In the last fourteen years since Lin and I have married, we have visited the coolest places all over the world. Here they are!
Santorini, Greece
Nestled on the top of a mountainous plateau, this town spoke to my heart. We didn’t ride the mules up to Santorini, but we walked down among them. The views were amazing and it felt like a magical city.
Rome, Italy
While we were in Rome, Lin became my tour guide because he’s so good with maps. I clocked 27,000 steps in one day as he took me from one historic sight to another. To end the day, we did a gastronomical tour that required still more walking, but it was amazing. We savored the food and the fun with the guide.
Naples, Italy
We visited Naples twice on a cruise, but we didn’t see much of the city, but we went out to two major sights I will never forget: Pompeii and Herculean. Unbelievable history at its best! So, I always connect them with Naples.
Munich, Germany
The day we visited Munich, our tour guide spoke several times of places Hitler spoke at or had been at, and it resonated with my soul. I had read about the horrors of the Hitler regime, but to hear his name connected with buildings I saw as we drove by shocked me. The tour guide emphatically warned against the Neo-Nazi groups of today.
Edinburgh, Scotland
The castle on the hill overlooking the city stands out in my mind as I think of Edinburgh—so majestic, so regal. After touring the castle, we had a delightful time walking the Royal Mile, shopping and enjoying the culture. A young man adopted us and helped Lin buy a kilt and all its accessories there!
Dublin, Ireland
I booked our accommodations there and wanted an inexpensive place. We ended up in a hostel with spartan accommodations that met our needs. I had to leave my driver’s license as collateral for a blow dryer, but it was right across the street from the Guiness Storehouse, so that worked out well when we did the tour.
London, England
We saw “Les Misérables” in a theater on the West Side of London and my husband said he would never go to a theater in the states again—it was so outstanding!
Once again, Lin’s mastering of maps helped us use the subway there like experts!
Barcelona, Spain
The brilliance of Antonio Gaudí’s artwork graces so much of Barcelona, but my favorite is the Sagrada Familia. When we toured it, the structure and creativity overwhelmed me. I remember the light radiating through the stained glass windows and just walking around in a circle to capture it all.
Seville, Spain
As we watched a Flamenco dance troupe perform, I had to pinch myself. The beauty and stylistic nature of Flamenco dancing has always captivated me, but to actually be in Seville watching it was surreal! The skirts, the clicking of the castanets and the soulful music filled the air. Again it was magical and the coolest!
Óbidos, Portugal
We had an extra day in Lisbon because of an unexpected delay, so we went to Óbidos on a tour. This walled city felt like a step back in time. We enjoyed shopping and sampling goodies throughout the town and didn’t want to leave.
Finally,
Wow! As I identified these ten coolest places I’ve visited, I realized I could add to this list probably ten more. Our world offers such great places to visit! Make sure you visit one or all of these!
Our Christmas letter overflows with our busy year! We traveled to Scotland in May and Germany in September. Throughout the rest of the year, we kept busy with our two passions: Lin’s gardens and my books!
May in Scotland
Edinburgh, Scotland – notice my nose!
Lin and I enjoyed two amazing trips this year: Scotland in May & Germany in September. In May, we went with two square dance couples on a 12-day tour, Backroads of Scotland, and we saw some amazing sites.
We started in Edinburgh and went in a couple days early so we could visit the city on our own. I had a nasty fall, and my face ended up badly bruised and skinned, but I didn’t miss a beat!
The tour took us to some amazing places: St. Andrews and it’s famous golf course and then on north to Inverness. The historic site of Culloden fascinated me with its brutal Scottish history. We went on to Loc Ness but didn’t see the monster. From Thurso, we rode a ferry to the Orkney Islands. We visited the village of Skara Brae and the mysterious Ring of Brodgar. We also revisited a small chapel built by Italian prisoners during World War II. Lin and I originally saw it in 2019. The next day, we enjoyed a sunny day over the sea to the isle of Skye and saw “Hairy Coos,” the red long-haired cattle gracing the hillsides. On we went to Glencoe, another site of historic significance. We ended our tour on the Bonnie Banks of Loch Lomond and on to Glasgow.
We extended our trip in Glasgow and had a delightful time with an international friend of mine, Eleanor, from my meditation group. Eleanor and her husband, Jim, hosted an evening in their home with delicious food, hearty conversation and Jim entertaining us on the guitar. The next day, Jim and Eleanor showed us some of their favorite places in Glasgow!
We connected with our Scottish heritage along the way! What a trip!
September in Germany
Reit im Winkl, Germany
Lin and I had signed up for a 14-day square dance trip to Germany with a square dance caller from Tucson in 2020 which was canceled because of COVID. We finally made it and what a fabulous trip! We flew into Munich and then stayed in Grassau, a small town ideally situated between all of our destinations, so we never had to change rooms! I liked that! We did day trips out of Grassau and returned each evening, square dancing often.
First, we visited Amerang Farmers’ Museum, and the next day we went to Berchtesgaden and went down in the Salt Mines, going down two slides to get to the bottom. We also visited Eagle’s Nest, Hitler’s hideaway. How eerie it was to think he had been there.
A major highlight of the trip was visiting the Munich Oktoberfest! It’s a major carnival and beer party. I loved the oompah music and the enthusiasm of the participants. During the tour, we visited two of King Ludwig’s castles: one on Herrenchiemsee Island and the famous Neuschwanstein castle. I loved the village of Oberammergau where I bought Lin a cuckoo clock for his birthday. It was back to Munich the next day. Timed perfectly, we headed to the Marienplatz to see and hear the Glockenspiel. We ended up at the Hofbrauhaus and sat right across from the band—and enjoyed sauerkraut and sausage!
The next day it was on to Innsbruck, Austria. The mountains surround the city—no wonder it’s a winter sport paradise. Then we visited a beautiful mountain village: Reit im Winkl and enjoyed a Bavarian Traditional Schuhplattlers Show that night with dancers of all ages! They are keeping their traditional dances alive!
Next day, we headed to Salzburg, Austria and I felt Julie Andrews and the “Sound of Music” all around me. We visited the fortress on the hill and experienced the thrilling sound of the church bells when they rang out together in the late afternoon. We ended the evening at a Salzburg Mozart Dinner Concert!
Both of us would return in a heart beat we had such a great time!
Life at Home with the Millers
Lin continues to enjoy his garden! We hosted our second Annual Garden Party, and what a joy it was to show off all his hard work. Lin also enjoys his sports teams: the Liverpool soccer team and Philadelphia Eagles. We had the pleasure of going to the NFL Experience in Phoenix, AZ in February before the Super Bowl. His good friends, Bob and Linda, hosted us and we had a blast seeing the Super Bowl rings display, and Lin had his picture taken with the Eagles’ cheerleaders.
Larada continues to write and has released her seventh book, Hair on Fire: A Heartwarming & Humorous Christmas Memoir. She just finished recording an audiobook of it in her make-shift recording studio in their walk-in closet. She also received a second New Mexico/Arizona book award for Coronavirus Reflections: Bitter or Better? in the self-help category. Larada and Lin also enjoys trips their family ranch as often as they can!
They continue to square dance as much as possible and still host the Hot August Nights square and round dance festival. They just did their 17th year!
Sad to say, they lost their cat, Jesse, this year. He was 20-years-old and had feline diabetes. Jesse had been failing for over a year. He died in October while Larada was at the ranch—what a loss for both of them!
Our Christmas letter summarizes our year every year and is a delight to write! I hope you enjoy reading it!
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Larada & Lin welcome you to the Mirabell Gardens in Salzburg, Austria
Days 12-15 came so quickly! We opted to stay in Grassau and explore then on to Salzburg. Then we had another free day to pack up and enjoy a farewell banquet. Then we flew home—our magical Bavarian trip ended!
September 23
Day 12: Free time. Optional tour offer—Tolzer Twirlers Anniversary Dance in Bad Tolz.
May pole in Grassau
I know most people who know Lin and I will be shocked that we opted to not dance that day but to explore Grassau. We made that decision because of three reasons:
The trip to Salzburg the next day—we wanted to be rested for that because we both looked forward to the city and the Mozart concert that night.
We had been going at such a clip, we both worried about our current health situation, and needed a break.
We had been in Grassau for two weeks, but hadn’t had the time to explore this quaint little village.
After breakfast, we walked to town in the rain. First, we went to the Information office and inquired about restaurants for dinner. Interestingly, being a Saturday night, we thought we’d have lots of options! No, we had two choices, both Italian! We visited the May Pole—each village had a May Pole that told about the life there.
Inside the churchAltarView from the park
Next, we went into the church, the church of Assumption of Mary, right across the street from the Information office. We had walked by this church often and did not know the magnificent interior. It’s amazing how this small village supported this gorgeous church, stunning and ornate!
What made it fun, too—we watched a wedding party prepare for a wedding that afternoon!
Our next stop—a steamy latte for me and cappuccino for Lin, and delicious German sweets in a coffee shop. We relaxed, enjoying people-watching and no rush!
Our favorite thrift shop we had visited earlier wasn’t open this Saturday—Heidi’s is only open one Saturday a month. Then we found out that all the shops in town closed between 12 and 1! What a difference in commercial attitude than what we are used to!
We found a nice-size department store though. Lin bought a much-needed umbrella because ours had died! I bought two sweaters—one gold and one lime green for a great price. I got a nice discount on the first one I bought.
We ended our afternoon back at our apartment, then we met John & Barb Sloper for dinner at Mama Mia’s Pizzeria for dinner. I had rigatoni with pepperoni. When the server brought our dishes, I didn’t see any round meat on my dish. I took a bite, and it blasted me out of the room. Then, I grabbed the server and asked him about the pepperoni—I found out in Germany pepperoni is a chili pepper, not meat. So, I drank lots of water and ended the meal with Tiramisu, then we went to the ice cream parlor near and Lin had his usual ice cream.
NOTE: Everyone who attended the Tolzer Twirlers Anniversary Dance in Bad Tolz raved about their experience. They had over 300 dancers!
September 24
Looking up at the fortress in Salzburg
Day 13: Salzburg: City walking tour with English-speaking guide. St. Rupert’s Day Evening – Salzburg Mozart Dinner Concert. No dance, live Classical Music tonight!
This day became one of my favorites! When I think of Salzburg, I will think of two things: The Sound of Music and the bells ringing!
When we left the bus once we arrived, I asked about leaving our bags. “Yes, that’s okay,” so we did. As we prepared to go on a walking tour of Salzburg, Kim Oxendine and Gina handed us our bags and said, “The bus is not coming back!” Thank you, Kim and Gina, for taking care of us.
Colorful Mirabell GardensArchway Julie Andrew & Kids Danced Through!
We started the walking tour at the Mirabell Garden, the same place where they filmed a memorable scene from the Sound of Music. It sent chills over me! When Lin and I got home, watched the Sound of Music and stopped it every time we recognized a place we had been—what a thrill!
The garden features gorgeous flowers, statues and fountains—and the Sound of Music!
Then we walked to Old Salzburg. It was the Feast of St. Rupert, the patron saint of Salzburg and the city overflowed, even though it was a Sunday! The narrow streets fascinated me—metal shop signs hung over our heads!
Mozart’s Birthplace
On the tour, we saw Mozart’s birthplace, “The house where Wolfgang Amadé Mozart was born on January 27, 1756, is now one of the most visited museums in the world. No other place makes the person behind the artist Wolfgang Amadé Mozart and his music as tangible as his birthplace.”
At the end of the tour, Lin and I stopped in an outdoor beer garden and enjoyed venison sausage and sauerkraut and a cheese tray. So delicious!
Cemetery in Salzburg
After lunch, we shopped some and then walked to the cemetery. The cemetery plots overflow with flowers. We visited the chapel there and lit more candles for our friends.
Funicular ride to fortress
Then we rode the funicular up the hill to the fortress overlooking Salzburg. We spent a lot of time wandering around the fortress. My favorite part—standing near the wall and listening to the bells and taking pictures of the skyline full of church steeples! It felt other-worldly!
After our great time in the fortress, we rode the funicular back down and arrived at the restaurant just as our group went in. We savored a three-course meal. The entertainment began during the meal and continued. They did a section of one of Mozart’s opera, then a course, then singing! It was fabulous!
Night time view of church & fortress
September 25
Tony Oxendine, Jet Robers & Tom Crisp at Last Dance in the Barn
Day 14: Free time for last-minute shopping and time to pack. Last dance 11 am—1 pm. Please bring luggage to the hotel lobby to be loaded onto busses no later than 4 pm. Special Farewell Banquet. No dancing after banquet—party or early to bed.
Sadly, our trip was ending! We had a last dance and enjoyed our last time in the barn dancing. After lunch, we shopped some more, and I bought a fantastic pair of shoes! Wore them to church today! We packed up our bags! That’s always a major event, trying to get all our souvenirs in, but once again, we succeeded.
The day ended with a Farewell Banquet. I thoroughly enjoyed a highlight of the evening—each person in the group shared if they wanted to share their favorite memory of the trip. It really brought back so many outstanding memories as I listened!
September 26
Day 15: Depart Grassau for an early flight from Munich to USA.
Because we had people who had early flights, we left Grassau at 6:00 A.M., breakfast at 5:00 A.M.!
Our travel day home was eventful for sure! We had delays and friends missed connections in London, having to stay a night there. We made ours, but we got home later than planned with a delay in Denver.
Finally,
Days 12-15 sped right on by! What an amazing trip we had! Tom, Gina and Curtis Crisp provided a trip of a lifetime with their experience and knowledge. If you’re interested, the next trip is September 16-30, 2025. Tony, Jet, Tom and the international callers entertained us with their great calling! Thanks so much!
I leave you with a closeup of a church steeple & fortress in Salzburg!
Our group that went to Germany
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Days 9 – 11! Three fun-filled days lay ahead of us: from Innsbruck, Austria to the Hofbraeuhaus in Munich and more. We ended the week with a trip to Reit im Winkl, a scenic village near Grassau. That evening we had the pleasure of a traditional Bavarian show with lots of dancing and music!
September 20
Day 9: Innsbruck capital of Austrian Western State of Tyrol and Rattenberg am Inn – famous for Swarovski Crystal.
During our drive to Innsbruck, Austria from Grassau, we traveled along a valley with the steep Northern Chain mountains in view, 7,000-8,000 feet high. So scenic! Fog hung down on the mountains, adding a mystique to those glorious mountains so nearby.
Imperial Palace with Surrounding MountainsSkyline of Innsbruck
When we got to Innsbruck, we did a bus tour first, then a walking tour. During the bus tour, the tour guide shared the history of the city. It was heavily bombed in World War II with twenty-two air raids. The bombings destroyed every second building. Innsbruck hosted the Olympics twice: 1964 and 1976. That wasn’t surprising with it surrounded by mountains.
During the walking tour, we saw the famous Goldenes Dachl (Golden roof).
Golden RoofThe Building with the Golden Roof
“The Goldenes Dachl (Golden Roof) is a landmark structure located in the Old Town (Altstadt) section of Innsbruck, Austria. It is considered the city’s most famous symbol. Completed in 1500, the roof was decorated with 2,657 fire-gilded copper tiles for Emperor Maximilian I to mark his wedding to Bianca Maria Sforza. The Emperor and his wife used the balcony to observe festivals, tournaments, and other events that took place in the square below.”
After the walking tour, we walked around the downtown area, and the mayor of Innsbruck rode by on a bike. He stopped, and we got our picture with him. What a friendly, hospitable ambassador for Innsbruck! Then we ate quickly to have time to shop.
Mayor of InnsbruckPart of group with the Mayor
From Innsbruck, we drove to Rattenberg on the Inn River, known for beautiful crystal. This little village sat right next to the river. We wandered along the main street shopping.
We danced that evening in the barn—an exceptional way to end the day!
I continued to write haikus about my experience:
Disconnected now!
Connected only in room!
I like the freedom!
I love Germany!
The home of my ancestors.
Their feet touched this soil.
(Thinking about our trip to Scotland in May)
I love Scotland, too!
The home of my ancestors.
Their feet touched this soil.
My heritage has
Deepened as I have traveled.
I’m more than I thought!
September 21
Day 10: Munich City Tour with English-speaking guide. Visit downtown Munich, including Marienplatz & the famous Hofbräuhaus. Return to Grassau in time for dinner and dance.
Again, we traveled to Munich, but this time to see the city! And once again, we enjoyed the bus tour seeing city and then walking see the people. Before the bus tour, we drove to the Nymphenburg Castle for a potty break. What gorgeous gardens surrounded the castle! During the bus tour, I take lots of notes—way too many to share here.
As we passed one building, the tour guide identified it as the building where Hitler spoke to the people. Today it is a high school. Then he stressed we need to be attentive to the Neo-Nazi movement because it’s a world-wide threat.
When the walking tour started, we had a tight schedule: we needed to get to the Marienplatz (heart of Munich) at noon to see the Glockenspiel in the New City Hall. As we walked rapidly, I kept my eye on Curtis, one of our tour guides. When we arrived in the Marienplatz, I had a couple minutes to get my camera ready, but tourists packed the Marienplatz!
Glockenspiel in ActionNew Town Hall
How fascinating the Glockenspiel was! Here’s more information about each part:
Then we headed for the famous Hofbräuhaus. Our tour guide showed us where his beer stein is locked up—small little lockers lined the room.
How lucky we were! Lin and I headed towards the band and took several pictures, enjoying the Oom-pah music and the personalities of the musicians. A couple seated right by the band motioned to us to join them, so we spent the whole time there, sitting right by the band!
After sharing a sausage tray with three different sausages and the best sauerkraut ever, we leisurely listened to the band and enjoyed the show. Then we had plenty of time to leisurely shop and enjoy the atmosphere.
When we got home that evening, we danced again after dinner—I loved all the dancing!
September 22
Day 11: Morning: Visit the beautiful village of Reit im Winkl. Evening: Bavarian Traditional Schuhplattlers Show. Oom-pah music tonight.
We had a later morning departure, so we had a more relaxed morning. We had a rainy drive to Reit im Winkl, a beautiful alpine village. The bus driver told us the tale of how Bavaria won Reit im Winkl from Austria—very entertaining.
St. Pankratius Parish Church & Larada in her Yellow Raincoat
When we arrived, we walked to the St. Pankratius Parish Church and went inside. Again, I lit a candle for our friends, Bob and Linda, who had COVID. Then we hiked to the falls above the village. The rain added to the atmosphere, and I thoroughly enjoyed my yellow raincoat. Then we shopped around and ate some local goodies.
Beautiful FlowersLooking Back at the Village
Flowers, flower boxes, flowers draped over balconies—that’s what I remember about this quaint little village.
On the trip back to Grassau, Gina Crisp told us her immigration story—so moving and so sad! But she has certainly taken her experience and had an open heart to all immigrants!
Curtis Crisp, one of our tour guides, dressed up for the Show
After dinner that evening, we returned to the barn for the Bavarian Traditional Show—a highlight of the trip for me! I dressed warmly this time and kept comfy the whole evening. During the show, we enjoyed traditional Bavarian music and dance! During an open dance, Lin and I enjoyed a spirited polka—what fun!
The dancers spanned all ages from young children to grandpa and all in traditional outfits. I saw such similarity to our square dancing in their costumes. Also, it reminded me of dances I grew up in Branson, Colorado, with children allowed to enjoy themselves on the dance floor between dances. They ended the show with something like a Grand March or the Mexican “La Marcha” with floral arches they put into different shapes, ending in stars.
The children waiting patiently for their time to perform!
I took lots of video that evening!
Sample the Bavarian Traditional Schuhplattlers Show:
Sample the Oompah band
See these young boys trained up in their traditional Bavarian dance thrilled me
What a fantastic end to the day again—a celebration of Bavaria!
These three days fun-filled days are some of my favorites of the trip! Music, dance—you can’t beat that!
If you have missed my previous three blog posts about this trip, here they are:
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