I know. I know.

I've been experimenting with the header and it still looks a bit goofy, but at least I was able to get it to span the whole blog and not just part of it. It's getting late, so I'll head off to bed and play with the header and code in the morning.

Long weekend in Berlin

We drove. We walked. We saw. We learned. We asked. We bussed it. We boated. We toured. We laughed. We had fun.

Details and pictures will be posted soon.

Habla Danish?

I wish Danish was as easy as Spanish...and I think Chuck wishes the same thing. On our drive back from Berlin, we were doing a Danish lesson. I was reading words in Danish and trying to get Chuck to come up with the English translation. Here's how it went:

Holly: et hus
Chuck: a dog?
Holly: nope, a house; en hund is a dog; en bard?
Chuck: a boat?
Holly: nope, a child; a boat is et bad (with a circle above the a)
Chuck: ask me quiz, really ask me what quiz is, come on ask me what quiz is.
Holly: quiz?
Chuck: quiz!

Yep, the joy of some Danish words being the same as English words: yo-yo, yoga, computer, quiz. Poor Chuck.

Flowers from around the globe

San Antonio, Texas - Janesville, Wisconsin - Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic - Cabo San Lucas, Mexico - Amsterdam, Netherlands - St. Croix, USVI

tweet.tweet

Well, it's 4:30am. It's just starting to get light out this morning and the darn birds were tweeting away outside my window. So, rather than listen to the constant tweets, I decided to start my day a little earlier than usual. Here's a picture of some HUGE morning dove like birds. They are about the size of chickens and sit outside our office window and whooo like owls. I'm too lazy to find and take a pic of the crazy birds that so kindly decided to tweet their way into my morning.

Good morning. Early bird gets the worm!

What do I do to fill the time?

You would think that living in a foreign country, not working, and being 7 hours ahead of all my friends and family would lead to utter boredom. That couldn’t be anything further from the truth. So, what do I do all day? Here’s a typical day: Get up early, have a cup of tea, and check email. By midmorning, I’ll go for a bike ride or a walk around town. I squeeze in a Danish lesson and have lunch. If I’m feeling ambitious, I’ll throw in a French lesson and go for a walk. Every other day, I walk up to the grocery store and pick up fresh veggies for dinner. This week, I’ve been researching hotels and activities for our 3 week European adventure. I’m reading Eat, pray, love by Elizabeth Gilbert right now and read a few ‘beads’ each day. Some afternoons I get an added surprise with an IM request from my friend Deanna. It’s always nice to chat online with her. Chuck’s home by 5 and we have dinner.

So, not much different than in the States, with the exception of no weekly Target shopping sprees, no long work days and NO NIGHT MEETINGS!

Official List of Places I Want to Visit

Here's my official list of places I want to visit, in no particular order (aside from a quick attempt at alpha). There are just soooo many!

Note: I'm a list-maker. I know my friend Michelle can totally relate! Consider this a very fluid list. I'll update it as we visit places or I read about some cool places that I have to visit!

1. Every continent (3 done, 4 to go for Holly; Chuck only has 3 to go!)


2. Every state in the U.S. (8 to go!)


3. Every country in western Europe and the UK (Portugal, Wales, Finland, Luxemburg to go!)


4. ABC Islands (Aruba, Bonaire, Curacao)


5. African safari


6. Amalfi Coast, Italy - done (4/2009)


7. Amsterdam, Netherlands - done (4/2008)


8. Athens, Greece - done (12/2008)


9. Bahamas and the pink sand beaches of Harbour Island - done (11/2010)


10. Bangkok


11. Barbados - done (3/2011)


12. Barcelona - done (9/2009)


13. Beijing - done (4/2009)


14. Belize


15. Berlin, Germany - done (5/2008, 9/2010)


16. Bergen, Norway - done (9/2010)


17. Boston - done (7/2011)


18. Broadway play in NYC - done (4/2007)


19. Budapest - done (9/2009)


20. Buenos Aires - done (Chuck 10/2010)


21. Canada (anywhere) - done (Toronto and Niagara Falls, 7/2010)


22. Cape Town, South Africa


23. Cape of Good Hope, South Africa


24. Cairo, Egypt
25. Cherry blossoms in Washington, D.C. - done (4/2014)


26. Cinque Terre, Italy - done (7/2009)


27. Costa Rica


28. Cuba (if only there was a way to legally go there!!!)


29. Dallas - done (1/2011)


30. Delhi


31. Dubai


32. Dublin, Ireland - done (12/2009)


33. Edinburgh, Scotland - done (11/2009)


34. Fiji


35. Florence - done (7/2009)
36. Florida Keys - done (5/2013)


37. Gorilla trekking


38. Great Barrier Reef


39. Great Wall of China - done (4/2009)


40. Grand Canyon - done (9/2011)


41. Greek Isles


42. Hawaii - done (11/2012-12/2012)


43. Hong Kong


44. Iceland


45. Istanbul, Turkey


46. Jerusalem


47. Johannesburg, South Africa


48. Lake Como, Italy - done (7/2009)


49. London, England - done (3/2009)


50. Los Angeles


51. Madrid, Spain - done (9/2009)


52. Machu Picchu, Peru


53. Maldives


54. Masai Mara in Kenya


55. Matterhorn in Zermatt, Switzerland


56. Miami, Florida - done (5/2013)


57. Montreal, Canada


58. Moscow, Russia - upcoming 9/2013


59. Mumbai


60. Munich, Germany - done (7/2008)
61. New England foliage tour - done (9/2012)


62. New Orleans, LA - done (4/2012)


63. New Zealand


64. Niagara Falls - done (7/2010)


65. Oslo, Norway


66. Paris, France - done (5/2009)


67. Pisa, Italy - done (7/2009)


68. Phuket


69. Pyramids of Egypt


70. Rio de Janiero, Brazil


71. Roatan, Honduras


72. Rome, Italy - done (4/2009)


73. St. Lucia


74. St. Petersburg, Russia - upcoming 9/2013


75. San Diego, California - done (9/2005)


76. San Francisco, California - done (3/2008, 7/2010)


77. Seattle, Washington - done (5/2007)


78. Seychelles


79. Singapore


80. Stockholm, Sweden


81. Sydney, Australia


82. Taj Mahal


83. Thermal baths in Tuscany, Italy


84. Train vacation (anywhere)


85. Tuscany, Italy - done (7/2009)


86. Tokyo, Japan


87. Toronto, Canada - done (7/2010)


88. Turks and Caicos


89. Venice, Italy - done (7/2009)


90. Versailles in France - done (5/2009)


91. Washington DC - done (12/2006, 3/2007, 4/2014)


92. Windsor Castle - done (12/2009)


93. Wine Country, USA - done (3/2008, 7/2010)


94. Zurich, Switzerland

Number of Countries Visited

1. United States
2. Mexico
3. Bahamas
4. Grand Cayman
5. US Virgin Islands
6. British Virgin Islands
7. Dominican Republic
8. Denmark
9. Germany
10. Netherlands
11. Belgium
12. Switzerland
13. Czech Republic
14. Austria
15. Poland
16. Greece
17. England
18. Slovania (Chuck reminded me that his work trip to Slovania should be on the list...W)
19. China
20. Italy
21. France
22. Sweden
23. Spain
24. Hungary
25. Scotland
26. Ireland
27. Canada (Holly's solo trip)
28. Norway
29. Argentina (Chuck's solo trip)
30. Barbados

World Travel - Places to See Before You Die

When the book 1,000 Places to See Before You Die: A traveler's life list by Patricia Schultz came out in 2003, I picked up a copy. I wanted to see what places in the world were 'must-see' locations on our travels. Granted, not all 1,000 places appeal to us, so we'll never make it to all of them. However, here's our progress so far.

I've also added a few (designated by ***) to the list that should definitely be a 'must-see' but were not included is Ms. Schultz's book.

I'll update the list as we continue our travels.

USA and Canada

1. Mt. McKinley Denali National Park, Alaska (5/1988...from a distance)
2. Kenai Peninsula, Alaska (5/1988)
3. ***Zephyr Train ride in Stillwater, Minnesota (10/2000)
4. Hotel del Coronado in Coronado, California (9/2006)
5. Cable Cars in San Francisco, California (9/2005, 7/2010)
6. Wine Country in California (4/2008, 7/2010)
7. Rocky Mountain National Park in Estes Park, Colorado (5/1999)
8. Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida (12/2003)
9. Sanibel and Captiva Islands in Florida (4/1998)
10. The Strip in Las Vegas, Nevada (9/2005)
11. New York City, New York (4/2007)
12. Museums in New York City, New York (4/2007)
13. Pike Place Market in Seattle, Washington (5/2007)
14. National Mall in Washington, DC (3/2007)
15. Smithsonian in Washington, DC (3/2007)
16. River Walk in San Antonio, Texas (9/2006)
17. Apostle Island, Wisconsin (6/2009)
18. ***Door County, Wisconsin (5/2010)
19. ***Gateway Arch in St. Louis, Missouri (5/2007)
20. Monterey Peninsula in California (7/2010)
21. Pacific Coast Highway in California (7/2010)
22. ***Walking the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, California (7/2010)
23. ***Lunching at the Hog's Breath restaurant in Carmel by the sea (7/2010)
24. ***Driving the 17 mile scenic road in Monterey Peninsula, California (7/2010)
25. Niagara Falls, Canada (7/2010)
26. ***CN Tower in Toronto, Canada (7/2010)
27. Pennsylvania Dutch Country in Lancaster, Pennsylvania (5/2011)
28. Freedom Trail in Boston, Massachusetts (7/2011)
29. Cape Cod National Seashore (7/2011)
30. Martha's Vineyard in Massachusetts (7/2011)
31. Plymouth, Massachusetts (7/2011)
32. Cliff walk in Newport, Rhode Island (7/2011)
33. Grand Canyon in Arizona (9/2011)
34. Red Rock Canyon in Sedona, Arizona (9/2011)
35. ***Verde Valley Train Ride near Sedona, Arizona (9/2011)
36. Mesa Verde in Cortez, Colorado (9/2011)
37. Monument Valley in Utah (9/2011)
38. Route 66 in New Mexico and Arizona (9/2011)
39. ***Clinton Presidential Library in Little Rock, Arkansas (4/2012)
40. French Quarter in New Orleans, Louisiana (4/2012)
41. Restaurants (po' boys, muffulettas, jambalaya, gumbo, pralines, pecan pie, red beans and rice) in New Orleans, Louisiana (4/2012)
42. New Orleans Jazz in New Orleans, Louisiana (4/2012)
43. Preservation Hall in New Orleans, Louisiana (4/2012)
44. ***Cooking class in New Orleans, Louisiana (4/2012)
45. Memphis Rib Joints in Memphis, Tennessee (5/2012)
46. Natchez Trail, Mississippi (5/2012)
47. Outer Banks, North Carolina (9/2012)
48. Stowe, VT (9/2012)
49. Woodstock, Vermont (9/2012)
50. Lava beaches, Waipio Valley, Mauna Kea, Kona coffee region, Hilo, Big Island, Hawaii (11/2012)
51. Road to Hana, Hookipa Beach, Kapalua, Wailea, Lahaina on Maui, Hawaii (11/2012)
52. ***Sunrise and Biking down Haleakala on Maui, Hawaii (11/2012)
53. Honolulu, Waikiki, North Shore, Pearl Harbor, Kailua on Oahu, Hawaii (11/2012)
54. ***Learning to surf on Oahu, Hawaii (11/2012)
55. South Beach, Miami Beach, Florida (5/2013)
56. Villa Vizcaya in Miami, Florida (5/2013)
57. Key West, Florida (5/2013)
58. Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum in Cleveland, Ohio (6/2013)
59. ***Cherry Blossoms in Washington, D.C. (4/2014)
60. Kentucky Derby museum in Louisville, Kentucky (4/2014)
61. ***Louisville Slugger museum in Louisville, Kentucky (4/2014)

Europe

1. Belvedere Palace in Vienna, Austria (7/2008)
2. Stephansdom in Vienna, Austria (7/2008)
3. Imperial Hapsburg Palace in Vienna, Austria (7/2008)
4. ***Oldest operational salt mine in Hallstatt, Austria (7/2008)
5. ***Salzburg, Austria (7/2008)
6. La Grand Place (Grote Markt) in Brussels, Belgium (10/2008)
7. Brugges, Belgium (10/2013)
8. Castle District in Prague, Czech Republic (7/2008)
9. Charles Bridge in Prague, Czech Republic (7/2008)
10. Old town square in Prague, Czech Republic (7/2008)
11. Tivoli Gardens in Copenhagen, Denmark (5/2007)
12. ***Driving the many bridges in Denmark: Great Belt and Oresund (4/2009, 8/2010)
13. Kronborg Slot in Helsingborg, Denmark (4/2009)
14. ***Fredriksborg Slot in Hillerod, Denmark (4/2009)
15. Egeskov Slot on the island of Funen in Denmark (10/2009)
16. Buckingham Palace in London, England (3/2009)
17. St. Paul's Cathedral in London, England (3/2009, 8/2009, 12/2009)
18. Tate Gallery in London, England (3/2009)
19. Tower of London in London, England (3/2009, 12/2009)
20. ***Champagne Flight on the London Eye in London, England (3/2009)
21. ***Tower Bridge in London, England (3/2009)
22. Hyde Park /Kensington Gardens in London, England (5/2009)
23. Oxford University in Oxford, England (5/2009)
24. Bath in Somerset, England (5/2009)
25. Salisbury Cathedral in Salisbury, England (5/2009)
26. Stonehenge in Wiltshire, England (5/2009)
27. The Cotswolds near London, England (8/2009)
28. Westminster Abby in London, England (8/2009)
29. Shopping at Fortnum & Mason, Portobello Market in Notting Hill, Harrods, Liberty in London, England (8/2009)
30. Windsor Castle in Windsor, England (12/2009)
31. Arc de Triomphe in Paris, France (5/2009)
32. Pompidou Center in Paris, France (5/2009)
33. Eiffel Tower in Paris, France (5/2009)
34. Notre Dame in Paris, France (5/2009)
35. Ile St. Louis in Paris, France (5/2009)
36. ***eating ice cream at Berthillon in Paris, France (5/2009)
37. Tuileries Gardens in Paris, France (5/2009)
38. ***Hot chocolate at Angelina's cafe in Paris, France (5/2009)
39. ***leisurely bike tour around Paris in Paris, France (5/2009)
40. Chateau and gardens at Versailles in Paris (5/2009)
41. Cathedral Notre Dame in Strasbourg, France (7/2009)
42. ***Petite France in Strasbourg, France (7/2009)
43. Champagne region of Reims, France (10/2013)
44. Mont St. Michel, France (10/2013)
45. Normandy D-Day beaches, France (10/2013)
46. Lubeck, Germany (5/2008, 12/2009)
47. Brandenburg Gate in Berlin, Germany (5/2008, 9/2010)
48. Museums in Berlin, Germany (5/2008, 9/2010)
49. ***Fernsehturm (television tower) in Berlin, Germany (5/2008)
50. ***Schloss Charlottenburg in Berlin, Germany (5/2008, 9/2010)
51. Cologne Cathedral in Cologne, Germany (7/2008)
52. Baden-Baden, Germany (7/2008)
53. ***Munich's 850th Birthday party in Munich, Germany (7/2008)
54. Rhine Valley, Germany (7/2008)
55. The Zwinger in Dresden, Germany (12/2008)
56. ***Kaiserburg in Nuremberg, Germany (7/2009)
57. ***German National Museum in Nuremberg, Germany (7/2009)
58. ***Rathus in Hamburg, Germany (1/2010, 8/2010)
59. ***Stade, Germany (8/2010)
60. ***East Side Gallery in Berlin, Germany (8/2010)
61. ***Roemer in Frankfurt, Germany (7/2009)
62. ***Museum street in Frankfurt, Germany (7/2009)
63. German Christmas Markets (Lubeck, Dresden, Flensburg, Bremen) (12/2008 and 2009)
64. The Acropolis in Athens, Greece (12/2008)
65. National Archeology Museum in Athens, Greece (12/2008)
66. ***Ringing in the New Year w/ fireworks over the Parthenon in Athens, Greece (1/2009)
67. ***Temple of Poseidon in Cape Sounion, Greece (12/2008)
68. Castle Hill in Budapest, Hungary (9/2009)
69. The Danube (and the Chain Bridge) in Budapest, Hungary (9/2009)
70. The book of Kells at Trinity College in Dublin, Ireland (12/2009)
71. The pubs of Dublin, Ireland (12/2009)
72. Galway, Ireland (12/2009)
73. ***The burren in western Ireland (12/2009)
74. ***Malahide and Dublin Castles in greater Dublin, Ireland (12/2009)
75. ***Cliffs of Moher in western Ireland (12/2009)
76. Capri, Italy (4/2009)
77. ***Boating around the Island of Capri (4/2009)
78. ***Taking a single chairlift to the top of the Island of Capri in Anacapri, Italy (4/2009)
79. Pompeii, Italy (4/2009)
80. Amalfi Coast, Italy (4/2009)
81. Positano, Italy (4/2009)
82. Sorrento, Italy (4/2009)
83. Borghese Gallery in Rome, Italy (4/2009)
84. Coliseum in Rome, Italy (4/2009)
85. Piazza Campidoglioi n Rome, Italy (4/2009)
86. Capitoline Museum in Rome, Italy (4/2009)
87. Pantheon in Rome, Italy (4/2009)
88. Roman Forum in Rome, Italy (4/2009)
89. Spanish Steps in Rome, Italy (4/2009)
90. Trevi Fountain in Rome, Italy (4/2009)
91. Vatican City in Rome, Italy (4/2009)
92. Market at Campo dei Fiori in Rome, Italy (4/2009)
93. Piazza Navona in Rome, Italy (4/2009)
94. Shopping on Via Condotti in Rome, Italy (4/2009)
95. ***Attending the Papal Address at St. Peter's Basilica (4/2009)
96. Sistine Chapel in Rome, Italy (4/2009)
97. Church of Santa Croce in Florence, Italy (7/2009)
98. Church of Santa Maria Novella in Florence, Italy (7/2009)
99. Galleria Dell ’Accademia in Florence, Italy (7/2009)
100. Il Duomo in Florence, Italy (7/2009)
101. Medici Chapels in Florence, Italy (7/2009)
102. Piazza della Signoria in Florence, Italy (7/2009)
103. Palazzo Vecchio in Florence, Italy (7/2009)
104. Palazzo Pitti in Florence, Italy (7/2009)
105. Il Ponte Vecchio in Florence, Italy (7/2009)
106. Mercato San Lorenzo in Florence, Italy (7/2009)
107. Uffizi Galleries in Florence, Italy (7/2009)
108. Quadrilateral in Bologna, Italy (7/2009)
109. Church of the Friars in Venice, Italy (7/2009)
110. Church of St. John and St. Paul in Venice, Italy (7/2009)
111. Doge’s Palace in Venice, Italy (7/2009)
112. Peggy Guggenheim Museum in Venice, Italy (7/2009)
113. Basilica di San Marco in Venice, Italy (7/2009)
114. Piazza San Marco in Venice, Italy (7/2009)
115. Scuola Grande di San Rocco in Venice, Italy (7/2009)
116. ***Water taxi through the Grand Canal in Venice, Italy (7/2009)
117. ***Francois Pinnoult musuems in Venice, Italy (7/2009)
118. ***Glass factories on the island of Murano in Venice, Italy (7/2009)
119. Cinque Terre, Italy (7/2009)
120. Bellagio, Italy (7/2009)
121. Chianti and San Gimignano, Italy (7/2009)
122. ***Cooking class (Castello di Oliveto) in Tuscany, Italy (7/2009)
123. Piazza del Campo in Siena, Italy (7/2009)
124. Anne Frank House in Amsterdam, Netherlands (4/2008, 12/2009)
125. Canal Cruises and Tulips in Netherlands (4/2008, 12/2009)
126. ***Keukenhof Gardens in Netherlands (4/2008)
127. Oude Kerk Church in Amsterdam, Netherlands (4/2008)
128. Red Light District in Amsterdam, Netherlands (4/2008)
129. Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam, Netherlands (4/2008)
130. ***Zaanse-schans in Zaandam, Netherlands (12/2009)
131. Bergen and Troldhaugen in Norway (9/2010)
132. ***Norway in a Nutshell (Flåm Railway, the Aurlandsfjord, Nærøyfjord, Stalheimskleiva) near Bergen, Norway (9/2010)
133. Edinburgh Castle in Edinburgh, Scotland (11/2009)
134. La Sagrada Familia cathedral in Barcelona, Spain (9/2009)
135. Museu Picasso in Barcelona, Spain (9/2009)
136. ***Montserrat Monestary near Barcelona, Spain (9/2009)
137. Palacio Real in Madrid, Spain (9/2009)
138. The Prado in Madrid, Spain (9/2009)
139. Thyssen-Bonemisza Museum in Madrid, Spain (9/2009)
140. Plaza Mayor in Madrid, Spain (9/2009)
141. ***Ale's Stenar in Ystad, Sweden (4/2009)
142. ***Glimminghus in Sweden (4/2009)
143. Lucerne, Switzerland (7/2008)
144. ***Mt. Pilatus in Lucerne, Switzerland (7/2008)
145. Jungfrau near Interlaken, Switzerland (7/2008)

Mexico, Central America, South America

1. Las Ventanas al Paraiso in Los Cabos, Mexico (11/2007)
2. Whale Watching in Los Cabos, Mexico (3/1994)
3. Acapulco Bay in Mexico (11/1993)
4. Taxco, Mexico (11/1993)
5. Teoteihuacan and National Museums in Mexico City, Mexico (10/1993)
6. ***Tenochtitlan near Mexico City, Mexico (10/1993)
7. Las Mananitas in Cuernavaca, Mexico (9/1993)
8. Chichen Itza in Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico (4/1991, 5/2000, 4/2004)
9. El Dia de los muertos celebrated in Mexico (11/1993)
10. ***Uxmal in Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico (4/1991)

Caribbean

1. Old San Juan in San Juan, Puerto Rico (12/2001)
2. Buck Island in St. Croix, USVI (12/2001)
3. Caneel Bay in St. John, USVI (9/2007)
4. Reef Trail in Cruz Bay, St. John, USVI (9/2007)
5. Magens Bay in St. Thomas, USVI (5/2006, 9/2007)
6. ***Stingray City in Grand Cayman Island (8/1996)
7. Pink sand beaches of Harbour Island, Bahamas (11/2010)
8. Barbados (3/2011)

Asia

1. Classic restaurants in Beijing, China (4/2009)
2. Forbidden City in Beijing, China (4/2009)
3. Climbing the Mutianyu section of the Great Wall (4/2009)
4. Walking through the Hutongs of Beijing, China (4/2009)
5. ***Bargaining for goods at Silk Street, Tea Street, Yaxiu Market, and Pearl Market in Beijing, China (4/2009)

Road trip to Lubeck, Germany

Lubeck, Germany is about 2 hours from our house. Our European guide book had a great picture of the Holstentor and said that Lubeck was like an island city. So...we decided to take a day trip to the town...and make a pit stop at Ikea in Kiel...on the way home. Check out the photos. More info on Lubeck:

• It was a free imperial city in 1226 and controlled trade in the Baltic to as far away as Russia.
• The picture with the wooden replica of the town was built in 1934 by school children. It's a replica of Lubeck in the 1600s. Today, the fortified banks surrounding the moat/river are gone and it's flat land.
• Lubeck sustained heavy damage during WW II and many of the buildings have been restored or rebuilt.
• The Holstentor (Holsten Gate) was built in the 1400s and is the first structure that greets visitors as they enter the island-like city.
• Marienkirche (St. Maria's Church or St. Mary's Church, depending upon the literature) was built between 1250 and 1350. It was restored after it was burned and bombed in 1942 (WWII). There's a picture of a large bell that fell during WW II bombings and is embedded in the concrete floor!
• There are pictures of two organs in the church. The current organ was placed in 1986 and has about 5,000 pipes. There have been about 5 other versions of the organ, beginning back in the early 1500s.
• Apparently, if you think of marzipan you think of Niederegger, which is a store in Lubeck. It's status as the marzipan capital of the world dates back to the 1800s. I realized that I don't particularly care for the taste of marzipan, which is good because a lot of chocolates are filled with the stuff. I'll take hazelnut filling any day of the week!

A quick trip to Ikea in Kiel to pick up a few things for the house and a stop at Citti-park in Flensburg for groceries and before we knew it our Saturday was over. Sunday is supposed to be nice out, so we'll work in the yard a bit.