Epic hike in Mittleburg Austria. Really so beautiful and really thought you could here the Sound of Music playing.
Hopefully we get to go back and hike again. this time I will bring some hiking poles. To muchy on the downhill hiking action, sore knees for Marty. Getting old sucks....but hopefully having some hiking sticks will help that situation. Just so I don't have to hobble for 2 days afterwards grimacing at every stair case I pass. Brought the kidlits they hiked like pros and still had energy to burn afterwards...awwww kids. Never a dull moment. Ever so grateful to have had the chance to see this part of the world...and I look forward to going back....next big trip Nimes France for Tribal Umrah!! I'll leave you with some pics from our day of hiking....

Sooooooo.......how are we doing??

pretty good...thanks for asking:) really!

First couple of weeks here in Germany and settling in nicely. I have been touring around a bit, meeting new people, seeing new places!! Its been a busy first month in Germany...and its been nice to just settled into my new life here and spending sometime with family.



First stop I had was going to the beautiful city of Koln. Why you ask...well my husband had the brilliant idea of attending the World Hockey Championships there. Didn't know you were a hockey fan Martina??? Well...I'm not. Thankyou. Really, I can find better ways to spend my time than sitting in a cold ice rink....especially since I just landed from a 10 hour flight, then drove 2 hours with 4 bags of luggage, a dog , 2 kids I havn't seen in a month and a husband who got the day wrong for when I was arriving:)ohhhhhh the joys of married life. But hey, being grumpy aside. Koln is a lovely city with alot to see and do with much walking and lovely views.







And despite all the complaining about going to the hockey game from me...( yes I was being grumpy, I blame the jetlag) We got to go see Cirque du Soliel as well.....what a day! Gold medal hockey plus crazy acrobatic cirque...can we say Martina had to have a snooze in the grass midday.(stupid jetlag)


see...I'm not the only one who got tired...it was a long epic day.

next up, some sightseeing on the way back to Ulm....Heidelberg , really pretty stop. and yes, still jetlagged and yes all the same weekend.

Finally my new home in Ulm, Germany! whoooshhh...sooo nice to be able to sleep in my own bed again. Really you have no idea, I think I had the best nights sleep that night. Sleeping in alot of different beds for 3 months really takes a toll on ones sleeping patterns.and you guessed it their grumpy nature:)

But no rest for the wikid....next stop Hanover. After a death defying early morning drive to Stuggart on the Autobon. My husband took full advantage of his beamer to show off....::::rolls eyes, boys::::::: yes he got a beamer...yes its his mid  life crisis car......yes its a station wagon.sigh.

anywho...Hanover for Tribal Treffe! hosted by the lovely Ashmahan. Great festival, loads of fun and alot of lovely dancers. I was quite blown away by everyone, and saw some really beautiful and creative tribal dancing here in Germany. It was a really lovely introduction to the tribal community here in Germany. so many amazing dancers. It was a special treat for me because I got the chance to see  a good friend again...the lovely and most smashing Tree from England. We always have a blast together, and always much laughter and baddy behaviour to be had!! It was cool to connect with Sashi and Tempest as well. I havn't had a chance to meet these lovely gothy ladies in the past, so it was nice to connect with them and had many laughs over Italian food. Another friend and beautiful dancer I had the pleasure of meeting was Martha Osirya. Martha is Fat Chance Bellydance trained,and guested with Fat Chance several times. She has a lovely new little baby boy, who stole everyone hearts. And Martha lives here in Germany! yeah for me! all in all a great and well organised dance festival! many thanks to everyone who made me feel soooo welcome and many Thanks to Konstaz and Marcel for walking me home in the rain!! they have this awesome online website reviewing everything Tribal that is happening in Germany and the surrounding areas..its called Hagalla.Its really cool to see this dynamic duo with a such a huge love of Tribal bellydance...really making sure the tribal events and dancers of Germany are getting promoted and supported on their site.They have a English and German site, check it out!
http://www.hagalla.de/hagalla%20com/Mainpage.html

well there ya go...the first couple of weeks....there is more...but I'll stop now, before I get kicked of for having the longest blogs on here....that don't feature random postings of peoples wedding pics and home decor perfection.

well another year has come and gone...

Tribal Fest 10!!
what a year, always filled with excitement and adventure!!


First off....always I dunno how they do it. But Kajira and Chuck always put on a first class event. Ohhhhh sure I'm sure there are some glitches and bumps running a festival this size. But really truly when your there, Kajira and Chuck are so warm and friendly, they always say hello to everyone, and they still mange to do it with a smile. Somehow, a dance community comes together and really truly this special place called Tribal Fest is the heart of this tribal community for one week. I think alot of people at Tribal Fest get really blissed out, its just alot of good energy, and its all tribal. This has everything to do with all the hard work and effort of Kajira and Chuck! thankyou!!!PS!! Thanks for having me teach this year!!what a blast, and what a great class!



now for the huge adventure!! Well, always there is an adventure....5 girls one solid gold mini van, US customs, Starbucks/bathroom breaks, the I-5 for 18 hours,choregraphed car dancing and always the cross country adventure that is the last 3 hours....how can you not have an adventure? ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh lets not forget the best Mexican restaurant I have ever had the pleasure of being at. Cactus lights and a singing toilet, mexican food dining made very very very excellent.Its in Reading, please let me know if you need directions...I will be more than happy to oblige, and I'm not joking.



I mean its 18hours straight driving.....only a 'pegger girl and a calgary chick, accustomed to long hauls on the prairies of the great white north, would dare to make it in one go with the Beastie Boys as their soundtrack.WERD. :::::warning::::::: only should attempt if you know the secret recipe of perfect equal amount of chocolate covered espresso beans, green tea lemondes, rockstar energy drinks, and mountain dew. be careful with that mountain dew...dangerous stuff...only balance if you have have carefully plannned your clean and safe bathroom route for the next 18 hours.ohhhhhhhhhh fuzzy peaches...and Sally pass me my Hawkins cheezies dammit.and ps...someone pass poor Megan her Gravol....shes a looking a little green from the drive.Sarah dammit which way??? pass me the damn map...wait wait Sarah throw the horns again....





yeahhhhh.....anyways.....focus.

So once in California, and you have safely passed the fruits and vegetables control stop....and have passed the mighty California welcome dragon on the I-5...we had the the lovely experience of cross country driving field trip to get to Santa Rosa. Cross Country, because the dumb ass dude that works at google maps decided to take us on every back woods route with hair raising turns and mountain cliff driving...because for some random reason that route is wayyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy better than the highway. sooooooooooo....fun and all...but we have been driving for 18 hours....and we are a little bit more than hopped up on mountain dew:::::::::::we have reached the danger zone of the prairie fire potty mouth:::::::::::::::................. Dear Jason at google maps....I know where you live....in your mothers house in the midwest.....and I know spending endless hours on google thinking up random routes for tourists is fun and all....but imma coming to egg your effing house.And no, I do not care that your mama lives there as well.



Sooooooo Santa Rosa.....and the amazing Pixie!! yeah PIXIE!!!! we had a photoshoot with Pixie, and what a day. Pixie was really awesome and such a  fire cracker...I think Ginger Blue is still recovering!! And thats saying alot! we can't wait to show everyone our set...there just getting edited!! Thanks Pixie!!!



After an exciting day.....and a wee bit o drinkin....we headed over to our home away from home in Bodega bay. Its our special tribal fest home...its nice and cool for us fair skinned canadians...especially when the thermostat goes crazy in Sebastapol. YEAHHHHH TRIBAL FEST!!!

as alwaaaaaaaays...the heart of Tribal and everything tribal.I always get so much inpspiration at Tribal Fest..and it fills your cup!! if you havn't gone...GO!!!!! what are you waiting for....GO!!!! Just go...dammit!



favorite workshop this year...Zoe's how to dance to electronic music....yaaaaaa serious lightbulb action in that workshop! yeah!! Collena...sigh...beautiful and elegant...great workshop, and I hope she can do an intensive next year nudge nudge Kajira! Favorite performance....wellllllll this year I was blown away by Les Seurs Tribales....holy moly these girls are outstanding!!! I have since taken a workshop here in Germany with them..annnnddd WOW!!!Zoe's new project really was awesome to see on the stage....always creating new inspiration. I have to say I enjoyed watching the ATS acts this year!! FatChance on Saturday and Blacksheep on Sunday...really enjoyed these performances this year, ahhhhhhh Collena....sigggghhhh again...and the lovely Rachel Brice...yeahhhhhhh Hanging with Kami, Amy,and Tjaaaaaarrrdddaaa,and her new boy, Michelle Manx , such a doll, Aubre, Cera, Nisha and Raven, Kathleen at Silk Road,And Christina at Black Lotus and meeting new friends Frank, Ela and the lovely ladies of Kamuda(dudes thai food date next year!)

annnnnndddd for serious congrats to Ginger Blue for kicking it up a notch at the fest, thanks Megs and Sally.


....seriously I could go on and on......but you should GO!!!!! really.....




well there you have it....everything else in between involves, drinks hotubbing, spending way to much money in San Fransisco...and a strange moustached watermelon drinking Jim Bean....don't know where that dude came from. All I know is I have a flask full of Jim Bean that I unknowingly smuggled into germany, and some strange, hazy pics on my camera....yeah.




(Megan stay away from Wilson, he's a bad influence)

Untill next year Tribal Fest....adieu.xo



ps- extra kudos to Lisa...aka..Maverick....you can be my wingman anytime xoxoox Iceman. 12 hours, new record home on the nighthawk driving to Canada yeahhhhhhhhhhh.