Our new ambassador, Howard Gutman, planned a big celebration on July 1st so everyone could participate. In honor of the up-coming Tour De France, he arranged a bike ride from the embassy to the Grande Place with Eddy Merckx leading the pack.
For those of you who do not recognize Belgian Eddy Merckx (and that would be me), many would say he is the greatest and most accomplished cyclist of all times. He won the Tour De France 5 times.
Here's Eddy (he told me to call him that) at the start with Ambassador Gutman.
D was between meetings and in a suit so we could not ride our bikes (like we have bikes) so we walked to the Grande Place and made it at the exact same time as the bicyclers.
Everyone then walked to the Manneken Pis were the Mayor of Brussels joined the group as they unveiled the new Manneen Pis outfit. (L to R: Eddy Merckz, Brussels Mayor Freddy Thielemans, cute bicyclist, wife of the Ambassador, and Ambassador Gutman).
The theme for the US and Belgium's partnership is "Our Future Together". The Manneken Pis always has a curtain before the big unveil.
TA-DA……..
During the first few seconds of the unveil his little pisser shoots WAY out into the crowd. Which is good to know otherwise you could get drenched!
With the slogan "Yes We Can" on his hat and if you look closely he has both the US and the Belgian flag in his hand.
After the big event everyone went back to the embassy where there was a large tent set up with food and drinks and the Embassy/Nato band Article 5 played.
Doesn't he does look presidential ? I know his mom and mother-in-law both think so : )
We hope everyone had a fun 4th of July celebration too!
We had a perfect day, sunny blue skies, and the flowers were at their peak. I was the happiest person in the park…..D was the most unhappy!
D hates the Keukenhof Gardens. He promised me last year, that this year, no matter what he would take me. And he kept his promise! What should have be a two and a half hours drive took us four hours. So this meant my time was very limited……..
Two and half hours to be exact! I ran from flower to flower…….I took 963 photos and this included time for a quick lunch.
I am very happy with the photos I took and ABSOLUTELY I would go next year. D said only if I plan to go with someone else : )
If you would like to see more colorful flowers visit the slide show I created with our new Mac computer….what do you think? I wish it were larger.
This trip started as a business trip for D. He had a conference in Madrid and then we were going to spend a several days in the south of Spain. The conference was canceled due to the volcano ash, but since we had such cheap flights we went anyway and WOW was it a fabulous trip! One article I read described Andalusia as having raw passion.
It is a unique place with an exotic mix of Spanish, Jewish, Gypsy, and Moor influences. The landscape is dotted with olive trees, castles, and white-washed villages.
Our flight landed early evening but we wanted to get a jump start on the five-hour drive south so I selected a little town for the night that was an hour and a half drive from the airport. What was intended to be just a place to sleep ended up being a hidden gem!
A spectacular sight right outside of our B&B was the famous windmills immortalized in Miguel Cervantes' Don Quixote, written in the late sixteenth century.
The story goes that Don Quixote saw the windmills and thought they were giants; the sails were the giant's arms. His sidekick Sancho tried to tell him they were windmills, but he tried to battle them anyway.
What we found interesting was that we never read about or had ever seen photos of the windmills.
They truly were a unique site and didn't we luck out on this perfect blue-skied day!
We arrived on a Monday, the day most restaurants are closed. We found one that was open but they were only serving one type of tapas (an appetizer or small snack in Spain). D ordered a beer, a lemonade ale for me, and the tapas dish. The bill… 2.10 euros. That is less than $3!!
A few interesting tidbits about Spain; despite all the news about the financial crisis in their country, we found it to be thriving with a lot of road and home/building construction. People are very friendly and welcoming.
They also take VERY long breaks in the day where EVERYTHING shuts down for their siesta from 2:00 to 5:00!
During lunch, up until the break is over at 5:00, tapas are served. And then they do not eat dinner until 9:00 (at the earliest). Restaurants do not open until then.Eating really can be a challenge. So we ate lots of tapas!
They love their Jamon Iberico (cured ham) considered to be a "culinary treasure". The most desired is from the black Iberico pig that was raised on acorns. It is cured between 24 and 36 months. Iberico ham is one of D's favorites. Here's the selection in the grocery store.
Most of the bars and restaurants will hang the hams for all to see. Note the little cones that are on the bottom, this is to catch the fat drippings.
Enough tidbits….let's get on with the trip. We headed south for the Andalusia region of Spain. The landscape is said to be just about as close to paradise as possible. And we certainly agree. It was absolutely breathtaking and probably one of the prettiest we have ever seen.
Spain is the world's leading olive and olive oil producer and distributor. There are over 300 million olive trees in Spain. All of them perfectly spaced and perfectly manicured.
About 80% of the olive trees are in Andalusia, the area we were in. They are very slow growing and produce fruit after fifteen years; up to 140 years. There are approximately 260 different types of olive trees. The best oil to buy – extra virgin.
The poppy flowers (red streak in photo above) were in bloom – one of my favorites, but oh so hard to photograph.
We decided to have a picnic lunch during our drive so we stopped at a little store that sold bread and cheese. The cheese we selected needed cut. So in our best Spanish, we asked the grandma running the shop if she could cut it for us. She pulled me behind the counter, handed me the knife and showed me that she was too shaky to cut it. Classic!
We stayed at La Haza, a 250-year-old traditional cortijo (old farm house) nestled in acres of olive trees. We stayed here four nights as it was a good location to explore the area.
We did the "white-washed" village drive and stopped at many of the small towns famous for their narrow cobble stoned streets and slow-pace of life.
The drive was somewhat overwhelming visually as there was so much to take in. Every twist and turn had unusual sites and views from goat herders with their flocks,
to hairpin turns on a twisted road with breathtaking views,
to tiny perched towns with churches that sit on top like icing on a cake.
We had one full day as "nature day" {oh joy}. We started off by visiting a colony of pink flamingos at Fuente de Piedra Lagoon, one of the largest lagoons in Spain.
The reason the flamingos go to this lagoon is that it has a very high salt content. It is one of the only places in Europe were they breed. The are here in the spring and summer and fly to Africa for the winter.
We have never seen real pink flamingos so it was very exciting.
Next we went to the Lobos Wolf Park.
The wolves are raised by humans, meaning bottle-fed but then are left to live in their natural setting with the pack. They are in fenced areas but are free to roam very large spaces.
The main reason the husband and wife team set up the park was to study the wolves and their social behavior. It was a very interesting tour, especially watching them being fed.
They also have a few other animals including these two pot belly pigs…..which I could not resit taking a photo of.
How about a kiss?
Our last site for nature day was the stunning El Torcal Nature Reserve known for it's unusual limestone rock formation.
It is said to be 150 million years old and there we were…walking all over it! There were unusual colorful flowers sprinkled along the path.
This vibrant green is dramatic.
Including wild orchids (they said there are 30 varieties of orchids in the park, we only saw one). I have never seen an orchid growing in the wild.
D's climbing instinct kicked in, and no matter what shoes he's wearing, he will climb. Look carefully and you will see him hanging on the side of the rock.
Me on the other hand am just happy to be hiking in my dress,,,,,,wait does this face show "happy to be hiking?" I don't think so.
I have to admit – this place was amazing, just look at how vast it is. Look very close – you can see a wee-me in the photo below.
On our way down the mountain, our drive was delayed….
by sheep! We have seen this many times before but we still find it very humorous. I was so excited I jumped out bare-footed to take photos!
How many sheep can you count in this photo?
I know…..you are asking how many sheep photos is she going to post……but this photo is just so cute, I had to post just one more.
As we drove down the road (and I put my shoes on) we wished that our viewers could hear all their bells jingling as they crossed the road. Well lucky you! We came across another flock and this time we recorded them. Make sure your volume is on.
On to our next adventure, the town of Rhonda. Described as majestic, the town is split right down the middle by the El Tajo Gorge.
Rhonda is also know as the birthplace for modern bull fighting.
Our third B&B was in one of the little white washed towns, Arcos de la Frontera, built on the edge of a cliff.
What a challenge to park in this town. Well, actually parking was second to driving. These were BY FAR the smallest streets we have ever driven on. We had a small car, but even with this, we had to pull in the side view mirrors to go down the street.
We wanted to show just HOW small the streets were so we took this shot after we went down the road and parked!
It is amazing how the towns hang off the side of the cliffs, like they could tumble down at any minute. Our B&B was on this cliff – just off center to the left, white with two windows.
It was a converted palace built in 1729. The roof top was an open terrace and was the entrance to our room. It was magical at night.
The neighboring town of Jerez is know for it's sherry, horses, and flamenco dancers. While we were there, we visited the sherry bodegas of Lustau, which is D's favorite.
We arrived and the sign on the door said no tours without a reservation. D was so disappointed. A women came out and asked us if we would like a tour (D was dressed up that day, and I think this helped).
They still make sherry like they have for the last hundred years and store it in barrels in their huge cellars that look like a church with arched ceilings. The high ceilings are used to help control the humidity.
At the end of the tour we had a tasting of five sherries, one brandy, and a vinegar. We bought two bottles and a vinegar. We were limited to how much we could carry in our suitcase : ).
As for the Flamenco dancers, we did not get to see any but their colorful presence could be seen throughout the region.
Our funnest meal was at La Taberna de Boabdil, a restaurant our B&B recommended. As I mentioned before, dinner in Spain does not start until 9 and we entered this one at 8 so we were the only one in the restaurant.
What a crazy place, set in a cave. Because we were the only diners – the owner/chef really gave us a lot of attention. The food was a delight and unusual mix of Jewish, Moroccan, and Mediterranean. It was served in small portions and drinks with each serving…..here the chef is pouring tea.
By the end of the night we were still the only couple! It was as if we hired the chef to cook a private meal for us. He was very friendly and gave me a big hug when we left.
Cemeteries around the world are always very fascinating. Each country has such different ways of burying. This one has, by far, the most beautiful view we have ever seen.
They also are unique in that they are buried in condo-like structures and at the front they place flowers, photos, mementos, etc.
All of our B&B were charming with lots of personality, but the last was the most impressive – a farm where they raise bulls for the bull fights.
It has been in the family for over 100 years as a bull farm and training facility (bull ring below).
Two years ago it was transformed into a B&B. The owner did a brilliant job of making this a luxurious place to stay. Nothing but the best linens, soaps and fresh roses in the rooms.
The grounds of the farm were also….I am running out of words to describe Spain's beauty….how about magnificent?
Extremely colorful?
Stupendous?
We took a tour of the farm and got to feed a few of the bulls. You can tell by my posture I am ready to make a dash if need be!
Donald was a little more relaxed.
This guy was not quite as friendly!
A peaceful shot taken in the early evening
Hey, what about me. I put lipstick on for the photo and everything!
and last but not least, my favorite photo of D, thinking so intently…..blackberry and i pod, one in each hand.
Disclosure….we actually forgot the good camera so all photos were taken with our two little point and shoots. But this did not slow us down….we took 2183 photos!!!!! This may be a record.
What you say…you would like to see MORE of the 2183 photos? : ) Check out the album in the upper right hand corner at the beginning of this page. Enjoy!
The Mannekin Pis changes his outfit frequently, but each outfit is usually only on display for a few hours.He has hundreds of outfits. When a new outfit is being introduced, there is always a celebration.
This one was in honor of Portugal.
There was dancing….
And music…..
and drinking – they were giving out sample of Port wine, a very special drink from Portugal.
And of course, Jean-Pierre was there.
He is at EVERY Brussels event – even events that have nothing to do with the Manneken Pis. He is a blast to watch as he has replica of the Manneken Pis and he wheels it around the city. When people come up to look at it…..
He "pees" on them with water! He was especially funny on this day as he was perched on the corner and he was spraying cars as they went by. This is a very crowded intersection so the cars have to come to a complete stop to make the turn.
This is when he gets them! Everyone was getting a good laugh, even the people IN the cars!
Always a fun time to see the Manneken Pis get a new outfit!
Fortunately for us, this trip was a "drive" trip, otherwise we would not have been able to get a flight out due to all flights being grounded as a result of the volcano. Our first stop was the historic town of Trier which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It was a Roman colony from the 1st century AD and is considered the oldest city in Germany. Here we are at the Ancient Imperial Roman Baths, built in the 4th century during Constantine's rule.
The gate to the city is called the Porta Nigra or Black Gate. It was built in 180 AD – isn't that amazing? Do you think they had ice cream back then?
It was a beautiful day and everyone was out and about, even the street performers. He had one of the best costumes we have ever seen on a street mime.
Always give them a handful of change as they will do fun little skits. Oh la la!
On to our B&B in a little town called Wehlen.
It had 7 rooms and was a winery, S.A. Pruem Winery. It is the yellow house on the left and it has a front-yard view of the Moselle River. The Moselle River runs through Germany, France, and Luxembourg.
Check out the view from our window, and ladies, check out that "twist" : )
We enjoyed a wine tasting and a tour of the B&B winery. Below, D is sampling the wines with the owner's daughter. We learned that there are some very good dry German wines and not all of them are sweet.
This winery has been in the same family since 1156 and has some of the oldest vines in the world with the roots dating back 2000 years to Roman times! Wines have been commercially produced for 200 years here. One reason all of the wines are such high quality is the characteristics of the soil which consists of very finely decomposed blue slate dating back to the Devonian era.
They store their wines in dark, cool, moist vaulted cellars in aged "Fuderfassen" (large wood barrels of 1,000-liter capacity) They have 150 of these barrels.
The next day we visited Bernkastel – Kues, a quintessential German village just down the river. It had medieval timbered homes
and brightly painted homes with words and pictures on the side – both very common to this area.
From the town center we followed a path through the woods to the ruined Landshut Castle built in the 13 century. In 1696 a fire broke out and left it in ruins – as it sits today.
There were equally impressive views looking out of the castle.
It was a quiet place to take a break and take in the beautiful scenery.
The hike to the castle worked up our appetites so we headed back to the town to enjoy and outdoor cafe. As you can see, I have my gloves and a blanket – it was still a bit chilly.
We were so excited as they had one of our very favorite German specialties, Flammekueche – a thin- crusted pizza covered with lardons (bacon), creme fraiche, and onions. It doesn't get much better than this!
Well, except for Flammekueche and a glass of wine!
This was taken at sunset…..they said we were suppose to have beautiful sunsets due to the Volcano in Iceland.
The next day at 9:30 am we headed out for another castle and just a few doors down from our B&B we saw these men bottling their wine by hand. D pulled around the corner and told me to go back and take a photo – I told him he had to go take the photo. He said no – I have to do it "for the blog".
For the blog…..but of course I will do it for the Blog! So off I go…. The men above are filling the bottle with the wine. The man below is corking them.
D was sitting in the car…….10 minutes had gone by. He was guessing things were going well……GOING WELL? I'd say…
They handed me a glass, filled it up with the tube and handed me a bottle…..I was having a grand time flirting with a bunch of German men who spoke very little English. And did you catch that it was 9:30 AM??? I drank my glass, thanked them and bounced back into the car. Really I was bouncing after chugging a glass of wine at 9:30! But it was all "for the blog"!!
This was the wine I was tasting.
On to the castle, the Berg Eltz. We had to hike one mile into the forest to get to it. It was a nice walk – all down hill.
As we took a turn – we could begin to see the castle through the trees. The Berg Castle was built in 1157 and has been in the same family for 850 years! It was also never destroyed by any fires or invasions.
It was a beautiful castle and very well preserved on the inside with furnishings. Unfortunately no photos inside.
Did you know that when you walk one mile downhill to see a castle – the mile back is all UPHILL!
I almost died at the Berg Castle. But I was looking cute hiking in a dress. All I needed was high heels to be a real European : )
Here are a few other castle and ruins we saw driving around. They tower over the romantic wine villages and vineyards. The large castle is Cochem Castle.
It was a beautiful day and we were able to drive with the top down. We had a great view of the para-sailors. They were so many of them sailing the skies. These were taken as we were driving!
The vines were bare, but still a beautiful site. They twist like ribbons through the countryside.
It was absolutely amazing to see how steep the vineyards are. The vines go all the way to the top of this slope. The higher up the grapes are grown, the more prestigious and expensive the bottle is. They are said to be the steepest vineyards in the world.
It is very common for people to hike among the vines. I was too tired after my hike to the castle : )
We took a little nap by the river instead. The almond blossoms were in full bloom.
On Sunday we explored our sweet little town. D loved to watch the barges go by. In the late afternoon we would take a glass of wine down and sit by the river and watch the barges.
There were many wineries in our neighborhood where you could taste and buy wine. We visited this one as we thought it looked so quaint.
An older couple owned it and they did not speak one word of English. But we manged to get a wine tasting….
and a glass of wine….
which we drank in their lovely courtyard. We purchased several bottles from them, the Fredrich-Kern winery. It was started in 1753 and is also still in the same family!
There were life-sized sculptures of people throughout all of the villages. They were very funny as they looked so real from a distance.
We sure would have liked to have driven this around for the day..
We had a wonderful weekend in the Moselle Valley and hope to visit in the fall when the towns really comes alive with color and wine festivals!
My cousin Maria and her two sons Liam (14) and Sean (12) came to visit us over their spring break from school. Every day was jammed packed and we had a blast!
Day 1: They arrived on Good Friday. We picked them up very early at the airport and after a shower, food, and a quick nap, we took them on a train to see the stately Beersell Castle.
Built around 1300 out of red brick, vs stone like most castles of this time, it is one of Flanders greatest medieval castles. Today it is just a shell, but so much fun to run around in.
We were the only people there which made it even more special. D ran ahead and discovered the torture chamber. The rest of us were startled when we walked into the room and found him on the torture rack.
I've got my cousin right where I want her…I shall operate on her brain!!
I shall stretch you until you give me the secret information!
We saw the funniest sign outside of the castle – Beware! Frog Crossing. Unfortunately, we did not see any frogs crossing.
Day 2: It was all about eating. We took them to our local market where Sean and Liam started the day off with waffles.
Next we visited The Grande Place, the Manneken Pis, the Jeanneke Pis, etc… and ate doner kebabs for lunch.
Cousins, but people think we are sisters.
The boys in the chocolate shop.
As always, there were crazy things going on.
We ran into two "Hen-dos" (bachelorette parties in the US) where the bride's friends dress her up and make her beg for money. Sean's was a dentist and although she looked like the more risque one……Liam's had very naughty giveaways in her basket!
We had to introduce them to the Famous Brussels Pommes Frites (French Fries). Did you know that the French fry was invented in Belgium not France?
After a long day of eating and walking – everyone was hungry! So we stopped for more waffles and ice cream!
Maria did not order anything – but she sure kept stealing bites from Sean!
Believe it or not – we all ate a big roasted chicken for dinner that night.
Just as we were getting ready to leave for the Easter service, Sean pulled out his dress pants and he had packed the wrong pair – they were 6 inches too long! You can guess that Maria was NOT happy! We had to do a quick tape job….Which had us all laughing!
That evening we went to the Cathedral of St Michael in Brussels (built 1047), for an Easter service – a Gregorian Chant. When we arrived the church was dark.
The priests walked in with very large candles and each of us had a candle which was lit from the large ones. The first 15 minutes was in candlelight. It was very special. I had to snap a photo (I know I know – not during the service!). Blurry since I couldn't use a flash, but still interesting.
Day 3: Easter Sunday. Maria, Sean and Liam went to another Cathedral for noon service. We then ate a big lunch of Cassoulet and speculoos and chocolate bread pudding for dessert. We then took a long walk in a neighborhood we knew was lively for a holiday.
and some are lively no matter where they are!
We ate on the coffee table in the family room while we watched top chef, a British cooking competition show.
Day 4: Maria, Liam, Sean and I hopped on the train to Ghent.
We visited the Gravensteen Castle built in 1180 and walked to the top of the Belfry (built 1313).
We had lunch at a nice Dutch restaurant. It was Easter Monday, a holiday in Belgium, so most everything else was closed.
Liam had what he declared the best waffle of the trip and after him eating 10 I trust his opinion! Maria, Sean and I opted for Speculoos Mc Flurry's – Sean favorite sweet of the trip!
That evening the boys played several hands of cards.
Day 5: Brugge – a perfect day to visit one of the most beautiful towns in Europe.
Everywhere you look is a photographic opportunity. This lake is referred to as the Lake of Love.
An artist taking advantage of the beautiful street scene. Think D will be in his painting?
Liam had borrowed Donald's sweater and scarf as it was a little chilly. He decided he wanted to buy a scarf to take home. We found this one and Donald gave him the sweater. He is now looking very European!
I love this photo Maria took of me and D.
A break for a beer…. some of us enjoyed ice cream instead.
and one last group photo!
Day 6: We ate at our local pub and shopped for chocolates and gifts, and went to the Instrument Museum. That afternoon, we went to the Wednesday food market and enjoyed a glass of champagne – A toast to a wonderful vacation!
We hope to see Maria, Liam, and Sean next year during spring break!
We went to Paris for four days last week for business. Since I have shared many photos of our trips to Paris, I thought it might be fun to take all of my photos in black and white.
The XtraSuitcase 
