I discovered the Turkish kebab on my trip with the Chorus to New Zealand. We were told by the locals to try them... and we hesitantly did. They were so good, that we ate them any time we were out in town and could find a shop. On Thursday morning, riding the shuttle into the city, I spotted a kebab shop right across the street from where the shuttle would drop us and pick us up that evening. I was thinking about eating a kebab all day long.
I couldn't describe them to Barry, so he was a little hesitant, but what he said to describe them made sense. It's a burrito, but with lamb and Mediterranean seasonings.
The kebab part comes from the way they cook the meat. In these fast food restaurants that are scattered all over the world (except in the states), they roast the lamb meat on a big skewer, like a modern rotisserie. When you order the kebab, they shave the meat off the roast so that it tastes hot and fresh.
The meal consists of a tortilla or thin pita that doesn't taste really like any tortilla we have in the states. I'm not sure how it's made. On this flat bread is put cabbage or lettuce, tomatoes, shaved meat from the roast, peppers, and sauces.
Yogurt originated in Turkey. The main sauces they put on the kebab are a yogurt sauce and then a chili pepper sauce. It makes the kebab juicy and spicy, and delicious.
This is then rolled up at both ends and folded over, like you would fold a burrito. Yummo...
Friday, December 7, 2007
Roman Holiday Part 3: more sites
On Thursday, we ate a leisurely breakfast at the hotel, and again rode the shuttle into the city.
We toured St. Peter's Basilica which is the main part that people think of when they think of the Vatican. Vatican City is a city and country of it's own, and the gates are guarded by soldiers of the Swiss army guard. St. Peter's is a massive cathedral at the back of a plaza surrounded by arcs of columns. In the center of the plaza are 2 fountains and a statue.
To enter St. Peters is free, but you do have to pass through metal detectors. The inside of the building is much like the other cathedrals we visited in Rome, but larger and in some areas more ornate. The side corridors contain many small chapels, each with its own dedication. The artwork on the walls and domed ceilings of these chapels centers around its dedication. Some of the chapels are actually tombs for previous popes or royalty.
In the middle front area of the cathedral is the staircase going down to St. Peter's tomb. It is covered by a massive sculptured structure, like a tent but without fabric. The very front area is the altar and its decoration and is where the masses are performed. We happened to be there right at noon while they were performing a mass for a group of American students from many different states. We stood at the back of the seated areas for about 10 minutes to see what it was about. One of the priests sang something in Latin (I assume), and they had several readers of scripture, who surprisingly, were women. I didn't expect that. Also, one of the scripture sections that was read was from 1st Maccabeus and was about courage.
The architecture and artwork were truly magnificent, especially since in America we can't seem to build buildings that last more than 50 years without looking decrepit.
The Vatican museums were closed on Thursday, so we decided to see more of the sites we'd missed the day before.
We walked down the street in front of St. Peter's to Castle St. Angelo, which was built by Roman Emperor Hadrian to serve as a mausoleum for himself and his family. It is a cylindrical building and still has the original ramp that the Roman's built to go up into the courtyard areas. The castle also has great views from its walls of all the surrounding areas, including St. Peter's Basilica.
We then walked across the river to more piazzas and more small churches.
At the end of the day, we ate a meal I've been craving ever since my trip with the HU chorus to Australia and New Zealand. Turkish Kebabs. I'm going to write a whole other blog post to describe them, because I like them so much. Then for dessert, we went to the bakery next door to the kebab shop, and I got a cannoli filled with delicious marscarpone cheese cream filling. It was very delicious. Barry had a delicious, and heavy, lemon tart.
We were still enjoying Rome, and still had so much to see.
We toured St. Peter's Basilica which is the main part that people think of when they think of the Vatican. Vatican City is a city and country of it's own, and the gates are guarded by soldiers of the Swiss army guard. St. Peter's is a massive cathedral at the back of a plaza surrounded by arcs of columns. In the center of the plaza are 2 fountains and a statue.
To enter St. Peters is free, but you do have to pass through metal detectors. The inside of the building is much like the other cathedrals we visited in Rome, but larger and in some areas more ornate. The side corridors contain many small chapels, each with its own dedication. The artwork on the walls and domed ceilings of these chapels centers around its dedication. Some of the chapels are actually tombs for previous popes or royalty.
In the middle front area of the cathedral is the staircase going down to St. Peter's tomb. It is covered by a massive sculptured structure, like a tent but without fabric. The very front area is the altar and its decoration and is where the masses are performed. We happened to be there right at noon while they were performing a mass for a group of American students from many different states. We stood at the back of the seated areas for about 10 minutes to see what it was about. One of the priests sang something in Latin (I assume), and they had several readers of scripture, who surprisingly, were women. I didn't expect that. Also, one of the scripture sections that was read was from 1st Maccabeus and was about courage.
The architecture and artwork were truly magnificent, especially since in America we can't seem to build buildings that last more than 50 years without looking decrepit.
The Vatican museums were closed on Thursday, so we decided to see more of the sites we'd missed the day before.
We walked down the street in front of St. Peter's to Castle St. Angelo, which was built by Roman Emperor Hadrian to serve as a mausoleum for himself and his family. It is a cylindrical building and still has the original ramp that the Roman's built to go up into the courtyard areas. The castle also has great views from its walls of all the surrounding areas, including St. Peter's Basilica.
We then walked across the river to more piazzas and more small churches.
At the end of the day, we ate a meal I've been craving ever since my trip with the HU chorus to Australia and New Zealand. Turkish Kebabs. I'm going to write a whole other blog post to describe them, because I like them so much. Then for dessert, we went to the bakery next door to the kebab shop, and I got a cannoli filled with delicious marscarpone cheese cream filling. It was very delicious. Barry had a delicious, and heavy, lemon tart.
We were still enjoying Rome, and still had so much to see.
Thursday, December 6, 2007
Roman Holiday Part 2: So Many Sites to See
Wednesday we slept in a little, and prepared for walking all over Rome. Our feet, though sore, were starting to get used to walking on the cobblestone sidewalks of Europe's streets.
We took the shuttle into the city, and promptly hopped on the Metro to the east side of Rome so we could walk westward throughout the day back to our shuttle stop.
The sites started with the basilica of St. Giovanni (St. John in English). It was a large cathedral, and had many art works. I'm glad we saw it first though, because it wasn't nearly as nice as the cathedrals we'd see later.
We then walked down a main street toward the Colosseum. One of the most impressive things is that you can see it coming from 1/2 a mile away. It's a grand site to see peaking out on the horizon as you look down the street.
The Colosseum itself was a marvelous structure to view. It was so large, and so much of it is still in tact. The stone structure itself was as large as I'd imagined, yet the stadium floor area was smaller than expected. It was a little larger than the floor of a modern basketball arena. The floor was only partially built out from the walls, to give you a view of what it would look like, but also to expose to you the maze of hallways and cages under the floor. It was interesting to think how many people would go there for various events, some of them against their will.
We walked up the hill past the Arch of Constantine, the Arch of Titus, and into the heart of the Roman forum. I'd say it is a 1/2 mile long and very wide area of Roman ruins. It's just amazing to think how small our lifetimes are on the continuum of time.
The Pantheon was our next stop. Having seen the replica of the Pantheon in Nashville, TN, this stop was not what I expected. The Pantheon in Rome was turned into a Cathedral by the Catholic church in the 7th century. So instead of statues to Roman gods and goddesses, there are now statues of saints, artists, and royalty. How different is it really??? But I guess we can make good or bad of any situation. But I found the architecture of the building intriguing, especially the open hole in the domed roof, which is for the prayers to ascend to the heavens.
As we walked through the streets of Rome, we stopped in several smaller cathedrals all adorned in gold and marble, with centuries old artwork throughout. Each was another picture of the Catholic church's history and teachings. It was easy to see the stories told by many of the works of art. The biblical stories that are meant to inspire the next generation to learn about God.
We had eaten pasta for lunch, so we stopped at a pizza shop for dinner. It was delicious pizza. Roman style pizzerias are mostly like any deli in America. They stock the counter behind glass with pizza which is rectangle. When you ask for a piece, they cut off a smaller rectangle, and heat it for you in a small oven. It was a cheap good meat. It made me wonder about all the health codes we have in the states... these pizzas had been sitting out for who knows how long. But we're still alive, so I guess it was okay.
We were very tired from all the walking and picture taking we'd done. And there was still so much more to see...
We took the shuttle into the city, and promptly hopped on the Metro to the east side of Rome so we could walk westward throughout the day back to our shuttle stop.
The sites started with the basilica of St. Giovanni (St. John in English). It was a large cathedral, and had many art works. I'm glad we saw it first though, because it wasn't nearly as nice as the cathedrals we'd see later.
We then walked down a main street toward the Colosseum. One of the most impressive things is that you can see it coming from 1/2 a mile away. It's a grand site to see peaking out on the horizon as you look down the street. 
The Colosseum itself was a marvelous structure to view. It was so large, and so much of it is still in tact. The stone structure itself was as large as I'd imagined, yet the stadium floor area was smaller than expected. It was a little larger than the floor of a modern basketball arena. The floor was only partially built out from the walls, to give you a view of what it would look like, but also to expose to you the maze of hallways and cages under the floor. It was interesting to think how many people would go there for various events, some of them against their will.
We walked up the hill past the Arch of Constantine, the Arch of Titus, and into the heart of the Roman forum. I'd say it is a 1/2 mile long and very wide area of Roman ruins. It's just amazing to think how small our lifetimes are on the continuum of time.
The Pantheon was our next stop. Having seen the replica of the Pantheon in Nashville, TN, this stop was not what I expected. The Pantheon in Rome was turned into a Cathedral by the Catholic church in the 7th century. So instead of statues to Roman gods and goddesses, there are now statues of saints, artists, and royalty. How different is it really??? But I guess we can make good or bad of any situation. But I found the architecture of the building intriguing, especially the open hole in the domed roof, which is for the prayers to ascend to the heavens.As we walked through the streets of Rome, we stopped in several smaller cathedrals all adorned in gold and marble, with centuries old artwork throughout. Each was another picture of the Catholic church's history and teachings. It was easy to see the stories told by many of the works of art. The biblical stories that are meant to inspire the next generation to learn about God.
We had eaten pasta for lunch, so we stopped at a pizza shop for dinner. It was delicious pizza. Roman style pizzerias are mostly like any deli in America. They stock the counter behind glass with pizza which is rectangle. When you ask for a piece, they cut off a smaller rectangle, and heat it for you in a small oven. It was a cheap good meat. It made me wonder about all the health codes we have in the states... these pizzas had been sitting out for who knows how long. But we're still alive, so I guess it was okay.
We were very tired from all the walking and picture taking we'd done. And there was still so much more to see...
Roman Holiday: The Arrival
We arrived in Rome on Tuesday around lunch time. We grabbed lunch at a fast food stand in the train station called Mr. Panini. They were sub style bread with different meats and cheeses. We hopped on the metro to go to the place where the shuttle to our hotel came into town.
Our hotel was a 4 star conference center on the southwest edge of Rome. Being away from the city center, they run a shuttle into the center of the city every hour and a half or so throughout the day. It was a large charter bus, and I'm sure in the summer they fill it up at peak times.
We checked into the hotel and got settled in. Looking at the menu of the hotel, we decided it was too upscale for our tastes... plus it was pricy. So we took the shuttle into town around 6 pm.
We knew from our experiences in Paris that none of the restaurants would be open until 7, so we walked a few blocks to the Vatican city area and saw St. Peter's Basilica all lit up at night. It was a grand site.
Then (and you may think this is strange) we went to a Mexican restaurant I'd seen advertised in a magazine at the hotel. I know, I know... Mexican food when you're in Rome? But you have to understand that we've been in Europe for over 2 months and we really miss spicy, yummy, filling Mexican food. It was a small restaurant run by an immigrant family from Acapulco, Mexico. While it was a little bit different than what we're used to, it was so good to eat salsa that didn't taste like ketchup with peppers and onions in it.
So that was our first night in Rome... Mexican food... and we really enjoyed it.
Our hotel was a 4 star conference center on the southwest edge of Rome. Being away from the city center, they run a shuttle into the center of the city every hour and a half or so throughout the day. It was a large charter bus, and I'm sure in the summer they fill it up at peak times.
We checked into the hotel and got settled in. Looking at the menu of the hotel, we decided it was too upscale for our tastes... plus it was pricy. So we took the shuttle into town around 6 pm.
We knew from our experiences in Paris that none of the restaurants would be open until 7, so we walked a few blocks to the Vatican city area and saw St. Peter's Basilica all lit up at night. It was a grand site.Then (and you may think this is strange) we went to a Mexican restaurant I'd seen advertised in a magazine at the hotel. I know, I know... Mexican food when you're in Rome? But you have to understand that we've been in Europe for over 2 months and we really miss spicy, yummy, filling Mexican food. It was a small restaurant run by an immigrant family from Acapulco, Mexico. While it was a little bit different than what we're used to, it was so good to eat salsa that didn't taste like ketchup with peppers and onions in it.
So that was our first night in Rome... Mexican food... and we really enjoyed it.
Sunday, December 2, 2007
Firenza, Italia
Florence, Italy is a beautiful city in the hilly interior of the country. And those hills made walking the city a little more tiring than walking around Venice.
We got to Florence on Sunday afternoon, and just took some time to rest in the hotel and eat a delicious dinner at a small restaurant.
In fact, most of the restaurants we ate in would be considered small in the USA. Most only seated 25 - 30 people... and I was very thankful that smoking is not allowed in Italian restaurants.
On Monday, we went walking all over the city. We saw many piazzas with statues, and many cathedrals. At this point we were still a bit hesitant about entering the cathedrals as tourists. It seems an odd thing to go into a church to see artwork. But we made our way into several.
We stopped in one small tourist trap of a museum that displayed replicas of Leonardo Da Vinci's inventions. It was interesting to see how many things he thought up, and how similar they are to the working products we have now. Many of the farm equipment and pully systems we know of were right there in his work. He even designed an armored tank for battle.
We visited the Duomo, the large cathedral at the center of Florence. The colored marble stonework on the exterior was impressive. I loved the green against the off-white with terra-cotta colored stones thrown in as borders to different areas. It was a beautifully grand piece of architecture and design. The inside was not nearly as ornate as some of the cathedrals we'd seen, but its simplicity made it more beautiful to me.
We then walked down by the river to another cathedral in another piazza with more statues... thus goes the day when you are in Italy. It was all very attractive and scenic.
Being Monday, the big art museums of the city were closed, so we walked south of the river to the Boboli palace and gardens. The palace and its museum were also closed, but the expansive garden with all its statues and pathways was open. We spent about an hour walking from one end to the other and back. It is on a hilltop, so from several spots we had great views out over the city.It was a long day of walking, but quite enjoyable.
Friday, November 30, 2007
Venezia, Italia
Venice, Italy is a beautiful city. We loved the architecture of the buildings along the narrow streets and the winding canals.
The part of the city we were staying in does not even allow cars. Everything is by foot or by water. Even the "bus" that we took around all day was actually a small ferry boat. The weather was cold and windy, but it was a beautiful day.
We had arrived at the train station at 7:30 am on a sleeper car from Munich. It was odd trying to sleep on the train, but was a unique experience. I don't think I want to do it again. It's worse than sleeping on an airplane because you have to change speeds and sometimes even stop as you go through the towns along the way.
Our hotel in Venice was less than a block away from the train station, so they let us check in and leave our bags there, even though our room wasn't ready yet. They gave us a map and directions to the big tourist things to see.
Side Note: All the hotels we stayed in until Switzerland were 4 star hotels that I booked at really good rates on www.hotwire.com.
So we bought a 12 hour bus pass for the ferry boats and set off to explore the city. We saw the big Piazza San Marco which has some amazing buildings. We saw the opera house, and just enjoyed walking around the city and looking in the shop windows. We wouldn't have dared go in the stores... they were all Gucci, Dulce and Gabbana, and other high end shops. Barry had fun throughout our trip looking at all the high end watches (Rolex, Tag Huer, Cartier, etc).We ate pizza at a late lunch at a restaurant by the main canal. Then we went back to our hotel room for a much needed nap and shower. We went to a small restaurant for dinner that was recommended by our concierge.
Thankfully, we've been in Europe long enough that we weren't surprised by the menu layout or the prices. They always list:
Appetizers 6 - 10 Euros
First Course - soup or pasta - 8 - 12 Euros
Main Course - meat or fish and a side dish - 12 - 15 Euros
Cheese plate - 8 - 10 Euros
Dessert - 5 - 10 Euros
You can see how this would add up quickly as a 5 course meal for 2 people. Usually we would get a first course and a main course, and sometimes dessert. We only got an appetizer if they were cheap and we weren't doing a first course. We were so American! But the waiters never seemed too surprised at our orders. And everyone spoke English very well.
It was a long but beautiful day in Venice. We enjoyed the respite from having to dodge cars, and we enjoyed the small town feel of this big city.
Wednesday, November 28, 2007
Long Trip
We're back in the Netherlands after a long 11 day trip through Europe. We rode lots of trains, ate in lots of restaurants, and saw lots of really old stuff.
I'll blog more about each part of our trip later. Here was our itenerary:
Day 1 - Friday, Nov 16 - leave hotel for train station at 9:30 am for the train station.
Train ride to Munich, Germany (changing trains a couple times) - get to Munich around 6 pm.
Overnight Train from Munich to Venice in a 2 person sleeper compartment. It reminded Barry a little too much of being on the submarine.
Day 2 - Saturday - Arrive in Venice, Italy at 7:30 am.
Dropped our bags at the hotel, and toured Venice all day.
Day 3 - Sunday - Leave on late morning train to Florence, Italy
Day 4 - Monday - walked all over Florence
Day 5 - Tuesday - late morning train to Rome - dinner out in Rome and saw St. Peter's at night
Day 6 - Wednesday - walking tour of Rome - Colloseum, Pantheon, Trevi Fountain, Roman ruins, and lots of cathedrals
Day 7 - Thursday - Happy Thanksgiving - toured St. Peter's Basillica at the Vatican, Castle of St. Angelo, Piazza di Popolo
Day 8 - Friday - Vatican museum which includes the Sistine Chapel, St. Paul's Basillica, more ruins
Day 9 - Saturday - late morning train to Interlaken, Switzerland - changed trains in Milan and got to Interlaken around 8 pm
Day 10 - Sunday - walked all over Interlaken and enjoyed the mountain views
Day 11 - Monday - took panoramic train rides to see different parts of Switzerland
Day 12 - Tuesday, Nov 27 - train ride back to Boekelo, Netherlands - Left Interlaken on train at 9 am, and arrived at our hotel in the netherlands at 9:30 pm. - very long day
It was a beautiful countryside to view from the train during the days. You could actually tell when you entered a new country because the architecture of the houses changed drastically. The people were all very friendly and most spoke English very well. The food was good, sometimes great. We have lots of pictures, and lots of memories.... and we'll never have to do it again. :)
I'll blog more about each part of our trip later. Here was our itenerary:
Day 1 - Friday, Nov 16 - leave hotel for train station at 9:30 am for the train station.
Train ride to Munich, Germany (changing trains a couple times) - get to Munich around 6 pm.
Overnight Train from Munich to Venice in a 2 person sleeper compartment. It reminded Barry a little too much of being on the submarine.
Day 2 - Saturday - Arrive in Venice, Italy at 7:30 am.
Dropped our bags at the hotel, and toured Venice all day.
Day 3 - Sunday - Leave on late morning train to Florence, Italy
Day 4 - Monday - walked all over Florence
Day 5 - Tuesday - late morning train to Rome - dinner out in Rome and saw St. Peter's at night
Day 6 - Wednesday - walking tour of Rome - Colloseum, Pantheon, Trevi Fountain, Roman ruins, and lots of cathedrals
Day 7 - Thursday - Happy Thanksgiving - toured St. Peter's Basillica at the Vatican, Castle of St. Angelo, Piazza di Popolo
Day 8 - Friday - Vatican museum which includes the Sistine Chapel, St. Paul's Basillica, more ruins
Day 9 - Saturday - late morning train to Interlaken, Switzerland - changed trains in Milan and got to Interlaken around 8 pm
Day 10 - Sunday - walked all over Interlaken and enjoyed the mountain views
Day 11 - Monday - took panoramic train rides to see different parts of Switzerland
Day 12 - Tuesday, Nov 27 - train ride back to Boekelo, Netherlands - Left Interlaken on train at 9 am, and arrived at our hotel in the netherlands at 9:30 pm. - very long day
It was a beautiful countryside to view from the train during the days. You could actually tell when you entered a new country because the architecture of the houses changed drastically. The people were all very friendly and most spoke English very well. The food was good, sometimes great. We have lots of pictures, and lots of memories.... and we'll never have to do it again. :)
Friday, November 9, 2007
Weekend in France - Part 2 - Paris
Walking may be good for you, but it's killer on the feet.
We arrived in Paris on the train at 12:30 am Monday morning, and took a taxi to the hotel. We made ourselves get up around 8:00 even though we got in late, because we had lots we wanted to do and see.
We left the hotel a little before 9 am, and headed toward the metro station 2 blocks away, stopping at a bakery for breakfast. The pastries we got were fabulous, and the woman behind the counter was smiling and friendly. The metro was fairly easy to navigate but when we got off, we ended up walking a quarter mile in the opposite direction from the Louvre before realizing it.
We got to the Louvre around 10, and saw the gardens and archway outside. Surprisingly, there was no line for tickets to the museum. Inside, I was often more taken by the painting of the ceilings and architecture of the rooms than with the displays of art themselves. The ceilings were so high, and the hallways were so long. Many of the ceilings had gold all over them, and were highly artistic themselves.
We saw the statue Venus, the Mona Lisa (smaller than you'd think), the club foot boy painting, many Roman and Greek statues, the display of Egyptian artifacts, Napolean's apartment recreated, medieval works, and renaissance works. We walked around for hours, finally having our fill at around 3 pm.
Our feet were already aching, but we walked about a mile (we think) to Notre Dame cathedral. It was quite impressive architecturally and artistically, but it brought to mind many sad things as well. As Christians it is hard to understand why people would elevate mere mortals to be worshiped along side Christ and God. It was also astounding to consider how much money it took to build such an ornate place of worship.
We then went back to the hotel for a while because we found out that none of the restaurants are open for dinner until 7 pm. It seems crazy to us as Americans, but I guess it's just culturally not beneficial for them to open earlier. So we made ourselves wait until 7, and then went to a small restaurant a couple blocks from the hotel. It had been recommended by our concierge, and we were not disappointed. We had the smoked salmon and toast as an appetizer, Barry had the rack of lamb, I had the roast duck in a honey sauce, and we each had creme brulee for dessert. It was all delicious, and expensive.
We then walked several more blocks to the Eiffel Tower. It was a beautiful site, and I was much more taken with it than I expected to be. It is lit up all the way up and down, and was quite a beautiful show against the black of the evening sky.
Then we walked back to the hotel to give our feet some much needed rest.
7 hours on 3 different trains got us back home on Tuesday, feeling wiped out. We had a good weekend overall, and learned some good lessons about the trains for our next trips.
P.S. We didn't encounter any rude people. Everyone seemed very helpful, but we were mainly in the tourist areas too.
We arrived in Paris on the train at 12:30 am Monday morning, and took a taxi to the hotel. We made ourselves get up around 8:00 even though we got in late, because we had lots we wanted to do and see.
We left the hotel a little before 9 am, and headed toward the metro station 2 blocks away, stopping at a bakery for breakfast. The pastries we got were fabulous, and the woman behind the counter was smiling and friendly. The metro was fairly easy to navigate but when we got off, we ended up walking a quarter mile in the opposite direction from the Louvre before realizing it.
We got to the Louvre around 10, and saw the gardens and archway outside. Surprisingly, there was no line for tickets to the museum. Inside, I was often more taken by the painting of the ceilings and architecture of the rooms than with the displays of art themselves. The ceilings were so high, and the hallways were so long. Many of the ceilings had gold all over them, and were highly artistic themselves.We saw the statue Venus, the Mona Lisa (smaller than you'd think), the club foot boy painting, many Roman and Greek statues, the display of Egyptian artifacts, Napolean's apartment recreated, medieval works, and renaissance works. We walked around for hours, finally having our fill at around 3 pm.
Our feet were already aching, but we walked about a mile (we think) to Notre Dame cathedral. It was quite impressive architecturally and artistically, but it brought to mind many sad things as well. As Christians it is hard to understand why people would elevate mere mortals to be worshiped along side Christ and God. It was also astounding to consider how much money it took to build such an ornate place of worship. We then went back to the hotel for a while because we found out that none of the restaurants are open for dinner until 7 pm. It seems crazy to us as Americans, but I guess it's just culturally not beneficial for them to open earlier. So we made ourselves wait until 7, and then went to a small restaurant a couple blocks from the hotel. It had been recommended by our concierge, and we were not disappointed. We had the smoked salmon and toast as an appetizer, Barry had the rack of lamb, I had the roast duck in a honey sauce, and we each had creme brulee for dessert. It was all delicious, and expensive.
We then walked several more blocks to the Eiffel Tower. It was a beautiful site, and I was much more taken with it than I expected to be. It is lit up all the way up and down, and was quite a beautiful show against the black of the evening sky.Then we walked back to the hotel to give our feet some much needed rest.
7 hours on 3 different trains got us back home on Tuesday, feeling wiped out. We had a good weekend overall, and learned some good lessons about the trains for our next trips.
P.S. We didn't encounter any rude people. Everyone seemed very helpful, but we were mainly in the tourist areas too.
Wednesday, November 7, 2007
Weekend in France - Part 1 - Lyon
Our long weekend in France seemed very long indeed.
We left our apartment at 7 am on Saturday morning and arrived by train in Lyon, France at 9 pm. We had to switch trains in Amsterdam, Brussels, and Paris, before arriving in Lyon.
In Lyon, we stayed with Arlin and Pam Hendrix who are missionaries there. Arlin has been friends with my parents since college at Harding, and he actually performed my parents wedding ceremony. So I've heard about them and their work in France my entire life.
Their house is a little outside Lyon, which is the 2nd largest city in France. We went to church with them on Sunday morning. It was good to worship with believers, even if we couldn't pronounce the words in the songbooks, or understand all of the sermon. Pam sat next to us and wrote summaries of what Arlin was saying onto a notepad so that we knew what the lesson was about and what scriptures he was reading.
Then we ate a traditional French meal at their house. It was delicious, especially since we haven't had home cooking in over a month. We had bread and salad with breaded goat cheese for the first course. This is actually the first time I've ever had goat cheese and liked it. Then we got up and prepared the main course of the meal. The potatoes had already been boiling and the cobbler was in the oven. We also fixed the green beans, and cooked the pork chops and wild mushroom gravy. Then we sat down for the main course. The next course is cheese, and I tried only one kind because I knew dessert was still coming and was already getting full. Barry had a soft, spreadable cheese with herbs in it on a piece of French bread. Then we had a pear cobbler for dessert. We arrived home from church
at 12:30 and were done eating at 3 pm.
Then Arlin and Pam took us on a 3 hour driving and walking tour of Lyon to see the historical sites. We saw ruins of an amphitheater where Christian martyrs were killed. We saw an overview of the beautiful city from a park on a hill. Then we went to the heart of the town and walked around. We went into several courtyards inside the buildings that have been there for centuries. Some of the courtyards still have the well structures. We saw the ruins of a Roman amphitheater that actually was a theater. It held around 11,000 people, and it was amazing to realize how old it was. Then we went to a huge Catholic basillica (meaning the pope has visited it) that sits on top of a hill overlooking all of Lyon.It was a wonderful tour, and a beautiful city. We wish we could have spent more time there, but we had to catch a train that night back to Paris.
Click here to visit Arlin and Pam Hendrix's mission web site.
Monday, October 29, 2007
Palace Het Loo
The Palace het Loo is the Dutch royal family home in Appeldoorn, NL. We drove 40 minutes northwest to reach it.
As we walked into the courtyard past the visitor entrance, we saw what Americans would think of as a mansion. Barry didn't seem too impressed. But when I looked at the map, I realized, "that's just the stables and carriage house." Then we both were in awe.
The "mansion" stables was a u-shaped building. Along the left side building was the stable with many horse stalls. The back part of the U was an exhibition of the carriages used over the years. They ranged from simple covered carriages, to royally adorned ones, to elegant sleighs. The last wing of the building was an exhibit with the historical pictures and timeline of dutch royal family travels and visits since 1907.
As we walked past the gates and saw the actual palace, we were amazed. It was like what you see in a movie...I guess that's where they get the idea for it.
Inside the palace, each room was uniquely fashioned, and filled with antiques from around the world. There were many works of art, intricate tapestries, and unique pieces of furniture.
But our favorite part of the visit was the gardens. We spent as much time in them as we did touring the inside of the palace.
On the left side of the palace was the King's garden. It had an intricate pattern cut out of shrubbery with a fountain in the middle.
Then we walked up steps onto a wall and looked down into the expansive lower garden. This garden was longer and wider than a football field. It held several statues, several fountains, and lots of garden beds with all kinds of flowers and shrubs. Since it's fall, I'm sure we didn't see the full array of flowers, but it was still beautiful.
The upper garden lies behind the lower garden, and is simply raised up higher. It has its own fountain and flower beds, as well as a terrace where visitors can go up to a higher level and look down over all the gardens.
Walking through the lower garden and up to the right side of the castle was the queen's garden, and I can see why it would be known as such. It is definitely where I would spend most of my time. It seemed more secluded, and private. It also had intricate shrubbery patters, but also had a circuit of walkways that were surrounded by ivy covered lattices. It was fun to walk through. I could picture the royal children playing tag through the maze of tunnels.
The royal family stopped living in the palace in the 70s I believe. During World War II, most of the family was in Canada.
It was a beautiful building, but I don't know what it would be like to call it home. It doesn't seem like a home now, but maybe it did when it was daily occupied.
As we walked into the courtyard past the visitor entrance, we saw what Americans would think of as a mansion. Barry didn't seem too impressed. But when I looked at the map, I realized, "that's just the stables and carriage house." Then we both were in awe.The "mansion" stables was a u-shaped building. Along the left side building was the stable with many horse stalls. The back part of the U was an exhibition of the carriages used over the years. They ranged from simple covered carriages, to royally adorned ones, to elegant sleighs. The last wing of the building was an exhibit with the historical pictures and timeline of dutch royal family travels and visits since 1907.
As we walked past the gates and saw the actual palace, we were amazed. It was like what you see in a movie...I guess that's where they get the idea for it.
Inside the palace, each room was uniquely fashioned, and filled with antiques from around the world. There were many works of art, intricate tapestries, and unique pieces of furniture.But our favorite part of the visit was the gardens. We spent as much time in them as we did touring the inside of the palace.
On the left side of the palace was the King's garden. It had an intricate pattern cut out of shrubbery with a fountain in the middle.
Then we walked up steps onto a wall and looked down into the expansive lower garden. This garden was longer and wider than a football field. It held several statues, several fountains, and lots of garden beds with all kinds of flowers and shrubs. Since it's fall, I'm sure we didn't see the full array of flowers, but it was still beautiful.The upper garden lies behind the lower garden, and is simply raised up higher. It has its own fountain and flower beds, as well as a terrace where visitors can go up to a higher level and look down over all the gardens.
Walking through the lower garden and up to the right side of the castle was the queen's garden, and I can see why it would be known as such. It is definitely where I would spend most of my time. It seemed more secluded, and private. It also had intricate shrubbery patters, but also had a circuit of walkways that were surrounded by ivy covered lattices. It was fun to walk through. I could picture the royal children playing tag through the maze of tunnels.The royal family stopped living in the palace in the 70s I believe. During World War II, most of the family was in Canada.
It was a beautiful building, but I don't know what it would be like to call it home. It doesn't seem like a home now, but maybe it did when it was daily occupied.
Castle at Bad Bentheim, Germany
On my 3rd day here, we journeyed just 30 minutes northeast in the car to Bad Bentheim, Germany to see a castle. This castle reportedly has the most visitor access in all of Europe, and we found this to be true as we climbed into the hights of the towers.Parts of the wall and armory tower date back to 1050, and most of the castle dated back to the 1500s. Some parts had to be rebuilt after the World Wars.
We were interested in the walls of the castle with the carved out portions for the defense, they were not level perpinduclar to the wall, but were slanted downward slightly for easier shooting toward the ground. The castle is also on top of a hill, and you can see for miles in every direction from the top of the wall, and especially in the armory tower.The dungeon was quite medieval. There were ancient circular, stone stair cases up and down. Some rooms were carved out of the rocks, and some areas shackles were still bolted into the walls and ceiling.
The courtyard was a lovely place with flowers still blooming, and the well was about 100 ft deep and 10 ft across. (of course, everything is marked in meters, but Barry was able to do the unit conversion quite quickly)
Outside the castle wall was a lovely garden area with a fountain. It was serene and beautiful with all the fall colors.
Sunday, October 28, 2007
Impressions
My first impression of "Nederland", as it's locally called, is that it is a beautiful country.
The landscape from the train reminded me of driving through Arkansas or a flat version of Tennessee. The tall trees are in a full autumn array of colors, and the ground is already being covered by the fallen leaves. There are many pastures of cows, horses (and shetland ponies), and sheep. The corn fields are being harvested, and others are already being plowed for the next crop.
It has been quite enjoyable for me to watch the leaves fall. We missed having a real fall season last year in New Mexico, and in Washington, there are so many evergreen trees you don't notice the huge array of colors nearly as much. The beauty is quite astounding.
It is quite breezy here, thus the use of windmills ... old style wooden ones with large arms and the modern white slender windmills like I've seen in the USA. I've even seen some very small 3 ft high, wooden windmills in the fields for use with irrigation.
The local people seem very friendly, and I have only to say the word "English", and they smile and start conversing with me in flawless English. They may pause a little while speaking, but their tenses and phrasing seem perfect. It's been very easy to get around.
A few cultural differences:
1) Small cars - We've only seen small sedans, small/ midsize SUVs, and one small pickup truck. Even the semi trucks are more slender than in the states. This is probably because of the narrow streets, and small parking spots that line them in every village. Barry's rental is the size of a VW Jetta, so we feel very comfortable in it. And we don't feel dwarfed because no one else is in big trucks either.
2) Traffic laws - These have actually been very easy to follow. I like the system. The signs don't have words on them unless they are the names of places. The pictures are very easy to understand once you know which colors mean what. And on most country roads, there aren't even lines on the road, so you just drive so that you don't hit someone who's coming the other direction, which occasionally means going off the side of the road because they are very narrow. I'll go into more detail later about the bike paths, and traffic signals.
3) Drinking - (and I'm not talking about alcohol). The amount of beverage they serve here in restaurants is astoundingly small. If you ask for water, they bring you a glass bottle of water that is about 200 ml, or (in my non-mathematical estimation) about 6 -8 oz. And yes, for most locals, that would last them through the entire meal. Sodas are the same size, and there are no free refills. Since the water is bottled, you pay about the same as for a soda, which is about 2 Euros (about $2.60). It seems insanely high to us, and I've had to get Barry used to the idea that we just have to order 2 in the course of the meal. It does seem crazy to pay $5 for your drink alone, but I just can't get used to the lack of liquid.
This is not just in the restaurants. The guys Barry is working with are constantly amazed with how much water he drinks. All they drink is coffee all day. About every hour, they take a break to go drink a 6 oz cup of coffee. He's been getting caffeine headaches on his off days.
4) Dinner is an Experience - Dinner in a restaurant has never taken us less than 1 1/2 (except if it's a buffet). They bring you drinks, then about 10 minutes later soup or salad, then about 30 minutes later your meal. Then they let you enjoy that for 30 minutes before even checking back to see if you need anything. You have to look like you're completely finished for a while before they will come by. Then it takes a while to get the check.
It's nice to go slow, and now that we're resigned to having more than one beverage, I'm more agreeable. But one time when we were waiting for the check, I was so thirsty that I was getting quite cranky with the slow service. But that's just the way they are here. And you don't leave tips, the wait staff is paid accordingly.
The landscape from the train reminded me of driving through Arkansas or a flat version of Tennessee. The tall trees are in a full autumn array of colors, and the ground is already being covered by the fallen leaves. There are many pastures of cows, horses (and shetland ponies), and sheep. The corn fields are being harvested, and others are already being plowed for the next crop.
It has been quite enjoyable for me to watch the leaves fall. We missed having a real fall season last year in New Mexico, and in Washington, there are so many evergreen trees you don't notice the huge array of colors nearly as much. The beauty is quite astounding.
It is quite breezy here, thus the use of windmills ... old style wooden ones with large arms and the modern white slender windmills like I've seen in the USA. I've even seen some very small 3 ft high, wooden windmills in the fields for use with irrigation.
The local people seem very friendly, and I have only to say the word "English", and they smile and start conversing with me in flawless English. They may pause a little while speaking, but their tenses and phrasing seem perfect. It's been very easy to get around.
A few cultural differences:
1) Small cars - We've only seen small sedans, small/ midsize SUVs, and one small pickup truck. Even the semi trucks are more slender than in the states. This is probably because of the narrow streets, and small parking spots that line them in every village. Barry's rental is the size of a VW Jetta, so we feel very comfortable in it. And we don't feel dwarfed because no one else is in big trucks either.
2) Traffic laws - These have actually been very easy to follow. I like the system. The signs don't have words on them unless they are the names of places. The pictures are very easy to understand once you know which colors mean what. And on most country roads, there aren't even lines on the road, so you just drive so that you don't hit someone who's coming the other direction, which occasionally means going off the side of the road because they are very narrow. I'll go into more detail later about the bike paths, and traffic signals.
3) Drinking - (and I'm not talking about alcohol). The amount of beverage they serve here in restaurants is astoundingly small. If you ask for water, they bring you a glass bottle of water that is about 200 ml, or (in my non-mathematical estimation) about 6 -8 oz. And yes, for most locals, that would last them through the entire meal. Sodas are the same size, and there are no free refills. Since the water is bottled, you pay about the same as for a soda, which is about 2 Euros (about $2.60). It seems insanely high to us, and I've had to get Barry used to the idea that we just have to order 2 in the course of the meal. It does seem crazy to pay $5 for your drink alone, but I just can't get used to the lack of liquid.
This is not just in the restaurants. The guys Barry is working with are constantly amazed with how much water he drinks. All they drink is coffee all day. About every hour, they take a break to go drink a 6 oz cup of coffee. He's been getting caffeine headaches on his off days.
4) Dinner is an Experience - Dinner in a restaurant has never taken us less than 1 1/2 (except if it's a buffet). They bring you drinks, then about 10 minutes later soup or salad, then about 30 minutes later your meal. Then they let you enjoy that for 30 minutes before even checking back to see if you need anything. You have to look like you're completely finished for a while before they will come by. Then it takes a while to get the check.
It's nice to go slow, and now that we're resigned to having more than one beverage, I'm more agreeable. But one time when we were waiting for the check, I was so thirsty that I was getting quite cranky with the slow service. But that's just the way they are here. And you don't leave tips, the wait staff is paid accordingly.
Saturday, October 13, 2007
Arrived
I arrived without incident on Wednesday at noon local time. The flight, though long and mostly sleepless, was enjoyable. Thanks to it being paid for by my husbands company, I was flying first class.
Complaint:
How come people can't follow directions? When the flight staff called for first class, those in rows 1 - 7, about 100 people gathered around the line. I was thinking, this can't all be the first class people. She repeatedly turned people away saying rows 1-7 only. She kept shouting, rows 1-7 only. After about the 5th time she said this, I heard someone say, "Not the Elite status?." No, rows 1 - 7 only. How difficult is that.
They feed you a 5 course meal over the first 2 hours of the flight. We started with something to drink when we were taking our seats, I got a sprite. A pillow, blanket, and headphones lay in the seats already. They passed out ammenities kits and menus while we were getting situated. The kits had everything from earplugs to toothpast and a toothbrush. I chose the pasta dish as my entree. When we got in the air, they came around with a steamed washcloth to wash our hands and face before dinner. Then dinner started with appetizers: a grilled shrimp on a skewer, a beef pastry with mustard sauce, and a small cup of mushroom soup. All delicious. Then they brought around the salad. I also tried a bordeaux red wine with the meal. It was good, but I've not yet aquired a taste for wine, so I only managed about half a dozen sips before returning to my water. The entree I chose was cheese tortelini with marinara sauce. After dinner the cheese and wine cart came around. Then the desert was 3 different small pastries, and a ice cream sundae. I skipped the sundae because I was already full. The meal was very enjoyable experience, and the staff was very courteous.
We had our own tv monitors to watch the assortment of channels playing the movies and tv programs. I watched a movie during dinner, and then switched to my ipod to try to get some sleep. I only slept for a few hours, and then returned to watching movies. I think I was just too anxious to get here.
Breakfast was served an hour before the end of the 10 hour flight. When we landed I was the first off the plane, as I was closest to the exit. The signs all had pictures of baggage, bathrooms, trains...so it was very simple to find my way out of the airport. Customs was simple. They only looked at my passport and stamped it, they didn't even ask me any questions.
I went to the train ticket counter and paid 22 Euros for a ticket to Hengelo where Barry was picking me up. The train was easy to find, but managing the baggage on the train was another story. You step up into the train into an outer compartment which I managed just fine. Then there was a very narrow doorway into the compartment where the seats were. So I had to lift my 26" suitcase sideways through that door, also carrying my 21" suitcase through the door behind me. And the door is like on an elevator, it keeps trying to shut automatically unless you hold it back.
The conductor told me that I had to change cars in about 1/2 hour in order to go to my destination. Apparently, the train would split in 2. So I had to again heft my luggage off the train and back on.
About 15 minutes from my destination, the train stopped in the middle of nowhere. They made an announcement, and I asked some students sitting by me if they could translate. It was a problem with the brakes. Some of the students sitting in the opposite seats started playing their mp3 players (one was a pink ipod nano) out loud, and it was songs I was very familiar with from the states. They were singing along in perfect English too.
One of the young men helped me by carrying my large suitcase off the train, since he was disembarking as well. Barry was there, waiting for me. Our first stop was in an electronics store on our way to the parking lot, where I bought a hair dryer. It's easier to just buy a cheap one here, because the plugs are different. We do have an adapter that we use for the laptop and other items we charge.
The apartment is 2 bedroom 2 bath, and about the size of a small dorm room apartment. One of the rooms has 2 twin beds that are separated, and the other has 2 twin beds pushed together. The kitchenette in the living room has a sink, microwave, burners, small refrigerator, and cabinets with dishes. There's a small table with chairs, small tv, chair, and sofa. The balcony window is floor to ceiling across the entire wall, with dark blue curtains.
Barry says it looks like they bought everything from Ikea...of which there's a huge store about 10 minutes away. (Ikea is Swedish)
More later on my impressions of Nederland. All in all it was a good trip.
Complaint:
How come people can't follow directions? When the flight staff called for first class, those in rows 1 - 7, about 100 people gathered around the line. I was thinking, this can't all be the first class people. She repeatedly turned people away saying rows 1-7 only. She kept shouting, rows 1-7 only. After about the 5th time she said this, I heard someone say, "Not the Elite status?." No, rows 1 - 7 only. How difficult is that.
They feed you a 5 course meal over the first 2 hours of the flight. We started with something to drink when we were taking our seats, I got a sprite. A pillow, blanket, and headphones lay in the seats already. They passed out ammenities kits and menus while we were getting situated. The kits had everything from earplugs to toothpast and a toothbrush. I chose the pasta dish as my entree. When we got in the air, they came around with a steamed washcloth to wash our hands and face before dinner. Then dinner started with appetizers: a grilled shrimp on a skewer, a beef pastry with mustard sauce, and a small cup of mushroom soup. All delicious. Then they brought around the salad. I also tried a bordeaux red wine with the meal. It was good, but I've not yet aquired a taste for wine, so I only managed about half a dozen sips before returning to my water. The entree I chose was cheese tortelini with marinara sauce. After dinner the cheese and wine cart came around. Then the desert was 3 different small pastries, and a ice cream sundae. I skipped the sundae because I was already full. The meal was very enjoyable experience, and the staff was very courteous.
We had our own tv monitors to watch the assortment of channels playing the movies and tv programs. I watched a movie during dinner, and then switched to my ipod to try to get some sleep. I only slept for a few hours, and then returned to watching movies. I think I was just too anxious to get here.
Breakfast was served an hour before the end of the 10 hour flight. When we landed I was the first off the plane, as I was closest to the exit. The signs all had pictures of baggage, bathrooms, trains...so it was very simple to find my way out of the airport. Customs was simple. They only looked at my passport and stamped it, they didn't even ask me any questions.
I went to the train ticket counter and paid 22 Euros for a ticket to Hengelo where Barry was picking me up. The train was easy to find, but managing the baggage on the train was another story. You step up into the train into an outer compartment which I managed just fine. Then there was a very narrow doorway into the compartment where the seats were. So I had to lift my 26" suitcase sideways through that door, also carrying my 21" suitcase through the door behind me. And the door is like on an elevator, it keeps trying to shut automatically unless you hold it back.
The conductor told me that I had to change cars in about 1/2 hour in order to go to my destination. Apparently, the train would split in 2. So I had to again heft my luggage off the train and back on.
About 15 minutes from my destination, the train stopped in the middle of nowhere. They made an announcement, and I asked some students sitting by me if they could translate. It was a problem with the brakes. Some of the students sitting in the opposite seats started playing their mp3 players (one was a pink ipod nano) out loud, and it was songs I was very familiar with from the states. They were singing along in perfect English too.
One of the young men helped me by carrying my large suitcase off the train, since he was disembarking as well. Barry was there, waiting for me. Our first stop was in an electronics store on our way to the parking lot, where I bought a hair dryer. It's easier to just buy a cheap one here, because the plugs are different. We do have an adapter that we use for the laptop and other items we charge.
The apartment is 2 bedroom 2 bath, and about the size of a small dorm room apartment. One of the rooms has 2 twin beds that are separated, and the other has 2 twin beds pushed together. The kitchenette in the living room has a sink, microwave, burners, small refrigerator, and cabinets with dishes. There's a small table with chairs, small tv, chair, and sofa. The balcony window is floor to ceiling across the entire wall, with dark blue curtains.
Barry says it looks like they bought everything from Ikea...of which there's a huge store about 10 minutes away. (Ikea is Swedish)
More later on my impressions of Nederland. All in all it was a good trip.
Monday, October 8, 2007
Off To Europe
I'm off to the Netherlands tomorrow for two months. I'm ready to see my husband again, it's always hard to be away from each other.
Several people have asked me to blog, and I wanted to do it on a site that was free for all to read instead of just on MySpace. So feel free to pass this website address on to anyone who knows me. I'll try to keep it updated with our travels.
Barry has already been there for 3 1/2 weeks, and it's mostly just been time working. He has 4 days off right when I get there, so hopefully I won't be too jet lagged to do some sight-seeing in the area.
Keep us in your prayers...
Several people have asked me to blog, and I wanted to do it on a site that was free for all to read instead of just on MySpace. So feel free to pass this website address on to anyone who knows me. I'll try to keep it updated with our travels.
Barry has already been there for 3 1/2 weeks, and it's mostly just been time working. He has 4 days off right when I get there, so hopefully I won't be too jet lagged to do some sight-seeing in the area.
Keep us in your prayers...
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