Monday, April 30, 2012

Back to normal...mostly...

Josh and I have finally gotten our schedules back to normal after our trip.  It was nice to have the last two weekends to just lounge and do whatever we want...especially being couch potatoes!  The weather has helped make us lazy...it has rained practically every day since we returned and it has been cold!  Classic English weather!  I pretty much have my umbrella surgically attached to my side in case of a sudden downpour and I hope that sometime in May I can ditch my boots and winter coat...sigh...

Rainy, rainy, rainy days....
Most days, it rains for about an hour, then is sunny for 30 minutes, then rain, then sun, then rain, then sun and so on and so on...So, it makes it hard to plan anything outside.  I did manage to get a few vegetable plants and seeds planted in some makeshift pots (ie. reusable Sainsbury bags).

Tomato plants on the left and lettuce and spinach on the right.
I'm not sure how the plants will do...they only get direct sun for about an hour a day, but I'm hoping since they are English varieties they will do okay with a small amount of sun.  Although I do not miss taking care of a big yard, I really do miss my huge garden back in Missouri! 

The rain has caused a problem in our flat.  Our bedroom is below our upstairs neighbors patio.  Apparently, the drain isn't working properly and water is getting into the walls.  Over the last week, mold and damp has shown up.  Luckily, we are working with the flat owners upstairs to get it fixed so hopefully we won't have to live with it for very long.

Water damage to the walls of our bedroom.
I have finally finished a sign I've been working on for our living room, it has taken me ages because of traveling and visitors (Hi Trish!) and me being lazy.  I wanted to make a sign that had all the streets and cities that Josh and I have lived in since we met.  I have the sign hanging up over our "empty hole that used to be a fireplace".  It reminds me of some of my favorite places and brings back good memories.  I really like the way it turned out! 

Streets and cities sign.
Other than little projects here and there, Josh and I are keeping busy with other activities.  I've been trying to get back into my running routine again and I started a Hot Yoga class today that I really enjoyed.  I felt very good afterwards, but I have a long way to go before I get bendy!  I got a 10 class pass from Groupon.com, which I am totally addicted to right now...I've gotten my hair cut twice (it is insane what they charge for haircuts around here...) with a Groupon and cheap movie tickets.  I love saving money!

The weekend after we got back from our trip, Josh and I had dinner at his co-worker, Tiffany's house.  She made a yummy shrimp and pasta dish and we swapped trip stories and pictures.  Tiffany went to Dubrovnik, Croatia on holiday with a friend of hers.  I would have never figured Croatia as a vacation destination, but her pictures were really pretty and scenic.  The next night, we had our Aussie friends over for appetizers and drinks.  We were suppose to go out to dinner, but I got a little carried away and made WAY too much food...oh well, it was all really good!  This past weekend, I had dinner with my Islington Ladies group at an American style place called Byron's, the burger and onion rings I had were really good, probably the best so far in London.  It was a fun night and I'm glad I was able to get out of the house! 

Next weekend, Josh and I are going with Alissa and Kieran to Hampton Court Palace for a food festival...and to tour the Palace.  I'm really excited about both! 

Rachel



Sunday, April 22, 2012

Cologne, Konigswinter & Liege


On the fifth day of our trip, Josh and I took the train from Amsterdam to Cologne.  It was only suppose to be a two hour train ride, but it ended up taking us about 4 hours!  The train was forced to stop on the way because someone either walked in front of or jumped from our train or the train in front of us...we never really did find out.  We sat and watched as police with cadaver dogs walked up and down the tracks looking for...well...parts.  Yick. 

The police outside of our train to Cologne.
We finally made it to Cologne and stopped by our hotel room to drop off our stuff.  Our hotel was right across the street from the train station, which was very convenient.  From our balcony, if you looked to the right, you could also see the Cologne Cathedral, which was very impressive all lit up at night!

Cologne Cathedral from our hotel.
 Since we arrived later than expected in Cologne, we were hungry and ready to find a snack.  Josh was dying to have a bratwurst since we were in Germany so we headed out to find some. 

Currywurst!
Josh discovered Currywurst while we were in Cologne.  They cut up a brat and cover it in a curry sauce, he loved it...me, not so much.  I stuck to a traditional brat.  It was surprising to us that whenever we ordered a bratwurst, it wasn't served on a bun like we would expect in the States.  In Cologne they serve the bratwurst cut up. 

The next day, our first stop was to tour the Cologne Cathedral.  It was another cold and dreary day, so it was nice to be inside for a little while!  The Cathedral is really amazing, it has very intricate detail and there are even Roman ruins in the basement.  The best part was being able to climb to the top of the bell tower and get a fantastic view of the city. 

Cologne Cathedral
Inside the Cologne Cathedral
Giant bell in the bell tower at Cologne Cathedral.
We were actually in the bell tower room when the bell's rang at the quarter hour.  It was so loud but very cool to watch! 

Cologne Cathedral from the Bell Tower
Cologne from the bell tower at Cologne Cathedral


Josh and I at a park in Cologne
After our tour of the Cologne Cathedral, we decided to go check out the Chocolate Museum.  Once we got there, we decided we would rather spend money on chocolate than the tour, so we bought gobs of yummy delicious chocolate and then gorged ourselves.  It was pretty awesome!  As we ate our chocolate, we wandered around and came across a pretty park in the middle of town.  There were spring flowers blooming everywhere, it was beautiful. 

Tulips and pansies in bloom.
Josh LOVED all the flowers :)
The park was on the way to some cable cars that we wanted to take a ride on.  The cable cars take you from one side of the river from another and let me tell you, I was freaking out a bit.  Me plus heights equals a very nervous girl!

Me, freaking out in the cable car.
Josh in the cable car.
Josh thought if was funny that I was freaking out a bit.  He kept trying to freak me out even more, just like a good husband should :)  Josh: "I wonder if we can get it to rock" Me: "Don't you dare Joshua!"  Thankfully, we made it across the river safe and sound!

View of Cologne from the cable car.
Josh and I decided that we wanted to take a side trip from Cologne the next day, so we spent a few hours online at Starbucks to try to figure out where to go.  We ended up deciding to take a train to Konigswinter, which is a small town on the Rhine river valley.  In Konigswinter is a really steep hill that leads to an old castle ruin.  We thought it sounded like a fun hike and it really was nice to get out of the city and see some of the German countryside. 

Me at the bottom of the super steep hill to the Castle.
The Rhine River Valley
Beautiful castle half way up to the other castle ruin.
After huffing and puffing our way up the steep incline, we finally made it to the castle ruins, which offered amazing views of the Rhine River Valley.  Josh and I sat down to have a snack and enjoy the view for a while. 

Part of the castle ruins.
Josh and I on the looking down over the Rhine river.
Some of the castle ruins
At the castle
After we toured the castle ruins, Josh and I decided to take advantage of the nearby forest and take a hike through the woods.  The forest that we went through was called, Siebengebirge, and it is the forest where Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs is set.  The hike was great, it really made us feel like we were back home.  Josh loved it and he even found a deer stand!  He was in heaven.  


Can you spot the deer stand?
We decided to go a little further down the train line and stopped in Koblenz Germany.  Koblenz was a really nice city and I'm glad we had the time to stop and see another little town along the Rhine.  


A Catholic church in Koblenz Germany
Josh enjoying some ice cream in the Koblenz town square.
The river in Koblenz

Monument in Koblenz Germany
Me overlooking the Rhine river.
A random giant thumb in Koblenz Germany.  Thumbs up!
Parts of the Berlin Wall in Koblenz.
We loved our time in Koblenz and are so glad that we were able to visit more of Western Germany.  We headed back to Cologne on the train and had dinner at a restaurant that served a banana flavored beer, it sounds kind of gross, but it was actually really really good!  The next day we left early for our train back to Belgium and the final city of our trip, Liege.  

Josh and I having a drink and dinner in Cologne
Banana beer...it was really yummy!
 By the last few days of our trip, Josh and I were exhausted and not really wanting to walk around all day, but we trudged through it, and I am glad we did because Liege was a very nice city with a lot to see.   Liege reminded me a little bit of Paris. 


Church in Liege
Rowers on the river in Liege
We went to a huge outdoor market on Sunday morning that seemed to sell a little bit of everything.  We bought a couple bratwurst to eat as we wandered around.  It was fun to come across a stall selling chickens...they reminded us of the chickens we had when we lived in Springfield...awww...I miss our chickens!


Chickens at the market in Liege
After wandering around the market for a while, we went on a hunt for a set of stairs that were suppose to lead to a view of Liege from high up.  We found them and then slowly made our way up the huge staircase.


Crazy huge staircase in Liege
A view of the stairs from near the top.
A view of Liege from the top of the staircase.
Narrow streets in Liege
Liege Cathedral
We took a short tour of the Liege Cathedral.  It was another beautiful church, one of many on our trip.  After a while though, they all start to look the same :) 


Liege Cathedral
Courtyard at the Liege Cathedral
Josh being creepy at the Liege Cathedral :)
Alter at the Liege Cathedral
After eight days of traveling through Belgium, the Netherlands and Germany, our trip was over.  Josh and I loved seeing more of Europe, but we were so ready to be back home in our little flat in London.  I wish that we would have had better weather for our trip and I think the next vacation we go on will be somewhere with a warmer climate!  I am ready for a beach and pure laziness!  I hope you all enjoyed the pictures!


Cheers,
Rachel

Monday, April 16, 2012

Brussels, Antwerp and Amsterdam

Josh and I left for our trip to Belgium, The Netherlands and Germany, the day before Easter.  We were two of many travelers leaving London for the holiday weekend.  The train station was bustling, but we got through security fairly quickly and were soon settled in for our ride to Brussels.  We somehow had premier tickets and were treated to a nice complimentary breakfast, it was a good start to our vacation!  Josh and I arrived in Brussels around noon on Saturday.  We dropped off our bags at the hotel and headed to our first destination...Cantillon Brewery.

Breakfast on the train to Brussels.
Cantillon Brewery - Home of Lambics!!!
Josh and I tasting some beer!
The main reason I was excited about our trip to Belgium, was that it is the home of Lambic beers, and I LOVE lambics!  Lambics are produced by spontaneous fermentation of wild yeasts, unlike most beers which have the yeast introduced to it by brewers.  The beer is then left to age for up to three years, then blended with fruits.  My favorites are the Kriek (cherry) and Framboise (raspberry), but I also tried a peach one that was fantastic.  The highlight of our time in Belgium was definitely the beer! 

Me at the Cantillon Brewery in Brussels
Josh with some Lambic barrels at the Cantillon Brewery
While the beer was a highlight, the rest of Brussels was a disappointment.  Sadly, it is not a city I would recommend as a holiday spot.  The city gives off the feel of neglect with buildings and roads that are in disrepair and there is trash everywhere.  Brussels seems to be overrun with beggars and homeless.  We saw people living along the streets and in the bus depot, their areas carved out by piles of clothes, blankets and mattresses.  Despite being the capital of the European Union, it seems as if the city and it's people have been deemed unimportant by the country. 

The main tourist areas seemed to be in better conditions, but we were put off by the high prices at the restaurants.  We ended up forgoing restaurant meals for Subway and kebab shops. 

The unofficial symbol of Brussels is the Manneken Pis, a bronze statue of a little boy peeing...

Manneken Pis
And not to be outdone, a little girl peeing...


Hhhhmm...peeing on the street...now where have I seen that before??  It certainly seems to be a popular European pastime.  I really don't blame them though, when you have to pay up to 1 euro to use a bathroom!  I'm surprised I didn't have to pay to use the bathroom in our hotel room...seriously ridiculous!  Each bathroom has its own attendant who takes your money and then cleans the bathroom after you finish.  I like the cleaning part, but I was weirded out by the ladies outside the door listening to me pee! 

The main tourist area of Brussels was situated around the Grand Place or Grote Market.  There, you can find a variety of chocolate shops, souvenir shops, restaurants and Belgium waffle stands.

Josh at the Grand Place
My first Belgian waffle :)
Belgium chocolate and beer shops.
On Easter morning, Josh and I went to St. Micheal and St. Gudula Catholic church.  St. Micheal's was a beautiful church and it was extremely crowded with Easter celebrants.  The church was enormous and Josh and I sat toward the back, it seemed like the officiants were really far away!  One of the priests had a red cap on, I think he may have been a cardinal.  The mass was said in French, but I was still able to follow a little.  Amen and Alleluia are the same in French and in English and I loved hearing the choir sing Alleluia.  The choir was fantastic.  I kept closing my eyes during the service just so I could hear their voices better, it was beautiful.

Easter mass at St. Micheal's in Brussels
The exterior of St. Micheal's in Brussels
The baptismal font at St. Micheal's
 After Easter mass, Josh and I had plans to visit a few tourist attractions that were north of the city.  Unfortunately, the city buses were not running that day, so we ended up just wandering around the city.  We came across a park that was quite nice. 

Me...freezing at a park in Brussels!
Josh and his new friend...some kind of armless merman!
This lions expression cracks me up!  He reminds me of the cowardly lion in the Wizard of Oz.
The day after Easter was a bank holiday in Brussels and the UK.  Josh and I took a train from Brussels to Antwerp.  Antwerp was a much cleaner, nicer city than Brussels was.  Many of the shops were closed because of the holiday, but there was still plenty to see in Antwerp.

The front of the train station in Antwerp, Belgium.
Antwerp city hall
St. James church in Antwerp
Our day in Antwerp was cold and rainy.  Josh and I stopped at a pub and enjoyed a pint as the rain fell.  Directly opposite from the pub was a bakery.  We decided to get a few treats after drinking our beer and I enjoyed a delicious cream puff and a coconut macaroon. 

View from a pub in Antwerp on a rainy day.
We walked along the river in Antwerp and then came upon a tunnel that would take us to the other side.  To get to the bottom of the tunnel, we had to take the original wooden escalators to the bottom. 

Wooden escalator in a tunnel across the river in Antwerp
Josh and I on the river in Antwerp...yes, it was cold!
Josh in Antwerp
Josh and I really enjoyed our day in Antwerp...it would have been nicer if the weather would have cooperated, but we can't have it all!  We made it back to our hotel in Brussels and prepared for our bus ride to the second country of the trip, the Netherlands, for a visit to Amsterdam the next day.

As soon I set eyes on Amsterdam, I fell in love.  I haven't visited too many European cities yet, but I think Amsterdam will be hard to beat!  In all honesty, my expectations for Amsterdam had not been that high.  I have always assumed it was a seedy city, rife with prostitutes and people high on marijuana.  To my pleasant surprise, Amsterdam was clean, well cared for and beautiful city.  There is a canal system that rings the city and gives it sparkle.  The streets are all paved with stones and tram rails are embedded in the brick.  The architecture is stunning and mostly original.  The city has taken great pains to preserve the history and charm of each individual building.  The houses are narrow and tall and each one has a hook near the roof so that furniture can be moved in and out.  Some of the houses are obviously leaning, but not in a derelict way, but in a "settled in" way.  There are bicycles everywhere...it is obvious it is the main form of transportation for the city.  Bikes line the canal and streets. 

Beautiful Amsterdam
An old leany building in Amsterdam
Amsterdam canal
Of course, Amsterdam has a reputation for two things, legalized prostitution and marijuana.  Both "products" are easily available if you are looking for them.  Josh and I walked through the red light district the night that we arrived.  The district is actually a small portion of the city and most of the businesses are down small alley's.  There are ladies, wearing very little, standing in windows lit by red neon lights.  Along the main "red light district" streets, there are a few lighted windows, but mostly there are restaurants, bars and coffee shops.  We saw people of all ages in the district, including families with children.  If it is possible to do prostitution and drugs in a "classy" way, Amsterdam had done it.  Never did I feel unsafe or uncomfortable.  There are strict regulations on the sex trade and marijuana use and it seems as if residents and visitors are happy to comply.  Marijuana is only available at coffee shops, it is not sold in bars that serve alcohol or in convenience stores.  Marijuana joints and baked goods can not be smoked in public, but it can be purchased at coffee shops and taken home to smoke or eat in private. 

Amsterdam's red light district at night.
Red light district.
Red lights in the red light district.
Prostitution and marijuana are just a small part of what Amsterdam has to offer.  There are many museums and churches to visit as well as canal rides and history tours.  The main Amsterdam attraction seems to be the Anne Frank House, were Anne and her family hid during the Nazi invasion of Holland.  We had to wait in line for over an hour to get into the museum, but in my mind, it was really worth the wait.  I remember reading the diary of Anne Frank as a young girl and thinking how awful it would be to not be able to feel the sun on your face or the grass beneath your feet.  I imagined the rooms that they hid in to be quite small, but in person, they seemed spacious.  I am sure though, with eight people sharing the rooms, that they felt small very quickly.  Josh and I actually got to walk up the narrow steep stairs that led to the secret annex and see the bookcase specially built to hide the entrance to the annex.  We saw the marks on the wall where Anne's father, Otto, tracked the growth of his two children during their years in hiding.  We were able to see the room that Anne stayed in, the walls adorned with pictures cut out from magazines to help brighten her space.  We were also able to view actual pages from Anne's diary, describing her daily life and thoughts.  Of the eight people who shared the space in the annex, only Otto survived the war. 

Me next to a statue of Anne Frank
The Anne Frank House
After our visit to Anne Frank's House, Josh and I took a canal tour of Amsterdam.  I loved it!

Amsterdam from the canal
Amsterdam
Amsterdam
Josh and I were sad to say goodbye to Amsterdam.  If we would have known how much we would enjoy the city, we would have planned to stay longer!  Hopefully we will get the chance to visit again.  That is it for me for now!  I'll write about the rest of our trip in a few day! 

Rachel