Santorini Greece in February 2014

Our final trip before moving home we saved for Santorini, Greece - probably the most picturesque and most photographed of all the Greek Islands.  We stayed on the cliff in the town of Fira during the off season. There's positives and negatives about visiting this island in February - the weather is not perfect and there are fewer restaurants and shops open... but there are no cruise ships bringing in thousands of tourists, so we were treated like royalty everywhere we went.

With the help of an extremely friendly taxi driver, we visited surrounding cities like Pyrgos and Oia on either side of Fira.  He essentially was our guide/driver for hire every day of our journey.  He said in the height of the tourist season, it might take up to 3 hours to find a taxi.  So he was happy to find a couple in need of his services in February... and we were happy to find him. 

Viewing this island from above you can see how it was formed.  It looks like the top of a volcano. Parts of Greece covered by the Mediterranean Sea began to emerge due to volcanic eruptions, creating islands formed from mountaintops.  Thira is the formal name of Santorini, one of the southernmost islands.  The Minoan civilization is the culture that prospered on the island of Crete around 2000 BC.  Thira was home to Minoans who migrated from Crete. The Minoans traded in Saffron from Crete. A well-known fresco of Saffron gatherers on Santorini is a visual example of their expertise in trading.

As Rod Stewart said... so remember, "Every Picture Tells a Story, Don't It?"

Donkeys do most of the hauling up and down the steep walking paths.

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I found this wonderful hidden shop filled with treasures made only in Greece.



A glass of Santorini red on our hotel room terrace at dusk.

....and yet another glass on a sunny afternoon. 

We saw this cloudburst make a rainbow on a sunny afternoon from our terrace.

The town of Oia with it's signature windmill.



This was our final sunset before leaving this beautiful island. In April 2014, we returned home to South Dakota, after 4 years and 3 months living a wonderful life in Europe.   Tschus!



Canary Islands

We and our expat friends from Wiesbaden decided to visit the Canary Islands in February of 2014...much like our neighbor Germans do to get away from the dark winter days.  The Canaries are a Spanish archipelago off the northwest coast of Africa.  We visited Gran Canaria, the southern part of the island, in Playa del Ingles (English Beach) just below the city of Las Palmas.  Weather is almost guaranteed to be sunny and above 65F all year long. So, for February, this was a much needed boost for all of us weary of short, cloudy days.

We had no agenda other than to experience the island and visit the local national park in the center of the island. The food was pure Spanish - I had Gambas al Ajillo (shrimp in olive oil and garlic) at every meal. Paella was also found everywhere...and these fabulous roasted baby potatoes with aioli sauce. 

Our gang of expats:  Ed and Laura, Betsy and Keith

The amazing view from our hotel room.

A beautiful little town inland that features all types of tile facades.

Typical entrance to a restaurant bar in an old cave in the national park

The seaside village of Playa de Mogan.

Blondie, Bitsy, and Red!

The hotel patio was beautifully covered in Bougainvillea.



A view of the quaint streets of Playa de Mogan.



The Mosel Valley, Burg Eltz and Cologne with Mike

In late October 2013, Pete's brother Mike came to visit us in Germany.  Mike had studied in Cologne many years ago and worked for a short time in Germany.  He picked up a Eurail pass for the week and on the weekends, we took 2 local trips.  First we drove to the nearby Mosel Valley where the Fall colors were peaking.  Along the way, we visited Burg Eltz, one of the most intact castles in Germany and situated in a valley on the forest floor.  The next weekend we headed for Cologne to visit Mike's old stomping grounds.

The town of Cochem sits along the Mosel.

Cochem city center is beyond picturesque.

This gateway entrance to a bridge over the Mosel is typical along the river route.

The Cochem city center looks like a storybook medieval German town.

Burg Eltz was never destroyed and has been in the Eltz family for over 830 years.

This is the bridge leading into the castle compound.

The open square inside the castle walls.

Another Medieval German town - Limburg - with it's precariously leaning houses in the city center.



Mike feeling right at home with the locals in Limburg.



The Limburg Cathedral sits on the highest hill in the town.  The Limburg Archbishop is famous for building his own multi-million Euro home using church funds.



Mike found one of his old haunts along the Rhine River in Cologne near the university he attended back in the day.  Bitte ein Bit!



Visiting old world roots in Belgium

We met our good friends from Brookings, SD - Keith and Cathy Rounds in Antwerp, Belgium.  They had arrived in Amsterdam earlier in the week so we connected up for a visit to the insanely picturesque medieval town of Bruges, Belgium.  

Bruges has been a tourist attraction for anyone traveling through Belgium.  By the 14th century, Bruges (Brugge locally) was one of Europe's leading trade centers. During the next century, the waterway linking the city to the sea silted up. This shut down the trade, leading the townsfolk and traders to abandon the city.  At one time, the city had 40,000 people - as many as London at the time.

On our way out of Bruges, we bypassed Brussels to find the small town of Orbais where Keith's family lineage can be traced back.  Stopping by an old church, we found next to it an old cemetery where the family name was engraved on some large memorial stones.

Local breweries abound in Belgium and one of the oldest is Zot from Bruges.  If you need another flavor to try, just visit the wall of beers which leads to a beautiful terrace off the canal.




One of many canals that wind their way through the old city.






Local Brew!






The wall of Belgium Beers!



Cathy, Mary and Keith on the bridge at dusk





Possibly the most photographed corner of any village in Europe

 

Great sound of horse and buggy on the cobblestone streets

An example of exquisitely crafted facades and window arches

Close up of the carvings above each window - some complicated story depicted here

View from a cafe canalside

Keith's family name "Balzat" from Orbais, Belgium