We have been so lucky to have met some fabulous people since we've been at SHAPE. We've had people over to the house, gone to other's homes and even went out in public with our crazy child. My husband had to comment, "Why didn't we do this when we lived in Texas?" We did have friends in Texas, to be honest, we went out more with my friends. I'm pretty sure that was because when my husband had to live with his friends for a year at a time, when they got back to Texas from Iraq, they needed a break from each other.
When we were in Texas, we went out to eat with friends instead of having them to the house. Dinner was so much easier because the house didn't need to be cleaned because we were going out. We didn't have to clean up after dinner and dinner could be a quick affair because in the states, you're not hanging around the restaurant after your plates are taken.
Here in Belgium, dinner is easily a two hour commitment if you go out to eat. Refills are not free, sodas are from 8 ounce bottles and cost more than some beers. The waitstaff takes their time getting to you because they know that you're there to socialize as much as eat. After they come and take your order, be prepared to wait at least 30 minutes before your food comes, unless you order a starter, then you can wait longer for your entree.
You will have to flag down the waiter or go to the cash register to ask for your ticket. The staff will NOT bring you the check unless asked for because it is considered rude. They would be rushing you, and that just wouldn't happen, even to Americans. I think that the waitstaff thinks that we are rude if we don't order before dinner drinks, starters, entrees, desserts and after dinner drinks. Why are we in a rush? Isn't the food or restaurant to our liking?
Because of having a very active child that can't handle a 2 hour dinner in public, we have started to have people over almost once a week. Like I've said, we have met great people here, both my husband and I, and we have really started to like entertaining. NOT fancy entertaining, I'm not setting the table and serving the meal, but a nice buffet style dinner that is relaxing. Or we've grilled and sat outside in the few nice days we've had this summer.
We've made some new recipes and have gotten to work together in the kitchen. We've both been forced to clean the house and make it look like the kid only lives in one room of the house instead of having toys in every nook and cranny. We've been looking for healthy ways to make some of our favorite dishes. Our son has been excited to share his toys with friends that come over. We've gotten to play board games that have been hiding for years.
On top of that, we've been invited over to people's homes too and been able to sample some truly delicious meals. The one we had last night was restaurant quality Mexican food and I'm dreaming about it still today.
Our assignment at SHAPE has really helped reshape the way we socialize with new people and friends and has been a blessing to our family. I can honestly say, when we go back to the states, we'll be doing a lot less going out and a lot more having people over.
Sunday, July 29, 2012
Sunday, July 15, 2012
Stonehenge and Avebury
When we told our daughter that we were moving to Europe last year, the first thing she asked was if we could go see Stonehenge. That trip didn't happen last summer with the move, finding a new house and the husband starting a new job, but, we made it happen this year.
None of my British friends were that excited when I told them that we were going to see Stonehenge on our trip to the UK. Actually, most of them have never seen it themselves, and think that it's overrated. Two of my friends actually suggested many other things that were less preserved and less touristy. Well, we did both.
The weather this summer has been horrible in both Belgium and the United Kingdom, so we have been forced to just don our rain jackets and get on with it. While we made the very rainy drive from London to Stonehenge, we were all pretty quiet. With traffic, it was a much longer drive than we were expecting and we were all very hopeful that the rainy drive was going to be worth it. As we topped a hill on this two lane highway, it all became worth it. On the hill in front of us was Stonehenge, huge, beckoning us to come and see what all they hype was about.
We parked, fed the crabby 4 year old a snack and then shelled out extra money for an annual pass for the English Heritage sights. We picked up our audio guides and followed the small crowd under the highway and up the stairs so we could see Stonehenge. It was so amazing. Our daughter is a pretty mellow girl, but she was absolutely awestruck with the huge, ancient stones. None of us could get over the size of these stones and how truly amazing it was that they were still standing after a few thousand years.
Because of the stones' importance to many, many people, the English Heritage group has given the stones a wide berth from would be souvenir hunters, and the closest we were allowed to come to the main group was about 50 meters. We followed the path around the stones, listening to the audio guide and sharing tidbits that we found interesting. One thing we all found so interesting, but hadn't ever heard before is that there is an "avenue" that was followed from the River Avon up to the site. Between the heel stone and the main stones, it is clearly seen, but in the winter, the path is more easily distinguished from the usual farm fields and sheep pastures.
All four of us thoroughly enjoyed our visit and we excited to stop at the next location, a location that was recommended to me by the Air Commodore of the Royal Air Force. How could we not go?
Avebury, England is also the sight of some pretty massive standing stones. The stones in Avebury are not formed into specific shapes or in as tight as a group, but they are pretty impressive as well. Our son actually asked, "Daddy, why are those rocks growing out of the ground?" And that is exactly what it looks like.
These massive rocks in Avebury comprise 3 stone circles covering a few acres. The thing that we liked about this site is that you can go and walk among the stones and touch them and sit beneath them an ponder just how in the world they got there. The town grew up around the stones, and today, the stones are mostly found in fields and sheep pastures. The gates actually have signs saying that there are animals inside, please keep your dog on a leash and make sure the gate is shut. Really, how fun is that?
This area of England is full of amazing ancient artifacts that have been pretty well taken care of. They aren't pristine and commercial, but they are really, awesome. (to use my son's word of the moment) There was so much to do there, and we knew we had a pretty long drive to get to our next destination, but we will be going back to see more of the fabulous, unexplained places.
Oh yeah, and there are crop circles to go see too (easily explained crop circles, but I find it hilarious that they are there)
None of my British friends were that excited when I told them that we were going to see Stonehenge on our trip to the UK. Actually, most of them have never seen it themselves, and think that it's overrated. Two of my friends actually suggested many other things that were less preserved and less touristy. Well, we did both.
The weather this summer has been horrible in both Belgium and the United Kingdom, so we have been forced to just don our rain jackets and get on with it. While we made the very rainy drive from London to Stonehenge, we were all pretty quiet. With traffic, it was a much longer drive than we were expecting and we were all very hopeful that the rainy drive was going to be worth it. As we topped a hill on this two lane highway, it all became worth it. On the hill in front of us was Stonehenge, huge, beckoning us to come and see what all they hype was about.
We parked, fed the crabby 4 year old a snack and then shelled out extra money for an annual pass for the English Heritage sights. We picked up our audio guides and followed the small crowd under the highway and up the stairs so we could see Stonehenge. It was so amazing. Our daughter is a pretty mellow girl, but she was absolutely awestruck with the huge, ancient stones. None of us could get over the size of these stones and how truly amazing it was that they were still standing after a few thousand years.
Because of the stones' importance to many, many people, the English Heritage group has given the stones a wide berth from would be souvenir hunters, and the closest we were allowed to come to the main group was about 50 meters. We followed the path around the stones, listening to the audio guide and sharing tidbits that we found interesting. One thing we all found so interesting, but hadn't ever heard before is that there is an "avenue" that was followed from the River Avon up to the site. Between the heel stone and the main stones, it is clearly seen, but in the winter, the path is more easily distinguished from the usual farm fields and sheep pastures.
All four of us thoroughly enjoyed our visit and we excited to stop at the next location, a location that was recommended to me by the Air Commodore of the Royal Air Force. How could we not go?
Avebury, England is also the sight of some pretty massive standing stones. The stones in Avebury are not formed into specific shapes or in as tight as a group, but they are pretty impressive as well. Our son actually asked, "Daddy, why are those rocks growing out of the ground?" And that is exactly what it looks like.
These massive rocks in Avebury comprise 3 stone circles covering a few acres. The thing that we liked about this site is that you can go and walk among the stones and touch them and sit beneath them an ponder just how in the world they got there. The town grew up around the stones, and today, the stones are mostly found in fields and sheep pastures. The gates actually have signs saying that there are animals inside, please keep your dog on a leash and make sure the gate is shut. Really, how fun is that?
This area of England is full of amazing ancient artifacts that have been pretty well taken care of. They aren't pristine and commercial, but they are really, awesome. (to use my son's word of the moment) There was so much to do there, and we knew we had a pretty long drive to get to our next destination, but we will be going back to see more of the fabulous, unexplained places.
Oh yeah, and there are crop circles to go see too (easily explained crop circles, but I find it hilarious that they are there)
Saturday, July 7, 2012
Ferry vs Tunnel
With our daughter here from the States, we decided to take a small vacation to England. My husband had been there before with the wrestling team, but hadn't gotten to do any sight seeing. We were told that for the first time, to take the ferry from Calais or Dunkirk, France up to Dover so we could see the White Cliffs of Dover, then take the Eurotunnel home.
Once the ferry takes off, it's about 90 minutes from coast to coast. You follow the signs to the right place and go through the passport stops for England and France then queue up and wait in line to drive up on the huge ferry boat. Easy enough. I believe the ferry had 3 floors to park on, and 3 more floors to shop, eat and relax. Pretty sweet set-up. The shop is a duty-free shop, so there were some good deals there, if you wanted to pay English pounds and suffer the exchange rate.
There was a small kids area with a video playing and some tables with games that were bolted to the floor. A couple of coffee shops and a cafe to purchase snacks, or you can bring your own. Wall to wall windows to so you could look out and see the scenery, in this case, the cliffs bobbing up and down with the waves in the torrential downpour.
The ferry was nice, and about $30 cheaper than the tunnel, but with the weather that we were having, all the movement of the ferry through the waves was making me wish I had brought sea sickness patch or something. The kids were fine, but the husband and I were a bit queasy.
We took the tunnel on the way back. This, to me, is an amazing piece of technology and engineering, a giant tunnel, big enough for a double decker train to drive under the English Channel. (I was kinda geeking out about it, which I don't usually do) The only thing that could have made this cooler is if part of it were in plexiglass so you could have seen the water. There were several locations to see a departure board that told you when your train was queuing up and loading, and with 2 trains every hour, it was very easy to catch a different train if you wanted to leave earlier or later.
From the time we queued up, to the time we were on the train was 20 minutes and from the time we drove on the train until we got to the France side was 40 minutes. It took only 25 minutes of drive time. 25 minutes and the train was not bobbing up and down, it was smooth riding. I'm not a claustrophobic person, but even if I was, I think it would have been ok. You ride in your own car on the train, you can get off, but other than a restroom, there really isn't anywhere to go. We just stayed in the car and read our books.
While the tunnel is more expensive, it is worth the money to me. The queues are shorter because there are so many departure times, the trip is an hour quicker and you don't have to worry about barfing because the beautiful cliffs are moving up and down on the horizon.
Once the ferry takes off, it's about 90 minutes from coast to coast. You follow the signs to the right place and go through the passport stops for England and France then queue up and wait in line to drive up on the huge ferry boat. Easy enough. I believe the ferry had 3 floors to park on, and 3 more floors to shop, eat and relax. Pretty sweet set-up. The shop is a duty-free shop, so there were some good deals there, if you wanted to pay English pounds and suffer the exchange rate.
There was a small kids area with a video playing and some tables with games that were bolted to the floor. A couple of coffee shops and a cafe to purchase snacks, or you can bring your own. Wall to wall windows to so you could look out and see the scenery, in this case, the cliffs bobbing up and down with the waves in the torrential downpour.
The ferry was nice, and about $30 cheaper than the tunnel, but with the weather that we were having, all the movement of the ferry through the waves was making me wish I had brought sea sickness patch or something. The kids were fine, but the husband and I were a bit queasy.
We took the tunnel on the way back. This, to me, is an amazing piece of technology and engineering, a giant tunnel, big enough for a double decker train to drive under the English Channel. (I was kinda geeking out about it, which I don't usually do) The only thing that could have made this cooler is if part of it were in plexiglass so you could have seen the water. There were several locations to see a departure board that told you when your train was queuing up and loading, and with 2 trains every hour, it was very easy to catch a different train if you wanted to leave earlier or later.
From the time we queued up, to the time we were on the train was 20 minutes and from the time we drove on the train until we got to the France side was 40 minutes. It took only 25 minutes of drive time. 25 minutes and the train was not bobbing up and down, it was smooth riding. I'm not a claustrophobic person, but even if I was, I think it would have been ok. You ride in your own car on the train, you can get off, but other than a restroom, there really isn't anywhere to go. We just stayed in the car and read our books.
While the tunnel is more expensive, it is worth the money to me. The queues are shorter because there are so many departure times, the trip is an hour quicker and you don't have to worry about barfing because the beautiful cliffs are moving up and down on the horizon.
Summer in Belgium, 2012
This summer has not been much of a summer. We have had nothing but rain, rain and more rain. On the days that we do get some sunshine (some) it ends up raining. My least favorite thing about this weather pattern, is that it seems to rain all day long, and at 8:00 after my son is in bed, the skies clear and the sun comes out. I love Belgium, but I'm beginning to feel a bit moldy.
We have had a few nice days, where the sun has been out all day and there is a small chance of getting a sunburn, I mean suntan. Those days are usually tampered by a strong breeze that keeps the temps down below 75, but I'd take more if they were offered.
Maybe late July and August will prove to be a bit more summer like. And I'm not the only one complaining, some friends that have been here over 8 years have said that this is the rainiest summer and coolest that they can remember since getting here. So, it's not just me.
We have had a few nice days, where the sun has been out all day and there is a small chance of getting a sunburn, I mean suntan. Those days are usually tampered by a strong breeze that keeps the temps down below 75, but I'd take more if they were offered.
Maybe late July and August will prove to be a bit more summer like. And I'm not the only one complaining, some friends that have been here over 8 years have said that this is the rainiest summer and coolest that they can remember since getting here. So, it's not just me.
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