Belgium in a Day

Last weekend, as a late Mother's Day gift to me, our family went to Brugges, Belgium for the day. It's not that Tony didn't want to go, it's just the one day part that he was unsure of. I thought it would be a benefit, as Tony did not have to take off work, the kids didn't miss school, there was not alot of packing to do and someone else did the driving. The was an extended day trip offered by the base.

Well, our day did start VERY early as we were to meet the bus at 2:45 AM on Saturday morning. We boarded a charter bus, or coach as they are called in the UK, and we were on our way. We brought along a small blanket and pillow and the kids and I went back to sleep. We crossed under the English Channel by train (well the bus was actually loaded onto the train...amazing) in a little over 30 minutes. We came out in Calais, France and continued on into Belgium. We arrived in Brugges around 10 am.

We then had eight hours to explore this beautiful city (http://www.brugge.be/internet/en/index.htm.) We had such a fun time, even in the rain (which was off and on most of the day.) We took a boat ride through the canals, drank hot chocolate, climbed the clock tower, visited the lace shops and ate lots of Belgian chocolate. Eric enjoyed his lunch of mussels, while Sarah opted for the chicken nuggets. We visited the several of the church's including the Church of Our Lady, which holds the famous Madonna and Child statue by Michelangelo (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Madonna_of_Bruges.)

When asked, Eric said his favorite part was the food and eating ice cream in the rain. Sarah said her favorite was the boat ride through the city. I thought it was amazing that we were in three different countries in one day and I did not have to drive. Tony said it was alot for one day, since we didn't get home until midnight, but still a neat and historic city. I think it was a once in lifetime Mother's Days...complete with chocolate, of course!

A Day in the Trees and a Night at the Sea

This past weekend, we decided to have a fun little family getaway.

After discovering a ad for Bewilderwood (http://www.bewilderwood.co.uk/) and that the weather was supposed to be great, I planned a last minute weekend at the coast near Norwich.

We spent a fun day Saturday at the Bewilderwood park. It was so neat and super fun for the kids. There were tree houses, rope bridges, slides, zip lines and a boat ride. Apparently, the park is based on books by a British author. We haven't found the books yet, but we are glad we found the park.

Afterwards, we traveled an additional 30 minutes East and explored the town of Great Yarmouth (http://www.great-yarmouth.co.uk/whats-on/default.aspx.) The kids were excited to get to play on the beach, although Saturday evening was quiet windy and the water was freezing. It was much to cold to swim, but we brought along our sand toys. It was fun to dig, run and jump in the waves.

After a nice seafood dinner, we spent the night at a local bed and breakfast (http://www.shrewsburyguesthouse.co.uk/) walking distance to the coast. We enjoyed a great English breakfast and a long walk along the beach. After a nice drive and lunch at McDonald's (which is a treat for Sarah, since there is not one close by) we were back home in less than 2 hours.

We all thought it was a great getaway and a fun way to spend time as a family.

Easter Sunday

On the 12th of April, we had a fun and relaxing Easter Sunday with our friends, Tammy and Ryan Bloom, and their new baby boy Beau.

After a nice and very crowded morning at church, we were invited to their house for Sunday brunch. We had a great time and enjoyed the food, company and egg hunt. Since it was chilly and sprinkling outside, the kids chose to hunt indoors.

Here are a few photos from our day, including the traditional egg decorating.
Hope your Easter Sunday was full of happiness too!

Spring Break in Paris

What an amazing week it was! When I was 16 and had my room decorated with a huge poster of the Eiffel Tower, I never thought 20 years later I would be standing on it with my family. Of all the places we wish to travel while stationed here, Paris was definitely #1 on my list. Thank you Tony. It was, truly, a dream come true!

We had planned for 2 travel days and 3 full days in Paris with our dear friends from Utah, currently living in Germany, the Hendersons. It was an extra treat to have such great friends, and navigators, to share this trip with us. Thanks so much for meeting us there guys!

Three days, although exhausting, were not close to enough time to do everything we wanted to do. We'll definitely have to go back. However, in the 3 days, I believe we packed in as much as possible. Here are the highlights:

Day 1: We headed straight for the Eiffel Tower! The lines were unbelievably long and we waited for well over an hour to ride up. Unfortunately, the top was closed, so we were only able to go to the second level (which was quite high enough for us!) Below there are pics from both the bottom and the top. On a side note, the tower was closed two days later due to a strike (http://www.capitalradio.co.uk/news-travel/world/eiffel-tower-closed-as-staff-go-on-strike/) We feel blessed to have been able to go up when we did. It was amazing and larger than I imagined.

Day 1 Afternoon: After lunch at a bistro (see post below,) we headed off for Notre-Dame. Started in 1163, this amazing cathedral took nearly 200 years to complete. For more info see: http://www.notredamedeparis.fr/-English- While in the courtyard, Sarah took times to feed the pigeons.

Day 2: Disneyland Paris! (see post below) Trust me, this was an all day affair!

Day 3: Le Louvre (http://www.louvre.fr/llv/commun/home.jsp?bmLocale=en). Once again, the lines here were incredibly long. The line just to get into the building circled around 2 courtyards. Once inside and through security, you had to stand in line again to get tickets. It was crazy! We did, however, get to see the Mona Lisa up close and personal. You would not believe how many people were crowded into this room and pushing each other just to get a photo of this famous painting. The museum did hold a huge amount of priceless artwork, sculptures and treasures, but after awhile they all began to look to same. As Emily put it, "I wish I was back at Disneyland!"

Day 3 Evening: Dinner at the Hard Rock Paris (see below) then back to the tower and over to the Arc De Triomphe for night photos. This took a lot of travel time, but well worth the trip.

Overall, it was an amazing trip, with the company of great friends and left us with memories for a lifetime. WE LOVE PARIS!

Crossing Over the Channel

Several of you may be wondering how we "drove" to Paris, so I thought I should explain...

On Sunday morning, we got up bright and early and drove down to Dover (remember the White Cliffs of Dover?) and checked in at the port. There are several ferry companies that transport people, cars and freight across the English Channel. We chose P&O Ferries, which was recommended to us (http://www.poferries.com/tourist/content/pages/template/routes_dover_-_calais_routes_-_dover_-_calais.htm.) As you can read, this is a large operations that makes numerous trips back and forth each day.

As we arrived, they had already pulled up our info on the computer by inserting our license plate number and knew we already had tickets, etc. They gave us a number to hang on our rear view mirror and told us what lane to be in (which was around 300 or so.) It looked like a huge toll booth with many cars and cargo trucks ready to board. We drove on a ramp and right into the belly of the ship. Men were directing traffic and getting the vehicles as packed in as possible. Once we were parked, we got what we needed out of the car (jackets, etc) and locked the car. Once the boat sails, you are unable to access your vehicle. We were greeted upon the ship and were surprised at how big it was. There were 3 different levels, several stores, bars, restaurants, a game room and an observation desk at the top. We enjoyed a quick breakfast as our 90 minute cruise began. When we were getting close to Calais, France we were given instructions on were to go (each section of the "parking lot" is color coded for easy locating - wish they had that at Wal-Mart!) Once we docked, we drove off the boat and right onto the streets of France. There were numerous signs reminding us to drive on the right side of the road!

Once in France, by the help of our wonderful GPS, we drove into Paris and found our hotel. During our stay, we used the public transportation system. On the way home, we hit LOTS of traffic both in France and the UK and the drive home took 10 hours! Next time, we may have to save up for the train ( http://www.eurostar.com/dynamic/index.jsp.)

Proud to be an American

With all the beauty, sounds and culture around us, somehow we were still drawn to American things or things that remind us of home.

For those who have seen National Treasure 2, we found the replica of the Statue of Liberty (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Replicas_of_the_Statue_of_Liberty#France) It was the very best day, weather-wise and we had a great walk down the Seine River to get these pics.

I found it amusing to see a GIANT billboard ad featuring Zac Efron in the Paris Metro stations (the subway.) I think it was advertising his new movie. Since Tony and Zac are such close friends now (LOL) I thought I should take a picture. Do you think Zac knows French?

All, finally, our last night in France was spent at the Hard Rock Cafe Paris. Yes, Lori, I bought a shirt! (And for those wondering, there is no Prince memorabilia!) We were there celebrating Danny's 52nd birthday. There was a live band and they sang Happy Birthday to him in French. Now that is a birthday to be remembered! Happy Birthday Mr. Dandy!