Here’s a shot of Rob and Lindsey’s house:
My dad makes the best snowmen.
Jake is totally into balls right now, and balloons are even better in his world.
Friday, January 21, 2011
Deja Vu- Yet another a snow caper (cause apparently we needed another)
Remember that story I told about how we all got stuck in the snow? Yeah, well, apparently it wasn’t a once in a lifetime experience. On the night that we went to Delirium it began to snow. and snow. and snow. When we left the bar the cars were sliding all over the roads, by the time we made it back down to Rob and Lindsey’s house it was getting pretty deep. Driving on the main roads weren’t too much of a problem, as the city was keeping them plowed. Our back roads were, yet again, an entirely different matter. To cut a long story short, we got stuck. Again. But this time I had my wits about me enough to at least snap a few photos. But the story only gets better…
The next morning I woke up as excited as can be- not only was it Christmas Eve but G was flying in that day from Canada (where he had been for work). I hadn’t seen him since Thanksgiving and was excited to have the hubbo around for a bit. Unfortunately, after checking my email, I found out that Glenn had been experiencing a few trials of his own.
First his flight was bumped a day (he originally was supposed to arrive on the 23rd).
Then his flight got canceled.
They put him on another flight, but that one ended up getting delayed.
When he got to London he found out that the Brussels airport was closed down due to the weather.
So they flew him to Rotterdam, Netherlands instead and bussed him down to Brussels.
We couldn’t pick him up in Brussels because our car was stuck, so he had to take a train down to us.
Then the first two trains don’t show up (and did I mention that everything is in French? My husband doesn’t speak any french).
He finally gets on a train but that train doesn’t stop at our station. It stopped at the one before and then the one after, but apparently decided not to do the one in the middle.
He then proceeds to stand out in the freezing snowy weather for an hour and a half waiting for the taxi to arrive.
FINALLY the taxi comes and drops him off at a predesignated corner where Dad and I meet up with him and break the bad news- we have to hike the last mile and a half through 3 foot drifts with his luggage. But hey! at least we brought you a hat! And boots!
By the time the poor guy gets into the house he had been traveling for more than 30 hours, had taken a plane, train, bus, and a taxi, and had his plans changed 6 times. Oh, and the boy was hungry.
BUT- he made it in time for Christmas, and isn’t that what matters in the long run?
This is us hiking back to the house.
The next morning the guys tramped off to try to get the car unstuck. This was not successful- in the end Rob and Linds had to get a farmer pull it out with his tractor. But that was 4 days later and a whole different story.
Delirium: home of the pink elephant and 2000 other beers
Down an unprepossessing ally in Brussels is one of Belgium’s most famous bars, Delirium. The bar has garnered attention from all over the globe because it sells more varieties of beers than any other bar in the world. They’ve even got a certificate to prove it.
That’s right, they have 2000 beers available. And not just any beers, you can find some of the top rated beers in the world. So obviously we had to check it out. Here she is!
The book!
My beautiful little niece turned three on December 16th. She’s pretty much obsessed with all things princess right now, and like good relatives we tried to indulge her as much as humanly possible.
She was crazy excited about turning three.
And so were the rest of us.
And whats a party without a little music?
These are all for ME?
Wanna try some of my new princess lipstick, Popsie?
The loot.
The birthday party. Apparently that’s code for giving kids lots of sugar and letting them run around the house like crazy before giving them back to their parents.
A Belle cake (Beauty and the Beast for all those who are Disney illiterate)
Oh sweet heavenly chocolate!
I’ve written before about the wonderous land of Belgium. Here’s a grouping of people who know about what really matters in life: chocolate, french fries, and waffles. The cheese is pretty awesome too. Oh, and the beer can’t be rivaled.
In order win you over to my way of thinking, I’ve decided to let you in on what I consider to be one of Belgium’s best kept secrets. Here it is:
On the outskirts of Brussels is a nondescript factory. It’s a chocolate factory, but you’d never know it from the outside. Inside that factory is a tiny little store where they sell their chocolates at a pretty steep discount. This in its own self is pretty awesome, but it isn’t the best part. In the spirit of generosity, this store leaves out free samples of almost all of their chocolates for you to try. And not just stingy little slivers, but whole pieces. Curious about how that truffle tastes? Try one in every flavor! Wanna cookie? Help yourself to any of these packages. It’s pretty much heaven on earth.
Random fun fact: the average Belgian eats 49% more chocolate than the average American
These just aren’t any chocolates either: they’re Neuhaus chocolates. Neuhaus is my all time favorite brand of chocolate. The company has been around since 1857 and ha now grown so big that they have retail shops all throughout Europe and even a couple in the States (in NYC and in DC) and one in Australia (sydney airport). Unfortunately, the chocolates run for about a euro per piece- so if you get a chance to go to the outlet and pay WAY less then I’d recommend it! They’re also one of the best tasting things you’ll ever put in your mouth, so it’s kinda worth it.
We may have gone a little overboard….
Let’s be honest here- four women, right before christmas, with empty stomachs. What else did you expect? (please don’t judge us)
It’s just ooooooh soooooo goooood!!
ps- I have only one box of these left in my house. I guard it like a ninja- don’t even THINK about coming near it.
Thursday, January 20, 2011
Paris, Mon Amie!
The week before Christmas the four of us slightly weary travelers hopped on a train and headed down to Paris for a couple days. We had a great time wearing down our shoes as we tramped all around the city for two days.
One particular highlight was seeing the Eiffel Tower at night. Every hour on the hour the Eiffel Tower does a light show, which means that it literally sparkles for almost 10 minutes every hour.
The most surprising thing about Paris? The hills! Not just little rolling hills, but really steep hills that great your heart rate going. So we both hiked, and walked around Paris and saw way more than we actually expected to be able to see.
The arc de triumph- built by Napoleon to celebrate himself and his conquests. (Hey, the guy knew how to leave a legacy, you’ve got to give him that)
He’s such a goober.
I found this man at the Notre Dame Cathedral. I watched him as he walked up to the fence, picked up a stick, and knock it against the fence repeatedly. A spy sending secret messages? (I really do have too active of an imagination sometimes) He was communicating, but to a different type of friend. Low and behold, after a few seconds of tapping, through the bushes come a few black cats. Out of his sack he pulls out some food and water, chats with the felines for a couple minutes, and just like that is off again. And somewhere deep inside of me I knew this was something he did every day.
We went to the Louvre on our second day. I realize that this may be a bit sacrilege, but I’m not a huge fan of the Louvre. Don’t get me wrong, I really appreciated the thousands of years of history and art that was in front of me, and the building itself was amazing. But when you’re tired and trying to lead 3 people around a building and get in and out in a short time frame it can be ever so frustrating. I mean, the place is just so darned big. And we are very small in comparison. And there are few things that I hate worse than not being able to find my way. I don’t mind being lost, just so long as I can find my way out once I feel like being found. I got lost in the Louvre. Moral of the Story? When going to the Louvre don’t always trust that map they give you and always bring a snack, cause you never know how long it will take go get back to civilization again.
The photo is of all the people ogling the Mona Lisa. Me? I’ve already ogled the Mona Lisa, so on this trip I chose to ogle the oglers instead.
Luxemburg Gardens
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