Summer

Our one day of sunshine in Bavaria was well spent

Beer at the lodge at the end of the ascent

The busy summer continues. Over these past few weeks Stefan and Wang Man have come and gone. They traveled from China to Europe for most of August.

Technically, the drinking age is for beer 16 in Germany, but that is often ignored.

Kate and I were able to meet them in Stefan's home town in Germany, Mittenwald. It is in

Bavaria, close to the Austrian border. Despite 3 days of heavy rain, we had a good time.

We were able to get in a day of hiking when the weather was nice. Most of the time was spent

hanging out with Stefan and Wang Man's friends and family, playing soccer, drinking beer, and eating more meats, cheeses, and breads than we should have.

Rainy day at a mountain lake

Pre-flight, Munich

Following Germany, we all flew to the UK for a few days. I had to get to work to prepare for a conference, but we were able to take advantage of the weekend. We spent a rainy Saturday in York and a sunny Sunday walking around Fountain's Abbey.

Cliffords Tower, York

Studley Royal, Ripon

Stefan and Wang Man spent a few days in Scotland. They went to the North Sea camp site that Kate and I stayed at with Allen, but they ended up breaking in the Skoda with car camping due to the rain. Luckily, the rain broke for a great sunset and sunrise. From there, it was a day and a half in Edinburgh, and ended with tent camping in the Lake District.

Following their visit, I was off to the US for a week long work trip. I was able to meet up with some old friends, which is always fun. I hadn't seen Patrick since Australia last April and Dan and Jenny since I left Hawaii. It just so happens that Dan and Jenny bought a townhowse this week, so I also got to take a look at that. The plan is to buy a wedding gift that isn't on the registry. I just need to find something with a lot of gold highlights...

I flew to Germany last night and am currently in my hotel room. I tried (somewhat) hard to stay awake all day, but I passed out on the couch for 3 hours this afternoon and now I am wired at almost 10:00pm. Traveling east to west is so much easier than west to east.

After a couple of days in Germany, I will be back in the UK. Next month, another trip back to the US for the cabin trip and wedding. I'm excited.