Springtime in (Place de) Paris

I also secured a few beers this spring!

Spring has (sort of) arrived here in the Grand Duchy as is evidenced by my annual reception of colored eggs, and, of course the ceremonial, "Folding of the Long-Johns." I realize that I don't post as often as I used to and that this has more or less become the quarterly newsletter of the Brian and Jeni show. The simple fact is that we've really settled in here, and I've been busy teaching myself English therefore there hasn't been too much to report on our shenanigans. Now that the weather has improved and since Jeni and I recently visited Croatia, I believe I can fill a few pages with insights…at the very least some beautiful photos :D

Yes, you read right. I have spent the better part of the last 12 months teaching not only dozens of adult learners, but also myself the finer points of this dubious language. The take away from this is that I now parse everything I read, hear and often say in English…especially prepositions of place, but that's a long story for another time. It's really become quite weird. For example, here's an interesting anecdote:   On the road trip back from a recent Ultimate Frisbee tournament I found myself asking my friends Michele (ITA), Magda (CZE) and Rodolfo (BRA) what the difference was between, "I have" and "I got." The answer might astound you. Just look at how Rodo responded to my query…

As you know, Jeni has been stationed in East Umbria since forever. Her agency does, however, offer her two weeks of 'Rest & Recuperation' at the halfway point of her deployments, so this year we decided to meet in Croatia and discover the other side of the Adriatic Sea. We were not disappointed. Along the Dalmatian coast, azure waters drape the dusky shores in a mantle of turquoise while history has punctuated this timeless landscape with its ancient cities, opulent palaces and various religious sites. Certainly the Romans left there mark as is most evident in Split at Diocletian's Palace, but the Greeks also helped sculpt the coastline with a myriad of colonial outposts. Over the centuries, the Venetians, the Turks, The Hungarian Empire and more recently the Iron Curtain of the Cold War Eastern Bloc have all added to this tapestry in what has become an independent and truly unique corner of the world.

The outflow of the Pantan Mill...

..which happens to be owned by one of Jeni's colleagues in East Umbria...

…and was the back drop to two Dr Who episodes!!! Guess who's a happy Whovian???

The mill is just outside Trogir; an ancient Greek outpost near Split.

A view of Split from the Castle in Klis.

We started our sojourn in the city of Split. Fortunately the region has developed along the shores of the Adriatic, otherwise I may never have found my way from the airport to the rental car parking…let alone figure out how to get into the city! I think one could best describe the Croats as a mix of Luxembourgers and Jamaicans. Never have a I met a more laid-back group of people who just assume you know where everything is and how to get there. For the sake of humility, I will tell you that it took me over an hour to find the rental car counter at the airport, locate the car pick-up - "in the parking lot"- and navigate off of the airport campus. Now, this is a tiny airport with only five (5) gates, and it still took me an HOUR to organize a rental car! The conversation went something like this (for this next bit to work, you must read it with a Jamaican accent): Ya mon! Take this paper, mon,  to my colleague in the orange shirt over there, mon. No, not where our gigantic corporate sign is located, mon! Over there, mon, in the parking lot. Maybe he's on his break, mon. Oh, mon, he's wearing the green shirt today.  -- Sheesh.

Castle Klis...

…where the filmed scenes for Game of Thrones!!!

Inside the 'basement' of Diocletian's Palace, Split…Oh, yes, there be Dragons here!

After three days in Split we drove down the Dalmatian Coast to stay in a lovely hotel just a few miles south of Dubrovnik. Our hotel was nice and relaxing, but the 'beach' was a bit on the rocky side. We used this as our base of operations for the next five days, and from there we explored the  region and found ourselves at a medieval monastery, the ancient Greek port town of Cavtat and of course the crown jewel of the Adriatic, Dubrovnik herself…or for you Game of Thrones fans, it's better known as "King's Landing."Believe me, the good people of Dubrovnik are definitely cashing in on this similarity between their imaginary fairytale castle city and the real-world capital of Westeros!

Sunset in Cavtat.

Dubrovnik's Harbor

Lokrum Island from above.

St Maria's Monastery on Mljet Island

As I mentioned, Croatia is simply too picturesque for one blog. If you want to see more pics click here.

Now, the beaches in Croatia (whether they are rocky, pebbly, shaley or sandy) aren't very big, but fortunately there are far too many to count. As it happens, I went walking one morning in search of an alternative to the local 'rocky' beach next to our hotel, and I stumbled upon a surreal resort that links the former Yugoslavia to the difficulties of the 1990's. It turns out that the cove just on the other side of the hill facing out hotel was the where Marshal Tito and his cronies built a fabulous Soviet Style resort back in the 60's. During Croatia's fight for independence, the locals 'secured' the buildings from the old guard, and then were subsequently shelled from the Adriatic by the Yugoslavian Navy. Apparently the thinking was; "If I can't have my fabulous 1960's Soviet Style Resort, no one can!" In a show of perpetual defiance, I can only speculate that the Croats leave these bombed-out husks as a reminder of  the difficult times behind the Iron Curtain. At any rate, we enjoyed the secluded beach, the crystal clear water and the dystopian backdrop nonetheless. Any of you billionaire-types that read this blog should seriously look into a development deal here because opportunity is knockin'…

This place was rather interesting, to say the least.

Drop beats…indeed.

Well I guess that's if for now. Thanks as always for following.  Next on our to-do list is to celebrate the marriage of Tamara and Michele with our new bestie, Lárus. We're off to Iceland where, as it happens, they also filled a ton of Game of Thrones…Coincidence???

Pro. Creation.

Procreate - Verb: 1.) To beget or generate (offspring) 2.) To produce; bring into being.

While I've been napping at the blog-desk, the locals have been quite busy. In fact, I might say that our little circle of friends have become professional grade creators!  Along with this wave of new babies, there have been a raft of news that I am remiss in reporting. Going all the way back to our awkward Christmas in Seattle to this weeks terror attacks in Brussels, my silence is not a sign of stagnation. On the contrary, we've been occupied with some of life's inevitable hurdles.

Like Springtime in Luxembourg!

First, let me introduce you to our new bestie, Làrus Thor. With a name like that, of course he's 1/2 Italian. Our dear friend's Michele and Tamara are the responsible parties, and this only makes things that much better!

He really waited until the last minute. Tam was coaxing him out by any means possible…that's non-alcoholic beer btw

Mr. Man arrived on February 24th shortly after Jeni's colleague Sean wife, Karrie, gave birth to another happy, healthy baby boy. We are eagerly anticipating the arrival of our next newbie (and Luxembourg's youngest Yogi) when Joe and Laura beget (name to be determined) later this spring. It's not only our friends having babies. There are now two infants in our  small apartment building of eight units. Plus you can't hop on a city bus without wading through a myriad of prams, strollers and carriages.


Yes, births exceeded deaths in the Grand Duchy last year by 2,000 which makes the government happy, but what I find most intriguing is the tiny melting-pot I'm witnessing here in the Heart of Europe. Italians meet Icelanders, Canadians mingle with Poles, French canoodle with Portuguese, Americans cavort with Luxembourgers, and so on, and so on…any thought of abandoning The Schengen Agreement will   surely be forgotten when these kids with 2, 3 or even 4 nationalities come online.

It was worth the wait...He is a cutie, no?

During the past few months, we've also been gearing up for Jeni's latest deployment. I really can't / don't want to go into details, but suffice it to say Things went about as expected. SNAFU. She did get off, and thankfully she's no longer working at Ice Station Zebra. Now she's in a place a bit closer and not as hectic…let's call it, "East Umbria." Before she left, Jeni was thrilled with a face-to-face with Luxembourg National Hero, Tour de France Victor and all around nice guy, Andy Schleck!

So cool! I think she might have peed a bit ;)

I've found work as an English Instructor. This has been interesting and a bit of a challenge. It's nice to be productive again, and a few euros extra each month is nice. Navigating the different Ministries has also been challenging to say the least, but it's worth it. I can say that I am now a card carrying member of the Luxembourg work-force…still trying to figure out how, exactly, I'm to pay taxes :-/

And finally I'll leave you with a few photos of our boy. Vann made an unscheduled stop back In January. He stayed for a couple of weeks. It was great to see him, and I think he enjoyed his visit. It was like old times having him and Jeni under one roof, albeit far too brief. We made sure to fatten him up a bit, ply him with his favorite Luxembourg beverage of Picon-Beer and give him loads of love and attention.

Ode to the Picon-Biere…looks happy here!

Oh yeah…Toby is aging nicely. Like a fine wine. He even has his own buggy to ride around town.

Season's Greetings from Luxembourg!

THE most wonderful time of the year...

Well, hello there! Just a brief Yuletide sentiment before we slide into the New Year. 2015 was certainly a year of transition, and with these changes we've all been rather busy. Thanks for following our antics as we crisscrossed Europe and the Atlantic. Jeni and I have one more journey before the year ends to visit Seattle and enjoy Christmas with our boy (man really, he's 27 y.o. somehow :D ) and his lovely wife!

I can't believe it was only one year ago when we celebrated the arrival of 2015 in Paris. Then we made our way to lovely Porto, the French Alps, America for Mom's birthday, Munich…well you remember; it's all written here. What great memories we're creating, and we want to sincerely thank all of you who came to visit this year, especially my folks who took time away form their Golden Anniversary to hang out with us down in Strasbourg, France. We look forward to seeing more you in the year ahead!

My folks look great, and Blessed be Judy for keeping up her spirit while ill on a river cruise!

This year some we experienced some losses, but we will welcome a few new faces in 2016! Sadly Jeni lost her father back in June. We also followed the lead of our dear friends and Alexandria neighbors, Jim and George, and we decided to sell our home back in the States. That was a difficult and emotional decision, but the timing seemed right as we are now free to pursue any adventures life might present in 2016. There is, however, a current baby-boom here in the Grand Duchy. We have several friends contributing, so I'll be sure to keep you posted on the new arrivals!

Jeni's contract was extended through 2016, and I found a job during this mercurial stretch meaning I have yet another year in which to regale you with tales of our time here in Luxembourg. The dogs are doing just fine, and they've adapted quite well to the drizzly North Europe climate. As have we :)

It helps with warm wine fortified with rum and a huge, burning sugar cube!

That's it for now. I must dash to grab one last Glüwein and some Gromperekichelchern before the Christmas Market ends!  Wishing you the Happiest of Holidays, The Merriest of Christmases and the most Fortunate of New Years'.

Gudde Rutsch an d'neit Joer!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Nk6qa_atmw

We're still here...

In a sad effort to excuse my tardiness, I will simply say we've been rather busy recently. The original title to this post was to be; "Rounding out the B's". This is because during September and October Jeni and I had the privilege of not only revisiting our beloved Burgundy, but also Barcelona and Bologna. It truly is a sorry state of affairs when I have to rummage through my old calendars to try and piece together the last few months, but this is what I shall try to do.

It all goes back to the time around my birthday in August. Just before my b-day, I was down in Culles les Roches putting the finishing touches on Tom and Oivi's garden project. There's still a bit of work to be done. I think they're quite pleased, and when Jeni and I returned most recently in mid-October, I was able to install the last of the outdoor lighting.

If stacked stone walls and beautiful landscapes aren't your thing then Burgundy may not be for you.

My birthday came and went, then I popped up to a frisbee tournament in northeastern Belgium before Jeni and I made for the picturesque seaside city of Barcelona, Spain. During this time I was able to locate a new job (yes dear reader, it chagrins me to tell you that your humble cub-blogger is no longer an international man of leisure). More on that in a moment…let me briefly tell you about Barcelona. We had no real idea what to expect except to accept what the city presented us. Barca is a gritty city cupped by mountains along the Mediterranean coast. It is, of course, home to her favorite son, Antoni Gaudi's, psychedelic treasures as well as a myriad of other gems like the Torre Agbar which our hotel room gave a commanding view of. Park Güell and La Sagrada Famillia aside, Barcelona is brimming with amazing sites that span the centuries. The food there is rather impressive as well. Jeni and I found an out of the way vegetarian restaurant that makes killer Gin and Tonics as well as an Ethiopian place that serves you meal without the requisite cutlery. I could probably go on for pages, but I digress.

The buildings of Park Güell look as if they've been frosted by a mad confectioner!

Dining al fresco in one of Barca's many beautiful plaza.

It was so nice to be in the warm sun, it was already turning gray and cloudy back in Luxumbourg.

Our view of the Torre Agbar...

…and a few interesting features that just pop up behind every corner in Barcelona!

Woohoo! 

Between our visit to Barca and our trip to Italy I began to teach (or as I like to put it 'coach') English as a freelance instructor. This proved to be more than a slight challenge as I had to prepare lessons and basically learn on the job. I had some support from my fellow instructors, but in general I was learning on the fly. Any spare time I've had recently has been used outside of the classroom trying to fill the hours inside of it! I'm happy to report that I was able to secure my work authorization, and for a small fee the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Immigration is also pleased…if not €80 richer ;p

Now on to Italy. In the heart of the Emilia Romagna region lies Italy's 'Red City' of Bologna. This region is world famous for its cuisine, its famous hams, its flavorful balsamic vinegars and of course the home of stuffed pasta, Torteloni! Better know in the rest of the world as tortellini, the proud and distinguished residences of Bologna will educate you on the subtle differences among torteloni, tortellini and even tortellacci. To me its a matter of scale, but to the locals it's a whole system that one must be born into to fully understand. Fortunately for us, Jeni and I had an Ace up our sleeve in the form of our dear friend Michele. Michele hails from Bologna, and lucky for us his Aunt and Mother still live within 30 minute of the city center. 

Jeni taking the afternoon aperitif very seriously at our lovely accommodations in the mountains above Bologna.

In fact we stayed with his Aunt Gisela for a long weekend of food friends and fun….not to mention Nocino. I'll let you search Nocino on your own, but suffice it to say, this is one of Italy's best kept secrets!  

As are Bologna's canals...

It's the brickwork and unique architecture that give her the crimson nick-name

The lads (Thierry, Michele and moi)...

..and the lasses (Tam and Jeni) on the town in Bologna

Emilia Ronagna is truly a gourmand's paradise, and it happened that we were there the weekend that the great Houses of Modena were open to the public for tastings and tours. What a treat! I have to tell you that I would NEVER have thought to but vinegar on ice cream, but man-oh-man a 25 year old vinegar aged in Cherry casks makes a wonderful topping. Who knew!?! Food is truly a way of life in this region, and I cannot wait to get back there and stuff myself again!

Literally the Queen of England buys her vinegar here!

And of course our lovely hosts, Ivana and Gisela!

I must leave you here…for now, dear reader. Don't worry, I'll be back with more anecdotes and mishaps. I shall end with another mia culpa and try to be better about posting in the future. I'm finally getting the hang of things in my new position, so the dust should be settling soon. Stay tuned because the holiday season is right around the corner, and with it there's sure to be more to share.

And finally a parting shot of the golden vineyards of Burgundy in autumn.