Morrison Family in Belgium: December 2009

Friday, December 18, 2009

Paulie in Milano

So here’s the deal.... my first blog. No idea what I’m doing, or to be honest, who I’m really talking to right now (Grandma, is that you? Hope all is well! Tooch - are you ready for the baby?) so bear with me a little...

I was able to go to Milan, Italy and catch a soccer game last Sunday with two friends of mine. It was an excellent (but long) day trip. Alarm went off at 3:30am to catch my early flight out of Brussels, walk around Milan for a couple of hours (even went to church, Mom!), watch a soccer game in the late afternoon, catch an evening flight home, asleep a little after midnight. Easy-peasy, lemon squeezy, as the kids say, and I look forward to doing it again! My goal, while we’re on this “adventure” is to see a soccer game in every major league in Europe. The Italian Serie A League was first, and I’ve got plans in the works for the English Premier League, La Liga (Spain), the French League, Scottish Premier League (I might have to bring my golf clubs for that one!), the Dutch League, and, of course, the European Powerhouse Belgium League. My goal isn’t necessarily to see the biggest “games,” but to see the top stadiums, which normally house the top teams. San Siro Stadium in Milan is one of the tops in Serie A, as it is home to the top two teams (AC Milan and Inter).

Wish me luck, and join me for the next game if you can! Get yourself to Europe, and I promise I’ll take care of the rest. No matter who you are, know that we miss you and would love a visit!

First snow in Brussels!

Our first snow in Brussels and what a story that is! It all started on Thursday, December 17th around 1:00 pm. Light flurries that were so pretty. I was Skyping with my mom and singing, “It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas.” The snow steadily increased and when I left to pick Lindsey up from school I was shocked at how much snow was on the car and then the road. When I swerved on the slick ice for the 3rd time in 5 minutes, I was a little panicked. I called my friend Anna and asked her to pick up Lindsey. She had beat me to the punch and ask Daniel to pick up Lykke so she called him back and he agreed to pick up all 3 girls. I felt much better knowing I just had to drive to St. John’s. It took longer than normal and a few more swerves, but I made it. The snow continued to fall. It was gorgeous!

Then the gridlock began. People were stuck in the parking lot at St. John’s for over an hour trying to get onto the main road, which was not moving. Daniel was an hour late to get the girls as he was stuck in traffic on the other side of town and couldn’t even make it to St. John’s. It was a mess. Two of my friends arrived at school at 5:00 pm to pick up their children. One had left her car and walked a half mile with her 2 year old to get the 5 year old. By 5:15 we decided to head to our friend’s house to meet Daniel and the younger girls. It took us a half an hour to go a 3 minute distance. It was such a relief to walk in the door and have dinner ready for us and all the kids. By 8:00 pm we decided it was best to spend the night at Stina’s. By us, I mean three families! Daniel and his two kids, Anna and her two kids, me and my two kids. Stina has two kids and a baby. It was a full house!!

This whole time I am texting Paul and getting updates from him. I had called him at 3:45 and said the roads were bad and it would be best for him to head home. It took him almost 4 hours to get there. And it wasn’t even snowing where he works, an hour away!

At 6:00 am we got the call from St. John’s that school was canceled! Our first snow day! :) Things were much better in the morning and I was able to make it home safely. Apparently first on our list of things to do in 2010 is to buy winter tires!

Of course, the kids were itching to play in the snow so after I got things settled in the house (remember I had left the day before at 3:00, thinking I was coming back an hour later), we donned our snow apparel. The snow was very fluffy and not great for making snowmen or hard snow balls, but it didn’t stop us. The kids had a great time and if if doesn’t snow in Kansas, they will be so disappointed. They remember sledding in Nana and Poppi’s back yard two years ago! (Mother Nature, if you are reading this, I know we haven’t been friends in the past, but if you could please arrange for some snow in Kansas, that would be great!)

Since I haven’t lived in a place with snow for over 12 years, I’m enjoying it. Check in with me at the end of the winter to see if snow is still a novelty! :)

Christmas Specials

It’s that time of year when schools ask kids to learn songs, memorize lines, and dance in front of family members. Our two schools are no exception. :) Lindsey’s Christmas concert was first. Her classmates range in ages 2.5 - 3.5 years. This year had a numbers theme and started off with the Numbers Rumba. I’ve never seen anything cuter than Lindsey sticking her leg out at the appropriate time. Wish I had video of that! :) The show was a smashing success and quite fun for the kids and the parents.

Nicholas’s Christmas play was a few days later and had a unique twist. It centered around Mary and Joseph at the inn with baby Jesus, but included Numbers, Numbers Everywhere (the Pre-K unit of inquiry) and fictional fairy tale characters (the Kindergarten unit of inquiry). It was a hoot! People like Little Red Riding Hood, Goldilocks and the Three Bears, Cinderella, The Seven Dwarfs among others, came to visit baby Jesus and bring him presents. Nicholas was Hansel and he and Gretel came all the way from Germany to bring pretzels. The kids did an awesome job and everyone enjoyed themselves.

So, for our first two school assembly experiences, the bar was set pretty high. Or do all parents think that because their children are involved!?

December Celebrations

The celebrations started early in December and continued all month for us! First, is St. Nicolas day on December 6th. He visits kids all over Belgium if they leave our their shoes for him. (See side bar for more information on St. Nicolas). He also visited the kids’ schools. Very fun! Nicholas received a skateboard and Lindsey a Shelley Barbie complete with 3 small cats. In the shoes were Kinder chocolate Kinder surprise eggs (a new favorite), Speculoos biscuits (gingerbread cookies) in the shape of St. Nicolas, and clementines.

If that wasn’t enough fun for the morning, we went to the American Women’s Club Christmas party where Lindsey won the BINGO game and an IKEA gingerbread house that we haven’t decorated yet. Santa made a special appearance at the party and brought presents for the kids.

The following weekend we took the kids to the Christmas market in Brussels. It is very common for many European towns to have Christmas markets where food, jewelry, scarves, artwork, and other goods are sold in outdoor booths. We have already decided next year to head to Germany and Brugge for their markets. The Brussels market boasted two carousels and an ice skating rink, but sadly it was so crowded (and cold) we didn’t make it that far down. Perhaps next year we’ll go on a weekday!

On a side note, Paul also got his Christmas present early -- a new digital camera. You’ll see lots of his handiwork from here on out. :)

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Oktoberfest facts

1. The first Octoberfest was held in 1810 to celebrate the October 12th marriage of Bavarian Crown Prince Ludwig to the Saxon-Hildburghausen Princess Therese. The citizens of Munich were invited to join in the festivities which were held over five days on the fields in front of the city gates. 40,000 people were in attendance. Together, Ludwig and Therese had eight children. However, Ludwig was forced to abdicate his throne following the Revolution of 1848, in part because of his affair with dancer, Lola Montez
2. Horse Races were held at the first Oktoberfest! But by 1819, the race had been called off, replaced by beer carts and a carnival-like atmosphere. The leaders of Munich decided that Oktoberfest would be held each year, no exceptions. And though Oktoberfest originated as a one-day commemoration, it was thereby extended to 16 days of revelry and heavy drinking.
3. Unbelievable, but in the beginning, beer was not available at the Oktoberfest. Alcohol could only be purchased and enjoyed outside of the actual venue. Authorities soon realized that it would make sense to open the Oktoberfest venue to vendors and it was only then that the traditional beerhalls became popular.
4. Some 6 million people will visit the fairgrounds during the two-week event and together they will consume the same number in liters of beer as well as 500,000 roasted chickens, 120,000 pairs of sausages, 80,000 liters of wine, 50,000 pork knuckles, 30,000 bottles of champagne, and a gazillion pretzels. All told, fest-goers will bring an economic boon to the city of Munich to the tune of around 1€ billion, or US$1.3 billion. That’s roughly 62€ million, or $80 million, per day!
5. The beer served at Oktoberfest are sourced from six Munich’s breweries: Spaten, Augustiner, Paulaner, Hacker-Pschorr, Hofbräu, and Löwenbräu. The beer is served in 1-liter glasses called a “mass," German for measure. Beer tent proprietors often charge a refundable deposit for the glass. Many beer tents require making reservations prior to the festival.
6. Tons of steel and wood will be obstructed for the biggest public festival in the world. It takes about ten weeks to set up the 180th Oktoberfest with its tents, rollercoasters and many more attractions.

3 Facts about Edinburgh, Scotland

1. Geological Fact: The rock on which Edinburgh Castle is built is the plug of an extinct volcano and following glacial erosion it formed a crag and tail formation. The crag is the Castle Rock and the tail is the Royal Mile.
2. Street Name Fact: The Royal Mile is called this because it’s a mile long street with two royal buildings on each end – Edinburgh Castle and Holyroodhouse Palace. Viewed from the air it resembles a fish bone!
3. Hidden Fact: Edinburgh’s Old Town is composed of several narrow lanes, known as wynds and closes, running out of the Royal Mile. One of the most famous is the Real Mary King’s Close, an underground series of streets that was built over as the city’s population increased. Although closed to the public for many years, it is now a commercial attraction where tourists can learn about the city’s 17th century history, including how the black plague affected residents’ living conditions. Not surprisingly, the close is also said to be haunted.

Facts about Samoens, France

1. The name “Samoëns” dates from 1167 A.D. and is based on a mediaeval expression meaning “the seven mountains”, a reference to the peaks around the village - Cuidex, Vigny, Folly, Oddaz, Bostan, Chardonnière, Freterolles and La Vullie. This is why the local people are known as “septimontains” (men) and “septimontaines” (women).
2. It is located in the 5th largest ski area of France called the Grand Massif.
3. It is home to 2,300 people who live there year round.
4. There are 265 km of pistes (ski runs).
5. The town replaces the two dots above the e with hearts. It's darling (and that's a fact!)

10 things about Copenhagen

1. Copenhagen is the largest city in Scandinavia.
2. The tallest building in downtown Copenhagen, the Radisson Blu Royal Hotel, was Copenhagen's first skyscraper when it was built in 1960 and remains the sole high-rise in the city center.
3. Around 28 percent of Copenhagen burnt down in the Great Fire of October 1728, amounting to a staggering 1,660 houses.
4. Copenhagen was once a walled city, where passage was only possible at one of the town's three 'ports' – Vesterport, Østerport and Nørreport.
5. Copenhagen has been rated as the world's top cities for cyclists. Copenhageners cycle a total of 1.2 km every day along 340 km of cycle lanes.
6. The city has been under siege twice: Once in 1523, when it was captured by the Swedes, and again in 1807, when Copenhagen's inhabitants were besieged by the English army for four days and nights.
7. Copenhagen has more Michelin-starred restaurants than any other city in Scandinavia, with a total of 12; twice as many as Stockholm.
8. Eco fact: Copenhagen's harbor has been thoroughly cleaned in the past decade: So well, in fact, that the inner harbor is now clean enough to swim in.
9. Copenhagen was voted the world's happiest city in 2007 – and rated the fourth most expensive in 2009.
10. Weird fact: The dragon spire of Copenhagen's old Stock Exchange, Børsen – now home to the Danish Chamber of Commerce – was created by a designer of fireworks.

Did you know . . .

• A popular Frankfurt drink is apple wine. Similar to cider, the brew is known locally as Ebbelwoi.
• During Oktoberfest in Munich, 1.8 million gallons of beer are drank.
• A pretzel is known as a brezel in Germany.
• Salzburg, Austria's population is only 150,000.
• The Neuschwanstein castle was built for only one person – the King Ludwig II. Neuschwanstein is so immense though, that in some days it is visited by up to 6,000 tourists.
• The Rhine Falls is the largest plain waterfall in Europe. The falls cannot be climbed by fish, except for eels which worm their way up over the rocks.
Zurich, Switzerland has more than 1,200 fountains.
• Freddy Mercury and Queen really loved Switzerland and ended up buying a recording studio outside Montreux on Lake Geneva. There is a statue to Freddy on the shore, featured on the cover of their album “Made in Heaven“.

Kos, Greece info.

Kos is located in the south-eastern Aegean Sea. The island measures 40 kilometres (25 mi) by 8 kilometres (5.0 mi), and is 4 kilometres (2.5 mi) from the coast of Bodrum, Turkey.
The island has a population of 30,947.
Kos is the birthplace of the father of medicine, Hippocrates, which was born on the island around 460 B.C. and founded the Great School of Medicine of Kos.
Therma Beach is ideal for treating rheumatic diseases, arthritis and gynecological problems since the hot springs water contains elements such as Potassium, Sodium, Calcium, Magnesium, Sulfur and Chlorine.
Although it is touristy, Zia is recommended as a place to visit for amazing views of the sunset as well as a place to purchase homemade olive oil, soaps, and pottery.

5 quick Amsterdam Facts

More than a quarter of the Netherlands is below sea level In addition to that, 50% of its land lies less than one meter above sea level. Schiphol, the airport, is actually 4.5 meters below sea level. Luckily, the Netherlands is not in a tsunami-prone part of the world.
Amsterdam is built entirely on poles Because Amsterdam's soil consists of a thick layer of fen and clay, all buildings are built on wooden poles that are fixed in a sandy layer that is 11 meters deep on average. The Royal Palace at Dam Square is built on no less than 13,659 wooden poles
Amsterdam has more than 150 canals and 1,200 bridges within its bounds.
Amsterdam has over 1 million bikes but its population is only 750,000.
On the average, the Dutch people are the tallest in Europe and the second tallest people in the world.

More info. on Stonehenge

The stones that remain are Stonehenge III, built in the third and second centuries B.C. The first Stonehenge was a product of the British Neolithic culture, about 3100 B.C. These people created a 320-foot-diameter ditch and then used the dirt they dug up to create a high mound within the circular ditch. Just inside the ditch were dug 56 shallow holes. These were soon refilled. The purpose of both actions is unknown. Stonehenge I did include entry stones, though, and this links it to successive stone patterns.
It is anticipated that more than thirty million hours of labor was required for the construction of Stonehenge.
Stonehenge and its surroundings were added to the UNESCO's list of World Heritage Sites in 1986 and is also legally protected by the Scheduled Ancient Monument.

Just a few facts about Windsor Castle

~ The largest in England, Windsor Castle is one of the principal residences of the queen and covers nearly thirteen acres. The first castle on the site was set up by William the Conqueror in about 1070.
~ Regardless of the weather, the Royal flag is raised when ever the Queen is in residence. (She was there when we visited, but we didn't see her.)
~ St George's Chapel, within the precincts of Windsor Castle, is one of the most beautiful ecclesiastical buildings in England. The building was started by Edward IV in 1475 and took fifty years to construct.
~ The castle has over 450 manually ticking clocks.

Fun facts about Tenerife

Tenerife is the largest of the 7 Canary Islands and sits in the Atlantic Ocean just off the coast of north Africa.
It has 300 sunny days a year.
Tenerife has the third largest island volcano in the world - Mount Teide, which has had 4 recorded eruptions, with no casualties. Three in the 1700's and the latest in 1909.
The population is 900,000 and one is six people is involved in the tourism/hospitality industry.
5 million tourists visit Tenerife every year and it boasts more 5 star resorts than Madrid & Barcelona.

Cinque Terre

Thanks to Wikipedia and my recent trip to Italy to see my friend Brooke, I now know that the Cinque Terre, "is a rugged portion of coast on the Italian Riviera. It is in the Liguria region of Italy, to the west of the city of La Spezia. "The Five Lands" is composed of five villages: Monterosso al Mare, Vernazza, Corniglia, Manarola, and Riomaggiore. The coastline, the five villages, and the surrounding hillsides are all part of the Cinque Terre National Park and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Over centuries, people have carefully built terraces on the rugged, steep landscape right up to the cliffs that overlook the sea. Part of its charm is the lack of visible corporate development. Paths, trains and boats connect the villages, and cars cannot reach them from the outside. The Cinque Terre is a very popular tourist destination."

A few random facts about Paris & France

There are over 300 kinds of cheese made in France.
More tourists visit France each year than any other country in the world, with 67 million annual tourist arrivals (more than the country's population).
Famous French inventions include the adding machine, the hot air balloon, the airship, the parachute, the submarine, the ambulance service, photography, animation and cinema
There are more dogs in Paris--approximately 300,000--than there are children.
It took 180 years to build Notre-Dame--13,000,000 people visit annually
Since construction the eiffel tower has been painted 19 times, the most recent in 2008--it takes 15 months to complete. The flag's three, equal-sized vertical stripes symbolize an equal union of the monarchy.

Facts about Dubai

Dubai is located in United Arab Emirates (UAE)
Dubai has a population of over 1.3 million people; Approximately 80% of the residents in Dubai are foreigners
Since 1833, Dubai has been ruled by the Al Maktoum dynasty
Dubai has one of the highest per capita incomes in the world
In Dubai, there are no taxes on income and there are no personal taxes either
The average annual precipitation in Dubai is only 13 centimeters
Dubai is built the first man made islands called the Palm Islands; the second project was called The World

St. Nicolas Day

In many places St. Nicolas is the main gift giver. His feast day, St. Nicolas Day, is December 6, which falls early in the Advent season. Some places he arrives in the middle of November and moves about the countryside, visiting schools and homes to find out if children have been good. In shops and department stores, St Nicholas sits on a throne and children queue to greet him and receive a small gift. He checks in his big book to see if they are telling the truth.

In other places he comes in the night and finds carrots and hay for his horse or donkey along with children's wish lists. Small treats are left in shoes or stockings so the children will know he has come.

Where St. Nicolas is prominent, his day, not Christmas, is the primary gift giving day. Parties may be held on the eve, December 5th, and shoes or stockings left for St. Nicolas to fill during the night. Children will find treats of small gifts, fruit or nuts, and special Nicholas candies and cookies. St. Nicolas gifts are meant to be shared, not hoarded for oneself.

Nick's school is truly international. There are 61 countries represented from around the world

United States - 23%
United Kingdom - 13%
Belgium - 10%
Sweden - 7%
France - 5%
Germany - 4%
South Korea - 4%
Canada - 3%
Netherlands - 3%
Norway - 3%
Other countries represented: Argentina, Australia, Austria, Bangladesh, Bosnia, Brazil, Bulgaria, Colombia, Denmark, Ecuador, Eritrea, Estonia, Ethiopia, Finland, Gambia, Greece, Hungary, India, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Luxembourg, Malawi, Mexico, Monaco, Namibia, Nepal, Nigeria, Pakistan, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Romania, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Serbia, South Africa, Spain, Sri Lanka, Switzerland, Taiwan, Tanzania, Turkey, Uruguay, Venezuela, and Western Samoa.

Facts about Belgium (for those of you who asked these questions!)

• Belgium is a country of approximately 10 million people, 11,800 square miles (about the size of Maryland), situated between the Netherlands to the north, Germany and Luxembourg to the east, France to the south, and the North Sea to the west.
• The capital city of Belgium is Brussels, which is also the headquarters of the European Union and NATO.
• Belgium has three official languages: Dutch, spoken by about 60% of the population (those in Flanders and Brussels); French, spoken by about 39% of the population (those in Wallonia and Brussels); and German, spoken by about 1% of the population in the eastern part of the country.
• A meteorologist would say that Brussels has a maritime temperate climate, which roughly translated means relatively mild winters, pleasant, warm summers and high average rainfall, distributed throughout the year. The least is 6 inches of rain in May and the most is 10 inches in December. Snow is possible, but not frequent, in winter. Temperatures range from an average of 45 ºF in winter, with peaks of around 85ºF in summer.
• The geography of Belgium shows it to have three major areas: lower Belgium (up to 100m above sea level), central Belgium (between 100 and 200m above sea level) and upper Belgium (from 200 to over 500m above sea level). (the lowest point is North Sea – 0 metres and the highest point is Signal de Botrange – 694 metres above sea level).