Ruth and Mark's amazing trip around the world

Back in San Diego

2007-12-08T20:43:00.000-08:00

We are back in San Diego. Actually, I am - Mark will be travelling with his dad until Christmas.
Got back Sunday night, just in time for Mark's mom's 8oth birthday!

Coverage of our last few weeks in New Zealand to follow soon.

Auckland: our last few days in New Zealand and a meeting with my brother

2007-11-30T12:54:00.000-08:00

It's amazing how things work out sometimes: there we are travelling through New Zealand, and my brother gets invited by the New Zealand Tourism Board to travel NZ at the same time! So for the third time this year, I got to see my brother! We last saw him at the beginning of August, during the first few weeks of our trip, when we spent a weekend together in Hamburg and Sylt. And now we got to spend some time together at the end of our trip...how cool is that?

Reunited in Auckland, at a small restaurant in the neighbourhood of Mt. Eden, near our hostel "The Bamber House". We were trying to have a last NZ lamb feast - but they were out of lamb!?!

In the park:

Downtown Auckland:

After Patrick left, Mark and I still had a day to explore Auckland, so we took a ferry to Rangitoto, a relatively new volcanic island.

View of Auckland Harbor from the ferry:

Rangitoto Island:

Hiking the Routeburn Track

2007-11-26T12:37:00.000-08:00

One of the greatest things about travelling in New Zealand is the extensive network of hiking trails, complete with backcountry huts for a good night's sleep. Since we were biking most of the time, we only got to do one 3-day hike: the Routeburn Track.

Off we go:

Beautiful scenery Day 1:

View from the Routeburn Falls Hut:

Day 2: Climbing Harris Saddle

Reflection in Lake McKenzie:

Beautiful Milford Sound

2007-11-21T23:56:00.000-08:00

We spent a wonderful day hiking the beginning of the Kepler Track (from Te Anau Control Gates to Luxmore Hut), and then drove down to Milford Sound - in the rain, with waterfalls running down the rocks everywhere. Then this morning a 2-hour cruise on Milford Sound - "moody Milford Sound" as the call it.
This Sunday we start our 3-day hike on the Routeburn Track.
Next week we fly up to Auckland, where we will hook up with my brother Patrick, who happens to be in New Zealand!!!
Until soon...

We are in Queenstown, New Zealand

2007-11-19T02:02:00.000-08:00

We took the TranzAlpine train across the mountains back to Christchurch, where we returned the bicyles. We then rented a car and drove down to Lake Tekapo, and today, on to Queenstown via Wanaka. Beautiful sunset here tonight against the mountain silhouette!

We spent the last night in jail!

2007-11-18T02:00:00.000-08:00

Franz Josef Glacier

2007-11-17T10:50:00.000-08:00

Biking through New Zealand - after all!

2007-11-14T15:19:00.000-08:00

We have just completed our beautiful bike ride from Christchurch to Greymouth, via Picton, Nelson, Motueka, St. Arnaud and Westport. The beginning was a bit slow, with several broken spokes and other obstacles to overcome. However, once we got the bike fixed in Nelson, we had a wonderful 8 days riding through New Zealand. From Nelson, we rode up to Motueka, where we locked up the bikes for one day to take a day-hike in Able Tasman National Park (definitely want to come back here some day to do the complete 5-day walk). We then rode down to Kohatu Junction, along the beautiful Motueka river - this was one of the most scenic rides of the trip, with very little traffic! From there, we rode up to St. Arnaud, a tiny town in the mountains, and gateway to Nelson Lakes National Park, and from there to Murchison. The next day was our record day: we rode nearly 100km in one day, all the way from Murchison to Westport, always along the Buller River, and throug Buller River Gorge. At this point, we had had two weeks of sunshine - no rain. That was about to change. Once we arrived in Westport (finally at the West Coast!), it started pouring. So we spent most of the day sitting in the hostel, drinking hot tea, thinking about what we should do...then we decided to take a bus to Greymouth, only to find out, that the bus had broken down! Maybe it was a sign telling us to ride...when the rain stopped around 4pm, we got on the bikes and decided to ride 20km down the coast to Charleston, hoping that that would give us a chance to still make it to Greymouth the next day. As we were riding towards Charleston, battling strong winds, it started pouring - and the for the first time I got to try out my rain gear, which I had been hauling around for 2 weeks! Wet and cold, we arrived in Charleston, a tiny little township. Aya opened the door to our hostel for the night, and within a few minutes we were in the hot spa...it turned out to be a fun evening with our hosts Aya and Paul. Paul finds and carves jade...very interesting...The next morning, we woke up to a blue sky and sunny weather, and so we got on the bikes for our last 77km to Greymouth! The rugged West Coast is spectacular, and we were very happy to ride the last stretch, vs. sitting on a bus...

We got to Greymouth just in time to rent a car to drive down to Franz Josef Glacier, where we are spending the day. It is pouring rain today. Mark is up on the glacier with a guided tour - I decided to take a day off from activities and work on the blog instead...Tomorrow we drive back to Greymouth, where we will catch the Tranzalpine Train to Christchurch, where we will return the bikes, before renting a car to head down towards Queenstown and the Milford Sound.

Only 2.5 weeks left on our trip --- time goes by too fast. New Zealand has been my favourite destination on this trip! It is so beautiful here, I would like to spend a lot more time...

Beautiful New Zealand

2007-11-06T00:36:00.001-08:00

A spring day in Hagley Park, Christchurch

Riding our bikes along the East Coast

Kaikoura

The Marlborough Sounds

Rugged West Coast

Wanaka

Queenstown

Amazing hostels

2007-11-06T00:09:00.001-08:00

New Zealand has the most amazing backpacker hostels. Each place we have stayed has been unique. All have shared bathrooms and kitchens - cooking your meal in the community kitchen is a great way to meet other travellers. The first night, we stayed in this train wagons:

The second night, we stayed in this old jailhouse:

Dolphin Lodge in Kaikoura - with a patio with a view of the snow-covered mountains and the sea:

Anakiwa:

Hopewell - what a peaceful place!

The Lauging Kiwi in Motueka, near Abel Tasman National Park

Westport

Charleston

Jailhouse in Christchurch

Hippo Lodge in Queenstown

Biking New Zealand - thanks to our angels!!!

2007-11-05T23:59:00.000-08:00

So we rented bikes in Christchurch, thinking we would ride for 5 days straight, all the way up to Picton, and then hang out there for a few days. And then things started happening in different directions...just about 30km into the first day, one of my spokes (Speiche, for you Germans) broke. Since it was clear that there would not be a repair shop for at least 150km, we had to go back about 14km to a town we had passed over an hour ago.

Fortunately there was Andy. Andy was sitting at a red light in his truck, and we didn't really give him a chance to say no, when I asked him whether he would give us, and our bikes, and our bags, a ride back to the last town.

Thank you Andy!!! You made our day!!!

After a few happy days of riding, it happened again: I heard that sound, and another spoke had broken! This time we were in the middle of nowhere, in the Marlborough Sounds...so we started pushing our bikes, thinking we were only a few kilometers away from the place where our water taxi was to pick us up to take us to our next hostel...

And then Emma and Malcolm came along and saved us! Thanks for the ride! You made our day!

Now we were stranded at Hopewell: the most beautiful hostel we have ever seen, at a wonderful location (more about that separately) - not a bad place to be stranded!!! How to get out of here, to Nelson, a 5 hour drive away, to the nearest bikeshop?

Along came Kathrin and Markus, our next angels. They offered to pack our bikes and bags, and us, into their van, and take us along to Nelson. In the morning, the next problem arose: their van had a flat tire. So Mark and Markus put on the spare tire. We started driving - and soon realized we were losing air in the spare tire - so off we went to the next garage...So here we were at the garage, our bikes in the back of the van, getting the spare tire repaired...

Thanks Kathrin and Markus for saving us!

Diving and Snorkelling the Great Barrier Reef

2007-11-04T00:21:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone! I know all of you have been waiting for pictures from the Great Barrier Reef. So here we go, trying to catch up...

It had been Mark's dream for a long time to go diving at the Great Barrier Reef...and he finally got to do it! I myself went snorkelling, which was equally amazing!

The Reef extends for several thousand miles along the Australian East Coast. To grasp its size, you need to see it from the air. On our flight out of Australia, we got lucky: it was a beautiful, clear day, we had a window seat, and there it was:

The colors of the water are amazing:

The Reef is located off the coast, so to go diving or snorkelling, you have to go out on a boat. We did a few day trips, and then booked a 2-day/1 night trip on a littile sailboat, the Vagabond. It turned out to be the highlight of our trip to the Reef: after a day of diving and snorkelling, we got to spend the night sleeping on the deck, under a clear sky, with a full view of the Southern Cross...when the sun came up around 5:30am, it was time to go for the first snorkel....

Please meet Wally: He is a beautiful Napolean Wrasse, the largetst, colorful fish I have ever seen in the wild...these amazing fish change sex from female to male when the need arises. Several females live with one male. When the male dies, one of the females of the harem spontaneously changes to male over just a few days...this one likes to hang out by the boat...

Here is our sailboat at sunset time...

Everything ok in the water...

Cape Tribulation - North of Cairns, Australia

2007-11-03T01:36:00.000-07:00

North of Cairns is beautiful Cape Tribulation - where the rainforest meets the ocean and the Great Barrier Reef.

Thank you Anthony and Christina for giving us a ride from Cape Trip back to Cairns, for making it a very funny day, and for being part of our trip! By the way, we joined BBH in New Zealand and have been enjoying the hostels! Thanks for the tip.

Can't leave Australia without seeing a Kangooru....

Biking through New Zealand...

2007-10-31T21:55:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone! We are in Kaikoura, New Zealand. Picked up our bicyles last Sunday in Christchurch, and have been riding through the beautiful countryside for a few days. Will try to post pictures later on...

Take care,
Ruth and Mark

Hi everyone - we are still in Cairns!

2007-10-23T03:44:00.000-07:00

We spent most of last week up at Cape Tribulation, north of Cairns - taking beack and rainforest walks. It's a World Heritage Area, where the rainforest meets the Great Barrier Reef. Over the weekend we rented a car and drove inland a bit, exploring the Atherton Tablelands, just west of Cairns. Lots if rainforest and bush walks. Once night, we spent about an hour standing in the rainforest, listening, trying to spot some wildlife with a very bright spotlight we rented from the hostel. We ended up seeing a bright green frog sitting on a branch, and a huge black spider with yellow dots, sitting in the middle of its huge, raindrop covered web. Then yesterday we finally saw some kangaroos, hopping around in the bush. I was already getting worried that we would have to leave Australia without having seen kangaroos...

Today, we took a boat out to Green Island, a tiny island off the coast here, and spent the day snorkelling in turquoise waters...we saw lots of colorful fish - and a huge sea turtle!!! Tomorrow we are going on a 2-day/1-night boat trip for some more diving and snorkelling, Friday is Mark's birthday, and Saturday we are off to New Zealand, to start our bike ride.

More soon...

Cairns, North Queensland, Australia

2007-10-13T03:12:00.000-07:00

Today, Mark did his first couple of dives at the Great Barrier Reef (and I went snorkeling)!!! We booked a catamaran trip to the Outer Reef and saw amazing coral and fish, including lots of giant clams! Not sure when we will be able to post pictures again....

Sydney

2007-10-10T05:09:00.000-07:00

After 5 weeks in Southeast Asia we made it to Australia. The good news: Sydney is much cooler than Southeast Asia, so Mark got a few days to cool down...the bad news: the prices here are sky-high...especially after $3 dinners-for-two for the last 5 weeks...

Sydney is an amazing city...

I got to see "Tannhaeuser" at the amazing Sydney opera house (that's the opera I will be singing with San Diego Opera in January...) and also did a "backstage tour".

Since Mark isn't into opera, he got to climb the Sydney Harbor Bridge instead. See those little people there climbing up to steps...?

View from the ferry...

Thank you Deb and Justin for letting us stay with you! It was fun to see you again and we look forward to seeing you in San Diego later this year!

One night in Bangkok

2007-10-09T05:49:00.000-07:00

After Angkor Wat, we went to Bangkok for one day, before catching our flight to Sydney. We didn't have a lot of time, but we saw some of the highlights, such as the giant reclining buddha below(15m high, 45m long)...

The Temples of Angkor Wat

2007-10-09T02:53:00.000-07:00

Our next highlight: 3 days in Cambodia, exploring the temples around Angkor Wat. The temples were built between the 9-13th century, during the time of the Khmer empire. Angkor Wat is the most famous, but there are hundreds of others in the area, and thousands across Cambodia. The jungle is claiming some of them back (see below...) Click on the pics for bigger pictures...

Angkor Wat

The daily "feeding of the monks" ceremony at one of the shrines in the Angkor Wat complex: local people bring cooked food for the monks - the monks chant to have their food blessed by Buddha...

Mark is getting a $2 haircut at a local barber shop --- on one of the unpaved sidestreets off the main road leading to Angkor Wat...

Thailand

2007-10-08T18:29:00.000-07:00

Our guest house in Chiang Mai, Northern Thailand

One of the many wats in Chiang Mai

A typical local restaurant...dinner for two: $5

Careful...elephants in the street...

A belated post about our trek in Vietnam

2007-10-04T18:39:00.000-07:00

Our last adventure in Vietnam was a 3-day, 2-night hike through the Mai Chau area southwest of Hanoi, including homestay with local families. Here are some pics....

This is the Thai stilt house we stayed in:

Mark is making friends with the locals...

We are in Siem Reap/Cambodia

2007-10-03T07:45:00.000-07:00

Just a quick note to let everyone know that we are in Siem Reap. Spent the whole day exploring the amazing temples here...More and pictures once we are in Sidney (next week...)

Yes, I will be singing with San Diego Opera next season!

2007-10-03T07:43:00.001-07:00

I am very excited that I get to sing with the San Diego Opera Chorus for the January 2008 production of Tannhaeuser...Rehearsals start December 5...make sure you give each other opera tickets for Christmas...

Thailand - a massage lovers paradise!

2007-10-03T07:37:00.000-07:00

If you love massages as much as I do, Thailand is the place to be! Foot or Thai massages are available at every corner, and cost about $6 per hour!!! So Mark and I have been enjoying our daily massage - a luxury we will have to give up soon...Foot massages are heavenly: mellow and relaxing...Thai massages on the other hand can be quite painful -but so good! Thai massage is totally different from the kind of feel-good deep tissue or Swedish kind of massage you can get in the Western world...elbows, heels, feet, knuckles all find their way in between bones and into muscles you didn't even know you had...and don't be surprised when your massagist is standing on your hands, walking on your back, or twisting her legs around you while swinging your body from one side to the other...as I said, it's a massage lovers paradise...

Ode to the Moto

2007-10-03T07:28:00.000-07:00

If it weren't for the frequent accidents and air pollution, the moto would truly be the perfect way to get around: it's cheap, you can park anywhere, and most importantly, you can transport pretty much anything on it: your girlfriend, your two girlfriends, your grandmother, your entire family of four or five, your sleeping 2-year old (with her sleepy head resting in one of your palms, while you are steering the moto with the other), your dog, a door, a basket with 250 raw eggs, another motorcyle, a bonsai tree, a mirror, a bicycle, your entire business in the shape of a street stall, freshly picked coconuts from your backyard...I wished I had photos of all these - but the motos zoom by, and it's hard to capture on film...but we really saw it all...

Welcome Avery Rose! Congratulations to Bethany and Bryan!

2007-09-29T01:46:00.000-07:00

Bethany gave birth to a little baby girl on Monday - we look forward to meeting her when we get back! Bethany and Bryan: congratulations! We are sorry we can't be there! See you in December!

Lydia and Lauren - we have found your paradise...

2007-09-29T01:35:00.000-07:00

We are in Pai, in Northern Thailand, close to the border to Burma. It would be a great place for Lydia and Lauren: life is all about finding inner peace through yoga, massages, herbal teas, poetry, meditation, community...Pai is a small town in the mountains, surrounded by banana plantations and the jungle. This is not a place to see the sights, but a place to be. To hang out for a week or two (or several months - as some people do). Just rent a little bamboo bungalow by the river, with a hammock on the front proch, and spend your days daydreaming, going for walks, taking coffe and fruit shake breaks, then enjoy a Thai foot massage before dinner with friends. Everything is walking distance, and life is just a bit slower here. Most of the Thais living here cater to the tourists, and there seem to be as many tourists as Thais. However, the tourists who find their way to Pai are Australians, Germans, Israelis etc., in search of an alternative lifestyle - it's a great little community.

Lauren - you would be proud of us: we did 4 hours of Yoga the other day! It was an introductory course for beginners. It was so hard - and I realized how weak I am (especially compared to the 60-year old Yoga master who could do all sorts of things with her body...), but it felt so good afterwards!

Tomorrow we go back to Chiang Mai, the next big town south of here, where we already spent a few days before we found Pai. Photos to be posted soon...Peace out...

Dont' miss new posts and photos below!

2007-09-21T04:04:00.000-07:00

We have added photos to some of the former posts, and also added some new posts for some stuff we did a while ago - so scroll down and have a look...

Vietnamese Cooking Class

2007-09-21T04:03:00.000-07:00

Today, we learned to make Shrimp and Pork Fresh Rolls, Fried Shrimp with Vegetables Vietnamese Style, and Beef Rolls with Ginger, Garlic and Chilis. The pictures speak for themselves...

Mark, the brave

2007-09-21T04:01:00.000-07:00

Shawn and Lydia - how is this for your backyard landscaping?

2007-09-21T03:57:00.001-07:00

Sights and Sounds of Vietnam - yes, it's me on the motorbike...

2007-09-21T03:47:00.001-07:00

Hanoi/Halong Bay/Cat Ba Island

2007-09-21T02:49:00.000-07:00

Here are some pictures of the Temple of Literature in Hanoi, Viet Nam's first university, dating from the 11th century.

Then we took a 4-day trip to amazing Halong Bay, a UNESCO World Heritage site, and Cat Ba Island. The landscape is amazing...

Culinary Delights Part 2 - Vietnam

2007-09-15T01:22:00.000-07:00

We have been loving the food here! We only knew a few Vietnamese dishes before we came here, and have been amazed at the variety of dishes...every meal has been a delight, and the fruit and fruit juices and shakes here are out of this world!

Traditional Vietnamese Breakfast: Pho - Noodle Soup - makes you sweat even more in the hot weather here...

Dragon Fruit - it's like a giant kiwi - delicious!

Banana - Passionfruit - Mint Shake

Breakfast: Steamed Rice Paper Rolls filled with Pork

Oh yeah: and French Fries with Soy Sauce!

Whale Island Resort

2007-09-10T03:32:00.000-07:00

After our visit with our host family in Saigon/Ho Chi Minh City, and our biking trip to the Mekong Delta (see previous posts), we spent a few days at Whale Island Resort off the southern coast of Viet Nam...it was right out of the movies: with bamboo bungalows on the beach, snorkeling in turquoise waters off the front porch, cool drinks at the bar, a diving trip for Mark, and more great Vietnamese food - we needed the rest after the days in the bustling city...

Leaving Saigon...for the coast

2007-09-08T19:53:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, we took a 7-hour train ride from Saigon to Na Thrang, at the coast. For the next few days, we will disappear at a resort on one of the islands here, before flying up to Hanoi, the capital.

Until then...

Thai Chi at 5am and a German song

2007-09-07T18:54:00.000-07:00

Today I got up at 4:30am to join my host mom and about 100 other people in their daily 5am-7am Thai Chi excercise at the local park. It was still dark, and, for a change, relatively cool, when the Thai Chi Master started giving instructions over a microphone - in Vietnamese. An 80-year old Vietnamese man who spoke French gave me instructions and corrected my posture...After about an hour and a half - the sun had come up - everyone took a break - and all of a sudden I was asked to sing a German song for everyone - over the microphone! Having 100 smiling faces looking at me in a very encouraging way, I couldn't say no...as a thank you, they sang a Vietnamese song for me, and invited me to come back the next morning, when they would have a birthday party for all club members whose birthday is in September.

Bridge Collapse in the Mekong Delta - or: how to cool off in the ride fields

2007-09-05T19:37:00.000-07:00

Several weeks after the devastating bridge collapse in Minn./St. Paul, a bridge collapsed in the Mekong Delta, causing one person and his bike to take a bath in the mud-filled waters.

As Mark Bardeleben was crossing a make-shift wooden bridge, clearly constructed to carry the weight of a typical Vietnamese farm worker, one of the logs cracked and caused the bike and its rider to take a bath in the murky, muddy waters. Fortunately, Mark and the camera he had in his pocket (hence no pictures of the incident) remained unharmed! A woman who had witnessed the whole thing invited Mark to wash off at her house. So our tour guide lowered a bucket into a well behind the house, and poured it over Mark, with several by-standers watching - with huge smiles on their faces. The news of the "foreigner" taking a bath travelled fast through the village...and off we went, knowing this would be a story we will still be telling in the old-people's home....

Biking in the Mekong Delta

2007-09-05T19:21:00.000-07:00

This week we took a 3-day bike trip through the Mekong Delta. The Mekong River starts in China, flows through Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, and in its final stretch, Vietnam, where it flows into the South China Sea. In the Delta, the Mekong splits into the Upper and Lower River, each splitting into several arms, surrounded by thousands of natural and man-made canals. Rice paddies, sugar cane, dragon fruit, and coconut palms shape the lush and flat landscape. As we were riding by, children would wave and shout hello, and even many adults greeted us with a big smile and a hello.

Every once in a while we would get off the main road ( where we riding alongside schoolchildren on their bicyles and local people on their motos) and take a little path into the fields - the honking of the motorcycles and minivans was replaced by tranquility and the buzzing of insects, and the busy street by dense vegetation, vast rice fields, and houses hidden by coconut palms.
Dragon flies abound - alongside other huge bugs, whose names we don't know.

Please meet our Vietnamese Host Family

2007-09-04T19:04:00.000-07:00

My 2nd cousin Peter from Texas is married to Moon, who is from Saigon, and who had invited us to stay with her mom and sister in their house in the heart of the city. So for 4 days, her mom, her sister Kim with husband Long and son Mynh, were our hosts - and became our friends. It was the most amazing experience to get a glimpse into family life in Vietnam. Kim speaks French, and her husband a little English - for the rest of the family we spoke with our hands and smiles.

We are very grateful to Kim and her family, and hope that they will be able to visit us in California one day.

We are in Vietnam...

2007-09-03T08:32:00.000-07:00

...and it is a different world! We landed in Saigon Saturday night, and my 2nd cousin Peter's sister-in-law Kim and her mom have been our hosts in their house in the middle of the bustling city. We are being spoiled with home-made Vietnamese dishes, delicious meals at various local restaurants, and taking motobike tours throughout the city, surviving the crazy traffic - boy are we happy to be only passengers on the back of the "motos" - we wouldn't know what to do in the driver's seat...every once in a while in the late afternoon there is a major downpour, lasting for a few hours, with lots of thunder and lightning, and the air is constantly filled with the sound of voices, honking motorbikes, music and the tapping of the soup delivery guy.

We are leaving for a 3-day bike ride through the Mekong Delta tomorrow morning.
We will post pictures next time we have access to a fast internet connection...

Until then...

Doha, Qatar

2007-08-31T08:44:00.000-07:00

Our first time in the Middle East. Arrived in Doha in the early morning, 85 degrees at 6am, and 99% humidity (according to Ruth). Ventured out for a walk in the evening - Ruth was the only woman in the street. Not knowing exactly where to go after our walk along the Corniche on the Persian Gulf, which was as warm as a bath, we asked two guys whether they knew of a place to get local food - they turned out to be American security contractors, who ended up giving us a ride to the local bazaar, provided us with some local currency...and we ended up spending the night on them, trying various foods, juices, and Qatarian ice-cream, while listening to Arab music and dancing - Ruth from the Ladies' only section.

Then off to Vietnam...

Mit Soni und Olli in Frankfurt...

2007-08-29T02:44:00.000-07:00

Wer erkennt diese Heiligen Hallen?

2007-08-27T02:18:00.000-07:00

Where it all began

2007-08-26T02:26:00.000-07:00

This is the historic place where Mark and I met on February 29, 1992, at a carnival ball... my home town Bad Ems, near Koblenz...

Mark and his cousin Christoph...

Freiburg with Stefan and Usha

2007-08-26T02:10:00.000-07:00

Freiburg is one of my favorite cities in Germany, and our good friends Stefan and Usha from Munich came to meet us there for a weekend hike...

Hiking in the French Alps - en Vercors

2007-08-25T08:54:00.000-07:00

This was one of my favorite hiking trips ever and I hope to return soon. We spend 3 days hiking between 15 and 28 km, and overnighted in French "Gites" or "Chambres d'Hotes" (sort of like a Bed & Breakfast, with the added benefit of a delicious home-cooked French dinner served family style with the other guests, and including dinner conversation in French!). Along the way, we passed many farms, allowing us to taste fresh milk and farm-made French cheeses.

The first day, we left the Opamobil (Andrea and Michael's car) in St. Martin-en-Vercors and walked all the way to Lans-en-Vercors (almost 30km and a bit too long of a walk), where we stayed at a very cozy gite called La Crecia located at Les Clements. The next day, we walked to a gite called Les Rimets, located near Rencurel, passing through Meaudre. Day 3 we concluded our loop by walking back to St. Martin-en-Vercors, where we stayed at La Ferme du Chateau, where we enjoyed another 4-course meal over French conversation. We hope Andrea and Michael won't leave Grenoble too soon, so we can return for another visit and hiking trip. A bientot!

Grenoble and the French Alps

2007-08-20T03:47:00.000-07:00

We are currently in Grenoble in the French Alps visiting our friends Andrea and Michael and their kids Jan and Hannah. When we are not eating croissants or baguette with all kinds of French cheese, we are hiking in the beautiful countryside...More soon...

Culinary Delights

2007-08-18T02:48:00.000-07:00

One of the greatest things about travelling around the world is to try the different regional food specialties. In Germany, that means lots of potatos, and lots of sweets...

Rindsrouladen mit Kartoffelbrei: Roulades of Beef with mashed potatoes - thank you Daniela!

Kartoffelsalat mit Wuerstchen - Potato Salad with Sausage - Ruth's grandmother's recipe!

Kartoffelpuffer mit Apfelmuss - Potato Pancakes with Apple Sauce - at a Cafe in Sylt!

Milchreis mit Roter Gruetze und Ostfriesentee - a type of rice pudding with cooked berries, with a cup of Friesentea.
And now Ruth's all-time favorite: Zwetschendatschi (plum cake) with whipped cream - thank you Thomas!

More soon...

Back Home in Germany

2007-08-17T01:51:00.000-07:00

First stop: Germany!

This is our friends and family part of the trip and so we started with a great weekend at Mark's sister's house in Ludwigshafen/Mannheim. We had lots of fun with our two nieces Lusia (5) and Sophie (7), and their horses...

Next, we went to see my brother Patrick in Hamburg, and for Ruth's birthday, took a 2-day trip to the island of Sylt, off the coast of Germany near Denmark, in the North Sea.

Ruth's brother Patrick is not only a hilariously funny person, but also a very talented free-lance journalist, who, among many other projects, frequently reviews restaurants...so our bike ride around the island was guided by our goal to try several of Sylt's best restaurants and cafes...

Home Sweet Home

This is Ruth's home town Koblenz, where the Mosel meets the Rhine River. The area is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, with 26 castles nesteled in the vineyards along the Rhine. The pictures below show the Festung Ehrenbreitstein, a famous fortress built in the 19th century, and the confluence (hence the name Koblenz) of the Mosel and Rhine rivers.

This is my grandmother...she is 94 and going...

The other day we took a 24-km hike in the hills along the river, which took us along this replica of a Roman watch tower, located at the site of the original tower, marking the border of the Roman Empire in the region, and this house from the 1600s.

Marlies: this picture is just for you: Vallendar's mayor says hello!

Off we go!

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These are the famous "before" pictures - we are still happy, clean, well-nourished, and excited...

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My last day at work was June 8, and while Mark was putting in a few more weeks of work at home, I kicked it off with a 10-day Opera Workshop at Vassar College in Poughkeepsie, NY.

I thought I had signed up for a good old opera program, where I would work with coaches and directors on an opera scence (I sang Octavian in the final trio and duet of Richard Strauss' Rosenkavalier-see photo- for you non-singers: mezzo sopranos often sing so called "pants roles", where we play a male character, in this case Octavian, who is in love with Sophie...); but I was in for much more than that: I learned that as singers we are storytellers, who must open ourselves up completely to communicate to our audiences the emotions we are singing about. I learned a lot about the artistic process, and that singing is much more than technique, if we want to grow as performers. I met a lot of great singers. I could go on and on...

Vassar College ( a gorgeous campus) was the perfect place for this - and I hope to return some time in the future, maybe even next summer.

Then it was on to Yosemite - another divine experience...

Eight days in the Yosemite backcountry...

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It is hard to come back to civilization after eight days in the wilderness. Yes, we are happy to be sleeping in our own bed and to not be carrying a 50lb. backpack everywhere we go, but for us, nothing beats an 8-day backcountry hike in the Yosemite high country.

The High Sierra Camp Loop is definitely one of the top 100 places to see before you die. We recommend going in July vs. August, because wildflowers abound, and the nights aren't quite as cold. We usually book meals only, and carry a tent and sleeping bag for maximum comfort and flexibility. Some of the camps are not so far from the road, so even if you are an inexperienced hiker, it's doable. Ask us if you ever want to go - this was our third time in the high sierra camps. For more info visit http://www.yosemitepark.com/Accomodations_HighSierraCamps.aspx

Hiking in the backcounty means countless streams, waterfalls, pools, lakes, wildlife, wildflowers - and not seeing a soul most of the day.

It also means 3 course dinners at night (with soup, salad, freshly baked bread, main entree and dessert...) and huge breakfasts to keep you going for the 8-10 mile hike of the day.

Here are a few more pictures: