The Black Forest for 2 nights

Reading Time: 16 minutes

Freiburg im Breisgau, 7-9 January 2026

When our daughter was finishing her last year of High School and we were planning an end of year celebratory trip to the UK and Europe, we asked if there was somewhere she would particularly like to visit. She said “The Black Forest!” Why? I have no idea. Having never been there myself, I set about researching.

After some googling and new experimentation with ChatGPT, I chose Freiburg im Breisgau as our destination. It was described as the gateway to the Black Forest, a vibrant city on the edge of the Forest, with an old medieval town and gothic cathedral.

Continue reading “The Black Forest for 2 nights”

Normandy – Part 1: A winter break

Reading Time: 24 minutes

Normandy, France (January 2024)

I was warned. In France many attractions and museums close during January and the weather would likely be cold and gloomy.  However timing our visit in the first week of January was our only option. It was also probably the last time our family would all travel together, as Brandon was now 19 years old. I hesitated when booking but as my research informed me there would be enough open attractions for us to visit over our 3 days in Normandy, I decided we would go for it. Continue reading “Normandy – Part 1: A winter break”