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Jo

Dresden: Prager Street Shopping, Tapas on Munzgasse, Bye Dresden!

Last day in Dresden. We fly early in the evening so we still have a whole day really, although we were looking at going to the airport by 16:00. 
We had a lovely walk on the Bruhlsche Terrace and had a light very late breakfast at Visa a Vis. The atmosphere was very relaxed and nice. I like having a slow breakfast (brunch) with a view. Taking the time to enjoy the little things in life whilst travelling.
We had a morning of sightseeing and shopping in the afternoon. In the Old Town, there is this adorable and lively alley filled with cafes and terraces called Munzgasse. It reminds me of a similar alley in Brussels, the Beenhouwersstraat (Rue des Bouchers). There is a staircase route connecting the Bruhlsche Terrace and Munzgasse. I just know this is where we will have our very late lunch.
 

Ben Tre Mekong Delta Day Tour: The Finale – Sampan Boat Ride!

 Well, hello! How do you find my Vietnamese cone-shaped straw hat? They are called “Non la” and they go well when you are on a sampan boat :)

In 2016, the day after Christmas Day, my parents, my sister, and I went to Saigon / Ho Chi Minh City for a week’s trip. It was a city trip but we wanted to taste the country as well so we booked a Mekong Delta Day trip to Ben Tre which is approximately 2 hours down south. Our group was relatively small, all of us fitting in a small van. I like it this way especially when you are travelling with parents that have mobility issues. The tour guide is able to focus well on each of us.

Quick Visit to Brno: Drive from Vienna to Brno and Czech Food!

Back in the summer of 2019, I went to visit Brno, a pretty city in the southern part of Czechia. 

Did you know that the Czech Republic has changed its name to Czechia? However, it seems that the rest of the world is struggling to accept its new name because the Czech Republic is still being used to reference the country. Renaming a country is always a tricky thing.

Last Day in Saarschleife: Walk on the Riverbend, Cloef-Atrium, Cloef Viewpoint

On our last day in Saarschleife, we took it real slow taking our time in the morning. I woke up early and was reading this thriller book but couldn’t finish it before we leave. I told myself to read it when I am back home, but until now, I still haven’t finished it yet. The book will have to wait for another holiday planned because I forgot to bring it to our winter sports holiday last January. I thought I could use a reading.

We had our last breakfast in the treehouse and then we packed up our stuff. After checking out at 12:00 we deposited our stuff in the car and went for a stroll on the River Saar. The place is beautiful and we are very much looking forward to this walk.

Hiking the Traumschleife Saarschleife “Tafeltour” Route

 This is the Saarschleife, the stunning horseshoe bend on the River Saar in Mettlach, Germany.

There are a few hiking trails in the Saar-Hunsruck Nature Park. The famous short hike is the Cloef Pfad (Cloef Trail) which is a loop trail that brings you down to the Saar River and up to Baumwipfelpfad (Treetop trail) and the Cloef viewing point (see photo above). It is about 8.4 kilometers and takes on average about 2 hours and 45 minutes to complete. You need to have good stamina for this hike because of the elevation.

A Treehouse Long Weekend Trip in Saarschleife, Mettlach (Germany)

When I joined this company that I work for now more than 2 years ago, they gave me an SUV, a VW Tiguan. This is my first SUV car. When the lease was up in April last year, I could choose a new car. They say that once you have driven an SUV, you will never change back. Well, that is quite true in my experience. 

After weeks of comparing electric SUVs, I have narrowed down my choice to a VW ID.4. The order was placed in March but because of a chip shortage last year, I only received the brand new car in late October. 

So naturally, first things first, we need to test drive this ID.4! But more importantly, we need to understand the workings of driving an electric car. There is a lot to learn about the whole charging infrastructure, particularly outside the Netherlands, and how to plan and manage charging the car when driving long distances.

We picked Germany as our destination to test drive the new electric car and combine this with a long extended weekend getaway. 


Hiking Cascade de Berard in Le Buet in the French Alps

 Mont Buet is beautiful.

It was still bad weather in the mountains so we decided to spend our time on other activities. I did some research on short hikes in the surroundings of Vallorcine where we stayed, and the hike to Cascade de Berard (Berard Waterfalls) stood high on the list. The waterfalls are located near the village of Le Buet at the foot of Mont Buet.

A Day in Chamonix-Mont-Blanc Town

 We were quite happy to spend a bad weather day in the town of Chamonix-Mont-Blanc.

We had a horrible 2nd day of skiing where Dutchman and I lost each other at the top of the mountain (2,270 meters above sea level) and I was clinging on to my life, somewhat, on a steep slope with no visibility and only howling winds and snow swirling all over me.