Today was our last day in Germany. I got up on went on a run. I ended up finding a hill and doing 40 hill repeats. (Finding a decent hill was harder than the actual work out ha-ha.) Dad was able to extend our car rental for an extra day so we didn’t have to head into Frankfort today. We went to a food market after eating a little breakfast at the hotel. We got some strawberries, cherries, a pastry, and a pretzel. We looked around at shops and found that the sale prices were 195 Euros. We talked to a guy in a local cuckoo clock shop who told us that that was the millionaire shopping district. He directed us to the “regular people” shopping district. We enjoyed walking around and having nothing to do. Dad searched all morning for a sausage stand and finally was rewarded with one of the best sausages he had ever had. We came back to the hotel and mom and dad napped until I woke them up for dinner.
We went to an amazing Thai restaurant. I had sweet chili chicken, mom had beef with peanut sauce, and dad had curry chicken. It was soooo good. After dinner we walked to a big screen TV to watch the USA vs Ghana game. We left at half time though because a lot of people were smoking.
I had my last gelato today… sniff sniff. I will definitely miss that. We’ve had a great trip but I’m ready to go home. I really miss the kids and my friends. See everyone soon!!!
Sarah
Saturday, June 26, 2010
The Netherlands
We woke up to our first Dutch breakfast. It consisted of coffee, oj, milk, hard boiled eggs, three different breads, cheese, cold cuts, jam, butter, nutella, and sprinkles for our toast. It was really good. We went to Amsterdam and parked the car. We walked through a beautiful flower market and lots of little shops. There were tons of bicycles. The number of bicycles in The Netherlands matches the population so there are literally, bikes everywhere. There were even parking meters for bicycle spots. We had several interesting things to eat. We tried a Dutch apple tart which has a ton of apples piled on a cracker like crust, an cone of what looked like ice-cream but actually tasted like very cold whipped cream or cool whip, and an amazing Dutch pancake. The pancake was similar to a crepe in texture, but was thicker. We had it with sugar and lemon. Amsterdam was similar to Venice in that it is a city of canals, but it has more streets for cars and is more organized. On our way back to the car we walked past Anne Frank’s house. We didn’t go in, but it was interesting to see it.
That afternoon we drove father in The Netherlands, but not quite to the German border. We stopped at a pension. It was absolutely darling. It looked a lot like the houses my sister rents out. We asked them to recommend a restaurant but the owner’s favorite place to eat had burned down a couple days ago. We ended up going into town and looking for a place. It was super crowded with people in orange watching the football game on a big TV in the square. It was really interesting to see. They were definitely spirited. We ate at a little restaurant that was super good. I had a Thai salad, a Thai dish, and a really super good desert with waffles and ice-cream. Mom and dad had meat with sauces, french-fries, spicy potatoes, “American appetizer”, and a sample tray of desserts.
Yesterday we arrived came to Germany. We stopped in a little town called Remagen to see the remains of an old bridge that had been conquered by the Americans in WWII and eventually blown up. It was significant because there weren’t a whole lot of bridges crossing the Rhine. We arrived at the base in Wiesbaden which is not far outside of Frankfort. We shared a pasta dinner and fruit. We spent yesterday evening packing up and getting ready to leave.
Today we are going to go to a market and explore Wiesbaden. See everyone soon.
Sarah
That afternoon we drove father in The Netherlands, but not quite to the German border. We stopped at a pension. It was absolutely darling. It looked a lot like the houses my sister rents out. We asked them to recommend a restaurant but the owner’s favorite place to eat had burned down a couple days ago. We ended up going into town and looking for a place. It was super crowded with people in orange watching the football game on a big TV in the square. It was really interesting to see. They were definitely spirited. We ate at a little restaurant that was super good. I had a Thai salad, a Thai dish, and a really super good desert with waffles and ice-cream. Mom and dad had meat with sauces, french-fries, spicy potatoes, “American appetizer”, and a sample tray of desserts.
Yesterday we arrived came to Germany. We stopped in a little town called Remagen to see the remains of an old bridge that had been conquered by the Americans in WWII and eventually blown up. It was significant because there weren’t a whole lot of bridges crossing the Rhine. We arrived at the base in Wiesbaden which is not far outside of Frankfort. We shared a pasta dinner and fruit. We spent yesterday evening packing up and getting ready to leave.
Today we are going to go to a market and explore Wiesbaden. See everyone soon.
Sarah
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
Remembering those who did not come back
On Monday we went to Normandy. We went all through the visitors’ center and watched a couple short movie/ documentaries. The visitor’s center was very well done and provided excellent information. While it was very interesting, it was very hard as well. It especially hit us when we walked through the cemetery section. There were so many white crosses. Almost every cross had a name on it and we know that with each name there is a family of hurting people. The saddest part was the graves that were marked “Here rests in honored glory a comrade in arms known but to God.”
I ran that evening on Omaha Beach. Omaha beach is the main beach where the US soldiers landed. It was so beautiful and calm that it was hard to image the destruction that went on there. We also went to point Hoc. Point Hoc is one of the few places where the holes haven’t been filled in and nothing has been removed. 225 rangers scaled the cliff to take it from the Germans. They succeeded but only 95 men lived to continue on. Aside from the memorial, it was left exactly as the rangers left it, including the barbed wire. There were huge holes everywhere from the bombs and still many of the bunkers were standing. There were so strong.
We stayed that evening in a little bed and breakfast. By the time we had found a place to stay and had seen everything that we wanted to see all the restaurants were closed. We ate a lovely meal in the McDonalds parking lot haha.
Yesterday we went to a town called Saint Mere Eglise. We saw a church that had a dummy of the paratrooper who had gotten stuck on the steeple of the church during the 2:30 AM D-Day jump. The town was full of German soldiers and he pretended to be dead and eventually was rescued. There was a little walking tour around town all about the paratroopers. We also went to a museum that talked all about life for regular people during WWII. We ate dinner and then stayed at a hotel.
Today we drove through Belgium and into the Netherlands. We stopped in a little town in Belgium just long enough to browse through the local market and buy… what else? Pastries and bread. We also got some hot, fresh chicken that was seasoned with different spices and was very delicious.
We arrived in Haarlem, The Netherlands, just in time for a tour of Corrie Ten Boom’s house. It was very interesting to hear about her. The tour guide was very nice was obviously a christian. The entire story was based around a spiritual element. The guide concluded by talking about how Corrie was available for God and that anybody who is available will be used.
We walked around the town square and I got a Belgium Waffle (I’ve wanted to try one for a long time.) It was delicious.
We found a little pension (B&B) and then went to eat dinner. We had pizza and pasta at a delicious little Italian restaurant. I ran on the beaches of Holland beside a large Dike to keep out the Sea. Mom and Dad walked the same beach while I ran. Tomorrow I think that we are going to head into Amsterdam and sight see. We need to make good time toward Germany today and tomorrow as we have to be back in Frankfort by Friday night.
See you in a week. Sarah
I ran that evening on Omaha Beach. Omaha beach is the main beach where the US soldiers landed. It was so beautiful and calm that it was hard to image the destruction that went on there. We also went to point Hoc. Point Hoc is one of the few places where the holes haven’t been filled in and nothing has been removed. 225 rangers scaled the cliff to take it from the Germans. They succeeded but only 95 men lived to continue on. Aside from the memorial, it was left exactly as the rangers left it, including the barbed wire. There were huge holes everywhere from the bombs and still many of the bunkers were standing. There were so strong.
We stayed that evening in a little bed and breakfast. By the time we had found a place to stay and had seen everything that we wanted to see all the restaurants were closed. We ate a lovely meal in the McDonalds parking lot haha.
Yesterday we went to a town called Saint Mere Eglise. We saw a church that had a dummy of the paratrooper who had gotten stuck on the steeple of the church during the 2:30 AM D-Day jump. The town was full of German soldiers and he pretended to be dead and eventually was rescued. There was a little walking tour around town all about the paratroopers. We also went to a museum that talked all about life for regular people during WWII. We ate dinner and then stayed at a hotel.
Today we drove through Belgium and into the Netherlands. We stopped in a little town in Belgium just long enough to browse through the local market and buy… what else? Pastries and bread. We also got some hot, fresh chicken that was seasoned with different spices and was very delicious.
We arrived in Haarlem, The Netherlands, just in time for a tour of Corrie Ten Boom’s house. It was very interesting to hear about her. The tour guide was very nice was obviously a christian. The entire story was based around a spiritual element. The guide concluded by talking about how Corrie was available for God and that anybody who is available will be used.
We walked around the town square and I got a Belgium Waffle (I’ve wanted to try one for a long time.) It was delicious.
We found a little pension (B&B) and then went to eat dinner. We had pizza and pasta at a delicious little Italian restaurant. I ran on the beaches of Holland beside a large Dike to keep out the Sea. Mom and Dad walked the same beach while I ran. Tomorrow I think that we are going to head into Amsterdam and sight see. We need to make good time toward Germany today and tomorrow as we have to be back in Frankfort by Friday night.
See you in a week. Sarah
Monday, June 21, 2010
Paris!!!
We left Pornichet on Saturday. We had so much fun there :). We drove about three hours to Versailles. Mom and I spent two hours looking at the main Palace of Versailles. We didn't see the whole thing but i enjoyed it. That evening we had dinner with my Dad's cousin Terry and his wife Celeste. We went out for dinner at a very nice restaurant. They have two adorable kids that reminded me so much of the kids back in Kodiak. Camille is 6 and Lucas is 4. We were at the table for probable 4 hours and until almost 12 o’clock. The children were tired but sooooo good. I drew pictures for the little girl and she would tell me what they were in French. She had a book full of Barbie princess stories that she practiced reading to me. Of course it was in French but I understood her because Emily and Ali watch those movies and read those books all the time. Kids don’t change with the country. I had scallops for dinner and crepe suzette. A waiter cooked the crepes right in front of us and lit them on fire. It was fun.
We spent yesterday in Paris. We arrived as someone was pulling out of a free parking spot right by Notre Dame. Perfect timing!! We walked around Notre Dame for a while and listen to the music. There was a service going on, but they still let tourists visit. They had a huge beautiful organ. Next, we walked past the Louvre and down the Champs Elcee. It was really fun. There were fancy shops and restaurants all over the place. Mom had a starbucks… her first one since we left the US.
We went to the Arc de Triumph and then the Eiffel Tower. We walked up to the second floor. It was super fun. We had a great view of Paris and all the places we had just walked. We headed back toward the car and stopped at lots of little shops along the way. We happened upon a section of town that had many little restaurants and shops. It was very busy with the night life of Paris. We ate at a little restaurant and I finally got up my courage and ordered snails. They were actually really good. I was surprised. We had a great day in Paris. Now we are off to Normandy.
Sarah
We spent yesterday in Paris. We arrived as someone was pulling out of a free parking spot right by Notre Dame. Perfect timing!! We walked around Notre Dame for a while and listen to the music. There was a service going on, but they still let tourists visit. They had a huge beautiful organ. Next, we walked past the Louvre and down the Champs Elcee. It was really fun. There were fancy shops and restaurants all over the place. Mom had a starbucks… her first one since we left the US.
We went to the Arc de Triumph and then the Eiffel Tower. We walked up to the second floor. It was super fun. We had a great view of Paris and all the places we had just walked. We headed back toward the car and stopped at lots of little shops along the way. We happened upon a section of town that had many little restaurants and shops. It was very busy with the night life of Paris. We ate at a little restaurant and I finally got up my courage and ordered snails. They were actually really good. I was surprised. We had a great day in Paris. Now we are off to Normandy.
Sarah
Friday, June 18, 2010
PORNICHET, FRANCE
We have spent the last few days in Pornichet. Pornichet and La Boule are cities along the Atlantic Coast of France in the province of Brittany. The street along the ocean is dominated by many huge apartment buildings. La Boule is a long city along a beautiful curved beach. At night, the street lights give the appearance of a string of pearls, thus La Boule is known as the String of Pearls.
We arrived here on Tuesday evening. We (Mom, Dad, and I) had dinner at a moule/ creperie restaurant. Moule are muscles. Mom had a big bowl of moule with a cheese sauce and pomme frites (French fries.) Dad and I both had galletes. Gallettes are similar to crepes but are made of buckwheat flour and are used for dinner rather than dessert. I had one with egg and cheese, and dad had one with egg and ham.
After dinner we decided to walk to a Gelateria that I had seen earlier that day. We didn’t realize that it was about three miles away. We ended up walking much longer than we had originally intended (over two hrs to go there and back). After we ate I decided to walk on the beach bare footed instead of on the boardwalk with Mom and Dad. My walk turned into a run for a while, turn around and runback to Mom and Dad then do that again. This is when I first discovered that running barefooted on the beach didn’t hurt my legs. We recently discovered that I’ve grown about 1 ½ inches in a couple months. My muscles and bones (especially my knees and calves) were hurting me and we couldn’t figure out why. Then Dad noticed that I was much taller than mom and before I had been about even. Anyways, I discovered that I really enjoy running barefooted on the beach in the water.
On Wednesday we went to the Pornichet market. It was big and fun to walk around in. There were lots of stands with fruit, meats, vegetables, clothes, shoes, and much more. It wasn’t quite as big as the Redon Market though. When I first arrived at the Redon Market It felt like Crab fest without the rides. There were all sort of good things to eat and look at. I really enjoy walking around markets. After the market we went to a big sporting goods store. It was 6000 sq meters. I found some clothes and while we were in line to check out an alarm went off. We all had to evacuate the building. We didn’t know why and they said that they wouldn’t reopen that day. We went grocery shopping at a nearby L’Eclercs and when we walked out the sport store was open. Yay!! I went back to buy some running clothes that I wanted. Then, we went to the salt flats where they harvest seasalt. People flood low lying fields with sea water and when the water evaporates off they rake up the fresh salt. It was really interesting to see. We went to a salt/ cookie shop and got the best cookies I have ever eaten. I think they were pure butter with a coating of flour and sugar on them.
Wednesday evening we decided to go to the Gelato shop again. This time I was prepared to run. I ran all the way there, and mom and Dad walked about half way. We had our Gelato (cherry vanilla and passion fruit) and then I ran back again. (about 8K)
Yesterday we went to a big shopping center in St. Nazaire. We also walked along the main street of La Boule. There were some very nice stores, but not exactly my usual shopping district. For example, there was a floral colored blouse for 175 Euros. The sale rack had things for over 50 Euros. Obviously it was a fun place to look, but not to buy. (one Euro is about $1.25)
I decided to run the entire beach of La Boule. I ran barefooted all the way from Poulagin to the Pornichet. It took me about 38 minutes to run the about 8 kilometers of the beach. I had so much fun….except for the ferocious dog that wanted to play with me. Once I finished we went out to dinner at a Creperie. Mom had a gallete with clams and asparagus in it. Dad got a Gallette with chicken and mushroom sauce. I got a gallete with curried clams and apples. It was really really good.
We stayed up until 1 am last night watching the movie Private Ryan. Dad thought it would be good for Mom and I to see it since we are going to go to Normandy. I’m glad I saw it but it was kind of hard to swallow. It was similar to the feeling I got going to the Dachau Concentration camp.
This morning we drove out past the salt flats on a peninsula called the La Cote Sauvage; ‘The Savage Coast. We got pastries and a loaf of French breads from a local patisserie. (I guess all the bread here is “French” bread) Later at a grocery store we got the pudding type thing that is called Eggs and Milk. No joke. The ingredients listed are eggs, milk, and sugar. That’s it. It was great. Kinda like Beure Blache at the KI.
One thing that we have noticed is that the way we speak is starting to change. Every now and then we talk “French Speak.” The French language forms sentences differently than we do. For example we’ve said things like “ we have the light” instead of “ The light is green”. Mom has been known to say things like “Where would you like to take yourself today?” The reflexive part of the sentence is very common in French. I often go out and “make a run” rather than go on a run. We have fun laughing at ourselves.
Bien, A toute a l’heur
Sarah
We arrived here on Tuesday evening. We (Mom, Dad, and I) had dinner at a moule/ creperie restaurant. Moule are muscles. Mom had a big bowl of moule with a cheese sauce and pomme frites (French fries.) Dad and I both had galletes. Gallettes are similar to crepes but are made of buckwheat flour and are used for dinner rather than dessert. I had one with egg and cheese, and dad had one with egg and ham.
After dinner we decided to walk to a Gelateria that I had seen earlier that day. We didn’t realize that it was about three miles away. We ended up walking much longer than we had originally intended (over two hrs to go there and back). After we ate I decided to walk on the beach bare footed instead of on the boardwalk with Mom and Dad. My walk turned into a run for a while, turn around and runback to Mom and Dad then do that again. This is when I first discovered that running barefooted on the beach didn’t hurt my legs. We recently discovered that I’ve grown about 1 ½ inches in a couple months. My muscles and bones (especially my knees and calves) were hurting me and we couldn’t figure out why. Then Dad noticed that I was much taller than mom and before I had been about even. Anyways, I discovered that I really enjoy running barefooted on the beach in the water.
On Wednesday we went to the Pornichet market. It was big and fun to walk around in. There were lots of stands with fruit, meats, vegetables, clothes, shoes, and much more. It wasn’t quite as big as the Redon Market though. When I first arrived at the Redon Market It felt like Crab fest without the rides. There were all sort of good things to eat and look at. I really enjoy walking around markets. After the market we went to a big sporting goods store. It was 6000 sq meters. I found some clothes and while we were in line to check out an alarm went off. We all had to evacuate the building. We didn’t know why and they said that they wouldn’t reopen that day. We went grocery shopping at a nearby L’Eclercs and when we walked out the sport store was open. Yay!! I went back to buy some running clothes that I wanted. Then, we went to the salt flats where they harvest seasalt. People flood low lying fields with sea water and when the water evaporates off they rake up the fresh salt. It was really interesting to see. We went to a salt/ cookie shop and got the best cookies I have ever eaten. I think they were pure butter with a coating of flour and sugar on them.
Wednesday evening we decided to go to the Gelato shop again. This time I was prepared to run. I ran all the way there, and mom and Dad walked about half way. We had our Gelato (cherry vanilla and passion fruit) and then I ran back again. (about 8K)
Yesterday we went to a big shopping center in St. Nazaire. We also walked along the main street of La Boule. There were some very nice stores, but not exactly my usual shopping district. For example, there was a floral colored blouse for 175 Euros. The sale rack had things for over 50 Euros. Obviously it was a fun place to look, but not to buy. (one Euro is about $1.25)
I decided to run the entire beach of La Boule. I ran barefooted all the way from Poulagin to the Pornichet. It took me about 38 minutes to run the about 8 kilometers of the beach. I had so much fun….except for the ferocious dog that wanted to play with me. Once I finished we went out to dinner at a Creperie. Mom had a gallete with clams and asparagus in it. Dad got a Gallette with chicken and mushroom sauce. I got a gallete with curried clams and apples. It was really really good.
We stayed up until 1 am last night watching the movie Private Ryan. Dad thought it would be good for Mom and I to see it since we are going to go to Normandy. I’m glad I saw it but it was kind of hard to swallow. It was similar to the feeling I got going to the Dachau Concentration camp.
This morning we drove out past the salt flats on a peninsula called the La Cote Sauvage; ‘The Savage Coast. We got pastries and a loaf of French breads from a local patisserie. (I guess all the bread here is “French” bread) Later at a grocery store we got the pudding type thing that is called Eggs and Milk. No joke. The ingredients listed are eggs, milk, and sugar. That’s it. It was great. Kinda like Beure Blache at the KI.
One thing that we have noticed is that the way we speak is starting to change. Every now and then we talk “French Speak.” The French language forms sentences differently than we do. For example we’ve said things like “ we have the light” instead of “ The light is green”. Mom has been known to say things like “Where would you like to take yourself today?” The reflexive part of the sentence is very common in French. I often go out and “make a run” rather than go on a run. We have fun laughing at ourselves.
Bien, A toute a l’heur
Monday, June 14, 2010
Sunday, June 13, 2010
shopping, machine animals, and more eating :)
Friday was a relaxing day and we spent it walking around Redon. After breakfast we went to the small market. We got fresh crepes and gallets (like crepes but made from buckwheat,) an almond croissant, cherries, and a nectarine. We walked around the town and got a strawberry tart and a chocolate croissant. It was fun to look in all the little stores. At noon all the little shops, except the food places, closed for a 2 hour lunch break. We went to the big L. Eclectic (spl?) which is basically a French versoin of Fred Meyers. I got a dress and Aunt Nicole bought me a shirt.
Yesterday we spent with my dad's uncle Marc and his wife Lawrece. We went out for lunch in Nante at a very nice restaurant. We went to a gallery of machine animails. Most or the animals were inspired by the creatures from the book 20,000 leagues under the sea. They were like small carnival rides. There was also a huge mechanical elephant that they actually walk around the streets of Nante with. We also took a walk along the canal that goes from Nante to Brest. It was built 200 years ago, by hand.
Today we spent with my Dad's cousins. We had a lovely dinner of salad, shrimp, artichokes, curried meat, rice, excellent citron tart and more. We sat at the table for almost 5 hours. It was long but definately pleasant. When we got home I went out run. I wasn't going to go very far but I ended up running about 10 miles. I ran on a path along the cannal and on a dirt road through grassy fields and around the town of Redon. I met my Dad at the Basketball court and we played for about 40 minutes. It was a good day.
Yesterday we spent with my dad's uncle Marc and his wife Lawrece. We went out for lunch in Nante at a very nice restaurant. We went to a gallery of machine animails. Most or the animals were inspired by the creatures from the book 20,000 leagues under the sea. They were like small carnival rides. There was also a huge mechanical elephant that they actually walk around the streets of Nante with. We also took a walk along the canal that goes from Nante to Brest. It was built 200 years ago, by hand.
Today we spent with my Dad's cousins. We had a lovely dinner of salad, shrimp, artichokes, curried meat, rice, excellent citron tart and more. We sat at the table for almost 5 hours. It was long but definately pleasant. When we got home I went out run. I wasn't going to go very far but I ended up running about 10 miles. I ran on a path along the cannal and on a dirt road through grassy fields and around the town of Redon. I met my Dad at the Basketball court and we played for about 40 minutes. It was a good day.
Thursday, June 10, 2010
Mont St. Michelle.... and food
Yesterday after breakfast we went to Mont St. Michal. It is an old abbey and a small town on on a hill/mountian that is somtimes an island and somtimes not. Real monks and nuns actually live there and we got to sit on an service, it was not pretend. We had for lunch what the french call "Sandwich American" haha. They had tomatoes, boiled egg, ham, and butter on bread that was very french. :).
We went to dinner at my distant cousin's restaurant. It was really really really good. I had steak with pepper sauce and potaotes. The potatoes were all fancy and delicious. Mom had scallops wrapped up in a crepe. Dad had veal. My favorite part of it was the dessert. I had apples like in pie inside of a crepe with homemade caramel and whipped cream. It was sooo good. :)
Today we drove to myGreat Aunt Lulu's house in Nante. She and her husband were very nice. We had a lot of fun with them. We had "Lunch" with them but it was hardly lunch. We arrived there at around 1. Lunch took three hours ( of just eating) and we stayed untl 7:30.
1st course- peanuts, cashews, chips, tomatoes. 2nd course- laongustene (really big shrimp.) 3rd course- fresh green beans, fresh prime rib (best I've ever had), salad, pesto sauce, french bread with butter homemade from the farm. 4th course- tiramesu. 5th course- cherries, necterines, coffee, tea.
It was so so good.
When we got back to Redon we had a light dinner of ham, canteloupe, bread with cheese, and icecream. We are really tired and are going to go to bed. J'aime bien Francais....
Sarah :)
We went to dinner at my distant cousin's restaurant. It was really really really good. I had steak with pepper sauce and potaotes. The potatoes were all fancy and delicious. Mom had scallops wrapped up in a crepe. Dad had veal. My favorite part of it was the dessert. I had apples like in pie inside of a crepe with homemade caramel and whipped cream. It was sooo good. :)
Today we drove to myGreat Aunt Lulu's house in Nante. She and her husband were very nice. We had a lot of fun with them. We had "Lunch" with them but it was hardly lunch. We arrived there at around 1. Lunch took three hours ( of just eating) and we stayed untl 7:30.
1st course- peanuts, cashews, chips, tomatoes. 2nd course- laongustene (really big shrimp.) 3rd course- fresh green beans, fresh prime rib (best I've ever had), salad, pesto sauce, french bread with butter homemade from the farm. 4th course- tiramesu. 5th course- cherries, necterines, coffee, tea.
It was so so good.
When we got back to Redon we had a light dinner of ham, canteloupe, bread with cheese, and icecream. We are really tired and are going to go to bed. J'aime bien Francais....
Sarah :)
Tuesday, June 8, 2010
Brittany
We have arrived in Britanny, France!!!!! Yesterday we drove through France until we came to a hotel in the middle of nowhere. I am not joking. Dad was really feeling the allergys and as a result mom was driving, neither are ideal situations haha. We were all anxious to stop. Dad went straight to bed and Mom and I went to find somthing for dinner. The hotel was by an intersection with 3 roads. We took all three and drove for about 7 minutes down each one. We saw a couple houses, barns, fields and cows, lots of cows. We ate left over breadsticks, fruit, and some peanut butter for dinner. We also got some really good apricot jelly that is really expensive in the states. It was excellent.
Today we drove the rest of the way to Redon, Britanny. We stopped at a boulangerie (bakery) for some pastries and delcious bread. We tried to find some place with interent, and of course, good old McDonlads came through for us. Tonight we are staying with my dad's Aunt Nicole and Uncle Eve. We had a very nice dinner of langoust, lamb, greenbeans, some sort of gravy with vegetables in it, bread with salted butter, and for dessert fresh fruit with whipped cream.
I went on a run along a pretty river and discovered a basketball hoop. Guess where I'[ll be tomorrow evening haha.
Au Revior!!!
Sarah
Today we drove the rest of the way to Redon, Britanny. We stopped at a boulangerie (bakery) for some pastries and delcious bread. We tried to find some place with interent, and of course, good old McDonlads came through for us. Tonight we are staying with my dad's Aunt Nicole and Uncle Eve. We had a very nice dinner of langoust, lamb, greenbeans, some sort of gravy with vegetables in it, bread with salted butter, and for dessert fresh fruit with whipped cream.
I went on a run along a pretty river and discovered a basketball hoop. Guess where I'[ll be tomorrow evening haha.
Au Revior!!!
Sarah
Monday, June 7, 2010
Switzerland
We had to drive through a very long (6000 meter) tunnel to get across the Swiss/Italian border. We weren’t in Switzerland for a long time. We saw the cows and heard their bells, we saw the beautiful rivers and scenery in the mountains, and drove through little towns looking, yet again, for a good place to stay. We gave up on Switzerland and found a cute little lodge type thing in France. We had dinner here. It was very good. Mom had steak, dad had meat and cheese and I had a pork chop. The meals came with green beans, bread, and funny little square pasta. For desert we shared an apricot tart. The tart was really good. There was no Gelato in Switzerland.
Sarah
Sunday, June 6, 2010
Monaco, Riviera...more Gelato!
We spent most of Today in Monaco. Monaco is a tiny principality entirely surrounded by France. Their King can still trace the royal line back 1,000 years. The sole city of Monaco is Monte Carlo and it is very rich . It is about 425 acres. Many wealthy people come here to sail on their multi-million dollar yachts and vacation homes. Our rented Mercedes was outclassed. I ran past lots of Ferraris, Lamborghinis, and Porsches. After my hot run on the board walks of Monaco, I swam in the Mediterranean sea. The water was really blue and clear (and a bit warmer than Kodiak ocean.)
We left Monaco and ate sandwiches in the car. We drove through the winding mountains of France and into the winding mountains of Italy. Dad stopped at a little pastisceria and we got an apple tart. I never get tired of pastries. The drive was very beautiful. We saw the lovely green vegetation, river rapids, and charming little towns. Tonight we are staying in a tourist town. The illustrator from the children’s book Pinocchio came from this town so there are Pinocchio murals everywhere. We ate dinner in our room and had leftover sandwiches, really good fresh fruit from the little shops here, and a couple different pastries. Tomorrow we head to Switzerland.
Sarah
PS. I had two new flavors of gelato today, mango and cherry :)
Saturday, June 5, 2010
Italy...Cinque Terra.....and more Gelato
We stayed in a town called Levato, a town nearby because the actual Cinque Terra villages were very pricy. We looked all around for a place to stay for a reasonable price. After a couple of hours of going up to houses and hotels we decided to head out of town. On the way out we saw a sign for Maria Rosa’s B&B. Finally we had a place to stay. It was run by a little Italian woman that spoke no English. Fortunately her daughter was there and helped us get checked in. It was a little house that was hundreds, maybe even a thousand, years old (no exaggeration!) We stayed in a little room with three single beds pushed together. It was cute and very much so the authentic Italy we were looking for. We woke up and had breakfast outside.
We spent today at Cinque Terra. I set out for a run across all five villages. The trails in between were not at all what I had expected. If any of you have read “Born to Run” the trails were similar to what is described there. It was hot and very hilly. The trails were more like goat paths, barely one skinny person wide. Some places were on the edge of a sheer cliff with no guard rails. I ran through all the towns and then back to the one in the middle, a total of 7 or 8 hard miles. The view was very pretty. The Mediterranean ocean is a very blue color.
We drove up to northern Italy and stayed in a town by the water. We went out for another Italian dinner of pizza, pasta, bread, and calamari. We stayed at a small Italian inn and just ate the best pastry I have had since entering Italy. It was a steaming hot croissant with apricot jam inside. Today we will go to Monaco.
Sarah
PS. So far I have tried lemon, cantaloupe, pineapple, strawberry, vanilla, orange, pink grapefruit, pistachio, and rum raisin (drinking age is a lot lower here, jk.)
Wednesday, June 2, 2010
We arrived in Italy and there was an immediate change. Within a couple the miles the streets were less kept up, the houses were totally different, and even the weather started to change. It was cool and drizzly in the Austrian Alps. After a couple hours it was dry, warm, and flat in Italy. We stayed in the hotel on the military base in Vicenza. I finally got to play some basketball at the gym :).
We spent Yesterday in Venezia (Venice.) We had so much fun. It was about an hour drive and we parked in a huge parking garage outside of a bridge. We had to walk across the bridge and then there were no cars. It was really cool to be able to freely walk everywhere without worrying about cars. We saw gondolas, personal boats, and water taxis. The water was actually pretty clean and the old city was enchanting.
One of the things that I was really excited to see was Saint Mark's Cathedral. I wanted to see the double organ lofts. We stood in a really long line to get in. When we finally got to the front they told us we couldn't get in because we were wearing shorts (it’s hot in Venice.) Dad had on his shorts that he can zip pieces onto and turn into pants. He got in. After he came out we had a crazy idea. We safety pinned his pants pieces onto my shorts. I was now wearing super cool duel-tone capris with added safety pins for effect. I got in and got to see the organs ha-ha.
One of my favorite things was, as expected, all the gelato. I have tried lemon, cantaloupe, rum raisin (i did not know what it was when i ordered it,) and pistachio, and I'm not out of Italy yet. We decided to try different things all day instead of having a big meal. We ate a lot of gelato, some interesting pastries, and some fruit. A big thing in Venice is glass. There were shops selling it everywhere. It was really pretty. We walked all around looking at the shops. The GPS said that we walked 10 miles.
We went home and stopped at an Italian restaurant and got some authentic pizza, it was really good. It was the best pizza I have ever had. The crust wasn't quite as doughy as most pizzas in the US are. It was thinner and crispy, but no craker like.
Dad and I went and played basketball. I got to play one on one with this guy that was practicing there. It was a great workout. With all the eating we are doing it's a good thing we're exercising.
We just ate breakfast at the hotel and now we are off to Cinque Terra. Cinque Terra is 5 Italian villages that are linked together by walking paths, not roads. Cinque means five and Terra means town in Italian. The Lloyds’ recommended this place and said it was really pretty. It will probably be a little less crowded than Venezia.
Sarah
We spent Yesterday in Venezia (Venice.) We had so much fun. It was about an hour drive and we parked in a huge parking garage outside of a bridge. We had to walk across the bridge and then there were no cars. It was really cool to be able to freely walk everywhere without worrying about cars. We saw gondolas, personal boats, and water taxis. The water was actually pretty clean and the old city was enchanting.
One of the things that I was really excited to see was Saint Mark's Cathedral. I wanted to see the double organ lofts. We stood in a really long line to get in. When we finally got to the front they told us we couldn't get in because we were wearing shorts (it’s hot in Venice.) Dad had on his shorts that he can zip pieces onto and turn into pants. He got in. After he came out we had a crazy idea. We safety pinned his pants pieces onto my shorts. I was now wearing super cool duel-tone capris with added safety pins for effect. I got in and got to see the organs ha-ha.
One of my favorite things was, as expected, all the gelato. I have tried lemon, cantaloupe, rum raisin (i did not know what it was when i ordered it,) and pistachio, and I'm not out of Italy yet. We decided to try different things all day instead of having a big meal. We ate a lot of gelato, some interesting pastries, and some fruit. A big thing in Venice is glass. There were shops selling it everywhere. It was really pretty. We walked all around looking at the shops. The GPS said that we walked 10 miles.
We went home and stopped at an Italian restaurant and got some authentic pizza, it was really good. It was the best pizza I have ever had. The crust wasn't quite as doughy as most pizzas in the US are. It was thinner and crispy, but no craker like.
Dad and I went and played basketball. I got to play one on one with this guy that was practicing there. It was a great workout. With all the eating we are doing it's a good thing we're exercising.
We just ate breakfast at the hotel and now we are off to Cinque Terra. Cinque Terra is 5 Italian villages that are linked together by walking paths, not roads. Cinque means five and Terra means town in Italian. The Lloyds’ recommended this place and said it was really pretty. It will probably be a little less crowded than Venezia.
Sarah
Tuesday, June 1, 2010
Once Upon a Time....
So there I was. I went on a run through the beautiful hills and mountian towns of Austria all the while my heart filled with the sound of music :) . I ran up the tallest peak until I came to a medieval castle. Its towers plunged into the sky. It was surrounded by a river and as I explored the castle I saw the amazing decorations and paintings. I came upon a secret tunnel that led to a tower. I climbed the 768 steps to the very top of the castle tower where I looked out and admired the view. I was so high up that all the little peasants looked like ants. Befor I knew what was happening a key stuck in the lock and the lock shattered into a million pieces. I was stuck!! Many handsome princes came and tried to unlock the door. Finally prince charming arrived. He stuck a tool in the lock and with a twist I was free!!!We rode off into the sunset on our horse-drawn carriage to live happily ever after on gelato and pastrys. That is what happend.... well, maybe not quite like that. :)
On sunday morning we went to church with the Lloyds. After church we had a picnic lunch with fresh rolls, meat, cheese, and fruit. We climbed up a mountain to get to the old, mideavl castle on top. (I wasn't joking about the castle or the mountain.) I had a lot of fun at the castle. It was very old and exciting. The second castle we went to was more like a palace. The decorations were the originals and everything was extravagent. The chaneliers were all huge and made of clear glass, there was gold, silver, and bronze furniture in every room, and the beds had large, draping canopies. After that we all went home to bed and crashed.
Yesterday we climbed 768 steps up the tallest church steeple in the world. The view from the top was amazing. I discovered that I am afraid of heights when I am on a man-made structure. The church itself was made in the gothic style, it wasn't very pretty, but it was really cool. My favorite thing about the church was the monster pipe-organ.
We then went to the castle that Walt Disney modled his castle after. It was reallz pretty. There were little rivers and waterfalls along the path we took to get there.We climed up to a bridge above the castle. Everything was very beautiful. On our way down we rode on a horse drawn carriage. Here we said goodbye to the Lloyds and took off for Austria. The drive was very pretty. It was really neat to see the Alps. The shorter ones were all in bloom and looked very inviting. The talls ones were rocky, snowy, and very forboding. We arrived at Litchenstein and began searching for a place to stay. After looking for about a half and hour (this town is the size of the downtown portion of kodiak) we found one. One strange thing here is that you pay by person, not room; so I was going to have my own room on the floor above my parents. Mom went up with me and when she left I locked the door. When I pulled the key out part of the lock came with it. Thats when I knew I was in trouble. I told mom to wait a minute and I tried to get out by myself. It soon became apparent that I wasn't going to get out by myself. Mom went and got the hotel guy and he came up and worked for a while. He then remarked " This is not good"... ya think? He called somone else and they still couldn't figure out how to get me out. Dad came up and the guy went to get some more tools. Dad saw immedately what was wrong and with a quick twist I was out and to bed.
This morning I went on an hour long run through fields and meadows and hills. It was fun to run in Austria. (For those of you that don't know, this is where the sound of music took place.)
So as you can see, Most of my story was really true, just a little mixed up and exagerated. I'll post pictures as soon as we can use our laptop again. Talk to you later.
Sarah
On sunday morning we went to church with the Lloyds. After church we had a picnic lunch with fresh rolls, meat, cheese, and fruit. We climbed up a mountain to get to the old, mideavl castle on top. (I wasn't joking about the castle or the mountain.) I had a lot of fun at the castle. It was very old and exciting. The second castle we went to was more like a palace. The decorations were the originals and everything was extravagent. The chaneliers were all huge and made of clear glass, there was gold, silver, and bronze furniture in every room, and the beds had large, draping canopies. After that we all went home to bed and crashed.
Yesterday we climbed 768 steps up the tallest church steeple in the world. The view from the top was amazing. I discovered that I am afraid of heights when I am on a man-made structure. The church itself was made in the gothic style, it wasn't very pretty, but it was really cool. My favorite thing about the church was the monster pipe-organ.
We then went to the castle that Walt Disney modled his castle after. It was reallz pretty. There were little rivers and waterfalls along the path we took to get there.We climed up to a bridge above the castle. Everything was very beautiful. On our way down we rode on a horse drawn carriage. Here we said goodbye to the Lloyds and took off for Austria. The drive was very pretty. It was really neat to see the Alps. The shorter ones were all in bloom and looked very inviting. The talls ones were rocky, snowy, and very forboding. We arrived at Litchenstein and began searching for a place to stay. After looking for about a half and hour (this town is the size of the downtown portion of kodiak) we found one. One strange thing here is that you pay by person, not room; so I was going to have my own room on the floor above my parents. Mom went up with me and when she left I locked the door. When I pulled the key out part of the lock came with it. Thats when I knew I was in trouble. I told mom to wait a minute and I tried to get out by myself. It soon became apparent that I wasn't going to get out by myself. Mom went and got the hotel guy and he came up and worked for a while. He then remarked " This is not good"... ya think? He called somone else and they still couldn't figure out how to get me out. Dad came up and the guy went to get some more tools. Dad saw immedately what was wrong and with a quick twist I was out and to bed.
This morning I went on an hour long run through fields and meadows and hills. It was fun to run in Austria. (For those of you that don't know, this is where the sound of music took place.)
So as you can see, Most of my story was really true, just a little mixed up and exagerated. I'll post pictures as soon as we can use our laptop again. Talk to you later.
Sarah
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