Back home to Heinsberg. And more beer!

We really felt like we couldn't top our stay in Bruges.  But we did manage to keep things entertaining during the remainder of my Mom and Dad's visit.

We had fun showing them our everyday life - taking them to base, on our favorite Lola walk, the stables and even going to a local Oktoberfest in nearby Haaren.

We couldn't have asked for a better visit and we feel so fortunate that both sets of our parents were able to see our German life!

Visit to the base... I think we are in the lemon car sale lot!?!

Taking Lola on the "poop loop" as we fondly call it.

Kleine Maus loves the poop loop.

Bad pic of me, but decent of Santos.  I'm so glad my parents got to see him.  The next week, he came down with a blood disease and to my total dismay and shock, they had to put him down.  He was such a good sweet horse, and I miss him!

Outside our house, one year after the move!

Since we got our fill of Belgian beer the week before, we did our best to even things out by going to the local German Oktoberfest and enjoying the Paulener, Lowenbrau, etc for the evening!

And yes, Colin and I did buy lederhosen and a dirndl.

We had some friends over and hopped the bus to Haaren for the 'fest.

Like Mother...

Like daughter!

Prost!!

As the Haaren Oktoberfest was one of our first postings last year, it was fun for us to mark a whole year in Germany by celebrating with my parents and our friends.

Can't wait to see what this next year has in store for us!!!

Bruges and Beer

The weekend after we returned from Rome, my parents came to stay with us!

They spent a day in Heinsberg, checked out base and the area, and then we all went to Bruges together.  What a fun fun trip.  After all the sight-seeing in Rome, Colin and I were happy to be in a place where your main focus is simply to have fun!  Plus, it was sunny and warm this time we were in Bruges, making it even more beautiful than it was last year.

On our first day, we walked around town, went to De Halve Maan brewery for some beer, grabbed some Leonida's chocolate and took a canal ride.

 

The next day, we rented bikes and rode down the canal to the nearby town of Damme.  We had just thought it would be fun to get on bikes and see some of the old windmills, but low and behold... we stumbled upon a beer tasting festival!  As my dad loves to do our own beer tastings at home, he was pretty much in heaven.  And as a big fan of Belgian beer, Colin had no complaints either!

We spent hours trying the different beers, then eating in the market square and biking home.  It was a real highlight of the trip to Bruges!

Headed toward Damme

 

We were all entertained by the fact that the beer tasting took place in the church cellar.

Mom and I by the hops truck!

A girl who does this...

Later thought it would be a good idea to pose beside a stuffed boar...

We enjoyed cheeses, pumpkin bread and wild boar in the market square before trying to ride home...

Lets just say the ride back to Bruges wasn't as smooth as the ride to Damme...  but it made for many laughs... and a sunset photo shoot...

Yes, this is a picture my dad took of my mom taking a picture of us...

And this is a picture of me taking a picture of Colin falling off his bike.  The first time, that is...

He's ok, folks!

So fun!

Roma!

After our Normandy adventure, Tom and Judy stayed with us a few days in our little town of Heinsberg.  They bought a German phrase book and explored the old town every day, making friends with all the Germans.  Our neighbors were also thrilled to meet them.

Then, we took off for a long weekend in Rome!  What an adventure.  From start to finish we were on our feet, going from site to site and taking in so much information... and Italian food and wine! 

First Glimpse of the Vatican from our tour bus

 Since I remember the crazy crowds in Rome from my college study abroad, Colin and I decided to do at least the Vatican with a guided tour.  We are so glad we did!  Our group tour got us into the Sistine Chapel at least a half hour before it opened to the public.  It was an incredible experience to be able to just sit in the Chapel, stare at the paintings in utter awe, and learn all the details behind Michelangelo's masterpiece.    It was quiet and peaceful inside with maybe just 2 other small tour groups - what a luxury!  After that, we toured the Vatican Museum and St. Peter's.

St. Peter's Basilica. 

 Meet Colin's friend "Emma".  Before our tour, I had not one, not two, but three different people approach me thinking I was the tour guide.  I must just scream nerdiness at first impression!  Even one of the other tour guides thought I was a tour guide.  Ayayay.  I guess now is the time to admit that I wear Colin's sport stop watch while traveling so I stay punctual.  Fortunately it is cut out of this pic!

The ceilings in the Vatican Museum are all incredible.  It was fun to see this after seeing a similar room in The Hermitage in St. Petersburg modeled after this ceiling.

I'm a huge nerd about maps.  So the ridiculously detailed and to-scale Map Gallery always gets my heart a flutter.

Raphael's School of Athens

Alter in St. Peter's Basilica

The Pieta.   I wish it did not have to be behind glass!

Pope John Paul II's tomb

Swiss Guards outside St. Peter's.

After every big site, the best way to unwind, we found, was to find some delicious Italian food.  So we headed over to my fav Roma neighborhood, the Trastevere, for some recommended pizza.  Called Dar Poeta, we agreed it was poetic pizza.

Then we walked back to our hotel to get ready for our next adventure.

We love the mini-cars!

Colin and I stopped for some wine at this mini-piazza near Campo Fiore.  A women was playing the cello so impeccably that we ended up staying for a few glasses.  She played the same beautiful piece that my Grandmother Marjorie and Uncle Bob played during our wedding ceremony: the Swan from Carnival of the Animals by Saint Saens. 

After a few glasses of wine I was of course misty-eyed with the fabulous memory.   What could be more romantic than hearing it again in a tiny square in Rome, Italy with my husband?  It was one of the many moments when I know Colin and I are so lucky to have each other and our charmed life. 

In addition to the Vatican, we toured numerous churches in Rome.  We toured St. Giovanni in Laterano, the first Christian Church in the city of Rome, opened in about A.D. 318, which is where the popes were "crowned" until 1870.  Even today it is considered the home church of the bishop of Rome (the Pope).

The Bishop's Chair - one month after the election of the pope, he must actually sit in the chair for it to be official.  Pope Benedict XVI took his seat on May 3, 2005.

The Temple of Jupiter - tradition says that pagan Rome's former holiest spot once stood here in the San Giovanni church.

Next to San Giovanni is a building that houses the Scala Santa (Holy Stairs).  In 326, Emporer Constantine's mother St. Helena brought home these 28 marble steps from Pontius Pilate's residence in Jerusalem. Jesus is said to have climbed these steps on the day he was sentenced to death, and the blood that fell is still marked on them.   Each day, hundreds of people climb these steps on their knees.  While we did not climb the steps, we appreciated the reverence of the scene.

After a day full of activities like these, we always looked forward to a delicious dinner of Italian food and wine, and usually ended the night with some gelato!  We saw the Trevi Fountain and Spanish Steps at nighttime after dinner.

Gelato Stop

Trevi Fountain

Spanish Steps

We saved the ancient sites for a separate day, enjoying the Colosseum, Arch of Constantine and Roman Forum in the morning before the crowds were too terrible.

It was truly the trip of a lifetime - all in one weekend!  We were sad to have to say goodbye to Colin's parents at the end of the weekend, but so glad we were able to share such great memories together.