Mom and Dad on a European Tour!

Actually, mom and dad are gone now already.  It was great having them here, and I think they really enjoyed themselves.  I think dad will be happy to be home eating rice again though.

We traveled with them through Italy which was fabulous.  We drove through the Swiss Alps, saw Venice, Treviso, Tuscany (Florence, Siena, Certaldo and San Gimignano) and Lake Como on the way back to Freiburg.  Tuscany is exquisitely picturesque and we definitely would go back there again for a vacation.  The food and the wine in Italy were fantastic!

Upcoming Travel

It is starting to look like a busy spring with a lot of travel - work and play.  We are heading to Wengen Switzerland this week for a couple of days where I will be working and Mike will be skiing.  Then next weekend we get 3 days in Alicante Spain with Gary and his wife Cheryl.  Sun and beach!

Before you know it, mom and dad will arrive in April.  I have a work trip to Japan then in May it is China.  Mike will come down and join me in Shanghai then we will pop over to South Korea to visit with Akemi for a week.  So looking forward to the vacation!

Winter Hike

Went for a hike today with Matt and Caroline...in knee deep snow!  Winter has made a wicked comeback this week.  The hike was absolutely beautiful, completely peaceful and serene.  It was a perfect end to our Easter weekend - although it looked more like Christmas outside today!

The BALD Peak

We went hiking last weekend with Matt and Caroline.  Got some great views of the Feldberg which still had snow on it and down into the valley of Freiburg.  We could even see the Swiss Alps far off in the background.  It was chilly, but a sunny, glorious day!

This weekend - Shopping in Strasbourg!

Black Forest Mountain Biking and Route Finding

The weather has been very mild in Freiburg this winter and we have been able to Mountain bike and road ride the last few weeks (although bundled up!). Our friend Ralf took us on a great MTB ride on the local Freiburg hill 'Rosskopf' a couple of weekends ago. Some of the trails can be hard to find so I have started logging the good ones so we can find them again later. This one was especially good!

Here is a look at the route


Here is a link to the data

Cross Country Skiing in Our Backyard

It was a beautiful day today...we went skiing with Ralf and Thomas on the Shauinsland. Fantasic trails, scenic views, and superb wipeouts by Mike. You could see all the way to the Swiss Alps today!