Taking Europe by Storm(er)

2 Stormers and a Croes

We had our fourth round of visitors these past few weeks, and I must say, I'm starting to feel rather popular. When we moved here, I wondered if anyone was going to take the seven-hour flight just to see us. But we've been very fortunate that so many friends and family are willing to spend their vacation time shacking up in Casa de Croes. This May, we hosted my in-laws Judi and Joe, who embarked on a true European Vacation. I thought Josh and I were tourist extraordinaires, but the Stormers took us by surprise. Everyday they were off to see some new part of England. Stonehenge, Bath, Greenwich, The Abbey, Borough Market, Tower of London and so on…  no artifact, museum or sight was left unseen. They even ventured over to France for five days and stopped in Belgium for a long weekend. With all they had on the agenda we instituted a verbal "check" after each part of their list was covered.

Since our weeks were spent working, Josh and I decided meet Judi and Joe for a weekend rendezvous in Belgium. It's a mere two-hour EuroStar trip and what I'd call a "local country" we had yet to see. I personally hadn't done any research on which buildings and cathedrals I needed pictures in front of, but I did have a list of what I wanted to eat and drink: chocolate, waffles, mussels, fries and beer. Let's just say we tackled that list promptly and efficiently. CHECK!

La Grande Place

Although I'd gone for the food, there were some very interesting sights to see in Brussels, such as La Grande Place and Le Manneken Pis, translation: The Peeing Boy Statue. We also happened to be in town for the Pride Parade, which turned the city into a lively festival of music, color and drag queens! It doesn't get more fun than that.

The following morning we went to Bruges, also known as the "Venice of the North" due to it's scenic canals. Unfortunately, the weather didn't cooperate so we avoided the boat ride and opted for the bus tour. It was the perfect way to view the medieval city and learn all the Jeopardy facts and buzz words while staying warm. Our tour returned in precisely one hour, and of course, it was time to eat again. On the menu: omelets, beef stew, chicory root gratin (not really sure what Josh was thinking with that one) and of course, waffles! Lest we forget pale lagers and brown ales. By the time we made it back to the hotel, we were ready for salads, bananas and bottles of water! 

Before we knew it we were back in London, another great mini-break under our belts. A week has past and as I write this, my in-laws are en route to Delaware after three weeks in Europe. I can't help but feel a pang of homesickness, as I always do when any of our guests leave London. But, happily, I can look back on the fun times and say that we had yet another fun-filled family visit and we knocked two more European cities off the list. CHECK and CHECK!

Travel Blog About Prague

Two weeks ago Josh and I planned our first Euro-trip to Prague. At the time, the extent of my knowledge on the city was how it was pronounced, where it was located and how long it took to fly there from London. Regardless of the fact that I knew bupkas, I was still eager to go. “Prague” had such a lovely ring to it. I pictured us wowing crowds at an art gallery opening saying things like, “Yes, well, when Josh and I were in Praaaaague…”

Being it our first vacation from London, we spent most of the time leading up to our getaway answering the less exciting questions: How many bags does Easy Jet allow you to take? How are we going to get to Gatwick Airport? What and where is Gatwick Airport? How much longer are we going to have to put our liquids in little plastic bags, because it’s really getting annoying? Etc. By the time we had squared away the logistics, we only had a few days to figure out why we were really going to Prague. We hadn’t the slightest idea what we were going to do, see, or most especially, eat!

I can tell you that after some Internet exploration and a three-day vacation, I am not only in love with the city, but I have newfound respect for it. To begin, Prague is the capital and biggest city in the Czech Republic, and is referred to as the “Heart of Europe”. It’s home to the some of the most breathtaking and cultural sights on the continent, including the Charles Bridge, Astronomic Clock, Prague Castle and St. Vitus Cathedral. It’s also composed of architectural styles indicative of the Gothic, Baroque and Renaissance periods, which add a stunning element of visual diversity to the landscape.  

What I think is most inspiring is the fact that these ancient landmarks and structures have managed to survive extensive periods of hardship and destruction, much of which occurred in the Twentieth Century. It’s remarkable that this burgeoning, whimsical city was only freed from Communist rule in 1989, and in such a short time, transformed into one of the most popular and majestic tourist spots in Europe. It’s a testament to the reliance of its people, who I might add are jovial, friendly and fierce in the kitchen…  

Which brings me to my next point—the food and beer! I can honestly say that I am now a full-fledged beer snob. The dark ales, which I preferred, balanced notes of chocolate, coffee and caramel, while the lagers were light and honey-flavored. Each beer was superb and never disappointed, even if it was just the house tap. I’d read that as the French pair wine with food, the Czech pair beer with food. As it turns out, this is so, so true. We had appetizers of pickled cheese and potato pancakes, which perfectly complemented our pints. Main dishes consisted of what I’d classify as heavy winter food—bread dumplings, sauerkraut, beef goulash and pork by the plenty.

The Old Town Square fast became one of our favorite locations for visiting and eating. At one stall, baguettes were carved out on a spike, making a pocket just the right size for hot dogs and ketchup. (It’s a trade secret I’d like to bring to the US.) Other stalls included spits that roasted whole pigs and a life-sized cast-iron skillet that was used to sauté boiled potatoes with chunks bacon and chopped onions. Desserts of rolled dough were roasted on spinning skewers and finished with powdered sugar and cinnamon. When the wind picked up, there was no better way to get warm than with a cup of hot wine flavored with mulling spices. It was like being at the tailgating party of the century. If someone had brought out a football, we might’ve never left!