On the Road in Canada – Sussex, New Brunswick

Along the way to Sussex, after leaving Bar Harbor, we visited Acadia National Park in Maine and the fee for the car pass was USD 20.

As there were also many other tourists, it was difficult at times to find a place to park along the road. We drove through the park in one hour and then headed on to our final destination, Sussex in Kings County, New Brunswick, in Canada.

Sussex, New Brunswick

Along the road outside of Sussex, New Brunswick

My friend, who became unable to host us last minute, had booked us into the Pine Cone Inn. This is a small motel on the outskirts of Sussex, with views over the dairy country.

Pine Cone Inn, Sussex

Pine Cone Inn, Sussex

The innkeepers, a Korean couple, were most accommodating by letting me do laundry there, which is not part of their service. They also provided us with some snacks, again, just out of kindness.

Korean dinner in Canada

Korean dinner in Canada

My Korean friends had dropped off the Kimbab ahead of us. The innkeepers supplied the Ramion. We were well taken care of.

The room was small, but clean. The fee at CAN 67 for a room for four people is quite reasonable. If you are looking for simple accommodation, then this is the place to stay.

The area is beautiful. Next door, there is a club with a swimming pool, and from what I have been told, guests at the Pine Cone Inn have permission to use it.

Because Sussex straddles the Kennebecasis River, 70 km northeast of Saint John, it is not only a major dairy producer in the province, but also a haven for mosquitoes and black flies.

The black flies loved me and bit me more than ten times. I ended up going to the emergency room in Sussex, just to rule out anything worse than what it looked like.

welts and sores caused by black fly bites

welts and sores caused by black fly bites

The bites were located close to the ear, nape, and scalp. The trip to the ER cost me C$ 574 plus the C$ 36 for the prescription of antibiotics.

The doctor told me, “They are getting worse every year.” Mind you, I was the only one bitten out of four. I did spend more time outdoors than the others, but other guests did not have any black fly bites either. They especially liked me, for whatever reason.

After the hospital visit, we then proceeded on our road trip. Our next stop was Hopewell Rock, a famous sight around the area.

Winter Coat Drop-off at Frankfurt Airport

Frankfurt Airport has a special service for its winter time passengers flying south. Bugged down with your winter coat? Not anymore. You can leave your heavy coat at the baggage room. This service is available until 7 April 2013 at a daily charge of 50 cents.

There are three baggage room counters:

1) Terminal 1, Halle B, Level 1 (arrivals)

2) Terminal 1, Halle B-C, Level 2

3) Terminal 2, Halle D

Enjoy your trip and don’t forget to claim your coat when you return!

American Military Honored in Schweinfurt

Today, on Veterans Day, a small town in Germany added a bit of its own touch to honor all the U.S. soldiers having served in Schweinfurt, Germany. The city has had two U.S. army posts – Ledward and Conn Barracks. Erecting this moment on German ground symbolizes peace and friendship, and honors all who served.

This has also been a great accomplishment for the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW). This is the first time ever a monument has been erected outside of a military post, said Armithea Sissy Borel, guest speaker and vice-president of the National VWF women’s group. She also thanked the city of Schweinfurt for a partnership lasting almost 70 years.

This monument honors all U.S. soldiers who have served their country (and ours) in more than sixty years. Credit also went to the partnerships and friendships between the Americans and the locals over the years.

Also present were the VFW commander Sean Hillyer and the very last U.S. post commander, Michael Runey. Both emphasized the friendship between the U.S. and Schweinfurt as well as the longest period of peace in history. By the time the U.S. military pulls its last troops in 2014, the mission has been accomplished – to see Germany through the Cold War.

The monument is located in the Alte Friedhof (Old Cemetery), which is also the final resting place for about 40,000 locals.

The eagle, designed by the local artists Steff Bauer and Sören Ernst, is not only representative of the United States eagle, but is also the heraldic charge for both Germany and Schweinfurt.

A little souvenir from the Schweinfurt military post (1990).

To view the photos from the Main-Post Newspaper, visit: Regionale Fotos Main-Post. To read the complete article (in German), visit Der Adler verbindet die Völker (The Eagle Unites Nations) by the same newspaper.

Nakatsue Village in the Mountains near Hita on Kyushu

One might wonder how we ended up in a small village high up in the mountains (600 m above sea level). Well, as a volunteer at the Kokusai Center in Kitakyushu, I came to know one of the city employees.

She is retired now and lives with her husband in a log cabin in Nakatsue. With her help, we secured a fairly inexpensive overnight deal in a Minpaku. Our charge was 3000 Yen per person (about 30 euro per person).

What is a Minpaku you might ask. Definition of Minpaku taken from Kyushu Educational Travel Net:

This Minpaku experience, which allows visitors to experience rural culture as typified by local cuisine, beautiful scenery and abundant nature, has been becoming popular. In Kagoshima Prefecture, a NPO organization coordinates more than 700 individual homes.

Staying in a minpaku is the cheapest form of accommodation, next is the Minshuku, topped by a Ryokan in convenience and comfort.

With our Minpaku arrangement, we had a whole log cabin to ourselves, it came without breakfast (instant coffee and tea were available), and it was just great!

Minpaku log cabin

For some reason, I did not take any photos on the inside. Our minpaku was fully equipped with heaters, flat screen TV, and all the amenities one could ask for.

Come warmly dressed though as these arrangements high up in the mountains can be rather cold even in April. The thermometer read – 1°C at 10 p.m.

Mountains of Hita, Oita-ken

On my next trip to Kyushu, I will book a Minpaku again.

Diese Webseite verwendet Cookies. Wenn Sie auf der Seite weitersurfen, stimmen Sie der Cookie-Nutzung zu. Mehr Informationen

Diese Webseite verwendet so genannte Cookies. Sie dienen dazu, unser Angebot nutzerfreundlicher, effektiver und sicherer zu machen. Cookies sind kleine Textdateien, die auf Ihrem Rechner abgelegt werden und die Ihr Browser speichert. Die meisten der von uns verwendeten Cookies sind so genannte "Session-Cookies". Sie werden nach Ende Ihres Besuchs automatisch gelöscht. Cookies richten auf Ihrem Rechner keinen Schaden an und enthalten keine Viren. Weitere Informationen finden Sie auf der Seite “Datenschutzerklärung”.

Close