Europe
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Whenever I see an old unused building like this one it makes me sad. There are so many possibilities, assuming it would not cost more to make repairs than to build a new building. This old fortress looking building is one of many structures in the Citadelle Petersberg in Erfurt, Germany. It is one of the…
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Visiting Sweden I discovered many interesting things, including the fact that there are many Swedish innovations. I did not know that the metal bottle cap was invented here, or that the author of Pippi Longstockings was from Sweden. Of course we all know about IKEA. But did you know that the person who created it…
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I am thankful for the opportunity I had in September to enjoy the wonderful tradition of cows descending from pastures in the Austrian, German and Swiss alps. For many years cows, sheep, goats and horses have spent summers grazing on the alps. As the weather turns cold, they are herded down to the valley amidst…
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In Ireland I saw several buildings with thatched roofs and they made me smile. I always thought it would be fun to spend the night in a cottage with a thatched roof until someone in Ireland said the reason there are 4 poster beds with canopies in thatched cottages was to keep the mice, insects,…
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Last spring I had the opportunity to visit Holland when the tulips were blooming. It was beautiful! My journey began in Vienna. My husband gave me a single tulip. With the tulip along for the ride, we started our journey. The first stop was in western Austria. Not a tulip in sight but beautiful primroses.…
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While in Malta I had the opportunity to see several locally grown foods. I visited an eco-friendly family farm that grew tomatoes in a greenhouse. After growing season they sterilized the soil by flooding the greenhouse and allowing the heat of the sun to kill the pests. This farm, like most farms in Malta, is small.…
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Walking and visiting Europe seem to go hand-in-hand. It is a wonderful exercise, especially when you get to wander through Park Güell in Barcelona. I am sure I walked more in one afternoon at the park then I do in a week back home in Athens, Georgia. From the metro, or underground, I walked up…
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Are you an “energy vampire?” If you live in an apartment in the central part of the building you may be sucking energy from neighboring flats. In Hungary people who live in the central apartments are referred to as energy vampires. (In the U.S. this term has a slightly different meaning.) The European Union…
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Why is it that when we travel foods we normally do not eat taste so much better? While in Tarragona I tried several local and traditional foods. One day for lunch I enjoyed Andalusian Gazpacho and Paella. Back home I would never eat gazpacho, because it always seems to have green bell peppers in it…
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Building a tower of humans is an old Catalan tradition. The “castellers” form these human pyramids, which are called castells (Catalan word for castles). They can be up to 10 persons tall, which the lightest and youngest members of the team (colla) at the top. this is both a cultural and sporting event. it represents…
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I am leaving the family behind and flying off to Spain in a few days to participate in the European Network for Housing Research conference. I have attended this conference one other time – in Prague – and it was fantastic! I am looking forward to learning and sharing what I learn about housing and…
Posted in: Spain