Bremen, Germany

     

    

If there's one thing I've learned throughout our travels (though I have learned a lot!), it's that: it's all about the people.  Whether it's someone you breifly come in contact with, or someone who ends up a life long friend, people shape our travel experiences more than we realize.  After coming to realize this, I've tried to become more intentional about engaging with people during our travels.  Although I wouldn't say I'm shy, I am definitely not as outgoing as I'd sometimes like to be.  At times, it can be easy to go somewhere, take it all in, and leave before even engaging with the human beings that actually live there!  My goal of travelling is not to have my life be like one super long vacation (though I can't deny that it's pretty good!), my goal of travelling is to learn, to engage in other people, and to hopefully give that back to the people I engage with.  If it wasn't for the people I've met throughout our travels, we wouldn't have made this trip to Bremen.

Norway Part 2: Preikestolen, Odda and Oslo

First, an update on my well being.  (If you haven't read about what happened during the first major hike of our Norway trip, you can do so here).  I'm alive!  AND well!!  Pretty thankful about that.  And not only that, I am thankful that we didn't have to cut our trip short.  We did cut out a major hike that we had planned, and slowed down our pace immensely, but I'd like to say we still conquered Norway.  Surprisingly, just hours after the hike, I was feeling back to my normal self and feeling quite positive about things.  If there's one thing I didn't want to do, it was to ruin the rest of our trip because someone (...me) had to pass out on the top of a mountain (there's no way that sounds casual, yet I tried my best to pass it off like that).  That's not to say that I was completely back to normal.  And I think it's part of who I am to attempt to shake things off only to have them explode my emotions a few days later.  Yes, that did happen.  I found myself in tears a few days after, scared that I would never get feeling back in my fingers, and worried that something like this would happen again.  I'm not going to lie, though we had a plan of sticking to our dried food diet (mostly to save money), we ended up buying and cooking an entire bag of pasta only to devour ALL of it basically without breathing (or talking).  

Norway Part 1: A nightmare on Kjerag Mountain

                                 

Since returning from our Norway trip a week and a half ago, I've been asked many times, "how was it?!"  Or, "how awesome was your Norway adventure?".  Surrprisingly, this has been a tough question for me to respond to.  Normally, after returning to England from one of our many Europe adventures this year, I've come back bursting at the seams with stories of fun and adventure.  I usually head back to work with a spring in my step and (sometimes) even a bit more tanned!  Well guys, this is the first time I can honestly say my travel experience was, well, not so good.  Don't get me wrong, Norway is an unbelievably beautiful country.  Sometimes though, certain travel experiences can challenge us in ways that we weren't expecting.

Leeds Castle, Kent, England

This is exciting.  A few weeks ago, we visited the "most lovely castle in the world"! (Quoted from one of the Leeds Castle brochures I picked up).  And yes, it was very lovely!!  I usually write about cities/towns that we've visited or travelled to, but this time it's all about Leeds Castle in Kent, England.  We went with friends of ours who own a car, so we were able to make a little day trip out of it.  The castle was fairly busy with people, but I can understand why...  not only is the interior of the castle spectacular to take in, the grounds are so lush and green.  It is easy to spend a whole afternoon just wandering the gardens.  

Before I bombard you with a plethura of photos, here are some quick facts about the castle itself:

- The first stone castle was built in the early 1100s 

- A century and a half later (in 1278), it came into the possession of Queen Eleanor of Castile, first wife of Edward I

- It remained a royal residence for 300 years, and then became a private home where it was in turn handed down over four centuries

- The last private owner of the castle was named Lady Baillie, a wealthy Anglo-American heiress.  She acquired the castle in 1926 when it was sold to pay death duties

- Today, the influence of Lady Baillie is seen throughout the interior of the castle, bringing the Medieval and Tudor periods to life

- The castle itself has been built on islands in a lake formed by the River Len.  It has been open to the public since 1976

Little Venice of London, England

In my last post, I shared about colourful Camden Town in London, England.  Since living in England and making multiple weekend trips down to London, we've discovered that there is always something more to see in London.  It doesn't end after seeing Big Ben and Westminster Abbey... oh no, there is so, so much more to see!  This leads me to Little Venice.  I had no idea that this even existed until after living here for 6 months.  If you continue walking along Regents Canal from Camden Town, you'll come across this extremely beautiful area of the city.  "Little Venice" is where two canals meet, and you'll find rows and rows of long boats, that are waving colourful flags and housing their own rooftop gardens.  The community of longboats along Regents Canal intrigues me.  I imagine what it would be like to live in one of these boats, tend to my garden and make friends with a tight-knit community.  Wandering through here is like taking a step out of the chaos of the big city, and into a greener, simpler, and artful community.  I also imagine that living here would cost a pretty penny... you are in the heart of London, one of the most expensive cities I've ever been in (besides Reykjavik.... where a beer cost 10 dollars (Canadian) at our hostel).  We spent a couple hours in Little Venice, just wandering.  Though you can't really compare it to Venice, Italy, I still loved taking in the pretty sights of this area of London.  You can even take a ride on a punt boat (aka Englands version of a gondola) while being serenaded by someone on the ukulele. 

Around London: Camden Lock and Stables Market

A couple of weekends ago we went down to London to explore the area of Camden Town.  Just a fifteen minute walk along the river from Kings Cross Station, I would definitely recommend a visit here (especially over lunch time!).  There is a lot to take in and see- from the endless market stalls in the cobble stoned streets of Stables Market, to tasty street food samples from the Global Food Kitchen.  It is a busy place, however, as it is a popular spot on weekends for both tourists and locals.  Here's a little photo diary of our day in and around Camden Town:  

I'm now on Etsy! Introducing Sarah Reimer Designs...

  

GUESS WHAT!  I'm now live on Etsy!  After some serious planning, brainstorming, crafting, researching, cutting, pasting, testing, and stamping.... I officially have my own online shop, Sarah Reimer Designs. 

Here's a quick run down on what exactly Sarah Reimer Designs is:

What I sell:

Handmade Travel Photography greeting cards. 

Where do I sell:

On Etsy, an online handmade marketplace and community.

Who is involved:

All photos are my own, and all the finished products are hand assembled by me. 

Who buys?:

You can!  It's easy to purchase through Etsy.  The website is easy to follow, and will tell you exactly what you need to do in order to purchase something, even if you've never been on the site before.

How do I make these?

First, I get out there.  I see as much of the world as I possibly can... venture to beautiful places and travel as far as I can.  I do all this with my camera around my neck, working at capturing beautiful moments of adventure.  Next, I choose some of my favourite and most cherished photos to share.  I print, and assemble greeting cards featuring my photography.

Why?

This is my passion.  I love travel and I love photography.  I truly hope that my work reflects that.

I'll finish off this post with my Official Launch Video!!  Here it is:

(and don't forget to check out the shop itself. www.sarahreimerdesigns.etsy.com )