Happy Birthday, Mom! You don't look a day over 24.
Tuesday, May 31, 2011
Monday, May 30, 2011
Memorial Day in Namur, Belgium
Russ had the day off today, so we decided to visit the lovely city of Namur and explore the Citadel. The Namur Citadel covers 80 hectares (just under 198 acres) and is one of the largest fortresses in Europe. It's beginnings can be traced back to the 1st century. 
The Citadel sits high above the city of Namur. The grounds are free to explore, but they offer guided tours of the interior on weekends and daily from June to mid September for 9 euro. If you're a big military history buff, then this is the place for you.
The Citadel served as a command center in the middle ages. In 1891, it was transformed into a huge park. 
Namur is the capital of Wallonia, and the capital of the province of Namur. Pay attention. This could win you big bucks if you ever get to play Jeopardy. 
I thought this drawbridge was very interesting.
There is a fantastic view of the Meuse River from the top of the Citadel.
I thought this drawbridge was very interesting.
There is a fantastic view of the Meuse River from the top of the Citadel. 
After exploring the grounds of the Citadel, we went into the city of Namur and had lunch at a lovely outdoor cafe. This is the Place d'Armes. They were in the process of setting up for a carnival, so I didn't get many pictures of the city. Armed with an ice cream cone from Australian Ice Cream (Australian ice cream in Belgium?), we were soon on our way back home. Hope your day was full of blue skies and sunshine as well.
Sunday, May 29, 2011
The Memorial Day Ceremony at Margraten 2011
Today was the Memorial Day Ceremony at the Netherlands American Cemetery in Margraten. Unlike last year, the weather was a perfect tribute to the young men and women who gave their lives so that others could be free.
There are 8,301 American soldiers and airmen buried here. They died while fighting for the freedom of others during WWII. They died trying to make a better life for people they had never even met.
Don't think for one minute that the locals here don't appreciate their ultimate sacrifice. Every one of these graves has been adopted by a local family. They care for it, visit it, and put fresh flowers on it. This responsibility is passed down through the generations. It's not a burden. The consider it an honor to do something so simple for someone who did everything for them.
One of the speakers shared a story of how a family took apart a blanket in order to make a yellow ribbon to put upon one of the graves. Times were hard, and any fabric was hard to come by.
Memorial Day isn't just a day that you have off to grill out in the backyard. Take time to think about all of those who have given their lives for the freedom of others. People talk about their freedom and what's owed to them, but your Freedom isn't free. Someone else has paid the ultimate price for you. Others are serving in the military now and are fighting for your freedom every day. The least you can do it thank them for it.
"I guess heaven was needing a hero. Somebody just like you. Brave enough to stand up for what you believe and follow it through."
Friday, May 27, 2011
Stormy Weather
If you are stuck inside due to the same kind of weather I am experiencing today, take a break from moping that floor and check out Catalog Living. Each day brings another glimpse into the virtual lives of Gary and Elaine. Some days I scratch my head, and others I laugh out loud. Just another dysfunctional family... You've gotta love them.
Thursday, May 26, 2011
Making Pottery
In case you were wondering, things are advancing nicely in my pottery class. I made four bowls and a little vase last week. I cleaned them up and added decorative handles to a couple of them this week, but sadly, I didn't get any pictures of them after that. Danny, our teacher, took one look and said "Do we like bowls?" I had to explain that my brain was saying "tall vase" each time, but my hands and the clay disagreed, and I ended up with a bowl. And another one. And then a third. After that, I just gave up and made a fourth bowl so the whole family would have one. I like that they each have their own personality. Some day, they will hold lovely things like olives and salsa. And cereal, if you aren't very hungry. (They are kind of small.) If you ever find yourself in need of a small bowl, you know where to look. I'm your gal.
Tuesday, May 24, 2011
Monday, May 23, 2011
Sunday, May 22, 2011
Phantasia Land in Bruhl, Germany!
We took a trip with KB to visit Phantasia Land in Bruhl, Germany, today. Unfortunately, you can't predict European weather at all, so we were a little nervous when the day started out cold and rainy, but we decided to keep with our plan. We were happy we did! Phantasia Land is a very cool amusement park, located about 2 hours from Kleine Brogel. It has 5 different lands that are similar to what you'd find at Disney world, but the park is more the size of a small Six Flags. There are three entrances to the park, but we went in at Berlin, the main street of the whole thing. Just inside the gate is a very cool 2 story carousel.
If you head to the right, you'll go into Deep In Africa. This is where you'll find our favorite attraction... Black Mamba. Black Mamba is an extremely fun roller coaster, the kind where you hang underneath it. It only lasts about a minute, but it's a blast!
Here are Russ and Brandon, setting off on their adventure. 
Jess, Cat, and George were competing to see who could ride it the most. I think George set the record with 13 rides! (3 were my limit.)
If you stand on the nearby observation bridge, Black Mamba circles over and around you. It's lots of fun to watch! 
None of us were crazy enough to get on this ride. It's in Mexico, and it's called Talocan. It rotates you around on a big wheel, while spinning the middle section where everyone is sitting. Very nauseating, and a tad painful to boot. We were happy to just watch this one.
This is a look back up Berlin's main street toward the entrance. It had started to rain again at this point. *Note that they don't shut down rides here when it rains. Even when there is lightening and thunder involved. (This includes the metal roller coasters! Eeeeek!)
This is a crazy pair of indoor roller coasters, centered around a ride that lifts you up and drops you. It's located in Fantasy. The car of the roller coaster spins as you are going down the track. You have two choices of tracks: Fear and Force. Don't ride Fear after eating. I'm just saying.
Mystery Castle is located in...Mystery, of course. It's similar to the Tower of Terror in Disney World. Most of us passed on this one, but Russ just had to ride it. Better him than me.
The sun soon came out again, and it was a beautiful day. Off to explore more sections of the park! This is China Town, of course.
We had a really fun day at the park, and soon it was time to head back home. Can you see the name of the roller coaster there? Yep. It's called the Michael Jackson Thriller Ride. I'm not sure what that has to do with Mexico (that's where the ride is located), but such is life. It looked like more of a runaway mine train sort of ride. If you ever find yourself in the vicinity of Bruhl, Germany, and are looking for a fun way to spend the day, then check out Phantasia Land! Be sure to ride Black Mamba. She's a blast! Thursday, May 19, 2011
An Awesome Chick Trip...To Venice, Italy!
A funny thing happened in Bible Study the other day. (Don't the best stories always start with this phrase?) Anyhoo, we were chatting before we began, and Josie was telling us about her amazing trip to Venice, Italy, with some other ladies. I told her that if she ever went back, I wanted to go with her. Then Dawn added that she'd love to go before she moves next month. Later that day, I got a phone call. It was Dawn, and she said..."I looked at tickets to Venice on Ryanair, and they were only 18 euro if we buy them today, so I did." Um, are you saying you just bought tickets to Venice, Italy? Can we really do this? I'm going to Venice? Sure enough, 18 euro for a ticket. We checked with the husbands, and they all said "Go for it!", so our Chick Trip was born. After all the fees, I ended up paying around $35 for my ticket...to Venice, Italy!!!!!! (Can you tell that I'm more than a little excited about this?) Next thing I know, we're driving to Germany to get on the plane. Then we're flying over the Italian Alps at sunset!
As if it couldn't get more exciting, we were on the plane with a celebrity! If you watch Glee, I'm pretty sure this is the guy who works for Terry at Sheets & Things! He seems to have narcolepsy. He could not stay awake!
We didn't reach Italy until late Monday night. We arrived at the Treviso Airport, and then rode the bus for around 45 minutes to get to the outskirts of Venice. They don't allow any motor vehicles of any kind on the island, so you then get on a water taxi (sort of like a floating bus) and take that over to the island. We bought a 48 hour pass for the taxi, and it was the best money we spent on the whole trip. You just flash your card over the sensor each time you want to board the water taxi, and then jump on. (Individual tickets are really expensive, so this is the way to go. They sell them in several increments, so get the one best suited to the length of your trip and it will save you a lot of money!) The water taxi not only covers Venice, but it takes you to all of the neighboring islands as well. We were staying on Lido, a little island southeast of Venice, and our hotel was only about a 5 minute walk from the dock. We didn't get to our room until after 11:00 pm, so we went straight to sleep.
The next morning, the sun was shining, the skies were a brilliant blue, there wasn't a cloud in sight..and WE WERE IN VENICE, ITALY! (Yep, I know. Still a little excited about the whole thing.) We stayed at the Hotel Rigel in Lido, and I would definitely recommend it. The staff were really nice, everything was clean and well maintained, and they had a great buffet breakfast that is included in the price. The only drawback was that the beds (and pillows) were pretty hard. If you like firm mattresses, then this is the place for you. 
Hotel Rigel is on a quiet street, not too far from the center of town. Lido is a beautiful little Island, within sight of Venice, but nowhere near as crowded or "touristy". It felt more like we were staying with family than staying at a hotel.
When this is what you see while you walk around, you don't want to stop walking. This was just around the corner from our hotel. By the way, vehicles are allowed on Lido, but they still use the canals for a lot of their transportation.
After a great breakfast, we took a leisurely stroll down to the water taxi docks. Just like the bus, there are different taxis for different routes and locations. We decided to start the day on the island of Murano, north of Venice and famous for it's beautiful glass...
Along the way, we spotted this unusual sign. We thought that it was a memorial of some interesting historical event, but apparently not. From best I can find out, this sign was created by an artist, and it's supposed to make us "question the world we live in", or something along those lines. In case you want to "question" things at night, it also lights up in florescent blue.
Once in Murano, we went to a demonstration of glass blowing. It was really interesting. (Excuse the quality of this picture. They just wouldn't stand still.) I had to include it, though, because I wanted you to see the cigarette hanging out of the gentleman's mouth while he was working with the glass and furnaces. Apparently this is part of the job requirement. You don't see any glass blower there without a cigarette in his mouth. The man in the green shirt was in training. I'm sure that once he has perfected his craft, he too will get a cigarette.
This is Murano. If you aren't in the mood to look at hundreds of pictures of Italy today, you won't be pleased with me. I had a very hard time narrowing them down. Everywhere you looked, it was beautiful. Restaurants and glass shops lined the canals and alleys.
This huge glass sculpture is at the base of the clock tower. It lights up at night.
All of the glass stores had signs in them stating "No Photographs", but I did sneak this one in of a bead display outside a shop on the canal. They make everything from glass sculptures to extravagant chandeliers in Murano. It's amazing to just walk around and window shop here. 
At this point (our first morning there), we were thinking...do I have to go home, or can I just stay here?
I love that they aren't trying to impress you here. They just go about their daily life, and it's so peaceful.
Awwww...see how happy I am? See that bag in my hand? Well, there's a little story behind that. When you fly Ryanair, you are only allowed one small carry on bag on your flight. You have to pay extra to check a bigger bag. I had forgotten about this when I bought a souvenir. I picked out a gorgeous stainless steel pizza cutter with a stunning blue and green glass handle, made in Murano. What a perfect souvenir from Italy, right? Apparently it's also considered a weapon, and can not be carried on a plane. Somewhere in the Treviso Airport, there is a young lady who is now the proud owner of a free pizza cutter. Sadness.
After exploring Murano, we hopped back on the water taxi, passed by Lido (in the picture) and took off to Venice!
This was out first view of the city, heading up the Canale Di San Marco, and headed to the mouth of the Grand Canal that cuts through the middle of the island. Venice is shaped like a fish that is facing left. The Grand Canal sort of looks like the gills of the fish, and Lido is off of it's tail.
The entrance of St. Marco (St. Mark's) Square from the port of Venice. The building on the far left is the Sansovino Library. The Ducal Palace is on the right.
No vehicles are allowed in Venice, so you either travel along the canals, or you walk. I would suggest you get in good shape before visiting the island. There is a lot of walking involved if you really want to explore. (It's worth it, though.)
Around every corner is another beautiful surprise. This place is amazing.
Now do you understand why I posted so many pictures? Beautiful...
This tiny restaurant is one of the hidden treasures of Venice. In a little alley way not too far from St. Marks' Square, hides Anima Bella. Translated, it means Beautiful Soul. There is only room for about a dozen diners in this place, and it was a tad expensive (75 euro for 3 of us), but it's worth it. It's delicious.
I had a house salad and Pesto Lasagna, and it was everything I had expected real Italian food to taste like. Heaven.
After a delicious lunch at Anima Bella, we waddled off to explore once again. We soon found ourselves in St. Marks Square.
The artwork on St.. Mark's Basilica was stunning!
After walking around for quite some time, we decided to head back to the water taxi and explore Venice from the Grand Canal. I think this is my favorite way to travel, and the views can't be beat!
Gondoliers were everywhere!
This is the Palazzo Barbarigo, and the paintings on the front were done by Giulio Carlini in 1887.
The next morning, the sun was shining, the skies were a brilliant blue, there wasn't a cloud in sight..and WE WERE IN VENICE, ITALY! (Yep, I know. Still a little excited about the whole thing.) We stayed at the Hotel Rigel in Lido, and I would definitely recommend it. The staff were really nice, everything was clean and well maintained, and they had a great buffet breakfast that is included in the price. The only drawback was that the beds (and pillows) were pretty hard. If you like firm mattresses, then this is the place for you. Hotel Rigel is on a quiet street, not too far from the center of town. Lido is a beautiful little Island, within sight of Venice, but nowhere near as crowded or "touristy". It felt more like we were staying with family than staying at a hotel.
When this is what you see while you walk around, you don't want to stop walking. This was just around the corner from our hotel. By the way, vehicles are allowed on Lido, but they still use the canals for a lot of their transportation.
After a great breakfast, we took a leisurely stroll down to the water taxi docks. Just like the bus, there are different taxis for different routes and locations. We decided to start the day on the island of Murano, north of Venice and famous for it's beautiful glass...
Along the way, we spotted this unusual sign. We thought that it was a memorial of some interesting historical event, but apparently not. From best I can find out, this sign was created by an artist, and it's supposed to make us "question the world we live in", or something along those lines. In case you want to "question" things at night, it also lights up in florescent blue.
Once in Murano, we went to a demonstration of glass blowing. It was really interesting. (Excuse the quality of this picture. They just wouldn't stand still.) I had to include it, though, because I wanted you to see the cigarette hanging out of the gentleman's mouth while he was working with the glass and furnaces. Apparently this is part of the job requirement. You don't see any glass blower there without a cigarette in his mouth. The man in the green shirt was in training. I'm sure that once he has perfected his craft, he too will get a cigarette.
This is Murano. If you aren't in the mood to look at hundreds of pictures of Italy today, you won't be pleased with me. I had a very hard time narrowing them down. Everywhere you looked, it was beautiful. Restaurants and glass shops lined the canals and alleys.
This huge glass sculpture is at the base of the clock tower. It lights up at night.
All of the glass stores had signs in them stating "No Photographs", but I did sneak this one in of a bead display outside a shop on the canal. They make everything from glass sculptures to extravagant chandeliers in Murano. It's amazing to just walk around and window shop here. 
At this point (our first morning there), we were thinking...do I have to go home, or can I just stay here?
I love that they aren't trying to impress you here. They just go about their daily life, and it's so peaceful.
Awwww...see how happy I am? See that bag in my hand? Well, there's a little story behind that. When you fly Ryanair, you are only allowed one small carry on bag on your flight. You have to pay extra to check a bigger bag. I had forgotten about this when I bought a souvenir. I picked out a gorgeous stainless steel pizza cutter with a stunning blue and green glass handle, made in Murano. What a perfect souvenir from Italy, right? Apparently it's also considered a weapon, and can not be carried on a plane. Somewhere in the Treviso Airport, there is a young lady who is now the proud owner of a free pizza cutter. Sadness.
After exploring Murano, we hopped back on the water taxi, passed by Lido (in the picture) and took off to Venice!
This was out first view of the city, heading up the Canale Di San Marco, and headed to the mouth of the Grand Canal that cuts through the middle of the island. Venice is shaped like a fish that is facing left. The Grand Canal sort of looks like the gills of the fish, and Lido is off of it's tail.
The entrance of St. Marco (St. Mark's) Square from the port of Venice. The building on the far left is the Sansovino Library. The Ducal Palace is on the right.
No vehicles are allowed in Venice, so you either travel along the canals, or you walk. I would suggest you get in good shape before visiting the island. There is a lot of walking involved if you really want to explore. (It's worth it, though.)
Around every corner is another beautiful surprise. This place is amazing.
Now do you understand why I posted so many pictures? Beautiful...
This tiny restaurant is one of the hidden treasures of Venice. In a little alley way not too far from St. Marks' Square, hides Anima Bella. Translated, it means Beautiful Soul. There is only room for about a dozen diners in this place, and it was a tad expensive (75 euro for 3 of us), but it's worth it. It's delicious.
I had a house salad and Pesto Lasagna, and it was everything I had expected real Italian food to taste like. Heaven.
After a delicious lunch at Anima Bella, we waddled off to explore once again. We soon found ourselves in St. Marks Square.
The artwork on St.. Mark's Basilica was stunning!
After walking around for quite some time, we decided to head back to the water taxi and explore Venice from the Grand Canal. I think this is my favorite way to travel, and the views can't be beat!
Gondoliers were everywhere!
This is the Palazzo Barbarigo, and the paintings on the front were done by Giulio Carlini in 1887.
This is the Palazzo Loredan dell' Ambasciatore, a 15th century gothic styled building. 
This is the Rialto Bridge. The origional bridge was built between 1588 and 1591, and it was a draw bridge. Now, it houses tiny shops.
This is a view up the center of the bridge. 
And the view back down from the center.
The view from the top of the bridge over the Grand Canal is the best of all, though. We stopped at that restaurant with the maroon awnings on the right, and relaxed with a Bellini. A Bellini is a coctail made with sparkling wine and peach puree, and not only was it created in Venice, it's one of Italy's most popular drinks.
This is the Rialto Bridge. The origional bridge was built between 1588 and 1591, and it was a draw bridge. Now, it houses tiny shops.
This is a view up the center of the bridge. 
And the view back down from the center.
The view from the top of the bridge over the Grand Canal is the best of all, though. We stopped at that restaurant with the maroon awnings on the right, and relaxed with a Bellini. A Bellini is a coctail made with sparkling wine and peach puree, and not only was it created in Venice, it's one of Italy's most popular drinks.
After relaxing and people watching for a while, we were off to explore again. We eventually returned to Lido for a delicious dinner at a local restaurant (with an excellent house wine and entertaining conversations...Plucking? Seriously?), and then off to our hotel for some much needed sleep. Did I mention that exploring Venice means a lot of walking? The wine probably helped, too. 
We woke up on Wednesday morning to more perfect weather and a delicious breakfast on the hotel's covered patio. Does life get any better than this? I don't think so.
We woke up on Wednesday morning to more perfect weather and a delicious breakfast on the hotel's covered patio. Does life get any better than this? I don't think so.
We decided that we wanted to relax a little bit after yesterdays vigorous exploring, so we walked to the back side of Lido and hung out at the beach. We also discovered it was a topless beach. And most of the occupants were of the grandmotherly sort, so I'll spare you more of the details. Still, the sun was warm, the drinks were cold, and the conversation was lively. What more can you ask for? (Other than speedo's being outlawed. I'm serious. No one looks good in a speedo. Just Say No!)
We went back to the docks on the other side of Lido, sat down on the retaining wall, and watch the ships go by. This was a huge cruise ship coming out of the harbor with Venice in the background. It's amazing how something that big can fit in there!
We went back to the docks on the other side of Lido, sat down on the retaining wall, and watch the ships go by. This was a huge cruise ship coming out of the harbor with Venice in the background. It's amazing how something that big can fit in there!
Soon, it was time to pack up and head back to the airport. We could only stay a couple of days, and the time flew by. We decided to take the taxi ride through the Grand Canal once more on the way out. 
This is the Basilica de la Salute, built between 1631 and 1681 to implement the decree issued by the Senate to free the city from the plague.
If you're a Johny Depp fan, you'll recognize this building. In a scene from The Tourist, Johnny jumped from that balcony on the right, ripped right through the tent covering the outdoor market, and landed on a police officer, knocking him into the canal. In case you were wondering, the hotel he and Angelina Jolie stayed at is no where near this building, so his jumping out the window and hopping from roof to roof to reach this building was nothing more than movie magic. We soon found ourselves back at the bus station, and then the airport, and then flying back to Germany. Then it was a long drive through the Netherlands and back into our lovely Belgium. Wow. Being an International explorer is exhausting. I do have four words to share with you, though. Best. Chick. Trip. Ever.
This is the Basilica de la Salute, built between 1631 and 1681 to implement the decree issued by the Senate to free the city from the plague.
If you're a Johny Depp fan, you'll recognize this building. In a scene from The Tourist, Johnny jumped from that balcony on the right, ripped right through the tent covering the outdoor market, and landed on a police officer, knocking him into the canal. In case you were wondering, the hotel he and Angelina Jolie stayed at is no where near this building, so his jumping out the window and hopping from roof to roof to reach this building was nothing more than movie magic. We soon found ourselves back at the bus station, and then the airport, and then flying back to Germany. Then it was a long drive through the Netherlands and back into our lovely Belgium. Wow. Being an International explorer is exhausting. I do have four words to share with you, though. Best. Chick. Trip. Ever.
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