Mont St. Michel, Rouen and Giverny

We are planning a trip to France in May. Elisabeth and Kate both have a four day weekend (somehow their two separate school calendars lined up!). Rich and I are excited to take them to Mont St. Michel, Rouen and Giverny to visit Monet's house and garden.

When in Rome....

We are planning a four day weekend in Rome at the end of April/early May. We rented an apartment in the Campo de Fiori neighborhood. Today, I checked out travel books on Rome at the AWCB. We are still researching and planning for our trip, but I like the Fodor's series of travel books (Around Rome with Kids, etc.).

Rome Itinerary

Day 1: The Forum, Roman Coliseum and Pantheon

Day 2: The Vatican Museum, Sistine Chapel and St. Peter's Basilica

Day 3: A Fountain Scavenger Hunt for the girls?

Not sure if the volcanic ash from Iceland will enable us to fly! Airports are still closed in Brussels as of today, Tuesday, April 20th.

Julia Child: My Life in France

I love going to the AWCB library. I run into American friends who are here for a short time period. We exchange travel ideas, books, etc. Today, Niki recommended reading My Life in France by Julia Child with Alex Prud'homme. After reading the book she went with friends to Paris on the Thalys train to visit Julia Child's house, the Cordon Bleu, etc. in Paris. I'm not sure if we can visit this year, but I checked out the book...

Spring In Holland

On Saturday, April 17 we drove with Nana and Papa toward Amsterdam in Holland to enjoy the glorious colors, shapes and fragrances of the Dutch flowering bulbs. Keukenhof was once the royal hunting grounds and kitchen garden of Jacoba van Beieren, Countess of Holland, Zeeland and Hainut. And, the Netherlands has a long tulip history. The tulip bulb was actually discovered in the 17th century. Many merchants made money trading the bulbs.

On Saturday we left Brussels shortly after breakfast and arrived at Keukenhof in mid-morning. It was truly a feast for all of our senses! We strolled through several of the gardens and admired the tulips, hyacinths, and daffodils in bloom. We climbed to the top of the windmill built in 1892 to regulate the water levels in the polder. We gazed out over acres upon acres of bulbs. After climbing down from the windmill, we listened to a troop of Hungarian singers and dancers in the square.

After lunch a Dutch shoemaker, Nicole, made wooden shoes for Elisabeth and Kate. The girls picked their own designs of daisies and tulips. Nicole is the only female shoemaker in Europe. She was an impressive artist. I even had a pair of wooden shoes made for me! We'll put the shoes out for St. Nicholas in December next year.

Every year there is a different theme at Keukenhof. This year the theme at Keukenhof is "From Russia with Love". Elisabeth and Kate discovered matryoshka dolls, a mosaic of St. Basil's Cathedral, as well as the Russian ballet in the gardens. They also discovered a gardening shed from a Russian fairy tale.

Keukenhof was impressive, not only for its lovely flowers, but also for its sculpture and exhibits throughout the garden. Elisabeth and Kate liked the lily pad sculptures in a pond. We walked out into the pond on the lily pads. Kate thought she was walking on water!

Elisabeth and Kate played at the adventure playground, inside Native American tee pees, tree houses, zip lines and tunnels in Keukenhof. There was something fun for the girls around every corner! Somehow we missed the petting zoo and the animals!

My Mom enjoyed Peter's Patio Garden. Outside was a vegetable plot and inside was a display of homemade preserves built into one of the garden walls.

I'm not sure if we have time to go back to Keukenhof for the special summer flowers and the chrysanthemums. Perhaps in June. It was truly the greatest flower show I have ever seen.

Spring Break 2010: Brussels and the Romantic Road in Germany

For the second week of Spring Break, my parents, Walter and Patty Keyes, flew into Brussels to visit from Dayton, Ohio. They were delayed in Atlanta due to a lightening storm. After spending the night in a hotel in Atlanta they finally took flight to Brussels. They were upgraded to first class. What a nice way to fly! Elisabeth and Kate were so excited to see them when they arrived in Brussels.

Prior to their arrival, we rented a minivan so we were all able to fit (our little Citroen barely sits four comfortably!). We brought them to Auderghem to unload their luggage and freshen up in their apartment. Our neighbor, Mr. Wang, graciously invited my parents to stay in his apartment down the hall while he was in Atlanta for business.

Grand Plaza & Brussels

On our first afternoon in Brussels we took the metro from Hermann Debroux to Park Metro Station. We strolled through the lovely gardens near the Palace with Nana and Papa. The girls especially enjoyed the fountains. It had just rained so there was a rainbow above the fountain. From Park we walked to the Musical Instruments Museum for lunch and a panoramic view of Brussels skyline from the 10th floor restaurant. Later we walked down to the Grand Plaza for chocolates from Elisabeth, delicious waffles across from the Hotel Amigo and a visit to the Mannequin Pis. My parents were tired so rather than walk up the hill to the Park Metro Station we walked to the Central Metro Station. They were tired and almost fell asleep on the train. We went home for dinner around 5:30pm. My parents were exhausted and went straight to bed!

The Romantic Road & Germany

On Sunday morning we woke up and enjoyed a delightful breakfast with Nana and Pap in the apartment. Around 9am we all piled in the mini-van. Rich drove us to Germany for a tour of the castles on the Romantic Road. We visited Wurzburg, Rothenburg and Fussen. My Dad was stationed at Ramstein Air Base 35 years ago. Also, my Mom's ancestors are from that region. We stopped and researched her ancestor who left in 1815 for the United States. It was a special return to Germany for my parents and the girls enjoyed hearing about their travels.

Wurzburg, Germany

We arrived in Wurzburg, Germany after lunch and unloaded our bags at the Hotel Wurzburger Hof. It was a lovely (yet cool) afternoon so we walked to the Würzburg Residenz, an extraordinary example of a Baroque palace. Giovanni Battista Tiepolo painted frescoes in the ceiling above the staircase in 1752 in the Imperial Hall. The Residenz was destroyed in WWII and rebuilt after the war. After our tour, we strolled through the Court Gardens and Residenz Square.

After visiting the Wurzburg Residenz and the Court Gardens, we strolled through historic Wurzburg towards the Main River. We enjoyed dinner at a local restaurant and walked over the famous Old Main Bridge while eating ice cream cones. From the bridge there were lovely views of the Fortress Marienberg.

In the morning, we enjoyed breakfast at the Hotel Wurzburger Hof. It was drizzling. So, after stocking up on umbrellas, we toured the Fortress Marienberg. The most interesting aspect of the fortress was the tower which contained an "elevator" to hide women, children and royalty in case the castle was penetrated.

Rothenburg

After touring the fortress, we drove to Rothenburg, one of Germany's best preserved medieval walled towns. It was a picturesque, charming and quaint village. We parked outside the old city walls and entered in through the main gate. The moat was spectacular to cross. After eating lunch on the main square with Nana and Papa, we toured St. Jacob's church. It contains an impressive 500-year-old Riemenschneider altarpiece, the Michelangelo of German woodcarvers. We climbed the stairs behind the organ to view the woodcarving. After touring St. Jacob's, Elisabeth and Kate enjoyed walking the wall that surrounds the old town. We enjoyed the view of the red-tiled roofs with the green valleys and Tauber river below. We had a hard time coming down! In the afternoon, we toured the Imperial City Museum in Rothenburg, founded in 1258 as a Dominican nunnery convent by the Imperial master cook Lupold of Nordenberg. We enjoyed a hot chocolate and pastry on the main plaza. Elisabeth and I enjoyed shopping in the Friese shop. Anneliese, who runs the shop, gave Elisabeth and Kate a doll for free. Thanks to Rick Steves' for the recommendation! What a magical and friendly medieval town!

Fussen

After an afternoon hot chocolate and pastry, we left Rothenburg and drove to Fussen. We arrived in Fussen in time for dinner at a local Italian restaurant. Elisabeth enjoyed her pizza with black olives, Kate enjoyed her spaghetti bolognese. We stayed at the Hotel Seespitz, just outside of Fussen. There were incredible views of the Forggensee with Füssen and the snow-capped Swiss Alps in the distance (The Forggensee is a man-made lake which was built to prevent flooding. It is the catchment area for all the melting snow in the spring. After the middle of October the lake is drained ready for the next spring melt - glad we went in the Spring!). After dinner Elisabeth and Kate enjoyed a swim in the indoor pool with Nana and Papa. The pool had floor to ceiling windows with picturesque views of the snow-capped mountains. Breathtakingly beautiful.

The next morning we enjoyed delicious German pastries before touring the famous castles of Hohenschwangau and Neuschwanstein. Füssen is the highest town in Bavaria (808 m above sea level). I felt like we could touch the mountains. First, we took a horse and carriage up the hill and visited the Hohenschwangau castle. We enjoyed walking down from the castle after the tour. After a quick lunch, we took another horse and carriage up the hill to visit the Neuschwanstein castle.

Nana and Papa remembered visiting castles when they were stationed in Germany at Ramstein Air Base approximately 35 years ago. Nana and Papa met my Uncle Joe and my Uncle Dan in Germany and touring the castles. Elisabeth and Kate enjoyed hearing stories of my parents adventures and of my Mom skiing moguls on Mont Blanc. What fun!

Lake Constance & Baden Baden

We arrived in Baden Baden shortly before dinner and checked into our hotel along the Oos River in the western foothills of the Black Forest. After a lovely dinner at an Italian bistro, we enjoyed a lovely stroll and retired for the evening (we were exhausted!). The next morning, after a delicious breakfast, we walked along a stream before our long drive back to Brussels.

Brugges, Belgium

Nana and Papa left on Thursday by train for an overnight in Brugges. I made a reservation for them at the Hotel Erasmus because it was centrally located near the Grand Plaza in Brugges. They enjoyed touring the Grand Plaza, riding in a carriage and eating dinner on the Grand Plaza before retiring for the evening. The next day they enjoyed the museums in Brugges and went on a boat cruise prior to catching the train back to Brussels.

Keukenhoff, Holland

On Saturday, April 17 we drove to Holland to view the tulips. We arrived at Keukenhof in the morning and enjoyed strolling around the gardens before lunch. We enjoyed climbing to the top of the windmill, gazing out over the big open fields of tulips, and listening to a troop of Hungarian singers and dancers.

We had wooden shoes made for Elisabeth and Kate. The girls picked their designs and a shoemaker, Nicole, made their shoes (Nicole is the only female shoemaker in Europe). Elisabeth and Kate wore their shoes for the remainder of the day! Nicole was quite an artist (I even had a pair made for me!). We'll put the shoes out for St. Nicholas in early December next year.

Elisabeth and Kate enjoyed the play ground at Keukenhof, especially the zip line and maze. They also enjoyed walking across a pond on "lily pads" made of stone. Rich and I helped them. Quite fun.

Petit Sablon & Brussels

On Sunday, April 18th we had a leisurely morning. After breakfast we took the 94 Tram from Herrmann Debroux to the Petit Sablon. We ate lunch at Pan Quotidien. After lunch we sampled chocolates from Whitamer and strolled through the gardens in the Petit Sablon.

They were scheduled to depart on Monday, April 19th. However, their flight was canceled due to the erupting volcano in Iceland and the volcanic ash covering Europe.

Leuven & Amsterdam

Nana and Papa's flight was rescheduled to depart on Thursday, April 22nd. In the meantime, they kept busy and enjoyed their extended stay in Europe. On Monday they took the train to Leuven to visit Erasmus University. On Tuesday, they took the train to Amsterdam for an overnight at the Hotel Rembrandt. They enjoyed visiting the Anne Frank museum and strolling through Amsterdam.

Tulips in Keukenhof, Holland

We spent Saturday, April 17th in Keukenhof, Holland with my parents. Keukenhof is famous for its Spring bulb display. It was a lovely Spring day and the girls were enthralled by the windmills and surrounding tulip fields.

Germany: The Romantic Road

We just returned from a 5 day trip in Germany along the Romantic Road. Picturesque castles, lovely countryside and rolling hills, and snowcapped mountains in the distance. Exhausting, but exhilarating trip with my parents and the girls. Thanks to Rich for driving!

Ronda, Spain

While Elisabeth, Kate and I napped in the car, Rich drove to Ronda, one of the most visited towns in Andalucia. Ronda captured our imagination sitting on a massive rock cliff. It was one of the last Moorish towns to fall to the monarchs in 1485. We parked the car and visited the Plaza de Toros first, one of Spain's oldest bullrings in Ronda. Elisabeth and Kate enjoyed running around the ring and visiting the bull pens. They especially enjoyed the museum and the colorful clothes of the matadors.

After leaving the Plaza de Toros, we walked along the Parador de Ronda atop the rocky outcrop and enjoyed marvelous vistas of the valley below. We walked across the Puente Nuevo bridge and the gorge of Guadalevin. The bridge links the old Moorish town to the newer town. We ate dinner at a local restaurant in the newer town in the Mercadillo quarter. After dinner we crossed the Puente Nuevo bridge again for an evening stroll through the La Ciudad, the old quarter. The ironworks, the patios overflowing with flowers and the Moorish mosaics were lovely in the evening with the sun setting in the west. We were sad to leave, but we had to drive back to Almunecar in order to pack and catch our flight in the morning back to Brussels.

Nana and Papa's Visit

My parents were scheduled to arrive this morning in Brussels, but their flight was postponed in Atlanta due to lightening. They are scheduled to arrive tomorrow morning, Saturday, 10th of April. After 24 hours in the Atlanta airport I am sure they are looking forward to their arrival.

Elisabeth and Kate were very disappointed that their flight was postponed. The girls moped about the apartment this morning - finally I got them outside after lunch. We went to Parc de Woluwe to jump rope and play soccer. Elisabeth was proud to demonstrate jumping rope for Kate. Kate wasn't interested - she wanted to eat her afternoon snack, pick a posy of flowers for her grandparents and run (Kate loves to run and run fast!).

After the park, we stopped at the post office and mailed their watercolor paintings of Spain to Rich's parents. Elisabeth painted the the Mesquite cathedral in Cordoba. Glad that we bought the watercolors with us in August - thanks to John and Polly for Elisabeth's art kit!

At 5pm we met Rich at Pizza Hut for dinner (it is just where we go every Friday for dinner in Brussels - nothing else opens until 6 or 7pm!) before bringing them home in our rented minivan for bath/bedtime stories. They loved the minivan ride!

Elisabeth and Kate were giggling and chatting tonight. They were up late picking out outfits to wear to the airport. The girls picked out their hot pink dresses with white polka dots and white cardigans. No new Easter dresses this year - Rich and I did not have the chance to shop at Costco for their annual Lilly Pulitzer dresses. At bedtime, Elisabeth and Kate were cuddling with their bears, excited to see their grandparents. A late night for us!

Sevilla, Spain

We woke up early on Saturday, April 3rd and drove along the Mediterranean coast through Andalusia's western extremities and plains to the capital of the region, Seville. After attempting to drive through the narrow streets of the Santa Cruz neighborhood, we parked the car near the Jardines de Murillo on the outskirts of the Santa Cruz neighborhood. We enjoyed strolling through the picturesque gardens of the Jardines de Murillo, the old Jewish quarter and the Plaza Santa Cruz to the Plaza Virgen de los Reyes.

We ate a tapas lunch on the square at Restaurante El Giraldillo. Elisabeth and Kate enjoyed eating on the square and watching the people, the architecture of the Cathedral, the Giralda and the Palacio Arzobispal and preparations for the Easter processions.

Restaurante El Giraldillo

Plaza Virgen de los Reyes, 2

www.barriosantacruz.com

Seville Cathedral & La Giralda

Seville is a mix of Moorish, Roman, baroque and renaissance architecture. After lunch we walked cross the Plaza Virgen de los Reyes and entered the Seville Cathedral and La Giralda. The huge Gothic cathedral and its Moorish bell tower are Seville's most popular sights. There was a very long line to enter the cathedral after lunch. I waited in line while Rich, Elisabeth and Kate ran around the square.

Seville Cathedral. Upon entering the cathedral we walked through an art gallery to the cavernous cathedral once the site of a great mosque built by the Almohads in the late 12th century. We followed the trail of dried wax from the Holy Week Easter processions through the cathedral to the bell tower.

La Giralda. Elisabeth and Kate climbed to the top of the tower and enjoyed the magnificent views. They were intrigued by the swimming pools on the roof of buildings. Elisabeth now wants a swimming pool in our backyard in Virginia.

Patio de los Naranjos. After climbing down from the tower we walked to the Patios de los Naranjos. It was a lovely day and we enjoyed the shade and the fragrant aroma of the orange trees in the garden. Quite picturesque in April.

Plaza Virgen de los Reyes & Parque Maria Luisa

Horse carriages line the Plaza Virgen de los Reyes outside the Seville Cathedral. After touring the Seville Cathedral and the La Giralda, we decided to ride in a horse and carriage through Seville. Our horse was named "Tony" and the girls enjoyed riding in the carriage through Seville's old Jewish Quarter to the leafy Parque Maria Luisa. The grounds of the Parque Maria Luisa were donated by Princess Maria Luisa de Orleans to the city in 1893. Part of the Parque was created and landscaped for the 1929 Ibero-American Exposition with fountains, flowers, and tree-shaded avenues. The Parque was a refreshing escape from the heat of the day.

Real Alcazar

We returned to the Plaza Virgen de los Reyes after the carriage ride. Rich stood in line for the Real Alcazar (another long line!) while I took the girls to buy postcards and limonada, a frozen lemonade. The limonada was a treat on a hot April day. Fortunately, we brought sun hats with us!

The royal palaces and lush gardens of Pedro I and Carlos V were incredible. We admired the Mudejar craftmanship and fantastic mosaics of tiles in various geometric shapes, as well as the beautifully landscaped gardens, terraces and fountains. Elisabeth brough along her camera and enjoyed taking photos of the tiles and horseshoe arches.

Easter Processions

The Easter processions in Seville began around 6:00pm. We sat on the steps of the Cathedral, ate hot dogs from a local restaurant for dinner and waited for the processions with anticipation. It was incredible to see the excitement and anticipation on their faces. The crowd was growing - most impressive was how the children and teenagers part in the processions. We stayed and watched the processions until 8pm and then walked back to the car for the long drive home. Fortunately, the girls fell asleep in the car.

Jerez de la Frontera, Spain

On Monday, April 5th we woke up early to drive to the Jerez de la Frontera, the largest city in the Cadiz province, to visit the Real Escuela Andaluz del Arte Ecuestre (the Royal School of Equestrian Arts). Elisabeth was particularly excited as she takes riding lessons in Brussels at Ariosa Stables. The Real Escuela Andaluz is the training and breeding ground of thoroughbred or "pura raza espanola" Andalucian horses whose lineage can be traced back to the 15th century horses of La Cartuja (a cross between the Andalucian horse, dating back to around 20 BC, and Arab and Berber horses brought over by the Moors).

From 11-12:30pm we watched a training session of several horses to "dance". The horses had a graceful gait and were very nimble considering their size. At 12:30pm we joined an English guided tour of the stables, saddlery and museum. We ate lunch at a local tapas restaurant and talked about our favorite horses. After lunch we strolled back to the car for our final destination.

Granada, Spain: The Alhambra

On Easter Sunday, we drove to Granada. Elisabeth and Kate enjoyed the drive north through the Sierra Nevada mountains. They admired the snow capped mountains. We drove to the Science Museum in Granada to pick up our tickets to the Alhambra. Our tickets were for 10:30am to the Alhambra, with a 30 minute window to enter the Alhambra. You must enter the Alhambra at your allotted time, but once inside you can stay for as long as you like.

Unfortunately, the roads in Granada were blocked off for Easter Sunday. We did not arrive at the ticket office of the Alhambra until 10:50am. Somehow we were able to climb the steep steps to the Palacios Nazaries in 7 minutes (Elisabeth and Kate were great runners!). The guard at the Palacios Nazaries was kind enough to allow us to enter at 10:57am. Whew! Once inside we sat in the chairs in the main hall, drank water and rested from the sprint up the hill.

Palacios Nazaries

The Alhambra was part of the Nastrid dynasty from 1238 to 1492 after which the Catholic monarchs ruled over Granada. The star attraction is the Palacios Nazaries. The Palacios was worth the sprint: the tiles, mosaics and arches created a peaceful and serene environment. It is a mix of brick, wood and adobe. Throughout our tour we sat down often to admire the palace as the Nastrids would have viewed their palace from cushions and carpets on the floor.

Generalife (Yannat al Arif)

After touring the palace we walked to the Generalife, the country estate of the Nastrid kings. Elisabeth and Kate enjoyed the lovely fountains and gardens, especially the elaborate waterworks carrying water from the mountain to the lower gardens.

After strolling through the lush gardens of the Generalife we exited through the Puerta de las Grannadas and enjoyed an ice cream. We drove home to Almunecar to the Villa, to play at the beach, swim in the Mediterranean Sea and eat dinner at Tito Yayo.

We had a lovely day at the Alhambra, but I'm exhausted just remembering the sprint from the morning!

Cordoba, Spain

We woke up early Friday morning and drove to Cordoba. Cordoba was once one of the greatest cities in the Western world in the 10th century when Abd Rahman III created an independent caliphate with Cordoba as its capital. Cordoba was the center of trade, industry and learning and its influence stretched from North Africa to the Balearic Islands.

We enjoyed driving along the coast into the mountains to Cordoba. In Cordoba, we parked across the Quadalquivir river near a playground. Kate and Elisabeth enjoyed playing on the playground after the long drive. We walked across the river, past the fortifications and the Alcazar de los Reyes Cristianos to the old Jewish quarter near the Mezquita. We ate lunch at a lovely restaurant on a square in the Jewish Quarter, the Juderia. It was a warm day so we ate outside in the shade. Kate and Elisabeth enjoyed the Easter processions during lunch along the narrow streets. The also enjoyed being serenaded by a traditional Spanish accordion player and guitar player.

After lunch we walked back to the Mezquita, built between 785 and 787 AD by Abd al Rahman I. The girls were impressed by the Great Mosque and the Patio de los Naranjos, the hidden forest of orange trees in the courtyard where the faithful washed before prayer. They were excited to climb the 93 meter high bell tower, the Torre del Alminar, built on the site of the original minaret; unfortunately, it had been closed for 18 years.

Inside the Mezquita, the girls were impressed with the arches and vastness of the building, a mix of Muslim and Christian architecture. More than 850 columns of granite, jasper, and marble support the roof, creating a dazzling visual effect. Part of the mosque was destroyed to accommodate the cathedral, started in 1523.

After touring the mosque and cathedral we enjoyed a horse and carriage ride through the Juderia. Cordoba holds a patio contest every year. During our carriage ride, we enjoyed glimpses of the lovely patios, which is at the heart of the classic Mediterranean house. The patios of Cordoba were quite lovely with brick arches, ironwork, pots full of vibrant flowers, colorful tiles, orange and lemon trees, and fountains.

Afterwards we enjoyed an helado near the Mezquita. An artist sketched a caricature of the Elisabeth and Kate - we're excited to frame and hang it upon our return.

We enjoyed walking to the Alcazar de los Reyes Cristianos along the Quadalquivir river. Unfortunately, the castle and gardens were closed. Rich took turns carrying the girls on his shoulders to give them a view of the gardens at the Alcazar de los Reyes Cristianos. Elisabeth and Kate were truly amazed by the terraces and fountains. We continued our walk past the fortifications along and across the Quadalquivir river. We enjoyed a lemonade at a local cafe and played at the playground before driving back to Almunecar and dinner on the beach.

Spring Break 2010 - Spain

For Spring Break 2010 we flew from Brussels to Malaga, Spain on Thursday, April 1st. Our flight was at 6am - an early morning for a family of four to drive to the airport!

We arrived in Malaga at 9:00am and were able to pick up our rental car from Hertz easily. We enjoyed an hour drive along the Mediterranean coast to Almuñécar on the Costa Tropical. Elisabeth and Kate fell asleep in the car during the drive - not surprising!

Fortunately, we packed the GPS for Europe. We were able to find our villa with ease. The highway along the coast was new and was in excellent condition. We arrived at the Villa at 10:30am. The girls enjoyed playing in the sand on the beach while we waited for the owner, Eladio, to get the key. We enjoyed lunch on the beach at one of the local restaurants.

Elisabeth, Kate and I enjoyed unpacking and exploring the villa while Rich went to the market. Unfortunately, all markets/grocery stores were closed due to the Easter holiday until Saturday (so we had to eat out until Saturday!). Fortunately, we packed fruit bars from Trader Joe's, as well as granola bars and raisins to get us through the first day!

We spent the afternoon on the beach, playing in the sand, building sand castles and exploring the coast. Kate was a little afraid of the ocean. She asked us to fill up her bucket and fill it with water for her castle - it took her a few days to warm up to the surf.

After playing on the beach in the afternoon, we cleaned up the girls and went to the restaurant next door, Tito Yayo. We enjoyed a wonderful dinner, walked along the beach and slept! We were all very tired.