Walking Along the Rose Route in Hildesheim, Germany.

Walking Along the Rose Route in Hildesheim, Germany.

We were able to stop in Hildesheim for just a few hours on our way to Hamburg, Germany in August 2016, although the lovely city certainly deserved more of our time.  I had developed a deep wanderlust for German cities that were full of half-timbered houses and so Hildesheim had quickly risen to the top of my must-see list.  Walking along the rose route in Hildesheim was a bit inadvertent, however.  I had planned a walking tour for our visit and it just […]

Visiting the Baumwipfelpfad Steigerwald – an Incredible Treetop Path in Bavaria, Germany.

Visiting the Baumwipfelpfad Steigerwald – an Incredible Treetop Path in Bavaria, Germany.

A little over a year ago I had the great pleasure of visiting the Baumwipfelpfad Steigerwald in Bavaria with a dear friend of mine.  You may be asking, “The Baumwipfelp… uh, what?”  Well, “Baumwipfelpfad” is German for treetop path and “Steigerwald” is simply a region of Germany, which includes the Steigerwald Nature Park.  But the term ‘treetop path’ doesn’t fully describe just how awesome this attraction truly is. Visiting the Baumwipfelpfad Steigerwald. The Baumwipfelpfad Steigerwald is located in Ebrach, which […]

10 Reasons Why Sweden Felt Like Home. | Photo by Hans-Olof Utsi, Image Bank Sweden.

Why Sweden Felt Like Home.

I realized that Sweden felt like home only a few hours into my trip.  I was actually rather startled to discover that Sweden was so similar to the USA, although the comparison was likely exaggerated because I had been living in Germany for a year.  Experiencing Sweden – the people, the culture, the food – was like coming up for a desperately needed breathe of fresh air. My love for Sweden grew quickly and unexpectedly during the four days Mr. Meena […]

Visiting PortAventura Theme Park in Tarragona, Spain.

Visiting PortAventura Theme Park in Tarragona, Spain.

PortAventura World is an entertainment resort located along the eastern coast of Spain next to the Balearic Sea.  In fact, you can see the blue water from many rides.  The resort is comprised of five hotels, two golf courses, and three parks: PortAventura Caribe Aquatic Park, Ferrari Land (opening April 2017), and PortAventura Park (which we visited). The colossal PortAventura Park has six themed areas within, and each is inundated with warm Spanish culture.  It is certainly one of Europe’s most […]

A Day at Kolmården Wildlife Park in Sweden.

A Day at Kolmården Wildlife Park in Sweden.

Kolmården Wildlife Park is a large zoo in Sweden that opened an incredible wooden roller coaster last year.  Paradoxically, the park boasts 370 acres of property, 600 animals from all over the world, and now three roller coasters.  It’s an unusual combination, but one that we enjoyed greatly.  Over 50 years old, Kolmården is one of the most popular tourist attractions in Scandinavia.  It’s located south of Stockholm near Norrköping and is home to the first Scandinavian dolphinarium, the worlds […]

City Break in Vianden, Luxembourg. | My Meena Life

City Break in Vianden, Luxembourg.

Vianden is a small city in Luxembourg located only a few minutes’ drive from the German border of Rhineland-Palatinate.   Despite its small size and inhabitance, Vianden is a popular tourist attraction thanks in part to the recently restored Vianden Castle.  Large and beautiful, the towering castle has a checkered history but can now be toured as a museum. We visited in late September on our second to last weekend as expats in Germany; it was a farewell tour of sorts.  […]

On Traveling Europe Together. | My Meena Life.

On Traveling Europe Together.

Traveling Europe together with the person you love is an extraordinary experience.  It’s something that many couples dream of doing and even spend years planning and saving for. It wasn’t an objective of ours, specifically, until we found ourselves rather suddenly relocating to Germany for Mr. Meena’s training.  We began traveling Europe together because we wanted to take advantage of our time there.  Our travels were born from opportunity. As we traveled we started doing things we’d never done before; […]

Taking a Tour of Auschwitz. | My Meena Life

Taking a Tour of Auschwitz.

I was not prepared to visit the Auschwitz concentration camp. I bought tickets in advance, saved the address, and arrived early.  I asked others about their visit and educated myself about the history.  Still, I didn’t fully understand what I was getting myself into. I was unprepared for the shock of human depravity – for confronting a site where mass human extermination occurred.  But I was also unprepared for, and unexpectedly shocked by, my encounters with the people taking the […]

Signs Throughout Krakow, Poland. | My Meena Life

Signs Throughout Krakow, Poland.

If I ever own a brick and mortar store, you can bet that I’ll have a unique sign.  I have learned a thing or two from Europe about the value of a lovely sign.  One city stood out above the rest, however.  Nearly every sign in Krakow caught my eye and made me want to stop and snap a photo.  Perhaps I was paying more attention since I had recently read this post by Travel Gumbo about the signs of Krakow.  […]

Visiting the Wurstelprater Amusement Park in Vienna, Austria. | My Meena Life.

Visiting the Wurstelprater Amusement Park in Vienna, Austria.

The Wurstelprater amusement park is located in Wiener Prater, a large public park in Vienna (Wien), Austria.  While there is a lot to see and do in the massive park, Wurstelprater is special because it is the oldest amusement park in the world.  Publicly opened in 1766, it currently features the iconic Wiener Riesenrad (a Ferris wheel), 13 roller coasters, a Madame Tussauds, and plenty of other fun attractions.   Prater is open 24/7 year round and some venues, such […]