We found this lovely 2 hour/8-ish km walk in Vossenack/Hürtgenwald in the German Eifel today. https://www.ich-geh-wandern.de/gps-daten/durch-das-wehebachtal-bei-vossenack-rur-eifel Enjoy!

This gorgeous old black cottonwood/poplar can be found in Pley, near the end of the Wurm valley A1 walking trail. It’s estimated to be about 220 years of age, and it’s been placed under heritage protection. Worth a visit if you’re near! Bonus geekery: The chapel in the background is dedicated to St. Anthony of Padua,… Read More Pley Poplar

Millions of years old, development in stages, excellent navigational skills, flight that defies physics, extraordinary senses. And they eat the same food, more or less. Fascinating beings. Read all about them here and here. Bonus geekery Did you know: Butterflies can smell with their antennae, and taste with their feet? Butterflies and bumblebees can ‘see’… Read More Butterflies and Bumblebees

The forest is full and lush and green, the lilies are in bloom, and the nettles are up high this week! Impressions from this week‘s walk in the Eschweiler woods, the place we’ll get to visit (if weather permits!) as part of Augusts MoveSpiration weekend:

I was introduced to the gorgeously green Oliwa Park in Gdánsk, Poland in June by Nailah, my lovely hostess at the Oriental Vibe festival. If you happen to be in Gdánsk, I recommend paying it a visit. You will find gorgeously old trees, zen-inducing duck ponds, a botanical garden, interestingly designed green corridors, a beautiful little cathedral… Read More Park Oliwski in Gdánsk

Sometimes the green finds you! This Saturday Mr. E and I competed in the second German Open Haidong Gumdo (Korean Sword Art) near the Bergischer Ring in Cologne. After the event, our curiosity was piqued by a gorgeous copper beech – we see them everywhere this year – towering above a hedge behind the sports hall… Read More Green in Cologne

Today‘s walk – a lovely 11km round near Langerwehe – featured wild flowers, a field of foxgloves, sticks, butterflies, mixed woodlands, very huggable trees, a fearless toad, a plethora of balancing opportunities and.. a beaver dam. Our starting point was ‘Parkplatz Rennweg’, from there we followed part of the Eifel Woodlands trail, then a bit further… Read More Walking in Langerwehe

This beautiful spot by the Maas/Meuse feels like a living work of art. Meet mom’s (and Mr. W’s!) garden: Gardens are a curious thing. They take work, and patience, plus good soil and seeds to start from. But the real magic does not happen overnight. It takes time. You have to keep tending to it, regularly,… Read More Mom’s Garden in June

In staying with the theme, below are a few captures of the incredible sunset we got to experience at the start of last May’s DancEscapade weekend in Crete. This one had a heart. Literally. And it brought all of us joy. We were dancing and cheering. Do you recognize that, feeling elated, and even a… Read More Sunset by the Sea

So many things to say about the humble pea. Did you know: Botanically, a pea is a fruit? Etymologically, originally a pea in English was a pease, and peas were peasen? The often-seen-in-gardens sweet pea variation (pictured) is, despite it‘s name, not edible at all? (They are toxic, causing osteolathyrism) Earliest archaeological finds of wild peas… Read More Pease on Earth