Category: Other Countries

Other Countries

Pinkies out: Birmingham bits and bobs

When we weren’t at the dog show last March, we were exploring the city. We found Birmingham to be a modern British city with a long industrial past – perhaps best illustrated by its 35-mile network of canals, most of which were built in the 1700s and 1800s. The canals were quite busy during the Industrial Revolution, transporting coal, iron, and other heavy goods. Today, many of them have been restored into an attractive network of trails, parks, and urban development. And yes, it rained basically the whole time we were there. Dreamer tries to keep dry. Behold, the ingenuity of

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Other Countries

Look 👀 at all the Buddies: A trip to Crufts

It’s no secret that we are dog lovers. Although we are living a travel dream, we desperately miss our furry companions (thanks, Mom and Jim!). As canine folks, we’re big fans of watching the Westminster Kennel Club dog show on American TV in February, and it has always been our desire to experience such a spectacle in person. Last March, we did one better and took a trip to Birmingham, England to see what is arguably the mother of all dog shows: Crufts. Billed as the largest dog show in the world, Crufts is where the Westminster winners go to

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Other Countries

Beer for Breakfast: Oktoberfest!

We went to Munich in mid-September to eat, drink, and be merry during the famed Oktoberfest, or The Wiesn as locals refer to it. Held in Munich every year since 1810, it is as Bavarian as beer and pretzels. And yes, we said September: if you’re looking to celebrate in October, you’re too late. The original event celebrated Princess Theresa’s wedding to King Ludwig I, and today’s celebration is still held on the festival grounds bearing the princess’s name (Theresenweise, also giving rise to “The Wiesn“). It was on this trip that Dreamer discovered her all-time favorite breakfast. But we’re

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Other Countries / Tourism

Snacking our way through Venice

Quick! Name your top European destinations – the famous places you’ve heard of. Odds are Venice is somewhere on that list. Though we’d both been to Italy before (and that hotel in Las Vegas, of course), this was new ground for both of us. Dreamer had the amazing idea to go before the summer crowds and the stench of the canals became too much to bear, and what a smart woman she is! A three-day weekend was the perfect amount of time there, and mid May a great time to visit. What one must keep in mind first and foremost is

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Other Countries / Tourism

Something’s awesome in the state of Denmark

Our friend Wendy is something of a world traveler, and when talk turned to a European visit, there were very few places she hadn’t actually been. High on her list and ours: Denmark, a country famed for its happy people and high quality of life – and specifically, Copenhagen. A trip to Scandinavia in the middle of winter? Sure, we said! Before we get started… let’s survey what we know about Denmark. Quality schools, check.  Big dogs: yep, those are from here (didn’t see a single one our whole time in Copenhagen, though!). Butter cookies in a round blue tin – definite

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Other Countries / Tourism

Bulgari-WHA?

Aah, our province of Castellón de la Plana… home to a bona fide airport, as we learned after a little research once we were placed. Only one problem: locals told us when we got here it was a fiasco, never opened, a model of government corruption and excess. We’ve been flying from the much larger Valencia airport since we arrived. So imagine our surprise when, driving around one day, we saw exit signs on the highway for the airport. A little more research was in order! Turns out, the airport did actually open. And you can fly to a whopping four destinations from there

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