Museums: Europalia China Art Festival Opens in Brussels

Every Wednesday morning I am planning a museum outing in Brussels with my friend, Karen. Last week we visited the BOZAR, the Center for Fine Arts, for the Son of the Heaven exhibit. The exhibit represented Immortal China and is devoted to the emperors. On display were some of the most beautiful works of art selected from 5,000 years of China's glorious past.

I so enjoyed the exhibit on Wednesday that we took the girls to another Chinese exhibit on Saturday at the Orchid Pavilion. The exhibit highlighted the theme of Colorful China and displayed the origins and significance of calligraphy in the Chinese culture.

Brussels in known for its fantastic collection of museums. I hope to visit as many as I can on my Wednesday mornings before I pick up Kate from school.

Saturday in January: Brussels

We enjoyed a wonderful Saturday afternoon in Brussels (despite the rain!). We took the metro from Hermann Debroux to Park. From Park we walked a relatively short distance to the Musical Instruments Museum (MSM) in Brussels. MSM is one of the girls favorite museums. We ate lunch at the fabulous restaurant on the top floor. What an incredible view of Brussels! MSM is in an Art Nouveau building in the heart of Brussels. After lunch we took the girls to the Belgian Royal Museum of Fine Arts. Elisabeth and Kate were interested in the sculptures and Chinese paintings, as well as the Flemish primitives. After the museum, we enjoyed a waffle with chocolate and caramel. Very messy, but fun. We walked back to Park and enjoyed playing on the playground. Unfortunately, the rain changed from a light drizzle to a heavier rain so we hopped on the metro at Park and headed home.

Soccer: Brussels Sports Association (BSA)

Elisabeth decided not to continue with swim lessons this winter. Rich and I felt that it was important for her to play a sport. We found a phenomenal organization, the Brussels Sports Association (BSA). BSA organizes teams with English speaking coaches in a wide range of sports from basketball to football (aka soccer to Americans).

Rich is one of the coaches for Elisabeth's "football" team. Rich picked up Adidas soccer shoes for her this past week while he was in Nuremberg, Germany for work. Just black with white stripes, but very cool for Elisabeth. Elisabeth had a great time at her first practice Sunday afternoon, as did Kate. Not many girls on the team, but Elisabeth held her own. Lots of British accents. Only a handful of Americans on the team.

Kate dressed up in Elisabeth's old soccer clothes and shoes too. Kate and I had a great time on the sidelines. I played goalie while she took shots at the goal. At one point she just started dribbling down the field. Kate is an incredible runner. What a powerhouse!

The sun was shining during practice - all in all exceptional weather for the first day of practice for Brussels. A fun afternoon with the girls.

Striking a Balance: Travel in Europe

All of a sudden it has hit me that we leave Brussels and go home August 1, 2010. Europe is not going anywhere, but we want to see what we can and make the most of our time here. But, at the same time, we don't want the girls to feel that they are living out of their suitcases.

Rich and I watched the movie Julie and Julia recently. I can't say that I could make one recipe a day from Julia Child's cookbook (not sure if anyone has tasted my cooking!). But, I think it is reasonable to research and go on one big trip a month in 2010 until we end this chapter of our life together.

To that end, Elisabeth, Kate and I made a calendar for the next six months. We also made "tickets" to various countries, cities or sites we would like to visit before we leave. For Elisabeth, it is the Bridge in Avignon and Monet's garden in Giverny. For Kate, it is Disney Europe for her birthday. For Rich, a trip to Barcelona, Spain to introduce the girls to his friends Luis and Budapest to visit his friend, Nedzad. For me, it is a trip to St. Petersburg, Russia and Athens, Greece.

Here is our itinerary for the next six months. If you have any ideas or would like to join us at any point, we would love the company!

January 28 - 31st, 2010: Athens, Greece

We are flying to Greece for my 37th birthday! We are spending a day in Athens to visit the ruins and then to Delphi. Would love to go to Crete, but not sure if we have time.

February 12 - 21st, 2010: Paris, France

We are driving to Paris to spend a week in an apartment we rented on VBOT.com. It is near the Luxembourg Gardens and Musee d'Orsay.

March 10 - 14, 2010: London, England

Rich has his ACT conference in London that weekend. We are taking the Eurostar to London and renting an apartment through VBOT.com again. We would like to visit the Tower of London, Buckingham Palace, the Museum to see Van Gogh's famous sunflower painting. Would love to catch a show with the girls: Mary Poppins, Joseph and the Technicolor Dreamcoat or a ballet.

April 1 - 4, 2010: Rome, Italy

We would like to take Elisabeth and Kate to the Sistine Chapel, the Coliseum, and the Roman Forum. Elisabeth loves art and enjoyed Michelangelo's Pietat at the Church of Our Lady in Brugges, Belgium (the only Michelangelo sculpture outside of Italy). Would also like to take them to Tuscany to see Florence and Sienna. I think Elisabeth would enjoy the Botticelli paintings in Florence. Not sure if we are ready for the David sculpture.

April 8-19, 2010: Brussels, Brugges, Amsterdam, London - To Be Determined

My parents, Walt and Patty Keyes, are coming to visit in Brussels. Elisabeth and Kate are very excited. We are starting to plan their itinerary. Elisabeth told me today that "Papa Keyes wanted to visit Erasmus University" so I need to be sure to include it.

April 30 - May 2, 2010: Monet's Garden in Giverny, France

We read a book at the Falls Church City library called Linnea's Garden. The girls fell in love with it. We're planning to drive to Giverny and stay in a B&B.

May 12 - 16, 2010: Barcelona, Spain

Will it be too hot in May to visit Barcelona? Perhaps we should go in April. Rich would like to show the girls where he lived and worked in Barcelona and introduce them to his friend, Luis. Of course, we would like to show them the La Sagrada Familia and the Picasso museum.

May 21 - 24, 2010: Avignon and Arles, France

Elisabeth would like to visit the Bridge in Avignon. Thanks to Waterford at Mount Daniel in Falls Church for planting the seed!

July 1 - July 22nd: Germany, Switzerland, and Austria

Rich and I are big fans of Rick Steve's travel books. He has a 22 day excursion along the Romantic Road and other regions in Germany, as well as Austria and Switzerland.

July 22nd - July 31st: De Haan, Belgium or a Beach in France?

We are considering renting a house in De Haan, Belgium (where we first started this year long journey) or in France on the beach. I can't believe it is the end of our journey or is it the beginning?

If only we had another month (and funds!)...I would love to take a cruise to St. Petersburg or go to the beach in Croatia.

Happy New Year 2010: Chantilly & Pierrefonds

To celebrate the new year we drove south to the l'Oise region of France to visit Domaine de Chantilly. We drove three hours and spent only 40 Euro in gas (compared to the 330 Euro it would have cost to take the train). We stayed at a Tiara chateaux, The Hotel Mont Royal Chantilly, in a little town called La Chapelle en-Serval. The town is about 45 minutes north of Paris. We arrived just in time to the take the girls for a swim in the indoor pool. The girls were tired after swimming so we ordered room service for dinner.

http://www.tiara-hotels.com/hotel.asp?id_hotel=9&idioma=FR

The girls were up bright and early the next morning. We enjoyed a lovely breakfast in the dining room. Elisabeth and Kate enjoyed the bacon, croissants and butter. Elisabeth and Kate were well behaved. Although when Kate wants to sit on your lap and be held during breakfast it is a sign that a meltdown is coming! Rich and I quickly finished our coffee for a "no fuss" exit.

Domaine de Chantilly

From La Chapelee en-Serval we drove 10 minutes to Domaine de Chantilly. We arrived early at 9:30am. We were the first to arrive in the parking lot. There was a slight dusting of snow on the ground that morning and a breathtaking view of the Chateau. It didn't open until 10:30am so we walked past the opulent stables into an adorable French town adjacent to Chantilly. We bought a traditional French pastry to celebrate the new year at a Boulangerie. Inside the pastry was a tile and whoever found it was Queen or King for the day. We bought two tiles and pastries so that each of the girls could be Queen! Elisabeth was the Queen of France, Kate was the Queen of Belgium. Elisabeth and Kate wore their crowns over their snow hats as it was quite a cold morning.

Chateaux de Chantilly: The Duke's Private Apartment & Gardens

We walked back to the Chateaux. First, we enjoyed a tour of the Duke's private apartments. I would highly recommend paying for this extra tour. We were able to see so much more of the daily life of the royal family. In each room the tour guide, undid the rope and let us walk into each of the rooms! The tour was in French and was very interesting. We were most impressed by the toilet: an impressive view of the extensive grounds from the window.

Elisabeth listened attentively and said that she could understand French (and that she could read in French!). Kate on the other hand didn't last long. When she wanted to be carried, we knew she was done (as were we!) We didn't bring the stroller to Europe!

We left the tour and walked around the extensive grounds and garden. We ate lunch at the lovely restaurant buffet at Chateaux de Chantilly. Only the French can make a buffet so upscale and sophisticated. The desserts were magnificent - I think we all gained 10 pounds in just one weekend. Their secret: butter (lots of it!). The French make everything taste incredibly delicious, including the spinach!

Later in the afternoon we visited the impressive horse stables at Chantilly. Apparently, the Duke believed in reincarnation and that he would be reincarnated as a horse. The Duke built sumptuous stables for his horses and for him to live in the afterlife. The horse stables resembled a castle.

http://www.chateaudechantilly.com/chateauchantilly/uk/index.html

Spectacle de Noel

At Chantilly, there was a Spectacle de Noel at the Grand Stable. We bought four tickets to "Le Chevalier Lancelot et la foret Magique" in the stadium in advance. The show was sold out. An incredible performance combining music, acrobats, choreography, acting and the elegance of the horses. At the end, Santa rode out into the stadium in his carriage with four tiny ponies pulling the carriage. Elisabeth and Kate were in awe. Kate sat on the edge of her seat and watched and listened attentively. Remarkable for a four and six year old.

After the show we enjoyed hot chocolate and crepes outside the stadium. We visited the stables and the horses. Elisabeth liked Santa's ponies the best. Kate liked the white Andalusian horse.

http://www.museevivantducheval.fr/uk/index.html

We had bought a day pass to Domaine de Chantilly so we walked back to the Chateaux and enjoyed walking through the snow covered gardens. We also enjoyed visiting the public rooms and exhibits. My favorite was the library - a wonderful collection of books. Elisabeth loved the sculpture gallery.

Later in the evening we walked into town and ate at a French crepe restaurant. We ordered a pizza crepe, potato and ham crepe, pear and ham and another crepe with ice cream. Delicious!

Hiking in the Chantilly Forest

The next morning we enjoyed a lovely breakfast as well as hiking through the Chantilly forest surrounding the Chateaux. It was a cold crisp winter morning with blue skies. The moon was still out. Elisabeth and Kate pretended to be horses galloping along the trail. At one point Kate stopped and came back to us. She held our hands and said that "she needed an owner".

Chateau de Pierrefonds

After our hike we set off to visit another castle and medieval town, Pierrefonds. It was a lovely drive through the French countryside. Initially we drove south to Plailly before merging onto the highway. We enjoy the country roads and the scenery although we do appreciate the speed of the highway! The castle in Pierrefonds sits high on a hill overlooking the town and river. We parked down below and walked up to the castle. We enjoyed a quick (and free!) one hour tour. Apparently, museums and castles are free to the public on the first Monday of the month in France (NOTE: In Belgium, the museums are free the first Wednesday of the month after 12 pm).

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Château_de_Pierrefonds

Pierrefonds is a reinterpretation of a medieval castle. It is quite impressive, but the restoration has been criticized. I think the girls were most impressed by the chapel, specifically the rose window and stain glass. Elisabeth enjoyed taking pictures of it with her new camera from Santa.

Elisabeth and Kate enjoyed running around the main courtyard (see photo below). We walked down the hill and we ate lunch at a little brasserie in Pierrefonds along the river. We enjoyed French "pizza" before we drove back to Belgium.

We fell in love with France. It is remarkably kid-friendly, the food is delicious and we can wait to go back! We would love to spend the month of July in France (although it might be hot!).