Lake Como

Seriously, stop whatever you're doing and book a trip to Lake Como. I mean it, stop reading. It's so gorgeous. Hubby and I spent a long weekend there from last Saturday through Wednesday and it was absolutely relaxing.

Here's hubby after we got to Milan, waiting for our bus to the train station. Surprisingly chipper for it being 7:30am and already being up for a few hours.

Changing trains in Lecco, with our first glimpse of Alps:

Arriving in Varenna:

So pretty, right?! We were a little early meeting our home-away representative (our "hotel" for our stay - it's basically someone's apartment they rent out, so they're usually more reasonably priced, roomier, and closer to the city centers) so we walked around:

Everywhere in the town, as in all the others nearby, there are stairs. Makes sense- I mean, we are in the Alps. This is not a handicapped-friendly area!

This was our view from the home away:

Alps! Lake! Sunshine! Yay! Then, onto important things, which in Italy means pasta and wine, hence the following:

There was even a small (rocky) beach where people were enjoying the water.

Hubby and I hung out there for awhile before finding a place for dinner. The next day we woke up and went to a pizza place recommended to us by our home away person, and decided to hike up to Castello di Vezio. Hubby thought the sign said .2 kilometers, but I'm 100% certain it was actually 2 kilometers - it was an incredibly steep incline, took a long time (especially since it was like 90 degrees out), and since I had just come back from the US, I felt even more out of shape than usual.

Worth it? You be the judge:

I say worth it. So SO pretty up there.

After that we were pretty spent so we took a nap before dinner. Our dinner spot was gorgeous with a great view of the lake, and during the course of the meal all the lights across the lake started coming on as the sun set, making it all super romantic. I had a caprese salad and eggplant pesto ravioli with sundried tomatoes. Delicious. Hubby had a potatoes and fish appetizer followed by a steak.

(I shouldn't have had that espresso after my panna cotta dessert, and hubby's chocolate lava cake, but I couldn't resist. I was totally up all night and I don't even care!)

Next morning - another sleep-in day, so we finally got our stuff together to grab some lunch. Please note that my martini glass was actually a "coffee shake" - I'd heard about these elsewhere and basically it's brewed espresso chilled over ice and strained. A really great start to the day :-)

We decided to take the ferry to the larger town of Bellagio where things are a little more happening (i.e., better shopping to be had!). Here we are on the ferry:

And then in Bellagio (it was really hot):

After walking around, grabbing some gelato (yum), we headed back and I got a few more pictures, this time of Varenna as we pulled in closer:

That night we had another great meal. I started with this veggie pasta (short, dense pasta in a light tomato sauce with chopped eggplant, zucchini, onions, etc) which I adored, followed by a gigantic filet in a green peppercorn cream sauce. Hubby got the lasagna to start, followed by a veal chop.

Since we were going to have an early flight on Wednesday morning we spent one day/night in Milan at the Hilton in town. Milan is... okay I guess. I didn't think it was amazing since I am sick of bigger cities, the heat, tourists, and not really interested in spending so much on clothes and accessories. What was nice was the hotel had an executive floor that we could use. This means all the free drinks and snacks we could handle. From 6-9, they even had a happy hour with hot and cold apps to sip alongside wine and other tasty drinks. The hotel even brought us complementary champagne and dessert for our room!

All in all, a really great extended weekend. This was just supposed to be a quick getaway trip, and we tried out Ryanair (the Spirit Airlines of Europe - more on THAT in a later post) which meant that they charge for everything. We took the challenge upon ourselves to only use one backpack per person and it worked out great for a full 5 days of travel. I didn't even bring my camera - all of these pictures were taken with my phone (Nexus 4- love this thing!) and it was really liberating to just have a backpack, especially as I watched people struggle with larger suitcases.

Next week: a re-cap of the rest of my US tour, review of airlines and more!

A bridesmaid's perspective

While you might think that my weekends in Germany are super cool and awesome, I think one of my favorites so far this year was this past one, spent in Maryland as a bridesmaid. This was my first bridesmaid experience and I was definitely curious to see how it was all going to go down. Compared to my wedding, this was more than twice as large in guest count and bridal party.

Luckily, there was plenty of prior wedding experience on both sides to help with everything. Not only had the bride's sister gotten married last year, exactly half of the bridesmaids were married and we knew what to expect. We also had a bunch of talented people who played to their strengths - professional costumer, floral artist, table decorator, stage managers - who really shined and added so much to the event overall.

Some background: I went to high school/middle school with the groom and knew the bride through theatre friends I acquired after returning from college. I invited them both to my birthday party on a really snowy Saturday in January 2010, and because they are both so committed to their friendships, they braved the weather to join me. 

She sat down next to him, and that was that.

(Truth be told, I had previously thought about the possibility of matching them up, but I wasn't going to "plan" any covert or convoluted thing... I mean, hey, Matt was tall, Cheryl was tall, they're both fun and love to laugh and be with friends - what more could there be to develop the makings of a perfect couple?)

Anyway, the day's festivities started early on Saturday with the girls getting hair and makeup beginning at 8:30 in the morning, followed by munchies and getting dressed at Cheryl's parents house. We force fed Cheryl food, got into our dresses, helped Cheryl with hers and got in a few pictures.

Then it was time for the bus on the way to church:

The ceremony went well - I was the first down the aisle and nobody tripped or fell over. A bridesmaid's flower decided enough was enough and rolled out onto the floor in front of us and all the groomsmen were trying not to laugh at us, the bride and groom on stage were making eyes at us and us girls were trying to figure out how to retrieve said flower. We eventually got it.

After some church pictures, it was time to load into the bus with the boys this time to make our way to the venue. We had plenty of refreshments on the way (though I don't know what that orange juice was all about... kind of got in the way):

We stopped for additional pictures, checked in, dropped our bags off, did more pictures and finally joined cocktail hour where I got to see plenty of people I've been missing. The appetizers were super delicious, main course tasty, and drinks flowed all night. After cutting their cheesecake, the bride and groom were treated to a special hula dance since they're honeymooning in Hawaii....

... and then a highly entertaining best men dance-off:

Despite the hubby not being able to join me, I had a supreme blast. Because I knew people on both sides, I bounced around between groups of friends all evening long. Following some light cleanup at the end, people dispersed and eventually we all congregated in the bride and groom's suite (which was a gigantic apartment).

I went to bed at 3:30 am. I even sent a few messages to hubby to say good morning, since in Germany it was 9:30 and he was awake. Got a solid 4 hours, got up, went to brunch with the gang, and proceeded to get royally burned poolside. Totally worth it.

You'd think that in such a large wedding the bride and groom wouldn't get to spend quality time with everyone, but I'm sure this wasn't the case. Cheryl and Matt both have this secret power where, no matter how many people are around, they can talk to you and give you personal attention that makes you feel like you are the only one in the room, the only person they came over to talk with. Some people think they are doing this but don't quite achieve it - for Cheryl and Matt, it is always 100% sincere.

(Side note: this was a really difficult weekend for everyone involved - there was literally too much love to keep eyes dry. The bride and groom love so strongly that it can be felt all the way to the back of the room. That might sound super cheesy and schmoopy, but for those of you who know the couple, you know exactly what I'm talking about. The schmoop can't be controlled.)

This weekend reminded me of how lucky I am in the friends department. I got to share in an important event with people I've known most of my life, including one person I've known since I was four years old. Thanks to the power of the internet, we're all keeping up with each other, going out into the world to explore, sharing experiences with each other, and when we get together in person, the friendships just pick back up where they left off. Not everyone gets to grow up with a solid core group like this, so I feel really fortunate. 

Love you guys! :-)

Embracing the European Livestyle

I've been stateside for a week and a half now and I keep trying to separate the recycling to German standards, I have to stop myself from saying "danke" when I leave a store, and even though I have endless amounts of ice at my disposal, I'm no longer clamoring to fill my glass. I think I've lived in Germany so long that being in the U.S. finally feels strange to me. I can fill my time by watching useless TV shows and repetitive advertisements. There are so many more choices of products in the stores that I'm used to - and it's overwhelming. I feel bombarded with things to buy and you just don't realize it until you move to Europe. They have smaller stores because there are fewer products to chose from, but all the options are pretty solid.

There is no Costco to tempt me into purchasing bulk products.

Don't get me wrong, I like that I have the option to go pickup some Kraft products periodically at the commissary, but with that comes the rest of the American experience - the obnoxious kids running around, slow people milling about, and what I can only assume is a strange, strange job saving tactic that involves someone bagging my groceries and taking them to my car (thereby expecting a tip) without the option of declining. You also get to experience consistently bad drivers in huge cars right around the commissary. A mini-'merica.

No thanks... I'd rather be challenged to bag my groceries as fast as the checkout girl can scan them at the Reve near my apartment, continue to practice driving, and watch less TV. Also, nobody is out on the street asking people to sign this petition, donate to that organization, or otherwise bug me, unlike the DC area.

In short - after this trip you guys need to start making plans to visit me, because I won't be coming back for a good long time. I'll introduce you to the calmer, more relaxed side of life. And Spundekäs.

Halfway through the year, and so much more to do!

Hubby went to Belgium over the weekend and I was sad I missed it, especially since he told me that all the chocolate he bought might not be there when I got back. He bought a lot of beer too, but chocolate, man?! You better save some for your adorable wife!

Anyway, I can't wait to see what I can accomplish for the remainder of the year, because I have a lot of to dos already scheduled....

• Weekend in Lake Como/Milan, Italy
• Trip to London
• Start German language classes
• Get started on my Masters degree
• Receive the rest of our rental furniture (dining set, wardrobe, mattress) and put the rest of our stuff away (finally!) so we can start having fun dinner parties
• Start making more homemade items (muffins, enchilada sauce, ooooh, and hand soap!)
• Get into a cleaning routine (the house is perpetually dusty because there isn't AC and hence, no air filter gets stuff out of the way - and did we mention that our place is nearly 1800 square feet? That's a LOT of cleaning!)
• Continue my workouts (and find out if I can install a pole with our popcorn ceilings) so I can drink all the beer that hubby brought back from Belgium (especially if he does eat all the chocolate)
• Plan additional trips/prepare for guests
• All the other daily stuff... making meals for hubby, laundry, grocery shopping and planning, etc.

And that's just what I know about! Living abroad means sometimes there are last-minute trips I get to take because of a special deal or unexpected friend's arrival, so there are a lot of times where it pays to have a schedule so I can be flexible with other things. I'll also need to research upcoming daily trips and Saturday things to do, like festivals and special outings so hubby has something to look forward to on the weekends.

This "lady of leisure" stuff does not include a lot of leisure time. Sometimes it feels more like cruise director/ maid service. I'm tired just thinking about it. For the time being, I'll enjoy being in the states and seeing my friends and enjoying the vast amounts of delicious Mexican food.

Things I already miss about home

In case you were wondering, "home" is now Germany. I'm currently in the U.S. for a wedding (of two super amazing and AWESOME people!) but I'm definitely homesick already. Not only is this a really long time away from hubby, but so many things are just better in Germany...

Groceries.

• I love that the eggs I buy aren't washed (which is keeping a protective layer on, allowing them to be un-refrigerated) and it's always a little funny when I have to inspect them carefully before breaking to avoid eating any renegade feathers still stuck. (I had another picture of a HUGE feather that I found, but thought that might be a little too crazy for you guys to show you!)
• Yogurts and milk, and really any dairy products are delicious.
• Tasty lunch meat and amazing cheeses.
• I can buy these Espresso Sticks easily.
• My main grocery store is half a block from my apartment.

Beverages.

• Beer. Enough said.
• Wine /weinschorle. Weinschorle is a delicious blend of wine and sparkling water, creating a wine spritzer kind of drink that is super tasty. You find it most often with some of their sweeter Rieslings, which cuts the sugar perfectly. 
• Sparkling water. I've really grown accustomed to fizzy water, and although I'm having some here, it somehow tastes better in Germany. They did have the German brand Apollinaris at the store, but it was too expensive... maybe I'll treat myself later in the trip.

Festivals.

There really isn't a good U.S. equivalent of wine, beer, music, and other festivals. You can drink outside, sample goodies (like pan fried noodle dishes, oh my goodness probably my most favorite festival food!) and relax. You drink out of real glasses because Germans can be trusted to not break things, and if there's a fee to return the glass, you do and get a few Euro back. (Hubby really likes this, because it's like someone is paying him to drink responsibly.)

Weather.

The weather is also far and away better. I video chatted with the hubby yesterday and asked what the temperature was: 60-65 degrees. How pleasant. At the time it was a humid 90-something and sunny. Blech. And it keeps sporadically raining. I miss that river breeze already.

However, I am enjoying the fact that when I wake up on most mornings, there is Jamaican Blue Mountain Coffee brewing. And I got to roam around a Costco yesterday. And the Container Store.

Anyway, here is the schedule of posts for July:

Monday July 1: regular post
Wednesday July 3: regular post
Friday July 5: no post - I'm at a certain bride's beck and call for her upcoming nuptials!
Monday July 8: regular post
Wednesday July 10 - Wednesday July 24: no posts (I'll be at the beach, traveling, and generally enjoying my holiday!)
Friday July 26: back to the regular schedule

Even though I won't be blogging regularly, I will be constantly updating my Instagram account with new and awesome pictures, so feel free to stalk me there :-)

Happy weekend, all!

Some of the Rental Furniture has arrived!

I was so SO excited to get some items before I headed back to the U.S. Unfortunately it was during a heat wave in Mainz, so the day before it showed up, I was sweating it out inside moving boxes, bins, suitcases and all sorts of things to make room for the closets, guest bedroom and other stuff.  It wasn't any cooler when the guys showed up so I can only imagine how un-fun their job that day was as they moved and assembled furniture.

So worth it to have closets and drawers to put our clothes after months of tossing them on the floor (hubby's preferred solution) or stacking them in piles on other objects. Only one of the wardrobes showed up, so I put hubby's clothes away since he'll be the one using it while I'm gone. The deal was he gets the smaller, two-door wardrobe and also a 7-drawer tall dresser, but I get the three-door wardrobe, which has shelves built in.

Here's some of our bedroom stuff:

At the entrance, we decided to house this large wardrobe to for coats and assorted outerwear, in addition to picnic and sporting items...

And the guest bedroom looks like it fell out of an Ikea catalog:

It's starting to feel like a home now. Hubby and I also hung up some of our pictures on the walls and I started organizing the wedding pictures to FINALLY get large prints and albums pulled together. We also got our lighting fixture for the dining room, which is going to look near identical to the style of furniture we're getting. It's a long process but I think that when it's all said and done, we're going to be really happy with the final product.

Weinwanderung in Rüdesheim

"Weinwanderung" or wine walk/hike/wandering, is a fine way to spend a Saturday. Hubby and I joined some friends on the second Saturday in June to attend one at a nearby town. It was a good deal, too - 12 Euro gets you a 0.1 liter glass and a sampling at 10 stands over a 5k walk.

Here's the glass:

You even got a yellow card to take to each stand for a "stamp" so it was a clever passport-stamping system.




















Although rain threatened, it never came, and the weather turned out to be pretty perfect. Hubby and I made sure to have on plenty of sunscreen (since last time I got a pretty great farmer's burn-tan going on), and also bring tons of water.

(We also didn't bring the camera, so all the pictures here are from my phone.. in some shots you can still see how swollen the Rhine was from the flooding.)

We got plenty of snacks along the way as well. Here's hubby coming back with a bratwurst and roll.

Just relaxing and enjoying the day.....

We were all doing just fine until we made friends with a few Germans at stand 9. All of a sudden there were more glasses of wine and that's when things got a little hazy.

For instance, I have very little memory being inside this building (that church from an earlier shot) and taking this picture:

Oh well. We were hydrated and fed, and hubby and I decided to hang back afterwards and have dinner next to the Rhine before taking the train home to Mainz. We had grand plans to do this during the day (we started at 11:15am) and then hit up a festival in the evening, but, after about 7-8 hours of drinking, we were pretty spent.

Maybe next time...