Thanksbirthmas ~ Family Holiday Extravganza ~

As luck would have it, things worked out so that Brad and I could plan a trip back to the states to celebrate the holidays with our families.  The first leg of our journey landed us in Boston, where we met up with my mom,  and sister.  We enjoyed a turn through the Boston Museum of Modern Art, and some awesome pastries from a famous local bakery.

Before heading back to Hailey's house in the beloved Northeast Kingdom, Hailey, Brad and I went on a tour of the Sam Adams Brewery.  It was great fun just kickin' it with my man and favorite sister! I really enjoyed learning how the bear was made, and all about the history of the brewery.

Even though it was a week early we had a good old fashioned Gentile Thanksgiving, complete with pie for breakfast the next morning.  It was wonderful to get to spend some time with my family, which has been a rarity ever since I joined the military.  I really loved getting to spend some time cooking with my mom again. Its crazy how the things you used to think of a chore when you were younger can become the moments you cherish as you grow older.

 We took in some of the local charms by strolling through the have it all general store, and grabbing a bite to eat out at the Parker Pie, a must if you ever find yourself in Glover, VT.

 We drown our sorrows from dropping momma off at the airport in Ben and Jerry's ice cream and huge Thai lunch.  It was a great last little outing before Brad and I headed on our way to WA for the rest of Thanks-Birth-MAS extravaganza.

Brad's brother Danny coined the phrase "BirthMas" a few years ago in reference to the unique holiday celebration ritual that has formed amongst the Carter/Foiles clan over the past several years. In light of the January birthday concentration coupled with scheduling issues, and mine and Brad's ever changing home base; whenever we manage to get all of the family together under one roof, we cover all the bases, and usually over the course of just one weekend! Thanksgiving, Christmas and all the January 

 birthdays, its quite the to-do.

This year was one of the biggest gatherings so far, with the addition of a few of Stina's college friends, a few new babies, and even cousin Sarah.  The "I married a Carter" support group finally legitimized our club by taking our first group photo, and of course Denise had to have a shot of just her passel of grandchildren!

After photos we let the early Christmas madness ensue! There were presents, wrapping paper and babies flying everywhere!

After It was all said and done, Brad enjoyed the benefits of his flexible employment schedule, and stayed an extra week to soak up some more family and friend time, while I hoped a plane for the long trip back to Spain and back to work.  The time we get with our families is never long enough, but time well spent all the same. Brad and I look forward to settling down some day and putting down some roots near the ones we love, but for now, we are going to continue to enjoy our world tour. Stay tuned to see what happens next!

Fall Euro Trip Part 6 ~ The hold up ~

After a wonderful nights sleep and a lazy morning in the hotel room, we went to my last post operation appointment at the Landsthul Medical Center. All was well and I was even cleared to drive. We spent the rest of the day laying low, still recuperating from our whorl wind journey. Later that evening I randomly decided to check my email, and found some pretty disturbing news. RyanAir had canceled our flight!! The French air traffic controllers union had scheduled a strike in response to the newly proposed union of European air space. Needless to say, that news whipped me into a veritable frenzy! I was able to rebook us a flight for free online, but it wouldn't leave until the Saturday the 30th, which was the day after the biggest fund raising event for the Morale committee that I chair at work. I was absolutely beside myself. I started shooting off emails to just about everyone I could think of, expecting the worst reaction but wanting to get the word out. That night I barely slept, completely disturbed by the many possible responses I would get from the command the next morning. To my great surprise and refreshing relief, my other committee members and senior adviser stepped up, and reassured me that they would handle everything and the event would be a great success. Also my chain of command, assured me that there was no need to worry and that they would just extend my Temporary Assignment until I was able to get a flight back. With all the details worked out, Brad and I just sat back and relaxed enjoying our couple extra days in Germany.
We decided to head out for one more off base adventure on Friday morning. On our way to our Heidelberg, we drove through Mannheim, and stopped to tour the Palace. The massive Mannheimer Schloss was built by Elector Carl Philipp from 1720 to 1760. It was his successor Carl Theodor who saw its completion and fostered fine arts, music, theater and science and saw Mannheim reach its cultural zenith in the 18th century. Subsequently host to legal courts, schools and as apartments for government officials, today most of the building, almost completely destroyed in WWII and rebuilt, houses the university.Heidelberg is a truly breathtaking city. The streets were full of interesting shops and gorgeous architecture. So much color and interest everywhere you turned.
We wandered through the city just soaking up the local flavor, and the crisp fall air. The pepper pots guard the entrance to the old bridge right next to an intriguing brass monkey statue.
From the bridge you can see the grand façade of the Heildelberg Schloss which was our next stop. We wound our way back through the city and up the steep walking path to the castle gates.
The views of the city and the river from the schloss were magnificent! With its trees in full fall foliage, it reminded me a little of Vermont.

Inside the main courtyard you can see that the schloss is a little worse for the wear, but still full in intricate details at every turn. The oldest parts of the castle were first built in the early 13th century. It was expanded on, and damaged by lighting several times throughout the 16th and 17th centuries and has only been partially restored since its last great damages in the 18th century. From that history is incidents, me thinks this might not have been the best location for a castle!
We took the stair path on the way back into town. We took our time and just enjoyed strolling through the beautiful trees.
With all the beauty, culture and interest that Heidelberg had to offer, we were so glad to have gotten delayed so that we were able to see it! It was a picture perfect ending to our grandest adventure yet!

Fall Euro Trip Part 5 ~Paris~

The city of lights, eh? We didn't realize that they meant tail lights! We received quite a grand bienvenue, on the A-3. We were stuck in traffic for almost an hour, but since traffic and delays had become the status quo for this trip, we made the best of it; talking, laughing, and planning all the way to the hotel. We went out for a nice light sushi dinner before dragged our butts to bed. Although it had only been three days since Landstuhl and my eye surgery, it seemed like weeks had past since we had spent a day NOT ferociously touring.
We rose the next morning with a grand plan of attack, to conquer the greatest sights in Paris, all in a single day! My mental check list in tow, and my handy dandy tourist map constantly in a flutter, we set out for Montmartre and the Basilica of the Sacré Coeur. After 21 stops on the Metro and quite a bit of debate on the topic of exactly where we were, we came around a corner to the sound of bells. The bells of the Sacré Coeur to be exact. They were beautiful, and it was also nice to finally have a land mark to navigate by. After listening for a few seconds, we continued on our way up to get some better shots of the church.




Seeing as it was Sunday morning, mass was in sessions, so no photographs were allowed inside. We reverently wandered around inside listening to the service in French, and watching the Catholics do their dance of worship.
While a top the Montmartre were able to take in a view of the tower through the "morning mist" or more likely smog. We visited the Cimetière de Montmartre, where many famous artist are buried. I was very excited when we stumbled upon the Moulin Rouge on our way to the metro! I knew that somewhere on Montmartre but had forgotten to look it up, so fate and Brad's awesome sense of direction let us right to it. After a little cancan we headed back to the metro and back to the heart of the city!
From every angle the Cathedral of Notre Dame is absolutely amazing.
The ambiance inside is unmistakable and completely humbling. The candles cast an eerie glow on the stone walls, and make the cavernous interior feel all the more engulfing. One can't help but feel God's power and presence within these walls.
I was once again amazed at the aptitude of my little point and shoot Samsung Camera. It really did an awesome job of capturing the true colors of the glass and the stone.
We left the cathedral and walked along the river Seine and took in the city as strolled. Paris has been described as beauty built into a city, and I for one, agree.
Our stroll brought us to the foreboding walls of Le Louvre, we walked into the court yard just to take a look at the famed lines and of course snap a few pictures of the architecture. We planned to visit the Louvre first thing in the morning the next day so that we could beat the rush. For now we would be moving on toward our next highlight, La Tour Eiffel.
No matter the angle, nor distance afar the Eiffel Tower has an unmistakable draw! We snapped shots from just about every where in the city, and just couldn't get enough. For the sake of time and our legs we decided to skip waiting in line to climb to the top.
With our goal close at hand we dialed in and buckled down on our path to the Arch de Triumph! We made the climb ,since it was considerably shorter than the one at the tower, and from there we took in the expansive views of the city. With our mission to see it all basically complete we made our way back toward the Eiffel tower to find a little cafe to camp out in until dusk turned to dark, so we could see the tower at night. We enjoyed a wonderful meal and each others company in a little cafe just a few blocks from the peace monument at the end of the Champ de Mars. Once the sky had turned from gray to royal blue, we strolled through the chilly night back toward the tower.
On par with the rest this trip, the view did not disappoint. We wandered around the champs for about 30 min waiting to capture the spectacular sparkles that only happen at the top of the hour for 5 min. It was well worth it! Even though it was only 8pm we were all toured out! So back on the metro, and back to the hotel we went, to rest up for our day at the Louvre, and our drive back to Landstuhl.


One good nights sleep was not enough to ease to ache of "Paris touring feet", but despite the protests of our feet, we set out bright and early so we could beat the lines at the Louvre.
We approached the museum from metro entrance, which apparently is the key! We waited in line for a little while, but that was only due to the museum opening on a delayed schedule. Once the doors were open we were in and gazing upon the Mona Lisa in only a matter of minutes.
The massive collection was quite daunting, but we wandered around and never found our eyes wanting.
Of all the sections that we wandered through, I particularly enjoyed the Egyptian art.


Although the collection is the main event, the Architecture of the museum is an exhibit all its own. The pyramid has been a point of controversy with the French since its completion in 1989. Many people feel is modern style in juxtaposition with the surrounding architecture throws the balance and elegance of the court yard on it head. I myself find that the pairing creates a interesting tension just like any good art piece should.
The immense maze of galleries were almost a challenge to escape from once we could walk and enjoy no more.

With our Paris check list complete, my last eye appointment in Landstuhl set our course back to Germany. The blue skies were a nice send of as we headed back to misty Germany.

Fall Euro Trip Part 4 ~ Bruxelles ~

When we last saw our hero's they were leaving Amsterdam, driving off into the rainy afternoon...
After a bit of Friday night downtown Brussels traffic, we managed to score a pretty sweet parking spot right across the street from our hotel. We got checked in and driven only by hunger and Brad's need to drink some Belgian beer, we headed out into the chilly night in hopes of finding the metro, the Grand Place, and a tasty meal. We were successful on all fronts! The Place was absolutely breath taking against the crisp black night sky.
We ducked into a charming little restaurant pub tucked away in a cellar under the Brewers Museum. The cozy space was a winter evenings dream heated by the kitchens fires, and filled with mouth watering smells! Brad got his beers, and we both enjoyed a good meal. I tried the "black and white Sausage" of which, the black turned out to be blood sausage...I wasn't quite sure either, but if you took it at face value and taste value it really wasn't bad.
Once again driven by our hunger for life as well as waffles, we set out the next morning to find the pick up spot for our bus tour, and a little breakfast on the way. I had a slight advantage in this town since I had visited once before with my good friend Jenna. I took Brad to the very same waffle shop that I had my first Belgian waffle in, and they were still just as amazing! Brad had a traditional Belgian with strawberries and hot chocolate, and I had a liege with bananas and butter. Beer - check, Waffles - check, one last must eat on the list...Frites! We found our bus stop and hopped on board.
The first sight we decided to disembark for was MINI EUROPE! Brad thought it was pretty silly, but I couldn't resist. We took a quick turn through the park, snapping pictures the whole way. Brad joked that we wouldn't have anything to do for the rest of our time in Europe since we had now "seen" all the sights.
I told him this just made it easier for us to tell where we really had to go, like a little preview. As we came to the end of the park, it started to drizzle a bit, so we sped up the pace and hot footed it back to our bus stop.
We took in the rest of the sights and the tour info from on board the bus. The chill in the air, added to the rain was not making for the most inviting touring day. After we'd made the full loop on the tour bus, we got off and headed for some lunch. We enjoyed true Belgian frites, and many other fried treats along with a Hoegaarden the size of Brad's head! Now thats a big beer! After we were warmed and well fueled we set out to see our last, and one of Brussels most famed sites, The Manneken Pis.
We wandered our way through the shop filled streets, stopping in here and there to snap a picture or two. With all the traveling we have done recently, photos are the only affordable way to bring a souvenir home from every place.
It was as usual very crowded around the tiny Manneken, but we snapped out photos to prove we were there, and were on our way. The chill and the rain had worn out its welcome, so we climbed in the car and set our sights further west.
On our way out of town we ran into some unexpected traffic, and eventually set eyes on several sets of polizei in full RIOT gear! After checking the news later that night we found that there had been some Muslim youths causing riots, and that this is a common occurrence each year in this region during the entire span of Ramadan. We counted ourselves lucky to not have fallen victim to the increased number of "carbecues" that take place after the sunset when the angry youths have been fed, and apparently only increase their violent outbursts. You live and learn, and apparently you don't vacation in Bavaria during Ramadan...who knew?

Putting Brussels, the riots and the rain to our backs we motored on to the city of love, lights, and romance...Paris!

Fall Euro Trip Part 3 ~Amsterdam~

The skies cleared as we put Germany to our rudder and set our sights on Holland. Blue skies, green pastures and even a windmill.
Just driving through town trying to find the hotel we could already see that this city was built to be photographed. At every turn there was yet another picturesque canal lined with boats, bike and architecture that was to die for. We wandered the city a bit and visited the Anne Frank House before my peepers were too pooped to go on. We had an early evening so I could recuperate for the city tour we'd signed up the next day.
Our city tours meeting point was at the heart of the city, a main square called Damrak. The Dam derives its name from its original function: a dam on the Amstel River, hence also the name of the city. Built in approximately 1270, the dam formed the first connection between the settlements on the sides of the Amstel river. Eventually the township that formed took on the name Amsterdam.
The square was bustling with the all the usual passers by, as well as this little carnival that looked like it was set up for Halloween. There was a lot of great souvenir stores and you know me, I can't help but climb in anything over sized like that awesome fiber glass clog! We enjoyed a little stroll around the square as we were waiting for the tour to begin.
Once on board the bus, our incredibly gifted tour guide proceeded to narrate the tour in THREE languages, not even including her native tongue of Dutch. English, Spanish and French, it was quite impressive, with hearing the English first and then having a small working knowledge of both Spanish and French I definitely didn't miss any points of the tour. We first drove through town on our way out to one of the 6 windmills in Amsterdam its self. A family actually lives in the windmill, so we were only able to take pictures of the outside, but it was still really cool.
Throughout the tour, we would have been hard pressed to find a building that wasn't exquisitely adorned, or a canal bridge that wasn't absolutely picturesque.
Once you get over the breath taking architecture you start to notice the INSANE number of bicycles EVERYWHERE!! There are over 600,000 bicycles throughout the city, many of them old and rusty. Our tour guide said that since the theft rate of bikes is so high, that most people prefer to have a old rickety bike because its less likely to get lifted than something shiny and new. There is also a very large flea market in town where you can go to buy your stolen bike back!
Another part of Amsterdam's fame includes is reputation as diamond producer. As part of our city tour we were taken to the Gassan Diamond Factory where they cut and polish raw diamonds into the sparkling gems you see at the jewelry store. They talked to us about the "4 C's" of diamond grading: Color, Clarity, Cut, and Carat. They also showed us the equipment used in the most important part of the diamond production process, the polishing. They actually had several stations with polishers working at them so we could see the real process.
After some free coffee and a hot dutch waffle we made our way back to the bus and back to the Damrak where we caught our canal tour boat. This city is beautiful from every angle! We went out into the bay and heard some facts about the busy port of Amsterdam, and then headed back into town, winding our way through the city on the maze of canals.
Back on solid ground, we hot footed it through the "red light" district and saw for our selves the famed window prostitutes. The atmousphere was not nearly as overt as I had expected it to be, there seemed to be houses of regular people mixed in among those adorned with heavy red velvet curtains, and red porch lights.
Unfortunately we were short on time, and were forced to head back to the car, but every step of our journey revealed more and more quaint and photo-worth aspects of the city.
Our last stop, which took a little doing to find, was the famed "I Amsterdam" sign in the museum square. I must say it took about an hour for us to find, but it was well worth it! Just one of those things you can't leave without seeing, and getting a great photo of! As the noon turned to after, we found ourselves on the road again, headed to our next destination...Brussels, Belgium.