November 18, 2016

The Bone Chapel of Kutná Hora, Czech Republic

November 18, 2016/ Meghan Oaks

Back in May when we visited Prague, we wanted to do something a little out of the ordinary. Months earlier, IFLS, a science blog I follow via Facebook, ran an article about a chapel that had a chandelier made completely out of bones. Well, it's not just a chandelier, the entire place is decorated and line with bones. In any case, I filed it away in the back of my head for "later." When we planned Prague, I remembered that this place existed and we made it a point to visit. And I'm so glad we did.

November 16, 2016

6 Things to Do in Bergen, Norway

November 16, 2016/ Meghan Oaks

As the second largest city in Norway, there is a ton to do in and around Bergen. Back in May, Aaron and I spent 3 days there before we sailed off to a dive resort for a few days, and then my sister and I spent a couple more days there before heading off to Oslo. Since I had so much time in Bergen, I made sure to find a ton of stuff to do. Thankfully, this was really easy. One of the best resources I found was to stop in at the Visitor's Center, right across from the world-famous Bryggen. They had tons and tons of brochures - from horse back riding to hiking to fjord cruises to museums and tours. There really is something for everyone, whether your idea of a vacation is shopping or hiking or somewhere in between. Read on to learn about things to do in Bergen!

November 09, 2016

Our First 100 Days

November 09, 2016/ Meghan Oaks

The first 100 days are said to be significant. Not sure who, exactly, but let's go with it. Today, it has been 100 days since we returned from the Germany and started the next chapter of our lives in Texas. In that time, we have grappled with not only reverse culture shock, but culture shock in general. In case you didn't know, Texas is not quite the same as the north. So, what are some of the thoughts that crossed our minds in the last 100 days? What are some of the things we miss, and some of the things we are glad to have back?

October 31, 2016

Nature Diving in Fjord Norway

October 31, 2016/ Meghan Oaks

When one thinks of ocean diving, places like the Caribbean or the South Pacific, popular warm water dive locations, come to mind. Here, there are beautiful coral reefs, full of colorful fish, big creatures, and small delights. While warm water diving is always nice, there is still so much of the ocean that can be dived, if only you're willing to deal with the cold. Norway was one such place.

October 28, 2016

Life Lately

October 28, 2016/ Meghan Oaks

Wow guys, it's been a while! Over two months now. I promise, I didn't forget about the blog, or you, we've just been busy. Back in June, we found out that we were moving to Texas and it has been a whirlwind since then. But, now that we are getting settled, the computers are unpacked (which means I have pictures now!), things should start to return to normal on the blog here.

September 30, 2016

Stolperstein: a Subtle, Beautiful, Poignant Memorial

September 30, 2016/ Meghan Oaks

If you've been to just about any major city in central Europe, you've probably seen them. They are small, inconspicuous little brass plates placed in the sidewalks. You can easily walk over them and never have any idea what they are. We did it for months. I imagine that many of them in more well-walked parts of cities are no longer legible. Sometimes it's just one replacing an older cobble stone. Sometimes there are more. So what are these Stolperstein and why devote an entire post to them?

July 26, 2016

The Czech Beer Festival

July 26, 2016/ Meghan Oaks

One of the coolest ways to get to know a city is to partake in it's local festivals. In the summer, this isn't all that hard. Germany has festivals happening literally every single weekend. When we were planning our long weekend to Prague, I discovered that we would be there for the last weekend of the Czech Beer Festival. Of course we had to go. Turns out, that was a fantastic decision! Evelyn thought so too.