Tippa's European Adventures

Does anyone still read my blog???

2011-01-21T20:30:00.001+01:00

Ha! Since I have not posted in almost a year, I am curious...does anyone still read my blog???

We have had snow twice already this year resulting in snow days!!! I love snow, but I am dreaming of warmer days, sand between my toes, a fruity cocktail, and flip flops!

Anyone else out there want some warm sun?!?!

The Quilt

2010-07-03T18:03:00.006+02:00

I love t-shirt quilts! I had a couple made before I moved to Belgium from shirts I had been saving for a while! Packing up to move to Europe gave me the push I needed to get them done! I had no idea who made t-shirt quilts in Memphis so I did a Google search and viola, there she was! Ha! I met with the most awesome Jesus-loving seamstress (amazing how that happens) and I had 2 beautiful quilts made that I absolutely love (and use daily). One was from college with all my sorority shirts and one was of my travels (before moving to Europe).

Then, I thought what a great thing it would be to collect shirts while I lived and traveled throughout Europe and abroad so once I moved back I could get them made into a quilt as sort of a momento! I finally did! Back in February I met with the awesome seamstress and picked out the fabric for this new one. I had a lot of t-shirts but not one from every single place I visited. So, we decided to go with a border around the quilt and just list the places where I visited but did not have a shirt. She did it out of printable fabric and I love how it turned out!

And, 5 months later....I picked it up yesterday! Check it out!!!
She is one talented lady!
The top says....
This is an example of how she did the border of places I visited but did not have a shirt...
I am in love!!!! That a great way to showcase your memories and keep yourself warm!

P.S.----Yes, I have not blogged since February and my friend, Amy, checked in recently to see if the snow had melted in Memphis since my last post was of the snow! Ha! Thanks, Amy!!! I will try to get better! I am going on vacation soon, so I will be back to tell you all about it!

Snow!!!

2010-02-14T14:58:00.020+01:00

Memphis got over 7 inches of snow last week! It was so pretty and took my breath away, really! It was totally unpredicted, or I need to watch the news more, and a complete surprise when I saw it on Monday morning! I love snow, I really do. I hate driving in it, but I love being snowed in! Here are a few pics from the day!

It started around 4am...my mom called and woke me up to tell me to look outside! She needed to tell someone since my dad was out of town! Ha! ;-) We love snow around here!
It was like a little blizzard! You know, Memphis-style!

The news kept saying it was almost "a white-out situation"! I laughed!

The view outside my door once our blizzard was all over! So pretty!

Maxie tried to hold her business as long as she could, but eventually she had to give in and put those paws in the snow!

She didn't like it too much!

Well, she did not like it at all!
Told ya!

Snow drift - Memphis-style.....(Gitzen Girl....don't laugh at our blizzard!)
My snow covered neighborhood!

My little snowed covered house!
It was s fun day!! How much snow did you get?!?!

It's all about....

2010-01-17T18:17:00.006+01:00

Maxie! Shocked? I doubt it! She is my furry baby and I would not have it any other way!

I received an email from Shutterfly a couple of weeks ago that said I qualified for a free 8x8 photobook! Yippie! I wanted to do something with Maxie's European Adventures and this was the perfect opportunity! I started working on the book! The email said I got the book and 20 pages free. Of course, I could not stop with 20 pages! The book ended up with 46 pages of pure cuteness! I wish everyone could see it! It is perfect! It is really the cutest thing I have ever seen! The book is written from Maxie's point of view!

If you are really interested in what it says, let me know and I will send a link!

Also, I heard about an offer for a free photo canvas and wanted to give it a try! It was totally free, well except for the $14.99 shipping! I was very impressed with the quality and loved how it turned out. You, too, can get a free canvas at the following link!

A Year in Review!

2010-01-01T04:35:00.011+01:00

What a life changing, busy, complicated, scary, emotional, crazy, expensive year 2009 has been. As I sit and think about what all I have been through, done, experienced, etc. I begin to realize why I am so tired!

This year started off by making decisions, picking out the stuff, planning for, and building this:
We lost a member of our family, Max. We miss you everyday, sweet boy!
As I went back and browsed through old posts from this year, I would say about 99.9% of my time over 2009 was spent focusing on the move back to the good ole US of A.

I left this.....
And repatriated back to this...

God Bless America!

It sounds so simple....I moved. People do it all the time. It is not an unheard of thing, you know. Moving from another country, building a house, starting a new type of job, spending more money that I have ever spent at one time in my life times 3....I think that was a full year. I survived and that is saying something.

My travels sort of halted (for obvious reasons), but I did manage to get one last (and very awesome) adventure in a couple of weeks before the big move....South Africa and.....

Egypt!

That was such an incredible experience!!! I still cannot believe I saw the pyramids! Wow!

I arrived home, moved in, unpacked, and did some of this...
Should have done that more often!

But then, I suppose I got bored and started tip-toeing in a new little hobby and shot my first wedding! More of that to come in 2010!
This blog world has blessed me so tremendously. I had the opportunity to meet some of my bloggy friends! Oh how I love them!
I even tried another little something I had never done before....painting!

To wrap up this transition year....a friend of mine said it best: I am thankful for God's continued love and faithfulness in 2009 and excited about His purpose and assignment for 2010. It is a new year, peeps! Do it big and do it with God! Happy New Year! Be blessed!

It was one heck of a year and we made it! I am so looking forward to 2010 and the new chapters opening up for me. I am not going to take this year sitting down....

I hope you will come along for the ride!

Christmas Decorating

2009-12-28T20:40:00.003+01:00

I hope everyone had a great Christmas! We sure did! It was a very relaxing and calm day, so you just cannot ask much more than that!

I am not very timely with my blogging. However, I do keep my promises! And I promised more decorating pics of my house...so here you go! I hosted a couple of Christmas parties at my house this year, so that was a lot of fun!

This is the outside! I never got a picture at night with all the lights on, so just use your imagination! It really did look pretty! Notice the wreaths on the dormers...I hung outside the windows to get those things to stay! I still cannot believe they stayed up!

Living room and main tree!

Mantel (sorry for the blur, I was in a hurry!)

Dining room. I did not go crazy in here, just some greenery on the light fixture with ornament balls hanging and a centerpiece.

The dining room table centerpiece.

I got this little house in Frankfurt, Germany at the Christmas Markets! I love it!

Breakfast area in kitchen with my travel tree. I really love my travel tree!

Getting ready for a little party....

The start of the Christmas cards coming in! My friends have the cutest kids (and dogs!)!

It was really fun decorating this year. Since this was my first Christmas in my new house, I had to start from scratch decorating! That was a bit of a challenge, but I already have ideas for next Christmas!

Can you believe that it is almost 2010?

Painting

2009-12-20T16:44:00.011+01:00

My major in college was accounting. I really have no creative juices running through my blood...I am not kidding!! But when I see something I like, I can do my best at copying!

My friend, Amanda, has found a new passion and she is really good at it! There is a lady in town who does "the original girl's night out" and offers paint classes! You show up with appetizers and wine and a blank canvas in front of you! I walked in with the idea that I would support Amanda in her new passion but took note of the trash can sitting by the door where I would place by sad little non-creative snowman when the class was over! I also showed up for the wine (I won't lie)!

So, when the class started, I thought, what the heck..."Tippa, leave your anal tendencies outside and just give it a shot and don't worry that it is not perfect...remember there is a trash can beside the door!" That exact thought went through my head!

So, that is what I did...

We started out with a blank canvas. The instructor drew in the border to help us.We were told to draw out our snowman's body using grey paint and start filling it in with white paint. Then, start on the background.
Then the border...
That's me with no analness!
Looking good!
Even better! (Ok, the instructor did the flower, I have to be honest...but the rest is mine!!)
Amanda and I and our little creations!
The artist!!!!
I think she turned out really cute! I should learn to throw out my analness more often!

Bloggy Friends

2009-12-01T17:38:00.005+01:00

I started blogging as I was preparing to move to Europe back in late 2006 and 2007. I wanted a way to document my travels and adventures so my family and friends could keep up with me and see pictures. At the time, I had no idea I would connect with a wide variety of people across the country and abroad through the internet. Some bloggers have become really good friends and I feel as though I know them better than friends who live within a few miles of me.

A few weeks ago, my friend Danielle visited the South for the very first time. Danielle is The Design Girl who designed my blog and photography blog (coming soon!!). She is from LA and wanted to experience a true fall...and meet some cool bloggy friends. I decided to make the trip to Nashville to meet her as well as a few more friends whose blogs I read on a consistent basis. When I told my parents what I was doing, they both sort of freaked out and thought I was nuts. I showed my parents each of their blogs and said, "see, they don't look like killers!!!". Ha!!! My mom glared at me.....

See, they don't!!!

Danielle, Amy, and Jill

Jill and I

I still cannot believe I did not get pics with Danielle and Amy?!?! What was wrong with us, girls?!

It was so fun connecting with them. I felt like we were all old friends getting together and hanging out. We walked around downtown Nashville and stayed at Amy's beautiful home.We laughed as we talked about our parents and friends sort of freaking out about meeting people on the internet. Each of us had to make calls to our families and let them know we were ok!! It was hilarious!

I so much enjoyed meeting each of you girls! I cannot wait until our next adventure and you are all welcome in my home anytime!

I also got a chance to catch up with Angie and Jessica. I found Angie's blog over a year and a half ago and have been blessed by it more than words can say. I also started reading sweet Jess's blog as well! What a crafty lady she is! They were both just like you would think they would be...so warm, down-to-earth and lovely. Again, that experience was just like sitting down catching up with old friends! They took us on a little adventure down the Natchez Trace to see the beautiful fall leaves......and it was an adventure! So so much fun! Thanks ladies!!!!

Bloggy friends are the best! There are many of you out there that I hope to get to meet one day! Until then, I will continue to connect via this crazy world wide web!

Christmas Decorating (Work in Progress)

2009-11-29T18:55:00.048+01:00

I had so much fun over the weekend pulling out all of my Christmas decorations that I had not looked at in over 2 years since moving to Europe. I did not do much decorating in Brussels because I came home for Christmas so I didn't even bring most of my decorations with me so they were in storage in Memphis. I have always loved decorating for Christmas and when I bought my first house I went crazy buying decorations, lights, a huge tree (that spins!!)! It was truly beautiful!

Throughout all of my European and world travels, I made it a priority to buy an ornament from every place that I visited, almost to the point of irritating my travel buddies! Ha! I managed to pick up an ornament from most places and I am so glad I did! I knew I loved them when I bought them, but now, they are true treasures. As I was unpacking them on Friday, I began to tear up as the memories flooded back of that particular trip. It's moments like this that I realize the past two years were real and not just a dream!

I wanted to share a little sampling of my treasures (yes, there are more!).

Belgium at its finest....chocolate, beer, and fries (yes, fries came from Belgium, not France)
Brussels, Belgium
Vienna, Austria
Paris, France
London, England

The Netherlands
Mediterranean Cruise Dubrovnik, Croatia
Ephesus, Turkey (also known as Kusadasi)
Santorini, Greece
Prague, Czech Republic

Christmas Markets in Frankfurt, Germany - I picked up a few other items besides an ornament at the market, like this little house. I want to add it to my Christmas village...you know, as soon as I start one!

These little ornaments are hand painted with such incredible detail. The back is the exact same as the front. Gorgeous!

Capri, Italy
Positano, Italy
Waterford, Ireland
Disneyland Paris, France
Budapest, Hungary
Brugge, Belgium
Copenhagen, Denmark
Sweden - Sometimes I just had to improvise when I could not find an ornament!
Edinburgh, Scotland
Berlin, Germany - This was a piece of the Berlin Wall. It was originally suppose to be a necklace, but I made it an ornament.
Original German nutcrackers! I love them!

Normandy Region of France

Christmas Markets in Cologne, Germany

Christmas Markets in Aachen, Germany - I love this nativity scene!

With all of these travel ornaments, I needed another tree! I decided I would like a travel tree in my kitchen, so, well, I put one up and I LOVE LOVE LOVE it!

Christmas Markets in the Netherlands (in a cave) - Pam and I went to a Christmas market in a cave last year and had so much fun. We bought so many goodies! I need to take more pics once I get everything placed! I plan to frame this little Santa and hang it during the holidays. Maybe next year!

This is a beautiful tablecloth. I will take another pic once it is on a table!
I finally have my main tree up and decorated along with the outside of my house and the mantle. I will post pics soon!

How is your decorating going?

Happy Thanksgiving!

2009-11-26T18:55:00.002+01:00

Happy 4th Birthday Maxie!!!

2009-11-24T01:42:00.003+01:00

Today, my furry baby turns 4! Can you believe it? She is spoiled rotten and I would have have it any other way! My sister got her a Snuggie (for dogs) a few weeks ago and I thought this would be the perfect time to take her picture! She also got a new toy that I thought was just precious!

Happy Birthday, sweet Maxie! I love you!

Torture, pure torture!

By the way, can you tell she hated every minute of me taking these pictures!?! Well, until she got to play with her toy!

Mid Thirties

2009-11-01T15:40:00.006+01:00

I am a little late in posting, but considering I have not posted since early September, I think my timing is ok!

I turned 35 on October 25th so I am officially in my mid thirties...ugh! How did that happen? I spent the day before hosting a few friends at my house. We laughed, ate, and stayed up way past our bedtime! Then spent Sunday with my family. It was a good weekend!

I have been wanting to make this cake for a while and thought this was a great opportunity. You may have seen it before on other blogs....it is as time consuming as your have read it to be, but oh so good! Try it!

I want to start decorating for Christmas already...is that bad???

Go TIGERS!

2009-09-06T17:11:00.003+02:00

Home

2009-09-05T16:09:00.004+02:00

I have always been a Michael Buble' fan! Really, his music is unbelievable, relaxing, romantic, funny, and sometimes hits 'home' when you least expect it! My favorite song of his is, Home, one of his biggest hits, and knew I loved it but I was not sure exactly why. Then, I recently sat down and listened to the lyrics of Home. Here they are:

HOME, by Michael Buble'
Another summer day
has come and gone away
In Paris or Rome...
but I wanna go home
...uhm Home

may be surrounded by
a million people I
still feel all alone
just wanna go home
I miss you, you know

And I've been keeping all the letters
that I wrote to you,
Each one a line or two
I'm fine baby, how are you?
I would send them but I know that it's just not enough
My words were cold and flat
And you deserve more than that

Another aeroplane, another sunny place,
I'm lucky I know
but I wanna go home
I got to go home

Let me go home

I'm just too far from where you are
I wanna come home

And I feel just like I'm living
someone else's life
It's like I just stepped outside
when everything was going right
And I know just why you could not come along with me
This was not your dream
but you always believed in me...

Another winter day
Has come and gone away
in either Paris or Rome
and I wanna go home
Let me go home

And I'm surrounded by
A million people I
still feel alone
Let me go home
I miss you , you know

Let me go home
I've had my run
baby I'm done
I gotta go home

Let me go home
it'll all be alright
I'll be home tonight
I'm coming back home

When I listened to those words the other day, I could not stop the tears from falling. A song was written that fits everything that I have been trying to say over the past year or so! I just wanted to go home!

Does a song touch you like this one did me?

Wedding Part 1

2009-08-29T03:09:00.008+02:00

As I mentioned before, I was so excited to be able to help photograph a wedding back in June. I posted a collage from the wedding, but I wanted to post the full photos that I love.

I, obviously, was not the main photographer doing this wedding, but I was there to help in any way that I could. The main photographer is not a professional either, but had more experience doing this and knew the family. We decided to split up the tasks. I was assigned to do the bride getting ready, the groom getting ready, help out with pre-wedding shots, capture the up front ceremony shots, and then the reception. But, as all of the festivities started, the both of us were there to capture whatever we could, in the moment it happened. It made me realize that no matter how much you plan, you have to be flexible, go with the flow, and capture the moment. I found that I thrive in that environment. I am soooo much a planner, but when it comes to photography, as long as you have an idea of what you want, you just have to roll with it.

And, roll with it we did! Here is a sample of some of my favorites!

I really love this shot. I was sitting up front (hidden beside the piano) to capture the moments from the front of the church. The ceremony was around 45 minutes long, so I had plenty of time to practice some creative shots and see what I could come up with. And this was one of them...

The 'shoe shot' is also a favorite and everyone that sees it has a reaction. I love that! I think it turned out awesome.

This is another angle of the shoes!

I love the depth in this picture.

Then, there is the bride. I have told many people that I am only doing weddings going forward when the bride is gorgeous! It sure helped in getting some amazing shots! (just kidding, really)

The stained glass window that I spoke about earlier was a challenge, but as the sun started to set, we were able to get some amazing light. The light was casting a gorgeous shadow over the bride's face and some shots turned out fantastic! We also got some very traditional pictures as well, but these are my favorite artsy/creative shots!

So, that is a little glimpse into some of the photographs I was able to capture at the wedding. I will post about the very HOT reception soon! Remember, I am an amateur and have SO much to learn about this art, especially my editing software, but that is a whole other post!

Just a test...

2009-08-28T22:41:00.002+02:00

I am trying to learn how to upload larger photos on my blog...so this is my test! I hope it works!

This is what it normally looks like uploading through Blogger with the image set to large.This is Photobucket with no changes.

Ok, that was really large...

Let's try this. I resized to large in Photobucket.

Much, much better! Thanks Vicky and Anita for your help.

Still practicing...This was uploaded using blogger with the image set to large.

Photography

2009-08-18T04:04:00.005+02:00

I know, I know...no new blog! My wonderful blog designer is a little busy right now and not able to get to my blog just yet. Ok, I can't lie. She is waiting on me to make a decision and I just can't decide what I want to do. So, in the meantime, I am going to continue blogging here until I actually realize I no longer live in Europe. *sigh*

Anyhoo.....

I have been wanting to post about a little project I worked on in June. Many of you know my love of photography and I was so excited when I was approached by a friend to help with a wedding. I have never (ever) done anything like this before and to say I was nervous...well, that is an understatement. I was at the church every night the week before the wedding getting adjusted to the lighting, lenses, flash, camera settings, etc. The wedding was at 6:30pm and there is a beautiful stained glass window above the alter. It is absolutely gorgeous, but a photographer's lighting nightmare!

However, the wedding went off without a hitch and I got some awesome shots! It helps when the bride is so dang beautiful that it is hard to get a bad shot of her!!!!

And, I am hooked to this whole photography biz! I had so much fun capturing and sharing this day with the whole wedding crew. I will have to post about the OUTSIDE reception in JUNE, in MEMPHIS...yes HOT HOT HOT!
What do you think? Oh, and because I have no idea how to use my editing software, these shots are straight out of the camera with no editing!

The decision...

2009-07-24T03:16:00.001+02:00

Ok, ok, I am going to continue to blog! You were all so sweet in your comments and emails, how can I stop now! But, I need to get a new blog and new name, so I promise I will get that done this weekend!

Can't wait to share more!

To blog or not to blog.....

2009-07-10T20:44:00.006+02:00

That is the question!

Really, I cannot get motivated to get back into blogging. Maybe because things are a little hectic since I have moved back...or maybe because my European Adventures were way more exciting than my day to day life at home. However, I seem busier at home than I ever was in Brussels!

Anyhoo....should I? Thoughts? Do I have any readers out there anymore? Do you want to hear about my day to day life back in the States? Leave a comment or email me and let me know your thoughts??

By the way, I may not leave many comments on your blogs these days (have I mentioned life is still a little hectic)...but I am still reading and miss talking to you all!

Should I? You decide!

Repatriation (Part 3)

2009-06-09T18:04:00.005+02:00

Bon jour! My name is Maxie. Oh sorry, I am so use to barking in French. Did you know I am a bi-barking pup?! I am so smart! Zsa Zsa gave me French lessons all the time. She was a little better than me, but I was really catching on! You probably know me by now because my Mommy talks about me so much and takes pictures of me all the time, which is really annoying (shhhh, don't tell her I said that!). I have learned to just sit here and let her do it otherwise she cries and I do not like to see my Mommy cry. I am so glad to be back home in the States. Although my Mommy cannot take me to as many places as she could when we lived in Europe, I love being back. I am finally getting use to my new house and backyard! Oh how I love the sunshine!!! The sun did not shine much in Belgium and my poor little nose was losing its black color. That was really giving me some self image problems, but now I can lay out and get my nose tan! Life is good! Oh, and yes, the back of the couch is my favorite spot to lay!

Mommy wanted to show you some treasures we found in Belgium and while traveling around the world! (I am going to let her take over now...it is time for my afternoon nap!)

Maxie is only a weeeee bit spoiled!

As Maxie said, I would love to share some of the little treasures I picked up during my travels as well as in Brussels.

This is probably my favorite piece. I am really not into antiques, but I knew I wanted to get some special items to bring back with me. There is an antique sale every Sunday in Waterloo, Belgium, which is really more like a flea market in the States. But, there are vendors there who sell lots of antique pieces. The first time I went, I came home with this....Don't you love it? I sure do! The only history I know about it is that it is over 200 years old and came out of some Belgian castle. Cool, uh!?! Can you believe a piece of furniture is almost as old as our country?? That amazes me!

Since I loved that piece above so much, I decided to go back and see what else I could find. I found these items about a year later at the same market. The vendor did not know the history of these pieces. This piece is in my dining room. I got my mom the matching buffet! Yes, it has the same marble top as the piece I bought above! Isn't that cool?! Must have been the style back then!
I cannot tell you how in love I am with these pieces. I loved them when I bought them, but to see them in my house now...wow!!! Love!!!!

At the same market, I found this little dresser. It was the mirror which sold me! I absolutely love it! It is now in my bedroom!When we were planning our trip to visit friends in Istanbul, Turkey, I knew I wanted to come home with a Turkish rug. This is it....
Belgium is famous for its tapestries. A little history....Tapestries became status symbols amongst the aristocracy in the Middle Ages. They also had much practical use, providing insulation for castle walls, covering openings and giving privacy around beds. Kings and nobles took them on their travels from castle to castle for reasons of comfort and prestige. Tapestries often changed hands after battle, and since the victor's door and window openings might be a different size the acquired hangings might be cut up or even joined to other tapestries. I bought this Belgian Tree of Life tapestry before I even selected the colors for my new house! Isn't it fabulous!?!Polish pottery from Boleslawiec, Poland is probably one of the finest pottery produced in the world. It is very durable, high-fired, non-porous stoneware dinnerware that can go straight from the microwave/oven to the table to the dishwasher. Boleslawiec Polish pottery line is classified as high-density stoneware, a very hard product shaped from opaque, white clay of the superb quality. It is resistant to chips and breakage. The artisans coat all the colored patterns with a transparent, protective glaze in order to prevent wear and food from sticking! I absolutely LOVE it!!! I bought so much of it since it is so much cheaper to buy in Europe than in the States. We saw some pieces in the States costing 3 times what we paid in Brussels! Wow! Anyway, I LOVE IT! So, here are a few pieces I use all the time!I found some fabulous Bohemian crystal while on my trip to Prague, Czech Republic! Oh the memories of trying to get 5 sets of 12 crystal glasses packed in luggage and to Brussels without breaking anything! (We succeeded!!!!) I love these glasses! I hosted a brunch over the weekend (which I cannot believe I did not take 1 single picture...so annoyed). Anyway, Susan and Kathy brought over stuff to make mimosas so we used my champagne glasses! So fun!So, this was a little glimpse into some of my European treasures (more to come) that have found a place in my new house! I still cannot believe that I lived in Europe for 2 years but unpacking all of the things that I bought while over there has made it all real and holds very special memories!

More than anything I picked up while living and traveling abroad, it was the people I met and the experiences I had which will remain with me forever! And yes, that includes Zsa Zsa!
I am starting to feel more and more like myself now that I have been home for about 3 months. One observation that I have noticed is my Southern accent. I have always had a Southern accent, but the more I have traveled over the years the more I seem to have left the accent at home. However, since I have been home, I have really seen my accent come back! I even catch myself making 1 syllable words into 2 syllables....and I just laugh! And you know what...I like it!

And, just for fun, here is my favorite room in the house! My master bath!

Repatriation (Part 2)

2009-05-22T17:20:00.001+02:00

I know, 2 posts in 1 week! I must be feeling better!! :-)

A friend from Brussels is repatriating also and as I read her blog I am reminded of some of the experiences and observations I had when I arrived back home. Here are a few:

Overwhelmed by choices. I was very limited in the things I bought in Brussels (mostly food) mainly because I could not read the labels or understand what things were because it was all so very different than what I bought at home. Being back, I find myself overwhelmed at the many varieties there are in the supermarkets! I vividly remember a trip to Target my first week back and noticed a whole aisle (A WHOLE AISLE) dedicated to 100 Calorie items. When I left for Brussels, there were only a few 100 Calorie items. See...
Now on to electronics. I bought new TVs, a refridgerator, picked out appliances for my house, etc. I am really not a techy person, but I wanted to make sure I got what I needed and something that would last. Wow! That day I spent at Best Buy was a very very loooooonnngggg day! Just too many choices. I finally had to completely depend on the person helping me to decide what was best! We will see in about 5 years if something has to be replaced!

And, then there are all the breads, salad dressings, cereals...the list goes on and on! My friend's example was bread and I can certainly relate. She mentioned there are choices between thin slice, thick slice, extra fiber, extra protein, honey wheat, oatmeal, white, rich in Omega 3, low cholesterol, extra oatmeal, 9 grain, 5 grain, buy one get one free, and wheat. She ended up sticking her hand out and choosing. The one she touched which was Grains & More, 19g of whole grains, Good source of fiber, Hearty multi-grain bread, Double Protein, A blend of wheat and rice protein, 14g of protein in 2 slices, Heart healthy! Whew!

Southern hospitality! Gosh, I really missed that! Customer service everywhere, people asking how you are doing and genuinely meaning it! And even asking you if you need help in stores...I know!! Gasp!!

We had to bag our own groceries at the grocery stores in Brussels. And, you had to pay for your bags if you did not bring your own (you also paid to use a cart, but that is another story). So, being back home and having someone else bag my groceries is a nice luxury...and they even take them to your car! I know!!! What have I done to deserve that?!?! But, it also brings up the fact that we are a very wasteful society and all the plastic bags are really bad for the environment. I will definitely be using my reusable grocery bags I bought in Brussels the next time I go to the grocery store!

I love being back at home and run into people I know! That is such a treat! The first time it happened was the day after I arrived home. My friend, Ginnie, had her baby the day I got home (at almost the exact time I landed...yes, I love that baby for waiting on Aunt Tippa!). I digress! I went to the hospital to see her the next day and on my out, I saw some friends walking in! It made me smile to just happen to run into someone I knew! I was so used to going places around Brussels and elsewhere and never seeing anyone I knew, better yet, not being able to understand the conversations going on around me! I felt like I lived in a bubble!

I am sure there are tons more examples, so I will write about them as I remember them!

Do you spot anything here funny?I thought this was sooooo funny when I spotted it in Target!! Brussels is stalking me! I wanted to also share a few pics from around my house. The ones below are not the best as the lighting was horrible. I hope to get more later as I continue to make it a home!

Maxie loving the sun and our new patio and backyard! My living room! From the living room looking into the dining room!My friend, Cindy, and I went shopping a couple of weeks ago...and let's just say, we SHOPPED! Trying to load it all into her car! We had soooo much fun finding stuff for my house!Yep, even the back seat was full! Look at this! What a day!

Repatriation (Part 1)

2009-05-18T21:37:00.003+02:00

It has been 9 weeks since I have been home! My goodness, how time flies! I am starting to feel better and back to my normal self. A friend from Brussels recommended that I get a couple of books regarding repatriating. I received the books earlier last week and started reading through the first one. And, guess what??!! I am not going crazy! What I am feeling is completely normal! Whew, that is a relief!

One of the books is titled, The Art of Coming Home. It confirmed to me that coming home is much harder than leaving. I know that sounds so weird and I did not want to believe it at first, but it is so true. Books have been written about preparing to leave on an expat assignment (I read them ALL) and companies pay to help with the transition, but not many books are written on coming home nor do companies invest in helping with the adjustment process. Isn't that interesting? One study found that 64% of returnees experienced significant "culture shock" upon repatriation. 64%...that is amazing and kinda scary!

One person commented about repatriating: "The euphoria was short-lived, however. Within a few weeks I found myself, unexpectedly, in the depths of despair instead of at the anticipated peak of ecstasy. Instead of enjoying the company of old friends and neighbors, I couldn't seem to find anything to talk to them about. Instead of enjoying driving on wide and familiar roads, I was petrified because I often found myself on the wrong side of them. Instead of enjoying supermarket shopping, I was overwhelmed by the quantity and the variety of items available."

Amen, sister!

This is called "reverse culture shock".

The book talks about the meaning of home. It is familiar places, familiar people, routines and predictable patterns of interaction. All three of these make possible most of the feelings we associate with home - security, understanding, trust, safety, and belonging. Then, how does the place returnees come back to measure to these criteria?

Familiar Places - One of the first things you notice about coming home is that things are not familiar anymore. Things have changed: new streets, new traffic lights, new shopping centers, new neighborhoods, new restaurants. Places have closed, moved, renamed. You cannot come back to a city and rely on your instincts to get from one place to another because so much has changed. It may be home, but you are going to have to learn how to get around all over again.

Familiar People - You think that the people you know have not changed while you were gone and will not regard you as having changed either. As you expect, therefore, you will essentially have the same relationships with these people that you had before you went away. You assume that time stopped while you were abroad. The truth is, people have changed and you have changed. Some have died, married, divorced, become parents, moved away, or changed jobs.

YEP, that is right!

Home may include many familiar faces, but it contains very few familiar people. You won't be able to pick up where you have left off with loved ones or friends and not take any of the relationships for granted. You won't be able to relax entirely and be yourself, trusting your instincts, nor will they be able to relax and be themselves around you. You will all have to come to know each other again.

Routines and Predictable Interactions - A routine is anything you do without thinking, without paying conscious attention to your actions or words; indeed, in its purest form a routine is something you do while you are paying conscious attention to something else. Because of routines, the predictability of so much of what you do, you feel in control much of the time and able to relax; you can trust your instincts and be yourself. Routines also enhance your sense of well-being and security and thereby contribute to feelings of self-confidence and self-esteem.

Coming home, you are surrounded once again by unfamiliar places and people (albeit much to your surprise) and with much the same effect as when you went abroad; routines were interrupted and you have to create new ones before you can feel settled. In the meantime, nothing feels normal or comes naturally. The most mundane tasks once again require your conscious attention, and most of your interactions with people, even close friends and loved ones, will be somewhat awkward and uncomfortable, at least until you determine how much they have changed and what they may think about the new you. You are continually on edge, not able to trust your instincts and just be yourself.

Although I am not too far into the book yet, I can already tell a difference in my attitude. I am feeling better and getting to know the new me better and not getting too freaked out as much as I used to!

Writing about my experiences in dealing with the repatriation is helping me understand the process and it also helps you all to know that I am not going crazy...I am just going through "reverse culture shock"!!

Exciting stuff, uh?!

I hope you enjoy coming along with this new adventure too!

Swimming

2009-05-01T17:36:00.002+02:00

FYI - This is going to be a jumbled mess!

I had lunch with some special friends this week and they asked how I was doing since being home. I started answering them, and as I spoke, things started to make sense and I could actually verbalize how I am feeling. This is something I have not been able to do before when people would ask how I was doing.

You see, since I got home on March 14th, I really have not stopped. Yes, I have slept, eaten, been lazy, shopped, cleaned, organized, read, worked, etc...but my brain has not stopped. I feel like my life is a bit out of control and I am doing everything I can to keep my head above water.

It is the transition back to my life in the US that is really difficult. You would think that it would be easy to get back into the swing of things since it is my home turf. But, I have found that not to be the case. Since I have been home, things in my life are turned upside down and not in order. I am overwhelmed and I am not focused. You would think it would be easy to fix (just get it done, right?!), but because everything is so different and nothing is easy, I just shut down and cannot get anything together or accomplished.

All the 'new' stuff is my life is not helping. I have a new type of job (same department, just auditing different things), new management, new team, new director, new expectations, new house, new car, new stuff in the house...and the list goes on and on. So, I am not on top of my game. I cannot catch up and feel like I know what is going on. For example, I am a manual reader...so when I get something new, I usually read the owner's manual to learn about what this particular item is all about. Well, I have not read the first manual which makes everything hard. Nothing is easy to figure out. I cannot just turn something and it start working right. Or if something is wrong and not working and since I have no clue about it, I cannot fix it easily. I just want everything to work as it is suppose to and be easy. Nothing is easy right now. Nothing. NOTHING.

Thank God for my family. They have been there for me since the first day I arrived. Helping with anything and everything that I needed. I could not be where I am today without their help.

The first couple of weeks when I got home, my head was spinning. I could not sit and look at my computer screen without feeling really dizzy and felt like I was going to pass out. I honestly thought something was seriously wrong with me and even talked to my doctor about it. This has since gotten better and I can actually sit at a computer screen without the need to panic thinking I was dying.

I just want to be able to focus, to be on top of my game and to be 'me' again.

Yes, patience is not my best virtue.

A Home and a Gala

2009-04-26T16:32:00.005+02:00

Note: I am working on a starting a new blog, since my European Adventure's are over, so check back soon!

I am starting to feel normal again after a crazy month of being home. My house is starting to feel more like a home instead of a cold new place. (I promise to get pictures posted soon....really, I promise.) I do not feel settled yet and my patience is running out! I have things on the floor and so unorganized at the moment and it is driving me nuts. (I am an organized freak and hate clutter!!!) I walked upstairs yesterday where the media room is located (it will be a media room one of these days, but right now, it is my junk room!) and looked around wondering where to start. I picked up a few things then started feeling very overwhelmed and turned around, shut the door, and walked back downstairs! That is how I am dealing with things these days....just shutting the door and dealing with it later!

As proud and excited as I am over my new house, I have really not invited many people over because it is not perfect yet. Ok, ok, I know...I need to get over that....and I will...in time! You know, when it is perfect! Just kidding....if I have not invited you over, just come on over...it could be a while before everything is perfect!

Outside all of the house stuff I have been doing, I am starting to reconnect with some old friends! I went to a Catholic elementary and junior high school which only went to 8th grade (so many of us went to different high schools). This year marked the 20th year since we graduated (from 8th grade) and we decided to have a little reunion last weekend. Our class was not that big (maybe 40 people) so we were able to contact most of our former classmates for this event. The school was having their annual gala fundraiser event so we decided we would use that to host our reunion!

What a fantastic weekend we had. A few of us met up for happy hour last Friday night and then the Gala on Saturday night. A new school has been built since we were there so I was excited to see the new and improved Sacred Heart School! I really loved going to Sacred Heart...probably the best school years I ever had! Our class was the best, if I must say so myself, and we were all very close! I have stayed in contact with many of them over the years.

We had a great time reconnecting, talking about the past, and planning future events so we can all stay in contact! I love these friends so much!
Things are started to settle down for me, so I promise to be posting more frequently soon! I hope I am not losing any of my bloggy friends...I miss you all in blog-world!

He is Risen

2009-04-13T02:45:00.001+02:00

Happy Easter everyone!

Keys

2009-04-10T19:15:00.004+02:00

I cannot believe it has been so long since I last posted. Time does fly when you are having fun! That is, if you call unpacking, shopping for house stuff, organizing, cleaning out, throwing away, setting up utilities, having a fence built, shopping for a car, etc. having fun! (Some days, I am not so sure!)

I finally received all of my shipments from Brussels with only a few damages. It is amazing how you feel once you are surrounded by all your junk (I mean, stuff). Most of it is unpacked and scattered about all through my new beautiful home. I will eventually get it all organized and in the right spot!

Remember when I wrote this? There was something about having keys which made me feel normal, a place to go, a home. I felt so displaced when I no longer had keys when I was leaving for Brussels.

I had that same feeling coming home from Brussels. I got rid of my apartment keys, car keys, office keys, and keys to a friend's house. Once again, I felt very displaced.

I cannot remember if I have told you about my friend, Brenda. She is a purser (head flight attendant) on the Northwest Airlines (now Delta Airlines) Memphis/Amsterdam flight. I first met Brenda on my flight home from my househunting trip when I was moving to Brussels. I asked a flight attendant about flying with a dog. She did not know the answer so she referred me to Brenda. Brenda came back to where I was sitting and answered all of my questions about flying with a dog. She also asked me what kind of dog I had. When I told her I had a Maltese, I thought she was going to hug me....as she is a Maltese owner herself. There was an instant bond. I told her all about Maxie and she told me all about her Gracie. Ever since then, we have become fast friends and I tried to plan all of my trips back and forth to Memphis when she was flying.

On my final flight home from Brussels when moving back,we made sure she and Rosemary (another flight attendant friend) were on the flight! It just made the experience complete to share that final flight with these 2 special ladies who always made sure Maxie and I were in good hands. They also gave me a special gift on this final flight, a very nice keychain. They have no idea how special that gift was to me and how much having keys means to someone who has felt displaced.

So, when I closed on my house, I thought it was very fitting to place that key on this new keychain and know that I will not feel displaced any longer and remember how God sends very special people into your life just when you need them!

Much needed R&R!

2009-03-29T01:59:00.008+01:00

Being home has been incredible and a little sad. I miss living in Europe. I never thought I would say that, but I do. I think it is just the excitement of living in another country and all the wonderful opportunities I was blessed with. It is hard to believe that I am here permanently and not going back anytime soon. I feel like I just woke up from one fantastic dream. I am reminded of the places I visited as I unpack boxes and see the things I purchased. What an opportunity!! It is so hard to believe that I did it...for 2 years, I lived in Europe. I did it. I made it.

This may sound really weird, but I was afraid to stay at my house the first night because that would make it real...I am home!

So, saying all of that, these past couple of week have been wild. I closed on my house on Friday, March 2oth! My friend, Pam, came to town and it was all about the house! On Saturday, I had my refrigerator delivered and all 18 window blinds installed. Tuesday, I had my storage shipment delivered. It is amazing the stuff you forget you have when you have not seen it for 2 years! Wednesday, my first shipment from Brussels was delivered. That shipment consisted of the bare essentials (bed, clothes, bathroom stuff, kitchen stuff, etc). It is nice to have these shipments arrive in phases so I can stay caught up on the unpacking and organizing without being completely overwhelmed. And, the best part about moving, MOVERS! They totally unpacked everything from my Brussels shipment and took away all the packing materials. That was such a HUGE benefit and help!

I also had my all of my utilities set up; cable installed; TVs bought, delivered and installed; Daddy repainted the master bedroom and bath; and a fence in the process of getting built. There is a lot to do! Whew....

So, tonight, I did this....And...oh, it felt so good!

And I treated myself to this...Yes, that is a TV installed in my bathroom! I love it!

Farewell Brussels

2009-03-24T02:05:00.016+01:00

Wow! I knew it was going to be a little crazy when I got home, so this is no surprise, but I am exhausted. I will update you all on the events of last week and this week, but I wanted to share quickly about my farewell dinner in Brussels.

The day arrived to say farewell to Brussels and good friends. We organized a dinner at my favorite restaurant in Brussels, Belga Queen! I love this place! It used to be a bank but is now renovated and a fabulous restaurant. There is even a club downstairs in the vault!
The food is always fantastic, but this night, it was all about the desserts! I had the most appropriate item on the menu...a Belgian Waffle!
Yeah, it was terrible. ;-)
I have talked a lot about my friend, Julie, quite a bit on this blog who lived up the street from me in Brussels. We did a lot of traveling and hanging out together. We also have a friend, Amirah, who is fabulous!. We realized we never had a picture of the 3 of us together. Close to 2 years of knowing each other, we never all 3 had a group shot!! What were we thinking!!??! So, we made up for it this evening! Amirah is in the middle and Julie is on the right! I LOVE these girls. They truly made my time in Brussels memorable!
I love this shot!
These are 2 of my favorite people. Laurence and JR. Gosh, I will miss them so much!
Love this girl!
Laurence and Vincent! Great couple!
Me and Carrie (JR's wife)
Jr and Vincent
This is my friend and co-worker, Jane. She lives and works in Chicago and happened to be in Brussels for my final night. Jane has been a dear friend for many years, so it was very fitting that she was in town for this special night!
Julie and Laurence...and me!
And, with a final drink of the bubbly....farewell Brussels, I will miss you!

Craziness!

2009-03-19T15:51:00.006+01:00

Yes, it has been wild around here since I returned to the States! It is hard to really say what I have been doing lately, just general running around and working! I close on my house tomorrow at 11AM! I cannot wait to have those keys in my hand!

Also, my BFF from Brussels is coming to visit me! Pam (Zsa Zsa's mommy) will be arriving at 7:30AM in the morning and I am so excited! She has been in the States visiting her parents and is coming to spend the weekend with me!! Isn't she sweet!?!

Pam and I on our Mediterranean cruise!

I promise I will post more soon, especially about my wonderful farewell the night before leaving Brussels!

I hope you are all doing well!!!

I'm Home...and a Baby!

2009-03-16T13:23:00.005+01:00

No, the baby is not mine!

This is so weird! I made it home safe and sound on Saturday afternoon/evening!!!! I really cannot express in words how it feels to know I am here permanently and do not have to cross the Big Pond in a week or so like I have for the past 2 years. Weird, is the only word that I can come up with to describe this feeling.

As expected, I visited my house for the first time as soon as I landed! I mean, did not stop anywhere between the airport and my house! Seriously!

Seeing it in all its glory was so awesome and surreal! It is more gorgeous than the pictures I have been obsessing over for the past 2.5 months (I am a little biased!)! My family was there as well as a few friends, who promised me they were there to see me first, then the house! Ha, I am not so sure!!!! It felt so good to be home, see familiar faces, and give some hugs!!!

On to the baby....

Remember my BFF, Ginnie, who was pregnant and due at the end of the month and promised me she would not deliver before I made it home??!! Well, she keeps her promises!

I received an email from her while I was connecting in Amsterdam on Saturday morning. Her water broke and was in the hospital at 11:30PM Memphis time Friday night. Oh, I was excited!!!! I was expecting an email as soon as I touched down saying little Baby Girl had arrived. No, that did not happen. As soon as I arrived, I received a text message from her husband saying no baby yet, 17 hours of labor, and they were about to do a c-section.

So, at 4:49PM, beautiful Sarah Katherine was born....I landed almost at the exact time that she was born!!! I love that kid!

Isn't she delicious!?!!I had an incredible last night in Brussels that I will be telling you about soon. Thank you for all your prayers for a safe arrival! I'M HOME and it feels so good!!

Au revoir Brussels

2009-03-13T10:35:00.002+01:00

This sums up my emotional week.Au revoir Brussels, Belgium...I am going home!

Counting Down and Good-Bye

2009-03-12T11:54:00.007+01:00

Two more days until I will be on a plane heading to Memphis. One of my BFFs, Jennie, has a countdown clock on her blog and it says (as I type this) that I have 2 days, 10 hours, 17 minutes and 45 seconds until I land in Memphis! Isn't that cool! I think she missed me while I have been away! What a great friend she is!!! I missed her too!

Things are winding down here today. Actually, today is the first day in a while I do not have much going on...and I am enjoying it! Sleeping in and staying in my PJs for a while this morning has been fantastic! I do have to go to the bank to close my account, get my car washed and cleaned out so I can turn it in tomorrow, finish packing up my stuff that is laying around in the floor, etc.

Did I tell you I forgot to pack socks? I packed up the things I am taking in my luggage last week before the movers arrived. I am staying at Dan and Pam's house since I have no bed at my apartment and brought all of my stuff over here last Sunday. On Monday morning as I was getting dressed, I noticed I did not pack any socks. Then, by the time I remembered, the movers had already packed that drawer! Uh! Oh well! It is just socks! Anyway, I asked Pam if I could borrow some of hers (and, of course, she said I could)...otherwise, I would have had very stinky feet come Saturday! ;-)

The good-byes started last night as I had dinner with my good friend, Beth. Beth works for FedEx and was the very first person I met over here while I was on my househunting trip. She and her family totally took me under their wing and were there for me throughout my entire time here. I have no doubt that she was someone God placed in front of me to tell me it was going to be ok when I was really not so sure. I always knew I could call her at any time for anything if I needed to. That means a lot when you are living alone in another country!

We had such a great time talking and reminiscing about our time over here. She, too, is an expat and from Colorado and will probably be here for another year or so! She travels to Memphis quite a bit, so I look forward to seeing her again SOON!

Beth and I in Berlin, Germany in November 2007.Thank you, Beth, for your friendship, support, laughs, and trips to McDonalds for an "American fix". Words could never express how grateful I am to you and your sweet family for being there for me and making sure I was ok! I cannot wait to see you in Memphis!

Almost Done!

2009-03-11T11:34:00.009+01:00

First, please pray for my sweet friend, Robin, and her daughter. Stephie was 8 months pregnant and had to have an emergency c-section last night due to HELLP. At last word, the baby girl is doing well and weighed in around 4lbs. However, Stephie needs our prayers. Her kidneys are better but her blood pressure is really high. Please keep this family in your thoughts and prayers.

The sea of boxes is almost out of my apartment as I am typing this! I am SO over it all and sooooooo ready to get home in 3 short days. Being displaced stinks!

This is what my apartment looked like a couple of days ago as they packing started!
And today! Moving everything out!
Can you sense that I am a little bored sitting around watching people pack my boxes??!!

Montage de Fleurs (Again!!)

2009-03-10T11:40:00.019+01:00

Remember when I did this? Last night, after the day of packing chaos ended for the day, Laurence and I went to another flower arranging class. I had so much fun at the last class (minus the wine bottle breaking) that I wanted to do another one before I left. The teacher made it possible, so last night was the night!

The theme was Easter. Since all of my stuff is in boxes right now, Laurence and her mom had to supply me with a vase. I decided to use a plate for my creation!

And, this was my inspiration made by our teacher...Laurence and her mom! Aren't they adorable!?!Then, it started...my glares of where to begin!These are the flowers I had to work with. Since this was an Easter theme, the flowers were yellow. Laurence informed me that Belgium associates the color yellow with Easter. Although we use yellow around Easter in the States, we also use other springy colors. Laurence did not understand or like that bit of information! She also told me about a tradition of the bells which ring at Easter and that the Easter Bunny leaves chocolate eggs! Only in Belgium!! ;-)Laurence getting started with her creation!I decided to start with the mousse. (Remember Belgians call the green stuff mousse, yes, as in, chocolate!).Maybe a little grassy stuff would help inspire me!Then, Laurence thought the calla lily at the top would help. I think it did, so I added some roses, eggs, and the sunflower. Then we thought it looked too symmetrical...and like a face (notice the eggs as eyes and the sunflower as the mouth!). Totally did not plan that!It was time to call in the expert. He took the calla lily from the top and added it to the sides then added another one! Genius! Not to mention the little weeds, I leave, leaves curved over the arrangement!Now, Laurence needed to get back to her creation! She is so intense!And look what we did! Who would have thought 2 auditors would come up with something so pretty (with a little help!)?!?I am going to miss Laurence so much once I leave Belgium! Thanks for a fun time learning all about arranging flowers!!

By the way, the movers are still packing today...and I am still sitting on this couch sneezing!

Packing Up

2009-03-09T13:24:00.008+01:00

I cannot believe this day has come. At 8:45AM this morning, the movers arrived ready to pack me up and help me get ready for my next chapter! I have been very busy all weekend organizing, throwing out, sneezing (because of all the dust) that I am exhausted. I mean, seriously, exhausted.

But, now, as I sit here on my couch and listening to the packers wrap up my dishes, I am very happy that all I needed to do was organize and throw out!

It is a beautiful day here in Brussels, just like the day I moved in 2 years ago. I remember the sun shining and the temps in the 70s for about 24 days straight (a record for Belgium). Two years later, the sun is out again, although much cooler at 46* currently....we even had snow last night!

I am experiencing mixed emotions, but I cannot wait to get home!

I just realized that I have not posted pictures of my house in a while. It looks like I will be closing at the end of next week! Yippie! My household goods should be arriving in a few weeks!!! They put in the marble around the fireplace and the hardwood floors!
I am in love with my kitchen!
And, the master bath!
Maxie is on her way to pick me up! (Don't worry, she was not in the driver's seat long!). She knows she has another 5 days until her mommy arrives!

Cairo, Egypt

2009-03-07T17:16:00.024+01:00

Things are a little crazy and busy around here these days, but I wanted to finish telling you all about my trip to Egypt!

We spent the following day touring the city of Cairo. The main attraction of the day was the Cairo Museum. Unfortunately, no pictures were allowed in the museum so I will have to tell you about the highlights.I must first remind you that I am not into museums at all (which probably goes with the fact that I was not into history). There are only a few museums that I have truly enjoyed visiting. This was one of them. The Egyptian Museum is home to the most extensive collection of ancient Egyptian antiquities in the world and was built in 1901. It has 120,000 items...yeah, it is huge!

I really enjoyed the King Tut exhibit! Part of this exhibit also came to Memphis back in the 80s. King Tut died in mid-January 1343 BC. It is thought that an official murdered him because his skull was bashed in and only a person of great importance could get near enough to harm him. I believe he was only 18 years old when he died.

The majority of the world has come to know the tomb of King Tutankhamun better than any royal tombs because unlike the others, it was found mostly intact. Inside the tomb was a large collection of artifacts used throughout the King’s life. These artifacts range from a decorated chest, which was most likely used as a closet or suitcase, to ivory and gold bracelets, necklaces, and other decorative jewelry, to alabaster vases and flasks. The tomb is also home to many weapons and instruments used by the King. Although the tomb holds over 3,500 artifacts, it should be noted that this tomb was not found completely intact. In fact, there have been at least two robberies of the tomb, perhaps soon after Tutankhamun's burial.

The most well known artifact in King Tutankhamun’s tomb is the famous Gold Mask, which rests over the bandages that wrap around the King’s face. The mask weighs in at 24.5 pounds of solid gold, and is believed to represent what the King’s face really looked like. Many features of the mask the eyes, nose, lips and chin are all represented very well. If you Google King Tut, you can many of the artifacts that were on display in the museum.

Also on display were about 11 Egyptian mummies. This was probably the most bizarre, weirdest and scariest, things I have ever seen. I am surprised I have not had nightmares about these mummies. I was not prepared to see faces and heads (some with actual hair), feet and hands of actual people who lived over 3000 years ago. Wow. I really do not want to post pictures of these mummies, but if you are interested, I am sure you can look them up. I always thought mummies were wrapped from head to toe with linen. I suppose when they were found they had to unwrap the heads to identify them, but yikes.

One of the mummies on display was Ramesses II. He was born around 1303 BC and at age fourteen, Ramesses was appointed Prince Regent by his father Seti I. He is believed to have taken the throne in his early 20s and to have ruled Egypt from 1279 BC to 1213 BC for a total of 66 years and 2 months. He was once said to have lived to be 99 years old, but it is more likely that he died in his 90th or 91st year. On his death, he was buried in a tomb in the Valley of the Kings; his body was later moved to a royal cache where it was discovered in 1881.

Up next was The Saladin Citadel of Cairo (Arabic: قلعة صلاح الدين Qalaʿat Salāḥ ad-Dīn). The location, part of the Muqattam hill near the center of Cairo, was once famous for its fresh breeze and grand views of the city, and was fortified by the Ayyubid ruler Salah al-Din (Saladin) between 1176 and 1183 AD, to protect it from the Crusaders.

Only a few years after defeating the Fatimid Caliphate, Saladin set out to build a wall that would surround both Cairo and Fustat. Saladin is recorded as saying, "With a wall I will make the two [cities of Cairo and Fustat] into a unique whole, so that one army may defend them both; and I believe it good to encircle them with a single wall from the bank of the Nile to the bank of the Nile." The Citadel would be the centerpiece of the wall. Built on a promontory beneath the Muqattam Hills, a setting that made it difficult to attack, the efficacy of the Citadel's location is further demonstrated by the fact that it remained the heart of Egyptian government until the nineteenth century. The Citadel stopped being the seat of government when Egypt's ruler, Khedive Ismail, moved to his newly built Abdin Palace in the Ismailiya neighborhood in the 1860s.

While the Citadel was completed in 1183-1184, the wall Saladin had envisioned was still under construction in 1238, long after his death. The Citadel is sometimes referred to as Mohamed Ali Citadel because it contains the Mosque of Mohamed Ali (or Muhammad Ali Pasha).

This mosque reminded me a lot of the Blue Mosque in Istanbul, Turkey. The view from the wall. Inside the dome.Up next was the Saint Virgin Mary's Coptic Orthodox Church also known as the Hanging Church (El Muallaqa) is one of the oldest churches in Egypt and the history of a church on this site dates to the 3rd century AD. The Hanging (The Suspended) Church is named for its location above a gatehouse of Babylon Fortress, the Roman fortress in Old Cairo; its nave is suspended over a passage.

The church is approached by 29 steps; early travelers to Cairo dubbed it "the Staircase Church." The land surface has risen by some 6 meters since the Roman period so that the Roman tower is mostly buried below ground, reducing the visual impact of the church's elevated position. The entrance from the street is through iron gates under a pointed stone arch. The nineteenth century facade with twin bell towers is then seen beyond a narrow courtyard decorated with modern art biblical designs. Next, we visited the Saints Sergius and Bacchus Church, also known as Abu Serga. It is one of the oldest Coptic churches in Egypt, dating back to the 4th century AD. This church is believed to have been built on the spot where the Holy Family, Joseph, Mary and the infant Jesus, rested at the end of their journey into Egypt. They may have lived here for 6 months while Joseph worked at the fortress.

"An angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream, saying, 'Arise, take the young child and His mother, flee to Egypt and stay there until I bring you word; for Herod will seek the young child to destroy Him.' " (Matthew 2:13)

After the death of Herod the Great, an angel appeared to Joseph in a dream, to tell him that it was now safe to return to the land of Israel. Joseph accordingly took Mark and Jesus and settled in Nazareth.

This is the crypt (no visitors we allowed to go down).Seriously, how cool is that?!

Next, we visited the Ben Ezra Synagogue. According to local tradition, it is located on the site of where baby Moses was found. It is so weird standing on such sacred ground! No pictures were allowed in the Synagogue, but I will tell you it was a beautiful place.Finally, we shopped in the Cairo Market, the most important shopping areas in all of Cairo and also very touristy. This was the place that 3 days before we arrived was bombed. Yes, I said bombed. Did you hear about it? Needless to say, I was very nervous. However, I do believe that security is a lot better after an incident. We were only there for about an hour...but an hour too long in my book. When I walked out to wait on our van to pick up us, I took out my Blackberry to check a couple of emails. I saw on msnbc.com that an American was attacked the day before (yes, just the day before I was to be walking around this same area) and was stabbed in the face. So, as you can imagine, I was so over that place and seriously ready to get out!

Giza, Egypt and the Pyramids!

2009-02-28T17:22:00.022+01:00

Ahh, the pyramids! Seriously, wow! That is all I could say as I admired these huge structures and one of the original Seven Wonders of the World. We have all heard and read about these amazing pyramids, but seeing them in person, well, I was in awe. There really are no words to describe that feeling. A friend, who was in Egypt over Christmas, prepared me for this feeling. She also told me to really try and take it all in. Stare at them for a while and stop and realize where I am and what I was seeing. I did that, and I still could not believe what I was seeing with my own two eyes.

As I mentioned in my previous post, the weather was wacky. It was sunny, then raining, then sunny. It was always FREEZING and the wind was out of control. There was even a sand storm while we were at the Great Pyramid.

There was also a little fun to be had... After leaving Memphis and Sakkara, we stopped for a quick lunch and then on to Giza, a town on the west bank of the Nile river.

There are three pyramids at Giza. The first (and largest pyramid) we saw was The "Great" Pyramid, which is truly an astonishing work of engineering skill and for over 4000 years, until the modern era, it was the tallest building in the world.
The sides are oriented to the four cardinal points of the compass and the length of each side at the base is 755 feet. They rise at an angle of 451 feet. It was constructed using around 2,300,000 limestone blocks, weighing, on average, 2.5 tons each, although some weigh as much as 16 tons. Until recently, relatively speaking, it was cased in smooth limestone but this was plundered to build Cairo.

The Great Pyramid of Giza, also called Khufu's Pyramid or the Pyramid of Khufu, and Pyramid of Cheops, is the oldest and largest of the three pyramids in the Giza Necropolis bordering what is now Cairo, and is the only remaining member of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. It is believed the pyramid was built as a tomb for Fourth dynasty Egyptian King Khufu and constructed over a 20 year period concluding around 2560 BC.

Can you believe they built this in just 20 years??? I was amazed! Some of the huge cathedrals in Europe took hundreds of years to build...and only 20 years to build this?! Wow, see why it is a Wonder of the World??!!! That was a fact I had not remembered (I told you I was not interested in history in my younger years) and am ashamed to admit that that I did not realize the pyramids were built as a tomb for the kings of Egypt. What was I doing during those history classes in school??

The pyramid in the background is the second pyramid that I will talk about later. That is me, in shock, and getting blown away!
The Great Pyramid was the tallest man-made structure in the world for over 3,800 years. Originally, the Great Pyramid was covered by casing stones that formed a smooth outer surface, and what is seen today is the underlying core structure. Some of the casing stones that once covered the structure can still be seen around the base. There have been varying scientific and alternative theories regarding the Great Pyramid's construction techniques. Most accepted construction theories are based on the idea that it was built by moving huge stones from a quarry and dragging and lifting them into place.

The stones at the base were HUGE. Yeah, I do not think I will be climbing on these rocks!There are three known chambers inside the Great Pyramid. The lowest chamber is cut into the bedrock upon which the pyramid was built and was unfinished. The so-called Queen's Chamber and King's Chamber are higher up within the pyramid structure.

You can go into the pyramids and into the tombs; however, if you are claustrophobic (which I am), it is not advised. The space is tiny walking in and does not get much bigger once inside the tomb. There really is nothing left inside the tomb as it has either been stolen or taken out and included in the Cairo Museum. So, I opted to stay in safe ground and not venture inside.

This is the Pyramid of Khafre and is the second largest of the Ancient Egyptian Pyramids of Giza and the tomb of the fourth-dynasty pharaoh, Khafre (Chephren). The pyramid has a base length of 706 feet and originally rises to a height of 471 feet. The Pyramid is made of Limestone blocks (weighing more than 2 tons each). The slope of the pyramid rises at an 53° 10' angle, steeper than its neighbor Khufu’s pyramid, which has an angle of 51°50'40". The pyramid sits on bedrock 33 feet higher than Khufu’s pyramid, which makes it appear to be taller.The Pyramid of Menkaure, located on the Giza Plateau, is the smallest of the three Pyramids of Giza. It was built to serve as the tomb of the fourth dynasty Egyptian Pharaoh Menkaure. Menkaure's Pyramid had an original height of 218 feet. It now stands at 204 feet tall with a base of 356.5 feet. Its angle of incline is approximately 51°20′25″. It was constructed of limestone and granite. The first sixteen courses of the exterior were made of granite. The upper portion was cased in the normal manner with Tura limestone. Part of the granite was left in the rough. Incomplete projects like this helps archeologists understand the methods used to build pyramids and temples.

South of the pyramid of Menkaure were 3 satellite pyramids none of which appear to have been completed. The largest was made partly in granite like the main pyramid. Neither of the other 2 progressed beyond the construction of the inner core. The e Pryamids of Giza. What a site! The Great Sphinx of Giza is a statue of a reclining lion with a human head. It is the largest monolith statue in the world, standing 241 feet long, 20 feet wide, and 65 feet high.

The Sphinx was built in about 2530 BC by the pharaoh Khafre (4th king of Fourth dynasty, c. 2575–c. 2465 BC), the builder and occupant of the second Giza pyramid. The sphinx's face is a portrait of the king and the sphinx continued to be a royal portrait type through most of Egyptian history.

The Sphinx is thought to be primarily a guardian figure, protecting the tomb of the Khafre by warding off evil spirits. Arabs know the Sphinx of Giza by the name of Abu al-Hawl, or "Father of Terror." The Sphinx's face was mainly damaged during French occupation around 1800, when Mameluke troops used it for target practice for their field cannons, but its body has been weathered by the elements for thousands of years. The Great Sphinx faces due east and houses a small temple between its paws.
I have so many pictures of the pyramids that I will get posted on my Shutterfly account at some point in the near future, but I hope this gave you a little glimpse into the sites of the day. It was overwhelming, to say the least, to see these amazing structures.

Up next, the city of Cairo!

Memphis, Egypt

2009-02-27T17:46:00.012+01:00

I made it to the land of the pharaohs and pyramids! It is so surreal to be here and to see things that are over 5000 years old. We arranged a tour, which started today to see the must-see items while in Cairo.

Our first stop was the Memphis, Egypt. Memphis is the Greek name for the administrative capital of ancient Egypt, which has its historical roots dating back as far as the Early Dynastic Period. The origin of the city’s foundation is credited to the ‘mythical’ first king, Menes, who is said to have united Upper and Lower Egypt for the first time around 3100 BC. Traditionally Menes was thought to have enclosed his city within white mudbrick walls which gave it the ancient name of ‘Inbw-hedj’, meaning ‘White Walls’ or ‘White Fortress’ and it probably once stood on the banks of the Nile before the river bed gradually shifted eastwards. The capital’s name Memphis is thought to derive from the Egyptian ‘Mennefer’, the ancient name of the pyramid complex of Pepy I (Dynasty VI) which is situated close by at South Saqqara.

Memphis is about 12 miles south of Cairo and there is little left of the city today, at least which can be seen. Originally, the city had many fine temples, palaces and gardens. However, today, other than the scattered ruins, most of the city is gone, or lies beneath cultivated fields, Nile silt and local villages.

There are some things to see including:

Alabaster Sphinx: The Alabaster Sphinx was carved in honor of an unknown Pharaoh most likely during the eighteenth dynasty, between 1700 and 1400 BC. Although there was not an inscription, the facial features suggest that it was in honor of Hatshepsut or Amenhotep II or Amenhotep III. (This is not the Sphinx that is more famous...we will get to that later!)Status of Ramesses II (also known as Ramesses The Great): This statue actually visited Memphis, TN back in the 1980s during a huge Egyptian exhibit. I remember when that exhibit was in Memphis and visited it as a student as it was a huge deal at the time. Ramesses II is often regarded as Egypt's greatest, most celebrated, and most powerful pharaoh. Colossus of Ramesses II: This is the twin to the statue above, but MUCH larger standing at 33 feet. It is HUGE. The fallen colossus was found near the south gate of the temple of Ptah, located about 30 miles from the huge limestone statue of Ramesses. Some of the original colors are still partly preserved.The first pyramid that we saw was the Saqqara/Sakkara pyramid. It is the Step Pyramid of King Zoser, which goes back to 2700 BC. It is one of the oldest stone structures in the world! It was built for King Zoser, one of the greatest Kings of the third dynasty (2721-2780 BC). Originally meant as a tomb, this Pyramid was designed and built by his great architect, Imhotep. The Pyramid is built as a step Pyramid, 60 meters high, and consisting of 6 steps; each one built on top of each other and smaller than the one below.

Today, it is considered as one of the oldest stone structures built by man, and the first time the Ancient Egyptians would attempt to use limestone. Zoser’s Pyramid is entirely built of limestone, small bricks of limestone, and not of the best quality, and yet it has remained for more than 4700 years! The Pyramid’s four sides are very nearly aligned to the four cardinal points. On the northern side is the original entrance of the Pyramid.
The weather may look nice in the pictures, but it was very cold and VERY windy (as you will see in later pictures). Can you believe that the desert gets cold? Me either!! I was freezing and the wind was out of control. There was even a sand storm later in the day! I had sand in places sand does not need to be!!

The Tomb of Mereruka: We also visited the Tomb of Mereruka. This is the largest tomb in Sakkara. It consists of 32 rooms and was built for Mereruka and his family and was discovered in 1893. Dating back to the time of the 6th Dynasty (2240 BC), the tomb is divided into sections where Mereruka and his wife and son are buried. The walls of the tomb are decorated with marvellous scenes, illustrating the daily life in Ancient Egypt. It is also filled with many details of Mereruka, with his family and servants.

No pictures were allowed inside so I was only able to capture a couple outside the tomb.
As with this post and further posts, I will not be able to get into the history of this region and the things that I am seeing as much as I would like to. There is just too much to tell. I was never interested in history growing up; however, living in Europe and visiting so many historical places and actually seeing history has made it more interesting to me.

Up next, more pyramids!

Speechless

2009-02-24T13:46:00.005+01:00

Johannesburg, South Africa

2009-02-23T11:42:00.008+01:00

I made it to the continent of Africa! I am not sure why that seems so weird to me, but it really does. I cannot believe that I am here. I have now visited 4 of the 7 continents.

We arrived on Sunday morning around 9AM local time. The flight was uneventful, and thanks to Ambien, I slept the entire flight! Seriously, all 10 hours, I was out (ok, maybe not all 10...but at least 8)! We flew on a double-decker plane...that was a first for me! So, with all of that sleep and only 1 hour time change, I was rested and ready to go!

We are staying at the Hilton in Jo-Burg (as the locals call it) so it is quite Americanized (is that how you spell that!?!). I wanted to do something since this was my only day to explore. I did not have time to do any type of tour since I only had the afternoon and the things to see were quite a distance away; however, I did hear there was a nice market to pick-up some South African items! I opted to take a car and driver from the hotel since I was alone and wanted to go the safest way as crime in Africa can be quite bad.

The driver's name was Saki (that is his nickname...don't ask me to remember his real name because there was a reason he had a nickname!). He was the nicest guy! He drove me to the market and even walked around with me since I was alone....and carried my bags! Nice!

Here is my friend, Saki!I found a few very nice South African items at this market! A few things such as handpainted pillowcases, napkins, table runners, etc., which were gorgeous!!! I could not pass them up! I also bought some wood carved bowls as well as these really cool wood carved salad tongs with a giraffe on the end of them..all traditional South African treasures!! They are so cute!!

This is me in the market! Saki demanded he take my picture holding something African...no, I did not buy this...and after seeing this picture, I cannot believe I went out in public looking this bad. Jeezzzz, 10 hours on a plane can do a number on you! Wow!
I can already tell that I will have to come back to South Africa! Although I have not been out and about much, I have been really impressed with the people! There is so much to do in South Africa that I am missing out on and it is really bugging me.

This is where I am:Here are a few things about Jo-Burg:

The currency is the Rand (or called ZAR). The initials for South Africa are ZA, so South African Rand.
Everyone speaks English and there are about 11 different languages. My driver yesterday spoke all of them.
Cape Town is the place to see in South Africa....I am sad I am not there.
Africa is known for the Big Five...Africa's greatest wild animals - lion, leopard, elephant, buffalo and rhino. Oh how I wish I had time for a safari!
Johannesburg is the largest city in South Africa.
The seasons are reversed, so they are preparing for winter to come soon.
South Africans drive on the 'wrong' side of the road.

I have to take the good with the bad and not get too sad about this trip being all work and no play. The real fun happens in Cairo starting on Thursday!

The Adventure Continues

2009-02-20T15:19:00.005+01:00

I have been so wrapped up in packing, organizing, obsessing over my new house, etc. lately that I have not planned for my next adventure.

I leave tomorrow evening flying to Johannesburg, South Africa. This is a work trip with very little playtime, especially in South Africa. We land Sunday morning around 10AM. I have that afternoon to (maybe) see something. Then, it is all work until Wednesday night when we fly to Cairo, Egypt. See, my job is not very glamorous!

We land in Cairo Thursday morning where we will then go to the office for a couple of hours. After that, the weekend begins as Egypt's weekend is on Friday and Saturday. We have a tour scheduled to take us to all the sites around Cairo, including the Memphis region! I am really excited about that, for obvious reasons. I already see a framed picture of the Pyramid in Memphis, TN along side the pyramids in the region of Memphis.

I am in Cairo until the next Tuesday, March 3rd! See, I told you...a very quick (all business) trip!!

So, please say a prayer for me as you all know my fear of flying...and I will be doing a lot of it over the next few weeks! The flight to Johannesburg is 10+ hours, then another 8 hours to Cairo, then around 5 hours back to Brussels (via Frankfurt, Germany). Not to mention the 10+ hours to Memphis on March 14th! Whew! I am glad for frequent flyer miles!!!

La Cuisine

2009-02-19T16:35:00.009+01:00

I am starting to run out of titles for posting new pictures of my house! I guess I can get all Frenchy and start using some of this language I have learned!

So, as you can see below, the kitchen cabinets are installed!!! I am in love! They turned out really great as I was second guessing every decision I made! What do you think??

Also, as you can see above, the columns have been installed, the front door is in (although not stained) and shutters are there! We are moving along, people! I am ready to see it with my own eyes!!!!

A little tease!

2009-02-18T15:24:00.004+01:00

Built-in bookcases are in as well as the mantel! They just need to paint them!

Patio Excitement!

2009-02-15T21:10:00.004+01:00

I know it may seem like I am a bit obsessed with my house right now...and you are probably right, but it is my blog, right?!?! :-)

Sometimes I think I am looking at someone else's house being built and have to pinch myself to realize it is my house!!! MY HOUSE! I am only a little excited!

The house is all bricked and they are finishing the inside and getting it ready to be painted. The front porch has been painted and they are working on finishing it up!
This is probably my latest excitement! I had the patio extended 12 feet so I would have lots of entertaining space. I seriously thought it was going to be an "L" shape but was pleasantly surprised when I saw this...they are filling it all in. Now that I think about it, I would have been a little stupid to make it an "L" shape and not fill it all in!!
And Maxie still approves!!!! She is so excited!

Photo Friday: Pet

2009-02-13T09:58:00.007+01:00

I have not posted a Photo Friday picture in a while, but when I got the email this morning and saw the topic was 'pet', well, I could not resist! Maxie is in Memphis with my parents and getting spoiled and loved on like crazy.

But, that does not mean I do not miss her...because, I miss her like crazy. Since Maxie does not get any human food, but she does get a little treat from her Grandpaw every night....the final bite of his popsicle (sugar free, of course).

Wait for it, wait for it....
Could her tongue get any longer?
YUM!!
Daddy loves giving her this little treat...and Maxie knows she gets it. She waits patiently until it is time for the last bite....then she gets a little restless waiting on Daddy to offer it to her! Mom said she RUNS to Daddy when she hears him open the freezer! So funny!
I cannot wait to get home to see her!

Making the Decision

2009-02-12T19:01:00.007+01:00

Today marks a countdown that in many ways I am very excited about; however, it also brings me great sadness. 30 days from today, I will be boarding a plane to Memphis, ending my expatriate assignment in Europe. It is a bittersweet time as I start to pack up and leave an experience, which I will NEVER forget to start a new chapter in this book, I call, life.

What an amazing ride it as been. I remember when I first moved over here mom and I were talking and we both said...23 months left! Oh, how that seems like yesterday!

I wanted to repost something I wrote on December 17, 2006 titled, "Making the Decision".

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One might think that if presented with an opportunity to live and work in Europe for 2 years there is nothing to think about...the obvious answer is yes! Well, not so fast! For me, there is so much to think about, consider, decide, and accept...it can become consuming.

Here is some background as to how this all came to be:

As part of a big reorganization in my department, we are expanding and opening audit offices in Brussels and Hong Kong. When this reorg was first announced, I never really considered one of the positions overseas. It wasn't until one Saturday in June when it hit me like a lightning bolt....I need to give this some serious thought. I have always said God talks to me in the shower...well, this day, He seriously did. I literally jumped out of the shower, emailed my manager and emailed a friend that is currently living in Brussels. I thought that if I did not tell someone immediately I was interested in learning more about this opportunity then I would never follow through.

From that moment on all I could think about was Brussels...what it meant to me personally, professionally, what about my parents, my sister, other family, friends, and, of course, my precious Maxie (my spoiled rotten dog).

Lindsay, my friend currently living in Brussels with her husband who is doing a 2 year assignment with KPMG, called me immediately when she got my email. She told me the good, the bad, and the ugly about her time in Brussels so far. Although her experience is very different from what mine would be (she is not working), the immediate culture shock and emotions of missing family and friends is the same.

The many months from when the position was announced to when it was actually posted and we could apply for it was planned. And now, after having gone through the past 6 months or so of thinking about this opportunity, I am very grateful for that time. There is so much to consider before committing to something like this (more than I first realized). I am very very very lucky to have Lindsay already in Brussels and can share her experiences and be there to answer the unlimited questions I have asked. She has no idea exactly how appreciative I am of her friendship and honest information.

One of the first conversations I had was with my parents. I had to break the news of the possibility of moving to another country gently. Mom was receptive, Dad...well, let's just say he is struggling...still. As part of my thought process, I had to think about their health and the unthinkable...the possibility of something happening to one of them or to my sister while I am not here and my Grandmother and my many aunts, uncles, cousins and friends. I am blessed that my parents, sister, Grandmother, and the rest of my family and friends are in good health. I had to think about what I would do in the event that something did happen. I am blessed to work for a company, which would move Heaven and Earth to get me home in the event I needed to get back immediately.

I also had to consider if this was the right time for me personally and if I was in a place in my life where I could do this and not have any regrets. Maybe this is the reason God has allowed me to be single all of these years. There is a reason for everything, right? After months of really thinking about ALL of this...the answer was yes, I was going to apply for an opportunity of a lifetime.

So, I applied, interviewed, and recently accepted a position in Brussels. They are telling me we will be moving in the March/April time frame....so only a few months to get my stuff together and start a new chapter in my life.

Now, the details begin...sell or rent my house, sell my car, what to take and what to leave in storage, obtaining a work permit and all the MANY documents required with such a move, getting Maxie ready with the required documents, shots, the proper Euro microchip, and her doggie passport (yes, I know, who knew??), and MUCH MUCH more. The list is never-ending!

Whew, I am tired just thinking about it! So, I am off...

Until next time...

Tippa

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By the way, my adventures are not over! I leave for South Africa and Egypt next Saturday!!!

Mi casa!

2009-02-11T19:28:00.004+01:00

One of my BFFs, Ginnie, got on to me today about not posting any recent pics showing the progress of my house. Ginnie is pregnant with what is sure to be the most beautiful baby girl and is due at the end of March. So, I must do what I can to keep her and her hormones happy. (I love you, Ginnie!!) I also told her she better not have that baby until I get home! By the way, she promised me she would do all she could to wait on me!

Anyway, here is my house! Actually, this picture is a little old (it was taken on February 6th) and they now have the whole house bricked!!! Can you believe it?? I sure can't! And, check out that 'sold' sign! Love it! The have also sheetrocked the entire house and floated it, as well. (For those of you who do not know what 'floating' means....they have smoothed out the sheetrock covering the nails, gaps, etc. so it is ready to be painted.) My Daddy had to clear that up for me! Again, this pic was taken on February 6th...and the whole house is now floated and ready to be primed and painted. WOW! How about those arches and half wall!?! I LOVE how it turned out! It will really open up the space between the great room and dining room!
And, the bricking as it was beginning!
My agent took pictures yesterday, so I should receive them soon! I cannot wait to see what the house looks like all bricked!

Who will be my first visitors???

Up in Smoke

2009-02-10T15:25:00.006+01:00

My team gave me a spa gift certificate to use at Thermae Grimbergen for my birthday last October and I was waiting to use it until I was getting close to leaving Belgium. I wanted to use it as a little treat for myself for surviving these past 2 years. My friend, Beth, also received a spa gift certificate from her team for Christmas so we were planning our little outting next weekend.

Needless to say, we will not be getting massages, mani/pedi's and lounging in the thermal baths next weekend.
Need I say more??

Montage de Fleurs

2009-02-05T11:07:00.015+01:00

This past Monday, I went with my friend (and co-worker), Laurence, and her mom to a flower arrangement class. The theme for the class was to present a gift which was to be included in the arrangement. Sounds interesting enough, right!?!

I picked out a vase which was not too big, yet big enough to hold my little bottle of wine I was using as my "gift". Laurence warned me not to being a big vase because that makes flower arranging a little difficult for first-timers, like myself!

Before I continue on with this story, I will say I am not creative AT ALL. Seriously, no creativity in this brain. I majored in Accounting, for goodness sake, and I am an auditor. That should say enough!

So, this is what I started with...my vase, wine, and a knife to cut my flowers.
There were 11 people (all Belgian, except for me) in the class. Did I mention that the class was all in French?? Well, it was! Thanks goodness for Laurence who was my translator!! Anyway, we were all given a bucket of flowers to use for our arrangement.The next step was to put the soaked "mousse" into the vase. Yes, they called the green stuff that you put in the bottom of a vase to stick your flowers into, "mousse". I seriously have no idea what we call it in America (I am not crafty, remember), but I got a good laugh out of calling it "mousse", especially since we are in Belgium...home of chocolate!!

Anyway, the mousse was placed in my vase and cut to fit. I then put in the bottle of wine. Good job, Tippa!

Then, I sat there. And sat there. And sat there some more as I stared at my bottle of wine, mousse, and vase. I had no idea what to do next. I had no clue what I wanted to do....what flowers to choose...nothing. So, I sat. And laughed. And sat.

I thought about wrapping flowers around the bottle, so I tried that with some wire that was really tacky. See it below...tacky and not working!So I decided to leave it and work on something else. I thought the 3 yellow roses looked cute together. I have always heard of decorating in odd numbers. So, I started there. And, I just kept going with the little flowers in the back (don't make me name them!).At this point, I needed some professional help! So, in my southern French accent, I called over the teacher! He thought I was on the right track (yay me!), but saw why i did not like the flowers and wire twisted around the bottle. He recommended a stick! Not just any ole stick, a cool stick!
Ahhh, that helped! Then I added some leaves to cover the mousse!
Now comes more color with these little red berries (or berry-like flowers)! Check out the rolled up leaf look! Love it!
They say that you can spray something on the leaves to make them shine...so I did, just a little too much! So, sometimes, a girl just has to blow!
My creation!! What do you think?
I was so proud of myself for being a good student and blending in with all of the locals. Everyone knew I was obviously not from Belgium, but I tried really hard not to be the 'stupid American' and have everyone going home talking about me.

It all was going great, until...

We were leaving the class after it was over. I picked up my arrangement and the bottle of wine drops out and splatters on the floor!

This is what made it home...
Nice, Tippa, nice.

What's in a name?

2009-01-30T11:10:00.007+01:00

Have you ever named a house? I have only heard of this being done in India where everything was named (homes, businesses, etc) and they did not have addresses. It was kinda weird, but I thought it was just an Indian thing.

I was showing the guys at work the progress of my house and they asked me if I was going to name it. I looked at them like they were crazy and they continued to explain to me that people really name houses! Seriously??!!

So, with everything else going on in my world right now, I will throw this out there....any suggestions on a name? If I choose something that one of you suggested, I will give you a nice "happy" (yet to be determined...maybe something Belgian, African, or Egyptian??!!).

So, get to work on finding me a name!

And for inspiration, here are some latest pics of my little house. Check out the snow! There was a blizzard in Memphis! Hahaha!! I love the arches going from the great room into the dining room...and the half wall to open it up...love it!
This is the laundry room!

Chef Tippa? I don't think so!

2009-01-27T13:19:00.004+01:00

I met with my relocation agent, Christian, yesterday to get information regarding my move and list of more things that need to be taken care of before my departure from Belgium. He went through my apartment and helped me list items which needed to be cleaned, etc. My apartment was completely renovated before I moved in with all new appliances, etc in the kitchen.

Christian walked over to my stove top and look at the vent-a-hood. He told me to remember to change the filter. I said, ok let's take a look at it. I did not even know there was a filter in a vent-a-hood.
He walked over, looked at the vent-a-hood and filter and laughingly said, "Um, do you cook much?". I burst out laughing and told him, no, I do not cook much at all! He said, "I can tell. Look at this, it is like it has never been used!".

As you can tell, this has barely been used at all. The blue protective tape is still on and even a little sticker!
Chef Tippa, I am not!

Just a little stress....

2009-01-24T20:12:00.011+01:00

My mother reprimanded me because I have not posted anything in about a week. I told her there was not much going on and I seriously have not done anything. Well, except for clean out drawers, made to-do lists, post electrical appliances that I cannot take back with me on different websites in hopes that I can sell them, dream about my new house and how I am going to decorate it, miss my Maxie, and work!

See. I told you I am boring these days!!!

There is so much to do before I move back that I cannot seem to sleep nor find a place to start! I started last weekend by posting the items I wanted to sell on various expat websites. Then, I started making my list of things that I have to carry on the plane with me (important documents, medications, clothes for about a month, items that are irreplaceable or expensive, etc). Another list for things that will go in my initial shipment (necessities to get me by until my household shipment arrives) which will make it to Memphis about 1-2 weeks after I arrive (my bed, more clothes, kitchen items, etc). And a final list of items that will go with my household goods shipment which will arrive about 5-6 weeks after I arrive (this shipment is going by boat over the Atlantic then trucked to me).

Sounds easy enough, right? Not really. There is just SO MUCH!

Anyway, on top of all of that, I am working. And, to top that...I still have 1 more travel trip for work. That trip will take me to Johannesburg, South Africa and Cairo, Egypt!!! And, to top all of that....this trip will take place February 21st - March 4th.

Exciting, uh??!

Yes and no. That is a mere 4 days before the movers arrive to pack me up! 4 DAYS!!!!

Talk about timing! I almost backed out of the trip, but then it hit me....SOUTH AFRICA AND EGYPT!! I cannot miss that just to organize some closets and pack my stuff. When will I ever get that opportunity again!?!

So, here I am....51 days before I am scheduled to board a plane and start my new life in Memphis (I am leaving Brussels on March 16th). I got a couple of things done this weekend, but I am still feeling so overwhelmed and unable to focus. Truth be told...I cannot pack a box. The movers have to pack everything and since they insure it, they have to pack it. I just have to get ready and organized. I am stressing over that part. I have a relocation agent who is helping me finalize things like closing my bank account; cutting off my electricity, gas, internet, cell phone, etc; and handling the inspection of my apartment. Therefore, I just need to learn to trust and give up some of the control and let these people handle what they are supposed to!

Ahhh! If I remember correctly, I was having this same overwhelming, controlling feeling when I moved over here! Some things never change!

Anyway, besides that, my little house is moving right along!

This is the side view.
A picture of the steps leading up to my porch!!
This is in the great room and Maxie giving her sniff of approval!
Inside the garage. They had just poured by driveway!
And, in case you were wondering how Maxie is doing. From the looks of it, she is just fine and only getting a little bit of attention from her grandparents! Yeah, right! She has been such a blessing to them since they lost Max last week! I am so thankful she is there to share popsicles with her Grandpaw!
Do you think she has a long tongue?She is one loved little girl!

To all expats (and others) out there: any tips on packing up and heading home? I would love some advice. Any suggestions on 'must take home' Belgian/European items?

Maxie's Approval

2009-01-19T19:17:00.007+01:00

My little house is coming along and starting to take shape!!
My parents are driving by and checking in on the construction continously and I love them for that! Daddy wants to make sure everything is done according to plan, so this is him measuring the bedrooms to make sure they are the right size! And I thought I was picky!
Then there is my Maxie....she is checking out her new home!
And I think she approves!

Max

2009-01-16T21:21:00.003+01:00

After over a year of being sick, Max went to Doggy Heaven this afternoon. Max was 14 years old and lived a long, good life. To say he will be missed is an understatement.

We love you, Maxwell!

A little update...

2009-01-15T20:04:00.003+01:00

There is nothing going on in Brussels besides me being sick and can't get out of my bed. Jet-lag and being sick does not go well together. I am sleeping at all the wrong times and cannot seem to get that under control. I am hoping I can get back on track this weekend.

Anyway, since there is nothing going on over here, I thought I would update you on my house. Look at this:

Foundation all nice and neat:
and they even started framing!
Wow, they are moving fast! A slow economy works wonders on getting a house built in no time flat!

Foundation

2009-01-13T16:38:00.003+01:00

A purpose filled life requires a solid foundation...

I'm Back!

2009-01-12T17:49:00.003+01:00

I made it back to Brussels safe and sound this afternoon! As many times as I have made that trip over the big pond, it is still so weird to be at my parent's house one minute and then 15 hours later (8+ hour flight, 2.5 hour train ride, taxi, etc) be writing a blog posting from my bed in Brussels! So weird!

Anyway, the flight was uneventful (yay!) and I slept the entire time. I mean seriously, they fed us dinner and I was out as soon as they took my tray away and did not wake up until they turned on the lights to serve us breakfast! Thank God for business class!!

So, I am back and it is freezing here in Brussels and there is even a little snow on the ground! Back to reality and jet-lag! Oh, and I am sick...nice. I just love Memphis weather. It was 60 degrees on Saturday morning and in the 30s that night. That kind of a change does a number on my sinuses. Yippie!

Progress Already!

2009-01-09T03:14:00.005+01:00

Just to warn you, my loyal and special bloggy friends, you are going to get tired of reading about my house! I am so freaking excited I can barely stand it!!! I will try to keep the updates under control and continue to focus on my European adventures (I am not done yet).

However, this week has been very productive. I signed the contract on Tuesday and by Wednesday morning, this was happening...
Yes, that is right...they are moving dirt! I could not believe it! Wow, they do not waste any time! I drove by today and they are actually framing it up to pour the slab! Very impressive!!! And, I cannot believe I did not take a picture!

And, I am being honest here, I am ready to get back to Brussels. Not because I miss it so much, but because if I were here, I would be the most annoying home builder ever. I would drive by daily, probably critic everything they do, and make too many changes on things that I have already decided on. See, something you may not know about me...I do not make decisions well. I am the type that needs to know all my options, all of them, so I can make an educated decision. However, I always second guess myself and change my mind.

God was with me as I made the initial decisions about my house. Seriously, I did not stress or feel overwhelmed at all about making them, I saw my choices and made them...and was done within a couple of hours. I chose my brick, shingles, shudders, outside paint, hardwood, cabinets, granite, tile, lights, etc. Everything. I walked away with only a couple of items to finalize.

Then, my mind started thinking...and today, I redesigned my entire kitchen. Yes, that is what I said...the entire thing. I chose completely different cabinets and island! Now, that means tomorrow I have to go and make sure the granite and hardwood are still fine.

This is not good. I must learn to make a decision and go with it. When it comes to work decisions, I am totally confident and make a decision and stick to it. But when it comes to my personal life, I second guess everything. What is up with that??

So, here we are...I love my new kitchen and totally happy about it now. I would post a picture but you really would not get a good idea from the picture I have...so it will have to be a surprise!!

Aren't you excited!!??

Southern Living

2009-01-07T02:14:00.013+01:00

I am a girl of all things southern. I have missed living away from the south so much and being home for an extended period of time has really made me realize how much of the southern ways and hospitality I have missed!

Here is an example and update on my house!

I am building a house in a fabulous neighborhood (I am sure you know that already!). I met with the builder's wife who handles answering the questions, picking out the 'stuff', etc. This is a family owned business so I am literally dealing with the husband, wife, and son throughout this entire process. This lady is named, Miss Helen (did you catch the "Miss"...so southern!). Miss Helen was so sweet with her southern accent and answered all my questions. I told her the house I liked and she said, "Oh, Miss Becky built that house and it is so cute. You have to see it. I will call Miss Becky today and get that set up!". She also said that Miss Libby just moved in around Christmas and did the same floor plan and that I would have to see her house too!

Love it...Miss Becky and Miss Libby!

We were able to get to see Miss Becky's house a couple of days later! It is so cute! Miss Becky is an older lady and just so sweet! She had a beautiful home and really helped make a lot of my decisions a lot easier!! We were not able to see Miss Libby's home, but that was ok, I just loved it so much from the outside that I chose the same one! Seriously, below is a picture of Miss Libby's house....and also, my future house!!!!! I loved the brown paint color and brown shudders with the white trim!

This is a funny story....when my agent and I were writing up the contract there was a line where you had to write in the name of the plan you wanted to build. We literally wrote "Miss Becky's plan" on that line. I am not kidding...this contract said that we wanted to build Miss Becky's floorplan! I find that so funny!!! Only in the south would that happen!!!!

Let me introduce you to my future place of residence and the current home of Miss Libby!!

This is Miss Becky's kitchen! I loved it so much that I chose a very similar cabinet and the same granite countertops!
This is Miss Becky's master bathroom! Loved it also...so this will be my bathroom! Notice the oiled rubbed bronze faucets! Love them!
I decided to do granite in the bathrooms as well...so this will be my master bathroom vanity.
A girl has to have a place to shave her legs....so I had to have the seat in the shower as well!
My walk-in closet and laundry room will have these split doors! Love them!
And this will be where my future home will reside! So, this is my mud!
And my street! (Notice Miss Libby's house on the left corner.)
I cannot wait to get this process moving along! I am so relieved that the contract has been signed and the building can begin! It has been raining like mad these past couple of days so hopefully that has passed and we can get the slab poured this week or next! They are saying we can close at the end of March!! Just in time for my grand move back over the big pond!

Stay tuned for house updates!!! I look forward to taking you along for the ride!

Just stuff

2009-01-06T04:27:00.015+01:00

Hello bloggy friends! I am sorry I have not posted lately. Things have been a little busy since I have been home. I have loved every minute of being home and it seems really surreal to be back here for so long this time. It has been nice to see so many friends, hang out with my family, get stuff ready for my new house, and just 'be' in the good ole USA!

So, here is a little (belated) recap of what has been going on:

Family Christmas was very nice and calm. Christmas Eve is our big family night, which leaves Christmas Day to my immediate family and my grandmother. We decided to have a little jammie party (thanks for the idea, Robin!) and stay in jammies all day and play the new Wii! We had so much fun! Aren't we cute in our jammies!?!

This is my grandmother, me, Maxie (yes, she had jammies too!), my sister Angie and mom.
Daddy did not get into the jammie action...
Max, my parent's dog (Maxie's namesake):
Aren't we cute?!?
I have been fortunate enough to see many sets of friends! After the Christmas Service at my church, I met up with my girls....Ginnie, Emily, and Amanda!
Then, another night, a bunch of college friends got together with their families (yes, I was the only one there without a child!). Talk about some good birth control!!! It was so good to see all of these girls and their families!! We did have a great time and the kids were very well behaved! I only had to drink half the bottle of wine (just kidding!!)....

This is Melissa's crew...
Laura and her family...
These are Teresa's kids. I never could get Teresa or Sean in a picture with their babies! Below are the twins, Marley and Maverick, and Mackenzie!
This is Margo's family...
Stephanie and her little one...
And we tried our best to get a group shot. This was as good as it got!
I spent New Year's Eve at my friend, Jennie's, downtown Memphis condo! It was so fun to hang out with her and see her new place!

I love being home and getting to catch up with so many friends (the ones seen here and many others as well). I am really looking forward to getting back home more and more!

More to come soon on my house! I made an offer today on the new construction, so I hope to know something official tomorrow so we can break ground!

I head back to Brussels on Sunday, January 11th, so there is still a lot of stuff to pick out for the house!

So, stay tuned...

Happy New Year!

2009-01-01T19:40:00.006+01:00

Wishing You 12 Months of Happiness;

52 Weeks of Blessing;

365 Days of Laughter;

8,760 Hours of Good Luck;

AND ....

31,536,000 Seconds of Success.

Thank you for being a part of my days. I wish you a very happy and safe new year.

Farewell 2008...thanks for the memories!

2008-12-31T21:48:00.006+01:00

Another year! Wow, I have always heard the years go by faster as you get older, and I believe that to be true!

God has really blessed me throughout this year. Living in Europe has changed me in ways I never thought possible. I am sad to see 2009 will have me leave Europe, but I am excited to start a new chapter of my life next year.

I started looking back over the past year and a half and wanted to recap my country stats.

I visited a total of 19 countries...isn't that amazing!?!:

* Belgium (Brussels, many times to Brugge, Leuven, Huy, Ghent, Antwerp)
* Croatia (Dubrovnik)
* France (Paris 6 times including 2 trips to Disneyland Paris; Giverny; Normandy Region including Utah Beach, Gold Beach, Omaha Beach; Champagne Region including Epernay and Reims; Sainte Mere-Eglise; Bayeux, Deauville; Honfleur)
* Hungary (Twice to Budapest)
* England (3 times to London, Manchester, Stoke, Crewe, Stansted)
* Scotland (Edinburgh)
* Italy (Milan, Positano and the Amalfi Coast, Venice)
* India (Twice to Mumbai, New Delhi, Agra)
* Germany (Twice to Frankfurt, Berlin, 3 times to Cologne, Aachen)
* Netherlands (Amsterdam, Lisse, Valkenburg)
* Turkey (Istanbul, Ephesus)
* United Arab Emirates (Dubai)
* Ireland (Dublin)
* Austria (Vienna)
* Denmark (Copenhagen)
* Sweden (Ostra Vemmenhog)
* Spain (Madrid and Barcelona)
* Czech Republic (Prague)
* Greece (Santorini, Corfu)

What an amazing adventure! And, it is not over yet!

Here's to 2009!!!

Home Sweet Home!

2008-12-30T02:56:00.008+01:00

Being home has been really nice! The past week was busy with Christmas festivities, as I am sure you can all relate. I promise to post Christmas pictures soon!

However, first, this is what is weighing on my mind most right now...my new house! I have been looking, looking, and looking some more at houses in a fabulous neighborhood. I am very close at choosing the house I want to build.

What do you think?
The first two are pretty much the same design; however, the one below is a little different.
I met with the builder this morning and continued to fall in love with this neighborhood! I hope to get final decisions made this week, everything picked out, and a contract signed next week before heading back to Brussels on January 11th.

I love being an overachiever!

Merry Christmas

2008-12-25T16:01:00.003+01:00

I am so blessed to have been surrounded by family and friends this holiday season! I hope all of your Christmas wishes came true!

Merry Christmas!

Home for the Holidays

2008-12-22T02:05:00.002+01:00

Maxie and I made it back to the States safe and sound last night. The flight was uneventful, well, besides the drunk guy who got thrown off the flight before leaving and the 2 hour delay due to a heating and air conditioning malfunction.

Maxie was an absolutely angel on the train and the flight. I never heard a whine out of her the entire time. It helped to have very dog-friendly flight attendants who petted her constantly and would walk by and get a kiss!

My family was so excited to see us at the airport! It is nice to be missed!!

I cannot wait to catch up with everyone while I am in town and make some housing decisions...yikes!

Can you believe that Christmas is in 4 days?? Where did this year go? Are you done shopping?

Maxie's European Adventures

2008-12-17T12:51:00.038+01:00

As I started putting this together, I got a little teary eyed thinking about how much this one little pup has done while living in Europe. Also, I cannot believe her time as a Belgian pup has come to an end.

Saturday, Maxie and I will be traveling back to Memphis for the holidays. It is a bittersweet trip as Maxie is 'repatriating' and moving back to the States permanently. It was a very hard decision to leave her, but I know it is best for her as I come back to prepare and pack up our things and move back in March.

I started thinking back to when we first landed in Brussels, how scared I was, and how much Maxie helped me in those first few days and weeks. To say I could not have done this without her....well, would be an understatement of the year. She may just be a dog to many people, but to me, she is much more.

Check out Maxie's European Adventures...

It all started with our Bon Voyage party where we celebrated with all my friends and family.
Then the packing. Maxie did not want to be left behind so she decided to hang out in my suitcase in hopes that she could go along. I am not sure she had any idea what she was getting herself into!
We made it to Brussels. She was great on the plane as I was a nervous wreck!! We had to stay in a hotel for a couple of days until my things were delivered. Maxie was a little confused but enjoyed playing on the bed with her toys!!
Finally, we moved into our apartment!! Maxie was so confused as to what was going on with all of the boxes, but once I pulled out the comforter for my bed, she smelled something familiar and curled up on it. The look on her face was as if she had finally found home again! She refused to get off that comforter for hours.
Maxie was scared to death of these stairs in my apartment. I assume because they were not carpeted and she was slipping a little. It was a good day when she did not sit at the bottom of the stairs and whine for me to come get her!
YES! Mastered the stairs!!!
Finally, I started getting the place in order and she was settling in comfortably. See, here she is showing off her new living room!
Oh! This was a big day! Maxie got her passport to travel!! Yes, I said passport! She had to get a Doggie Passport!!!! It filled up pretty fast!
This is where Maxie spent a lot of time...in her garden!
But, she spent more time in this window!! She absolutely LOVES hanging out in this window all day and greeting everyone who walks by! Seriously, people stop and wave as they walk by and Maxie wags her tail in excitement!
Maxie's European adventures got started with her first trip to Paris, France in June 2007. How about this Parisian pup!?!
Then off to Bruges, Belgium in August 2007.Back to Brussels and Parc du Cinquantenaire in September 2007.
This was our first trip back to the States in October 2007 at the Amsterdam airport!
And back to Belgium in January 2008 and a little day trip to Gent, Belgium!
She got a little taste of the famous Belgian beer in February 2008 (ok, not really, but it made a cute picture!). I love how dogs are welcome in the restaurants in Europe and Maxie does so well and is so behaved...sure does make a Mommy proud!
Off to Antwerp, Belgium in March 2008.
Then to Château de Modave in Modave, Belgium in March 2008.
Maxie enjoyed a beautiful sunny day at the Keukenhof Gardens in Lisse, Netherlands in April 2008.
Then back to Brussels and a little visit to see the Manneken Pis in June 2008. Off to Cologne, Germany in July 2008.
And back to Bruges, Belgium in December 2008.
Maxie has made a couple of friends along the way, but no one like her little best buddy, Zsa Zsa!!
Celebrating Maxie's 3rd birthday, although they really did not want to!
My girls!
On a walk around our neighborhood!
Yes, Maxie is smiling! Zsa Zsa must be on her way over!Last but certainly not least....we could have made it without these two...

Words cannot begin to show how much I love these 2 people. I have no doubt that God sent this little family to Maxie and me. Dan, Pam, and Zsa Zsa have made our experience in Brussels unbelievable. I have written about how I met them before (click here). I cannot thank them enough for taking such good care of Maxie and me and welcoming us as a member of their family. Maxie is going to miss Uncle Dan's puppy massages and Auntie Pam's chair and blanket! I have to stop there or tears will really start flowing! THANK YOU, DAN AND PAM!!!!!!
In almost 2 years, Maxie has visited 4 different countries and many cities in those countries along the way! What a lucky little Maxie!

Christmas Markets 2008 - Aachen, Germany

2008-12-15T14:25:00.008+01:00

Our 2008 Tour of Christmas Markets came to a close this weekend.

First stop – Brussels, Belgium Christmas Market

Pam and I headed to the Brussels Christmas Market on Saturday. Would you believe that my camera's battery was dead? Well, it was and I was not happy. To be honest, you did not miss much by me being so irresponsible. :-) I did not attend the Brussels market last year but did want to at least take a peek this year although I had heard it was not the best. It was nice to walk around and pick up some last minute gifts and chocolates to take home next Saturday (can you believe that??!!). It was freezing out so we did all we wanted to do and headed home! Burrrr.

Second stop - Aachen, Germany Christmas Market

Hands down, Germany has the best Christmas markets. Pam, Beth, and I went to Aachen today and we were not disappointed at all. Seriously, many countries try to have great markets and while they are not bad, in my opinion, Germany has the best! I think it is the atmosphere, selection, and decorations, which make me lean toward the Germany markets.

I did not take many pictures today because it was too dang crowded and too dang cold to take off my gloves. I did manage to get these:

I bought a beautiful nativity that I cannot wait to display! I will have pictures soon! I hope you have enjoyed this year's Tour of Christmas Markets! I am getting excited about heading back to Memphis this Saturday for the holidays (and house hunting!)!

Christmas Markets 2008 - Valkenburg, Netherlands

2008-12-09T14:41:00.014+01:00

Most Christmas markets are held in the town square or underneath the walls of a picturesque castle or church, and so is this one, only in this case under the castle ruins literally means ‘under’ the castle – in the tunneled out caves and grottoes of a Roman quarry. Warm light spills from the openings, revealing murals that decorate the walls adding to the magic of this unusual business address.

Actors will lead you through the tunnels towards ‘Santa’s velvet grotto’ – literally a grotto in this case – and give you an idea what it would have been like when people actually lived in these caves, allowing you to take your time over the traditional style Dutch gifts and treats on your way.
We loved this unique Christmas market. It was definitely unlike anything we have ever seen before. Seriously, a Christmas market in a cave?? It was very appealing to us since the day before we were soaked in Bruges! It is perfect when the weather conditions outside are not so nice!

The little town of Valkenburg was so quaint and really cute. They had it decked out for the holidays!
Fluweelengrot means velvet cave. This was at the entrance of the cave as you waited to get in. They only allowed a certain number of people in at a time, so you waited here.

And now we are entering...
Yep, this is a cave!
Beautiful murals were everywhere!
Then the shopping began! There were gifts from all over Europe. These little angels were from Poland!
Beautiful nativity.
Ahhh, this is the Pam and Tippa I know....shopping bags in hand (not pictured is the HUGE basket Pam had to buy to hold all of her purchases!)!
This really was a fantastic Christmas market! Germany still wins as having the best Christmas markets in Europe; however, this has to be the most unique!

Christmas Markets 2008 - Bruges, Belgium

2008-12-09T13:50:00.010+01:00

Oh how I love Europe's Christmas markets!!! I visited two Christmas markets last year in Frankfurt, Germany and Cologne, Germany. It was my first exposure to the Christmas market scene I had heard so much about.

For those unfamiliar with European Christmas markets, here is a little background:

Christmas in Europe is a time for elaborate pastries straight out of a medieval cookbook, for lyrical midnight masses in Gothic churches, and for the upholding of quirky local traditions—in many countries, Christmas just isn’t complete without mischievous pixies, kindly witches (Rome), treacherous demons (Salzburg), or an 8,000-pound fruitcake (Dresden). However else Europeans celebrate the Yuletide season, Christmas still centers around an Advent market that, in most cases, has filled the square before the cathedral each December for hundreds upon hundreds of years. Many markets start on the Friday before Advent, which is four Sundays before Christmas Eve; most end on December 24, especially in Germanic countries, where Christmas Eve is set aside for trimming the tree at home. Others keep celebrating until Epiphany on January 6.

These markets are where the romance of the holiday comes alive in grand tradition—smells of gingerbread and roasting sausages waft through the cold air, handmade ornaments adorn ancient fir trees, master glassblowers and other artisans ply their crafts in wooden stalls, shoppers bustle past Gothic church facades and half-timbered houses, pausing to sip their glühwein, heavily spiced and mulled "glow wine"—the piping-hot beverage of choice at any self-respecting Christmas market.

Entertainment, usually around 5 p.m., can include choral serenades or trombone recitals from a balcony overlooking the scene. Food and drink take account of the fact that these markets, contrary to all logic, are held outdoors in the middle of winter. It leans to roasted chestnuts, hot sausages and hot spiced wine. Bock beer is another specialty of the winter season.

This year, we decided to visit other markets besides the ones in Germany. I heard Germany has the best Christmas markets, but I wanted to draw my own opinion. And what is my opinion, you may ask?? Well, I agree, Germany has the BEST Christmas markets!

So, the first stop on our 2008 Tour of Christmas Markets was Bruges, Belgium. I absolutely love the little quaint town of Bruges. However, this was not a good market. It could have something to do with the fact that we took the dogs (first mistake), it started pouring down rain (so I carried Maxie to keep her from getting soaked and stepped on), and the shopping just plain stunk. I told Pam this day had to go down in history as a day the two of us went shopping and bought absolutely nothing. Not. One. Single. Item.

Anyway, I did snap a few shots...just for a little photo proof that we were there. The sun came out for about 10 minutes so we took these photos and left!
Maxie and I...
Pam and Zsa Zsa...
They did have a really cute ice-skating rink.
Zsa Zsa wishing she could slide around on the ice!
We were outta there!

By the way, Day 2 of our 2008 Tour of Christmas Markets was much better.

Dream Vacation

2008-12-03T16:47:00.003+01:00

If you are an avid reader of this blog, you know how much I realize just how blessed I am to have this incredible opportunity of living in Europe. I have traveled far and wide to places I never thought I would ever step foot in! This has really been an amazing ride.

However, my time of living in Europe is coming to an end...only 3 months left!

I am curious so I have a few questions for you...

What trips have you enjoyed most that I have written about?
If money and time were not an issue, where would you travel to?
Describe your dream vacation?
Where have you been that was just amazing? Tell me about it!

I look forward to hearing what all you have to share!

Celebrating Thanksgiving in Brussels

2008-12-02T11:21:00.017+01:00

I celebrated Thanksgiving in Brussels this year! My friend, Regina, who lives in Milan, Italy was in town for work. She organized a group of Americans and non-Americans to join the American Club of Brussels for a traditional Thanksgiving Dinner. It was held at a hotel in downtown Brussels and about 150 people were there including the US Ambassador to Belgium. It was such a treat to be with a lot of Americans on this day when I was away from my family.

It was really fun to share this American holiday with non-Americans who were so interested in the traditions of this day. We had people from Germany; France; England; Belgium; and Dubai, UAE as well as a couple of Americans. Here was our table: This is my friend, Regina, who is originally from Memphis, but has lived in Italy for over 20 years! Even though this was a 'traditional' Thanksgiving dinner, the traditions were still different from what I have in my own family, as well as what Regina had growing up! For instance, the first course for this dinner was New England Clam Chowder. Now, in the south, we skip the starter or appetizer and head straight for the main course!! However, another American lady at our table always started with some type of soup.
Each table was given their own turkey to carve. Here is JR from Dubai taking a stab at our bird! I shared with this group how my dad cooks our turkey for the holidays....by frying it! (By the way, if you have never had a fried turkey, you are so missing out!)
The table was set so nicely. Again, in my family, we are not so formal!
The side dishes were served family style, which I thought was a neat touch. We had sweet potatoes, mashed potatoes, green beans, corn pudding, beets (seriously, who has beets at Thanksgiving?!), stuffing, and get this.....cranberry JELL-O. Yes, I said JELL-O! See, you cannot get cranberries in Belgium to make traditional cranberry sauce, nor the canned stuff either...so they did the next best thing and made Jell-O!

This is where the conversation got interesting. Regina and I are from the south and we have cornbread dressing instead of stuffing for our holidays. We had another American who only had stuffing growing up and had never heard of cornbread dressing. When my family was in Brussels over the summer, I was craving mom's cornbread dressing....so she made me some! For those who have never heard of it...here is a picture! YUM!
This is a little sample of our dinner.
My plate....YUM! I did try the stuffing, and quite honestly, it was the nasty! I mean, really GROSS! Do you see the Jell-O?!
Then on to dessert. These pies were not traditional, in my opinion and they were just ok!
This is a piece of pumpkin and apple.
I am used to this....Mom's chocolate pie!
It was so fun to share this tradition with non-Americans who have always heard of Thanksgiving, but had not actually shared in one with Americans! We all left stuffed and ready for a nap....sounds pretty traditional to me, uh?!

What are your holiday traditions?

Mediterranean Cruise - Part 7 (Venice, Italy -- Again)

2008-11-29T14:15:00.008+01:00

After departing the cruise ship, we discovered we were really exhausted and did not want to do much (we both have been to Venice before). We could not get an earlier flight back to Brussels, so we were stuck in Venice for the night! What a terrible situation to be in, right??!! I know, it sounds so cliche'. Forgive me, please!

The hotel told us that St. Mark's Square was flooded! Now, I have always heard Venice is sinking and that the high tides cause St. Mark's Square to flood, but I have never seen it for myself. So, as exhausted as we were, we had to get out, fight the crowds, and see this for ourselves.

We were staying across the canal from St. Mark's Square. This is a picture from the front of our hotel looking across to St. Mark's. As you can see, the water was about to start flooding this side of the island too! We got over to St. Mark's and this is what we found...definitely flooded. You could buy yourself some faux rain boots for 1 euro!
Or choose to walk on risers!
It was so interesting to see St. Mark's Square flooded. St. Mark's is one of my favorite cathedrals in Europe...and it was flooded. Yikes!St. Mark's in the background!

This was definitely a site to see and I am glad we fought the crowds to see it.

That concludes my Mediterranean Cruise postings! I hope you have all enjoyed this little adventure of mine and if you ever have the opportunity to go on a Mediterranean cruise, do it! You will never regret it!

Mediterranean Cruise - Part 6 (Corfu, Greece)

2008-11-29T14:05:00.002+01:00

I am back to finish up the cruise postings! I cannot believe it has been over a month since we left on the cruise! I spent 3 weeks in Germany once I got back, so things were a little busy on this side of the pond!

Corfu, Greece was an unexpected treat for me. I had never heard of Corfu prior to planning this trip and did not do any research on what there was to see there, so everything was a surprise. The name Corfu is an Italian word, meaning city of the peaks. I believe this is a little secret place in Greece that not too many people know about and thus it is not flocked with tourists, like the more popular Greek islands. I could definitely see coming back here for a secluded and relaxed beach vacation!

To be honest, the pictures do not capture the beauty of the cliffs and water on the island. We took a bus tour and the weather was not cooperating so most of the pictures were taken from inside the bus.

This was a little stop we made where we could get off the bus and see the water! It was gorgeous! We even tip-toed in, but it was freezing!
Pam and I tip-toeing! We were laughing so hard (can you tell?!)!

The views were unbelievable from the top!

Still laughing!

This tree is supposed to be over 2000 years old! Wow!

Pontikonisi and Vlaheraina monastery viewed from the hilltops of Kanoni.

Rosa left us a little monkey on this night! This was my favorite little creature!
The following day was our last day on the ship and we were at sea all day (with no stopping at any ports). It was also Halloween!

Remember all of the little creatures Rosa left for us each night? Well, I went to the towel folding seminar to see how these were made! It was so neat and a little more complex than the napkins!! Below you will see a turtle, elephant, swan, dog, frog, and lobster!!
After dinner, we went to the finale show. We got there early to make sure we got a good seat. I was sitting on the aisle and Pam and I were chatting when this (pictured below) came up and about scared me out of my seat. He was squatting down beside me and when I turned my head, I let out a scream that I am not proud of! Everyone in the theater was watching this unfold as they were behind us. Obviously, Pam and I had no idea what was about to happen! Everyone started laughing...as did I (after I caught my breath and made sure I did not pee on myself!)! So, of course, I had to get my picture made with my new friend!
The show was fantastic! This was the preview performance...really cool!
Then, there was this guy! Talk about some talent! Yes, he is balancing himself upside down on a wine bottle!
And on a brick...
This was our final little surprise from Rosa!
The following morning, Saturday, around 8:30AM, we departed the ship for the final time. Pam and I walked off the ship laughing about what an incredible trip and opportunity it was to go on this cruise. We made lots of unforgettable memories that we will have with us forever! I will honestly say, this was the best trip I have been on since my European Adventures began almost 2 years ago! I am so thankful and blessed to be able to live our these dreams!

Up next...our final night in Venice.

Daddy's Snow Ice Cream!

2008-11-28T15:01:00.002+01:00

There is a tradition in my family---when it snows we make Daddy's Snow Ice Cream!

Have you heard of it before?

I thought everyone knew about snow ice cream, but apparently not! Last Sunday, I was invited over to Dan and Pam's to celebrate Maxie's birthday and it started snowing like crazy! We were so excited since we do not get much snow here in Brussels and it was really fun to watch (and play in too!).

We had dinner and started talking about how much fun the snow is. Then, I told them about what my Daddy and I do when it snows and they about fell off the couch laughing! They thought I was kidding about actually eating snow! I said, "Nope, it has not killed me in 34 years!".

That was it, I had to make them their very first batch of snow ice cream!

This is the first, and most important, ingredient----snow!
Gather up a bowl full of 'clean' snow. This can be challenging, but if you are creative, you can figure it out! I was excited because this was very fluffy snow versus the snow we get in Memphis which is sometimes very icy! (I was a little bit excited!!)
You also need milk, sugar, and vanilla (not pictured).
Start with some snow in a bowl and gradually add milk. Stir until it is all mixed together. Kinda slushy, but not too watery.
Then add sugar to taste.
Then add vanilla. We did not have vanilla extract, so we added vanilla bean (YUM)!And, there you have it----Daddy's Snow Ice Cream!

Happy Thanksgiving!

2008-11-27T13:10:00.003+01:00

I am so thankful for such a blessed life filled with wonderful family and friends! I pray everyone has a wonderful day!

Happy Thanksgiving!!

Happy Birthday, Maxie!

2008-11-23T11:49:00.008+01:00

Today, Maxie turned 3 years old! And, because I am crazy about my little pup, it is "All About Maxie" today!

One of Maxie's favorite activities is going on a walk. She even knows the word "walk" and you better be to ready to go if you mention that word and she hears you. Otherwise, she will drive you crazy until you give in and take that walk!! Since it was freezing and snowing outside, a walk was not in the plan. However, we did do her 2nd favorite thing...play with her favorite toy!!
Dan and Pam invited us over for dinner to celebrate the big day (ok, not really, just an excuse to have Dan cook for us!). Anyway, like I said before, the weather was terrible (freezing outside and snowing). I was parked around the block, so I bundled Maxie up in her coat (she HATES it, by the way) because otherwise she would have gotten all wet.

See, I told you she hated it! But, she loved it while we were walking because it kept her warm and dry!
We made it to Dan and Pam's and started the little party (which, in all honesty, meant we put these party hats on the dogs, took 2 pictures and we were done! You can see why...they hated the party hats too!
Excuse the dirty faces...they get groomed next week!! :-)

Overall, it was a good 3rd birthday for my little Maxie! It started snowing hard enough that we made snow ice cream (that is another posting by itself) and so Maxie had a tiny little bit on her big day!

Happy Birthday, Maxie!

'Tis the Season!

2008-11-22T20:48:00.006+01:00

We interrupt this blog for a little holiday cheer!

It is that time of year again! I kept debating on decorating this weekend, but when I looked outside this afternoon and it was snowing, well, that was my answer! I pulled out the Christmas decorations and didn't stop until all 3 trees were finished!

Yes, I said 3 trees. Although I could totally have 3 regular size trees in my house, I only have 3 small trees that I decorate and put on my dining room table here in Brussels. I also put out my original nutcrackers I got in Germany last year! Decorating really got me into the holiday spirit!
Have you put your Christmas tree up yet?

Mediterranean Cruise - Part 5 (Santorini, Greece)

2008-11-18T13:21:00.032+01:00

I have wanted to go Greece, especially the island of Santorini, for so long! And, finally, I made it! The island is as beautiful as you have always heard!

We arrived in Santorini just in time to see the sun rise. Not a bad way to start the morning! Sun rising over Santorini... I love this shot... Ahh, here it is...Santorini! Glamorous Santorini, in the southern Aegean's Cyclades islands, curves round a giant lagoon, a caldera left by a volcanic eruption. The island's capital, Fira, clings to cliffs above, providing stunning views of the lagoon below.

The picture below is the Santorini caldera (A caldera is a cauldron-like volcanic feature formed by the collapse of land following a volcanic eruption.) with Nea Kameni in the center. Santorini is essentially what remains of an enormous volcanic explosion, destroying the earliest settlements on what was formerly a single island, and leading to the creation of the current geological caldera.

The volcano eventually erupted (in 1645 BC) sinking the center of the island, creating the Caldera and leaving the semi-circled shape of modern day Santorini.

The magnitude of this eruption was supposed to be so great, that it was held responsible for creating tidal waves, reaching as far as the island of Crete, 70 miles away, wiping out the Minoan civilization in its entirety. This has caused much speculation as to whether Santorini was in fact the mythological lost city of Atlantis.

The islands of Palea Kameni and Nea Kameni, both still volcanically active, appeared after continuous eruptions that started around 157 BC and continued right up until 1950.

This is the city of Fira on the island of Santorini. You can see that these homes, hotels, and businesses are built on the side of a huge cliff. I will explain further down how you get to the top! The winding road may give you a little hint!
The city of Fira. Houses built on the edge of the caldera. So, to get to the top you have a choice...either take a donkey, a cable car, or walk!! This option was not for me... We decided on the cable car! A much safer mode of transportation, at least in my mind, than that dang donkey! View from the top. The city of Fira. The island is really best seen in photographs...so here ya go! We only spent a few hours on the island; however, I would have liked to have stayed longer. We shopped, walked around, and just absorbed what the city of Fira had to offer. I will say that it is very touristy which takes away from the attraction to me. Nonetheless, it was gorgeous! This is definitely a place I could come and relax in a nice pool hanging over the side of the cliff!!

It has been said that the sunsets in Santorini are the best in the world. I think you might agree. When the boat was leaving Santorini, I was inside the cabin and walked out just in time for this beautiful sunset. It took my breath away. All I could do was snap pictures (I took at last 50 in a matter of about 3 minutes.). For a split second the sky changed from the pink picture you see below to blue, like in the first picture. Seriously, it was a split second and this was the only shot I got of it. God has a way of showing us his beauty! And this is what Rosa left us...(it is a little dog!).
Up next...Corfu, Greece!

Mediterranean Cruise - Part 4 (Ephesus, Turkey)

2008-11-16T12:36:00.022+01:00

Port of KuşadasıEphesus, Turkey is such a historical city that I am going to rely on the Internet to portray the details.

According to the New Testament, Ephesus became an important center for early Christianity from the 50s AD. Paul used it as a base and spent there more than two years on his third missionary journey (Acts 19:8, 19:10, 20:31). He became embroiled in a dispute with artisans, whose livelihood depended on selling the statuettes of Artemis in the Temple of Artemis (Acts 19:23–41). He wrote between 53 and 57 A.D. the letter 1 Corinthians from Ephesus (possibly from the "Paul tower" close to the harbor, where he was imprisoned for a short time). Later Paul wrote to the Christian community at Ephesus, according to tradition, while he was in prison in Rome (around 62 A.D.)

The Apostle John lived in Asia Minor (Anatolia) in the last decades of the first century and from Ephesus had guided the Churches of that province. After Domitian's death the Apostle returned to Ephesus during the reign of Trajan, and at Ephesus he died about 100 AD at a great age.

Ephesus was one of the seven cities addressed in Revelation (2:1–7), indicating that the church at Ephesus was still strong.

Two decades later, the church at Ephesus was still important enough to be addressed by a letter written by Bishop Ignatius of Antioch to the Ephesians in the early 2nd century A.D., that begins with, "Ignatius, who is also called Theophorus, to the Church which is at Ephesus, in Asia, deservedly most happy, being blessed in the greatness and fullness of God the Father, and predestined before the beginning of time, that it should be always for an enduring and unchangeable glory" (Letter to the Ephesians). The church at Ephesus had given their support for Ignatius, who was taken to Rome for execution.

As a non-Catholic, but attended a Catholic school, I understand the importance of the Virgin Mary. Obviously, she is important to us Baptists, but she has a different importance to Catholics. That being said, we had the opportunity to visit the house where the Virgin Mary is believed to have spent her last years. The story goes that before Jesus was crucified, he asked John to care for his mother. John took this request seriously and took Mary to this spot. She lived here until her Assumption into Heaven. The house has been refurbished, but the foundation is original. It was such a surreal experience for me to be here.

The story behind how this house was discovered goes like this:

In 1811, Emmerich, who had dedicated her life to God, was taken ill in the nunnery and had to keep her bed. She was hearing voices no one else did, and was having religious visions. On December 29, 1812, as Emmerich was praying in her bed with her hands stretched out, she was suddenly shaken by a divine force. Seized by a high fever, she became deep red in the face. Just at that moment, a bright light coming from above descended towards her and when it reached her the hands and the feet of the sick woman were suddenly covered with blood as if pierced by nails. The people around the bed were stunned with amazement. It was as if she had partaken of Christ's agony during the Crucifixion and had become a stigmatized nun. The doctors examining her were greatly astonished. They could not explain this within the science of medicine. A writer named C. Brentano began putting into writing the narrations that Emmerich, who getting gradually worse had become bedridden, revealed in trance after loosing consciousness in 1811.

Emmerich had seen in her visions the Virgin Mary leaving Jerusalem with St. John before the persecution of Christians had become worse and their coming to Ephesus. She had also seen that the house in Ephesus was on a mountain nearby and that the Christians who had settled there before lived in tents and caves. She said furthermore that the house of the Virgin Mary, a stone house, was built by St. John, that it was rectangular in plan with a round back wall and had an apse and a hearth. The room next to the apse was her bedroom and there was a stream of water running it. Emmerich went on as follows:

"After completing her third year here she had a great desire to go to Jerusalem. John and Peter took her there. She was taken so ill and lost so much weight in Jerusalem that everybody thought she was going to die and they began preparing a grave for her. When the grave was finished the Virgin Mary recovered. She was feeling strong enough to return to Ephesus. After returning to Ephesus, the Virgin Mary became very weak and at 64 years of age she died. The saints around her performed a funeral ceremony for her and put the coffin they had specially prepared into a cave about two kilometers away from the house".

The house of the Virgin was first discovered in 1881 by Abbe’ Gouyet, of Paris, through the diligent use of Anne-Catherine Emmerick’s descriptions. His discovery went unpublished and was generally discounted. Ten years later, in 1891, inspired by the detail of Emmerick’s accounts, a group of explorers under the leadership of the learned Father Jung of the Order of Lazarists, again followed her descriptions to relocate the Virgin Mary’s home. Catherine Emmerick had revealed that Mother Mary prepared her meals at a fireplace located in the center of the room and that spring water was present. Excavations by the explorers revealed the presence of the ashes and the spring water continues to flow to his day. Flowing water on a mountaintop in an otherwise arid countryside is itself a wonder. The explorers were amazed how closely their discoveries conformed with the description of Emmerick.

Mary's house was very, very small with basically only 2 tiny rooms. There were no pictures allowed inside. But here are some pictures of the outside and grounds.

Visitors leave special prayer requests on a prayer board located outside of Mary's house.The Ruins of Ephesus - If you want to visit a place where you can really get a feel for what life was like 2000 years ago during the glory-days of Greece and Rome, Ephesus, is the place. In terms of ruins, it's better than Rome itself.

The city was famed for the Temple of Artemis (completed around 550 BC), which was destroyed by the Goths in 263. The emperor Constantine I rebuilt much of the city and erected a new public bath. The town was again partially destroyed by an earthquake in 614. The importance of the city as a commercial center declined as the harbor slowly filled with silt from the river. Marble Way: This aptly-named street leads south from in front of the theater to the Brothel and Library of Celsus. West of it are the remains of the spacious Commercial Agora. The large, open space to the right (west) of the street, once surrounded by a colonnade and shops, was the commercial agora (3 BC) or marketplace, heart of Ephesus' business life.

Ever witnessed (or used) a Turkish toilet (also known as a squat toilet)? Well, the first time I saw (and used) one was in Italy a few years ago. Werid, I know. I honestly did not have any idea what this hole in the ground was but it was a bit of an emergency so it had to be used. (Was that too much information??)

Anyway, this was the start of the Turkish toilet. The Latrina, built in the first century A.D., are the public toilets of Ephesus. The toilets were ranged side by side with no partition between them. In the middle was a square pool. The floor was paved with mosaics. Talk about no privacy!

This is me "on the throne"!
Ephesus Library: Gaius Julius Celsus Polemaeanus was the Roman governor of Asia Minor early in the 2nd century A.D.. In 110, after the governor's death, his son, Consul Gaius Julius Aquila, erected this library in his father's honor; as says an inscription in Latin and Greek on the side of the building's front staircase. Celsus was buried under the west side of the library, where he rests to this day. It is assumed that the construction of the library was completed in 117.

Place believed to be where Paul read this letter to the Ephesians.
The Roman Theater at Ephesus.
After visiting the ruins, we got to see how the famous Turkish rugs are made. Here is a bit of the demonstration.
Beautiful! And no, I did not buy another rug...the one I bought in Istanbul is still hurting my bank account!
This is the little creature Rosa left for us on this night!
I took a lot of pictures in Ephesus. I am working on uploading those to Shutterfly, along with the other cities. I will let you know when they are up, edited, and labeled!

Up next, Santorini, Greece.

Mediterranean Cruise - Part 3 (Dubrovnik, Croatia)

2008-11-08T14:44:00.025+01:00

We departed from Venice, Italy (I am sure you know that by now, but I am trying to start from the beginning!). Anyway, we left on my birthday (no secret there either).

This is a picture as we were leaving Venice. It is of Piazza San Marco (better known as St Mark's Square).
Our last view of land before only seeing the open seas!
So, back to my birthday...

There was no greater gift than taking a Mediterranean cruise on my birthday! I was so excited about this cruise that I kept forgetting it was my birthday. Well, the Head Waiter at dinner didn't forget and surprised me with a little celebration!
Ahhh!
Our first port-of-call was Dubrovnik, Croatia. I have been wanting to go to Dubrovnik for a while now as I kept hearing it was the next French Riviera! Well, we did not see much (or any) of the beaches in Dubrovnik, but the city was fantastic.

By the way, this may have been a Mediterranean cruise, but we had to cruise in the Adriatic Sea before reaching the Mediterranean.

Dubrovnik's (tourist) claim to fame is its walled city located right on the coast, which hangs over a small hill and has great views. During the breakup of Yugoslavia the Serbians shelled the city (1991) and did considerable damage; however, it has been completely rebuilt to the point that, now, the walled city is a major tourist draw.

We didn’t do a tour, so we leisurely left the ship and took a shuttle into town. Most of the day was spent walking around the whole city on the top of the city wall. It was a rough walk around the city, lots of stairs. However, it gave some great perspective views of the city. Here are a few things we saw...

Dubrovnik bridge of Franjo Tuđman and the Port of Gruž. This was taken as we were entering the port. Minčeta Fortress. The round shaped fortress was built in 1464 in the place of a smaller fort from 1319.
Stradun, Dubrovnik's main street.
Walking along the wall.
We were only 1 day into the cruise and Pam locked me in jail...
As we walked around this beautiful city, this stopped me in my tracks. I really thought this cat was dead, but the closer I got, I realized it was just tired and stopped for a little afternoon nap! I took many pictures of this cat...and he/she never woke up!
Each night when we got back from visiting the different cities, our Stateroom Attendant left us with a little creature and the agenda for the upcoming day! I looked forward to seeing what Rosa left for us each day! Today, it was a swan! How cute!

We spent the following day at sea. This was the day where we went to our napkin folding seminar, walked around the boat, and enjoyed our first formal dinner. We also stayed up and watched the show in the main theater. It was great!

Rosa left us a little turtle on this night!Up next, Ephesus, Turkey!

Mediterranean Cruise - Part 2 (The Ship)

2008-11-07T05:52:00.028+01:00

There is so much to tell about this cruise, I am going to have to break it into pieces. So, bare with me.

First of all, I will tell you about the ship. We sailed on the Splendour of the Seas by Royal Caribbean. It was an older ship and not too big, so not like to massive ships that I have heard about. I think this one held a maximum of 2000 people.
We splurged on the balcony room (seriously, when will we ever get to go on a Mediterranean cruise again?) and we are so happy we did! It was nice to be able to sit out there away from the crowds on the main deck and enjoy the view, read a book, or just sit! It was worth every penny!
I was expecting the room to be quite small, but there was actually a lot of space. We had plenty of storage to get unpacked and settled. Pam and I are both a little OCD when it comes to being neat and tidy! The best part about going on a cruise for me was that we unpacked 1 time and got all settled in! Then, we went to bed and woke up in fabulous new places every day!

The food was exactly like what you have always heard the food to be on a cruise...too much! It was a treat for us because it was American food! Boring to most, nice for me! They have food and ice sculptures which were very impressive!
Every evening you could have dinner in the main dining room. Pam and I sat at a table with 3 couples. It was nice getting to meet these people from around the US! People were wondering what the story was with 2 females going on a cruise together....needless to say, we talked about Pam's husband a lot during the cruise!!

To be honest, the food was not as good as I thought it was going to be. It was fine, but not as culinary or gourmet as I was expecting! I am just a little picky when it comes to my food, so it was perfect for me!

This is the main dining room where we had dinner most nights. Some nights we were not up for getting dressed up so we just did something casual at the buffet.There were 2 formal nights where we really had to get dressed up. Here is one of those nights...
This is a picture of our dinnermates. They were so much fun!
Of course, the ship had a great main deck with a couple of swimming pools, bars, miniature golf, rock wall, etc! This was the main hang out during the days at sea when we did not stop at a port!
They even had a evacuation drill. Pam was not pleased about having to leave the room (and balcony) to do this. She insisted that is this ship were to turn into the Titanic, it would not be this orderly!

This was on the deck as we were leaving Venice. I was really disappointed when the sail-away was not like the Love Boat. Remember that show? Where was the confetti and streamers being thrown from the top deck? There was no celebration! Jeez, am I asking for too much here? Anyway, Pam and I made our own sail-away party (minus the confetti!).
My favorite thing we did on the boat was go to a napkin folding seminar! I know, I am weird! But we had so much fun learning how to fold napkins into cute little shapes!
Everyone was getting into this folding thing....
This is the lily...
The candlestick...
The 5 second fold... The fan (you put it in a glass when you set your table)...
Oh, and the sunsets (I was rarely up for sunrises, but the sunsets were magical!).
Next up, our first stop, Dubrovnik, Croatia...

Working hard...

2008-11-04T19:44:00.002+01:00

So, I got back from my cruise on Sunday night. I came home, loved on my Maxie, and packed for Germany. I did not even unpack from my cruise.

I am in Cologne, Germany for the week for work. Yuck, I know. I was only home for about 12 hours before heading out again. And, it does not get much better from here. Although I will be home on the weekends, I will be in Germany for a total of 3 weeks. Ahhh, I know! I am not happy about it. But, work is the reason I am living over here...and it pays the bills, so I have to do it.

I promise to post about my cruise soon! I have lots to share!

Happy Election Day!