Oostende, Belgium

Last week we took a small little family holiday to the waters of the North Sea. It was the perfect place to get away and relax. We rented an apartment right on the beachfront and made no plans for the week. But before we did our relaxing we had to check off one last Trappist monastery on our Belgian Beer list... Westmalle.

Westmalle is a small little town half way between us and the beach- perfect! We stopped and had a nice little lunch and a short walk of the area. J. and I have both had this beer before, and it is delicious, but we were surprised to see that this is the only trappist beer sold out of a keg... imagine having a keg of trappist beer at your house! (My pants would no longer fit!) Most Trappist beers are bottle fermented so this was a novelty for us as well as a nice little completion to our tour of Belgium Trappist beers- one left in the Netherlands to check off still!

And now for the fun: many a hour were spent on the sand and in the surf in Oostende with a few ventures inland and up the coast to see what was about. We did a lot of lounging and did our fair share of sampling the local cuisine and little of anything else. Although I did manage to fall into the ocean and kill my ipod. All in all it was a nice family trip that we will all look forward to repeating.

PHOTOS

Mecca of Beer

Five down and two to go... Trappist monasteries that make and sell their own beer that is. This past weekend's travels took us to the little town of Westvleteren, Belgium. Westvleteren is the home of The Abbey of Saint Sixtus where the little known and well loved Trappist ale is brewed.
Let me start at the beginning though. Westvleteren is a three hour drive from where we live, and for little ones, driving in the car for more than 10 minutes is boring. We decided to stay the night in the town of Poperinge which is about 10km from the Abby. Poperinge is well known for it's history in WWI & WWII but also for it's hops. The town is home to the national hop meuseum and several historic buildings. We were able to secure our lodging at the Hotel Recour in their beautiful Urania suite. The town in itself boasts many dining opportunities and the chance to taste local and country beer.
Being so close to the French border we were surprised to find that the food as well as the language spoken is Dutch/ Flemish. Being in Flanders we should have known better, but we did not. The meals were not the best we've ever eaten in Belgium, but the beers we had to accompany them made up for any shortcomings.
The Abbey of Saint Sixtus of Westvleteren is one of the most exclusive monasteries to sell beer. You must make an appointment on the day they specify on their website and then you are given a day and a time that you're able to pick up your beer. You also must give your license plate number and are only allowed 3 crates of beer on your pick up. You are not allowed to sell this beer that you've then purchased nor are you allowed to come back again in the month to pick up more beer. So, I spent over three hours trying to get on the queue for the phone, three hours in the car to drive there, a day to visit the area and then almost four hours to drive home (lots of traffic). This has to be the most expensive beer we've ever owned! Oh, and we brought home the Westvleteren 12 for those interested.

On a side note; apparently the Belgians cannot be without bread for even a moment:

PS: I found love in Belgium too.. shsssh, don't tell J:

Bavaira

After spending three New Years' holidays here in Germany, we took a trip to the south. Way south. Bavaria south. And I am so glad that we did. Who knew that Germany could be so diverse? Well, a lot of people actually, but I'm glad to know that I'm one of the lucky ones to have been able to see it first hand!

Driving to our destination we took a small detour to see the famous Neuschwanstein Castle. Burr... being a 40 minute walk uphill with two small children, we were only able to view this lovely Cinderella Esque castle from afar, but it was still a nice view. We had a quick bite to eat, some hot chocolate to warm up and then on to our destination.

The military has special lodging for it's members to get away and relax, and this is just what we did. Visiting the town of Garmisch-Partenkirchen, we stayed in the resort Edelweiss. Hello Alps, hello beautiful snow filled valleys, hello Bavaria! W. was in heaven. Not only did our hotel have a pool (that opens at 7am!) it had a hot tub and dining on-site! There was plenty of snow out of doors to make snow angels and for eating. (I'm not sure why, but this is very important to her- the snow must be consumed!)

We were able to meet up with some friends, and on the first full day there J. took advantage of the ski slopes 5 minutes away followed by a hot stone massage and then the best Indian food we've had in Germany. It was a good day.

The next day it was my turn to hit the slopes... unfortunately, they hit me, and after only two hours, I was ready to go home. W. and daddy tackled the lower half of the mountains though and sledded until W. was on the verge of collapse. T. took time to nap the afternoon away with mommy...

Being only an hour away from Munich, we drove over there for some lunch and a little sight-seeing. I have always wanted to go to the Hofbrauhaus and have a beer. I was not disappointed- the food was delicious, and the beers extraordinarily large. Smoking is prohibited, so the place is much cleaner then is has been in previous years, and it is very family friendly. W. enjoyed the pretzels, and T. tried to also... as well as the beer, and coasters and what ever else he could grab.

Driving home we encountered a lot of snow, but we made it safely, and I commend the Germans for keeping the autobahn so clean and clear, it was a wonderful vacation!

Dublin

For my 31st birthday I was able to take a trip with a girlfriend and my son to the beautiful country of Ireland. We spent three days and three nights touring the city and surrounding countryside. We were able to get accommodation on Pembroke st, in the Ballsbridge area. A very nice townhouse that had been converted into a small hotel. We were about a mile from St. Stevens Green, and a half mile from the tour bus stop.

Being with out husbands, the first day we decided to hit the shopping district on Grafton St.. This is a pedestrian only area filled with many shops and a large indoor mall. It is located across from Trinity college, so the area was covered in co-eds looking for shopping bargains. We lunched in a small pub off of Grafton st. and enjoyed traditional Irish fare with a couple of pints of Guinness.

The following day we took the Dublin Tourist Bus through the town where we were able to visit the Guinness factory, and see all of the major attractions Dublin has to offer. The Guinness factory is well worth a visit to any beer enthusiast, and even if you don't like beer, it's an interesting place to visit to see how the process works. On our bus tour we were also able to see St. Patricks cathedral, Cathal Brugha Street, Guinness Storehouse - St James's Gate, Abbey Street - Lower O'Connell St, Museum of Modern Art - Royal Hospital Kilmainham, Trinity College Dublin - College Green, Kilmainham Gaol - Old Kilmainham, Nassau Street - Nassau Street, Heuston Rail Station - St. John's Road, National Gallery. - Merrion Square West, Dublin Zoo - Phoenix Park, Government Buildings - Merrion Sq West., Ryan's Victorian Bar - Parkgate Street., St. Stephen's Green - Grafton Street.,National Museum - Collin's Barracks, Tourism Centre - Suffolk Street., Old Jameson Distillery - Smithfield, Temple Bar - Dame Street.,Liffey River Cruise - Bachelor's Walk, Dublin Castle - Cork Hill, Dublin Bus HQ - Upper O'Connell Street, Christchurch / Dvblinia - Christ Church Place. ans the Writers' Museum - Parnell Square North Whew! It was a good thing we were on a bus! Here's a map of Dublin: http://www.visitdublin.com/pdf/DublinCityAttractions&AreaMap.pdf

Our final day in Dublin, we decided to leave the city and see the surrounding area. There was a tour of county Wicklow with stops at Glendalough and Avoca. This all day tour left Dublin in the morning and drove to the monastic settlement founded by Saint Kevin. Deep within the Wicklow Mountains, surrounded on all sides by steep mountain passes Glendalough the valley of two lakes, is one of the most spectacular locations to visit in Ireland. The ruins of the monastery coupled with the centuries old cemetery made this stop on our tour worth the twisty motion-sickness induced-ride to get there.

Our last stop on the tour was in the town of Avoca to the The Handweaving Mill. The mill is the oldest working woollen mill in Ireland. It is also Ireland's oldest surviving business. Not only do they weave wool there, but they have a terrific little cafeteria that fills the rumble in your belly just in time. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Avoca_Handweavers

In all, our stay in the Emerald isle was a beautiful delightful one, and I look forward to the opportunity to go back- taking the rest of the family with me!

If you're interested in Ireland, here are a couple of great books to read by Edward Rutherford:
The Princes of Ireland: The Dublin Saga, The Rebels of Ireland: The Dublin Saga

A link to some photos of the place:

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=183545&id=758239743&l=21282d7f16

Champagne, France

Four years of marriage have seemed to have just flown by. To celebrate we took a long weekend trip to France. Along the way however, we had to make a stop at one of our favorite monasteries, Orval. Situated on the Belgium- French border, Orval is one of the 7 remaining trappist monasteries in the world. We have been here before, J., W., and I but we didn’t have time to tour the place. This trip we did; and we had a wonderful time exploring the ruins of the old monastery.
We were then off to stay the night in our chateau B&B in France. Situated in the tiniest of villages in the Champagne region, Harricourt the chateau La Montgonière was a rustic home built in the 1700’s. http://lamontgoniere.free.fr/indexeng.htm
J., T., and I took a trip from our chateau to the heart of the Champagne region, Reims and Épernay. In the town of Épernay, we were able to visit the champagne house Moët et Chandon and tour their cellars. What a great experience we had, and the sampling at the end of the tour was most welcome. We both learned a lot about champagne making and why Dom Perignon is considered to be the best champagne in the world.
After a fun-filled day of champagne tasting, our next day took us to the town of Sedan, 10k from the Belgium border, located in the historic Ardennes. Sedan is the home of the largest fortified castle in Europe, which now is home to a hotel as well as a museum. This area of France is well know for the important battles played there, not the least of which was the WWII battle which involved the Maginot Line.
Oh, and least I forget to mention, the food was fabulous! We have no idea what we ate, but we really enjoyed it.

Here’s a link to our photos: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=141299&id=758239743&l=a417d2e3c9

Yet another monistary visit

What do you do on a lazy rainy Sunday? Well if you're an Archer living in Europe, you visit a Trappist brewery. Today happened to be our lucky day, and being only an hour and a quarter drive from fine beer prompted us all to load up in the Subaru and head over to Belgium. Once there we enjoyed delicious sandwiches at the monastery cafeteria, and of course Achel beer- both the blonde and brun for those interested. They also have fantastic soup and soft serve ice cream which W. can attest for. There is a small wooded area with trails, and horses pulling buggies in the street. The monastery property is located in both Belgium and Netherlands, so you really can be two places at once! We weren’t able to tour the grounds- but we did see a couple of monks. What a treat for a Sunday in Europe!

And because I didn't bring my camera with me, here are some shots of W. practicing the backstroke in the tub. Enjoy!

Summer fun

Wow, the time is just flying by. I can't believe that it's already August! Only a few short months and the weather will turn and for most of us that will mean sweaters and mittens and steaming mugs of deliciousness. However it is still summer and we are enjoying the spoils of the season. As a family we haven't been 'doing' too much of anything, so we decided we needed to go some where. Luckily we live in such a place where there's plenty of some where’s to go. We really haven't done too much camping since W.'s birth, and so it was decided that now is as good of time as any to go. Off we were to one of our favorite countries; Belgium. Where not only do they have rock climbing- which I've been jonsin' to do, but they have beer.

My first tip that something might be amiss is when we drove into the campsite, and I didn't see any other toddlers. We searched for the perfect campsite by driving in a circle around the park, and choosing one of the three available remaining spots. W. was a great helper while we set up camp. She was in charge of driving the parked car, and is now a master at using the horn, much to the annoyance of her mother. And it wouldn't be camping if there wasn't an abundance of food. J. found a comfy seat in the tent and proceeded to teach W. how to feed him. She is now a master at opening the cooler and rooting for junk food. They both seemed to love this, and who am I to discourage father-daughter bonding?
Sleeping with a two year old is not really my idea of a good time. All night you're getting kicked elbowed or having your blankets removed. Not withstanding the physical discomforts, as a mother I am constantly worried that something might happen while W. is asleep, and I won't know about it. So when she is lying next to me, every time I move, I need to check on her. Sleeping on the ground affords many of these opportunities. But the real obstacle camping with a toddler is getting to the sleeping part. Saturday was very exciting for W.- so much to see and do that she didn't take a nap. (Not for a lack of me trying to convince her to take one) So by 8pm, I thought that she would be exhausted. NOPE! Being in a tent is awesome, and who in their right mind would want to sleep? Finally at 10pm her little eyes shut, and soon after mine did too.

It seems in Europe you need to belong to some sort of mountain climbing club to be able to climb the rocks. So unfortunately we were left on the sidelines admiring the boulders from afar, but we've got a pretty good idea of what to expect for next time. In Belgium almost all of the land is privately owned. In order to climb, you need to get the land owners permission, and pay a fee. However the countryside is beautiful and the rocks are enticing, so we'll be back...

We did however check out the Chimay monastery and sample all of their delicious beers and cheeses. This is one of the nicer Trappist monasteries that I’ve been to. If you’re ever in the area, check them out, you’ll be glad that you did. http://www.chimay.com/en/intro_58.php

Here's a few parting shots from when we came home, and were putting our supplies away. (Many days W. pretends that she's a cat. She'll meow and make slurping noises like she's licking something. As you can see, she is also taking on other feline characteristics!)