Woodland Trail, Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge, Chincoteague, VA, 5/15/23

Chincoteague is known for its wild ponies that roam on Assateague Island.  

Legends has it that they are descendants of horses that were shipwrecked in the 17th century off the Virginia coast and swam to shore.

If you look closely, you will see a small band of grazing ponies..

We opted to give the Woodland trail a try only to find ourselves assaulted by mosquitos.

Slathered in insect repellant and walking at a brisk pace we did complete the 1.6-mile trail.

 The beach, on the left though not visible from this photo, was an endless expanse of fine white sand.  

 With the added bonus of having no condos or other human construction spoiling the views.

And no mosquitos!  For me, an ideal running beach. Managed to run 3 miles in the light breeze. 

Cambridge Walking Tour, Cambridge, MD, 5/12/23

On our way to Norfolk, VA, to attend my granddaughter's climbing competition, we decided to leisurely drive down the eastern shore of Maryland. About midday, we stopped to explore Cambridge, one of the oldest cities in Maryland, founded in 1684.  Located along the Choptank river, the city became the boat building, farming and oyster canning center of the region.  The city pier along the river served as the slavery auction block in the 17th and 18th centuries.  Harriet Tubman was born on a plantation nearby, and later the city became a stopover on the Underground Railroad.

Of note, James Michener used Cambridge as a model for the fictional city of Patamoke in his novel Chesapeake.   

Micro home built in 1800 by a lawyer on his property to practice law.  Big cases handled in a tiny office, such as representing a person named Betty Patterson in the annulment of her marriage to Napoleon Bonaparte's brother. 

Mural depicting historically important woman. Can you recognize any?

A center of culture in the early 1900s, 

one could attend the opera in Cambridge in  600-seat opera house.  

 My favorite attraction, the draw bridge on Cambridge Creek. We had barely sat down for lunch and taken in the surroundings, that the bells rang and the draw bridge lifted. 

An unusual sight in the Americas!

Neabsco Creek Boardwalk, Woodbridge VA, 4/29/23

 

A treat of a mini hike with my daughter, Miya.  

While attending my oldest granddaughter's dance competition, Miya and I stole a couple of hours  to explore the marsh/wetland area of the Neabsco Creek that flows into the Potomac.

The boardwalk is 2/3 mile long and is part of the Potomac Heritage National Scenic Trail system that offers a network of 800 miles of connected trails covering most of the mid Atlantic region.  

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Rachel Carson Conservation Park, Brookeville, MD, 4/23/23, Revisited

 

Remembering the pollinator meadow at the Rachel Carson Conservation Park we visited last summer, 

I was curious to check the state of growth of the pollinators in late April.  

Turns out we were just a few weeks too early.

For comparison, see photo below of the same meadow last July. 

Black Forest Highlands Heritage trail (Heimatphad), Hinterzarten, Germany, 10/10/22

Starting from the Hinterzarten train station, 

 we set off walking the forest paths, taking in the fall colors. 

Above, a ditch with clever erosion control. 

After crossing the tourist town of Hofgut Sternen with busloads of tourists exploring the glassblower and ropemaker exhibits, and historic tollhouse, we reach the small St. Oswaldkappelle. 

The chapel, dedicated to St Oswald, a 7th century king and martyr, was built in 1148, and is the oldest church in the High Black Forest.  Above, skull and bone visible from the subfloor.

Crossing the Ravenna viaduct, 

climbing high through the romantic Ravenna Gorge,

and emerging on an upland moor. 

To the left, note the traditional farm house with solar panels and wood pile. 

See detail below.

Back by train to our Freiburg Airbnb.  

Above, photo of our bohemian and pictoresque street. 

Bye bye Freiburg.  

Seen at the train station the next morning for our ride back to Brussels, 

a tower of all Ritter chocolates, one of my favorite chocolates.

 

Freiburg Walks, Freiburg Germany, 10/6-10/9, 2022

Capital of the Black Forest, Frieburg is an ancient and lively university town with a sense of humor. Considered the sunniest town in Germany, it makes good use of the this free source of energy and is almost entirely powered by a large solar farm just outside of town. 

Since the 13th century "streamlets" have lined every street with water that was used to put out fires. Today, children delight in water play.

We explored the city with my cousins and their husbands.  Above, celebrating my cousin-in-law Edward's birthday on our tiny Airbnb balcony. Note our delight in savoring german pastries.

Market day by the cathedral (on the left.) Note the buildings on the right look clean and well maintained; that's because they are actually new.  Freiburg was heavily bombed during WWII and the city was almost entirely rebuilt.

Miraculously, the cathedral dating from 1200 was spared from bombing. Above, on the wall next to the entrance, note the date 1270 and the oval and round marks. These were the official bread sizes used to check the size of a just purchased loaf of bread and prevent cheating. 

Another unique feature distinguishing Freiburg are mosaic coats of arms in the cobblestoned streets.  Each merchant has its own.  Above, the book merchant, the wine dealer, the furniture maker and the tailor. 

Walking tour of Baden-Baden, Germany, 10/3/22

We started the walking tour of Baden Baden right outside our little Airbnb in the back of one of the town's two main thermal spas.  Above, the "Fetquelle" or "rich water source,"  a 105-degree water fountain which until recently was a source of hot water for locals. 

Walking up and around the modern Caracalla spa,  the venerable Roman-Irish bath and the remnants of the ancient bath built for Roman soldiers, we found ourselves in the middle of an exotic garden fed by water from the hot springs. Above, a flourishing fig tree. 

 On the right, corner view of the Roman-Irish bath complex. 

Walking through old town we reach the Oosbach river with its Lichtentaler Allee, called  "the Culture Mile" because of its many museums and also "the Green Mile" as it is lined with stately oaks and strikingly beautiful and large exotic trees.

Above, a Catalpa tree, an impressive north American tree that can grow close to a 100 feet in hight. I smiled when I saw the many north American trees. 

A giant sequoia. Not quite as large as the Californian ones, but impressive none the less.

 The Germans planted north American trees like Americans plant European and Asian varieties.  

Hum?? The grass is always greener on the other side of the pond, the ocean in this case. 

Returning from our elegant promenade along the Allee, past the classy mansions, the Rose garden (above) and the Casino called the "Kurhaus," we ended the walking tour at the "Trinkhalle."

As you can see from the photos above and below, the Trinkhalle is quite unique: a long ~1850 building decorated with romantic murals, where 19th century visitors would come to drink the healing spa waters and promenade both inside and outside the structure.