically walking on the headstones...kind of weird and creepy,
but still very beautiful.

and then you saw some of these headstones and it went very creepy again...
and this was the more friendly of the many

The day led to its end and I was more than satisfied to return to the car and switch on the A.C for the drive back to the hotel. Drove by fields of sunflowers and dreamt my way home.


Stay tuned for day 5 and 6

Italy day Three

On the third day in tuscany I took the train to Florence. Love Love that city!!!!

Since I have been there before I didn't go and see all the sights, my main goal where to go and see the Uffizi gallery. Didn't go there last time...wonder why...hmm...
Anyway I stood in line for 2 hours....and can now say that I saw it! :)
After that I walked around town, had icecream at Vivoli's...yum! Stumbled across a bookstore that sold english written books (didn't have time to buy one at the airport), bought two and sat down at a Piazza near Palazzo Vecchio.
Had dinner at a little restaurant near the Duomo and had the...best...Pizza ever! Splurged and even had Tiramizu for dessert...*sigh*

Here are a few photos from that day:

Ponte vecchio from the Uffizi gallery

A mural from one of the hallways in the Uffizi gallery

Love how the raingutters were decorated...Bella Italiana...:)

these where all over aswell

The perfect man according to Leonardo Da Vinci

Strolling around town and turned around and saw this...LOVE it!

Transportation....key word in italy

while waiting in line for the Uffizi gallery I took some
photos of statues across the road

either it is well built or it will come down
with the next strong wind.....

By the end of the third day I was really tired, my shoulders screamed in pain for carrying my baby (camerabag) and all I wanted to do was taking a shower to cool off! Strongly suggest that you visit italy in spring or autumn....summer is for beach....got it??! :)

Stay tuned for day 4 and 5