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N and K’s European Vacation
  • Kate Pritchett
  • Neal Kellogg
  • Kate Pritchett
  • Neal Kellogg

N and K’s European Vacation

17-päiväinen seikkaillu — Kate & Neal Lue lisää
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  • Matkan aloitus
    24. kesäkuuta 2023
    N and K’s European Vacation

    And so it begins…

    24. kesäkuuta 2023, Yhdysvallat ⋅ ☀️ 73 °F

    House is cleaned, bags are packed, and I am getting properly fueled for a loooong day of travel! Oklahoma City - Houston - Frankfurt - Santiago de Compostela. Let’s go!

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  • N and K’s European Vacation

    Flow

    24. kesäkuuta 2023, Yhdysvallat ⋅ 🌙 90 °F

    My flight to Frankfurt is significantly delayed. They are changing planes. I will miss my connection to Santiago de Compostela by more than an hour. Let’s see what the universe has in store for me.

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  • N and K’s European Vacation

    One step at a time

    25. kesäkuuta 2023, Yhdysvallat ⋅ ⛅ 81 °F

    After all passengers were boarded and snuggled under their airline provided blankets and pillows, the lights came on and we were all told the flight was CANCELLED!! United provided a hotel and I had about two hours of fitful sleep before returning to the airport. I have a plan, but won’t divulge it until I get through the first couple of hurdles.
    I have been thinking a lot about Kate and what she accomplished these last six weeks and she provides me infinite inspiration, especially in the face of this adversity!    Lue lisää

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  • N and K’s European Vacation

    A day late, but no dollars saved

    25. kesäkuuta 2023, Yhdysvallat ⋅ ⛅ 82 °F

    Due to yesterday’s unfortunate turn of events, I will not be joining Kate in Santiago de Compostela. All the more reason to come back when she finishes her pilgrimage! I will give details later, so I don’t jinx anything, but there is a plan in motion to get this vacation back on track. Wish me luck!Lue lisää

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  • N and K’s European Vacation

    Plan B

    25. kesäkuuta 2023, Yhdysvallat ⋅ ☀️ 99 °F

    If you are reading this, then it means I am finally on my way!

    Yesterday was a disaster. All my plans were shot and I went to bed with a great deal of uncertainty.
    New plan: Get back to IAH first thing to see if they could retrieve my bags with enough time to change terminals, check in, get through security, and catch a 9:20am flight to Dallas. I was told the luggage crews don’t start working until 6:30am and it can take up to 90 minutes or more for luggage to show up. Well, I gotta hand it to the Houston luggage crew! I had both bags by 6:45am! All hurdles cleared! Early flight to Dallas, then on to Frankfurt!

    Once in Germany, I will collect my bags and recheck with another airline before a long layover (intentional), then fly to Barcelona. Kate is scheduled to arrive on Tuesday and we are back on track!    Lue lisää

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  • N and K’s European Vacation
    11

    Exploring

    26. kesäkuuta 2023, Saksa ⋅ ☀️ 82 °F

    Scheduled an extended layover in Frankfurt to ensure there were no connection snafus and decided to take advantage of the extra six hours to explore old town Frankfurt. Not the best time of day for pictures, but you can still see a bit of the old school charm!Lue lisää

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  • N and K’s European Vacation

    End of Fiasco

    26. kesäkuuta 2023, Espanja ⋅ ☀️ 84 °F

    Just a quick note that I made it to Barcelona, Kate arrives tomorrow, and our vacation together starts! After a disastrous start, I’m ready to experience new and exciting places, eat their food, and sanitize my system with their drinks!
    Pictured is the neighborhood bar near the hotel called Hoppiness! Patrons all appeared to be locals after a day of work. They brew their own beer and do it rather well    Lue lisää

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  • N and K’s European Vacation
    1

    Meanwhile, in Santiago…

    26. kesäkuuta 2023, Espanja ⋅ 🌙 66 °F

    (this is Kate)

    I’m in Santiago de Compostela, where I was to have finished the Camino de Santiago, met Neal, and then started my vacation as a tourist with him. Well. I got very ill at the end of the Camino and couldn’t finish. I took a train to Santiago to recover. Neal’s flight was canceled, so I’m here alone while he travels.

    Once I stopped feeling sick and a little sorry for myself, I’ve been excited to think about finishing the Camino another year, and have been poking around Santiago. It felt great to get out and walk again today (7.5 miles), this time without a plan. I’m still eating quite cautiously, so I’ll have to save seafood extravagance for next time. My best meal here so far was tomatoes - amazing.

    1. One of the courtyards at the beautiful parador of Santiago
    2. Detail on building housing a primary school
    3. Detail (crest?) on the Museo do Pobo Gallego, which was closed today
    4. and 5. Views from a trail system in town. You can see the Cathedral on the right in 4.
    6. Seen on my walk near a tunnel that went under a highway
    7. This was almost literally a wall of blue hydrangeas next to some apartments
    8., 9., 10. The famed Cathedral de Santiago de Compostela.    Lue lisää

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  • N and K’s European Vacation

    Aimless Wanderings

    27. kesäkuuta 2023, Espanja ⋅ ☀️ 75 °F

    It felt really good to wake up this morning with more than 2 hours sleep! I can safely say that due to the lack of sleep the last couple of days, I am fully adjusted to the new time zone.

    I spent most of the morning wandering the city. It started down at the beach to enjoy the sunrise, then off to find coffee! After a short break, I continued on towards the Cathedral de Barcelona (construction began in 1298). On the way, I visited the Cascada del Parc de la Ciutadella and then walked through the Basílica de Santa no Maria Del Mar (1329). While I didn’t have tickets to enter the Cathedral de Barcelona, I was thoroughly entertained by the people watching.

    The return trip included a visit to the Arco de Triunfo de Barcelona (1888) before a beeline to my air conditioned room. While I am no Kate Pritchett, 6.5 miles was good prep for the walking beat down I am anticipating! ;)    Lue lisää

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  • N and K’s European Vacation
    1

    More Barcelona

    28. kesäkuuta 2023, Espanja ⋅ ⛅ 75 °F

    (this is Kate)

    We crammed in a lot of sightseeing today! A Camino-sized walk - at least 13 miles! Not pictured: the Picasso museum

    1. Checked off of the bucket list this morning: dipping a toe in the Mediterranean. Clear, blue, and warm(ish)!
    2. Growing on a fence
    3., 4., 5. At Park Güell, with wonderfully quirky structures, mosaics, etc. by Gaudí.
    6., 7., 8. A few random examples of the Nouveau buildings here
    9. We also walked down some VERY old narrow streets.
    10. Lots of interest in the Parc de la Ciutadella    Lue lisää

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  • N and K’s European Vacation

    La Sagrada Familia

    28. kesäkuuta 2023, Espanja ⋅ ☁️ 77 °F

    (this is Kate; I’ll bet Neal will also post pics)

    Our second stop today (after the beach) was Gaudí’s amazing Sagrada Familia cathedral. Ground was broken for construction in 1882, and they plan to finish it in 2026. It’s one of those tourist destinations that definitely lives up to the hype! I told Neal it reminded me of a Beethoven symphony: a recognizable iteration of the form, but expanded and embellished beyond what was imagined possible before.Lue lisää

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  • N and K’s European Vacation

    The rest of the day

    28. kesäkuuta 2023, Espanja ⋅ ☁️ 77 °F

    Neal:
    Not much more to add about the cathedral. Just incredible. I tried to capture the scale of the building. I really wish we could have gone up the spiral staircase!

    After the Sagrada Familia, we continued uphill to the Park Güell. I’m pretty sure Walt Disney had this in mind as he designed his parks. Sangria and tapas ended a long, hot, 13 mile day of sightseeing. Pic of our route does not include the 2 mile round trip to the beach!

    Tomorrow is a 10am flight to Vienna, then two days of music geekness!    Lue lisää

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  • N and K’s European Vacation

    Vienna, Day 1

    29. kesäkuuta 2023, Itävalta ⋅ ☀️ 82 °F

    We made the most of the day once we got to Vienna! Lunch, coffee and torte, Belvedere palace/art museum, sightseeing bus and wandering, dinner, and St. Stephen’s cathedral before a quick subway ride back to our apartment. I’m excited to do more tomorrow!

    1., 2., 3. All from the Belvedere.
    1. There were four large figures like this in the entrance hall.
    2. Ceiling mural (fresco?). There were many of these.
    3. Just a corner of a painting of which I didn’t grab the name or artist name. So much detail!
    4. and 5. It’s novel to be in a place where the rock stars are classical musicians.
    6. I love looking at the details on the old buildings. This could be a deodorant ad, no?
    7.-10. Details on St. Stephens. Look for all of the weird little faces in 10.    Lue lisää

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  • N and K’s European Vacation
    1

    Prost!

    29. kesäkuuta 2023, Itävalta ⋅ 🌙 73 °F

    Neal:
    Easy day of plane and train travel. The train was especially impressive (smooth, quiet, and comfortable). Lunch was at a restaurant across from the Wien train station as we waited to get into our room. While our accommodations are quite small, we don’t intend to spend much time in it. From there, we headed to the Schloss Belvedere to view their impressive collection of Klimt, then downtown to see a few more sights (Mozart’s apartment and St. Stephan’s Cathedral) and dinner at a craft brew house.

    Enjoy the pic! Hopefully more to come from Kate.

    P.S. - I may have had schnitzel for lunch and dinner.    Lue lisää

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  • N and K’s European Vacation

    Vienna, Day 2

    30. kesäkuuta 2023, Itävalta ⋅ ☁️ 81 °F

    (This is Kate)

    We had another busy day! Schloss Schonnbrun and its grounds, vegetarian restaurant for lunch, the Albertina museum, the national library, coffee (with whipped cream!!), the Secession building, and a long bus ride to see the Ferris wheel.

    1. No photos allowed inside the castle, which was ornate in the extreme. Here’s one of the paths in the beautiful grounds.
    2. Detail from a Matisse painting at the Albertina.
    3. The Albertina is housed in a building that was one of the Hapsburgs’ homes. They’ve restored some of the rooms. Also very ornate!
    4. and 5. From the national library.
    6. The Secession Building (1898)
    7. Panel from Klimt’s Beethoven frieze in the Secession building. This frieze is Klimt’s portrayal of Wagner’s interpretation of the final movement of Beethoven 9. Remarkable.    Lue lisää

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  • N and K’s European Vacation

    Vienna, last day

    1. heinäkuuta 2023, Itävalta ⋅ ☁️ 73 °F

    Once again we crammed in as much as we could. So much to see here! We went to the Leopold Museum and the MAK (Museum of Applied Arts), plus walked and gawked. Tomorrow we head to Germany on the train.

    1. There is art EVERYWHERE here, including tunnels.
    2. Lots of flower stands. The Viennese love beauty, it seems.
    3. and 4. From the MAK
    5.-8. Details from the exhibits at MAK. We also saw Klimt’s Tree of Life there.
    9. Schubert monument in the Stadtpark
    10. Really good meals today, even if not traditional Viennese food. This was a falafel bowl from a street kiosk. The purple sauce is beetroot tahini. Yum! Terrific Indian food for dinner.    Lue lisää

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  • N and K’s European Vacation

    Germany: Rhine and Moselle Valleys

    3. heinäkuuta 2023, Saksa ⋅ ☁️ 59 °F

    (Kate)

    Today our friend Steve was a wonderful tour guide; he took us to see various castles and other sights in the Moselle and Rhine Valleys. So beautiful! We enjoyed muesli for breakfast, typical German tourist food for lunch, ice cream, and ended the day sitting in Steve and Franziska’s courtyard eating cheese, drinking nice wines, and savoring lovely cool weather while we can. Owl and bat sightings before bed. An excellent day!

    1. I got up early to walk a few miles along one of the routes of the Camino de Santiago (known as Jacobsweg here in Germany). It was really nice to be walking in the countryside again.
    2. and 3. Burg Eltz - a beautifully maintained castle in the Moselle Valley. We took a guided tour but couldn’t take pics inside. You can see in 3. how the castle is built into the rocks on the mountainside. It’s quite a massive structure, and it’s been owned by the same family since it was built! Construction first started in 1472.
    4. A very nice trail through a forest back to the parking lot of the castle.
    5., 6., 7., 8. There was a castle of some sort almost literally at every bend in the road/river in the Rhine Valley. Some are ruins, and others have been turned into tourist attractions, hotels, or youth hostels. These are just a few of them. That’s the Rhine River in 7.
    9. and 10. Views from the very picturesque town of Bacharach.    Lue lisää

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  • N and K’s European Vacation

    Germany: Mainz and Bechtolstein

    4. heinäkuuta 2023, Saksa ⋅ ☀️ 72 °F

    (Kate)

    We both think this will end up being one of our favorite days of the trip. Steve drove us to the city of Mainz to visit beautiful churches and have a really delicious Italian lunch. Then we walked from his village of Gau-Odernheim to Bechtolstein, the next village, for wine tasting at a winery and a lovely dinner in the courtyard of friends of Steve and Franziska’s. It was a beautiful day with nature, friends, and off-the-beaten-path sightseeing - we loved it.

    1. and 2. The German Baroque Augustiner Kirche in Mainz
    3. In Mainz - built in 1450!
    4. and 5. The elaborate Romanesque main cathedral in Mainz
    6. and 7. St. Stephen’s Church with windows by Chagall. Fascinating and sad to see the photos of this church as it looked after WWII. Lovely restoration!
    8. and 9. From the idyllic walk to Becholstein
    10. I rode Franziska’s bicycle back to their house after dinner. So fun to ride through the vineyards in the late light (after 10pm) by myself.    Lue lisää

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