Experience Albania: Travel, Pictures, History, Culture

Before catching our train to Salzburg (this was back on the 26th), Dieter (Mr. Umlauf) and Isabel took us on a walking tour around Innsbruck. They are actually selling their home in Kitzbuhel and moving to Innsbruck some time this spring or summer. This is also where Corinna and Niki went to University. [...]

Our time in Austria, before and after Christmas, gave us a chance to see and stay with the Umlaufs and also meet some of their friends and extended family. Their oldest daughter just married in September and her husband, Lucas, is both excellent and has an excellent family.

Great for Mike and Lauren and I [...]

Christmas is over … but I’m behind on documenting and want to re-live our awesome Christmas in Kitzbuhel with the Umlauf family.
We felt like family, were in on everything that went on, and definitely appreciated climing mountains and skiing on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.
We decorated the Christmas tree on Christmas Eve (this is tradition, [...]

Group at the hut

Originally uploaded by treenie.

This was taken back in Kitzbuhel, when we were with the Umlauf family, but I wanted to write a quick post and say again what an amazing time we had with this family. The way to travel is by going where you know people and visiting them. [...]

Merry Christmas! From Lauren, Mike, and me …

We’re having such a great time here in Kitzbuhel with our family friends, the Umlaufs. The last few days have been busy with the best of things … One of the highlights:
Skiing
Getting dressed was half the fun! The Umlaufs are better than a sports [...]

We stayed at such a great place (thanks to our native guide!) in Munich and I want to pass the word along.  Perfect location, friendly staff, excellent accomodations, and affordable (for staying in the city, within walking distance from everything), the Hotel Blauer Bock is a place for your future reference.  One of the bestknown [...]

…I’ve been dreaming of one of these (a tall latte) for that past 9 months.

Photos taken in downtown Kitzbuhel-a beautiful and charming Alp ski town.
It’s almost 8AM on Saturday morning - just woke up after a night’s sleep under a down comforter.  I see the Alps on both sides of me, through the window’s of the Umlauf’s second floor computer/TV room.  While the rest of the [...]

 Shouldn’t I be in Munich right now? A 5:10am flight out of Tirane … a connection in Budapest … and then an arrival in Munich around 8:50am …
According to an updated schedule of my flight status, this is not the case.
Instead, things changed. 
A 5:10am departure turned into a 3:25pm departure.
?
And so I urge all of [...]

 Ah - German breads … and so much more that will suddenly appear before eyes throughout the next 15 days! I can’t wait to arrive in the heart of Bavarian Germany - a great place to start my Christmas/New Year’s travels.  Little do Mike and Lauren know that I have tomatoe byrek (thanks to Ersa) and the [...]