Belgium trip: I know has been a while, since I updated this blog, but been busy with a new baby. Recently we took a trip to Belgium. Scott had a training so Bailey and a tagged along to Brussels and then we made it into a mini vacation, by going to Ghent and Bruges for the weekend. The two days I spent in Brussels were a bit crazy. I decided to take the hop on hop off bus because figured would be a good way to see the city. Unfortunately the Brussels hop on hop off bus was the most disorganized bus tour I have even been on. And I have taken these buses around the world. It also was a really hot day which didn’t help. It took a while to just get to our first destination. I thought it would be fun to take Bailey to this place called Mini Europe. It is a park with mini replicas of famous European landmarks. The problem was there were no signs for it when I got off the bus since it was part of a larger amusement park, so too a while to find the place. Finally we walked around and took some cute pictures. Then we hightailed it back to the bus to go back to our hotel. I figured the bus would take us back to the stop where we got on which was near the hotel. But I missed the fact that the last bus ran at 4. I saw the bus I needed and ran across the street to get on since it was going in the direction I needed, but the mean bus driver wouldn’t let me on. That meant I was stuck with Bailey in an unfamiliar location and not sure how to get back to the hotel. Thankfully trains and buses don’t scare me, so was able to find my way back on the subway. Was quite an adventure as first was directed the wrong way and most of the stops had no elevators. Finally we got back and we walked to a kosher place to pick up some food for Shabbos. Was a long trek there in the heat, but Bailey behaved. Finally we got there and I was able to pick up some chicken, challah and snacks and then back to the hotel for dinner. The food was really yummy and got us thru the next few days. On Friday our destination was The Jewish Museum. Again we got on the hop on hop off bus and had a terrible experience. We went a few stops and then at the Central Station the bus driver said ok this bus is done go to the first bus. We went to the first bus and he said no it’s the second bus. So we go to the second bus and he directs us back to the original bus we had come on. Was so disorganized and we had to wait for another bus to continue our journey. Finally we made it to the museum, but the problem was everything was in French, so couldn’t understand anything. Oh well. At least the nice lady at the front desk let me feed Bailey in a side room. Then we went to the Information Center but not stroller friendly. I had to have someone help me get up and down the stairs. They recommended a Museum about comics, but by the time we got there Bailey was sleeping so I decided not to go inside. We walked to the main square and just enjoyed the nice weather. After we got back on the bus back to the hotel. This time made sure to be back on the bus on time. As soon as I entered the hotel I noticed a sign by the elevator that said Shabbat Lift and then a sign for a Synagogue. I was really confused, so I asked the front desk why there was a synagogue. They said the hotel was hosting a bar mitzvah. Amazing of all things to see this. Scott finally arrived and we made our way to Ghent. Once we arrived we walked around and took some pictures. Ghent is a really lovely laidback European city with lots of charm. We really enjoyed it. On Saturday we walked around, took in some sights and just enjoyed a nice day to relax. Early Sunday morning Scott took Bailey around the city to take pictures of what we saw on Saturday. He got amazing shots as was 5 in the morning and no one was on the streets. On Sunday we made our way to Bruges. Bruges was much more touristy than Ghent. We visited a chocolate museum and Bailey really enjoyed watching the chocolate demonstration. She kept squealing. It was super cute. Then we took a canal cruise. Bailey really enjoyed her first boat ride. All in all was a great mini vacation.

Travels in Holland, Jewish holidays and Birthdays

Over the past few weeks I have visited a few different places locally in Holland. First off went with two friends to the Muiderslot Castle in Muiden, about 15 kilometers southeast of Amsterdam. It's one of the better known castles in the Netherlands and has been featured in many television shows set in the Middle Ages. The insides of the castle, its rooms and kitchens, have been restored to look like they did in the 17th century and several of the rooms now house a good collection of arms and armour. This castle was smaller than I expected, but did give you a good feel for what a castle looked like in the 17th century.

Then I went on a walking tour of Wassenaar with the American Women’s Club. Wassenaar is an area in The Hague, where many expats live. One of the Prince’s and his family even live there. As many expats live there, shops cater to expat needs with products from the states and England. It was a fun afternoon with the girls walking around and learning about a new area in The Hague.

Then the following week went on a walking tour of Delft. I had been there before but this time we got a lesson on the famous blue and white pottery, which Delft is famous for all over the world. Then we also walked to see some famous sites in Delft. Bet you didn’t know Delft has its own leaning tower. The Oude Church was built on foundations that weren't strong enough to support the building, and the church began to lean. As they continued to build the church they tried to compensate its lean on each layer of the tower, but it remains leaning to this day.

The past couple weeks were also filled with all the Jewish holidays. As usual it is difficult to be away from family during this time, but there was lots going on here so we really did enjoy ourselves. We got to spend lots of time with our friends from the synagogue here and even had a big Super Shabbos Sukkah party in honor of both Scott and my birthdays. We had borrowed a Sukkah (Which is a temporary hut constructed for use during the week-long Jewish festival of Sukkot. It is topped with branches and often well decorated with autumnal, harvest or Judaic themes. It commemorates the time God provided for the Israelites in the wilderness after they were freed from slavery in Egypt.) from friends and had over friends from the synagogue for lunch and cake. It was a great way to celebrate our birthdays. During this time as I mentioned above Scott and I celebrated birthdays. Scott knew that I was missing my annual birthday ice-cream cake, so he took it upon himself to make me one himself. Using Ben and Jerry’s ice-cream, cookies and a cake mix, he perfected a perfect yummy cake. See attached pictures. What a great husband!!!

Prinsjesdag

Prinsjesdag (English: Prince's Day) is the day on which the reigning monarch of the Netherlands (currently Queen Beatrix) addresses a joint session of the Dutch Senate and House of Representatives in the Ridderzaal or Hall of Knights in The Hague. The speech sets out the main features of government policy for the coming parliamentary session. The Queen and the royal family arrive to the Hall of Knights in horse and carriage and the Queen specifically has an all gold carriage. I was at an Indonesian restaurant with the American Women’s Club and we had a great viewing of the royal procession and even got to see the Queen waving from her golden carriage. The streets are filled with many people waiting to see the Queen and royal procession go by. Some local schools are even closed that day. It was so nice to experience an exciting part of Dutch culture. (Background info from Wikipedia)

Cologne, Germany

Last week my friend Penny and I journeyed to Cologne, Germany. It was a few hour train ride from The Hague. We had such a nice few days. We had great weather and saw great sites. As some of you may know, the summer weather in Holland is not very summer like, so it is always a plus to go someplace and be able to enjoy the sun. Cologne is famous for its massive cathedral which has gorgeous stained glass windows. We first went to check out the Cathedral and it was something beautiful to see. There is a museum underneath the cathedral with very old and valuable artifacts. Then we went to check out the local Dunkin Donuts, as it is always fun to see things that remind you of home. For some reason Germans like Dunkin Donuts, but there are none in Holland. We also walked across a bridge to get from one side of the city to the next to go to a building with an observation desk where you can see views of the whole city. It was beautiful. As we walked the bridge we saw many different color and shape locks attached to the walls. We later found out that it is a tradition to write your name and your loved ones names on a lock, attach it to the bridge, throw the key in the water and legend is your love will last forever. We started out second day in Cologne with the hop on hop off bus. We passed the old town and some of the old Roman walls which used to surround the city and passed by the zoo, many museums and saw the cable car that goes from one side of the city to the next. One site I was so excited to see in Cologne was the Chocolate Museum. Anyone who knows me knows how I love my junk food, so this is a heaven for people like me. You were able to learn about the history of chocolate making and see the process in motion. It was lots of fun. Then we sat in a café by the edge of the Rheine River and just enjoyed the nice weather. Afterwards we took a boat up the river to see some sites. It was a great day. Then on our last day, we went to two of the big art museums in Cologne. The first one is called Museum Ludwig. It has some of the largest collection of Pop Art in the world. I have never seen so many Warhol’s and Lichtenstein’s in one place. Afterwards we went to the Wallraf-Richartz Museum and saw some great paintings. One other amazing site we saw in Cologne was the excavation of an area that used to house the medieval Jewish community, which is one of the oldest in Europe. The town was building a parking lot when they came upon the ruins. Now they have been excavating the site and plan to have a museum here in the future. They found the old synagogue, Mikva (ritual bath) and homes belonging to the Jewish shop owners. It was so interesting to see that they even know who lived in these homes because they had records from these old days. I highly recommend this city to anyone who comes to Holland or Germany. Penny, thanks for a great trip!!! (One other interesting note- As we waited in the Cologne train station to go home, we saw a machine where you can check in your luggage for a few hours while you can go explore the city. I have never seen something like this. It is self-service and takes your luggage away and then stores in some place in the station and then you go back with a ticket to retrieve. I have seen places where you can store luggage, but never anything automatic. Was fascinating)

Pictures from the cruise

Rome

Crete

Turkey

Athens

Sicily

European Cruise 2011

So after last summer’s fun cruise we decided to do another one this summer, but instead explore the East Mediterranean. We researched many of the different cruise lines and the perfect one happened to be on the same boat we were on last year. We figured a year later they should have different shows/entertainment and why not go again. One of the places I have always wanted to visit is Pompeii, Italy and with the cruise leaving from Rome we were able to arrange to spend a day in Pompeii, which was amazing. We flew to Naples and made our way to Pompeii. Of course it was rush hour and we found ourselves on a commuter train with no A/C on a hot day, but it was worth it. We picked a hotel across the street from the excavation site as we were going to be there on the Sabbath. On Saturday we spent about 4 hours just walking around the site, which is something interesting to see. We took many mental pictures because couldn’t use our cameras on the Sabbath. We bought a guide book, so we would have pictures of the things we saw. It is really just an excavation site and every day they are excavating more ruins. I was a bit disappointed because as Scott says I was looking for a “Disney” experience. I thought would have been nice to have some introductory videos or museums with artifacts around the ruins, but that is not the case. But in reality that is what makes the site so interesting that what you see is what was around thousands of years ago. You can also see Mount Vesuvius from which the lava and ash flowed which destroyed Pompeii. Saturday night we walked around and were followed by stray dogs as they roamed the streets. I obviously was terrified, so that didn’t make for a fun experience, but what can you do. I am so happy was able to see one of the places on my travel wish list.

On Sunday we took a train from Pompeii to the port in Rome to leave on our cruise. On last year’s cruise we were so exhausted the first day because we had an early flight that morning, but this year as we arrived from Italy we were awake and were able to experience all the boat offered on the first day. We started with some fruity drinks and watched as the ship sailed off into the Mediterranean. On Monday we stopped in Sicily, Italy and made our way with one of the shore excursion to Taormina, Italy. This is right near Mount Etna, which is an active volcano and you can see it steaming from the stop. It actually had a mild eruption a few days before we arrived. It was an interesting site with some old Greek/Roman ruins and we even saw a building with a Jewish star on it, which may have been an old synagogue, and now is the local police precinct. Scott bought me an interesting bracelet made from volcanic rock. It was a lovely site high in the mountains, which I recommend. Then Tuesday was a sailing day, so we got to enjoy all that the boat had to offer. We sat by the pool and heard a lecture on the history of art from ancient to modern. You may not know but Scott is very into art and is trying to make me more of an art lover. Then we played some bingo and just relaxed. Wednesday was the highlight of the trip, Athens, Greece. We got off the boat very early and made our way to the Acropolis. Thankfully we got there before all the tour groups, so got some amazing pictures. The Parthenon was an incredible site. The scope and beauty of it was fascinating. Afterwards we made our way to the New Acropolis Museum, which was set up to hold the artifacts taken from the Acropolis. Many are in the British Museum and Greece hopes they will get the items back now that they have a brand new museum to exhibit them. Then we headed to see some more ruins and then made our way to the Jewish Museum of Athens. It was so sad to see how most of the Jewish community was decimated during WWII. Many communities that were vibrant for thousands of years, no longer exist. Finally we made our way to the local Hard Rock Café, because Scott collects pins from all over the world, so always try and stop in them during our travels. Would you believe that they ran out of guitar pins, so we bought a random one to remember our travels there. Then we just walked around, got some Starbucks and enjoyed the lovely atmosphere of Athens. The only time we could see some remnants of the riots was we went to the main post office to send out postcards and the whole place was boarded up because it is across from the Parliament, where many of the protests take place. We saw this and quickly went in the opposite direction. Was a great day in Athens and I think this was one of our favorite places on the trip. Thursday was our day in Turkey. We took one of the boat excursions to Ephesus, which is one of the ancient Seven Wonders of the World. It is a site of old ruins. Very fascinating to see what remains. We also learned all about Turkey from our tour guide, how it is one of the most modern Muslim countries. We also had a carpet/rug demonstration because Turkey is famous for its hand woven rugs. We explored the streets by the port, which were filled with shops selling counterfeit products. There are no laws against this, so all luxurious brands are copied. Was a fun day and afterwards we played some miniature golf on the boat. Friday we were back in Greece on the Island of Crete. Here we visited an old Maritime Museum, which was interesting but it had no A/C which is hard when it is over 90 degrees outside. The island also has a Synagogue. We made sure to visit and were sad to see that only last year there were two arson attacks on the Synagogue. This was a lovely island and was lots of fun. Saturday again we just relaxed on the boat. Sat by the pool, read and watched the day’s activities go by. Who would think it would be fun to watch a male belly flop contest!!! We met very interesting people on the boat from all over the world and our luggage came home filled with boxes of Fruit Loops, packets of mayo and hot chocolate packets. Hard to walk away from free kosher food that can’t get in Holland. Sunday we got off the boat and made our way to Rome. We decided to take a shuttle from the airport to the site we wanted to see and it turns out we were the last stop, so actually got a driving tour to see all the famous sites. We decided to go to the Castel St Angelo as we had both been to Rome a few times and seen most of the famous places. This castle was actually very interesting and from the top you got to see sweeping views of Rome from the Vatican side. Afterwards we walked over to the Pantheon and Piazza Navona and then made our way to our favorite kosher restaurant, BaGhetto Kosher. Here you can order a meat platter for two, which for us after a year of living away from the US is heavenly. Beef, Lamb and chicken on one plate with French fries, how can you go wrong!! This was a great way to end our trip. We had an amazing vacation. One of our best, maybe besides Australia. We recommend this cruise to anyone wanting to see these places in Europe. Now we need to figure out our next adventure. I know I am off to Cologne, Germany with a friend in the next few weeks . . .


Pics next posting.

Vienna

Between Paris and our trip to Vienna, we experienced another Jewish holiday in The Hague, Shavout (Shavuot began as a harvest festival, but it also commemorates the revelation at Sinai and the giving of the Torah.) (source- http://www.myjewishlearning.com/holidays/Jewish_Holidays/Shavuot.shtml0) I find that holidays are some of the hardest times to be away from family, but it was actually a very nice experience celebrating with our new friends in The Hague. The first day the synagogue had a lunch, which we enjoyed and the second day we had 9 people at our house for lunch. We always like to entertain in our home and it was lots of fun.

A few days after the holiday, Scott went off to Dubai for work. What an experience for him. He said it reminded him of Las Vegas with all the lights and new construction. He had the opportunity to go to the top of the tallest building in the world and while he was there he was able to clearly see the solar eclipse. He flew via Vienna, so we had decided to make a mini trip to Vienna on his way home. I met him there on Friday. He was there before me, so set out to buy some food for us for Shabbos and he went to an art museum. Then we met up and took a tram tour around the city. Vienna is so beautiful and most sites are within walking distance. Friday night we want to Sabbath services in one of the oldest synagogues in the city and then had dinner in a kosher restaurant. The interior of the synagogue was lovely and it was so nice to see such a large turnout of people of all ages for services. The rest of the weekend was spent visiting the famous Vienna Hofburg and Schoenbrunn palaces, some art museums, Sigmund Freud's house, one of the city’s Jewish museums (which was the site of a synagogue from 1492 before the Jews were expelled from the city) and we even went to see the famous ballet Giselle at the Vienna Opera House. On Sunday we had lunch at one of the kosher restaurants and actually had kosher Chinese food. It was amazing. We had such a great weekend and immensely enjoyed Vienna. I know Scott would agree that this has been our favorite city we have visited so far. The weather was good, the kosher food was good and the sites were something to see.