St. Goar & the Rhine River Valley, Germany

Hello, All! Time for another episode of "The Garvin Travels." On the recommendation of several friends, we ventured to the Rhine River valley in Germany this past weekend. More specifically, we stayed in a quaint little town along the river called St. Goar. This area is fairly touristy during the peak season, but since we were there before things really get going for the year, it was pretty quiet. In fact, the hotel we tried to book a room at (online) called to tell us that they weren't yet open for the year. So they recommended another hotel that was open, and we ended up being the ONLY people staying there Friday night. It was a bit odd knowing we were the only ones there. Not even the owner stayed - I think she has a home across the street. Anyway, I've never been the only one in a hotel before and it was an interesting feeling. Hotel Hauser is situated right along the Rhine, so we had really nice views:



View from Hotel Hauser from Melanyann Garvin on Vimeo.

After a lovely breakfast Saturday morning compliments of Marianne, the owner of Hotel Hauser, we set out to explore Burg Rheinfels, the local castle. We hiked up through the castle gardens to get to the castle and enjoyed the views back down toward the river.

Stopping for a break (and utilizing the timer feature on the camera) on our climb up to Burg Rheinfels:

In this one you can see Burg Katz in the background (I know I called it Hotel Katz on the video, but it's not a hotel, it's currently a Natural Science Grammar and Boarding school. We were told that it's actually now privately owned by a Japanese family.) The town below, St. Goarhausen, is directly across the river from St. Goar. Apparently on town-naming day, someone wasn't feeling so creative.

A look down onto St. Goar:


Part of Burg Rheinfels has been renovated and turned into a hotel, but there are also original ruins of the castle which was built in 1245! Luckily they provided us with an English version of a guide to the grounds. With this we were able to explore the castle ruins and understand what used to be where.

This was the western wall of the inner courtyard. The arsenal and the kitchen were to the right.


Some sort of cemetery within the castle walls:

"Inside" the castle (using the camera timer again.... Eric's favorite):

A pile of catapults... how neat!

This wall was really tall, but according to the info sheet, it was originally even three stories higher!

And this is the underground vaulted chamber for the soldiers:

And Eric in the chamber. You can't see this, but he's using a candle we were given with our entrance tickets to explore the unlit nooks and cranies (and big huge underground rooms).

I thought this picture was cool b/c you can see the many grapevines growing on the hillsides. The Rhine valley is known for the great wines produced in the area, most specifically, Rieslings (my favorite!).

After all that exploring, we were hungry so we drove south along the river to the town of Bacharach. Not much was open, but we found a great little restaurant and took the suggestion of the waitress for a very traditional German meal. I know you're all bummed that there aren't any menu pictures this time, but here's a picture of what arrived on the table (we had no clue what we had ordered):

The potatoes were awesome, the sauerkraut great, and we found out after eating that those patties were some sort of special pork from the local butcher.

After our Rieslings, Eric ordered a beer. Can you tell how enormous this mug is from the picture?

We wanted to buy some local wines, so the same waitress (man, she was helpful) recommended a little winery up the hill. On our way up we saw the castle in Bacharach.

And then we bought 8 bottles of wine from this place:

On Sunday we went to Mass (in German) at St. Goar's namesake. That small statue of St. Goar is one of the oldest know images of St. Goar. It's older than the church itself and was transfered to the church after it was built.

After mass we started the meandering drive home north along the river. We stopped in Spay, Germany and could see Marksburg Castle across the river. Construction began on Marksburg in the 12th century and it is the only castle along the Rhine that has never been destroyed:


Marksburg from Melanyann Garvin on Vimeo.

We also decided to stop to check out Stolzenfels Castle. Had we known how far we'd have to hike up to get to the castle, we may have decided differently, but you know hindsight. At least the walk up was scenic:

Picture break (love that self-timer):

Almost there....

We made it!

I don't have much to tell you about Stolzenfels because the tour we tagged along on was totally in German. According to our guide map, the castle was destroyed by the French in 1689 and then rebuilt for a Prussian king in 1836. So this castles was much more intact. Some of the rooms had been preserved with furnishings from when Frederick William IV (the Prussian king) lived there. I'm sure much more interesting information was given during the tour, but oh well.

And that was it. We drove home from there. One more thing, all along the drive there and back we kept seeing this sign. We first saw it during out visit to Switzerland and thought it was the name of a town. I had regretted not taking a picture of the sign. As it turns out, it's not the name of a town at all. Does anyone else find this as funny as we do? Say it aloud and you'll figure it out:

Even funnier, it means "exit". he he he

Flashback

Hey there! Eric and I went to see The Smashing Pumpkins in Brussels the other night. I saw them when I was in college (2001/2002) and Eric has seen them several times too. The first time was '93/'94 (yeah, I know... he's old) and most recently in 1998 (which really isn't that recent at all). Anyway, we had fun and thought you might like to hear a little:



Smashing Pumpkins from Melanyann Garvin on Vimeo.


Here's a bit of an acoustic song Billy Corrigan performed. We had never heard it before, but liked it:

Smashing Pumpkins2 from Melanyann Garvin on Vimeo.


And here's a few pictures too:


Basically, from what we gathered, the concert experience is pretty much the same in Belgium.

The Ardennes and Luxembourg

A new excursion this weekend. Saturday morning we set out for Luxembourg City. Our aim was to leisurely drive south while taking in the scenery of the Ardennes Forest, stopping at the Bastogne Historical Center (which is located on one of the battlefields from the Battle of the Bulge and has an American Memorial), and then eventually checking out some of the sites in Luxembourg City.

On the drive down toward Bastogne I read in one of our guidebooks about Durbuy, a cute little medieval town. We decided to stop there for lunch and try one of the recommended restaurants, Hostellerie le Sanglier des Ardennes. Durbuy was really quaint with windy, cobblestone streets and cute artisan shops. We found our restaurant and opted for the 4 course lunch menu. It was really good, but took a REALLY long time! Here are a few pictures of Durbuy:

Our lunch restaurant:

The view from our table at lunch:

Here's a video we took on our drive. The scenery was pretty and a nice contrast to the northern part of Belgium that is incredibly flat.

Ardennes Drive1 from Melanyann Garvin on Vimeo.

Our lunch took so long that the Bastogne Historical Center was already closed by the time we made it there. So we journeyed on to Luxembourg City, enjoying the drive along the way.

The next morning we set out for the sites of Luxembourg City. We first needed to find some breakfast so we walked, and walked, and walked looking for SOMETHING, ANYTHING that was open. We have never walked for so long in a city and not seen an open restaurant. In fact, I almost entitled this post: "Never go to Luxembourg on a Sunday unless you're not hungry." Anyway, we finally found a place that was open, but it was only pastries and coffee so we ate something to tide us over and then walked, and walked, and walked back to the city center. We hadn't planned that well and didn't have a city map, and since nothing was open, we couldn't get one. So we admired the old city walls:


And admired the Cathedrale de Notre-Dame from inside and out:


And then we decided to get back in the car and tour the Valley of the Seven Castles. It's really just a drive along the (very small) Eisch River, but it was very scenic and supposedly has one of Europe's finest concentration of castles. There are castles in Koerich, Septfontaines, Ansembourg(2 here), Hollenfels, Schoenfels, and Mersch. We only found 6 of the seven castles- the Mersch castle elluded us and our empty bellies did not lend themselves to a lenghthy search.

Here's a picture of the Castle at Koerich: Mostly ruins

And the 13th century castle at Septfontaines:

There were two castles at Ansembourg, but the first was so hidden up in the hills, among the trees, that we couldn't even take a picture of it. The second was from the 17th century as opposed to the first from the 12th, but we couldn't get a good shot of that one either.

Here's what the castle at Hollenfels looks like as you enter the town:
And here's what it looks like closer up with me jumping up in front of it. I'm a dork... I know.

Here's a the view from Hollenfels Castle:

We are now totally pros at the full-arm-extention-b/c-no one-is-around-to-take-our-picture-shot:


And this is the Castle at Schoenfels:

We used our handy TomTom GPS to navigate between all these tucked away towns. The roads were pretty bare and we felt like we were all alone exploring the Luxembourg countryside. While typing Hollenfels into the GPS, I saw that there was a Holler, Luxembourg. Being that Holler is my maiden name, I was pretty excited to find this. We mapped it and realized it was fairly close to where we were (really everything in Luxembourg could be described as "fairly close" since the whole country is only 35 miles across at it's widest point) so we decided to take a detour and check out Holler. You can click here if you want to see where Holler is in Luxembourg. It's basically in the most northern area, nearly equal distance from both Belgium and Germany.

I got even more excited when I saw this sign and confirmed that Holler did, indeed exist:


And now........ what I'm sure you've all been waiting for.......... your personal tour of Holler, Luxembourg:

Holler, Luxembourg from Melanyann Garvin on Vimeo.

Hope you enjoyed a little peak into our weekend. Where to next?

Busy, Busy, Fun, Fun!

Hello, All! I should be better about blogging. It's okay to post something short. I don't have to stress over each word. (Just trying to convince myself.) I guess just the idea of each blog entry being archived and accessible for eternity to potentially any willing reader makes me feel like each entry must be so well thought out and, essentially, perfect. But, really, it's not such a big deal. Nevertheless, blogging brings out the perfectionist in me and the thought of creating a "perfect" entry often causes procrastination! Does anyone else find this to be true or is it just me?

Anyway, I've been keeping very busy. So busy, in fact, that I had to print out a monthly calendar to keep track of all my activities! I used to use my iphone, but since I can't use that here, I've been without a way to stay organized (i use that term loosly, of course). So, what pray tell, has been keeping me so busy? Well, mostly activities with the American Women's Club of Antwerp (AWCA) and the friends I've met through it. I found this club online before we moved here, and it has been a lifesaver! I've met some really great women and they have welcomed me into their group wholeheartedly. Yes, while my wonderful husband is slaving away at work, I'm off having new and fun adventures with a great group of gals!

Last week, I went shopping for a few days in Paris with Stephanie and Joanna. Joanna knew of good outlets just outside of Paris, so off we went. I had found nothing, and was feeling discouraged, when just before the shops were closing, I found two beautiful dresses. And even better, they were on MEGA-sale! The two dresses were originally just over 1000Euro, but I got both for 150Euro!! I'm sure some of you will be completely bored with this portion of the post, but if you know me at all, you can surely appreciate how exciting this was for me! Here's a picture of my finds:


I also bought two pairs of shoes. Fun, comfy ones: aren't they cute? ...and very Mel
And since I only brought winter shoes/boots when we came, I bought a pair of Spring shoes that can be dressed up or down (and they're SUPER comfy too):
I'm actually very proud of this purchase. I was able to overcome my ingrained tendency to buy 5 pairs of $20 so-so shoes and hold out for ONE pair of good, comfortable shoes. I try to replay Eric's voice in my head when I'm shopping: Quality, not quantity.

Anyway, it was a fun, productive girls' shopping trip and I was very happy to have been invited along. I didn't do a good job of taking pictures during the trip (I was focused on the mission at hand), but here's a picture of Stephanie and me (from a recent trip to Brussels for a tour):
She has been such a great friend already. She drives me to all the AWCA events, passes along useful Antwerp tips and restaurant suggestions, gets me out of the house, and, of course, invites me to Paris to shop! She's getting married in July, and it's been fun to tag along while she does some of her planning. And.... she may be moving to the Bay Area after the wedding. I'm keeping my fingers crossed!

I didn't get a picture of Joanna (sorry, Jo!), but she was a wonderful travel companion and so sweet!

I got back from Paris on Thursday, and Friday I went skiing in Holland with Nicole (another friend from the AWCA) and her kids. We went to SkiWorld, an indoor skiing facility, and it was pretty neat. Here's a picture of Nicole and me:
And here's one of Nicole and her kids, Hayden and Jillian:
And one of the slopes:
Nicole has been really great to me also - inviting me to coffee, letting me tag along on their ski day (I just realized I hadn't been skiing in 10 years!), and also inviting Eric and I out to dinner this past weekend. It was really nice for Eric to finally meet some of my friends and their husbands too.

Then, on Saturday, Eric and I went out for breakfast - Stephanie had told us about a place that serves omelets - and then walked around one of the weekend markets. Prior to this weekend, we hadn't made it out in Antwerp before about noon. So it was nice to see the hustle and bustle of the city on a weekend morning. We bought some flowers at the market and they've been cheering up our flat all week:

This week, I went to a jewelry party, we went out to dinner with my Chinese teacher, Kuan, and her husband, Kim, and I've been to the gym 3 times (so far). Tomorrow I'm meeting up with friends for afternoon tea (or wine, I think I'll choose the wine!). And we just found Domino's Pizza - my mouth is watering just thinking of the cheesy bread! This weekend we're going to drive through the scenic Ardennes Forest on our way to Luxembourg City.

Hope you're all well. Happy Valentine's Day!

Oddities and Observations

Hello, All! Well, having been in Belgium for several months now, we've had the opportunity to note some interesting differences in everyday life - things you may not notice if here only on vacation or for a short period of time. Granted, these are nowhere near as odd as experiences we've had in Asia, but are just a few things we've observed, some quite obscure. I've broken them down into four categories for your reading pleasure:

Television:
Each morning I wake up looking forward to watching Will & Grace and, after that, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. Hey - don't judge - you'd find yourself watching things you may not normally watch when English language television is limited...... oh, who am I kidding, I'd watch these in the states too! Anyway, I usually wake between 7:15am and 7:40am as Eric is getting ready for work. I flip on the TV and either wait for Will & Grace to start or catch it mid-way through. The thing is, the start time of my morning shows appears to be fairly random. Not completely random, because I know it'll start sometime between 7:12 and 7:21am, just fairly random. And then The Fresh Prince will follow sometime around 7:48am.

We've noticed this same pattern, or lack thereof, with most television programming. No exact start time, even if it's advertised. You may see that "Bridget Jones' Diary" is going to be on tomorrow evening at 9:15pm, but really, that's just an estimate. Could be 9:03, in which case you miss the first 12 minutes, or it could be 9:22pm - either way. And then there's the placement of commerical breaks...this one isn't fairly random, it's COMPLETELY random. It never takes place at the natural storyline break. It's always in an unexpected place - like right before someone answers a question or even in the middle of the question. Eric and I always crack up because it takes us by surprise. Commericals come at the least likely or logical place. It's so weird. Even if it's an American show that probably came with the commerical break placements pre-determined. It's as if they like to change it around just for the fun of it!

In keeping with that unpredictability, I've noticed that shows don't always play each day at the same time... or even on the same channel. Shortly after arriving, I stumbled upon Oprah one afternoon. I was so excited (even though it was an episode from 7 months ago) - I'd be able to get a daily dose of Oprah! So, I faithfully tuned in at the same time the following day. Sad to say, no Oprah for Mel. I tried again the next day just in case Oprah was only on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday. No Oprah again. I started flipping channels and found Dr. Phil (definitely not something I'd watch in the states) and an hour later Oprah came on - different time, different channel.

The Gym:
Well, I did join a gym here and that's been interesting. I've managed to get through pilates, bodysculpt, bodypump, and spinning classes - all in Flemish. Right now I'm really good at counting (in Flemish) backwards from eight to one. I also know the words for up, down, again and more (as in eight more, four more, etc.). The set up of the gym is pretty similar to gyms in the states, only on a smaller scale. What's not similar are the hours. Apparently, people don't go "sporting" here until much later. Whereas in the states the gym would open at 5 or 6am (if not being open 24 hours), the gyms here don't open until 9am. And all the classes are at 11am or noon. I'm used to going to the gym for classes around 8am and then being done and having the rest of my day to get things done. Here, by the time I'm done at the gym, it's 2pm! It's also so much easier NOT to get to the gym because activities, events and outings come up and you can't go to the gym beforehand. Good thing I walk so much here.

The other thing I find puzzling, has to do with decorations vs. necessities. Somehow, someone felt that a very well-lit, religiously-used disco ball took priority over.... fans. There are no fans in the gym. But the disco ball is affixed perfectly in the center of the group-ex room, and it has yellow, orange, red AND white flashing lights positioned to illuminate the area with colorful sparkles throughout your workout. What I wouldn't give for a fan about 45minutes into my workout if not for cool air, then for circulation of the very warm, muggy, sweaty air.

Candy:
I realize it's typical Mel to notice the extensive differences in candy options here. I'm not sure anyone else would notice or care, but since you're reading anyway, you may as well learn a little about candy in Belgium. Now, when I say candy, I'm of course not referring to the deliciously, delightful, delectable Belgian chocolate that we've had the pleasure of enjoying (often) during our stay. I'm referring to the chewy, gummy, sugary treats that I should NOT be enjoying so often. But actually, I'm not enjoying them so much. They're either not chewy enough and it hurts to try to chew, or too soft and it's like a weird sugar that melts before you can chew it.

Needless to say I've been craving some good 'ol fashioned bad-for-you American candy with the perfect chewy consistency. I had been lamenting my ridiculous plight, and apparently my husband took mercy on me and had provisions sent from the motherland! Lo and behold, a beautiful package arrived for me today! I knew I had good reasons for marrying him!! Here are the contents:

And this was me 10 minutes after the package arrived:


And finally....
The Radio:
We've discovered that most radio stations here don't have themes. In the states, you'd find a country music station playing country music, or an alternative station playing alternative music, rap stations playing rap.... you get my drift. But here it appears to be a free for all. You can get anything on any station at any given time. For instance, you may hear a completely obscure, one hit wonder from the 80's like Jack Wagner's "All I Need" (click here for a refresher: All I Need) and then the next song will be Kanye West's "Stronger". After that will be Levert's "Casanova" and then the ever-popular "Big Girl" by Mika (is this song playing in the States?) . And finally, one of their favorites, "I'll Be There for You" by the Rembrandt's, which most American's will only remember as the theme song to Friends. Yes, that is a likely five song lineup here. According to Eric, if you listen to the radio regularly, you may just believe that Rod Stewart, Tears for Fears and Prince still have active music careers. Strange.

ok, hope you enjoyed our observations of Belgian oddities! Nothing we can't live with and laugh at!