Alsguth Travel Blog

 Earlier this month we went to Cozumel for some diving and to see the Whale Sharks as they migrate near Mexico. It was an all-day adventure but it was well worth it! A quick peek at the largest animal in the sea - I have a video but it is too big for this site.  If you are friends with me on Facebook head over there for a look. Sheri & Carsten

Hello one last time from Europe! We spent a lovely week in Schwerin, Germany.  This town is the capital of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, a state in the former East Germany.  It is less than two hours from Meckelfeld by car. The #1 attraction is the Schloss (Castle).  It sits in a picturesque area, surrounded by lakes. It also serves as the seat of the state government. We went on a tour of the inside of the castle - this is the Flower Room. The grounds and gardens of the castle were quite extensive.  The castle, built and expanded over several centuries has a bit of a hodge-podge look, no one architectural theme dominates. Like Schoenbrunn near Vienna (see my post in Fall 2021), this castle has an Orangerie as well.  Such a space was used to keep the plants in the cold winter months. Guarding the castle was Peter Maennchen.  The story is that he was quite short; therefore, many people were unkind to him or made fun of him.  He was apparently not amused....

 Hi - it has been a while, we have been busy visiting friends and seeing some new sights in Germany! We arrived in Hamburg on July 26th - after a flight delay of course - we are 6 for 6 so far - six different airlines and departure cities - every flight delayed.  We have two more flights to get home - we shall see what that brings! We spent some days in Meckelfeld with Carsten's folks, going to Kiekeberg Museum, the favorite ice cream parlor and the Art Museum of Bossard. Kiekeberg Museum is an outdoor museum which shows how people lived and worked in Germany in the "old days". There was a huge exhibit of old model tractors. New piglets, about six weeks old.  Ulf informed me that they will be ready to eat by Christmas! Literally the best ice cream shoppe ever!  Germans know how to do ice cream right! Artist Bossard was born in Switzerland in 1874, married his student, 29 years his junior. Art heavily influenced by Norse mythology. Bought this property in Germany to e...

 Hello - if you are looking for sights and/or tips about Oslo this is not the post for you.  If you go back to 2019 in the blog there is a post about Oslo.  This time our trip to Oslo was about seeing our Norwegian son Andreas. Andreas was an exchange student with us in 2008-09.  We have remained close to him and wanted to spend some time with him, his lovely wife Marit and daughter Hedda.  So, let's get to Norway! We arrived late on Thursday after seeing Hilmer and Roslyn off on their flight to Houston.  Having arrived on the longest day of the year we enjoyed a late dinner and walk around Oslo with Andreas.  Sylvi and Olav (Andreas' parents) let us stay in their apartment in Oslo - such a treat! Friday we walked around Oslo with Sylvi and Olav, grabbed lunch in the harbor and checked out the area.  This beach is a popular stop for swimming in Oslofjord. It was a gorgeous sunny day! Fighting the traffic out of Oslo, we went to Andreas' house in A...

 Hello dear readers! I know that there are a few of you that will be visiting Athens soon - this is the blog for you! 1. the Uber app works for taxis - they are cheap and plentiful 2. 12-15,000 steps is an easy day in this amazing city 3. both the Acropolis and the National Archeological Museums are worth the time 4. Buy the combo ticket - you will save money & skip some lines. 5. Always order the Greek Salad, and yes, Gyros can be eaten every day! Now, on to our adventures.... In the Acropolis Museum you learn all about the Acropolis and its buildings.  These (original) ladies are standing in the Museum - They originally stood here as part of the Erechtheion.  They moved the originals to the museum and replaced them with these stone copies. These three dudes were part of the relics from the Acropolis that now live in the museum.  They seemed happy to be there out of the heat! Under the museum they found a "neighborhood" from the 4th Century A.D. So, they elevate...