Travelog for: Amara Anthea

Hello Nikar,

Today, Mood took me to the Atlantic Ocean (in Vieux-Boucau, a small village in The Landes region)...

Here I am on the beach ...

But, I told Mood I wanted to try to meet another owl, and didn't think I could meet any here ...

She said she would take me to the forest as soon as she had her traditionnal capuccino on the Captain Bar ...

So I have waited, and then we went in the pine forest, looking for some owl ...



No owls ... but this delicious pine cone


and a tiny mushroom


Anyway, I really enjoyed this forest because of the shapes of the trees


There are many cork oaks too




Look, behind me is the lake. I flown to the island in the back, but unfortunately had no picture as Mood was too heavy to carry her with me ...

Hello Nikar!

it's me again !!!! I'm sorry I didn't give news these last days, but I have been very busy here.. so here are a few pictures and details of my last days :

First, I wandered in the forest near Mood's house... and met new friends such as this little one

He invited me in his tree for the night, and I could pratice my new french vocabulary ... He said I was a good pupil !!!
In the morning, as I was falling asleep, I've heard strange sounds in the next trees. In fact, it was a squirrel family laughing and playing in the snow...

... looking for hazelnuts

I went on looking for a more quiet tree, and on my way, I found this lovely flowers

In fact, I was sitting at the entrance of a rabbit burrow (behind me). While I was congratulating Mrs Rabbit for her nice garden, she noticed my accent and asked me where I was coming from..  So I started to explain, then she invited me to come in and have tea ...


What an adventure -> I spent a week with this so funny family and we traveled in the four corners of France (well ... almost!)
In Camargues (south east of France) where I met this very big bull (behind me) :

As he was staring at me, I remembered these animals don't really like red colour, so I discreetly removed my red beret, politely greeting his "gardian" ... pffiouuuuuuu !!!
Then I met this strange pink animal :

It's a pink flamingo ... with his characteristics legs ... I've heard of them, but never met any ...

I must say they are very curious !!!
In fact, we were near a "marais salant" (saltern) (look behind me)

You know, Camargues si known for its salterns, where they harvest salt. It's in the "Provence" region... Look at the lady bear behind me, she's wearing a typical provencial dress


I was at the good time, because I've learnt that in Provence, they begin to celebrate Christmas on the 4th of December at "Sainte Barbe" ...
And look behind me this fabulous table : its' the traditional 13 Christmas desserts

13 to recall jesus and the 12 apostles (it use to be "mendiants", dried fruits, pastry, such as nougat) ... quite tempting don't you agree?

Then we took another burrow that lead us to North East of France : in Alsace
It's the town of Saint Nicolas, the patron saint of children

In Alsace, Saint Nicolas walks on December 6 to reward the children deserving for delicacies and of gifts, it is helped by its donkey and it is accompanied by Hanstrapp (Hans Trapp or Rupelz) which is charged to punish those who were not good. Hanstrapp threatens children to take them along in its bag if they do not promise to be wiser!!!

Many Alsatian cities organize “Markets of Saint-Nicolas"

where you can buy christmas ornaments

but also sweets and delicious cakes!!

hmmm ?? Which one ???

Of course, I have tasted all of them .... it would have been impolite to refuse !

Before leaving, I saw this stork sitting on the roof.

I asked her if she could take me back in the south, but she said she couldn't because tourists would miss her ... (you know, she's one of the alsacian symbols !!!)

So I left her, and came back on my own ... I met Roger the snowman

I've told him about Toyvoyagers, he said he had a cousin called Snegovik travelling in France too, he gave me his adress, so I think I should meet him soon to give him some news !!!

I forgot to tell you that during my french journey in the different french regions, I met new friends ...  I told them about my travel plans across Europe, and as they were very excited about it, I persuaded them to start the adventure .. and that's what they did!!!

There are Victor and Polux (the two reindeers), and the bear Michka whose brother Micha Lak already started his adventures ... (Michka has decided to try to find him again.)

As they should start their journey the day after, we have decided to celebrate Christmas in advance

Have you seen this beautiful cake Mood baked for us ??

Happy New Year Nikar !!!!

Look, I've met Snegovik !! As you can see, we had a really good meal together for Saint Sylvester evening...

And this is only the starters or "amuse-bouche" as they call it in France!!
It included different toasts with "viande des grisons" (Grisons meat, it comes from Switzerland as Snegovik explained), and "tatzikis" (from Greece) that is to say, cucumber, garlics and mixed herbs, and mini Strasbourgs sausages (I bought during my Alsacian stay), and mini tomatoes...
Delicious !!! (Even if I must admit I would have prefered mices toasts ...)

Anyway !!! It was a great evening... Of course we talked a lot. I told him about Roger his french cousin, but I think I should have not, because then Snegovik told me about his big family !!!!!!!!! and I couldn't stop him !! I could see the sun rising, and was falling asleep, but Snegovik continued speaking ... a real chatterbox!!!
Here we are in the morning

As you can see, I discreetly moved away from him ... I politely drank some tea with a kiwi (... pfff.. still no mices at the horizons ...) and then I fell asleep!

Look, this is where I was sleeping in the day

Beautiful tree isn't it ??? Can you find me ??

Just arrived in Munich! Hello to all the friends I had to leave behind in France, I had a good trip but am tired and will take some rest now. Miss you!

Today the weather was really nice so we all went to Munich's city center, Marienplatz and Neuhauser Straße. Lots of people were out to celebrate carneval - it's called "Fasching" here.

When we came close to the Stachus we saw a strange creature flying --- we had a nice chat and talked about toyvoyaging. But no way this creature will become a toyvoyager, the postage would be enormous 

I passed the German Museum (a science museum) when I went shopping with my host. We all sat in front of a big part of a turbine which is used in hydro power plant. Imagine, how big this plant is!

There was a knock on the door and when we looked outside there were two little packages sitting on the doorstep. Visitors! Sylphide, Tenderheart Bear and Snegovik!

Today Barthélémy wanted to visit the "Alter Südfriedhof" (Old South Cemetery) so I just came along.

This is what I read about the cemetery:

It is a little known fact that Munich's oldest green area is 450 years old, that it's in the heart of town and that it's a cemetery - the Alter Südfriedhof. The cemetery is something of a conservation area and bears unique testimony to the city's cultural history. Its romantically overgrown graves, tombs and mausoleums pay homage to distinguished Munich figures - artists, architects, master builders and scientists.

In the plague year 1523 graveyards within the city walls were so overfilled that a new cemetery - the "Äußerer Freithof" - was opened outside the city gate at the Sendlinger Tor. The cemetery wall and all the buildings were later destroyed as a preventative military measure in the Thirty Years War. Well into the 18th century the cemetery was looked on as a poor man's burial ground. In 1844, a new section designed by Gärtner was added and it continued to be Munich's central burial ground up to 1868.

The cemetery suffered severe bomb damage in 1944-45. Today, only a quarter of tue graves are identifiable and many are in urgent need of renovation. Work is underway.

Even if the cemetery is not in use anymore many people were walking there. It is like a park nowadays. We saw little spring flowers blossom and sat on a bench in the sun.

Some of the graves are inside the back wall of the houses. And windows pop up between the statues on the graves.

Our host had bought red cabbage ... because she could hardly eat 2 kg of it on her own we decided to prepare and preserve it. Sylphide did the research and found a nice recipe. Then our host had to cut the onions and red cabbage. We sprinkled everything with salt and now it has to rest for a whole night.

After one night we washed and dried the cabbage, filled it in glass and filled the glass with vinegar (prepared with oranges and spices - mmmh, great smell). I helped to close the lids. Now the cabbage has to rest for 3 or 4 months - too bad, because I'll travel and not be able to test the taste.

The weather was sunny but cold. We went for a walk (together with half of Munich's inhabitants) to Nymphenburg Castle and park.