Kate's 4th Birthday: The Little Gym

Kate turned four last week while we were in Paris. Today we had a party for her with 20 of her classmates from BEPS. The party was held at The Little Gym in Wezembeek-Oppem, a suburb of Brussels. Elisabeth and Kate had a great time with the parachute, moon bounce and tumbling. Kate's friend Brett gave her an shimmery silver ABBA costume with flared legs. Kate had fun dancing around the apartment this afternoon in her ABBA costume and microphone!

February 14th: Arc de Triomphe & Champs Elysées

Happy Valentine's Day! We woke up February 14th in Paris. We enjoyed Cheerios for breakfast (the one main advantage to driving to Paris was the ability to pack up our favorite foods - thanks to Arlington Monday Play group for sending!). We took the metro from the La Tour Maubourg metro to the Arc de Triomphe.

Elisabeth and Kate enjoyed climbing all 284 steps to the top of the Arc De Triomphe. They each bought a commemorative Arc de Triomphe coin with their allowance money. Unfortunately, Kate's coin ended up in the public toilet at the top of the Arc. I didn't fish that one out. We bought her another one. After touring the triumphal arch, we visited the tomb of the unknown soldier and the eternal flame below.

We walked down the Champs Elysees and enjoyed lunch at Paul. An American friend in Brussels recommended Paul as a French fast food alternative to McDonald's. Paul was delightful and we especially enjoyed their chocolate chaud and their croque monsieur.

After lunch we continued to walk down the Champs Elysees toward the Louvre. But, around 2pm the girls were exhausted. So, we crossed the bridge toward Invalides and headed back to the apartment. Elisabeth and Kate watched a My Little Pony video in the afternoon. After the video we explored the neighborhood and we walked to the Eiffel Tower. Elisabeth and Kate enjoyed riding the merry-go-round across the street from the Eiffel Tower several times before eating dinner at a local restaurant (spaghetti Bolognese for Kate, hamburger and frites for Elisabeth) and going to sleep.

Chocolate Cupcakes with Sprinkles

Happy 4th Birthday, Kate! We just returned from our vacation in Paris this evening and we put the girls to bed. Rich and I are baking 24 cupcakes this evening for Kate's 4th birthday party for her class tomorrow. We couldn't find a cupcake mix at the grocery (luckily we found some sprinkles!). We bought a cake mix in French. We converted the ingredients to English, then converted the measurements, and converted the cooking time for our convection oven. The cupcakes are now baking in the convection oven. They are rising a little lopsided/funny so we sliced off the lopsided top and covered with French icing and sprinkles.

February 17th: Notre Dame, Conciergerie & Luxembourg Gardens

One advantage of an early bedtime is that the girls were up and ready to go by 8:30am every day in Paris. On Wednesday, February 17th, we walked to our local Patisserie. Elisabeth bought a croissant and Kate bought a chocolate eclair. They ate them on our walk towards the Eiffel Tower where we caught our Batobus boat cruise on the Seine.

Notre Dame Cathedral & Saint Chapelle

Our first stop was Notre Dame Cathedral. Unfortunately, it was a rainy morning so we could not go up the tower because it was slippery. After admiring the rose windows and the church, we walked to Saint Chapelle. Saint Chapelle was built by Saint Louis around 1242. It is a Gothic masterpiece, built in the heart of the Palais de la Cite. Unfortunately, the line for Saint Chapelle was too long for us. So, we opted to tour the Conciergerie next door.

The Conciergerie

The Conciergerie is the oldest remaining part of the Palais de la Cité, the first royal palace in Paris. It was used as a prison during the French Revolution. The kitchens date from the middle ages. The Conciergerie contains a wax museum of the prison and dungeons during the French Revolution. Elisabeth and Kate were quite interested in the guillotine and Marie Antoinette's cell. We also visited Girondins' Chapel, built on the exact spot of Marie-Antoinette's cell. In hindsight, I think we could have skipped the Conciergerie - the museum was a little to real with the wax statues.

Lunch at a French Brasserie and Shakespeare & Company Book Store

We enjoyed a nice warm lunch of croquet monsieur, french onion soup and spaghetti bolognese. Just what we needed on a wet cold morning in Paris. After lunch we walked across the Seine to the Shakespeare and Company Book Store. On the second floor is a lovely, but small children's section with a seat in an alcove. We read books there for a long time. Each of the girls picked a book to purchase: Mary Poppins by P.L. Travers for Kate and Ice Lolly by Jean Ure for Elisabeth. Each was happy to carry her book with the store's seal on the inside cover under her arm.

Jardin du Luxembourg & Marionette Show

Around 2pm we started to walk towards Luxembourg Gardens. It was a 30 minute walk from the book store. The rain had stopped and the sun was peaking out of the clouds. Unfortunately, it was still too cold and wet to sail boats at the Jardin du Luxembourg (the pond was frozen). But, Elisabeth and Kate were excited to run through the sculpture garden at Luxembourg Gardens before the marionette show. The Jardin du Luxembourg contains the main Guignol Theater in Paris.

We arrived just in time to stand in line for the Marionnette show. The puppet shows are held every Wednesday in the park at 3pm, as well as Saturdays and Sundays. The story was Pinocchio. Guignol, the sassy irreverent main character, narrated the story. The girls had excellent seats in the 2nd row center. Elisabeth said she was able to follow the story well in French. I sat on the side of the aisle. It was a full house. Kate was a little scared mid-way through the performance and sat with me for the remainder.

After the puppet show, Elisabeth and Kate played in the playground at Luxembourg Gardens. The playground is absolutely incredible. Elisabeth and Kate especially enjoyed the climbing pyramids and spinning apparatuses. They also liked the zip line. Thanks to Aunt Polly for telling us about the playground!

After the playground, Elisabeth and Kate rode the carousel. Elisabeth did an excellent job of catching the "rings" on the carousel (Kate was on an inside horse so she wasn't able to get the rings). After the carousel we rode real ponies and donkeys. By 5pm we were exhausted. We walked across the Jardin du Luxembourg to McDonald's for dinner. Chicken nuggets and fries: what a treat!

Luckily, Elisabeth remembered that there was a cab stand across the street from McDonald's. Rather than take the metro or walk back to the apartment, we hopped into a cab after dinner and headed home. Elisabeth & Kate were thoroughly exhausted! What a full day!

February 19th: Musee Rodin & Luxembourg Gardens

By Friday, February 19th we were all happy, but exhausted. I was glad that I saved the closest attractions for the end of the week. We had bought pastries the night before so we stayed in the apartment longer than usual that morning (9:30am) and enjoyed a full breakfast.

Musee Rodin

We walked across the gardens of Invalides to the Musee Rodin. The museum opened at 10:00am. We were one of the first in line. We had bought a Museum Pass earlier in the week so it was free. I had planned a scavenger hunt to find all of the sculptures in the gardens. Whoever found The Thinker could have a Sprite (Elisabeth and Kate call it ("bubble juice"). The girls were quite motivated and worked well together with the map on the scavenger hunt. They found one model of The Thinker inside the Musee Rodin and the other in the garden. Unfortunately, the cafe in the garden was closed for renovations so they weren't able to order their Sprites! They spent the whole morning in the gardens playing hide and seek. Elisabeth also took photos of the gardens with her camera and Elisabeth and Kate enjoyed strolling through the garden while I read Rick Steves' France.

Hotel de Invalides & Napoleon's Tomb

At noon we crossed the street to the Hotel de Invalides for lunch in the cafeteria (which was just as expensive as the restaurant across the street!). I had planned to visit Napoleon's Tomb and head home for a video. But, Elisabeth and Kate had renewed strength and wanted to ride the double decker bus to Luxembourg Gardens and play at the playground, ride the carousel and ride the ponies!

Open Bus Tour of Paris

We found the bus stop across from the Hotel de Invalides. We waited for the Orange bus to Luxembourg Gardens. The girls wanted to ride on the top in the front of the bus. It was a very cold windy day, but they had a blast! They especially enjoyed listening to the tour guide on the earphones in French. Elisabeth said, "It sounds like music!"

Luxembourg Gardens

At Luxembourg Gardens, Elisabeth & Kate enjoyed more chocolate chaud before playing at the playground and riding the ponies, donkeys and the carousel. A very full afternoon. We enjoyed an early dinner at one of the small restaurants in Luxembourg Gardens before taking a cab home to the apartment.

February 21st: Rue Cler & Luxembourg Gardens

Sunday, February 21st was Kate's fourth birthday and our last day in Paris. After finishing our packing, we walked to the Rue Cler neighborhood. Rue Cler is an open-air produce market with pastry shops, restaurants, cheese shops, delis, etc. Elisabeth and Kate enjoyed purchasing Parmesan cheese at the local cheese shop and pastries at the local patisserie. We sat outside at a table and watched Parisians (and American!) walk by on Rue Cler - a lovely Sunday morning in Paris.

Later in the morning we walked from Rue Cler to Luxembourg Gardens. A very long walk, but a wonderful way to see Paris. We ate lunch at one of the restaurants in the park. Elisabeth and Kate rode ponies (and donkeys!) in the gardens. Afterwards they played in the park at the playground. They were very disappointed that the carousel was closed, but it was 14:00pm and we needed to start our drive home to Brussels.

To our pleasant surprise we were able to drive out of Paris without our GPS. We even drove through the famous circle around the Arc de Triumph without an issue. Hooray for Rich!

February 20th: Versailles

Rich had a very busy day on Friday, February 19th. He worked a full day, then drove to Cambrais to turn in the rental car and pick up our little Citroen from the garage. He arrived late in the evening on Friday.

The girls were excited to see him on Saturday morning. We enjoyed a nice breakfast and he took them to the patisserie for pastries. We walked to the train station at Invalides and took the RER-C to Versailles. We turned right out of the train station and then left on the main boulevard. A light snow had fallen in the night. The girls enjoyed walking in the snow as we approached Versailles. We just had to buy a ticket for Rich - entrance to the palace for me was free because of the Museum Pass. In the winter, entrance to the gardens/grounds is free to the public. We took the girls to the WCs upon arrival before touring The Chateau through the King's Wing, the Hall of Mirrors and the Queen's Wing. Kate enjoyed hiding behind the draperies and playing hide & seek with Elisabeth. But, Elisabeth was more interested in walking with Rich through the galleries and taking photos with her camera.

We ate lunch at one of the restaurants on the grounds of Versailles. After lunch we took a mini-train to visit the Canal and the Palace Gardens, the Grand Trianon Palace, and the Petit Trianon. The train was the perfect mode of transportation for a 4 and 6 year old. Rich and I enjoyed the break as well. At the Petit Trianon we enjoyed a chocolate chaud at Angelina's, a famous restaurant founded in 1903 on Rue de Ravioli in Paris. The chocolate chaud was incredibly thick and tasted like a melted candy bar! Elisabeth and Kate loved it. Their smiling faces were covered in chocolate and they had dribbles of chocolate on their pink Lands End coats. They were running around the Domaine de Marie-Antoinette - what a sight!

After the tour we took the girls for a quick trip to the WCs before walking back to the train station to take the RER-C to Invalides. We ate dinner at 5pm at the local "football" brasserie. Elisabeth and Kate wanted to watch the Olympics and ice skating on the television (Kate said she wants to be a figure skater in the Olympics when she grows up!). Unfortunately, it was a Saturday and the Olympics were replaced on the TV with a rugby match. Elisabeth and Kate enjoyed hearing Rich describe the rugby strategy.

February 18th: Musee Marmottan Monet

At ISB in Brussels Elisabeth is flourishing as an artist. Her art teacher, Mr. Daley, is exceptional. He recommended that we take Elisabeth to more art museums around Europe. On Thursday I took the girls to the Musee Marmottan Monet. We had a typical morning in Paris: Cheerios for breakfast in the apartment. We were out the door by 8:30am. We stopped by the local patisserie for our pastries. Elisabeth and Kate both selected a tartlette de citron. Elisabeth ate hers (and most of Kate's!) It was a little too tart for Kate's taste buds.

Musee Marmottan Monet

Rather than take the metro to Musee Marmottan Monet we took a cab (looking at the metro map the evening before I was a little intimidated by all of the line switches!). The museum is located in a lovely untouristy residential area. It contains the best collection of Monet's paintings and sketches, including several classic water lilies from his garden in Giverny.

In Rick Steve's France, the Musee Marmottan Monet was scheduled to open at 10:00am. However, it didn't open until 11:00am. Fortunately, there was an incredible park and playground adjacent to the museum. Elisabeth and Kate played on 2-3 different playgrounds until the museum opened. Elisabeth's favorite painting was La Barque (1887). Kate's favorite painting was Les Tuileries (1876).

Lunch?

After touring the Musee Marmottan Monet we walked to find a restaurant for lunch. Unfortunately, I turned the wrong way on Chaussee de la Muette. We had a longer walk than planned. The first restaurant we found at 1pm was rather upscale for us, but it was the only one in sight. We entered in jeans, mud from the playground and sat at an elegant table with very nice white linens. The girls ordered chocolat chaud and penne pasta with parmesan. The tablecloth was a mess after the hot chocolate - there were a few chocolate chaud near misses on the lovely couch that the girls were lounging on during lunch - at one point the whole tablecloth with plates, cups, etc. started moving off the table. Luckily, I caught it before a crash!

Since moving to Brussels Elisabeth insists upon only Cheerios for breakfast, Kate insists on only spaghetti bolognesse for dinner. So, I ordered the cassoulet in an attempt to demonstrate being open to new foods. Cassoulet is a slow cooked bean stew or casserole originating in the south of France. It contains meat (typically pork sausages, pork, goose, duck and sometimes mutton) and white haricot beans. I ordered it earlier in the week and it was very good. Unfortunately, the cassoulet didn't look or taste like what I expected. I think the waiter said that it was made with veal cow vertebrae (which is what it looked like!). The girls were having a hard time eating their penne pasta so I tried to be a good example and eat the cassoulet (except for the meat). So much for trying new foods...

College Visits Already?

We walked back to the park near the Musee Marmottan Monet and played there in the afternoon. It was a beautiful afternoon in Paris (although cold!). Elisabeth and Kate wore their sunglasses. The other moms at the playground were dressed in fur hats, full length fur coats, and fur wraps. I felt a little out of place in my old winter hat that I bought in Chicago 10 years ago and my plain winter coat! C'est la vie!

Elisabeth is very good-natured and makes friends easily. Elisabeth made a friend, Andrew, on the play ground. Andrew was a very polite 9 year old who spoke impeccable English. Elisabeth showed him a few tricks on the monkey bars. He showed her a few tricks on his scooter. Andrew and Elisabeth pretended to visit colleges with Kate. He insisted that they visit Harvard. Kate and Elisabeth wanted to go to the West Coast and visit California colleges (since moving to Brussels they really miss the sunshine!). Perhaps Elisabeth and Andrew will meet again in college in a few years... By 3pm Kate was pretty tired out. Andrew and his Mom walked us to the nearest cab stand. Andrew was a gentleman and opened the cab door for us. If only Elisabeth and Kate's future boyfriends could be so well mannered....

We arrived at the apartment late in the afternoon and watched a video. After the video we bought fresh bread for breakfast at the patisserie, ate dinner at one of the local brasserie and called it a night.

February 16th: Montmarte & Sacre Couer

On Tuesday, February 16th we took the metro from La Tour Mauberg to the Anvers stop in Montmarte to visit the Sacre Couer. I think it was my favorite day with the girls in Paris.

First, we walked from the metro stop to the Sacre Couer. They thought the Sacre Couer looked like an vanilla ice cream sundae! We arrived early before the carousel at the base was opened. Elisabeth and Kate enjoyed running around the square and climbing on the carousel. Next, we rode the funicular up the steep hillside towards the Sacre Couer. We bought a week metro pass earlier in the week and the funicular was included. We rode the funicular up and down several times during the day!

After climbing the remaining stairs to the Sacre Couer, we entered the church. The girls were incredibly well behaved and admired the stained glass. They especially admired the stained glass window regarding Joan of Arc. After exiting the Sacre Couer we climbed the tower (all 260 feet!). Montmarte is set on a hill 130 meters high. We enjoyed very grand views out over all of Paris.

After descending the stairs, I walked with Elisabeth and Kate down the steps to the base of the hill and rode the carousel several times. It was a "double decker" carousel with two levels. After the carousel, we rode the funicular back up the hill. We ate at a wonderful restaurant recommended by Fodor's Around Paris with Kids book. It was the perfect restaurant for lunch with small children (unfortunately, I can't remember the name of the restaurant!).

We walked back to the Sacre Couer after lunch and hopped on a mini-train for a tour of Montmarte. Kate fell asleep on the train. She was tired! The train took us past the Moulin Rouge and cabaret nightlife, the old vineyards where monks stomped grapes, houses where famous artists lived like Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec and other bohemians.

After the train ride Elisabeth took pictures of a woman selling flowers in Montmarte in 1890. We rode the funicular down the hill and rode the carousel again before walking back to the Anvers metro. Much to the girls delight, there was another carousel just opening at the metro. I think they were the first to ride on it that day. Elisabeth rode in an airplane, Kate rode in Cinderella's carriage. We took the metro back to La Tour Mauberg. The girls enjoyed a My Little Pony video before an early dinner at a rugby restaurant on La Tour Mauberg. The girls enjoyed watching the ice skating competition on the TV at the restaurant.

February 15th: Eiffel Tower, BatoBus Boat Cruise on the Seine and Jardin des Plantes

Elisabeth, Kate and I enjoyed our first day together in Paris. After eating breakfast in the apartment, we walked to the Eiffel Tower. We were one of the first in line at 9:15am. We spent the morning at the Eiffel Tower, riding the elevator up each level and looking out at the Paris skyline. We enjoyed lunch at the cafe on the lower level.

After lunch Elisabeth and Kate rode the merry-go-round along the Seine. Then we hopped on a Batobus Boat Cruise and enjoyed being on the Seine river. The Batobus is a great way to see the city along the river. Elisabeth tells her teacher that "she loves the Seine river."

We exited the boat at the Jardin des Plantes, the main botanical garden in France. At the Jardin des Plantes we visited the Muséum National d'histoire Naturelle. Kate wants to be an archaeologist when she grows up (as she says "while she is waiting for her husband"). It was an incredible museum. We also rode the merry-go-round (Elisabeth rode on the giraffe, Kate the panda bear and gorilla!). They also enjoyed walking around the small zoo. There was so much to see and do at the Jardin des Plantes - we wished we could have stayed all evening. But, by 2pm we were exhausted. So we headed back to the Batobus Boat Cruise along the Seine. We got off at the Eiffel Tower, rode the merry-go-round and enjoyed a nice walk home before dinner.

Batobus Boat Cruise

http://www.batobus.com/

Jardin des Plantes

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

Eight Days in Paris: 58 La Tour Maubourg

On Saturday, February 13th we hopped into our Citroen and drove south to Paris. We left at 10am and stopped for lunch. The truck stops and restaurants in France are rather upscale: leather couches, espresso machines, croissants, etc. We enjoyed a delicious lunch.

Unfortunately, the car transmission froze up and the car wouldn't start. The tow truck picked up the Citroen, a cab driver drove us to the nearest train station in Cambrai, and we waited. Rich was able to negotiate a new rental car (instead of taking the commuter train to Paris). At 5pm we loaded up the rental car and headed south to Paris (again!). We arrived at 8pm and met Daniella at our apartment at 58 La Tour Maubourg.

We rented the apartment for 8 days, until Sunday, February 21st. It was just perfect for us. When we walked into the apartment, there was a long hall (Elisabeth and Kate called it the Hall of Mirrors). Behind the doors were the small kitchen, laundry, closets and baths. At the end of the hall was a great room which included the dining room and living room. Kate and Elisabeth liked the old-fashioned beamed ceilings and huge windows overlooking golden dome of Les Invalides. On either side of the great room were two bedrooms. Elisabeth and Kate loved their green bedroom with pink satin draperies. Kate ran to me and said she wanted to stay here for all the world and didn't want to leave. Elisabeth and Kate loved their princess room!

Rich and I gave them a bath and put them to bed! What a long day!

Christmas is February in Brussels

It is February 13th and I still have not put away our Christmas decorations. They are all grouped together, but I have no where to put them. I miss my attic and my garage in Falls Church!

We have a storage unit in our building's garage in Brussels; however, the garage and storage units flooded in the fall during some intense rains. It took me a week to dry out all of our luggage. I am trying not to put anything of sentimental value in those units.

I am slating "Christmas Storage" for the week of February 22nd. Let's hope I can find a solution to the clutter!

Quote of the Day: February 9, 2010

This morning while eating breakfast, Kate said, " While I'm waiting for my husband, I am going to be an archaeologist."

Starting French Lessons

Both girls go to English speaking schools and English is spoken by most of the parents. But, when I go to the grocery, farmer's market, hardware store, etc. I need to speak French.

To supplement Rosetta Stone, I've started taking a French class with Janine Shipman in Waterloo. Quite helpful. Today I bought rope ("corde") for our sledges at the hardware store in French. Unfortunately, I didn't have my dictionary so I called Rich for the French translation. Usually, I keep my French/English dictionary in my purse. Let's hope we can go sledging tomorrow at Parc de Woluwe...

First Haircuts in Brussels

We've been in Brussels for more than five months, however we just had our first haircuts this past week.

My First Haircut: Toni & Guy

My appointment was last Thursday at Toni & Guy, a high end English speaking hair salon just off of Avenue Louise and the Sablon. Rich made my appointment with a stylist one of his co-workers recommended. My appointment was at 10am: just enough time for me to drop off Elisabeth at ISB at 8:30am, Kate at BEPS at 9am and enjoy a coffee with Rich before I dropped him off at work.

To my surprise, the hairdresser spoke very limited English. I asked her to keep the length and that I wanted a classic bob. She asked me about "layers" and I said no, holding up my fingers to indicate very little. She proceeded to layer my hair quite extensively. It looks like Jennifer Aniston's on the early seasons of Friends! I take an hour to blow it dry in the morning, one layer at a time. All in all it is a great cut, but it is just quite labor intensive!

http://www.toniandguy.be/

Elisabeth & Kate's First Haircut: Olivier Dachkin

I had promised to take Elisabeth and Kate to have their hair cut on the following Saturday. After my experience, I didn't take them to Toni and Guy. I had an anxiety attack. I thought,

"If I couldn't communicate about my own hair, how could I take Elisabeth and Kate and get the cut that I wanted for them?"

Rich's Solution: French/English dictionary.

I looked up the words "layer" and "straight". I drove the girls to their appointments at 9am on Saturday morning - the first appointments of the day. I pointed out the word "straight" to Monique at the Olivier Dachkin salon in Middlebourg. Monique did a great job for both (to my relief!). I think Rich was pleasantly relieved when I brought the girls home on Saturday morning with their hair trimmed!

http://www.olivierdachkin.com/start.html

Getting haircuts in Brussels was laden with anxiety for me. To help my anxiety, I've started to take a French class so that I can communicate better in French. Let's hope I can get by in Paris next week....at least we won't need haircuts!

Riding Lessons in Brussels

We joined a riding club in Brussels called Ariosa. It is in Hoeilaart, a Flemish section of Brussels. Elisabeth just completed her fifth riding lesson. She seems to really enjoy it and is excited to go. We signed up for five more lessons. She especially enjoys feeding the horses carrots and sugar cubes!

Brussels & Carnival

After school today Elisabeth and Kate played with their Carnival masks. Elisabeth pretended to write in Vampire language.

Elisabeth asked Kate, "What is your first language?"

Kate said, "Vampire language."

Elisabeth asked, "What is your second language?"

Kate said, "English."

Elisabeth asked, "What is your third language?"

Kate said, "Dutch."

Elisabeth asked, "What is your fourth language?"

Kate said, "French."

Not sure where the vampires came from. Who knew they spoke so many languages!

A Week in Paris, France

Saturday we are driving to Paris to spend the winter break. We're finalizing details and itinerary....lots of packing to do....

ISB Gala and Silent Auction: Chateau du Lac

Saturday evening Rich and I drove to the Chateau du Lac in Genval for ISB's Gala and Silent Auction Event. A lovely evening with distinguished guests, including the US Ambassador to Brussels.

It was so difficult for us to decide what to bid on at the Silent Auction. We decided on two items: the first was a pottery party with the school's art teacher, Mr. Daley, for four children and one adult. It was a competitive evening of bidding, but by the close of the bidding process we had won! We told Elisabeth and Kate about it on Sunday morning - she was excited. The other item we bid on was a watercolor of the Chateau at her school, ISB. We were outbid, but fun to try!

Lots of other exciting items to consider: dinner for eight with the Ambassador, beach house on the coast in France, airplane ride over Holland to Vreeland, driving a classic car in Germany for the day....we could only dream as none were within our budget.

Zebra Crossings: The Challenge to Crossing the Street in Brussels

On Sunday I took Kate to the Farmer's Market in Boisfort while Rich coached Elisabeth's soccer team. A beautiful winter day. We found great barbecue ribs and barbecue chicken at the market, as well as excellent Thai food (we miss Pilin in Falls Church!).

On the way back to the car we crossed the street and Kate looked for cars, buses, scooters, and motorcycles. We crossed the tram tracks and Kate looked for trams. We crossed the bike path and Kate looked for bikes. Then we did it again for the traffic in the opposite side of the road. We crossed the tram tracks and Kate looked for trams. We crossed the street and Kate said to look for buses, cars, scooters, and motorcycles. We safely reached the other side of the road. What an adventure!

Part II: Athens, Greece and The Acropolis

On Saturday we woke up later than planned and enjoyed a lovely breakfast in our hotel with Baklava and other tasty Greek treats. Elisabeth tried lots of new foods and devoured the sweets. Kate wasn't very interested although she did try dried apricots!

Acropolis & Acropolis Museum

We walked out of the hotel and turned right to walk up to the Acropolis. We hiked to the top that morning and enjoyed a 40 minute tour by Miss Maria. Not many tourists there at 9:30am. After the Acropolis, we walked to Mars Hill. Kate and I sat and looked out over Mars Hill while Rich and Elisabeth explored. After climbing down from Mars Hill we let the girls run on the paths down the Acropolis to the Roman Amphitheatre. Around noon we headed down the Acropolis to the new Acropolis museum for lunch.

The Acropolis Museum opened recently in 2009. At the Acropolis museum we enjoyed a lovely lunch with panoramic views of the Acropolis. The girls especially enjoyed their Lemon Fanta! After lunch we strolled through the museum admiring the sculptures from the Acropolis. Elisabeth especially enjoyed a historical video about the Acropolis. Kate just wanted to sleep so we pushed two chairs together and created a crib for her during the movie. We piled on our coats as blankets for Kate. She was tired!

Train Ride & Greek Agora

After the museum we enjoyed a one hour mini-tourist train ride around the Acropolis. Just what Elisabeth and Kate needed after a long morning of walking. A beautiful day - lots of Greeks enjoying coffee in the local cafes.

After the train ride we walked to the Greek Agora, however it was closed. Luckily for us, restaurants were open for dinner at 5pm (many Greeks eat lunch at 1-2pm and dinner at 9-10pm!). We ate dinner at a local restaurant and then went back to our hotel to put the girls to bed.

Sunday: The Greek Agora & Hadrian's Library

On Sunday we awoke again to vibrant blue skies and warm weather (our third beautiful day!). After a delicious breakfast in our hotel with Baklava and other tasty treats we walked to the Greek Agora, a former marketplace and meeting place. The girls were ready to stretch their legs and run along the paths while Rich and I enjoyed reading our books and appreciated the sculptures and architecture. Elisabeth and Kate were not interested in the museum so we stayed outside (where they wouldn't knock anything over!). They did enjoy seeing the Temple of Hephaistos, the most prominent and better preserved monument of the Agora. After visiting the Greek Agora, we visited Hadrian's Library, enjoyed another train ride through Athens, and ate lunch at a local Greek restaurant. We were sad to leave Athens, but we had a 4:30pm flight Sunday afternoon We walked back to our hotel, we picked up our luggage and took a cab to the airport.

My Birthday in Greece: A Boat Tour of the Saronic Islands

For my birthday we flew on Olympic Airlines from Brussels to Athens on Thursday, January 28th. It was a long flight, approximately, 3 hours. Not so easy for a family of four. On the flight to Athens we sat 3:1. Rich and I took turns sitting with the girls reading, playing tick-tack-toe and "hangman" while the other read the travel books about Greece from the library at the AWCB.

Day One: Afternoon Stroll around the Acropolis

We arrived in Athens at approximately 2pm on Thursday, quickly retrieved our bags from baggage claim and hopped in a taxi to Athens (not easy to do with car seats!). Rich had made reservations at the AVA hotel at the base of the Acropolis. After checking in our bags, we spent that afternoon strolling around the Acropolis, the Greek Agora, the Roman Agora, Hadrian's Gate and Hadrian's Library. We ate dinner at a family style restaurant, Scholarhio Ouzerikouklis, recommended by Rick Steves. Elisabeth was open to trying new foods, however Kate wouldn't eat a bite. She ate the bread and sausage (no spaghetti bolognese for Kate!). We put the girls to bed early - they were exhausted!

Boat Tour of the Saronic Islands

On Friday morning we awoke early and reported at 7:20am at another hotel, the Hotel Amalia, around the corner for a boat tour of the islands: Hydra, Poros, and Aegina. We took a bus from the Hotel Amalia to the port of Athens and boarded our ship, a high speed catamaran. It was a two hour trip to the first island, Hydra. We spent the majority of the trip on the deck, admiring the view (and trying not to be seasick!). It was an absolutely beautiful day, 65 degrees Fahrenheit, blue skies, no clouds (quite a contrast to Brussels!). Elisabeth decided that first morning that she wanted to move to Greece.

Hydra

Hydra was our first port of call. Hydra is one of the Saronic islands, located in the Aegean Sea between the Saronic Gulf and the Argolic Gulf. It is separated from the Peloponnese by narrow strip of water. In ancient times, the island was known as Hydrea, which was a reference to the springs on the island. The only automobiles on the island are trash trucks. On the seafront there were plenty of donkeys to ride, but we preferred to walk. The girls enjoyed stretching their legs. We walked along the seafront for the full two hours on Hydra from the mansions and museum on one side of the island to the windmills on the other side. We visited the local Greek Orthodox church and a few shops. As we were walking to board our ship a little girl approached Elisabeth and Kate. She pointed and said "nina, nina, nina" - she was quite taken with Elisabeth and Kate. Rich and I were worried that she would board the ship with us. So E&K held her hands and took her back to her grandmother.

Poros

We boarded the ship for an authentic Greek lunch and a short ride to another island, Poros. At Poros we walked up the path on the rocky hillside to a clock tower, took some scenic photos and hiked down. Several Chinese tourists asked if they could take their photos with Elisabeth and Kate. Elisabeth was happy to oblige, Kate was not. We hiked back down the hillside and boarded the ship once more for a short ride to the final island, Aegina.

Aegina

During ancient times, Aegina was a rival to Athens, the great sea power of the era. On Aegina we took the "Classical Tour" on a bus to visit famous Greek ruins. The Temple of Aphaea was dedicated to its namesake, Aphaea, a goddess which was later associated with Athena; the temple was part of a pre-Christian, equilateral holy triangle of temples including the Athenian Parthenon and the temple of Poseidon at Sounion. We also visited the Monastery of Agios Nectarios, dedicated to Saint Nectarios, a recent saint of the Greek Orthodox Church.

McDonald's on Constitution Square

On the return trip to the port in Athens, we were entertained by Greek dancing instructors. Elisabeth and Kate enjoyed it. We arrived back at Athens later than planned so we ate at McDonald's for dinner on Constitution Square across from the Parliament building and walked back to our hotel.

We contemplated a trip to Delphi the next day, but we were so exhausted we decided to stay in Athens and visit the Acropolis on Saturday...more to come...(I need to move along the washer/dryer!)...

We're back...

We returned from Greece and flew into Brussels late Sunday afternoon. Rich is back in the office. The girls are back at school. I'm back to everyday life in Brussels: unpacking four suitcases, lots of laundry, grocery shopping, etc. I hope to find time to blog about our trip to Greece this afternoon...seems like a dream...