Paris, part deux

As I mentioned in my last post, next on the agenda for Emily and Tim's European vacation was a trip to Paris. Daniel was going to be there for work, and I went along to show Tim and Emily around the city. Now for those of you who have been following our blog since the beginning, you may remember that I also posted about Paris last August. I will try not to be too redundant with this post, but please forgive me if I repeat a few things here and there. However, since we bought a new camera right before the trip, I took tons of pictures while we were there, so at the very least I promise not to use any of the photos from my last Paris blog :)

On Monday, July 27th, while Daniel was flying to France, the three of us took a speedy 4 hour train ride into Paris. Once we arrived and got settled in a bit, we were off to explore the Montmarte section of town. The major attraction of the area is the Sacre Couer, a beautiful white basilica that sits at the highest point of Paris... which, of course, means it is a hike to get up there. It is worth it though to take in the church as well as the great view of the city. Plus around the corner, there is also a nice vantage point of the Eiffel Tower.

Not far from the Sacre Couer is a cute little square where a bunch of painters congregate and display a myriad of different types of art. Several blocks to the south is the infamous Moulin Rouge. After exploring Montmarte, we met up with Daniel... and then we got together with a friend of Daniel and Emily's from North Carolina, Casey, who now lives in Paris and recently married a French citizen, a very nice guy named Antoine. We met up with both of them, and they took us to a great sushi place near their apartment. Then we enjoyed dessert and wine at their place afterwards... everything was delicious and it was such a pleasant evening.

Since Emily and Tim were staying in a different hotel, on Tuesday I planned to meet up with them to show them more of the city. On my way to meet them, I stopped by a bakery for a fresh crossiant and then saw this pretty church aglow in the morning light. Soon the three of us were off to check out the Arc de Triumph. Walking down the Champs Elysees, we strolled past elegant cafes and saw the Arc peeking out from behind the trees lining the avenue. Once there, we walked around the base of the Arc, where France's Tomb of the Unknown Soldier is located... you can also go to the top of the Arc, but Tim and Emily decided to go up to the top that evening to enjoy the view during sunset.

Next we headed towards the most famous of Parisian landmarks... the Eiffel Tower, of course! Along the way, we past some tasty looking pastry shops... yum. In a short while, we were enjoying the view from the Trocadero. Personally, I just can't enough of Paris' "Iron Lady" :)

After thoroughly admiring the Eiffel Tower, we continued on to Les Invalides, where Napoleon's tomb is located. While we didn't feel like paying the fee to see the emperor's final resting place, we still enjoyed seeing the historic building, especially its striking golden dome. Just outside there is a rather picturesque view of the Eiffel Tower too.

The next sight on our list was the Notre Dame. After grabbing some food, we headed in to see the interior of the church. Though it is rather dark in there, it is quite lovely too. After our tour inside, we head around to the back of the cathedral, and then we were off to get a bit more to eat... some Berthillon ice cream to be exact, which is widely considered the best in Paris. Nearby there was a shop overflowing with cheese... but we were already too full to partake :)

To wrap up our whirlwind day, we enjoyed some afternoon sun along the Seine River. As you can see, it was a lovely little stroll.

With barking feet from all the walking, Emily and Tim decided to head back to their hotel to rest up... and that evening they enjoyed a romantic evening, just the two of them. Since Daniel was going to be working late that night, I wandered around enjoying the city by myself for a while. As I got closer to our hotel, I found myself in the Garden of the Tuileries. One section of the garden is a fun little carnival, and just beyond the garden is the Place de la Concorde, home to a giant Egyptian obelisk and some stunning green and gold fountains. With our hotel less than a block away, I headed back to rest a bit and then got a quick bite to eat before Daniel finally was done for the night.

Wednesday was the day we set aside to check out Versailles, the gorgeous palace that served as the home to the nation's kings before the French Revolution. It is about a 30 minute train ride from Paris, and though we got there shortly after it opened, there was quite a long line. When Daniel and I visited Versailles back in 2002, there was hardly anyone touring the palace... not this time! Before going inside, we admired the front of the palace, gilded and ornate.

Shortly after making our way into the palace, I realized that my camera battery was dying... one of the perils of a new camera with a rechargeable battery! Thankfully, Emily and Tim's camera was fully charged, so I'd like to thank them for sharing their pictures with me, some of which you will see below. Now back to the tour... our first stop was the palace chapel, which is incredibly beautiful. As we continued through Versailles, we saw numerous stately hallways and luxurious bedrooms as well as glimpses of the gardens outside. Toward the end of the tour is probably one of the most opulent rooms in existence... the Hall of Mirrors.

Once outside, you see that the extravagance wasn't just contained to the palace. The vast, green gardens of Versailles seem to extend all the way to the horizon. Too bad it was overcast the day we were there... when it's sunny, the gardens seem almost heavenly. We took a stroll through the gardens and enjoyed a sandwich sitting along the canal, but soon it was time to head back to Paris.

When we got back to the city, we visited another famous attraction... the Louvre Museum. Though I had been twice before, I am always happy to go back as it seems that you could literally wander through the huge museum for days on end. The highlights of our visit included statues of all shapes and sizes and the Code of Hammurabi, the famed law tablet from ancient Babylon. Also, since I'm a fan of Dan Brown books, I just had to get a picture with the inverted pyramid that is featured in The Da Vinci Code... you'll have to read the book to find out why it's so special :)

Before long, we were all pretty tired... and not surprisingly with all the sightseeing we had done in the last couple of days! Emily and Tim decided to call it a night since they had to catch the train to Salzburg early the next morning. Thankfully, Daniel was done with work early that evening so we were able to go to dinner together. Afterwards, we followed Tim and Emily's example and headed to the Arc de Triumph. After climbing up an insanely long spiral staircase, we made it to the top. Although it was too cloudy to enjoy the sunset, it was neat to watch night fall over Paris. Then, at the stroke of 10 o'clock, the Eiffel Tower lit up with thousands of glittering lights... it always takes my breath way for a second when I see it sparkling like that. It was a wonderful way to end the evening.

Since Emily and Tim were on their way to Austria for a couple of days, I was on my own on Thursday... so I decided to check out a part of the city I'd never seen before, the Latin Quarter. Before I headed south of the Seine though, I visited the Petit Palais, which was originally built for the 1900 World Fair and now is home to a free museum. It had some beautiful art on display, including a very life-like portrayal of the Good Samaritan. It tickled me pink to see a sweet old man creating a spot-on copy of one of Monet's paintings... and even the staircases looked like works of art.

Following a short trip on the Metro, I found myself in the Latin Quarter... and within minutes, I was trying a Parisian specialty, a crepe with Nutella and bananas. Man, was it good! Feeling quite satiated, I headed into the St. Germain des Pres Church. It is one of the oldest churches in Paris and a rare example of Norman architecture. With its flickering candlelight and shadows, I thought it was very peaceful.

Not far away was another church, St. Sulpice, which sharply contrasts to St. Germain des Pres with its white stone and wide open feeling. It is also featured in The Da Vinci Code as the meridian line crosses Paris here at its sundial. My next stop was not another church but the beautiful Luxembourg Gardens, a verdant, colorful retreat in the midst of southern Paris. When I saw how pretty it was, I couldn't believe I had never made it down there before. Just because I could, I sat and read a book for an hour while soaking up the sun... it was delightful.

A couple of blocks away from the gardens is the Pantheon. Originally built as a church, after the French Revolution it became a burial place to honor the French "Greats," including Voltaire, Rousseau, and Victor Hugo. I figured there was no way it could trump the amazing Pantheon in Rome, so I just admired its exterior and then headed on my way.

Surprise, surprise... next I decided to check out another church around the corner, St. Etienne du Mont. Its most striking feature was definitely the intricately carved stone screen around the choir balcony. For the rest of the day, I just wandered aimlessly, snapping pictures and being enchanted by the city with every step. I passed quiet side streets, cute cafes, brimming wine shops, flower covered balconies, and gushing fountains... it all felted so quintessentially Parisian. It was a great way to end the trip.

Friday morning I was back on a train to Frankfurt, and Daniel was not too far behind me... he arrived home just a couple hours after I did. It had been my third trip to Paris and it has must have worked like a charm because I have decided that it is my absolute favorite city in the world to visit. So if anyone is interested in a Paris tour guide, just let me know :)

Well, it seems that I have finally caught up with all the blogging! The summer is also quickly winding down, and all of our traveling is slowing down as well. Daniel is busy with work as always, and I start my coaching duties in just a few days, which is exciting! Since the next few months are going to be non-stop soccer for me, I'm thinking there won't be much to post about, but I will definitely try to come up with something :) Until then, enjoy the rest of your summer!

A day on the Rhine River

During the last week of July, we had the pleasure of having Daniel's sister, Emily, and her husband, Tim, here for a visit. Shortly after they arrived on Saturday, July 25th, we were on our way to check out the town of Rudesheim, located on the Rhine River about an hour away from Frankfurt. Once we there, we headed straight to the ferry pier... there are several castles and ruins along the banks of the Rhine, and we thought a great way to see them would be a boat ride up the river. Soon the ferry pulled away from the pier, and Rudesheim started to fade into the distance. Across the river is the town of Bingen, while just up the river from Rudesheim is the Niederwald Monument surrounded by lush vineyards, as the area is renown for its wine. We were hoping to check out the view from around the monument but didn't make it up there... hopefully next time.

A bit down the river is the Mauseterm, which was once used as a toll station. On the opposite river bank are the Ehrenfels ruins, which we got a good look at as we rounded the river bend.

Another cute town on the river is Assmannshausen, and not far away is the Castle Rheinstein. As we approached the pier near Castle Rheinstein, we could see another castle, Castle Reichenstein further down the river... we didn't get a chance to check it out, but we did take a tour of Castle Rheinstein.

As you can see, Castle Rheinstein has that "classic castle look" with its turreted towers. It also has a great panoramic view of the Rhine, and the four of us definitely enjoyed taking it all in.

As we continued to tour the castle, we investigated the interior for a little while... check out all those antlers! Once we were back outside, we found a shaded little courtyard and stairs leading to one of the towers, so we decided to go up. It provided a cool vantage point to check out the castle terrace below and a neat photo opp too.

After we finished exploring the castle, we decided to follow a trail behind it to see where it led... and it provided another great vantage point of the castle! In order to catch the boat back to Rudesheim, we then had return to the pier, but we all really enjoyed our time at Castle Rheinstein.

Before long, we were back in Rudesheim, ready to check it out. We headed toward a street called the Drosselgasse, which was really quite crowded. This was not that surprising because it's well-known for its wine bars, but it also has lots of tourist shops too. After stopping in some shops and making our way through the Drosselgasse, we continued to wander, enjoying the quieter side streets and the rest of the quaint little town. Soon it was early evening and time to head back to Frankfurt.

Overall, I think all four of us enjoyed our day trip to Rudesheim and the Rhine River, which really just served as an introduction to Europe for Emily and Tim. Not two days later, we were all on our way to Paris... Daniel was going to be there for work, and I tagged along as well to show Tim and Emily around the "City of Lights." Of course, Paris was fabulous... but you will have to check back soon for my post on that trip. And as always, thanks for reading!

Celebrating Six Years of Marriage in Spain!

We've been traveling so much this summer that I haven't been able to keep up with blogging... in fact, I am currently three trips behind! However, since the traveling has now slowed down, I can catch up on all those posts, and I thought it was time I finally wrote about our 6th anniversary trip to Spain back in mid-July.

During our backpacking trip in 2002, Daniel and I made it to Barcelona, Spain, which was great, but we had to cut out Madrid because there just wasn't enough time. Since then I have been wanting to go to Madrid, so I was thrilled that we would have a chance to go over our anniversary. In order to make a nice long weekend of it, we flew down there on Friday, July 10th. We arrived in the early evening, but we didn't get in much sightseeing that day... we were quite hungry, so finding food was at the top of our agenda. On the way, we passed the prominent Bank of Spain... and then we soon found a tasty tapas place called "El Tigre." We chowed down there and then went back to the hotel to get ready for a night on the town. Some work friends of Daniel's took us to a club downtown... while we didn't have our camera with us, trust us when we say that Spaniards know how to party!

On Saturday, we were itching to check out the city. We first walked through the Plaza de Espana, which has a nice little market and a huge monument. Then we reached the Temple of Debod, which is an authentic ancient temple that was transferred stone by stone as a gift from Egypt to Spain. It was pretty cool, and it definitely whetted our interest in going to Egypt... hopefully we will make it there some time in the next year.

Not far from the temple is the Royal Palace, which is the official residence of King Juan Carlos I. With that being said, I don't think he actually lives there but just uses it for official functions. Pretty nice pad though, don't ya think?! The Gardens of Sabatini next to it are lovely too.

On the other side of the palace is the Cathedral of Nuestra Senora de la Almudena. This church was unique because it had a brightly painted ceiling and dome. After visiting the cathedral, our wanderings took us to the Plaza Mayor. It is a neat square, but we didn't stay long because we were off to finally find some lunch.

We ended up eating lunch at this really interesting place called the Museo de Jamon (translated as the "Museum of Ham"). After filling up, we were back on the road to do more sightseeing. We enjoyed walking some quiet side streets and then decided to go tour the stadium where the soccer team, Real Madrid, plays.

When we got to the stadium, we found out that they were replacing the field... that was a definite bummer because I am sure they normally have a gorgeous pitch! After years of playing soccer, we both appreciate green, lush grass to play on. While the field may not have been that impressive when we were there, the team's abundance of trophies surely was! I guess that is why they claim to be the best team in history. I'm not saying that I agree though....

Soon it was time for our anniversary dinner... we ate at a restaurant called "Sobrino de Botin." It was established in 1725 and has been named by the Guinness Book of World Records as the oldest restaurant in the world. When you first walk in, there is a chef preparing their specialty, roast suckling pig. For dinner, we headed downstairs... we sat in the wine cellar section, which I think is the most charming and romantic and is also the oldest part of the restaurant. It was a great meal and a wonderful way to celebrate our 6th anniversary!

After dinner, we walked back through the Plaza Mayor, which was taking on a nice glow as evening set in. There we watched a flamenco dancer for a little while... she was very passionate, and it was fun to take in one of Spain's defining cultural aspects.

As night began to fall, we continued to stroll through the city. We caught a hint of the sun setting behind the Royal Palace. By the time it was dark, we had made it back to the Temple of Debod... I love this shot that Daniel took there, with the temple perfectly mirrored in the reflecting pool. We snapped a photo by the fountain behind the temple too. It all made for a very pleasant evening.

Sunday, July 12th was actually our anniversary... we celebrated early because on Sunday we were meeting up with friends for an excursion we were all doing together on Monday... but more on that later. While we were waiting for our friends, Matt and Heather O., to fly in from Frankfurt, we went to check out the "El Rastro" market on Sunday morning. They had tons of different wares for sale, so we got a few gifts and souvenirs. Soon Matt and Heather had arrived, so we met up with them and made our way to the famous Prado museum. It's too bad we couldn't take pictures inside the museum because their collection contains some beautiful and bizarre paintings.

That evening we decided to immerse ourselves in an event that is considered an integral, if not controversial, part of the Spanish culture... we attended a bull fight. Madrid's "Plaza de Toros" is one of the largest bull fighting rings in the world and is also considered to be one of the most prestigious. As we were walking to our seats, we saw the matadors entering the arena... you could tell they are treated with very high regard. Once we got to our seats, we were pretty shocked... for the price of only 5 euros each, we thought we would be in the nose-bleed section, and we were kinda hoping we would be so we wouldn't be too close to the action. Well, we were much closer than expected... try three rows from the front! Oh well... so much for watching the fight from afar. At least we were in the shade.

Now I won't get too into what happens during the bull fight as it is, not surprisingly, pretty gory, but I will explain a little. From the start, you can tell bullfighting is steeped in tradition... in full costume, all involved parade into the ring and then it soon begins. Over the course of the event, three primary matadors fight six different bulls. They are assisted by other matadors, who help tire out and weaken the bull. Then, the primary matador steps in and does a series of cape work with the bull... sometimes even completing passes on their knees! Eventually the matador goes in for the kill by piercing the bull with a sword between its shoulder blades... like I said, it is quite barbaric. If the crowd believes the matador has done an excellent job during the bull fight, they will wave white handkerchiefs. We actually saw this twice that evening.

Once we got back home, I actually did a little more research and found out that it is likely that bull fighting first started during the Roman Empire as an alternative to the gladiator battles. It is believed that the Moors cemented the tradition further while they were in control of Spain, though they mainly conducted bull fights on horseback. Since about 1726, the bull fight has followed its current form, with the matadors fighting the bulls on foot with capes called muletas. While a bull fight means certain death for the bull, the matador is also in grave danger... one wrong move and he can be fatally gored or seriously injured. We actually saw one matador get flipped by a bull, but he walked away uninjured. Needless to say, that was not true for the bull. In the end, we were glad that we attended the bull fight in order to understand more about this contentious aspect of the Spanish culture.

After attending the bull fight, our night was in fact just beginning. Shortly after midnight, the four of us met up with Daniel's other friends from work... and we all boarded a bus bound for Pamplona! And what is Pamplona famous for? The Running of the Bulls of course! Every year, July 6-14th, the city of Pamplona holds the San Fermin festival, and the main highlight is the Running of the Bulls, which is actually run every morning at 8am over the course of the week.

Since we were going to be in Spain anyways, we took the opportunity to head up to Pamplona to attend the festival on July 13th. After a five-hour bus in the middle of the night, we arrived in Pamplona. It was clear that all the partying from the night before never quite stopped as the whole town got pumped up for the next Running. The crowds start picking spots along the route very early, so shortly after arriving the girls and the guys split up... the girls off to find a viewing spot and the guys to the start line. Yes... the guys ran with the bulls! Believe me, I tried multiple times to persuade Daniel not to run, but to no avail. But I have to be honest... I was planning to run until someone died during the Running on Friday, July 10th, the day we left for Spain. It was the first time anyone had died in 15 years! My mind changed in a split second... but Daniel's mind was made up. So as we went to find a spot, I was just praying that Daniel as well as the other three guys would finish the Running safely!

The three of us (me and my friends, Heather O. and Tanya) soon found a spot near the finish... the Running ends as the bulls and runners enter the bull ring. About a half-mile away is the start. As the crowd thickened, we waited anxiously for 8am.

Before long, the rocket went off, signifying the start of the Running. Within a minute, there were some people jogging by us, obviously ahead of the bulls. Within what seemed like seconds, there was a surge of people sprinting by us, and we knew the bulls were close! With all the runners, we only got a quick glimpse of the herd of bulls as they thundered by us... they were too fast to capture on camera! As the last of the bulls and runners entered the bull ring, Tanya exclaimed, "Isn't that Daniel?!" and sure enough, it was! He and our new friend, Blake, were about to enter the bull ring when the doors were closed. I was just so glad to see that Daniel was safe and sound! With the disposable camera he took with him, Daniel snapped a pic of us girls... we were smiling with relief, thankful that the race was over. And I was even happier to get my hands back on my hubby sans any scrapes, bruises, or punctures from bull horns!

Before I share about the rest of our day in Pamplona, I thought I would include some photos that Daniel took before and during the Running... the guys near the start, runners waiting for the bulls to approach, and the doors to the bull ring about to close. Daniel said it was a crazy, scary experience... but of course, he is glad that he did it! About 200 meters from the start, the bulls passed him... he had to jump onto some fencing to get out of their way, and they were still just a couple feet away from him! When I heard that, I was very glad that I decided to skip the Running and stay safely beyond the fencing!

So after the Running, we needed to find the other two guys, Matt and Dave. Daniel and Blake said they got split up from them before the Running began but believed they were ahead of them, so we all guessed that they made it inside the bull ring, so we headed in as well. It is quite a spectacle in there also... after the bulls that did the Running are put in a pen, young bull calves with covered horns are let loose into the ring. All the people who completed the Running and made it into the bull ring run around tempting (or avoiding) the bull calves. Since it's not quite as dangerous as the Running, it is pretty amusing to watch actually. Looking above all the chaos, I had a moment of peace when seeing the moon high above the ring. Soon it was time to meet up at the designated spot, so we headed that way.

Not far from our meeting spot was the statue that commemorates the Running of the Bulls. I call the first photo "Running of the Bulls, parte dos." As for the girls, we decided to stage a different type of event... the Riding of the Bulls :) And here is a shot of the whole group too.

Once we had the whole group back together, we decided to walk the Running of the Bulls route from end to start. Every section of the Running has its own name... the final curve before the bull ring, the section where we were watching, is called Telefonica. Leading into it is the longest straight-away called Estafeta. At the beginning of Estafeta is a 90-degree turn that is called "Dead man's corner" and rightfully so... the tight turn often causes bulls to slip and crush runners into the fencing along the corner. I am so glad that the guys all made it safely through that section! The next section, Mercaderes, is beyond the town hall, and the section that passes the town hall is called Ayuntamiento.

And finally, the first section of the Running is called Santo Domingo. Along most of this section there are very few places to hide or avoid the bulls, plus the bulls are at full strength at this point too, so needless to say it is a pretty dangerous section. While this is where the bulls passed Daniel, thankfully there was a fence for him to jump onto in order to avoid them... I am very grateful for that fence!

For the rest of the day, we all meandered around Pamplona soaking up the atmosphere. When it's the San Fermin Festival, everyone is just in party mode all day long. There are tons of people milling around town, drinks in hand and decked out in white and red. Of course there is music too... at one point we saw a random marching band come through. They also have some stuff for the kiddos, like the Parade of the Giants. As we were wandering around, we also saw a pretty cool mural depicting the Running, and we checked out the wall on the outskirts of the city.

By late afternoon, we headed towards the bus station to catch the bus back to Madrid, which was fine by us because we were all exhausted by then. I think everyone in the group would agree that it was an insane but fun day in Pamplona and an experience that we will never forget! We got back to Madrid late that night, and early the next morning, Daniel and I were on a plane back to Frankfurt. It was a wonderful, whirlwind of a weekend, and all in all, we had a great, memorable 6th anniversary!

Well, like I said before, I am a bit behind on the blogging, which means I still have to post about our time on the Rhine River as well as our stay in Paris... check back soon for those. Until then, take care!

Reflections after one year abroad

Last Friday, July 31st marked the one year anniversary of when I arrived in Germany. I can't believe how quickly it went... as they say, time flies when you are having fun :) While reflecting on this past year, I started to think about all the things that I miss about the US... but I also realized there are many things that I enjoy about living in Germany too. So I just thought I would share my reflections with you...

What I miss about the States

• Our family and friends!!!
• English as the native language… well, at least it is for most people in the US.
• Playing soccer… we hoped to find a team here, but it never panned out unfortunately.
• Teaching… with the limited number of English-speaking schools, it looks like I won’t have my own classroom again until we come back.
• Target… actually, I miss shopping in general. Everything is so expensive here that I rarely go shopping… I’m definitely missing out on some retail therapy J
• DVR and HD television
• Not having to constantly figure out the currency conversion
• Going to baseball games
• PF Changs, Jamba Juice, Chipotle, Slurpees, Panda Express… I’ll stop there as the list of all of the different places I miss could go on and on….
• Being near the ocean in San Diego
• Not having to rely on email and Facebook as the primary means of communication
• People who wear deodorant
• Just being in the good old US of A!

What I like about living in Germany

• Getting to spend more time with Daniel… finally!
• Being able to travel all over Europe and beyond
• All the friends we’ve made here
• Living in a different culture and gaining a more global outlook
• The Autobahn… driving as fast as you want can be really fun J
• Not having a cell phone… seriously, I really like not having one. As for Daniel, he’s quite addicted to his CrackBerry.
• Gelato stands everywhere
• Developing an appreciation for good wine and beer
• The many interesting running routes here in Frankfurt… which definitely helped me achieve my life goal of running a marathon.
• The chance to coach soccer in Europe… see below for more details!

So while we definitely miss living in the US, we are also trying to make the most of our time here in Germany. So far, so good I think! As for the coaching, I do have some exciting news... I am serving as the Junior Varsity Girls soccer coach at the Frankfurt International School this coming fall! It's a great school nearby... I substituted there frequently this past school year. Although I have done very little coaching before, I think this is going to be an awesome experience for me, especially since I will also be assisting with the Varsity team. Plus, we will be traveling with the teams around Europe in order to play different international schools, including Munich, Brussels, Paris, and Zurich.

Oh, but the fun doesn't stop there... in addition to coaching at FIS, I will also be serving as the assistant coach to the U-15 Girls ODP Europe team! ODP stands for Olympic Development Program, which is a program that provides high-level training for youth soccer players around the nation. In fact, I played on the South Texas State ODP team back in middle and high school. The ODP Europe program works with American youth living abroad, so largely military kids. Needless to say, coaching for the program is a fantastic opportunity as well.

I am thrilled to have the chance to coach both soccer teams... especially since it will probably open up more doors when we come back to the States, and I am very likely to continue to pursue coaching in the future. With both teams on the agenda, it is definitely going to be a soccer-filled fall, but I am very excited!

I think that is all for right now.... but come back soon because I have plenty more trips to blog about, and I hope to have those posts up shortly! Until then...

Pinch me, I must be dreaming...

That has been a very common sentiment for us lately. Daniel and I just can't believe all of the amazing opportunities we have had since we've been here! We are incredibly blessed, and we thank God for every single blessing. Once again we felt like we were dreaming when we had another great travel opportunity arise for the 4th of July... since it was going to be a long holiday weekend, we took a mini-cruise in Scandinavia, specifically between Stockholm, Sweden and Helsinki, Finland. My dad's side of the family comes from 100% Swedish heritage, so I figured if we couldn't be back in the great US of A for Independence Day, then the next best thing was to "explore my roots" up north!

We left for Stockholm bright and early on Friday, July 3rd. After the flight, the shuttle into town, and grabbing some lunch, it was already time to head to the cruise ship... thankfully we knew we'd have more time to check out Stockholm once we got back from Finland. The cruise ship was much bigger than I expected it to be... it was nearly as large as the Carnival cruise ship we were on for our 3rd anniversary trip in the Caribbean. And although I am quite happy to be a civilian now and to be done with my time in the Navy, I was actually kinda glad to be back on a ship... I guess there is something familiar about it, plus I love being on the water. That's is one thing Daniel and I have missed in Frankfurt... being near the water, like we were in San Diego. But I digress....

As the ship pulled out, we decided to check out the view, which we knew would be great as Stockholm is located deep within a huge archipelago made up of thousands of islands. Passing all of the islands on our way out to the Baltic Sea made for a very scenic ride. Seeing the Swedish flag flying high above the ship was pretty neat too!

Pretty soon it was time for dinner... while it was the typical cruise buffet, it was also a "Scandinavian smorgasbord" consisting of different types of fish and other seafood as well as salads, cheeses, and of course desserts... but the highlight for me were the meatballs. Swedish meatballs rule! Shortly after dinner, we succumbed to our food comas and fell asleep... at least that way we were well rested for a fun time in Finland the next day!

By 10 am the next morning we had arrived in Helsinki. We even had a pretty nice view of the city as we docked alongside the pier. As we headed into town, we first passed through the Market Square, where, not surprisingly, there was a bustling market. Vendors were selling quite the variety of goods, including fresh flowers, fruits and vegetables (the strawberries were so good!), wood carvings, and even reindeer skins and fox scarves! I guess that's Finland for ya :)

Not far from the market is the Uspenski Cathedral. The church is the largest Orthodox cathedral in western Europe and also one of the clearest signs of Russian influence on Finnish history. As we got closer, we could really appreciate the contrast between the red brick facade and the green and golden domes. Since it's set up on a hill, just outside the church we could also see back toward Market Square... and inside the view got even better. It was much smaller than I expected but very ornate and beautiful. I have to be honest too and say that it was nice to see a different style of church design... after visiting tons of classic European churches in the last year, they all tend to blend together, so this church definitely made an impression.

After taking in the Uspenski Cathedral, we headed toward the city's main square, Senate Square, which is dominated by another church, the Helsinki Cathedral. While it is considered one of the capital's most famous landmarks, standing tall like a beacon atop its hill, its interior was actually pretty plain, not even really picture worthy! The square is also home to the Government Palace, and a couple blocks away is the Esplanade, a cute little park which we also strolled through as we continued to explore Helsinki.

One of Helsinki's most unique sights is undoubtedly the Temppeliaukio, which means the Church of the Rock. The interior was excavated and built into the rock, is topped off by a giant copper dome, and is supposed to have excellent acoustics. I think it is one of the most interesting churches I have ever visited.

Since we had seen quite a number of churches, we thought it was time to check out another type of attraction, so we took a 15 minute ferry ride to a group of islands that make up the Suomenlinna sea fortress, a military stronghold established in 1748. Over the years, the fortress was used by the Swedish, Russian and Finnish armies so there are many fortifications scattered around the islands... today it is largely used as a public park, and it is very quaint and peaceful. It is apparently very popular with the citizens of Helsinki because there were tons of people enjoying picnics and the afternoon sun.

Some people were even enjoying a dip in the water at a small beach, but we decided to forgo the swimming and investigate some old bunkers and cannons near the shoreline instead... there was a view back towards Helsinki from that vantage point too.

Nearby there was a cute little cafe, where we had a late lunch while enjoying the view overlooking the water. On our way back to the ferry, we stopped by a Lutheran church that also has an operating lighthouse in its steeple... there are supposedly only three such churches/lighthouses in the world. By this time, we had to catch the boat back to Helsinki to make it to the cruise ship on time. Overall, I would say that our time in Finland was an enjoyable if unexpected way to spend our 4th of July!

The next morning we were back in Stockholm, and we were excited to see more of the Swedish capital. A friend of ours from Frankfurt, Jered, happened to be in Stockholm for the weekend too, so we met up with him and then we were on our way. Our first stop was the City Hall, which is famous for being home to the annual Nobel Prize banquet. Every year on December 10th, the banquet is held in the grand Blue Hall, which was designed to look like an Italian piazza. The architect originally planned to paint the walls blue but changed his mind when he saw how striking the red brick looked. However the name was already so established during building that it stuck. The staircase leading to the upper level is called Elsa's staircase after the architect's wife... he made models of the stairs and had his wife walk down them in high heels to determine which design was best. Once you reach the upper level, at the far end is the entrance for the guests of honor, which include the Swedish royal family and the Nobel Prize laureates.

As we continued on with the tour of City Hall, we next saw the Council Chamber, with its remarkable ceiling designed to look like a Viking ship. We also walked through the Entrance of Honor, which has a carved stone ceiling... then onto the Prince Gallery, which has frescoes painted by Prince Eugen as well as great views looking out toward the city. The last room we visited was the Golden Room... its walls are covered with mosaics made of over 18 million glass and gold plated tiles! It was literally dazzling.

Once outside we took a moment to admire the tower... the three crowns on top serve as the symbol of Stockholm. Even the exterior architecture of City Hall showcases its Italian inspiration. Right around the corner there is also a good view towards Gamla Stan, the city's Old Town.

Since Gamla Stan looked so inviting, we headed that way next. We wandered past historic buildings as we entered Old Town and soon found ourselves in front of the Royal Palace. By then our stomachs were informing us it was time to eat... thankfully Jered knew of this cool cellar cafe nearby. Once again I had swedish meatballs, and once again they were awesome!

After lunch, we headed back toward the palace to catch the Changing of the Guard ceremony. As I teetered on top of a column pedestal, I did my best to take some pictures of the ceremony... it was pretty impressive. One thing that really stood out was that there was a rather large number of women in the guard, which surprised me. After the ceremony, the band played a concert... and the first song they played was Mamma Mia! I guess anything by ABBA is considered a very close second to the Swedish national anthem :)

We spent a good portion of the afternoon meandering around the charming, quiet streets of the Old Town, and while doing so we stumbled upon Gamla Stan's oldest square, Stortorget, around which the city of Stockholm was built. In another section of Old Town is a statue portraying the legend of St. George slaying the dragon... St. George is supposed to symbolize Sweden while the dragon is Denmark. I have a feeling that the Danes say it's quite the opposite! The rest of our time was spent souvenir shopping... I think I checked about every single store to find the best Dala horse, which are hand carved, painted horses that serve as a symbol of Sweden. I have always wanted one, and now I am a proud owner of my very own Swedish Dala Horse!

Once we left Old Town, we strolled through more of Stockholm... since the city is located on 15 different islands, we pretty much enjoyed the view along the water's edge most of the time. Water infuses the entire city, so it is very picturesque as well as a boater's paradise.

During our wanderings, we made it to the island called Djurgarden, which is known for its parks and museums. At the entrance to one of the parks, there is a bright blue gate with gold accents... it is definitely gaudy but I guess it's their way of proudly displaying the Swedish colors! We soaked up some sun in a park while once again enjoying the view along the water. We also walked by the Nordic Museum and several other museums, but by this time we tuckered out so we decided to head back to the hotel. On the way back, we passed through Sergels Torg, Stockholm's modern central square.

After resting up a bit, we went to a late dinner at a tasty Asian place. When we wrapped up our night around 11 pm, it was just starting to get dark... and when we had to catch the bus to the airport at 5 am the next morning, it was already completely light outside! Those crazy daylight hours during the summer in Scandinavia would definitely be hard to get used to! But Sweden was wonderful, and there was definitely plenty more to see and do in Stockholm than we were able to fit in during our one day there... that just means we will have to go back :)

As always, thanks for reading the blog... it's great to be able to share all of our adventures with you! To continue our July traveling streak, we had another great trip to Spain for our 6th anniversary so I will be posting about that soon. Until then, God bless!

A jaunt down to Geneva

Whenever Daniel suggests I join him on a business trip, I jump at the chance. Not only do I get to spend more time with my husband, I also get to check out another city... it is definitely a win-win situation. So needless to say when Daniel said I should come down to Geneva while he was there for work, I gladly accepted. Although he flew down on June 20th, I decided to take a different mode of transportation... the train. Daniel and I used the train extensively during our backpacking trip in 2002, but I hadn't been on a long distance train ride since we moved here so I thought it was time to give it a shot. Plus I really love going to the train station here in Frankfurt... I guess it's the way the sunlight shines in through the glass and steel. Basically, I really like its design.

Even though it took almost 6 hours, the train ride down was quite leisurely and relaxing... it always helps when you have a good book to read too! Coasting through some beautiful countryside and riding along the edge of Lake Geneva was very nice as well. In not too long I arrived in Geneva and headed to the hotel to meet up with Daniel. That evening we decided to explore the old town section where they were having an annual music festival... we saw a number of different bands doting the squares, including a jazz band, a marching band (although they were stationary for this performance), a rowdy horns-only band, and even a band dressed up like Native Americans... we later found out that they are actually from Ecuador! Unfortunately, I didn't bring my camera with me since it was already dark by the time we left, so sorry no pictures... but believe me, it was pretty neat.

On Sunday morning, Daniel had to work so I spent the time at the hotel getting acquainted with the Geneva map and my guide book and just being lazy in general... sometimes I have to remind myself to do that when traveling! Thankfully, Daniel had the afternoon off and a friend of his from work graciously offered to take us hiking. We drove for almost an hour up into the nearby Jura mountains... as soon we got out of the car, I knew it was going to be incredibly scenic. Just around the bend, we saw some cows grazing... I wonder if they are used to make Swiss cheese? Sorry, I know that was corny... or should I say cheesy?! :) Okay, seriously, I am done now. We also saw evidence for some pretty awesome faulting and folding in the rocks too... there goes the geology nerd in me again....

While it may have been officially the first day of summer, it was definitely not warm up there. However, the higher we climbed, the better the views got... and the clouds became more and more striking. Yet, I am a little biased because I love meteorology... what do you expect, I am an Earth Science teacher! At one point we saw this stone wall that made its way up the whole ridge... it reminded me a lot of Ireland, where stone walls canvas the rolling hills.

Soon we got a glimpse of Lake Geneva, and once we reached the top, we had a panoramic view of the whole area... it was quite stunning. After taking it all in, we headed back down and then had some dinner... overall it added up to a very nice Sunday afternoon.

Monday brought me more time to check out Geneva. My first order of business was to walk around the lake a bit. Not surprisingly, there were a ton of sailboats on the lake. Walking a little further down, I soon found myself on the Paquis jetty, which extends out into the lake. The jetty is home to an interesting little lighthouse, manmade beaches, and a nice view back towards downtown Geneva. It was a pretty pleasant day... except for the insane wind, as shown by my hair!

Next I decided to head towards downtown. On the way, I saw the Brunswick Monument, which is the tomb of Charles II, Duke of Brunswick. He gave his fortune to the city of Geneva, so they honored him with this ornate mausoleum. Then I crossed over the Mont Blanc bridge... normally this is a great vantage point for the famous Geneva fountain, but since it was so windy it wasn't running unfortunately. Across the bridge lies the English Gardens, which holds another symbol of the city... a large floral clock honoring Geneva's watch industry. The clock's seconds hand happens to be the longest in the world at 2.5 meters long. In addition to the clock, there is also a very pretty fountain in the garden.

Just up the hill from the English Garden is Geneva's Old Town. It is very picturesque, especially the little square called Place du Bourg-de-Four, which has that classic European look. This is also where a bunch of the bands were playing during the music festival on Saturday. Around the corner is St. Peter's Cathedral. This is the church were Jean Calvin preached from 1536-1564. In fact, Geneva is largely considered the "Protestant Rome." Therefore, I guess it makes sense that they have a wall honoring Protestant Reformers not far from the cathedral. The only one I even recognized was Calvin.

Just outside of Bastions Park, where the Reformers Wall is located, stands the Grand Theatre and a statue of General Henri Dufour, a national hero. I wandered around Old Town for a little while longer, and when it was time for some lunch, I picked up some food at a local grocery store since restaurants in Geneva are so expensive. Instead, I just sat by the Rhone River and enjoyed the view. Then, to fill up the rest of the afternoon, I did some shopping, which was fun because I don't do much of it over here. The day was capped off with a dinner out with Daniel that evening.

Tuesday was my last day in Geneva, but before I had to catch the train later in the afternoon, I wanted to tour Europe's headquarters for the United Nations. This office in Geneva is called the Palais des Nations, and it was originally built for the League of Nations. Then, in 1945 it became home to the United Nations with the ratification of the UN charter. When I went to visit the Palais des Nations, needless to say I had to make my way through security, and then I soon joined a guided tour group. Our first stop on the tour was one of 34 different conference rooms on the premise. There was even a meeting occurring while we looked on, which was kinda neat. Our tour guide also explained how all of the different organizations worked together in the UN, but I don't want to bore you all, so I won't go into that here :)

Next, we visited the new Human Rights Council room, with its sculptural ceiling created to represent multiplicity and unity. As we crossed into another wing of the building, there was a nice view looking out toward the mountains and Lake Geneva... the decorative sphere seen below the flag was actually donated by President Woodrow Wilson when the League of Nations was headquartered there. As we continued on, we got a glimpse of the building's stately exterior... with its clean lines, I think it's quite striking. Like the one in New York, this UN building also has a General Assembly... it was pretty impressive too. The last stop on our tour was the Council Chamber, which was built for the League of Nations, so it definitely has that 1930's aura to it. Its walls are covered in murals that represent conflict, progress, and the ultimate goal, peace.

Overall, it was a pretty interesting tour. By the time it was done, it was time for me to go and catch the train back to Frankfurt. Daniel actually left for Bern the next day as well. It was quick but enjoyable trip down to Geneva... too bad I never got to see the fountain! Oh well, maybe some other time :) Well, our trip to Geneva is from the last of our summer travels... check back soon for posts about spending 4th of July in Scandinavia and our anniversary in Spain!

Great shopping in Poland... who knew?!

Just a few days after the start of my summer break, it was time for the first trip. Earlier in the spring, some of my friends here in Frankfurt had been to Poland to go pottery shopping... when I said that I would love to go some time, a couple of us choose June 16-17 to make another trip. So while Daniel was in Milan for the week for work, on Tuesday morning my friends, Stephanie, Lisa, Tanya, and I all piled into our car, and we started the five hour drive to Boleslawiec, Poland. The town is about an hour past the German border, not far from Dresden. It has a longstanding tradition of making pottery, dating back to the 7th century, so Boleslawiec has become well-known around Europe for making outstanding stoneware.

Although I do love to shop, I haven't been very often since moving to Europe... when everything is in a different language, currency, or even sizes, shopping just isn't as fun. Because it had been quite a while, I was definitely looking forward to doing some shopping. So when we arrived by late afternoon, we immediately got to it. Before closing time, we were able to get to a couple of stores... this was one of them, and as you can see, the selection was pretty overwhelming! We did our best to take in all the options... and of course, we all just had to buy something :)

After shopping, we headed towards our hotel, the Blue Beetroot. An English couple with Polish roots converted an old barn into this charming little inn. We had a lovely "apartment" for the four of us... all of the wood accents made it very cozy. There was a wonderful restaurant downstairs, where we enjoyed a great dinner, followed by movie time and hitting the hay... in order to rest up for a full day of shopping the next day!

Following a yummy breakfast, we were back on the pottery trail. At the first shop we visited, we got the chance to see women painting the pottery... apparently, the traditional bright blue colors of Polish pottery do not appear until after it's been fired in the kiln. It was neat to see what it looks like both before and after. Next we went to a few more shops, including the one pictured below. Between all the stores, the four of us all found plenty of great pottery to buy... not surprisingly, my trunk was reaching its capacity rather quickly.

For a change of pace, our last stop in Boleslawiec was an art glass studio. While we had some difficulty finding the store, it did give us a chance to check out the town center since it was located right off the city's quaint main square.

Soon we had some glass pieces to add to all the pottery we had bought, and by then my trunk had definitely reached capacity, so we were soon on our way back to Frankfurt. Thankfully the drive is through serene countryside... which was especially nice when we got stuck in gridlock traffic for an hour and a half! By midnight, we had finally made it back. The next day I surveyed the "damage" I had done... while it might seem like I went a little crazy, you should know that most of these are gifts... but I am definitely not giving away who they are for :)

It was a quick but fun trip, and I don't doubt that I will be making it out to Poland again during our time here. In the meantime, there is plenty more traveling to do... we were actually just down in Geneva for a few days, so stay tuned for a post about that very soon!