I need a holiday from my holiday. So tonight is just “chill time”.

We are currently in Salzburg, Austria. Oh, how I adore Salzburg. Austria’s 4th largest city, and yet it is a short walk to get anywhere. *swoon* I love being able to walk in cities. I love cities with mountains around them. And cool, crisp air. *sigh*

We walked from our hotel to the Mirabell Gardens. We photographed the steps used in the Sound of Music. We found the Dwarf statues. Jason got some great shots of Mike posing like them. We walked on to the center of the old city. We went inside the Dom (Cathedral) and admired the beautiful work. We went up to the fortress on the mountain. We took tons of photographs. We ate dinner up there. We took the funicular back down and walked through the exhibit about the Alm canals and then the nearby cemetary. Jason watched people play chess, I went and took more photos. We ate ice cream. I took sunset photographs of the skyline. Eventually we walked back to the hotel. Now I’m catching up on news (real news and family news) and just enjoying the fact that while it is spotty, we have internet access. For tonight.

The camera card reader is in the car, so there will not be any new photographs tonight. Not that I don’t have a bunch on the hard drive, but the slow WiFi is just too much to take.

There is so much to write about, and so many photos to share - later. Right now, I’m turning the computer back off and going back to reading Harry Potter. I need to finish it before I get home so that I don’t run into any spoilers about it!

This is a speeeeeeedy update - it cost 2 Euros (about $3) for 15 minutes of internet time. Just long enough to write a FAST post, post photos, and run!

Koln (Cologne), Germany:

Bacharach, Germany (Rhine river valley), where we are staying for 2 nights in the castle overlooking the town:

Burg Eltz (near Mosel river valley):

More to come soon, when the internet doesn’t cost so much!

We left Amsterdam yesterday, after being caught in a huge downpour of rain, and headed to the border of The Holland to Sittard on the train. Karen came to the station to pick us up, and we stayed with her & Jason last night at their house in Havert. Such a nice, small town - and the weather. Ahhhh. Cool air! Mike was starting to wonder already if he was going to get me to ever leave Germany.

Later today we are off for Koeln (Cologne) with Karen. We will spend the night and pick up our rental car tomorrow. And then? Well, who knows. This is actually the part of our trip that isn’t packed with reservations already. We’re just going to take it easy and go with the flow.

I’m on Karen’s computer right now, since mine refuses to get online. More photos the next time I post!

Jason & I arrived yesterday morning at about 8am (local time) in Amsterdam. After finding the hotel & getting a short nap, we went out and walked around the city. So fabulous to see so many people walking, and so many bikes. I always knew that there were a lot of bikes here, but had no idea just how many until we arrived - it is just astonishing!

We went on a river cruise, and walked and photographed some more, until we just couldn’t stay awake any longer. Another nap, and then when Mike arrived from London, we went out for dinner and a stroll around the Dam and down Damark.

We are having a great time, although the jet lag is still making me a bit tired and punchy right now. We’ll adjust soon though, I’m sure!

It amuses me every time I go to look up a Zip Code and I notice that their form has a blank for …

The Zip Code!

Uhm, if I knew that, why would I be using the form? I mean, come on. It really doesn’t make any sense!

In Houston? Pick up a copy of the July issue of BarStool magazine and you’ll see my photographs in it! I photographed the bartender for the Bartender of the Month feature, and then did a separate shoot at Leon’s Lounge on McGowen in Midtown. It was such an incredible rush to see my photographs in print, and while I did a speed posting on Flickr, I can’t believe I didn’t share them in the blog too!

August’s issue will have more photographs by me, and photographs that Elaine took also - amazing stuff, I’m just bursting at the seams waiting to share!

(Cross posted, in case you’re curious, in the Fresh Photography blog and over at my wedding photography site.)

We have a tentative itinerary! We have a car rental! We have hotel rooms! We are going to Europe! We are leaving on Friday!

Eep. That last part sent a wave of panic through me. So if it is quiet here, you know why - I’m busy packing and getting ready!

I just have to share the love - great books at awesome prices!

Interweave Press announced today its annual, highly anticipated hurt book sale, beginning today at 10 a.m. MDT at http://www.hurtbooksale.com/hurt. More than 125 craft books will be deeply discounted and sold online only on a first-come basis until inventory runs out. This is a great time to pick up bargains on both hardbound and softbound books about beading, jewelry making, knitting, crocheting, felting, spinning, weaving, needlework, and other popular crafts.

Hurt books are still in good condition but imperfect in quality and have minor dings such as a scratch on the cover or a bent page.

The savings run deep and some books will be combined for greater discounts. For example, the knitting titles Scarf Style and Wrap Style from the popular Style series will be available at 50 percent off individually ($10.98 each) or for $15 plus shipping if ordered together—that’s over 65 percent off the retail price!

Check it out! There were some that have been on my “books I want” list for a long, long time (like Men in Knits and the Folk Shawls book), and some I hadn’t really checked out before. Definitely worth it - and lots of books are only $10 each!

I’ve finally seen SUNSHINE today! This is HUGE considering all the rain we’ve had. We’ve already had 3.85 inches for July, and our average for July is 4 inches. Yeah, we were all starting to be a bit waterlogged. However, with the sun coming out, the heat has returned. It has been a relatively cool summer, but the highs are supposed to be back in the 90s now, like normal. Hmmm… I would prefer the cool temps *and* the sunshine, but to get that combination I think we would have to move, which isn’t likely to happen any time soon.

Speaking of going to cooler places though, guess what else?!? We are going to The Holland ™ and then to Germany!!!!!! Mike left on Saturday for The Holland for work, and then he will go to London, and then return to meet up with Jason & I in Amsterdam in a few very short weeks! The plan so far:

- We will spend a day or two in Amsterdam
- from Amsterdam to The Hague (to pick up Mike’s giant suitcase which he can’t take over to London because it is too big for the puddle-jumper flight)
- over to Germany to visit Karen
- Cologne (Koln)
- Frankfurt am Main
- Heidelberg
- southern Lake District, maybe?
- Neuschwanstein
- Garmish
- Munich and some knit time with Elemmaciltur (shhh, don’t tell Jason.) I have to get some of that great German yarn sometime! Oh, and Addis. I must, must, MUST find some short addi sock needles!
- Salzburg - I’m already trying to get the Sound of Music tour on the schedule, because I didn’t do it 16 years ago.
- Maybe a trip to Eagle’s Nest?
- Back to Munich & up to Dachau - history is a very important thing to see.
- Nurnberg
- Rothenberg - I hope to stay here for a few days, sort of a vacation from the vacation. A little down time in the quaint, amazing walled city.
- Wurzberg
- Through Frankfurt, and back to Karen’s house.
- Back into The Holland to return to Amsterdam and go home.

Ok, it looks long - but some of the items are just part of a day - like Neuschwanstein will take a good portion of the day, but then we will head to Garmisch and spend the night and go see sights there the next day. It isn’t final yet, and some items might get pulled off.

It also looks a bit long because we had no choice but to stay about a week longer than we had originally planned. Jason & I are going over using frequent flyer miles, and while we had a huge selection of flights to get us there, we only had one option for returning home - 6 days later than I had wanted to return. Oh, who am I kidding - I’m psyched to be staying 6 days longer! But it wasn’t the original plan. So we will be there for over 2 weeks, giving us a lot of time to roam!

I lived in Germany over 15 years ago; I returned to the US when I was 7 months pregnant with Jason. He has never been there. I lived in a tiny, tiny town, Illesheim, which is near the larger town of Bad Windsheim. I was not far from the autobahn, and Rothenberg was about 15 minutes away, so I went there often. I absolutely adore that city - especially at night after the tour buses have come and gone. It is just an amazing place.

Matter of fact, I’ve been to many of the cities on the list, but I want to share them with Mike & Jason. I just can’t wait!

It is that time again! Yale Street Market is this Saturday! I’ll be there, and Elaine might be there (she had a conflict this month, so she’s working that out), and there will be lots of great prints for sale! The market is from 6pm - 10pm (Summer Hours!) and it is really a fun time.

Last month, Mitch asked me if I would go and photograph the performing artist for June, Carrie Ann Buchanan. I did, and gave him permission to use the photos with the press releases he has been sending out. The featured photograph here is also the featured image along with the information on Yale Street Market at the ArtsHound site! It is currently right on the first page. How cool is that?

Other works coming out in publications over the next few weeks … I’ll keep you posted as they hit news stands!

“Aerodynamically the bumble bee shouldn’t be able to fly, but the bumble bee doesn’t know it, so it goes on flying anyway.”
– Mary Kay Ash

I’ve been a busy little bee around here, working on the … *drumroll please* …

New! Wedding photography website! Whee!

(Music warning. Music will play when you enter the Christine Tremoulet website. Turn your speakers down if you don’t want to hear it, or turn them on if you do.)

Fresh Photography is staying right where it is at, it isn’t going anywhere - this is just a chance for me to show off my wedding & portrait work and to easily get information to clients. The Fresh Photography site will be more focused on the art prints that we sell. I think the whole thing will make it easier for clients to navigate - and I’ve been mentally debating this for 4-5 months now. Feel free to share any feedback or comments you might have!