2010 Snapshot

Taken tonight as the sun set on 2010 in the Canary Islands! 

2010 was an incredible year: Our first nephew Max was born and is as cute as can be, engagement and pregnancies were announced, weddings were attended, our family is healthy, we sold Justin's bachelor pad, there were job promotions, the Blackhawks won the Stanley cup, an amazing group of friends supported us and the opportunity to see 12 countries and 40+ cities presented itself. I'd say 2010 goes down as one of my favorite years. Here's to a fanatic year and looking ahead to what's in store in 2011! Prost! 

Taken in Spain, our first stop on this crazy adventure

With my momma in Paris (our second trip there together!)

One of my favorite pictures from our time abroad

Justin at the flower farms in Nussloch. I will really miss these!!

Trouble in Munich... At Oktoberfest with Caitlin!

Trouble moved east to Prauge in front of the Lennon wall

San Sebastian. Best beaches!

Ashley, Kelly, Colleen and I in front of a Salzburg bar we were not welcomed in! 

J and E in Switzerland picking out our retirement home!

One of my favorite pics from the engagment photo shoot I made Glenn and Juli partake in

J and Grahm in front of their grandmother's old condo in Darmstadt. Can you believe she moved over with the whole family to help out for five years? Amazing!

Part of the Stein fam in Paris. Celebrating my dad's 60th and my parents anniversary! 

Thank you to everyone who read my blog over the past six months! Happy New Year!!

Travel Lessons Learned

The library in our hotel in Elciego

Today marks the first day of our last month in Germany. While that makes us sad, we are also excited to return home! Looking back, it is hard to believe how much ground we have covered in Western Europe and how many amazing experiences we have had. Through it all, we like to think we have become quite the savvy travelers, capable of even sharing a few tips for your next vacation:

1. When in Rome
Yes, it's cliche, but when you are experiencing other cultures, what better way to learn than to jump right in. For instance, Justin once ordered the local "speciality" in Strasborgh, France, and the veal showed up with a jaw and TEETH. It was awful, but at least it made for a good story! Just ask yourself, what's the worst that can happen?... Be adventurous!

2. Read the fine print
When buying train tickets to Paris, we opted for a slightly lower price on the French Railway vs. the higher German Railway. Turns out to obtain the French tickets, you must do so IN France. Sure, we saved on the tickets, but we were forced to drive two hours across the border to pick them up. Sometimes it pays to spend a bit more and definitely pay attention to details!

3. Pack appropriately then divide by two
I'm the queen of over packing and I haven't seemed to master this yet, though I am getting better! My advice is to lay everything out and then be honest with yourself about what you will actually wear. 10 outfits and five pairs of shoes for a weekender might be a bit excessive. Plus, hauling it all is a pain! There is something to be said for traveling lightly...

4. Do research before getting there
How bummed would you be if you went to Rome and missed the Trevi Fountain? It can happen so easily! Spend some time researching your destination and jot down what you want to see. Chances are you'll discover places you love not on your list just by chance, but having must sees will curb post trip regret.

5. Don't eat at the first restaurant you see
Or buy gifts at the first store, park in the first garage, etc. There is usually a better deal around the corner. And if not, at least you can feel good about your decision!

6. Trains are not always the cheapest option
Renting a car or flying are sometimes the more economical option. The European Railways are not as cheap as they once were. Also, airlines such as Ryan Air may appear cheap, but the airports tend to be way outside the city and checking luggage can be astronomical (and rumor has it the on board bathrooms aren't free!). Do research before deciding on a mode of transportation and take time spent and costs into account.

7. Buy museum passes/tours ahead of time
Lines are such a bummer when you are anxious to see a sight. While doing research, see if tickets are available online. Oftentimes they are, and you can skip the line leaving more time to explore.
Also, many museums will offer discounts during off-peak hours. Research these and you can save $$!

8. Double check your camera and phone batteries/equipment
When my friend came to visit, she packed her camera and charger, but forgot the battery at home! It was an expensive and irritating mishap for her. Double check electronics before heading to the airport.

9. Go somewhere new
If you've been to Paris four times, why not venture to Monaco? Trying something new usually does not disappoint. There are so many amazing cities out there, it would take lifetimes to see them all. Might as well start now! You can always combine your old favorite with something new.

10. Don't eat in squares
This has become a theme for Justin and me. We avoid restaurants in famous city squares. Though the views might be nice, and certainly stay if that's what you are looking for, these restaurants are usually expensive and lower quality. Try walking a few blocks away. Also avoid empty restaurants and places where someone tries to hand you a menu outside. Those places tend to disappoint.

11. Talk to locals , avoid "strangers"
Ask the waiter at lunch where his favorite dinner spot is, or where he gets his gelato. Hotel personnel will usually steer in a direction where they get a kick-back, so they aren't the best source. Waiters, bar tenders, and friendly locals at the table next to you tend to be good people to get tips from. Friendly people on the street who come up to you are typically trying to scam tourists in or out of something. It is usually best to avoid these people all together.

Happy and safe travels to all!

Turkey in Provence

I loved the old architecture and the vines that grew up the old house walls  

I have so much to be thankful for this year: a healthy family, a wonderful husband, and precious nephew, new and old friends, a chance to explore Europe, the list goes on and on. Since we were unable to return the the States to reflect on this glorious year, we headed to Avignon, a town near Provence, France. It was there we dined on buttery croissants, flaky baguettes, creamy brie, magnificent wine and delicious turkey!

On top of Roussillon

While we weren't dining decadently, we spent our time sight seeing in the beautiful country side and visiting local wineries. Lacoste, Goult, Luberon were all tiny scenic towns we spent time in. Roussillon was another small town we went to that reminded us of Sedona, Arizona because of its rich red soil.

The chateau of Marquis de Sade in Lacoste 

Luberon, where Russell Crowe filmed "A Good Year"

It was a nice, relaxing trip and a Thanksgiving I will not soon forget. Now that we are back in Nussloch, I am busy working off the excess French calories- all enjoyed guilt free!

Girls Trip!

Living half way across the world from family and friends proves to be a bit lonely at times, so I was so excited for friends to fly over from Chicago last week! Our adventure started almost immediately after they stepped off the plane in Frankfurt (of course I brought them pretzels to the airport to kick off the journey!).

The first weekend we road-tripped to Salzburg, and Dornbirn, Austria, Munich, Germany, Zurich, Switzerland, and Strasbourg, France. It was a whirlwind tour that added about 1,000 miles to our rental car. Come Monday, our chauffeur had to get back to work and allow Girls Week to start.

Monday was spent in the thermal baths of Baden Baden, one of my favorite German cities. After a little relaxation and pampering there, we were ready to hit the road for Paris! Despite the massive country-wide strike, train cancellations and serious terrorist threats, we weren't going to let anything come between us and Louis Vuitton and the Eiffel Tower. Once we arrived in Paris we all felt safe due to the extreme amount of security surrounding the city's precious sites. We had such a great time sight seeing, shopping, dancing and of course, eating! The trip was a success despite the alleged chaos in the city!

Nussloch is a little quieter now that the girls have gone back to Chicago.  They definitely left their mark and I miss them already....Here are some of my favorite pictures from our vacation:

The Crew at Hangar 7 in Salzburg

Ashley, Colleen and Kelly with the "founder" of the champagne shower

With Ashley at the Eiffel Tower 

J and E with Colleen on the way up to Neuschwanstein Castle via horse drawn carriage

In Strasbourg- think it's a wine barrel 

Colleen teaching the Germans how we do it in Chicago. He later picked her up and paraded her around the restaurant.

Everyone make an X for Mexx!

Doing our own Sound of Music dance in Maribel Garden where scenes were filmed in Salzburg

Prost and Salute!

Hard to believe a year has passed since we said I do! To celebrate, a weekend full of wine was in order. 

Friday we headed Southwest, about 30 minutes, to Bad Durkheim and to the Duerkheimer Wurstmarkt and "the largest wine festival in the world." Now, I'm not sure if this claim holds true, but I do know that they pour the largest glasses of wine ever! 2€ bought an enormous glass that was really a serving fit for a large, cold brew. The wine was surprisingly good as were the assorted delicacies such as the potato latkes with applesauce (Reibekuchen) and the wood fired pizza (flammkuchen-literally flame cake). See, not all German food revolves around sausage! The festival was a nice warm up for Oktoberfest, which we will be attending in just two weeks! 

wine "tasting" glass

Next up was France and the Burgundy wine region. The Saturday morning drive was splendid on a clear day with cool, crisp fall air, and bright green hills as far as the eye could see. We headed to Beaune, the wine capitol of the region, and browsed the local market. We sampled the flaky baguettes and famous Epoisses cheese aka "stinky cheese." This cheese was to die for and I definitely have smelled much worse. I could probably eat Epoisses everyday... After our appetizer, we headed to lunch where Justin ordered a three course meal in the sunny 80 degree weather. I had a delicious quiche Lorraine and watched in envy as he devoured his Burgundian beef with potatoes au gratin, snails and cheese plate

baguette and cheese! 

How cute is this French candy display?

Justin enjoying snails! 

We then moseyed over to our chateau for the night, Chateau de Chorey les Beaune. This bed and breakfast is run by Beniot Germain who inherited the castle first constructed in the 13th century. The Germain family also produces wines grown on their property, which we had the pleasure of tasting. The Chardonnay grape actually originated in the Burgundy region, and he had a very earthy version ready for us to taste.

Our chateau for the evening

Later we attended a Jazz festival and wine tasting of Ladoit, a local winery. An amazing quartet, Aymeric Descharrieres, performed and I was really impressed. The band is lead by a  Polish man who is incredibly talented and writes his own innovative music. I am not the biggest jazz fan, but truly appreciated his talent. 

Sunday, after a delightful French farm breakfast at the chateau, we made our way to Dijon, home of the mustard. Dijon is a really nice town surrounded by vineyards. There we saw the Palais de Ducs (Duke's Palace) and grabbed some delicious local pastry before heading off to Strasbourg.

Lovely Strasbourg canal 

Strausbourg is located in the Alsace region and is where my grandfather's father was from. Gorgeous hilly  countryside bordering the Black Forest surrounds the area. Strasbourg was such a cute city! The Old Town is surrounded by a canal with flowered bridges leading to the city. The massive Cathedral is quite a sight to see.

Then it was time for dinner... I try to keep an open mind when it comes to the local cuisine, but this was just too much to handle... Justin was set on having Choucroute, a French version of sauerkraut, potatoes, and pork. As if that doesn't sound gross enough, his plate came with a gruesome "bonus"of a piglet's jaw- teeth included thrown in for flavor. The elderly waitress proudly remarked that they had obtained the piglet from the butcher that morning and were using pieces to flavor and garnish all their Choucroute plates. Only in France!

Needless to say, the anniversary celebration was a success. I wonder where life will take us next year...

To see all of our weekend pictures click here. 

Bonjour, Paris!

Eiffel Tower at night

There is nowhere on earth quite like Paris. It has a certain vibe that cannot be described in words nor experienced anywhere else. This past weekend we met my parents there to properly celebrate my dad's 60th and their 35th wedding anniversary. It's a big year for them to say the least! My mom and I had traveled to Paris together about 6 years ago, it was my dad's first visit and Justin's 7th trip (no joke). My dad, an architect, was in awe of the city and it's intricate detail. And the rest of us had not remembered Paris as being so wonderful as it was last weekend. We even had several encounters with very polite Parisians, a welcome change from previous visits. 

The City of Lights really is the epicenter of art. The Louvre contains more art than anyone could digest in a month. One room out of the Museum d'Orsay would be enough for most museums' entire collections. The Water Lilies housed at Museum de l'Orangerie are displayed in oval shaped rooms designed by Monet himself and are some of the most beautiful art I've ever experienced- even grander than on my trip to Zurich. Watching the Eiffel Tower twinkle at night atop the Arc de Triomphe is one of the coolest sights to be seen. And the architecture itself from the Pantheon, and Notre Dame, to apartment buildings dating back to the Napoleon era are breathtaking and unlike any other city on the planet.

Me taking pics of Monet's Water Lillies. You can see how the room was designed in this pic (my dad's photo)

And then there is the food and shopping. I easily could have spent weeks exploring all of the neighborhood stores and side street boutiques. If I had more time and money I would have come back to Nussloch with a new wardrobe (but sadly, I did not). We tasted macaron's, Mont Blanc's and sipped hot chocolate mixed table side at the legendary Angelina, where Coco Channel used to do the same. We ate delicious Jewish/Mediterranean food at Pitzman. And carefully filled our tummies with plenty of delicious treats in between.

The crew outside our hotel, the Westin Paris 

A wonderful Parisian weekend it was. It's always nice being with family, no matter where in the world you are, but it helps to be in a place as beautiful as Paris! For me, Paris is love at second site.

Me and mom on our first night (dad's photo)

Polished off the weekend with a tour and tasting at Moet and Chandon. Cheers to a big year and many, many more!

See all our of Paris and Moet pictures here.