Croke Park

So we did the Skyline Tour at Croke Park in Dublin today. This is the 4th largest stadium in Europe and the tour was just along the top of the stadium. We had to wear harnesses for the whole tour and had a 360 degree view of Dublin. It was a fantastic experience and one that I would highly recommend when visiting Dublin.

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Molly Malone

In Dublin's fair city,
Where the girls are so pretty,
I first set my eyes on sweet Molly Malone,
As she wheeled her wheel-barrow,
Through streets broad and narrow,
Crying, "Cockles and mussels, alive, alive, oh!"

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My goodness, my Guinness

Kenny, Michele and I at the gravity bar at the Guinness factory drinking pints that we all poured ourselves. Michele and I arrived in Dublin yesterday and saw the seals at Howth and then went to my local the Autobahn for a drop of the black stuff.

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This ones for you Dad.

So my dad is a big fan of the movie "Pulp Fiction" and loves the dialogue about what they call a quarter pounder in France. So here is a picture of the Royal family of burgers at the McDonalds in Paris across the street from us. As an interesting side note the McDonalds is located immediately next to an x-rated movie theatre. Bet Ray Kroc wouldn't be too enthused about that.

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Au revoir Parie

This photo was taken last night and I'm eating a Nutella crepe. Unfortunately they had run out of bananas because a Nutella-banana crepe would have been unbelievable. As it was it was pretty outstanding. Today we have to walk to the train station (gard du nord), and catch the train to Charles de Gaulle airport for our 2:10pm Aer Lingus flight to Dublin. My best friend and college roommate will be waiting for us in Dublin with an Irish limo aka his car and we will be off for fun filled adventures on the Emerald Isle.

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Decisions, decisions.

Just can't decide what I want for lunch today? Is it gonna be the sand tortilla or the ass kebab, they both sound so good. Today we went to the largest flea market in Europe. Then swung by the catacombs and then the Gardin de Luxembourg aka Luxembourg Gardens. The garden is the 2nd largest park in Paris and also where the French Senate is located.

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Notre Dame

So we made our way to Notre Dame and just happened to time it so that we were inside for 6:15 pm mass. That was pretty entertaining. Then we got on the Metro to go back to our apt and rest for a little while and almost witnessed a fight between two young guys. One was a beggar and the other seemed well to do. They were literally standing right in front of me on the Metro and I kept thinking that if these 2 guys start fighting I'm gonna end up right in the middle of it because I had nowhere to go. Thankfully the beggar got off at the next stop.

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The Mona Lisa

After the Eiffel Tower we went to the Louvre. I've seen the Mona Lisa before and I sure don't remember it being so crowded. People were pushing and shoving and I didn't feel like dealing with the crowd so this is as close as I got. We also saw the Venus de Milo and a ton of other statues and paintings from famous people I've never heard of.

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This one's for you Nora

So obviously this is the Eiffel Tower. I'm wearing the shirt because I lost 3 bets with my niece and this was the payment for that last bet. That shirt travelled all over Europe just to be worn in front of the Eiffel Tower because I wasn't smart enough to not make bets with my niece. Needless to say I have now learned my lesson. How many times can you juggle a soccer ball now Nora?

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Sacre Coeur

So this was our first destination this morning, and it was a very short walk from the apartment. It was beautiful, however we were borderline assaulted by scam artists trying to put bracelets made of yarn on us and then make you pay €20 for it. Two guys actually grabbed my wrist and wouldn't let go even after I told them "no" numerous times. It's a pity that people like that have to ruin so an awesome landmark.

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Viva la France

So we arrived in Paris via train at 9:30 pm tonight. We got off the train and walked less than a mile to our apartment for the next few nights. This is the view of the Sacre Coeur from our bedroom. If you look out the back window you can see the Eiffel Tower and we are just a short walk and on the same street as the Moulin Rougue. Tonight there is a street music festival going on and the music is blaring outside and sounds like it is literally right outside our window even though we are on the 6th floor.

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Belgian fries

So I really think at of everything we did and saw in Amsterdam that this is Michele's fondest memory. All she talked about in Amsterdam was getting some fries. So finally on our last day we stopped at the "Chipsy King" for some Belgian Fries. We both ordered mediums, Michele's with mayonnaise and mine with Joppie sauce (mayo, curry, and onions). They were delicious and now Michele can't wait until we get to Ireland and visit "the chipper" to get some more. Left the Chipsy King to pick up our bags and head to the train station and almost had an international event on the way. Michele stepped out in front of a girl on a bike and almost got hit. The girl skidded out of control narrowly missing Michele and barely avoided crashing the bike with her little dog in the front.

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Rembrandt's Nightwatch

We went to the Rijks Museum and saw a number of famous paintings from Rembrandt, Van Gogh, and Monet. We took a canal boat from Amsterdam Central station because it was raining and we didn't want to walk. We waited in line for an hour to get inside but our host had museum cards for us so we got in free.

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Breakfast in Amsterdam

This was our view from the apartment while we ate breakfast this morning. Our train leaves at 6pm for Paris so we are off for more sightseeing for the day.

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Coffee anyone?

So this is a picture of one of the many coffee houses that Amsterdam is famous for. We haven't ventured in to one yet but have smelled the "coffee" brewing many a time. If you aren't familiar with what a coffee house is, like my mom, google it. It is one reason why Amsterdam is such a unique and popular tourist destination.

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Ajax Arena

So somehow I was able to get Michele to go with me on the Ajax Arena tour. This is the largest stadium in the Netherlands and the first stadium in Europe with a retractable roof. The grass is dead because soccer season is over and they have been having concerts inside. Overall a pretty cool experience and we timed it well because it was raining on the way in and by the time the tour was over it had cleared up.

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Cogito ergo sum

This is the house of the French philosopher Rene Descartes, who famously said "I think; therefore I am." We also went by the Anne Frank house and assorted other sites. Stay tuned for more updates of Amsterdam.

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Welcome to Amsterdam

This is the view from our 3rd story apartment located right near the heart of Amsterdam. We arrived on Wednesday around 7:00pm by plane, then caught a train to Central Station and then walked the half mile to our apt. We then went for a walk to grab a bite to eat and explore the city. Quite an interesting city to say the least.

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St Nicholas Belfry

This is the view from the belfry of the church of St Nicholas. You can see Charles bridge which is a pedestrian only bridge with statues all along the side and artists selling their wares. The large structure you see sticking up all by itself in the skyline is the Zizkov TV Tower, but you can't see the babies from this far away. We had to walk up to the top of the tower which was great exercise and provided a 360 degree view of the city. The other side of the belfry provided a great view of the American embassy and the communists used to spy on the embassy from the belfry.

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2nd Ugliest structure in the world

Not sure who did the voting but the Zizkov TV Tower was voted 2nd ugliest in 2009. The tower is 216 meters (709 feet) high and we went up to the observation deck which was 93 meters high for a great view of Prague. Their are 11 baby statues that can be seen crawling up and down the tower. They were made by David Cerny, that's the same guy that did the Streams sculpture in the earlier post.

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Castle of Prague

This is the entrance to the Castle of Prague. People were starting to congregate because the changing of the guard was about to take place. You can see the 2 guards on either side of the gate. In the background you can see the twin spires of St Vitus's Cathedral. I have to admit I have been very impressed with Prague.

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Church of St Nicholas

So this morning we got up and walked to the Metro station while eating our breakfast pastries. We took the metro to the other side of the river and went to the church of St Nicholas. It didn't look any different than the other churches from the outside, but the inside was spectacular. It was so ornate inside. It was very impressive.


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Told you it wasn't the strangest statue

I don't even know what to say about this statue except that it was in front of the Franz Kafka museum. It is titled "Streams", go figure and is by David Cerny who is an internationally recognized Czech sculptor.

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Old Town

This is a picture of Old Town Hall which is located on the Stare Mesto square which has a ton of history and plenty of street performers. Unfortunately the pictures don't really do the city justice. On a side note, I read the locals are not very find of tourists. Michele and I sat down at a restaurant for a meal and lets just say she was extremely underwhelmed by the service we received. I didn't think it was that bad, I just think Americans have different expectations of wait staff than Europeans are used to. Of course it could have been that he just didn't like us.

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Welcome to Prague

Prague is an unbelievably beautiful city with amazing history, great architecture, and so much to see and do. We stumbled upon this hanging sculpture of a man sitting on the underside of his horse. Not sure of the significance of this sculpture but I'm sure my dad will have it figured out before the end of the day. BTW this was definitely not the strangest statue we saw on our walk around Prague today.

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Flight to Prague

So our flight to Prague was delayed about 1.5 hours and then there was some issue with a passenger not having the right ticket or something. I'm not a good flyer on the best of days but now Michele is worried about a terrorist on the plane. Guess it didn't bother her too much because this is a picture of us somewhere over Poland. I was a nervous wreck the whole flight, this picture was my only moment of levity.

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Swedish soccer game

So after dinner we went for a walk around the neighborhood and came upon a soccer game. It was a 5th Division game which in Sweden means it is actually the 7th Division. It's a different concept but the 3rd division is actually called the 1st division. After watching some of the game I'm tempted to move to Sweden and come out of retirement. We think that Vasastan BK won 5-1.

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The Ice Bar

So no trip to Stockholm would be complete without a trip to the Ice Bar. They provide the parka and a vodka drink in an ice shot glass. I had a traditional Swedish drink of vodka and lingonberry juice. It was -7 degrees Celsius or 19 degrees Fahrenheit inside the bar. I think Michele was ready to go after 5 minutes because of the cold. I was wearing shorts and thought it was quite pleasant.

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Safety first

This is in front of Central Station in downtown Stockholm. They were doing some work and had to make sure that the statue had on a hardhat. The weather has been pleasant, the people have been friendly, and our visit has been great.

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View from the ski slope

This morning Michele and I walked up to the top of the ski slope that I blogged about earlier. The apartments that you see below is where Kats parents live. It was a great view of all of Stockholm and a good workout as it was pretty steep. After our walk we went to Kats parents for a traditional Swedish breakfast of bread, cheese, tomatoes and cucumbers. Later we went to the largest flea market in Northern Europe, which I think was about the same as an average sized flea market in NC.

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Real football in Europe

So you know you are in a European country when the lion statue in front of the Royal Family's Palace has a soccer ball at his foot. Michele said it isn't a soccer ball, but I'm pretty sure it is. Shortly after this photo we stopped at a bar for drinks and Brazil was playing Japan live on regular TV(not cable)in the Confederations Cup. Of course we had to watch the game while drinking unfiltered Swedish beer. We had a very full day today and are going to bed early so that we can get up and do it all again tomorrow.

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The King and I

This is the guard in front of the palace of the Swedish Royal Family. Shortly after this photo we were able to watch the changing of the sentries. On a side note, one of the Swedish princesses recently married an American businessman.

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The Vasa

So today we got a tour around Stockholm from Kats brother and his wife, while Kat and Glad were at a wedding. One of the attractions was the Vasa Museum which houses the Vasa, which you see pictured above. It is a ship that set sail on 10 August 1628 and on its maiden voyage sank. It was salvaged in 1961 after 333 years under the sea. The picture doesn't do the ship justice, it was a massive warship with ornate decorations.

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Welcome to Stockholm

This is the view from Kats parents apartment. Kat is Glads wife BTW. The picture is of a ski slope and we are hoping to walk to the top sometime this weekend. The weather is beautiful today and we went for a walk around the lake across the street.

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In Berlin

Landed in Berlin for a short layover before catching a flight to Stockholm. We are flying airberlin but I thought this airline looked pretty interesting with the bee or hornet at the front. Think it's a German airline.


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FC Dinamo

So walked around Bucharest today and swing by FC Dinamo soccer stadium. This is a picture taken right outside the locker room where they do interviews after the game. We also watched some of the youth teams of FC Dinamo train.

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No more cows and chickens

Back in the big city. Big difference from Talmacel. No cows walking down the street in Bucharest. Actually took me a little bit to adjust to so many cars and people. Spending the night in Bucharest and then catching a flight to Stockholm to meet up with Michele and began the Western European portion of the vacation.

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Train station in Bucharest

Caught the train in Talmaciu at 630am and arrived in Bucharest at noon. This was a small bakery located in the train station with a great assortment of tasty treats. Some of those pastries are pretty big and all for 2 lei which is less than a dollar. Quite a deal.

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Lunch at Hermania in Sibiu

So we met some friends of Glads in Sibiu for a bite to eat. This restaurant used to be a symphony hall and is now an upscale restaurant that boasts as having served Nicholas Cage. I had "salad of eggplant" which was delicious and a glass of "Ciuc" which is a Romanian beer. Tomorrow we get on the train at 600am to go back to Bucharest.

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"Cabs are here"

So we called a "taxi" to take us in to town and this is who showed up outside our house. Not really, but I am hoping to get a ride on a horse and cart before I leave Romania. Heading in to Sibiu again today for one last visit before we head back to Bucharest tomorrow.

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Relaxing day in Talmacel

It was storming most of the day so we just relaxed around the house. About the most exciting thing that happened was this cow walking down the street as I was standing outside and stopping to eat the grapevines at the house directly across the street.

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Cupid text...sorry

So there were 3 guys walking around the city center dressed like Cupid. They would all prance around together and go up to women and kiss their hands, etc. They were pretty comical and the had tons of people following them around watching their antics. At one point they even walked into a shoe store and were interacting with the employees. Funny stuff.

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Band photo text...sorry.

Not long after we saw the Cupids this band came marching down the street playing music. Notice the toilet in the 2nd picture...it was being used as a cymbal type instrument. The music was good and they had a number of pretty creative instruments like the toilet. The best thing about all of this was that it was taking place around 3:00 pm on a Monday. Can't remember ever seeing a band walking down the street in the middle of the day in the states and it not be a holiday. 

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International Theatre Festival of Sibiu 2

International Theatre Festival of Sibiu

Coffee and a water

This is the view from the Cafe we are sitting at having a coffee and a mineral water. It's beautiful outside and we are just people watching and enjoying the weather, with a great view of the clock tower. Just got a haircut for $10 at a salon with a shampoo and everything. Romania is definitely the place to vacation if you won't to get the best bang for your buck.

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Guess the dude

So Miodrag Belodedici was at the Romanian Cup womens final, so we got our picture with him. I'm sure everyone knows who Miodrag is, but just in case you have been in a cave your whole life, he is a famous Romanian soccer player and the former technical director of soccer for Romania. He was also the first player to ever win 2 champions league titles with 2 different clubs. He also represented Romania in the 1994 World Cup.

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Cup final 2

So the red team won, they are from Cluj and as you can tell from the picture we are down on the field. We got into the VIP seats because Glad told the security guy I was an American coach and he waved us right in. Then the owners/sponsors sat right in front of us and Glad told him we were American coaches so he offered to introduce us to the coach of the winning team. So long story short, we were on the field chatting with the coach and meeting assorted other people. This was the women's equivalent of the game we attended in Bucharest that had over 20,000 in attendance. Red team ended up winning 6--0, and standard of the game was probably equivalent to a lower tiered NCAA Div 1 team but was still a good time.


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Romanian Cup

This is our second Romanian Cup final but this one had a much lower attendance, maybe 200-300 people. This was the women's final between the two best teams in Romania, who had been winning games 10-0, 6-0, etc on the way to the final. The red team was comprised of primarily Romanian National Team players. Didn't even need tickets for the game, we just walked right in and sat down.

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Alba Iulia

So today Glad and I walked to Talmaciu from Talmacel, about an hour walk. Then we got a train to Sibiu, about a 20 min ride. Then we caught a bus to Alba Iulia, about 90 minutes. Then we walked around the city for a few hours before making our way to the soccer stadium. This is a picture of a Christian Orthodox Church that we visited.

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