Europe Revisited...sort of

Just when we thought this blog was dead...we're back for some more! Now that we are settled here in San Antonio, we've had a chance to get out there and see some stuff. Some of the sights and sounds around here instantly conjure up memories of our time in Europe. For example, we stopped in Solvang on our way up to Santa Cruz and it was just like a sunny version of a Nordic country. Check it out:

A few days before Santa Cruz my folks threw a welcome home party for me. We supplied a lot of the alcohol from our stash that we brought back from Europe. Not only did it taste European, it looked it too. My folks let me put up some stringed lights which instantly turned their patio into a scene ripped right out of Italy. Take a look at the aftermath shot:

We also had the chance to visit a biergarten in my new favorite town of Fredricksburg. This town may be in the middle of Texas but its all German down to its soul. Ah, it was really nice to be back in one of Europe's best gifts to the world: the Biergarten. Here is a couple pix (and yes, Luke stole my nearly empty pils bier):

Finally, here is a Germany flashback pix. This particular picture is of a guillotine urinal. I tried to explain this thing to my Dad and others and they couldn't believe it. So here is some proof. Too bad I wasn't able take a video...the blade dropped once you flushed. Only in Germany.

Auf Wiedersehen, Germany. Howdy, Texas

We're home! After three years (and change) in Europe, it feels great to be back.

So what does this mean for the future of this blog? Not 100% sure. I do plan on uploading additional retrospective posts since we've been away from the internet a lot lately. Also, we didn't start the blog until one year into the assignment so we would like to revisit some of that year as well. After that, we will see what happens.

Ugly American? Not Quite!

"What happened to the Ugly American, the one with the loud shirt and the loud voice, expecting the natives to speak English? Has he been shouldered aside by the Arrogant French?
That’s the conclusion one could draw from a survey this month of 4,500 hotel owners around the world who rated the French the world’s worst tourists, bad at foreign languages, arrogant and tight-fisted. Spaniards, deemed noisy and messy, came second in a field of 27. Americans ranked 9th on the list of the top 10 best."

Read the rest of the article here:

http://blogs.reuters.com/great-debate/2009/07/16/the-ugly-american-and-other-stereotypes/

I knew we Americans got a bad rap. The Ugly American stereotype is one conjured up from ignorance. Honestly, almost all Americans we came across in our travels were anything but the loud and obnoxious bumpkins we are portrayed as. In fact, most of our fellow countrymen seemed eager to immerse themselves in a new culture and tended to be very mellow. For example, we encountered many cheap and loud foreigners in Pamplona last year that spoke English. Problem was they weren't Americans; they were Aussies. In the streets of Madrid there were plenty of drunk bubbas stumbling about in English. Yanks? No, they were Brits on a bender with their mates. Maybe in the non English speaking parts of Europe people assume all people who speak English are Americans thus we are guilty by association. Who knows.

Boom Boom for Bam-Bam

It's official: Luke loves fireworks! We headed to Kapaun AS last night to celebrate the 4th and our son (aka Bam-Bam because he likes to take objects and whack them over and over) was

riveted by the fireworks. This was his first time watching fireworks since last year he was stuck in Brugge, Belgium. Anyhow, God Bless America! We will see you very soon!

Tuscany, The Eternal City and Eternal Travel Truths

Happy Independence Day my fellow Americans! It's the fourth of July, the sun is shining here in Germany, and we're back from our Italian Blitz...It's great to be alive! Time to light the grill as well as some fireworks today.

So, our last hurrah here in Europe took place in the land of vespas and pasta. Our travels took us to Tuscany (including Pisa, Lucca, Tireannia, and Camp Darby) and Rome, the Eternal City.

One of the highlights included a wonderful dinner in the heart of Rome. Keep in mind that leading up to this dinner, our Italian culinary experience had been super disappointing. Overpriced food that tasted like crap was pretty much the norm. And then we found an inviting ristorante while wondering the streets near the Piazza Del Poppolo in Central Rome. It didn't look like anything extraordinary from the outside but it definitely had character. As we sat under an umbrella and began to feast on our pasta, we were amazed! Not only was the food unbelievable but the kids behaved and the weather cooled off significantly. Oh, did I mention the wine? I had the best vino rosso I've ever had!

We also had a blast in the Tuscan town of Lucca. This place is off the map of many foreigners which made it that much better for us. It really had an authenticity about it which was such a welcomed contrast to tourist trampled Pisa. We decided to set off on bikes and pedal the city walls. Later on we headed to the Piazza San Michelle (Saint Michael Square) and do what Italians do best: peoplewatch. From what I read, Italians head to the town square for nearly every reason. Need to get the latest gossip? Head to the piazza. Need to check out the ladies/fellas in their latest clothes? Head to the piazza. Need to take a hit out on your enemy? Head to the piazza. For Luke, the piazza was a place to pick up chicks. As you can see in the pix, a couple of Italian cuties had their sights set on our little guy.

Another high point was the American Beach in Tirhennia which is just west of the American Army base at Camp Darby. Of all the beaches we visited, this was most like a SoCal beach anywhere in Europe. It was hard to leave. If I were to have done it all over again, I probably would have skipped everything else and hung out at this beach all week. The kids loved it and so did mom and dad. It's hard to please everyone but the beach does it to us every time.

Okay, so we had some good times on this trip. That being said, this trip was ROUGH! Between insane Italian pace, the searing heat, the tricky logistics, the blown budget, etc, etc, we were glad to be home when our plane landed at Frankfurt Hahn early this morning. But the biggest struggle we encountered was traveling with our little ones. This reinforced one of the enduring travel truths: Travel with small kids is tough business! Every day they get older, travel becomes that much more difficult. It was easier for them and us when they were smaller and easier to cart around/entertain/feed/please/etc. My parents definitely learned this enduring truth a long time ago. I remember my parents took my brothers and I on a six state, Western US tour-de-force when we were all really young. A few years ago they told me what a pain in the butt that trip was and I think they vowed never to do it again. I can now relate after this trip!

Don't get me wrong, I know how lucky we are. We have two wonderful kids who put up with three years (a little less for baby Luke) of hard-core European travel. Now that they are getting older we find ourselves transitioning to a new, more stable lifestyle in San Antonio. I am convinced that this will be better for all of us. The timing couldn't be better. Julia is going to Kindergarten next year and Jen is planning to return to work while we're in SA. Gone are the days of visiting a new village/city/country every weekend. It's been fun but we anticipate a lot of exciting weekends chillaxing in our backyard with our little ones as we set up shop in the Alamo City.

Here are some pix from our trip:

Tuscan Sunflowers

Amore!

On the steps of the Piazza del Poppolo (same steps where Jen and I celebrated new years in 1996)

Riding the Statues

Swiss Guards at the Vatican

Hadrian's Column across from the Forum

Saint Luke at Saint Peter's

Link to Jen's snapfish page for all of our photos

http://www1.snapfish.com/thumbnailshare/AlbumID=871965017/a=8867595/

"If Only We Knew About This Place Earlier..."

I've found myself saying this quite a bit these days. Late last summer we uttered these words while driving through the half timbered houses adorned by flower boxes overflowing with geraniums in the Salzgammergut-Austrian lakes district. I said it again when we rolled into in Montreaux Switzerland and marveled at the gorgeous Swiss Riviera. When we stumbled upon Colmar (see pix above) and Kaysersberg in France, I said it one more time..."Damn, I wish we would have found this place earlier."

It's probably for the best. Had we discovered these places earlier in our tour, we would have gone back three, four, five times. This sort of thing kinda runs in my family. Growing up I returned to Laguna Beach every year with my family. I cannot count how many times I've been to Vegas and Palm Springs. Visiting these places has become a "tradition". Don't get me wrong, there's something comforting about returning to the same place year after year (especially in Orange County). However, returning to the same place every year means we are missing out on the joy of discovering new places. It reminds me of some of the folks I met growing up who've never left CA or ventured past the borders of Texas.

So a couple weeks ago we experienced the thrill of discovery once again when we headed to Southeast France. As luck would have it, we accidentally stopped in the medieval town of Kaysersberg while I checked my map. The kids were melting down from a long drive so we decided to let them run around while I checked my map. Best thing that ever happened to us! This place was awesome! It reminded us of a French Rothenburg ob der Tauber. Later on that day we explored the old town of Colmar which also took our breath away. This place was distinctly French. I'll take an old village like this any day over a sprawling metropolis like Berlin or London.

Kaysersberg, FR

After a few wrong turns, a colossal kid meltdown, and a couple of newly discovered villages, we finally arrived at our primary destination: Montange des Singes or Monkey Mountain. Much like the San Diego Wild Animal Park, visitors get to enjoy the wildlife up close and personal. The place was essentially a preserve for North African monkeys where visitors we're permitted to litereally walk amongst hundreds of monkeys. Once you were inside the preserve, the only barriers were for the humans, not for the animals (see below). This was one of those places that we liked just as much as the kids. Take a look:

julia and her new BFF
"We're surrounded! They're everywhere"

Happy Fathers Day!!!

Here's a shout out to all the fathers out there. Happy Fathers Day! Most importantly, I want to send some love my dad's way. Now forgive me if I get a bit personal with this but how many dads out there would fly all the way out to Europe just to run away from some blood thirsty bulls through the streets of Pamplona? ...at the ripe age of 60? How many of them would rappel down an underground canyon the size of the Statue of Liberty in Calaveras County? And just how many would go to court for their son to get them off a bogus ticket from an overzealous cop? Mine. Thanks Dad!

Thanks also goes out to my father-in-law, Gary. He and my mother-in-law made their way out here to Germany a few weeks ago to help Jen and I with the move while I was in Africa. Very cool. We found a way to have some fun too by slipping across the border and enjoying some delicious French cuisine in Sargurrimines. Still raving about it.

Now that I have kids, I too can proudly claim the dad title. While I haven't done anything uber cool with them like I mentioned in the paragraphs above, I've definitely shared some good times with Julia and Luke. Here are some pix with my kiddos from the last couple weeks:

Luke helping me out with a pre Paintball BBQ at Pulaski Barracks

Julia, Luke, a monkey and I at France's Monkey Mountain

A Taste of America

Ah, Florida! What a change from European destinations. For one, it was hot! Really hot! I'm sure our three years here in the chilly environs of Northern Europe made it feel even hotter. We all said this was good training for us as we move to a very sticky San Antonio. Also, Florida is chock full of family friendly destinations. While Europe has the Louvre and the Vatican, Florida counters with Disneyworld and Gatorland. Needless to say, it was nice to shift gears for a while.



While I was in a conference during the first week, Jen and the kids hit up all five Disney parks. I joined them the final day for a trip out to Epcot center (my favorite of all them all). I was anxious to see Europe transplanted into Central Florida. In "Germany", we got our pretzel and colabier fix while our kids tumbled around one of the many playgrounds throughout the park. I think I surprised the German girl at the counter when I was able to place my order and chat with her in German. You could tell she was happy to speak in her native tongue. Like the Germans here in Kaiserslautern, I was anxious to try out my German in the US. Aside from that, the highlight was watching our kids while they took in the park. Seeing their reactions enabled Jen and I to relive some of the magic we experienced at their age.



We headed south for Miami once we were through with Orlando. A bad cold and terrible weather prevented us from seeing much of the city but we did get a chance to see the Everglades. Seeing these alligators up close in their natural environment was definitely one of the highlights of the trip.



Another highlight of our trip was Key Largo. We fell in love with this northern-most town on the Florida Keys. We were greeted with white sand beaches, hammocks swinging in the distance, Bob Marley playing in background, warm water, and tropical drinks served up at the tiki bar. It was about as close to Hawaii as we could get without boarding a plane to Honolulu. Jen and I agreed that we will DEFINITELY be returning to this place.

The final highlight was spending a few hours with my brother Nick and sister-in-law Nena. We ran into these guys at Miami's hip South Beach. We chowed down on some great Cuban sandwiches and plantains while we washed it down with Presidente beer. Good times! Looking forward to a lot more of this sort of stuff when we return to America in a few weeks.

Downrange with America's Afrika Korps

It has been way too long since I've updated this blog. So much has happened since our trip to Bacharach that it's hard to know where to begin. In a nutshell, I've just returned from a short stint at the Naval Expeditionary Base at Camp Lemonier, Djibouti which is why I have been out of touch lately. Anyhow, the trip downrange had me travel through four continents in four days (N. America, Europe, Asia, and Africa).

My journey started in Orlando, FL where we had been vacationing (and searching for some of that Florida sun which we never really found). Eventually my journey took me through places such as Riyahd, Saudi Arabia and Dubai, UAE. Now I've been to Turkey so it's not like I haven't been to a muslim country before but seeing these places in person was very cool. The tables were definitely turned in Saudi. Unlike in the West, I was the odd man out since I wasn't wearing the white robe and checkerboard head scarf.

After a series of long layovers, delayed/canceled flights, etc I eventually arrived at my destination. Keep in mind that Djibouti isn't exactly a resort destination. Think of those commercials where you can sponsor an African kid for only two dollars per day...and make it even worse. That's Djibouti. Ten miles from Somalia. We're there to turn this place around I suppose. Anyhow, I won't bore you with the details about my work down there but I will share some cool pix. Take a look:

Galley...Navy speak for chow hall...in the center of camp

Inside "the wire" at Camp LeMonier. (Cool historical fact: The camp was an abandoned French Foreign Legion Base which explains the name)
Home Sweet Home. These Containerized Living Units or CLUs reminded me of a trailer park. However, these beat the snot of tent living

Baking in the 120 degree heat. The crazy heat reminded me of my visits to Palm Springs in the dead of summer but only more humid

Dream Realized in Bacharach

Ever since I've been stationed here in Europe, I've squandered many precious moments wishing I could stay in a castle for one night. Keep in mind our usual travel accommodations consist of a family friendly budget hotel or billeting at a US military base so the notion of staying in a castle is a significant departure from the norm. Maybe it is the little boy in me but staying overnight in a castle had a wonderful appeal about it. Last weekend this dream was realized and we stayed at Burg Stahleck in Bacharach.

Before I go into detail about our castle, let me tell you a little about Bacharach. On the way there Jen asked me what my favorite German city was. That was a tough one for me. Munich has the hofbrauhaus and Garmish has it's Bavarian charm. Berlin has an incredible sense of history and Rothenberg is ripped straight out of a fairytale. All of these places fall just short of Bacharach in my book. In 1842 Victor Hugo wrote about the village by stating, "No doors, no roof or windows, a magnificent skeleton puts its silhouette against the sky. Above it, the ivy-covered castle ruins provide a fitting crown. This is Bacharach, land of fairy tales, covered with legends and sagas."

The crown jewel of Bacharach is it's towering castle on a hill overlooking the mighty Rhine river. We've visited this castle or Burg many times before. We liked it so much that it seems we've dragged all of our visitors to the place over the last three years. To be honest, we've been there so many times that it was starting to get boring. Staying overnight, however, provided us with a completely unique experience.

The best part about all of this was the price. Our whole family stayed at the castle (w/private room/shower/breakfast) for only 42 euro or around 55 bucks. This place is the best kept secret in Europe! Now if only we could find such deals in Rome or Paris. Here are some of the highlights:

Spring Flowers and our Desert RoseJen and I leaving...reluctantly...our castle for the dayLuke Loves His Ice Cream (just like his dad)

All of us the next day sopping wet and exploring St Goar's Burg Rheinfels

Car Free Day on the Mosel River

If I could bring just one custom to the US from Germany, it would have to be the Car free days. Dig this: A county would shut down its main highway (like Foothill or Sepulveda Blvd in LA) to cars and encourage the locals to take over on bikes. What a concept! We've done a few of these and had a blast each time! Not only is it a great workout, it's also a great cultural experience and a good excuse to rub elbows with your neighbors.

Zell Mural

Banks of the Mosel River right before Zell

Last weekend we headed up to the Wine village of Zell. This picturesque village is the home to the famed Schwartze Katze (Black Cat) wine. The stuff is also known as the nectar of the GODS! It's great! Anyhow, we ditched the car and strapped in the kids and took off on a pair of wheels. Factor in favorable weather and a stunning route down the river and we had ourselves quite the outing.

Taking a wine break during the trek (only 3 KM into it)

Wasn't all cool and the gang, however. Luke melted down after a few clicks down the road. Rather than struggle on, we decided to pull off, find a wine tent, and let the kids run wild. Turned out for the best. We weren't going very far regardless.

Kids Say the Darndest Things: Travel Edition

We've logged many a mile lately between the trip to Torino, Bruges, Switzerland, etc. This usually means mom and dad go nuts while the kids go crazy. Not fun. Luckily Julia and Luke are turning into pretty funny kiddos.

To pass the 2.5 hour trip back from Torino, Italy, Julia and I played a game called the Zoo Game. The idea was based upon a video game that we play where one builds an amusement park from the ground up. However, since we were in the car we had to rely on our imagination to play the game.

After getting past the easy questions (i.e. What kinda animals will your zoo have?), I asked Julia if she wanted to hire members of our family to work at the zoo. Here's the breakdown:

Jen: Decorator
Me: Animal doctor (not to be confused with veterinarian)
Tia Nena: Train driver
Uncle Daniel: Wore a costume and made the kids laugh
Funny uncle John and uncle Nick: In charge of the beer tent and making more kids laugh
Grandma Lauretta: Julia's personal assistant
Grandma Beth: Tour guide
Uncle Nick Baldwin: Stroller rental attendant
Aunt Kathryn: Accountant and Financial Consultant (quit after Julia let too many people in for free)
Grandpa Gary: Security, Fix it man, and Custodial Engineer
Luke: Security (according to Julia, Luke was the "heavy" and carried a weapon to be used to shoot the ugly people who tried to get into the park. Jen and i were laughing too hard to correct her)
Grandpa Dan: Helped people who had problems (the "fixer")
Auntie Mandi: Taught kids about the animals
Aunt Ashley: Ticket Taker
and last but not least, Julia: CEO