Random Pictures

Before our last trip to Rome, the hubs dumped all the pictures from our assorted memory cards and put them on my computer. Here are a few I found and really loved.

This was our first weekend in Germany.  We took the train to go exploring.

Our first trip to Cologne and the amazing Chocolate Museum.

Those two up above were from my first trip to Paris.  It was also my parents first trip over here to see us.  My mom and I were so giddy to be in Paris that we could hardly stand it.

Brandenberg Gate in Berlin

Ok, so this one is another one from Paris.  It was when I decided to spend my 30th birthday there and our friends Mark and Megan came over from England to celebrate with us.  It was an amazing weekend and I'm so glad I could share it with them.

I know I'm behind on my travel posts since I haven't put up Copenhagen or Rome yet.  Hopefully one day soon I'll get to it.   But for now, enjoy! :)

Lovely Dinner Post

Italian comfort in a bowl. Can't get better than this.

This is one of our favorite quick pasta recipes.  We had something similar the first time we went to Rome and it's amazing.  The orange really lightens up the recipe but it still tastes extremely decadent.  I highly suggest you try it one night for dinner.  You'll thank me, I promise.

A Few Pics From Oslo

 Just a quick post about part of our recent trip.

We spent 4 days in Oslo last month and it was absolutely beautiful.  I was expecting colder, damp weather and what we got literally burned my face.  It was sunny and beautiful.   

Part of the fortress

 The food was OK, not really spectacular in my book.  TGIFridays were every where! We didn't eat at one, though.  I stuck to mostly steaks and chicken when I could find it as I'm not a huge seafood person. The hubs was mostly the same except one night he had reindeer which he said was pretty good.

City Hall and most of the city as seen from the Fjord

One of the weird statues in Viegeland Park

Alaska at the city fortress manning the guns. Tally Ho chaps!

 The people were really friendly and it was an awesome atmosphere.  Our hotel was next to some phenomenal museums and restaurants so that made for some nice touristy days. Everything was very expensive though so we made sure to load up on breakfast at the hotel since it was included in our room price.  Sometimes I really am my father's daughter :)

 

On top of the Holmenkollen Ski Jump

 We spent a lot of time wandering the city and admiring all the architecture and art.  There were beautiful statues everywhere! And, a big plus for me, most of the bookshops had a huge English section.  Most people in Norway speak English fluently and so they have a great selection in their book stores.  I did notice, however, that the English books were actually from England and generally not America. I bought a few books that were by UK authors and I didn't see a whole lot of American books unless they were a huge International series like 50 Shades of Gray and the like.

Hehe

 We finished off the trip with a ferry ride to Copenhagen.  It was an overnight trip that was basically a mini cruise.  It had several shops, restaurants and entertainment facilities.  The hubs was beside himself with joy at the whole prospect.

The hubs watching us pull out of Oslo Fjord

Our trip was amazing and I'd love to go back if I could afford to - meaning I'd have to be making Norwegian Krone or a crap load more USD!

This Makes Me Want To Go Back To Rome

For the art, and the food, and the culture.  Not for the perfectly sculpted butts.  Although, those are nice too.

Been A Long Time

Ok, so I've been unexcusably lax in my blog here and I apologize.  But, I do have some great pictures to show for the trip we took with my parents.

My dad chasing a pigeon for me.  All hail the Might Pigeon Wrangler!

Having a spot of lunch at the Chateau Versailles

Stupid Swans!

 Ok, so I have a story about those swans up there.  Were at the Grand Canal at the Chateau Versailles and after lunch we were having a small stroll and taking pictures. I was trying to decide if I wanted to rent one of the boats and go out when I saw these swans making a heart with their heads.  No joke, it was a perfect heart.  I got so excited I tried to snap several pictures but as soon as I did they started to move.  This was the best picture of them I got.

The Chateau looking up from the canal.

Alaska trying to blend in.

One of the funnest things we did was rent a go cart and drive around the grounds of Versailles.  It's on a predetermined track and if you deviate the whole thing stops and tells you get into reverse and go back the way you came.  The hubs was our navigator and he was kind of lousy at it (took us off the track twice) but we had a lot of fun anyway. 

The best pigeon and Alaska picture I could manage.

My wonderful parents!

We ended the trip by spending the night in Frankfurt.  I got to see part of the city I'd never seen before and we had a good time.  The hotel I picked was really weird but they didn't axe murder us in our sleep so that was a plus.

Our next trip we're going to hit Oslo and Copenhagen and I'm really looking forward to that one.  I can't wait to post pictures of me and a viking ship.  Rawr.

Alaska Gnome and His Great Adventures

For those of you not aware, my sister gave me the official Travelocity Roaming Gnome last year.  His name is Alaska Gnome. I was tasked with taking him places and posing him in pictures. So far, he's been to England twice and several places in Germany.  He will be going to Switzerland and Paris next month as well.  He really does get around!

Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany - Looking out our hotel room.

We're hoping to go to Denmark and Norway this summer as well so he'll be able to get those countries under his belt, too.  Before we leave Germany I'd like to at least visit Amsterdam if not spend the weekend there. 

London, England - Again, looking out our hotel room at Big Ben.

Some days he is kind of a pain to carry around but I swear we are taking a back pack with us to Paris this time!  When we were in London my shoulders ached from having to keep switching the side my purse was on and it got so heavy; even small souvenirs start to add up. 

The sis had a great idea of getting bumper stickers and covering him with them, but I kind of like the idea of doing it with stamps. They're smaller and once I get back to the States I can get some Mod Podge and stick 'em right on.  I still have some peeps that can send me some stamps from Jolly Old England and then I'll just have to make sure and buy extra stamps when I travel from  now on.  Oh, and you better believe he's getting his picture at Hard Rock! :-)

Frankfurt Follies

So I ran across this picture this weekend when I finally plugged in the SD card from my camera.  This particular picture was taken at a Starbucks in Frankfurt. We'd stopped in to get something warm to drink because we'd been wandering around the Christmas market most of the afternoon.  We decided to have fun with the camera and the hubs is always giving me a hard time about how there are never any pictures of me.  So there, here's a picture of me.  And also evidence that he may want to eat my face.  Ew.

Some days I'm not so sure about his motives . . .