Gearing up for the Holidays!

3:30pm - Luxembourg Gare - yes we drive with our lights on most days :-/

 Now that the sun has safely tucked itself behind the gray blanket that is the Northern Sky, the remainder of the winter can be spent on more serious pursuits without worrying about overdosing on that irksome vitamin D. The Holiday Season is already in full swing, but before we tromp down and fill up on Gluhwein and Gromperekichelcher, Jeni and I decided to make a few trips and enjoy this late autumn weather. Thanksgiving is this week. Everyone here knows about it, but they still aren't quite sure if it's a religious holiday or not. As an American, the questions one fields on this topic range from the truly curious to strangely bizarre. Perhaps my favorite has been, "What will your dogs do?" Aside from missing family and the enormous feast of Tofurkey and carbohydrates, life here goes on quietly. 

I for one certainly don't miss being inundated with ads about Black Friday.

Wait...not that Black "Friday"!

Our first little excursion took us to the north of the Grand Duchy to a village named Esch sur Sûre. Now I realize that I am rather partial to our host nation's environs, but you have to admit this place is just postcard perfect!

Not to be confused with Esch sur Alzette in the south of the country, this little town of approximately 300 inhabitants is built in a bend of the river Sûre. Above the village lies a rock outcrop that is home to the aptly named Chateau d'Esch-sur-Sûre. Yes, friends, we've yet another castle to show you!!!

 The site dates back to the reign of Charlemagne or around 775 AD. Again, these guys really had an eye for security! You'd have to be stark mad to try and attack this place with swords and spears!

Wonderful fall colors and a watchtower rising above the castle walls

Can you spot the wiener-dog??

After Esch we bundled up the boys and headed to the stereotypical German city of Strasbourg, France.

Strasbourg sits on the Rhine River which defines the current the German / French border. It's a lovely town that has been switching languages and sharing cultures since the 13th century. Living in Luxembourg, I can certainly understand their lives of duality. The old town itself is built around canals that were the center of commerce  for hundreds of years, so it's no surprise it is often compared to Venice. We Luxembourgers even share a bit of history with our bi-cultural neighbors. Vauban, the guy that fortified Luxembourg City, also built this little bridge across the river to ensure King Louis XIV's commercial interests (and the taxes that went along with them) were protected.

Other noteworthy points of interest in the sleepy town of 275,000 are the old printing presses from the Gutenberg Era, the medieval leather working mills and slaughterhouses (now wonderful cafes and restaurants) of Petite France and of course the greatest boondoggle in recent European history...the European Parliament headquarters that are only used about 50 days per year!

Canal House leading to La Petite France

One of the main canals ringing the center of Strasbourg's, Grande Île

Of course they have a Cathedral...complete with a Glockenspiel!

They even have a funky modern train station!

The cuisine of Alsace is heavily influence by its Germanic neighbors. Sausages and sauerkraut fried in pork fat (Choucroute en francais) are the local specialties and this is washed down with super-sweet white wines. Needless to say, we vegetarians were not overly impressed by this. We did, however, enjoy perhaps the only positive legacy of French colonialism...Lebanese Restaurants!

...and this was only half of the Mezza for two!

After our trip to Strasbourg, I made another run to Culles les Roches to do some late autumn gardening. Tom and Oivi really do have a great place. The trip down was worth the wine and cheese I ate, but unfortunately the weather didn't cooperate. We got our first snow of the season, and that put the kibosh on any gardening plans we may have had.

The snow swept streets of Culles les Roches in the early morning

No garden projects, but the wine is always nice in Burgundy :)

Since I always like to leave you with something to ponder, take a look at this next piece of...of...I really don't know what. Some things may just never translate well. Or, perhaps this was deliberate. Still scratching my head about this one. Enjoy!

They even have a website...totally safe for work :)

"Hmmm..."

Coast to Coast pt 2 (Home Again)

As much as Luxembourg has become our new home, Home is truly where your heart lies. After our holiday / celebration in Seattle we popped back to our old home town of Alexandria, VA. Once there we were treated to hospitality the likes of which would shame any five star hotel on the Continent. Jeni and I do enjoy the comforts of luxury hotels, but when you're on the road there's nothing like home-cooked meals and the company of cherished friends.

For the first leg of our stint in Alexandria we were put up at Chez Angel & Mike, a fabulous little Bed and Breakfast in the Bucknell Heights area. Unfortunately the proprietors are moving shop across town. Don't bother doing a Google Search if you vacation plans take you to the Old Dominion. It's very exclusive ;-)

Jeni with Angel & Mike in the front parlor of Chez Eux

Seriously, Mike and Angel were wonderful hosts and treated us to such delicacies as French Toast stuffed with Brie (you GOTTA try this, people!) along side Strawberries Romanov. I could go on, but suffice it to say the treats on the pillow were nearly as nice as the surprise dinner guests from New York...

'Memba this moment from last year??

Who else could it be???

Chris & Dee!!!!

...and Chris and Andy too...

...and here's Aryn "stirring the (proverbial) pot."

Here's the whole gang after dinner - notice how my buttons were about to burst!?

And of course, Mike B popped over for brunch on Saturday...yes, Angel made a BRUNCH as well!

Between gorging ourselves at Angel & Mike's and at our favorite restaurants in Old Town, Jeni and I were able to meet up with as many friends and family as time permitted before finishing up our home tour with our magnificent friends (and former neighbor's) Jim and George!

Here we are out and about with Jim & George.

Jim and George live just two doors down from our old place in a completely renovated 1940's-era town home,  so yet again we were treated to five star accommodations. Jim and George are super creative, so it's no wonder they went all out with the restoration. We must admit there's a tinge of jealousy, but now we know what can be done if we decide to fix up our old digs. It was also great to see how the old 'hood has changed is just one year! It really is mind blowing! Look...

Here's what the old neighborhood looked like just one year ago...

...and now we have this!

The progress is absolutely staggering!

By now, dear reader, you're probably thinking that I am making this all up. That this is all some sort of Bronte-esque idyll. No one can be this fortunate, right. The simple truth is that we do have the best friends, ever! We are now back (fat and happy) in our Luxembourg Home with our dopy dogs, Toby and Jonas. We continue to look forward to making new friends and further sharing our adventure with anyone willing to listen.  Thanks again to everyone for making this trip back Home so special! Here are  a few additional parting shots. Enjoy :-)

Dinner with my folks at our favorite Tex-Mex place in Alexandria - Los Tio's

Lunch with Connie - our phenomenal friend, lifestyle guru and all-around paragon.

Here we are with the "Mayor" of our old block - Mr J...

...and his lovely wife, Lula!

See?! Here's photographic proof! Stuffed French Toast, Strawberries Romanov...oh and a side of scrambled eggs. Ya know, just in case.

Angels amazing home-made Peanut Butter Acorns on the pillow each night...

....and, of course customized Mayan Cupcakes :-0

 I apologize for the the abundance photos...it was hard enough to whittle things down as is.

Coast to Coast - Our first return trip.

The iconic Space Needle - without all that pesky sunshine.

First, let me thank all of the wonderful people that made our trip back to the States so memorable. We are very fortunate to have such amazing friends and family! Second, I must apologize to all the folks we weren't able to see. Our voyage from the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg to the Good Ol' "U.S. of A" took us from sleepy Findel Airport, through London's enormous Heathrow, then onto SEATAC and finally into our former base of operations, Reagan National Airport (just outside of Washington DC). Needless to say, this was a whirl-wind tour for Jeni and I, and we weren't able to see everyone. Sorry for the oversight, but we are looking forward to hosting more of our loved ones in the upcoming year...we are also planning on returning State-side for a nice long vacation once Jeni's commitments at Ice Station Zebra are fulfilled :-)

Our last view of the great blue skies before descending into Seattle

Enough of that mushy stuff - Let me start filling you in on our barnstorming tour from the Pacific Northwest to our former hometown of Alexandria, VA. As you may know, dear reader, our planet is a spheroid. Therefore we all live in separate time zones around the globe. With Seattle, Washington being nine hours behind our local time here in Central Europe - or through the magic of time travel - our epic journey half way around the world took just over four hours! It sure felt like 14.

The reason for our trip to Seattle was not only to see our son...it was to see our son, Vann,  get married to the loveliest bride ever! We can now call Alicia our daughter!  The wedding went off without a hitch, so the five days we'd planned to run around with our hair on fire were better spent in the company of the kids eating and drinking our way through the city. On our gastronomic odyssey through the Emerald City, we were soon joined by Vann's godmother Monique as well as his grandmother, Freda...who recently escorted us through the Valley of Seven(ish) Chateaux!

Jeni and Monique with the Groom. One's hipster quotient goes up two points simply by entering the city limits.

Ah, Seattle in early autumn...just like Luxembourg, only slightly warmer.

The obligatory shots of Pikes Market...

Freda navigating the stalls at the market

...and one last snapshot at the market.

For those uninitiated, Seattle may just well be the best destination for foodies that the US has to offer. Bountiful plates of fresh and tasty food are served everywhere in Seattle, and they are all made with love by people who have now legalized the munchies!

Try the Aztec Mocha or the Turkish Latte at Fonte on First Ave...

...or a Migas the size of your torso...

...or perhaps some French Toast large enough to gag a Hyena!

Alicia's family joined us from Florida, so with Monique in from LA and Freda up from Arkansas, I can safely say all regions of the US were represented well. The ceremony was performed in the Gas Works Park by Vann's cherished friend, renowned ceramicist and online minister - the Right Reverend Jeremy S! For the sake of brevity, and without further ado may I present Mr and Mrs Vann and Alicia Serling-Price-Waterhouse-Cooper.

See? You just keep getting hipper and hipper the longer you stay in the Pacific Northwest.

Stay tuned...more to come!