Barcelona

I wish that we could say that we loved Barcelona. It is Spain.  Shouldn't we love Spain?  Well, we didn't love it.  We went to Barcelona so that Ryan could attend a conference.  I was just along for the ride.  Don't get me wrong, it was a nice vacation for me.  I was able to sleep in a bit.  Go for a nice run in the mornings because the weather was beautiful, unlike Germany where I would have had to bundle up with gloves and ear-warmers.  It wasn't a bad trip.  I can't say we have ever had a bad trip together.  We always find a way to enjoy things together.  And, this trip was worth it for the weather, the wine and the tapas...
 It may have been worth it for the baked Camembert alone....

We didn't like that the city was somewhat dirty.  We are used to getting lost in the narrow side streets so common all over Europe but this time Ryan was warning me where not to go without him.  Most areas of the city just seemed a little too shady.  Being followed for a couple of blocks and into the subway didn't make it feel any safer.  Thankfully, I saw police uniforms and walked toward them, which caused my would-be pick pocket to run the other way.  It's not as much fun to explore a city alone after that.  Barcelona was not without it's charms.  I loved the market.  Everyday, after I went sightseeing, walking the safer-looking narrow streets, sitting in the palm tree lined parks, sipping coffee in the cafes, I stopped at the market to get fresh fruit juice and lots of fresh fruit for breakfast the next day.

We enjoyed the pretty parks too.  There were a few nice parks in Barcelona proper but we took the subway, then a cable car up to Montjuïc to see a castle and enjoy the quieter parks.  Here we could see the local birds, which were beautiful up-close.  We sat in the ruins of an open-air theater, which is still in use today and just listened to the wind sweep through the leaves of the picturesque trees.

We didn't love the architecture as much as everyone said we would.   I think you either love Antoni Gaudi's work or you hate it.  Some of the buildings were interesting and very unique.  I spent some time just appreciating those but another example was Sagrada Familia Cathedral. After working on this cathedral for over 100 years, the Spanish decided fruit would be a nice addition to the peak of the steeples.... fruit!

There were also several protests while we were there.  Some more boisterous than others.  One of the calmer protests was this communist flag waving occurring in a random square.

 Luckily, we left when we did because while we were en-route to Frankfurt, the airports north of Frankfurt were closing due to the ash plume from the Iceland volcano.  Shortly after we landed, Frankfurt was closed too.  The trip wasn't all bad.  We enjoyed the evenings together... it's always better when we're together!

Birthday Celebration in Bruges, Belgium

A pretty three-hour drive to Bruges for a long weekend was the perfect way to celebrate my birthday.  We knew the sun would set very early so Ryan offered to take me out for a romantic night of photography.  After a nice dinner, we bundled up and Ryan carried my camera bag and tripod as we walked through the city of Bruges taking pictures of the beautiful canal lit from above.  It was a beautiful way to see the city.  We stopped for hot chocolate, which was abundantly available as one of the major products produced in Bruges is chocolate.  There was a chocolate shop on every corner and some corners had two or three.

Bruges also has waffles and we had several pretty yummy versions....

We didn't stop with the waffles.  The Bailey's and chocolate fondue was pretty phenomenal too.

 Then there was the birthday dinner.  We  had a wonderful dinner at a beautiful restaurant overlooking the canal.  The concierge at our hotel made sure to tell them it was a special night and requested the best table. 

Bruges is a beautiful little town and I think we'll have to see it in the Spring as well.

The Green Monster

 

We shopped for days to find a decent car with automatic transmission.  We looked at new cars but at the time, the BMW dealer searched all American-spec BMWs in Germany, Luxembourg and Belgium and there wasn't one car that I liked that met our needs.  The main one being, it had to be an automatic.  

We went to one slimy used car lot after another.  This is an example of one of the worst.  Luckily, the office that we needed to go to for registration was closed when we found a potential car on this lot.  We think we dodged a bullet there.  We continued to look.  We were extremely frustrated at this point and the rental car was getting expensive.  It was about to push us over our move allowance. Our last ditch effort was to buy a car from the commissary lot.  The Army allows individuals to park cars on a lot near the commissary to sell them.  Ryan went and found a few cars.  We made some phone calls and decided on the 1992 Green BMW 3 series.    The car seemed to be well maintained and it was top of the line in its day.  It once had power locks, which no longer worked.  It had a 6-slot tape deck... yes, a tape deck. It also had power windows, an anti-theft system, which also seemed to be an anti-Danette system and it came with winter tires, which are required in Germany in the Winter.  

This car looks harmless, right? Well, it actually wasn't a horrible car unless you count the fact that the "winter tires" were actually all-season tires for a 5 series BMW and would not fit on the car, the battery that died while we were sitting at a light, the transmission, that occasionally would not shift into higher gear, or the fact that we were both pretty terrified to drive it in the snow since the Germans do not plow down to the concrete.  They leave a layer that is just think enough to turn to a sheet of ice (see Longest 40 minute commute ever blog).   We made do with the Green Monster November to February even with all of her flaws. 

Our first issue occurred the day we signed the Bill of Sale.   But, this was not the Green Monster's fault.  The registration office gave us American-sized plates for our German-spec car.  There was no way to attach the plate so we put it in the window and drove to the PX to get something to attach it to the car; zip ties, velcro, anything.  However, if you do not have plates affixed to the car properly, it is grounds for a search and apparently the rent-a-cop gate guards have you hold you there until the MPs come and say it ok for you to enter the base.  So, after the search and waiting for the 12-year old MP to come and authorize us to enter.  

Then, once in the PX the only thing we could find to attach the plate to the Monster was boot strings.  So, this is what we did.  It was certainly a sad day for the Monster, I'm sure.  We were told the previous owner took great care of her.  Whatever, it got us through the gate.

 

The real trouble started, on our way back from Trier, which is 2 hours away, I tried to read the manual.  The German manual.  We were on the side of the road while typed different part names and terms into Google Translator to try to identify why the "exclamation point" light was lit up on the dashboard.  

 It was a happy day when we we found a new car and were authorized to place the Green Monster on the For Sale lot.  But, I will admit that I was certainly feeling guilty about selling that car to anyone.  I hope the Monster is better to her new owner.

Roma

Rome was one of our favorite trips so far.  The Ancient City was awe-inspiring.  We walked for hours looking at the 2000 year old ruins and imagining what the magnificent buildings and monuments must have looked like then.  The Colosseum and the Roman Forum were by far our favorite spots in Rome.  We took our time walking through the Colosseum, imagining this tremendous structure in it's prime with 45,000 spectators chanting as gladiators fought to the death.  It's almost impossible to fathom.

We took over 100 pictures in the Ancient City of Rome.  Every where you look there is something beautiful; a door, a column, a statue missing a nose or an arm, a last remaining wall from something that was once great. We were there at a perfect time.  The sun started to sink in the sky bathing the ruins in an amber glow while casting the most interesting shadows on the cobble stone paths, the path that Romans once walked.  We took time to sit and marvel at this treasure of history.  It was almost too much to take in at once and since we are certain that we missed things.  We would love to return!

Thinking that someday, we will return to Rome

New Years Eve 2009

We decided to stay in the city and experience a German New Year's Eve in Wiesbaden.   We were warned that New Year's Eve can get pretty out of control in this area.  We heard that it was the only time fireworks were legal in Germany so the Germans took advantage of this.  This was correct.  I thought I would pick up some sparklers before we went to dinner and while at the register, I saw a 7 year-old girl trying to buy a large package of fireworks that she couldn't possibly set off on her own.  I just shook my head and made my purchase while the German cashier explained to me, in German of course, that the girl was too young... just a "kinder."

We decided that we would have a nice Italian dinner in Italian alley.  Well, we call it Italian alley anyway.  There are several excellent Italian restaurants in this area so we thought surely we could find a table.  We did.  However, it was outside and this was December in Germany during the worst winter since the 60's, or so the bakery lady tell us.  It didn't seem to matter.  The outdoor heaters worked well and sitting outside proved to be even more fun. That's where the show is!

We had good wine, great bruschetta and a meal that the waiter apparently forgot about for some time.  This didn't bother us.  We were enjoying the people watching, the occasional fireworks and especially the company. We followed up this meal with a fantastic Tiramisu!

Next, we decided to take a walk around the city before heading to the Kurhaus Casino, which is where the city firework display was to take place.

But, first, the citizens of Wiesbaden had their own little fireworks show.  This is where it got a little crazy.

Fortunately, we ran into friends!

Unfortunately, my camera died and I didn't get any pictures of the craziness.  We didn't get pictures of people shooting each other with fireworks, dancing into the sparks, or the man next to us that was hit in the face with a bottle rocket.  I did get a picture of the aftermath...

Gifts From Home

We love getting packages.  I have a daily routine of walking to the post office at lunch to check our mail.  I love seeing the little white slip in our box telling me we have a package.  We especially loved receiving our packages at Christmas.  Since we were away for Christmas and had some bad weather, we didn't receive our Christmas packages until New Years Eve.  But, opening our Christmas gifts from home ended up being a great way to start our New Year's Eve celebration. 

We got lots of stuff that we needed like cozy sweaters, gloves, warm running gear.  They also sent super helpful things like travel guides, which we can't wait to put to use!

This card made me smile!

Christmas in Paris

We arrived in Paris on Christmas day.  Rather than transferring to another train to take us directly to the hotel, we decided to walk.  This longer than expected walk took us through the gardens surrounding the Louvre, through Concord Square and the Christmas Market on the Champs Elysées, which was just opening in time for us to get a crepe salee. It was a cold day but it was Christmas in Paris!  It was a dream come true.  Our hotel was a quintessential Paris hotel; The Hotel Napoleon.  The tiny, charming room seemed like the perfect place to spend Christmas.    

 What a perfect way to spend Christmas.  We explored the streets of Paris.  We have both been to Paris before.  Ryan while on a high school trip and me for work.  Paris is a very different city when you are there with someone you love.  We walked through two Christmas markets, watched the ice skaters at a tiny rink near the Eiffel Tower and sipped coffee in a cafe.  Later, we had a romantic dinner at a beautiful restaurant. 

  The next day, we continued to explore the city.  We took the subway to Montmartre and walked about a million steps to get to the Basilica and then up to the bell tower.  The view was well worth the walk. 

We left the Basilica just as the sun was setting.  We couldn't have planned it more perfectly.  The sky was the most stunning amber.  We stopped and watch sunset then walked the tiny streets of Montmartre in search if dinner.  After dinner, we walked to the Christmas market for crepes with nutella and banana.

On our last day we went to the Louvre and I finally got to ice skate in Paris!  Doesn't every little girl dream of spending Christmas in Paris with the love of her life? Well, I did.  Thank you Ryan for making another dream come true.