Happy Anniversary!

This is a special blog post to say congratulations to my mom and dad on their 40th anniversary! How amazing is that? To celebrate, they are spending most of August cruising around the Baltic and road tripping through Norway.

My parents in the Czech Republic this spring.

My parents are the amongst the rare group of people who have traveled more than myself, so I owe all my wanderlust to them! Here is a cheers to them on this wonderful day, even though it's now past midnight in Europe, I hope they had a great day.  Since they are traveling this month, and I've taken over dog-sitting duties back home, I will be sure to post about their journey as they continue their trip.  Here is a preview picture from our Skype video call a couple days ago when they were in Allesund, Norway.

View from my parents hotel room in Allesund, Norway

Notes from their trip so far include $5 road-side coffee (considered "cheap") and a $76 dinner of pizza and beer! Be cautious of restaurant and alcohol tax in Norway! Well, just be cautious of how expensive things are in general!

I'll leave you all with a classic vacation photo of Mom and Dad on camels in Egypt in January 2010. I love you Mom and Dad!

Is That a Monkey?

Recently I've been having one of those "you know you're a returned Peace Corps volunteer when" moments.  The scenery appears to be "normal" as defined by western standards and I seem to be blending into the crowd when all of the sudden I say something like, "Is that a monkey?"

Normal trees in Germany where I thought I saw a monkey.

No. Not a monkey. Just a squirrel, birds nest, or sometimes, nothing at all. I look at a fairly normal tree and for some reason see a monkey hiding. In my defense, the town I lived in, Dangila, I had monkeys living in the forest just a hundred meters from my house. Sometimes they would even visit the large trees just two houses away, driving my dog crazy.

The forest in Dangila, Ethiopia, filled with monkeys.

Monkeys in Dangila are harmless and afraid of humans, so you hardly ever see them up-close. But monkeys in tourist areas of Ethiopia tend to be very bold and greedy. The monkeys in Sodere were capable of opening your unlocked hotel room door to steal food! Not my favorite kind of monkey. I prefer the sweet kind hidden in trees, and I suppose I like them so much that I still imagine that they are in the trees all around me.

Close-up of monkeys in the forest in Dangila, Ethiopia.

It's not just monkeys though. Imaginary hippos too seem to appear in lakes and rivers, too. Any large rock or movement in the water and my mind jumps right to the conclusion that it must be a hippo.  Strange, I know, but that is just the beginning. There are lots of other quirks that I picked up from two years in Ethiopia.  Keep reading to find out more (or just call the doctor for me).

Hippos in Tanzania hanging out in a small lake.

Luxembourg Date Night

I've spent around four month in Luxembourg now, spread throughout July, this past spring, last October, and a couple days from when I was 12.  I don't really remember much about Luxembourg from when I was 12, mostly because I was so excited about getting to Belgium and eating waffles (sadly, that is the truth). But since returning last fall, I've really started to like this small European country.

There is a lot to do and see in Luxembourg, so I've decided to tell some stories and list some "must see" places throughout the next few blog posts. But to start my Luxembourg series, I must start with my most-recent venture into the city. 

Boyfriend and me overlooking the gorge in Luxembourg City

The night before I left Luxembourg last week boyfriend and I had a special date night in Luxembourg City and I was reminded of how much I like the city center.  The city was built in and around a small gorge, carved out by the Alzette river which snakes throughout the city.  The gorge allows for dramatic views and nice walks down to the bottom, called the Grund.  Once at the bottom there is a section that is a park, and another where you'll find quaint townhouses, cafes and a pub district. The best part is, once you are in the Grund and tired of walking around, there is an elevator back to the top!

The Grund in Luxembourg City.

The gorge formed by the Alzette river leaves the city divided into several sections, accessible by several tall bridges above the Grund. For date night boyfriend and I walked around the edge of the gorge and finally decided to stroll along the walkways leading down into the pub and restaurant district below to scout out menus.  We settled on Restaurant Brasserie Bosso, a cozy cafe/restaurant/bar in the Grund which features quite a variety of local Luxembourgish and German dishes. The food was delicious and the outdoor patio offered a wonderful atmosphere.

We started our meal off with a Baked Feta Cheese appetizer with spices and vegetables. In other words, a block of feta baked with olive oil and peppers; rich and incredible.  Boyfriend ate Coconut Schnitzel, which was an Asian spin-off of the famous Schnitzel we all know and love with stir fry vegetables and mee noodles. I ordered Chicken Gratin which was basically a hot pot filled with chicken, potatoes, and a mushroom gravy sauce topped with a layer of cheese. We thought everything was superb, and we will definitely have more date nights at Brasserie Bosso in the future. What a treat!