Morrison Family in Belgium: May 2012

Wednesday, May 16, 2012

Paul's visit to Stonehenge

Customize a slideshow

Gretchen was generous enough to do some solo-parenting of our kids (plus an extra 6 year old of our friends), which allowed for a quick, early morning trip to Stonehenge. After a short (<60 minutes) drive southwest of Windsor (which is just west of London), we could see the rocks standing in what is otherwise a large field of absolutely nothing! Although the location appears random from the drive, it is believed to have very special meaning to the creators. No one really knows why Stonehenge was created, but some of the theories involve Merlin, the devil, secret and ancient burial grounds for royalty, or, just a really elaborate timepiece.

Regardless of the “why”, the “what” and the “how” it is pretty impressive. The structure was built in 3100 BC (think about that for a minute…. 3,100 years BEFORE CHRIST.) Some of the “vertical” stones are > 40 tons and have up to 1/3 of the stone underground, while some of the horizontal one’s were > 10 tons. The origin of the rocks has been traced to Wales, which is >200 miles away. The lack of a good UHaul to move the rocks in 3100 BC is where the theories of Merlin and the devil come from. I enjoyed learning that design and construction does indeed work as a daily timepiece, and that the shadows of one of the “keystone” rocks will tell you what month it is. In the end, I think Stonehenge “rocks”!

Legoland/Windsor, UK

This free picture slideshow made with Smilebox

The Belgian Labor Day gave Paul and the kids 2 days off work and school so we headed to the UK with 2 other families to have a go at Legoland in Windsor, UK. On Saturday morning we drove 2 hours to Calais, France and boarded a ferry with our car to cross the English Channel. After parking, we got out and headed to the family lounge where we ate lunch and the kids played. It was very similar to being in a moving airport as it had restaurants, a private club, lounges, a play area for kids, a duty-free shop, etc. There was also an outdoor deck should the weather have been warm and sunny. Unfortunately for us, it rained almost the whole way to Calais and the sky was overcast for the 90 minute ferry ride. Paul was able to get pictures of the famous cliffs of Dover and then it was back in the car for another 2 hours of driving on the opposite side of the road to Windsor. When you first get off the ferry grounds, there are several round-a-bouts so Paul was put to the test immediately and passed with flying colors!

We stayed at the Legoland Resort which was a brilliant idea given the manic weather patterns in the UK. After unpacking and settling into the room, we got back in the car for a 10 minute drive into the Windsor city centre and a very quick tour around the Windsor Castle. Highlights were St. George’s cathedral (even though you can’t take pictures inside), Queen Mary’s doll houses, and the State Apartments. After a dinner of fish & chips and bangers & mash at a local pub we headed back to the hotel. Little did we know there was a nightly dance party for the kids complete with DJ, 2 energetic employees, and lots of kids. The adults sat around and drank/ate while the kids had a ball. A perfect way to end the day.

We awoke to a rainy, dreary day but after a big breakfast we decided to brave the weather and headed into Legoland. We lasted just under 2 hours and returned to the hotel to warm up, take a swim in the indoor pool, and eat lunch. We did another 1/3 of the park before dinner and came inside just in time for the dance party.

Monday, Paul woke up earlier and drove an hour to see Stonehenge with one of the other couples, while I stayed local and spent the entire day at Legoland. (See his story for complete details/pictures). Blue skies and sun made for a better day full of adventure. Repeat evening dance party and adult drinking. :) Tuesday morning we awoke to another day of rain and felt even more grateful for our one day of sunshine. After a brief shopping trip in Windsor, we were on the road again. This time we took the train home. Cars drive onto narrow train cars and park. Windows must be down halfway and you stay put for the 35 minute drive. It’s faster, but less fancy. We were glad to know what both of the options are for our next time to the UK.

Tuesday, May 15, 2012

Nana's visit - April 2012

Personalize your own picture slideshow

My mom arrived the day after we returned from Portugal and stayed for a week. Although the weather was cold and wet, we managed to get in a visit to the Musical Instruments Museum in Brussels, shopping in Waterloo, 2 lunch dates, and a concert with Mischa Maisky and his daughter Lily. The concert was a special treat and fun to follow the museum experience. Mischa Maisky is a world-renowned cellist and I’ve included a link to his website on the right hand side. He has a son in Nicholas’s grade and we know the family. Anyway, the pictures are only from the museum day, but we had a wonderful visit and look forward to Nana’s next return to Belgium!

Paul's car window struggle story

I know how you all love a good struggle story so I asked Paul to write one of his experiences for you! :)

I’m not sure exactly how it happened, but somehow I managed to amass 3 tanks of gas for my grill. In Phoenix I was never the type to keep that “spare” tank available, despite how logical it is. I guess my frugal nature just didn’t see the extra $20 investment as being worth it. At any rate, I coasted through winter knowing that I had sufficient backups for that day when the steaks had just touched the grill and my primary tank runs out. That day came about a month ago, but my sense of calm disappeared when I hooked up my first back up only to find it, too, was out of gas. No problem, that’s why I have a 3^rd tank, right? WRONG! Of course it was empty as well!! Steaks were broiled in the oven that night, and I made plans to refill.

I realized that two of my tanks were blue, while one was red. Of course, that means that I need to go to two different gas providers to have them refilled. The blue ones are from a local garden center, while the red one can be exchanged at a gas station nearby. I loaded all three in the back of my car (an Audi A6 “wagon”), with plans to return the blue ones, and replace the one red one with two filled red ones.

The garden center was closed, of course (I mean really, why would a garden center want to be open on a Sunday anyway?), so I went to the gas station. I returned the one red, and replaced it with two red ones. No problems at all, until I slammed the trunk of my car shut and realized that the maximum number of gas tanks my trunk can fit is apparently 3.5. I watched in true Matrix slow motion horror as the extra .5 of a tank perfectly connected with my slanted hatchback window, blowing it out in spectacular fashion!!!

A couple of hours cleaning up the mess and a €1,000 ($1,350) bill to my insurance company later, and we were back in action! I am pretty sure when we return to the US I will return to my original strategy of just one tank, having proved that the extra one can be rather expensive after all.

Pine Cliffs Resort, Portugal April 2012

This free slideshow personalized with Smilebox

For our Easter break we spent a relaxing week at the Pine Cliffs Resort in the Algarves region of Portugal. This was one of the few trips where we didn’t leave the resort grounds except to grocery shop and have dinner with friends one night. The kids didn’t even get souvenirs. The weather was a big dodgy for half of the days, but luckily there was an indoor pool. Our “room” was a 3 bedroom, 2 story townhouse with a full kitchen, 2.5 baths, and an outdoor patio. After paying 40 euros for a buffet breakfast (the waiter only charged the adults), we went to the local grocery store and stocked up on milk, cereal, and fruit!

Another St. John’s family, with boys in 1st and 4th grade, arrived two days after us and together we hit the resorts’ sporty activities such as tennis, golf, swimming, mini-golf, soccer, archery, and even an Easter egg hunt. Surrounded by red Sedona-like cliffs, we had to take an elevator to get down to the beach. Even though the water was chilly, the kids enjoyed playing in the ocean while I read the Hunger Games trilogy. Another family, with girls in Pre-K and 1st grade, (ours are in K and 2nd) were staying at a resort 5k away so we were able to spend time with them too. Unfortunately we didn’t rent a car and didn’t explore Portugal at all. I guess that means we’ll have to return someday! ;)

Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)

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).