WWOOFing: Farm life for the fun of it

I LOVE this idea. Travel around to different organic farms, pick up some new skills, contribute your own skills, and explore a new area of the country or the world. Kind of makes me wish I was a university student again!

WWOOFing: Farm life for the fun of it

Piggybacking on Others' Work

We're back, the European adventure is over, and I have no time to post anything these days.

But I came across this web which I hope to learn a lot from, so if you are interested in backyard chickens, you may like to look at it too:

It's called Tilly's Nest. Enjoy.

Around Amsterdam

Our trip to Amsterdam was already a bit shaky when Aislinn got run over by a bicycle.

We had bolted out of the apartment early that morning to catch the train. No time for breakfast, but that's okay because these wonderful European trains always have a little cafe on them. Ummm, not this train. This almost three-hour train. The kids were not impressed as we doled out meager rations of the ginger cookies I'd tossed in my purse on the way out the door.

The train was slow, and stopped at every location between Brussels and Amsterdam. This was a far cry from our catered, hi-speed train to Paris.

Getting out of the train station, I saw something I had never seen before: thousands and thousands of bicycles. This is not an exaggeration. I wish I had gotten a photo. Picture your elementary school on the first day of spring when everyone excitedly rode their bikes to school after the long winter (this analogy is only useful for my Canadian friends). The bikes stacked practically one on top of each other in the rack, different colours and sizes. And then multiply this hundreds of times, along the sides of streets and bridges, and in multi-level lots specifically for this purpose.

Then picture just as many bikes, but on the street now. There are lanes for cars, lanes for the tram, lanes for bikes, and finally a sidewalk for walkers. I applaud their environmental friendliness, but it adds a whole new level of challenge to walking around.

We avoided the bikes and negotiated the tram system to get to our hotel. After checking in, we got on a tourist boat to see the sights from the canal:

The kids, who could have fun in a paper bag, amused themselves while waiting for the boat:

We got off at the Albert Cuyp Market. There were the standard tourist booths and flea market items, but what interested me were the fabric stores. I loved the thought of buying some great fabric and making a fabulous skirt when we got home, to remind me of the trip. The first two stores had great prices -- 3 and 4 euros per metre -- but nothing caught my eye. The next store had gorgeous fabrics, in stunning colours and patterns. It also had framed magazine pages showing their fabrics on the fashion runway, draped into beautiful dresses on even more beautiful models. At about 75 euros a metre, I couldn't justify my Amsterdam skirt.

Phil wanted to check out The Heineken Experience, which is a self-guided tour of interactive experience on four levels, in the old Heineken Brewery. Here is a photo of everyone standing outside what was not actually the entrance to the Experience.

Here is the actual entrance, about 12 seconds before Aislinn got run over by a bicycle.

In the midst of a discussion on whether it was worth paying a whopping 16 euros each to go in, I crossed the bike lane to take this photo. Picture this. There is the building. Then a sidewalk in front of the building. Then a bike lane. Then the other half of the sidewalk. Yes, the bike lane runs directly down the middle of the sidewalk.

I carefully crossed and told the kids to STAY THERE while I took a photo. Aislinn, always the epitome of parental respect, tried to follow me, and stepped right into the path of a 6-foot-tall cyclist traveling at a good clip. Needless to say, they both went down.

Miraculously, Aislinn had nothing more than a scratch and some grease stains. The cyclist was gracious as he untangled himself and his bicycle from her, and carried on.

At this point, Aislinn was a puddle of blubbering mush, the other kids were cranky and I'd had just about enough of visiting Amsterdam. So Phil's parents went off for another boat tour, and the rest of us walked to Vondelpark for a drink:

Ahhh, now we were feeling much better.

On the walk through the park toward the hotel, we came across an outdoor concert -- a groovy African band, and hemp-burgers (veggie burgers with hemp seeds). Great tunes and delicious food, and our day had completely turned around.

The next day, we checked out the NEMO Children's Science Museum (giant boat-shaped structure):

The kids could have spent the entire weekend there. The biggest hit was a water-treatment activity, where the kids took rainwater to about 9 different stations to clear it of dirt, germs, calcium, etc.

The bubble display was also really fun:

We caught the train back late that afternoon (picking up food for the ride back!) and were happy to get back to Brussels, where you hardly ever see anyone on a bicycle.

A Trip to Bruges

Bruges, in the northwest of Belgium, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site because of its historic centre -- where most of the medieval architecture is still intact.

I don't know what medieval architecture is supposed to look like, but I thought everything we saw was pretty incredible.

Of course, we had to start with lunch:

Beer and waffles. You can tell we are really taking advantage of the local specialities.

Bruges is also renowned for its chocolate and its lace. So we checked out ChocoStory, a chocolate museum where you learn the history of chocolate and chocolate-making (interesting), and then taste samples (even more interesting!)

My two favourite men: my husband and chocolate-man!

One of the lace stores we visited had a display to show the intricate process by which lace is made. Before we left for Bruges, I had learned that if you find an affordable piece of lace, it's probably made in China. For the real, handmade Bruge lace, you have to pay a fortune. Looking at the way it is made, I can understand why.

Bruges is a city of canals, with waterways running through the historical center. It was pretty cool to see.

We'll get to see even more canals and boats when we go to Amsterdam this weekend!

Whirlwind Weekend in Paris

There is only one word to describe Paris: SPECTACULAR.

We were there for less than 36 hours, but we saw more than we could possibly remember.

We took the high-speed train from Brussels to Paris: 320km in 1hour and 20minutes. Now that's the way to travel.

After the peace and comfort of the train, the metro station in Paris was a shock. There were huge masses of people, Phil waited in line for over 30 minutes to buy metro tickets, and there were three massive army men walking around with automatic rifles. The only peaceful place was the bathroom -- once you paid your 70cents to get in and use the facilities.

Phil is a master of transportation, so he got the tickets and ushered us onto the right metro. One stop before our destination, a young couple got on our metro car with a large speaker, turned it on and started rapping with incredible volume and enthusiasm. We were too stunned to do anything but stare at each other. We got off at the next stop, having to squeeze past the huge speaker, and started cracking up. Not what we expected from romantic Paris!

After dropping our bags off at the hotel, we grabbed some complimentary umbrellas (it was pouring) and headed in the direction of the Seine. This is what passes for a beach in Paris:

We had lunch, and while waiting for the bill to come, the kids and I went to the boutique next door: a shop selling small Paris-sized dogs. So cute : )

With only a day and a half to enjoy the city, we hopped on a double-decker tour bus to see as much as we could. And boy, did we see the city! Every typical sight you would imagine in Paris, we saw it, complete with narration. Aislinn said it was "amazing".

At the Eiffel Tower, we tossed around the idea of taking the elevator to the top... until we saw the line up: at least two hours. So we had to be content with looking up instead of looking down.

The gardens around the Eiffel Tower (the Champ de Mars) were beautiful, so green and lush. Everything seemed so romantic:

The next day, we visited the city on foot: The Louvre, le Jardin des Tuileries, les Champs Elysees.

We didn't go into The Louvre (the concierge at the hotel said the kids would be miserable, and thus so would we) but the outside was more than enough:

Walking down the Jardin des Tuileries, you've got a perfect view of the Place de la Concorde (giant needle) and the Arc de Triomphe.

My one wish for Paris has always been to drink a cup of coffee in an outdoor terrasse, and I got my wish:

And if that weren't enough, we stopped for chocolate crepes on the walk back. My life was complete : )

Now if only Phil and I can go back, just the two of us!

Off the Treadmill and Onto the Cobblestones

One thing our time in Europe has taught me is patience.

You want a shower: turn on the water 10 minutes early and wait for it to warm up.

You want to cook on the stove: turn on the element 10 minutes early and wait for it to heat up.

You want clean clothes: wash them a day early and wait for them dry on the drying rack.

You want to visit the nearby yarn store: you wait three weeks for their summer holiday to be over.

Things take patience, and they take advanced planning -- two things I am not good at. I will hopefully come out of this experience a better person. And if not, I will hopefully at least appreciate my North American conveniences a little more. Especially the hot water.

Market Day

The Market at Place Châtelaine puts a whole new spin on going to the market.

We stocked up on fresh fruits and vegetables, looked at some racks of discount clothes, snacked on some homemade cookies, and then came upon an unexpected sight: a table with chilled champagne and champagne flutes. We bought a couple glasses, and enjoyed a bubbly break : )

The kids weren't interested in drinking champagne (except Indira, who loved it), so we got them a different treat: chocolate crêpes.

Aislinn's loose tooth was preventing her from enjoying her crêpe, so she let me pull it out:

We bought a fresh baguette, homemade pasta, olive tapenade, goat cheese, wine...

Phil's parents arrive in Brussels today, and we will eat well!

A Roundabout Kind of a Day

The Natural Sciences Museum is closed on Mondays. This news would have been helpful before the kids and I walked all the way there after lunch today. It's only about one kilometer away, but that means nothing here. None of the streets head in a logical, geometric pattern, so you walk as though you live in an Etch-a-Sketch world, and invariably take twice as long to get anywhere as if you could have done it in a straight shot.

This was especially true on the way back. I never like to take the same way twice (who knows what amazing thing is hiding around the next corner?!) so we took an especially circuitous route back to our main street.

We got caught in another downpour, which only served to make us feel at home here. I cannot count the number of times we've gotten rained on in Brussels. It could be beautiful and sunny (rare) or gray and overcast (normal weather here). And the rain starts pelting down with no warning. But today the kids just laughed as they ran for cover under a tree and watched the rain drip down each other's faces -- they know it's par for the course here.

We managed to make it fun though, even though our afternoon plans were shot. We got a snack (life is always better when you are eating something yummy), and picked up some secondhand movie DVDs, plus some colouring books and coloured pencils. We'll head back to the museum tomorrow -- who knows what we'll see on the way there or back?

Petit Déjeuner à l'Européen

Europeans really know how to do breakfast. I would move here just for the pleasure of enjoying that meal every morning.

I took Aislinn to a restaurant around the corner this morning called Sucré Salé (Sweet Salty). She ordered a crêpe with lemon and sugar, and I had cheese and bread -- the most incredible, crusty, chewy baguette. And of course a spectacular cup of coffee. But it's not just the food that is so good. It's the way they present it: your coffee comes with a chocolate or a small cookie. They serve a choice of three different sugars for your beverage -- and none of them are Equal or Sweet & Low. Everything is fresh and appetizing.

Aislinn wanted to sit in the back end of the restaurant, so we watched the people coming and going. Some sat and stayed for breakfast; others just dropped in to pick up some bread or a pastry.

(the place looks pretty dead in this photo, but really it was quite busy.)

Tomorrow, Phil is taking William to the same place. Wish it were me : )

Walking, Walking, Walking...

The kids and I made it into the city center today. I am loving Brussels more and more. We saw beautiful buildings, fountains, statues:

And we also saw musical instrument stores and a funky little skateboarding shop:

(you can tell she'd just eaten a chocolate ice cream)

Of course, we had to visit the famous Mannekin Pis:

This little corner was so crowded with tourists and their cameras, you'd think it was John Lennon and not a little boy holding his weenie.

We walked for over five hours today. If it weren't for all the Nutella and ice cream, I'd be back to my pre-baby weight.

(I nearly got caught with my hijacked stroller today. The manager of the apartments we are staying in had told me she didn't think I should use the stroller (when I asked her if it belonged to anyone) but I've been ignoring her. We passed her on the street today... but thankfully she was distracted and didn't see us.)

Phil just got back from Germany, the kids are all in bed, and I've got my feet up on the sofa. A glass of beer will be forthcoming. Life is good.

A Breakthrough

I hit my Brussels stride today. Phew, I was worried there for a bit, but now I feel like I can call this place home for the next month.

Our day started pretty late, because it wouldn't stop pouring. But by about 2pm, the skies had cleared, the kids had had lunch, and we were ready to begin our exploration.

** it started earlier for Phil, who had to rush to the train station this morning, but we said "bye" to him in our pj's.

Our destination was the Parc de Bruxelles, which seems to be the closest park to our place. We turned north at the corner of our street and headed up rue d'Ixelles, which is one of the major streets in our neighborhood. I'd only walked up a few blocks on the first day, and didn't see anything except junky stores and buildings under renovation. But today I discovered that if you walk just a few more blocks, Hallelujia! You get shopping paradise! H&M! Body Shop! Levi's! Cute boutiques! Book stores!

I will be having a lot of fun visiting the shops while we are here.

A couple minutes later and we crossed a very major intersection, and could see the Parc de Bruxelles in our sights. But in front of it was a spectacular building, the front swarming with people and tour buses pulled up front. I looked on my map -- it was the Palais Royal! The Royal Palace, where the King of Belgium conducts his affairs:

That was a nice surprise. And then into the park. It is grand and majestic, with fountains and statues and immense trees. Do my kids marvel at the artwork or admire the design? No, they plunk themselves on the ground and start making a concoction of dirt and water from the fountain. Thankfully, nobody seemed to mind their lack of awe. They have been desperate for real play time.

We found a playground -- another miracle moment -- and then visited the cafe for a snack: belgian waffles and ice cream:

The rain picked up again and we headed home, stopping at the local grocery store first. We lost Indira somewhere along the way, so in the store, she and her hijacked stroller became our grocery cart.

Once home, I put the kids to work making tonight's salad.

It's been a great day, and I am definitely feeling more at home in Brussels. The perfect end to the day would be a hot shower before bed. But the odds of getting anything more than tepid water are a bit of a craps shoot here, so I won't push my luck for today.

Transitions

The transition to Brussels has not been a particularly smooth one. It was mostly difficult because of the extreme contrast. We went from a charming town, where everything was walking-distance and we were surrounded by parks and greenery, to the heart of downtown Brussels where the graffiti is as much an artistic expression as the architecture.

Our apartment is on the fourth (top) floor of a building in a long line of very old townhouses. I've been getting my stairmaster workout going up and down all the flights of stairs. Thankfully we're at the top, so there are no feet stomping above us. And the master suite is actually a loft above the main part of the apartment, which is fun.

But to call this setting "urban" would be an understatement. The streets are narrow, people drive like psychos, it's loud, people shout and screech their cars down the street all night long, and there is no greenery in sight.

On the other hand... and this is why I'm on the upswing of my thoughts about this place now... it's a 30-minute walk to the heart of Brussels, which is full of all the fun things to explore and do in a European city. We have a grocery store just around the corner. And I know we will find a wonderful spot for Belgian waffles and Belgian fries before too long.

We've also hijacked a great stroller from the entryway of our building. I haven't seen any children in the building yet, and am working on the assumption that someone left it there. William is aghast that we are "stealing" something, but I am happy to use it until someone tells us different:

And another perk: our bedroom has a lovely set-up for our shoes. I may just have to buy another pair while we are here.

Tomorrow, the kids and I are off to explore the nearest park (a 25-minute walk, but it will be worth it!) and look for yummy treats. Phil is off to Germany again for a couple days for work. I hope to have some exciting things to post about our discoveries soon!

Last Day in Deutschland

Today was our last day in Germany *sigh* so we took in a local family amusement site, Freizeitpark Lochmühle. This place is part amusement park, part petting zoo, part picnic destination. The kids (and us) had a fantastic time.

The deer were a big hit:

And so were these oversized swings you set in motion by pulling on a rope:

But nothing compared to the giant carpet slide. You can't tell from the photos, but it was a loooong way down:

I especially loved the teeny ferris wheel that was powered by ... an amusement-park worker pedalling. Yep, get a job and tone your legs. Not bad for summer work...

(addendum: Phil just told me that's not a worker, it's a father. I guess if you want your kid to enjoy a ride, you've got to work for it!)

We leave tomorrow morning for the 4-hour drive to Brussels... although given our track record with driving in Europe, it will likely take 50% longer. We'll be in touch once we get settled there!