#Tauers Go Dutch

[tauers-go-dutch]

So Long, Amsterdam

So long, Amsterfam! 

It’s taken me six months to post these photos for a number of reasons: getting settled back ‘home’ in CO, finding a job, adopting a pup, etc., but mostly because looking at them makes my heart hurt a bit. Our friends in Amsterdam are some of the best people we know, and they understand Ryan and I in ways most never could. We were all so accepting of each other, no questions asked, because we all knew we were in the expat life together. On our very last evening in Amsterdam, they threw the best going-away party two crazy kids moving home from Europe could ask for. 

The fellas: Brent, Ryan & Scott

The fellas with less sun in their eyes

Christine, Mariah & Ashley 

Ryan, Trey, Dave and Brent

Jen, Lacy and Christine

Ashley, Larson & Mariah 

Jen, Lacy, Christine, Lana, Mariah, Ashley and Larson twinning it up! 

My final Van Stapele cookie! For now... 

So I may never forget: Brent, Trey, Lacy, Ryan, Larson, Max, Christine, Jen, Mariah, Ashley, Scott, Jen, Chris, Brent, Dave

Tot ziens for now! 

[tauers-go-dutch]

Africa Part I: Victoria Falls

While I had known for years that swimming with Great Whites was top of Ryan’s bucket list, little ol’ me always thought that really was just a dream for another lifetime. However, following an absolute whirlwind of adventure the past two years, we thought-- why the hell not now?

In an Uber to the airport in Krabi, we took the plunge and bought tickets to Johannesburg from my iPhone. After that, we didn’t do a lot of follow-up planning for a few months, and even considered canceling or changing our destination following the serious drought in Cape Town. Fortunately, someone blessed the rains down in Africa, so off we went!

While we’d bought the tickets on a whim to and from Johannesburg, we ultimately decided to spend the first few days in Zimbabwe, seeing Victoria Falls. We grabbed an airport hotel in Jo-burg in order to immediately hop on another flight to Victoria Falls.

When we arrived in the tiny town that is Victoria Falls, we took a stroll through to the Victoria Falls Hotel. The hotel, built by the British colonizers in 1904, sits on the gorge above the Zambezi River downstream from the falls. That said, of course they have afternoon tea! Fortunately we made it just before they stopped serving tea for the day, and we were able to experience one of my very favorite things in an absolutely incredible location. We enjoyed our tea with the view of a lifetime, including several warthogs grazing on the lawn just next to the hotel patio. When we were through we spent a good amount of time touring the hotel and learning about the history of the area. After tea we walked back into town and hopped into a brewpub/pizza spot for some food and drink before grabbing a cab back to our hotel.

Mist from the falls

Unfortunately, Timon was nowhere to be found...

They have to bend over like that to get to the grass

The following day we went canoeing on the Zambezi. The Zambezi is the river on which Victoria Falls falls, and it also separates Zimbabwe from Zambia. Our tour was very small, with one Brazilian woman as well as an American man from….somewhere back east. Both were in town for the Victorian Falls Marathon, which we had only learned of the previous day. Maybe a good thing, because otherwise we might have been tempted to sign up for it! (The half, anyways…)

While the main point of the tour was to experience the river itself, we hoped to also see some wildlife. Most of what we saw was actually during the drive to the drop-in point. No matter where you are in Africa, keep your eyes peeled. We saw our first giraffe, our first hippo (out of the water!) and some cool birds before hitting the water. As we canoed, we saw a few crocodiles as well as more hippos. Oddly they were all on land -- the guide said it was likely because the temperatures were dropping and they didn’t feel the need to cool off in the water. Whatever the reason, I prefer my crocodiles and hippos a nice distance from my boat, so land it is!

A baobab tree, the ‘tree of life’ 

Spot the croc!

This guy was just a babe

When we reached our pull-off point, our guides had a nice lunch ready for us, where I was ‘lucky’ enough to try some crocodile kebab. ...It’s only meh. Ryan, the carnivore, agrees. We ate near a tree full of monkeys, so I spent the majority of lunch watching them play. Afterward, our guide admitted to us that we were supposed to have sandwiches rather than the hodgepodge of food we ended up eating (I wouldn’t have known any different…) except the monkeys had stolen the loaf of bread as soon as he arrived! He even showed us the plastic bag stuck in the tree as proof!

Crocodile kebab

Monkey watching

Upon our return to town, we decided to check out the local artisans market, where we bought a few handmade souvenirs for ourselves as well as some friends and family, before hitting up the town’s brewery, the River Brewing Co. The world cup was still going on, so we watched France beat Argentina (sorry, Messi!) while sipping on some local brews. It took a bit of effort to find a dinner spot that evening, as people from all over the world were in town looking to carbo-load before their marathon the next morning. We settled on a small tourist-trap looking place, had a quick bite, and cabbed it back to our hotel. (You don’t dare walk at night, due to aforementioned random giraffes, hippos, monkeys… and their predators… just off the roads.)

While others were running, we were sleeping in. Eventually we got up to walk into town, cheering on the runners nearing the finish line along the way. Today was the day we were finally going to see the falls! On our walk there, however, we were stopped by two guards telling us we  should wait, as there were elephants on the path and it wasn’t safe. We hemmed and hawed, before noticing that there were several other people walking around and we’d likely be just fine. We proceeded with caution and were rewarded with an incredibly up-close experience with the largest land animal in the world! We stood in awe for a few minutes, watching them graze in the bushes (there were 4 or 5 of varying distance from us) before grabbing a couple s-Elphies and moving on.

There is a nice restaurant on the edge of the canyon called the Lookout Cafe, where we grabbed a bite to eat with the best view in the house. Finally we made it to the falls themselves. I don’t know what exactly I had been expecting. You can see the billowing mist from them anywhere you stand in town, and you can hear them from a mile away, so I’m not sure why their enormity amazed me as much as it did once I finally stood next to them. I would use our cliche ‘let the pictures speak for themselves’ here, but it’s impossible to take a photo of Victoria Falls that might do it justice. The two nicknames ‘The Smoke that Thunders’ and ‘The Place of the Rainbow’ given to it by the indigenous people of the area, gives more insight into the grandiosity and splendor of the waterfall. There are several viewing points within the Victoria Falls National Park, so we spent as much time taking it all in while doing our best to avoid getting too soaking wet. (Ponchos are for chumps.)

Shameless pull straight from Wikipedia: 

While it is neither the highest nor the widest waterfall in the world, Victoria Falls is classified as the largest, based on its combined width of 1,708 metres (5,604 ft) and height of 108 metres (354 ft), resulting in the world's largest sheet of falling water. Victoria Falls is roughly twice the height of North America's Niagara Falls and well over twice the width of its Horseshoe Falls. In height and width Victoria Falls is rivalled only by Argentina and Brazil's Iguazu Falls.

A wee bit misty...

After experiencing Victoria Falls, we made the trip across the river into Zambia. We had purchased a double Visa that would allow us in for a daytrip, which was all we had time for anyways. Unfortunately we did not get to experience the waterfall from the national park on the Zambia side, as it was a separate (expensive) entrance fee, and we had entered the country with the intention of visiting the Royal Livingstone Hotel. Because of course I wanted to have afternoon tea in both Victoria Falls and Livingstone!

We went through customs on both sides of the bridge before making the decently long walk out to find the hotel. It was immediately evident that this wasn’t a pedestrian-friendly walk, as there were zero sidewalks and we were the only ones who didn’t hop in a cab upon entering the country. Oh well, it’s only 2 kilometers and still plenty of daylight!

The Zambezi from the bridge

Walking up to the Victoria Falls Hotel two days prior, we were greeted by warthogs grazing on the lawn. As if that wasn’t cool enough, on this side of the river we ran into zebras! As soon as we entered the gate to the hotel grounds, we came across several. This time we stopped for a Z-elfie. Ok, I’ll stop. We were seated for tea just inside, where we still had a view of the lawn and the Zambezi River but could grab some respite from the sun and heat. The tea and cakes were great, with Ryan and I agreeing that the Victoria Falls Hotel had better scones while the tea itself was more enjoyable at the Royal Livingstone. Once we finished up we spent some time exploring the grounds, coming across another herd of zebras and watching the sunset over the river. Before it got too low, however, we made the trek back to the border crossing in order to get back into Zimbabwe before the customs offices closed. We made it through just as it really got dark and had a quick dinner at an Asian restaurant before heading to bed.

I can imagine not much has changed since Livingstone himself sat here. Kidding... Unlike it’s counterpart in Victoria Falls, this hotel was built in 2001.

My happy place! Yum!

One more glimpse of the river as we cross back over the bridge

First thing in the morning, we had a flight back to South Africa, to spend a week in Cape Town! Africa Part II coming soon! 

Tot ziens!

[tauers-go-dutch]

Let’s go to Lagos!

After several incredibly exhausting (exhaustingly incredible…?) days in Norway, followed by a quick stop through Amsterdam to show off our home away from home, Rachael, Andy, Ryan and I made our way south! After that 13 mile hike in Norway, we had earned a few days on the beach in the Algarve, right?? The Algarve is the name of the southern region of Portugal, which is dotted with lots of small beach towns along the coast. While we flew into Faro, the capital of the region, we decided to stay in Lagos, about an hours’ drive away.

We were silly enough to book a 6 am flight, so we wandered through town in search of a breakfast spot as soon as our driver dropped us off in town. We settled on a neat little place that was run by a woman and (what appeared to be) her three teenage kids. While it wasn’t a traditional Portuguese breakfast, I did have another to-die-for acai bowl (see Greece blog). Also, this woman was the nicest lady ever and even let us keep our luggage in a corner booth while we went out to see more of the town. Eventually we were able to get into our apartment, where we promptly changed and walked down to the beach. Said beach was only about five minutes from our door, but required quite the hike! Worth it, because we relaxed in the sand for quite some time before hiking back up the hill for some fish tacos.

Magical acai bowl

Church of Santa Maria - the slave trade stopped off in Lagos and sold slaves in this town square

Why stop at the pool when the beach is just a quick climb down the hill?

Much better!

The first of many glorious pitchers of sangria! Also- delicious Portuguese egg tart!

One of many stunning town plazas

We got to sleep in the next day before grabbing some burritos (and sangria!) and heading out to go sea kayaking. If The Algarve or Lagos sound familiar to you, it is probably because you’ve seen photos of the incredible caves and grottos that form the coastline. Those photos are certainly what convinced me I needed to visit. This was Rachael’s first time out on the open water, and she did awesome! It was really a lot of fun, and a great workout, too. We got to see inside some of the caves that you can’t access via land, and they were just absolutely stunning. That evening we got cleaned up and headed out to dinner at a slightly nicer restaurant followed by drinks at a really cool outdoor garden bar.

Kayaking in the sea caves

Relaxing after a serious arm workout!

Got a little wild and crazy by mixing it up and going with a white sangria tonight...

Our last full day in town we decided to get really crazy and go for another hike! From our apartment we walked/hiked along the cliffs out to Ponta da Piedade, a rocky point with stunning views of the sea caves and beaches. While slightly less arduous than our Trolltunga adventure, we did decide this trek earned us another afternoon on the beach, so we headed back and made it so! This time around, Rachael and I agreed we could stay there forever! However, after a few hours we had somewhere quite important to be: Portugal was playing in the World Cup! While most Americans don’t really understand the magnitude of the World Cup (I know I’m rather indifferent…) it was quite the experience getting to be in Portugal while Renaldo Portugal played Iran. Big screen TVs were set up in a few different plazas around town, and the locals camped out on picnic blankets all day for a good view. We managed to find a few seats in a bar that catered mainly to tourists to watch Portugal ultimately tie with Iran.

Ponta da Piedade lighthouse

Ryan takes photos of birbs.

Birb

How the locals watch futbol

Exhausted, slightly sunburned, and happy as clams, we ended the night and our time together in Europe. Rachael and Andy had an early morning flight back to the states, while Ryan and I weren’t due back to Amsterdam until that evening. The two of us took our time packing up and decided to take a train into Faro rather than hire a car. Spending a few hours in town was enough to know that we had made the right call in heading to Lagos, but it was nice to have the opportunity to see what Faro had to offer as well. We visited a few historic sites, grabbed some beer and local pastries and sat on the docks before finally going home.

More futbol in the plaza

We were so, so fortunate to have so many good friends and family members visit us, and the opportunity to travel high and low with Rachael and Andy before returning to the US ourselves was unforgettable! 

Tot ziens for now!

[tauers-go-dutch]

Norway to go but up!

Norway has been on the list for a while. One look at the photos of the fjords was enough to put it on the top of my bucket list. I wanted to hike around and see the beauty of Norway myself. Of course, being so north, we had to wait until summer to do so, which limited the window in which we could go. We couldn’t make it work last summer, so we had to wait to make this adventure happen. And the wait was worth it!

We flew into Bergen, Norway early in the morning. Bergen is not a small city, though it is also not a main destination within Europe. This was emphasized by the large welcome sign outside the airport, which simply said: Bergen? Yes, the question mark was included in the sign, as if the entire city is wondering why we were there. We were lucky enough to be meeting our friends Rachael and Andy, who were going to spend a two week Europe adventure with us. We had some time to kill, so we explored the duty free shop, which was pretty great in Bergen. The goods were actually discounted, and they had great stuff. I bought some Norwegian craft beer and the legendary Fazer mints! Look for the Finnish Fazer mints in your local Mountain Man Fruit and Nut shop- they will change your life!

Rachael and Andy arrived about two hours after we did, and we rented a car so that we could drive out to the even smaller towns that would be our staging grounds for the hikes. But first, we drove into Bergen proper for lunch. The city is gorgeous, and is built on the cliffs of the fjords. The colors of the houses pop against the green and blue backdrop, giving us our first taste of Norway’s beauty. After lunch we set out to Odda, which is nearest town to the famous Trolltunga hike. Surprisingly, and a bit disappointingly, a lot of the drive is tunnels, rather than along the fjords. But the tunnels themselves were very impressive- much, much larger than Eisenhower tunnel. It is impressive to see the quality and breadth of the infrastructure that a country can develop when it actually invests in that sort of thing over about 50 years.

Again, the beauty of Norway is stunning. When we weren’t in the tunnels, we were blessed with views the most gorgeous waterfalls. So many waterfalls. Seriously, so many. And fjords. So many fjords. Eventually we got up to our first ferry. It is a pretty cool experience, though truthfully the experience wore off quickly as the trip went on. Eventually, we got into Odda and checked into our Airbnb. The place was gorgeous. And apparently seized by the Nazis to house troops during the occupation in WWII. Our host was also really cool. I noticed his brewing equipment, and we got to talking shop. He made friends with a local monastery and borrowed their cider yeast strain. His set up was serious, and he even shared some of his home brews- including one of his few remaining holiday celebration beers. It was really good. We carb-loaded with some fairly awful spaghetti, and hit the hay.

The first waterfall on our drive. Little did we know they’d be everywhere!

Views from our Airbnb

We got up early (5am) to drive out to the Trolltunga starting point. Fully loaded with our snacks and supplies, my three favorite allies (Red Hot Chili Peppers anyone?) decided to drive up as far as possible, which cut off 2-3 km from the hike. Regardless, the hike was still plenty long. It took us about four hours to actually reach Trolltunga. The hike is stellar- to the point words don’t do it justice. So pictures will have to do- see throughout ;). We were lucky with the weather, at least on the ascent. The sun broke out as we reached Trolltunga, though we had to trudge through two hours of rain on the way down. We also made a friend- Akesh- on the way down. That evening we just rested- which will happen after walking hiking 20 miles in a day!

It’s time to pay the Troll Toll

It’s been a few years since I’ve seen snow...

The freshest water you’ll find

Getting closer!

Made it!

It was still foggy during our turn out on the tongue, but cleared up about five minutes later, making for much better photos on another ledge nearby

Survived!

The next day we drove down to Stavanger, another small city in Norway. Stavanger would be our staging ground for yet another hike. The drive again was filled with fjords and falls and ferries, as well as podcasts. We took it easy when we got in, just getting some lunch (great burgers), seeing the city- including the street art and a playground made up entirely of old oil drilling equipment, and drinking beer. Lots of expensive beer. Norway has great craft beer, and Lervig, one of the country’s best, is located just outside of Stavanger. While the brewery doesn’t have a tap room, several bars have a close relationship and carry several Lervig beers. Not to mention other rare and amazing craft beers from around Europe and the world. Unfortunately, beer is extra expensive in Norway, much like everything else, and my bank account was a bit lighter after this trip. Oh well :).

As a turn of bad luck, the weather was not great the next day. By not great I mean there was a constant rain for the entire morning both in Stavanger and our hike site. We weighed our options, and decided to skip our hike of Pulpit Rock. The hike was only four hours, but would require three hours of driving and would have to be done at the height of the rain. After hiking Trolltunga as the showpiece of our Norway adventure, we decided to just hang around the town instead. First, we walked around the Sverd I Fjell monument, which marks the ninth century battlefield that unified the Kingdom of Norway. Pretty cool. We hung out at our Airbnb for a bit (ie napped), and got up for more exploring. Mariah found a cool park in the middle of the city, which we walked around for a bit. Afterwards, we had some decent Indian food and more fantastic beer (including a way too expensive bottle of Side Project Saison du Pays). The next day we had to drive back to Bergen, but this route had far fewer tunnels, and still plenty of falls, fjords, and ferries.

A solid breakfast

Exploring some nature in the middle of the city

The beauty of Norway can’t be expressed in words. Sure, it rains as much as Amsterdam. And I hear the winters are dark and brutal. But seen in the bright sunlight of summer, the place is breathtaking. I honestly can’t help but think that Norwegians must be fairly disappointed with most other destinations when they travel. I don’t think this we’ll be my last trip to the country, as experiencing the views of a midnight hike in Reine (look it up- amazing!).

Leaving you with a midnight sunset

Tot ziens!

[tauers-go-dutch]

Rachael and Andy eat their way through Amsterdam

Hi there! Rachael and Andy here, ready to share all about Amsterdam!

Let us just start off by saying that Amsterdam was beautiful and we couldn’t stop looking at all of the cool buildings. We were amazed when we were told people have to move their belongings into their houses through a pulley system! Not surprising though because the stairwells are not the easiest to get through just walking them.

Anyway, after a five hour drive with two ferry rides, two planes, and an Uber ride, we made it from Norway to what Mariah and Ryan called home for the last two years. I think that part was kind of crazy for me to process. We arrived in Amsterdam pretty late, but luckily it stayed light out way later than we are used to so we were able to grab dinner and see one of the parks our first night! We went to this little kebab place just a few minutes walk away and it was delicious! We definitely went back a couple more times during our short visit. After dinner, we got to hang out with their friends Scott and Ashley who are seriously great. They made our trip even more awesome because they joined us for some of the sightseeing and eating! Also because they had the most amazing dog, Frank!

Once we got a good night of sleep, Mariah and Ryan took us to their favorite pizza place to start the day before exploring the city. We had slept in because we were all pretty exhausted.

We walked all over town, and were able to see the outside of the Anne Frank House. Sadly, we didn’t think to book tickets ahead of time so we will definitely have to visit another time! They took us into their favorite cheese shop (Reypenaer) where we bought four different types of cheeses, we walked all along the water and people watched, and we were constantly surprised by the amount of bikes all over town. The thought of biking in Amsterdam terrifies me a little because let’s be honest, I trip on flat surfaces. Andy really wanted to try it though, so this is another reason to come back!

Westerkerk -- Anne Frank House is just to the left

Dam Square

As the day went on, we were getting more and more excited for the Ethiopian restaurant Mariah and Ryan had raved about. We were finally on our way and enjoyed wine and mango beers while we waited! It took awhile for the food to come, but it was well worth it. I was a little weary to try something so different, but it was amazing! Now to find a place in Denver that can at least somewhat compare…

The next day was our final day in Amsterdam. I wish we could have stayed for at least twice as long! We go up and started exploring Albert Cuypmaarkt, which is a huge market that gets set up and taken down daily! This was one of my favorite parts of Amsterdam.

I could have spent hours here just walking, eating, and looking (did you notice we’ve eaten a lot of food in Amsterdam?). On that note, let’s actually pause for a second so you can see a few photos from what we ate. This wasn’t even all of it.  

Bitterballen!

Poffertjes (little pancakes)

Stroopwafel!

After that, we did more of the typical Amsterdam sightseeing. We went to the iamsterdam sign, got the most delicious frites from a little hole in the wall place, and then had a few beers at Brouwerij ‘t IJ, which had been recommended to me several times.

Delirium Cafe

We could see right away why Mariah and Ryan have enjoyed calling Amsterdam home these past two years. I am thankful we were able to visit before they headed back. Better late than never, right? Amsterdam was a place where I just wanted to be outside. The people watching was great, the buildings were beautiful, and obviously we loved the food. We tried so many new things here and didn’t have a single bad meal. I truly hope we’re able to get back someday, but now it is time to go to Portugal!

[tauers-go-dutch]

All Cork, no wine

So...we love Ireland, but Cork was, in the immortal words of Pete Winterscheidt, just ok. The city is much smaller than Dublin, and oddly not as hip as Belfast. The city is not much to look at (much like the people...too harsh?) However, we still managed to have a bit of fun while we were there. I’ll share a few short highlights.

Of course we had brunch when we got into town. We walked around a bit, napped, explored the town, and then had pizza and drinks. Solid first day.

Brunch, scones, pizza. Solid first day.

The next day, we went on a tour out to the Cliffs of Moher. The tour guide had some screws loose; first, I couldn’t understand half of what he said through his comically thick Irish accent. Second, he kept making either the dumbest jokes, or jokes with a completely nonsensical punchline. His general lack of info, combined with repeating himself, equated to a lackluster tour. Some older Aussies in the front of the bus thought he was hilarious, though, so he was happy. Luckily, the cliffs were awesome, and well worth the trip, guide and all. The evening ended with Chinese and some more brews.

Moon rock!

The next day we went to Blarney Castle. We made friends with some Canadians along the way, and journeyed up to the tower with them.The castle houses the famous Blarney Stone, which will instill the ‘gift of gab’ to those who kiss it. In fact, blarney is now a word within the English language meaning  ‘slightly exaggerated, but appreciated, flattery’. We both kissed the stone, which is now why this blog is bursting with compliments. After the tower, we explored the gardens, including the ‘poison garden,’ which housed some of the most dangerous plants in the world- including tobacco, catnip, mandrake root, and marijuana (please read with sarcasm). Mariah and I then had lunch at two different places- Umi Falafel for Mariah, Bunsen Burger for me (see my love of Bunsen in previous blogs). I may have accidentally tried to dine and dash from Bunsen… but they caught me!  We hung out around the city for the rest of the day, closing out the trip with dinner and drinks at a pretty good pub.

Getting a bit scruffy

Going in for the kiss

Gift of gab acquired

Marijuana jungle gym?

I think she likes it

The best ‘fast casual’ burger in Europe. That I tried to steal.

Overall, Cork is fine. We left feeling like it didn’t quite capture the magic of Ireland we felt in Dublin or Belfast, or the culture of Britain and Ireland at large, which we experienced in London, Edinburgh, and Bristol. Of course we had fun, and hope to return to Ireland one day to explore the countryside. And eat more Bunsen burgers.

Sláinte and Tot ziens!

[tauers-go-dutch]

*Edinburgh Pun Here

Mariah and I celebrated our fifth wedding anniversary on May 25.  Last year, I took her to Nice, which is a lovely city set majestically on the coast of southern France.  But I think five years is much more of a milestone, one that deserves something a bit more grand, a bit more thoughtful, a bit more unique.  So I booked us tickets to the Edinburgh Beer Fest!

Ok, ok, it wasn’t really like that.  Yes, I legitimately planned to go to a beer fest on our anniversary weekend.  But really we booked several other items on this trip, and on the trips to come in the following weeks, to celebrate our special occasion.  In fact, the first thing that we did upon arriving in the city was to go to Dishoom, an elegant Indian restaurant that we first fell in love with in London.  We splurged with cocktails, fried okra, pau bhaji (mashed veggie curry paste), classic mattar paneer, chana chaat salad, and a lamb dish that was the special for the Edinburgh location.  This was a truly great meal and a great start to our anniversary.  We strolled through the city a bit, and then enjoyed cocktails in a truly hidden speakeasy called the Bramble Bar.  If we hadn’t had to sit next to the speakers, we might have stayed a bit longer.  No matter- we enjoyed our evening regardless, as we managed to find a little beer bar near our hotel called Salt Horse. They had some great stuff on tap due to the beer fest, but I would bet the list is aces every other day of the year as well.

Cheers to five year!

After sleeping in, we grabbed a late coffee and pastry at a local coffee shop called Fortitude. It is a tiny place, but the coffee is superb and the pastries are fantastic.  I had a cinnamon roll with a cream cheese frosting.  We tried not to eat too much, as I also booked a food tour for the afternoon.  Our guide was actually also the company owner, which was pretty cool.  She was a food writer who is originally from Edinburgh, but worked in London and Hong Kong for years before returning to start this company.  There was only one other person on the tour- a sommelier from Portugal.  The sommelier was nice enough, but she was a little… off. Its ok, as we still got to enjoy veggie haggis.  It’s actually pretty easy to find the veggie alternative to the traditional dish throughout Edinburgh.  Ours was fried as a bar snack, which is not uncommon in the city for both traditional and veggie haggis. The veggie haggis is typical a combo of carrots, onions, mushrooms (don’t tell Mariah!), lentils, oats, and nuts (ie, hazelnut), all mixed with traditional spices.  It was good! Also on the tour, we ate ridiculous amounts of cheese, including the strongest blue cheese I’ve ever had, from the famous IJ Mellis, amazing chocolate from Coco Chocolatier, tea and scones from a small tea house, and peaty Islay whisky at a bar called Pickles. Overall, it was a good outing.

Veggie haggis

So. Much. Cheese. 

Trying the local fishmonger’s smoked salmon

Afternoon scones

Topping off the tour with a whisky

After the food tour, we went over to the beer fest… well, I may have stopped for a quick pre-game beer first! The fest was held in an old biscuit (meaning cookie if you’re American) factory.  There were breweries pouring beer on three levels, with food stands outside and some sweet swag for sale in the annex.  Breweries big and small were pouring, most from the UK.  We started with the Wild Beer Co, but we found a ton of other little gems, such as Buried in Strawberries (strawberry Flanders red) from the Hanging Bat Brew Co, Woodland Creatures (pistachio and honeycomb milk stout) from Left Handed Giant, or the nicely referenced Not Your Buddy, Guy (Canadian maple breakfast stout) from the local Stewart Brewery.  The food was great as well.  I had a Korean fried chicken sandwich (yum!), some gyozas (yum!), and wood fired pizza (yum!).  We also bought some shirts and a hat!  It was a great night.

She’s excited about the wood fired pizza coming her way

By now, dear reader, you should guess that we started the next day with brunch.  Mariah and I stuck to our strengths.  Acai bowl for Mariah, and eggs Benny for me.  Delicious. We walked over to the Stockbridge Market. Great food… Mariah had more gyozas, which were a knockout.  I was able to hunt down my first classic Scottish egg.  It was ok.  If I could have fit any more food in my belly, I would had some of the amazing pulled pork, though we did get to try a homemade marshmellow.  We walked around the city a bit, looking for classic tea cups. We also stopped by a few tea shops, picking up more tea to bring back stateside.  I admit, I picked a few for myself.  

Edinburgh Castle

Intensely eating her gyoza

My Scottish egg

Giving Greyfriars Bobby a rub for luck

The River Liffey

Mariah had also booked high tea at the Dome, which is a restaurant, bar and tea room in an old bank that had an ornate - wait for it – dome – in the lobby. It actually was really cool, and the tea was tops.  Really, I just judge high tea on the scones, and these ones were fantastic (Mariah even gave me one of hers).  We walked around for a bit more, taking in some beautiful views.  Our flight was a bit later this time around, so we actually still had time to have dinner.  We went to a local bar called Holyrood 9A, which specialized in burgers.  This was perhaps the best sit down burger I’ve had in Europe.  Seriously, I’d be there every week if I lived in Edinburgh (not a bad prospect).  I also had my first real haggis.  Actually pretty good, like black pudding.

I was really looking forward to going to back to Edinburgh.  Without the strain of moving and adjusting to a new time zone (and continent), as well as developing our own style of travel, we were able to do Edinburgh justice the second go around.  It’s a great city with lots of personality.  I can’t wait to get back to Scotland, and start exploring the harder to reach spots around the country!

Arthur’s Seat - we checked that hike off our bucket list the first go 

Tot ziens!

[tauers-go-dutch]

Den Haag

Gezundheit? No - that’s just what the locals call The Hague. Emphasis on the hairball-in-throat, phlegmy ‘g’ there at the end. 

Anyways- as our time here was wrapping up, we wondered what we still had on our bucket list for our final full weekend in Amsterdam. It was a long weekend, due to Whit Monday, and we found ourselves without any travel plans due to sky-high prices because of the holiday weekend. 

Perfect time to head to The Hague, home of the UN’s International Court of Justice and the International Criminal Courts. Our friends Christine and Brent had yet to visit as well, so the four of us hopped on a train on Whit Monday to see what the city had to offer. Barely an hour’s ride, it seemed silly that we’d not yet been, but it’s hard to hang out in your own backyard when you’ve got the whole of Europe to explore! 

First stop was lunch. We went to Happy Tosti’s. Tosti’s,which are very popular in Europe, the Netherlands especially, are just what they sound like. Toasted sandwiches. Grilled cheese is only the beginning. This particular franchise employs people with occupational disabilities who might otherwise find it hard to hold a job. We had some delicious tosti’s surrounded by a variety of posters reminding patrons to be happy, patient and kind, and left with a smile. 

Only about half of the city’s shops were open due to the holiday, but we managed to find a tea shop for me and a coffee shop/bike shop for Ryan. We then meandered over to the Peace Palace, which houses the International Court of Justice. Unfortunately it was closed for the holiday, so we took some photos from the outside then headed to the beach.

Do I look happy? I was pretty happy.

Ryan says Road 34 still has the edge. Probably because beer.

Peace Palace

One of King Willem’s many offices

Yep. The beach. The Hague is right on the North Sea, so the few times a year the sun actually retreats from behind the clouds, the Dutch flock to the coast in droves to catch that Vitamin D. I have to say, I was pleasantly surprised by how nice it really was. While the water did not look warm enough for a swim, it was great to walk out on the pier then sit and have drinks on the boardwalk. 

Happy with our experience in The Hague, we meandered back to the train station to head back to Amsterdam. Sometimes the Dutch Summer ain’t so bad!

Tot ziens!

[tauers-go-dutch]

A quick trip North

I recently went on my final work-related trip, where I spent three days in Helsinki with my colleagues and volunteer members of our organization. We had a few meetings at the University of Helsinki, with little time to see the sights. However, I did manage to get a few good pics. 

Strong men at the train station

The Helsinki Cathedral

Dinner in an old boat house

Tot ziens! 

[tauers-go-dutch]

It says Dublin, but this is the Belfast blog

Not Too Belfast

When it comes to planning our travels, often things come together a bit last minute.  That was the case when we made Easter plans.  We had sat on the weekend a bit too long, and most flights became unbearably expensive.  So, we choose something a little outside of the main tourist track: Belfast.  The city has a gloomy reputation for the Troubles, basically the Irish civil war that lasted nearly thirty years. The fighting has been over for 20 years since a ceasefire was signed in 1998 (earlier renditions were also signed in the early nineties, but we subsequently broken). But otherwise, I feel that Northern Ireland has a more dull reputation, or perhaps more pointedly, a reputation for being a ‘lesser’ Ireland.  That’s probably punctuated by my American upbringing that idolizes the southern Irish separatist view with fairly prevalent IRA supporting undertones, but I think that perception is carried around Europe as well (being dragged into Brexit doesn’t help). This view was perhaps punctuated when the security guard inspecting our passports asked why we were in Belfast. Um, to see the city.  Well, what exactly are you going to see? Uh, I don’t know. Ok, well enjoy your visit, I guess.  

After having a laugh over that, Mariah and I arrived into the city.  We had very few plans over the long, four day weekend.  For once in our last two years, we were going to slow travel. Our hotel, the Bullit Hotel, was fantastic.  It had a lively bar and cool atmosphere.  We didn’t stay too long, as we went to see if this city had anything worthwhile, unbeknownst to the airport security.  There is a central open air mall that has a fantastic observatory- too bad it was a gray day, but we could still see the old shipbuilding cranes.  We then went to grab a snack at a sandwich stop called the Cuban Sandwich Factory.  Decent Cuban for a reasonable price! Afterwards we set out to see the Europa Hotel, which was the most bombed hotel in Europe.  It also happened to be across the street from the Crown Liquor Saloon, a beautiful Victorian pub (which of course we stayed for a drink).  We had some great pizza at a local hipster joint (side note, the waiter was a poli-sci major and actually knew about Colorado since it was the first state to legalize recreational marijuana- New Amsterdam on the map!).  We closed the night at an Irish pub, which, yes, is still authentic in Northern Ireland.

Those yellow cranes are the shipyard where the Titanic was built

Enjoying an Irish Cubano

Journalists covering the Troubles stayed here, at the most-bombed hotel in Europe

We slept in the next morning, but moseyed over to brunch at the hipster coffee shop in town.  Yes, I did say ‘the,’ as in only.  Kinda comical, since everyone recommended it and referred to it as the hipster coffee shop.  It was called Established Coffee, and it is really good.  The eggs benedict game is tops.  And it carried 3FE coffee (see our Dublin blog). We walked through a few shops, killing time before our city walk to learn more about the Troubles. Look up Dead Center Tours;  they are some of the best guides I’ve had. They are clearly passionate about the city, and want to use the history of the city to start conversations and eventually heal the community.  It is astonishing to think how a civilized state (trust me, despite drunken stereotypes- which are true- the Irish are very well educated and civil) can devolve so quickly into a war zone based on two opposing philosophies that both have merits.  Basically, the Troubles started in the late sixties and early seventies as an extension of the Irish revolution from Dublin in the twenties.  Loyalists to Great Britain in what is now Northern Ireland moved to stay in the Kingdom, while the rest of Ireland seceded.  Eventually, factions in southern Ireland decided that the island should be united as a separate nation, or at least a nation under ‘home rule’ (think Australia- basically independent).  Belfast was an industrious city, with prominent textile and shipbuilding (ie, Titanic) industries.  The faction that eventually became the IRA came up with the idea to start an economic war, where they would destroy enough of the city that Britain would effectively just abandon it. Great in theory, but it never quite worked.

Not Little Ben

The worst of the terror and bombings was in the first two years.  The IRA place a lot of pressure to cause economic harm, but would announce bombs in advance to minimize loss of life.   That was until life was inevitably lost, and escalation ensued until it was clear that a quick victory was not in sight.  The IRA then tried to play a long game and drug the conflict out for 30 years. Our guide was a mediator from Belfast who worked with Protestant and Catholic leaders to try and find a common ground to heal the city.  He shared haunting stories and insights from his work.  I seriously cannot do it justice. The take away is of course that we need to find common ground, because no ideology should support such atrocities (here’s looking at you, America).  On a lighter note, we wrapped up the day with more scones (seriously, UK and Irish scones are amazing), pubs, and dinner.

One of many scone stops

On Easter itself, we took a bus tour out to Giant’s Causeway, a natural rock formation on the Northern Irish coast.  The place is very beautiful, and it has its own cheesy mythology about feuding Irish and Scottish giants.  From the coast you could even see Islay, the Scottish island of peaty Scotch-making fame.  The tour took a little longer than I would have liked, but we still had time to take in the sights and marvel at the beauty of it all.  Afterwards, the tour took us to Bushmills distillery. They actually have a good cafeteria- my bacon, brie and cranberry bagel was incredible. The whiskey, outside of the bottom shelf drivel, was actually really good. Irish whiskey should have as big, if not bigger reputation than Scotch. But alas, due to the Irish rebellion, and the English response to blockade whiskey sales plus America going through prohibition allowed Scotch to reign supreme. We also stopped at Carrick-a-Rede rope bridge, which is made up to be a big deal, especially for tourists.  While again it is surrounded by beautiful landscapes, I don’t get it. You wait in line for 20 minutes to cross the bridge to get to the little island that is literally 30 meters long, and then wait for 20 minutes to cross back. Dumb. We worked through some stops in quaint little towns (one whose claim to fame is being the hometown or birth place of Andrew Jackson (Might want to keep that under wraps, we’ve been known to arbitrarily hunt down the birthplace of our presidents to make sure they ain’t foreigners. Also, Andrew Jackson was a racist asshole who should NOT be on our currency). Well- happier thoughts- we were back in town for dinner. We were able to get into a cute little joint called Made in Belfast. It featured traditional, and not so traditional, Irish food sourced from local vendors. Sensational meal- complete with G&Ts!

Old Bushmills

The next day we just took it easy.  We decided not to go to the Titanic museum (reason to go back!), and just sleep in. We of course had more delicious brunch and stopped back at Made in Belfast for drinks, a cheese board, and sticky toffee pudding!  Just amazing. I should mention that the Irish are some of the nicest people.  Several times during our trip people invited us to sit at their tables rather than stand at a bar, and to start friendly conversation. Belfast definitely feels like a city coming into its own after a tragic history, somewhat reminiscent of Berlin, but not as far along. It was a very nice and relaxing vacation, with plenty to do and reason enough to come back (despite what the locals at the airport might imply). Belfast just further solidified my love affair with Ireland and the UK.

[tauers-go-dutch]

Italy: like putting on an old boot

Since losing my passport in Madrid, I had a two-week window before our next trip to get a new one. I ended up going to the US Consulate in Amsterdam, which was an adventure all in its own. If you picture the DMV, but on ‘roids, that is about the experience of applying for a passport abroad.  After getting a new passport photo, I got to wait outside the building on the literal coldest day of the year for an hour before being ushered through security in order to wait for another two hours interspersed with quick trips up to the counter to explain that I don’t know what happened to my passport because I lost it and then being chastised for losing my passport because I must look too young to possibly be able to comprehend the gravity of importance such a document.  Oh, and I had to pay $140.  But luckily the US is very efficient at printing rush order passports and it arrived the following Friday, just in time for our trip to Rome.  But of course, there would be one more hiccup in the story- the city lost power on Friday afternoon when I planned to pick up my passport.  So the Consulate did not have power… or at least the backup generator did not power the whole building.  Luckily, the guards were able to just grab the newly printed passports (I was not the only one trying to pick one up that day), and I was on my way.

Once we got into Rome, the same feeling of joy I had from my first visit washed over me, and I think I had a smile on the whole weekend. Rome is a huge city, so it is crowded, busy, smelly, full of trash, a bit rundown, etc.  However, I love it for the amazing art, culture, and food.  What can I say, Rome was the center of Western culture for much of history, and for much of my Catholic upbringing (and my brief stint as a Latin nerd), so it generates some degree of awe.

We threw in our coin, so I guess we’ll be back again

We checked into our hotel, which was across from some state building.  When checking us in, the clerk said if we take photos from the window, the state employees might think we are spies and send people over to the hotel to investigate. I’m pretty sure he was joking?  Mariah may have tested the theory the next evening after a few drinks.  

We went to dinner that evening and tried some authentic Roman dishes, including an artichoke sampler platter. To be honest, steamed artichokes and butter was one of my sister’s favorite meals growing up, but they were never one of mine. But the Roman style artichokes blew me away. They are originally prepared by Jewish immigrants, but were quickly adopted by the Roman locals, so much so that Rome is one of the largest artichoke producers in the world. The Jewish version is lightly battered and fried, while the Roman version is steamed, and both are incredible. I also had pasta al’amatriciana (tomato sauce with pork cheek) and Mariah had ravioli before we split an incredible tiramisu.  Before calling it a night we walked over to the Trevi fountain and threw in a coin.  I guess we’ll be back one day.

Magical artichokes

We had some super delicious pastries in our hotel the next morning before heading to St. Peter’s Basilica. After taking some initial photos, I was talked into upgrading our museum tickets to a guided tour.  While this is expensive, it is worth it- the guide is great, but you’re really paying to skip the 3+ hour line to see the basilica from the museum (and Sistine Chapel).  We learned why the Vatican is its own country (long, convoluted story short- the modern church never wanted to join the united Italy, and the arrangement stuck- helps when you have your own private army). The Vatican treasures are as incredible as they are extensive. We saw Greek/Roman gods, human personifications of the Tiber river, supposed tombs of Helena and Constantina (mother and daughter of Constantine), maps of the world, paintings and tapestries for days, and a Roman Zach Galifianakis. But this was all a lead in to the Sistine Chapel, of Michelangelo fame. Of course there are no photos, but the Creation of Adam and the Last Judgment are every bit as amazing as hyped. We then fast tracked to the staggeringly beautiful St. Peter’s basilica.  We saw the tombs of the popes (St. John Paul II has his own chapel on the main floor) and the Pieta, but my favorite is the altar from Bernini.  Just look at the pictures.

St. Peter’s Basilica

Is that you, Zach?

Pieta

Pope JPIII!

Bernini’s altar

After a lunch of arancini (rice balls- I might not be able to eat the ones at Cinzetti’s ever again) and cacao e pepe (literally cheese and pepper- basically Italian mac ‘n cheese for adults), we set out to explore the city.  We saw Castle Sant’Angelo (the pope fortress/Church of Illumination), Piazza Navona, The Pantheon, the Spanish Steps, and so much gelato.  Eventually, we met some friends who also happened to be in Rome, and had dinner and a shared a few bottles of wine.  

Gelato number two - sadly, we have no evidence of number one

The Pantheon

These two like their Italian wine

Brent and Christine happened to be in town

The next morning, we packed in some more sightseeing with the Altar of the Fatherland (Mussolini funded statue dedicated to the united Italy), Palatine Hill, the Capitoline Wolf, and Turtle Fountain (which does not have live turtles in the fountain). We ventured to the Jewish quarter of town, and had more marvelous artichokes, pasta, and possibly some of the best table bread ever (I had to take a picture it was so good).  We went to a beer bar and enjoyed some brews (Italy has some good breweries), before going over to the hip Trastevere neighborhood and having more food (including a tremendous prosciutto sandwich which I would not shut up about, more arancini and a pizza) and beers.  We needed to get back to the hotel, and decided to walk by the Colosseum and the Circus Maximus on the way.  Unfortunately, the sky opened up and we were drenched in ten minutes… so we made a quick pit stop for more gelato to let the rain pass.  There are worse things.

Remus and Romulus!

No live turtles

Mariah’s happy place (Gelato three of four?)

...and mine (prosciutto sandwich)

Sometimes I can get her to drink a beer

But it generally involves bribery with margherita pizza

Aaaaand it’s pouring outside

Rain keeps the tourists away - most of them, anyways

Are you not entertained?

All that’s left of the Circus Maximus

We packed a ton into our Rome weekend, so in Florence (the following weekend) we were a bit more relaxed. We arrived late on Friday so our adventure really just started on Saturday morning. Our first stop was to the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore, which is better known for ‘il Duomo,’ or the massive dome that adorns the church and dominates the city skyline.  It was a fairly easy climb, but the vertigo is real when you are on the interior of the church and looking down. But you are rewarded with amazing art reminiscent of Dante’s Inferno (Florence is his home town, btw) and panoramic views of the city.  

I hope you’re not claustrophobic... or afraid of heights!

Afterwards, we put our name down at Trattoria Mario for lunch, and killed some time at the markets before our table was ready. I don’t think you can see more leather outside of a Vegas S&M convention, but to be honest it is really cool.  We stopped into a market and bought some pastries- creampuff for me and a chocolate cookie for Mariah- to hold us over. Luckily we did not have to wait for lunch long.  Trattoria Mario is regarded as the best restaurant in town, and is only open for lunch. The place is tiny, and you will be seated at a two-person table with two other people and sit on stools that are made for toddlers. The bread is disappointing, but the food is marvelous. The place is meat-centric, and their specialty is the classic bistecca alla fiorentina, which is a super thick, bloody porterhouse steak. The frites were good too.

After lunch, we crossed the famed Ponte Vecchio to the other side of the city.  We walked up to the Piazzale Michelangelo for more magnificent views of Florence.  We walked along the river and stopped by a small tea shop, and sampled some of their goodies. We walked out with some good stuff, and an aspiration to become a tea sommelier and to (keep) travel(ing) the world. We had a rest at a dessert shop before finding dinner (easier said than done, since our first choice for dinner just never opened the restaurant for service- no notice posted physically or online), and closed the night with more beers. It was a bit early, but we have been traveling a lot.  

It was a pretty creepy sculpture...

We slept in, but woke to go to the Galleria dell’Accademia, which is a museum that has nothing of much significance except for a little piece from Michelangelo called the David. Before seeing the main event, we did explore some of the other parts of the museum, including the musical instruments and some religious paintings.  Two asides- first, we saw a pair of little girls (say seven) on a private guide with their parents looking at the musical instruments and throwing out some serious knowledge of the Medicis and the Renaissance art movement (the girl was a self-proclaimed art history buff, and I believe it!). Second, some of the art made to explain the dogma of Christianity is as bizarre (though simultaneously stylish) as the Thai paintings we saw in Bangkok. Seriously, if I didn’t have knowledge of the immaculate conception, I would have thought Christians believed that an old cloud god shot pigeons at a sleeping woman while some creepy dude with wings looked on approvingly. 

But onto the David.  It is every bit as masterful as everyone says.  The story is unbelievable too.  Just think, some 27 year-old just said, ‘hey, can I use that chunk of marble over there? I wanna make something for you.’  And then the Florentine people were graced with one of the most incredible works of art in history is ridiculous.  Michelangelo was TWENTYSEVEN!!!  Oh, and he made the Pieta before that (pictured above, from Rome).

Just look at him! 

Afterwards we just relaxed. We had some pizza, coffee, macarons and beers. I did grab a snack- a lampredotto.  There was a stand just outside of our hotel which filled up during lunch with locals, so I figured I’d try it. The sandwich is made from spiced lamb intestine, and it’s pretty good. I mean, it’s no prosciutto sandwich, but its good. We did make our outside the Uffizi gallery before leaving, and took in some of the city’s most famous patrons before saying goodbye.

I throw my hands up in the air sometimes... singing ayo... 

NBD, just our country’s namesake

Last minute snack

Italy is superb.  It is a country with so many different layers of nuance and culture.  Sometimes I feel people boil it down to pizza and statues, but it’s so much more.  Each region, from Rome, Florence, Venice, Naples, Sicily, Milan, etc. is so different from the next. The food, outside of the tourist traps, is every bit of what makes Italian fare heralded as some of the world’s best. The culture and history is dense and rich- just think, Rome was the center of the western world through two different points of time for two different reasons. Sure, Italy has its problems and frustrations like we all do, but it is a country I will enjoy returning to time and time again.

[tauers-go-dutch]

A quick trot to Haarlem

After having lived here for a year and a half, we decided it was time to take the arduous twenty-minute train ride all the way to Haarlem (Yes, the namesake of Harlem, NY; New York City used to be called New Amsterdam!)

It was a sunny but chilly day, perfect for visiting a few tea shops for me and the local brewery for Ryan! 

One of the most amazing brunches I’ve ever had. I’d take the train 20 minutes any day to eat that again!

Be careful when ordering the ‘tea and four cake’ special... the cakes are not petite fours... 

Ryan had the far more reasonable tea snack- scones with jam and clotted cream

Google thought this was a nice photo set to throw together for us. I did say it was a sunny but chilly day! 

Warming up with a beer in church

Proost!

Haarlem was a lovely little town that is a nice complement to the bigger, busier Amsterdam. With three more tea shops still to visit (and a brunch spot to revisit) we will definitely be back! 

Tot ziens! 

[tauers-go-dutch]

Madeira: wine and a bit of whining

Madeira was one of those ‘look at this pretty place on Pinterest- let’s go!’ trips. I’d certainly never heard of it before I moved to Europe. Turns out it’s part of Portugal, but it is an island off the coast of Africa, in line with Morocco. Sounds like the perfect getaway from the cold and rainy December of Amsterdam. Plus, the main city, Funchal, is known for its Christmas decor and celebrations!

We arrived Friday night after sunset and we could see the Christmas lights from the air. The island was gorgeous. Saturday morning we took it easy: slept in, found a cute coffee shop for some breakfast, then walked down to the coast to take in the city. While Funchal certainly has its charm, Madeira is really meant to be appreciated for its incredible natural beauty. We hopped on the gondola to head up to one of the island’s peaks, where we spent a few hours wandering through botanical gardens and a beautiful old church that hosted Emperor Charles I of Austria and his family following his exile from the Austria-Hungarian Empire.

The resting place of Emperor Charles I 

That evening the Christmas markets opened up, so we ate and drank our way through the stalls and admired the festive lights. They have a traditional bread with garlic butter called Bolo do Caco and people stand in line for an hour to watch them being made from scratch in order to get their hands on one, ourselves included! Worth it! Also, Madeira wine is a fortified wine (like Port), so don’t order one assuming you’re going to get a nice glass of red. (I may have learned that the hard way!)

The next morning we went on a tour of the east side of the island. We went to the highest (or second highest?) peak of the island, where we could see the coast on nearly all sides while standing above the clouds. From here we could tell there must be great hiking on the island, but unfortunately our weekend visit didn’t allow for that kind of adventure.

Next we made a quick stop at the ‘world famous trout pools’. I had to giggle at this, being from Colorado and growing up surrounded by fishers. Regardless, it was a lovely area with a small stream and more enviable hiking trails. Then we were on to Santana, which is a small village known for its traditional Madeiran houses, called Palheiros. While the place was quite charming, this was supposed to be where we grabbed a lunch break, but because it was Sunday, everything, including all the restaurants, were closed. We eventually found a hotel with a small cafe and were able to get a quick bite to eat.

Trout! Riveting!

The rest of the tour (and let’s be honest, all of it) is better expressed via photo. We went out to a  few different coastal points. The color of the water was absolutely incredible- more beautiful at each stop, it seems. The weather was just grumpy enough that the waves crashing onto the rocky shore was absolutely breathtaking. I could have stayed on one of those cliffs forever.

That evening we took another stroll through the Christmas markets for dinner before calling it a night. Monday morning I was excited to go to a little tea house that I’d read about online. Unfortunately when we arrived they didn’t have many goodies for us, as the local baker hadn’t delivered them yet. We still had a cup of tea then headed over to our final stop, Blandy’s.

Blandy’s is (one of?) the oldest, most well-known Madeiran wine makers on the island, dating back to 1811. We did a nice tour where we learned about fortified wine as well as the history of the island, then got to taste a variety. This was good, because my first experience on Saturday night was less than pleasant. However, tasking the variety from sweet to dry and everything in between allowed me to appreciate the tastes some more. We even bought a few bottles as Christmas presents for some of our favorite people!

The original winemakers carried their wine over the island in these goat skins. Yum!

Right after the tour it was time to head to the airport. Unfortunately, the trip didn’t end here. Upon arrival at the airport we weren’t allowed to check in because flights weren’t leaving due to a sudden, unexpected storm. We sat around for a few hours more than anticipated before finally being allowed to board. So… we’re halfway there. A layover in Lisbon that should have been less than two hours ended up being four. Then six. THEN we were told to get in line for a hotel and taxi assignment, where we waited another two hours with hundreds of other travelers. Most of Europe had experienced a severe winter storm, Amsterdam taking the brunt of it. We did get to stay in a hotel way nicer than the one we afforded when visiting Lisbon ourselves a few months prior. Also, free dessert, so, silver lining? We did eventually make it home on Tuesday afternoon.

Putting on a happy face for free dessert :)

One last look at this beautiful island 

[tauers-go-dutch]

Greece-y Turkey

Hold onto your butts- this one is a long one.  We spent a week on vacation, so we have a lot to write about.  

A couple of months ago, Mariah and I were talking about plans to go on a longer trip for her birthday and for Thanksgiving, both of which would fall on the same week.  We first discussed Iceland- eventually turning it down not due to the cold (it’s apparently always cold in Iceland), but due to the perpetual darkness with no guarantee for a decent view of the Northern Lights.  So we looked for warmer alternatives.  After talking to various friends that had been there before, our minds turned towards Turkey.  Sure, the political climate hasn’t been great the past couple of years, but we figured the everyday people would be friendly enough. Besides, Turkey looked beautiful, and Istanbul is one of the most historic cities in the world. So we made plans… oh, and we decided why not go to Greece in the same trip?

The trip wasn’t without snags… Turkey requires a visa for US citizens.  We bought ours online, and two days later, shit went down and the US and Turkey revoked tourist visa privileges from each other. So… we didn’t know if we could go for a few weeks.  We ended up calling the embassy and previously issued travel visas were said to be honored.  Further, eventually privileges were reinstated by both countries.  That didn’t stop the Dutch checking agents at the airport from harassing us with outdated information- they almost didn’t let us board because, ‘Well, the presidents of both countries are fighting right now.’  Um, close… I guess.  And people say Americans are ignorant.

Obviously we got on the plane.  It was literally the last flight out of Schipol at midnight.  A poor three and a half hours of sleep and we were in Istanbul. But that was just the layover. Another sleepless few hours and we were in Kayseri- a small city in the center of the Asian portion of the country. From there, it was an hour shuttle ride to Goreme, the main city in the Cappadocia region.  Yes, I wrote this to indicate the bit of a pain to get to Cappadocia, but it is worth it.  The region is populated with ‘fairy chimney’ rock formations.  They are gorgeous, and even more so when you learn that people carved homes and churches in them in the middle ages.  Now, whole hotels are embedded in the rocks- including ours!  After settling in, Mariah and I found lunch (delicious Turkish pide), and just walked around taking in the sites.  I mean, the sunset was amazing!  Then was an early dinner (seriously delicious and home cooked) and early bedtime.

Our cave hotel  

The next morning, we were supposed to have a balloon tour to see the sunrise, but the wind was too strong to go up.  Oh well, we made the most of it by going to see some of the aforementioned churches in the Goreme Open Air Museum. If you end up going, pay the extra fee to go into the Dark Church.  Luckily, when we went, we were the only people in at the time, and the docent was kind enough to give us a mini tour of the church and the beautiful frescoes adorning the walls.  Unfortunately, the frescoes are only preserved from the little light entering the church (hence Dark Church), and no photos are allowed.  

Afterwards, we tried Turkish ravioli (which is a dish from Cappadocia as we came to find out later) and some amazing Turkish samosas (I can’t remember the actual names, so I have to resort to analogizing the dishes).  We then took a quick taxi to a small town to the north called Avanos. The main part of town is very nice and picturesque, but we quickly found out the rest of town is not so nice.  We bobbled around a bit (and were guilted into buying a souvenir), then  we made our way back to Goreme.  We were told that the balloon ride would be canceled again the next day, so Mariah scheduled a consolation prize- a hamam bath.

This was a real treat- just be sure to check you inhibitions at the door.  We paid for a bath, massage, and facial.  We started in a sauna, which we really got the sweat going. Then, in just a towel, you lie down on a stone table.  A person then dowses you in water and gives you rough luffa scrub up and down your entire body.  This is followed by a lavender soap rub down- again all over.  You are rinsed and then given slippers to go back and relax before your massage.  Too bad my slippers were three sizes too small!  The massage and facial were standard, but welcomed.  We left the place feeling so relaxed and refreshed. Dinner that night was some of the best I’ve had.  Truly a great night.

Avanos

One size... fits all? 

The next day wasn’t too eventful.  Honestly we just made our way back to Istanbul, which was rainy.  We had some good durum and climbed the Galata Tower for some spectacular views of the city.  Plus we had some great baklava.  You might be sensing a theme that I enjoyed the food there, which was good because the next day we scheduled a food tour around the city.

Galata Tower

We met our guide, Latif, in the old city.  Latif opened up a small local tour company, Istanbul on Food, with his college friend. His friend has since moved to Australia, but Latif carries on the business.  I can’t stress enough how good this tour is.  Latif has been in the tour game for 12 years, and his passion for Turkey really shows.  If you go to Istanbul, book this tour.  The food is so good, and there is so much (really too much).  

We went on the ‘Taste of Two Continents’ tour, and started the day off with breakfast in the Spice Bazaar.  Latif gathered simit bread, various cheeses, Turkish pastrami, menemen (eggs with peppers and tomatoes), clotted creamy and honey, and both chunky and smooth hazelnut butter.  Holy shit, everything was amazing, but the smooth hazelnut butter was dangerous, which shouldn’t be a surprise given it was basically Nutella without chocolate. Afterwards we hopped on a ferry over to the Asian side of the city.  While it was chilly, we sat outside and caught some amazing views.  In the meantime, Lafit shared how the Asian side, specifically the Kadikoy neighborhood, is, ironically, situated more like a European city than the European side of Istanbul.  After living in Europe for a year, I completely agree. It really is an intangible feeling, but Kadikoy was hip and trendy, and very enjoyable. To hammer home the European feel, we started at a sweet shop by the port.  There we had salep, a spiced hot drink made from orchid flour.  While the Salep was good, the really cool thing about the shop was the Christmas sweets that they sold.  Turkey, as you may know, is predominately an Islamic nation. However, it is a secular nation, and very open to people of other faiths, as evidenced by its sale of chocolate Santas.  It was very heartwarming to see Latif relive childhood memories upon sight of the chocolate Santas which he used to have as a kid growing up in Germany (Germany has the largest Turkish population in Europe, outside Turkey).

From there, we had lunch at Ciya, which is widely regarded as the best lunch in the city. Each day the restaurant has a new menu of various dishes from regions throughout the country.  We had samples of two different stews, baba ganoush, stuffed eggplant, puff bread, and Turkish pizza.  Seriously, SO. MUCH. FOOD.  And this was stop three of 12.  The next stop was to the originator of a special type of donor kebap- an iskender kebap. This one doesn’t come wrapped up, but is rather eaten like an open-face sandwich and smothered in tomato sauce. And it is considered more upscale than the common street food version.  Luckily, after this stop we a stop for some lighter fare- traditional pickled veggies.  We had cucumbers (ie pickles), beets, cabbage, carrots, tomatoes, and even a plum. The plum was weird, but we cleansed our palate with a mix of pomegranate molasses and tahini.  Yum!  

Next we walked over to a street stand, and tried some mussels.  We had both fried and steamed- the steamed was mixed with rice and lemon, and was heavenly.  Well, at least for me… not sure Mariah thought as much.  But our next stop was for tantuni.  This was described as Turkish tacos, and that’s pretty accurate. They’re even better with hot peppers! The sour yogurts drinks that came with them were pretty awful, though.  Latif said every American he’s taken on tour has hated them, so there’s that. Next was kokorec, which, stay with me here, is pig intestine wrapped around tripe, roasted, diced, and served in toasted bread.  Actually not too bad, but I wouldn’t make it a habit.  Supposedly, the EU is cracking down on kokorec for sanitary reasons (Turkey is/was half-heartedly trying to join the EU), which is probably a good call. Next is a quick stop for raw meatballs, which is actually meat-free, and made from walnuts.  Supposedly, the original recipes called for meat, which wasn’t cooked due to a punishment from god, but now is made from walnuts.  It’s actually decent.

Unfortunately, this is not a milkshake- it is a salty, plain yogurt beverage! 

Ok, so now after a few lighter stops, we went to a small pide restaurant.  Pide is a popular dish in Turkey.  It is sometimes called Turkish pizza, but Turkish pizza often refers to the flat pita with a meat and tomato spread.  Pide has a thicker crust, and layer with cheese and toppings like a typical pizza, and sometimes wrapped like a calzone.  It is delicious.  We had a veggie (which unfortunately included mushrooms to Mariah’s chagrin), and was the absolute best thing we had all day.  In fact, Latif didn’t really eat all day (he tries to keep from eating too much on the tours to keep from gaining weight), but indulged here.  My only regret is that I forgot to take a picture of the restaurant, and I can’t remember the name.

I don’t think she can eat any more

On the final stop, we stopped at a local ice cream chain- Mado.  While a chain, this has the best ice cream according to Latif. We had some traditional Turkish ice cream, which is made thicker and richer than the American version.  We were also treated to a surprise birthday cake, courtesy of Latif.  SO. MUCH. FOOD.  Also, I forgot that we had some delicious baklava and Turkish coffee (no, you don’t drink the grounds that are left in the cup).  Latif even treated us to an extra treat of pudding made from barley/wheat topped with cinnamon and chickpeas.  It was good (truly), but we could barely eat it after stuffing ourselves earlier.  After the tour, we wanted to see the Taksim neighborhood, which is where Latif’s evening tour was located.  So he accompanied us and gave us a few more tips.  We thanked him and explored the neighborhood, including a holiday market, an orthodox Christian church, and an extremely lavish high school.  Then we went up to a brewery to close out the night. If I were hungry, I would have tried a burger, because they looked delicious (the beer was decent).  We called it a decently early night, but were pleasantly surprised when our hotel left us a complementary chocolate cake for Mariah’s birthday.  We made room. Overall, I think we can call this a birthday success.

Just kidding - she made room

The next day, we hit up all of the hot tourist spots of the city.  We went first to the Blue Mosque.  The architecture is tremendous, but I feel that the lack of décor within mosques leaves them feeling empty.  Outside the mosque we were harassed by a vendor who wouldn’t take no for an answer, and despite our best intentions, we admittedly fell a bit into his tourist trap and bough some spices and candies.  After that annoying side quest, we went to the Hagia Sophia, which was the grand church of the Byzantine Empire in the mid-6th century, until being converted to a mosque in the Ottoman Empire.  Now it is a museum, and houses the art from both eras. Additionally, there are some neat tombs for old sultans of the Ottoman Empire.  Afterwards, we toured the Topkaki Palace.  The palace was grand, but I’m still palace’d out.  There were some beautiful views that made the entrance fee worth it, though.  What I was really excited for were the city cisterns, though.  These used to house the water for the whole city.  It was pretty cool seeing the setting for (*spoiler*) the climax of Dan Brown’s Inferno. Finally, we walked through the Grand Bazaar, which is really a glorified flea market, before getting a small bite to eat.  Oh, and we saw a surprise aqueduct along the way.  Not much more going on for the rest of the evening.  

Underground cisterns

Hagia Sophia

The Blue Mosque

The tombs of young princes

Alright, so now we are on to the last leg of the trip.  We went to the airport to hop over to Athens… literally, we were going in a puddle hopper.  I may have been in a prop plane before, but I honestly don’t remember it.  I even got to have the window seat right by the engine- some cool photos ensued.  We traveled with an interesting set of characters, including an American diplomat (hopefully she made some progress while she was in town).

Upon arriving in Athens, we of course went to find food.  To our surprise, Turkey was really lacking solid falafel, despite being neighbored by several countries in the Mediterranean that specialize in it. That wasn’t a problem in Athens! We arrived in the afternoon, so some of the sites had closed their entrances early for winter hours. However, we still got to see some cool stuff, including the first arena for the Modern Olympic games (side note- don’t pay to go in, you can see it all from the outside).  We also walked through the city garden and found a little pond with so many turtles!  They had even stacked on one another- super cute.  We then climbed up toward the Acropolis (but not actually to it- that would be for the next day), and watch the sun set over the city.  It was gorgeous.  We walked around the city a bit more, and found some awesome street art. We also found a beer bar, which had some solid brews.

First falafel!

We started the next morning with brunch!  Mariah had a Greek omelet, but I tried something new.  Alas, I again can’t remember the name, but it was basically orzo-esque pasta, tomato sauce, and eggs.  Mix it up, and you have deliciousness on a plate.  We then split Nutella stuffed pancakes.  Yum!  Then we went up the Acropolis.  Yes, it is worth it.  The views are amazing.  Just check out the pics.  We also went to see the agora, which is cool, but probably not entirely worth admission. BTW, despite Greece not having the best economy, they sure know how to price admission to their attractions. They take a page from Disney, and charge the maximum you’re willing to pay, cause, I mean, you’re not going to not see the Acropolis.  As a side note, I was actually surprised at the number of Americans I saw around the city, considering it was Thanksgiving weekend.  We got some souvlaki (basically gyros), which by now you probably know were amazing- you just have to wait in line for an hour or so before getting some.

Pretty excited about having a Greek omelette in Greece!

A view of Hadrian’s Arch and the Temple of Zeus from the Acropolis

That evening, we caught a drink in a cute coffee house that changes décor for the season. We happened to catch them as they changed for the Christmas season.  The drinks were awful, but the atmosphere was really cool.  We then found yet another amazing meal for dinner.  This place was seriously cool, because it was a family deli with a dinner service.  They not only give you free bread, but also pastrami and cheese as a free appetizer. We then ordered some dolmas (basically the first of the whole trip) and bulger salad.  We also had a pastrami egg dish (well, I did) and a Greek salad. Superb!  We then closed with drinks in a trendy bar called the Clumsies. My Celtic Forest drink played with my head a bit, since the ice kinda looks like seaweed.  

Final baklava

A quick stop for Christmas tea

Seaweed cocktail?

The next morning, we went home.  It was particularly interesting, since we (ie, the whole plane) were immediately stopped after landing by border control.  This was very odd since we were traveling from one EU member country to another. Fortunately, we were able to pass with no problems (even though Mariah had to check her hand luggage at the gate so she didn’t have her passport).  At least we made it back in time to join our friends for a belated Friends-giving celebration.    

To say the least, this was an epic trip.  Easily one of the best we’ve had.  While I miss our family, and the traditional food, I loved trying out this Turkey for Thanksgiving, even if it was a bit Greece-y…

…

Ok, that was a bit much.  Tot ziens for now!

[tauers-go-dutch]

Lisbon with new friends!

After planning a weekend trip to Lisbon, we were lucky enough to convince new coworkers/friends to join us. The four of us arrived Friday evening and, after a very long and friendly introduction to our bed and breakfast, hit the town. Beer bar first, of course, followed by dinner (on the patio because Portugal means you can sit outside in November) and ended the evening at a wine bar next door.

Many of the buildings are covered in beautiful tile

A pretty decent beer bar!

Saturday we got up and headed straight to the train station for a day trip to Sintra. I have to admit this trip was based purely off of a whim of a photo I saw on Pinterest, but the cute little village did not disappoint! We first wandered in circles to find the Quinta da Regaleira, an estate with a beautiful palace and incredible gardens, grottos and wells. After exploring the grounds and descending down the well that was the inspiration behind my whim, we grabbed some wine and charcuterie in a local pub. Our next stop was Pena Palace, which, unfortunately, was up a long and winding hill that was way too long to climb. So, let’s hire a Tuk Tuk!

Found the well!

Quinta da Regaleira

After a seriously wild ride, we ended up at the giant red and yellow beauty that is Pena Palace. We explored the grounds, climbed up to a great viewing spot and admired the palace as well as the valley below Sintra, then took an even more exhilarating Tuk Tuk ride back down the long and winding hill. We grabbed some ok dinner and fabulous wine before hopping back on the train to Lisbon.

Tuk Tuk hair!

Not sure if we’re thrilled or terrified! 

Back in the city, we snuck our way into an underground speakeasy for a round of cocktails. There was a strict no-photos rule but Ryan somehow managed one anyways. I don’t remember the name of my drink but it was delicious. We ended up at dinner after 9, so we ate and hit the hay.

Sneaking a shot in the speakeasy

I had basil risotto... 

Ryan had octopus! 

On Sunday we were finally able to do Lisbon some justice. We hopped on a bus out to the Belem Tower, where we spent the day soaking up the sun along the coast. We had a delicious lunch on a beautiful patio then did some souvenir hunting. Our trip ended at a wine bar, where we finally tried the local drink of choice, Ginjinha, a sweet liquor made with ginja berries, and a final glass of wine. (No, we never had Port, that’s for when we make it to Porto!)

Belem Tower

The Monument of the Discoveries, dedicated to all of Portugal’s early explorers

They’ve got a bridge that looks an awful lot like the Golden Gate Bridge

Great lunch, great views, great company!

Portugal is definitely going at the top of my list of favorite places due to this weekend, and traveling with Alaina and Meghan was awesome! Big thanks to them for joining us :)

Until next time, Tot Ziens!

[tauers-go-dutch]

Why Bristol?

I can’t really describe why I wanted to go to Bristol.  Being a beer geek, I quickly realized that the UK has really good craft beer- most everyone’s probably heard of BrewDog, but there is also Siren, Burning Sky, Magic Rock, Buxton, and Wild Beer, to just name a few.  As I kept trying new beers, I started paying attention to where they were brewed.  I noticed that Wild Beer, Arbor, Moor, Tiny Rebel, and others were from Bristol, or at least nearby.  Doing a bit of research, I saw there was also a Bristol Beer Week in October, where several of the neighboring breweries and bars team up to bring rare beers to the public. That, plus I had actually found that Bristol is a bit of a foodie town, I was sold- even if literally everyone asked me why I’d want to go to Bristol.

So we got into Bristol Friday evening after a bit a flight delay. We had an easy bus ride from the airport to our hotel, which was right by the main Temple Meads Station. After checking in, we had enough time for one drink.  We were only a fifteen minute walk from downtown, so we wandered down to Kongs of King Street. This student bar brought me back to my college days- with a ping pong table, arcade video games, blaring rock music, and a killer beer list.  Yes, even the killer beer list reminded me of college (I did go to school in Fort Collins). Despite the throwback, we definitely aren’t college kids anymore, so we called it early and got some sleep.

On Saturday, we had a food tour scheduled with the Bristol Food Tour, but it didn’t start until noon. So we strolled around and found some coffee at the Full Court Press. This small café really knew their coffee. There were several beans with different origins- Guatemala, Indonesia, Ethiopia. I went with a flat white with the Guatemalan origin bean that gave a raspberry chocolate flavor with earthy undertones- one of the best coffees I’ve ever had!  Mariah had the cold brew, which was also delicious. Even though we were going a food tour, I also had a cinnamon scone and stopped at another café for a quick mushroom and halloumi brekkie sandwich (again delicious). I underestimated the amount of food that would be on this food tour- skip breakfast if you go, the quality and quantity of food is truly epic. You will not leave famished.

It was a bit of a hike to get to the starting point in Stokes Croft, the hipster neighborhood of Bristol, but we met our guide, Anika, who was a Canadian who relocated to Bristol to work in the restaurant industry. Like I said, Bristol is a bit of a foodie city- I was excited.  Also, remember how literally everyone asked why we were going to Bristol?  That included the people who were also on the tour- they were all local Bristolians who wanted to see what the next best thing is to eat in their town. After the initial jabs at my American accent, they all were very welcoming and very pleasant to converse with over the next three hours.

Our tour started at The Parlour, a local ice cream shop that used to be a hair parlor (yes, I am American and will leave out the ‘u’ when it isn’t in the name) in the 70s. Three generations later, the same family that owned it in the 70s runs the show today. We got to sample as much as we want, but I truly recommend the cappuccino- it was divine. Next was Flour & Ash, a pizza parlor (see what I did there J) that was started by an ex-corporate banker who wanted to do something different- don’t we all. The pizza cannot be understated; we tried three of the ever-changing selection. I loved the mushroom, but the chorizo was top notch as was the vegan featuring smoked eggplant (no aubergines here). Our guide stopped to show us a Polish Church (read Catholic Church- not common in Protestant England) and shared with us baklava from Bristanbul (I love a good pun). It was good, if almost forgettable, among the other treats on the tour. Next was a café in a laundromat (really a good idea), that featured a drink that could not be named (it was butter beer- come at me JK). Honestly, it wasn’t for me- kinda tasted like eggnog without the alcohol. Meh. Mariah was even less thrilled.

You should always start the tour with ice cream

Mariah was disappointed to find that the Butterbeer from her beloved Harry Potter books tasted more like melted butter than the cream soda she’d imagined.

Always time for some baklava

We crossed the street to a local pub called The Pipe and Slippers.  We received a selection of four burgers, including the fried halloumi veggie burger.  Sidenote- I’d never heard of halloumi before moving to Europe, but the English love it. It is a stiff Turkish cheese that is delicious when grilled, but it can be excessive (such as when using it to replace meat in a burger). The fried chicken and chorizo (the English love chorizo, too) burgers were good, but I actually loved the seasonal Blood and Guts burger, which featured a slab of blood sausage. If you Google blood sausage, it’s easy to get turned off, but I promise it is good. The fries (not chips) are solid too. Oh, and don’t forget to grab a local brew from the bar.  

At this point I’m getting full, but we walked a little further while admiring the street art. Bristol has a vibrant street art community, probably most famously known as the home of Banksy.  Stokes Croft has ton on display, and I was loving it. Our next place was a brunch spot called Ceres that was started by a Melbourne chef, and it was amazing. Serious, each time I think I’ve found the best brunch, someone just raises the bar. The food in England gets a bad rap, but the brunch game is on point. We had a dish with maize pancakes with a perfectly poached egg, but the black rice porridge with coconut milk, mango, and lemon balm sealed the deal. That dish was epic, and worth the price of admission.

The amazing black rice pudding

Afterwards, our guide brought us to the Bear pit, which is an outdoor art venue where aspiring street artists and practice and display their work. We had a bit of chocolate from Zara’s Chocolates- I really enjoyed the mint chili crisp. Then we walked back to the downtown area, saw more stunning street art, and eventually made our way to St. Nicolas Market. There we found a gyoza restaurant called eatchu (not capitalized). It was started by some locals after living in Australia and studying under a Japanese chef, and the handcraft love and care that goes into the more than 500 gyozas sold each day really shows. Meanwhile, our guide went and brought us some delicious cakes from Ahh Toots- the Orange Chai was my favorite.  

In the Bear pit

Selfies are hard

So ended our tour, but we had plenty of other sites to see… but they’d have to wait until tomorrow because the sky opened up and the rain came down. Well, we just holed up in local brewery- Zerodegrees. These guys specialize in lagers, and they make some good ones. I enjoyed the slightly meltier Vienna lager, while Mariah enjoyed a black currant Berliner Weiss. Once the rain died down, we made our way to Wild Beer Co. I definitely recommend these guys if you’re looking for something different. They specialize in beer fermented with wild yeast, creating unique flavors, which can range from bone dry funk to juicy sour fruit. Maybe not always great, but definitely unique. We closed the night going to two fantastic beer bars, Small Bar and The Beer Emporium. Small Bar might have had a better tap list, but The Beer Emporium had a unique ambiance in an old underground cellar.  

The next day we finally saw more of the city, but not after heading to another great brunch spot, Brew (not going to lie, I seriously debated going back to Ceres). Brew held its own with solid poached eggs, bacon, and toast. So we made our way to the Clifton Bridge (the park to the right has a great view), and back to Cabot Tower. It is free to climb Cabot Tower, and there is a great view of the city. Afterwards, we had a ‘treat yourself’ moment at the Bluebird Tea Co. The people there were extremely friendly, and explained how the quaint little tea shop is rapidly expanding all over England- including just opening a store in London. Their teas are still house blended by the founder, who also creates cute puns to name the blends (serious, I think puns are a source of English pride). We bought the founder’s book, an Advent calendar, several bags of loose leaf tea, and a gift set or two for the holidays (can’t spoil who they’re for). We then saw a vintage Banksy (unfortunately splattered with blue paint). We fought the wind walking the Wapping Wharf, and got a burger at the local joint, Squeezed. The burger was good, but the fries were really tasty since they had a light dusting of both salt and sugar. We went back to the Wild Beer Co. (also at Wapping Wharf), and enjoyed a beer before getting on our afternoon flight home.

The famous Clifton Bridge

Mariah was in heaven 

Cabot Tower and the view from the top

A Banksy original, ‘Well Hung Lover”

Overall, Bristol was the least touristy place we’ve been so far, which was refreshing. Admittedly, it is a little sleepy, but there is enough culture, from the street art, to the food, to the beer, to justify a weekend trip. While we didn’t have enough time to do this, you can spend more time in the area by taking a quick train to Cardiff, the capital of Wales, Bath, home of the famous Roman ruins, and Stonehenge. Definitely keep this small city on your radar if touring through England!

Tot ziens for now.