Flight to Germany Train to Lichtenfels (Updated May 29)

So it was time to head on. On the way to the airport I took a few pictures even though it was rainy.

 

I never got a good picture of the lava fields between Reykjavik and Keflavik, even though I kept trying.

I think the bus drove to fast for my photographic abilities.  On the plane I reserved a window seat so that I could take some pictures out the window. Unfortunately I was right behind the wing, so I didn't have a very good viewing range, but I got a couple of shots that I like.

I think the picture above is the coast of England. Below is on the other side of the channel, but I'm not sure which country we were passing over. It might have been France or even Holland or anything in between.

These are fields of canola plants for oil in Germany.

 

 German villages look so pretty from the air with their orange tile rooves.

We had a very good view of the modern city of Frankfurt am Main.

I arrived into Frankfurt and got information about the best way to get to Lichtenfels. I managed to catch an earlier train, but had to make two transfers. The first was to go into the city to the Hauptbahnhof.  In  Würzburg I would have only 4 minutes to catch my connection, but luckily it was on the platform right across from the train we were on. I met a lovely woman who was studying in Würzburg and she helped me male the connection. We sat with two lovely  young people a girl and her brohter. The girl wa going to go to Chicago for a 3 week high school trip and the boy was 14 and reading The Lord of the Rings in German. They both loved Manga and told me about visiting a German Con where people dressed up like Manga figures, like Naruto.

I was able to call Frau Gareis from the train and let her know I was coming in early, but unfortunately that meant catching her a bit unprepared. For me this was nice because I got to see  the preparation of the cake she made for us.

Here she is in her beautiful, garden.  You may remember my blog about my weeping trees. It is her garden that inspired me to want those trees (something that had remained in my memory for more than 20 years.)

 

We walked from the station to her house and also later took a lovely walk in downtown Lichtenfels. This shot is an enlargement of Schloss Banz that we saw on one of these walks.

She is the consummate hostess and prepared lovely meals including this one of weisswurst and Spargel.  I have been treated to such delicacies since I have been here!

On My Way To Iceland

Here are a few photos of the trip to Iceland. Of course itwas cloudy for most of the trip, but just over Greenland there was a break in the clouds and you could see the mountains and the snow.

Then it was cloudy again for a long time and when we descended there was a minimal view of Iceland through the fog.

  

Our shuttle took us  through the lava fields which were strangely sterile and craggy things, but then turned into fields of stones covered in moss, thus lush and barren at the same time.

 

It is drizzling, but I took a long walk waiting for my room to be ready for me.  The streets were absolutely desserted (probably because it is a Saturday morning - but it was a strange feeling to walk alone through Reykjavik's streets.

 

 

Of course I went to see the famous Hallgrimskirk  very nordic and stark - quite a no-nonsense place.

 

That's Leifur Erickson in front - they guy that discovered America.  Now I'm back in my room - it's tiny, but very clean and hospitable. The skies are clearing a bit and I'm torn between taking a (really long) nap and heading out again.

 

Which will it be?