Europe 2019

The Map

Salt Lake City

Refreshed and Ready!
24 hour journey to San Francisco, Paris, Casablanca

Casablanca

Arrive in Casablanca at 9:10 pm. Go through customs and passport check, pay the highest premium on insurance, and go outside to pick up our already sratched and dinged car. Drive to Melliber Appart Hotel on Boulevard Youssef.

We scored, as our room had a beautiful back private patio with a clear, and close, view of the Hussan II Mosque. Comfortable hotel, decent breakfast, clean room, and private guard at the entrance.

Friday: Muslim's Holy Day

Awoken at 5 AM by a Muslim prayer on the loudspeaker. 
Thanks to THIS VIDEO, we didn't have to get up at 5 am to record it. 
 Not sure if this is something they only do on their Holy Day, or if it’s a daily practice? We didn't hear any other prayers blasting on loud speakers the rest of the time in Morocco. Just at 5 am, when we were next to the giant Mosque.

We enjoyed our walk and tour of the Mosque grounds and interior. 
As the 2^ndlargest mosque in the world, it was much larger and more beautiful than we had imagined. We especially appreciated the interiors color scheme, architecture, and painstaking art and patterns throughout. They don’t decorate with portraits or paintings, instead the designs are geometric patterns which are meant to still the mind and allow each individual’s eyes to follow their own course.

Traffic. Mike and I consider ourselves somewhat seasoned travelers. I’ve ridden in taxis and on buses in Mexico City, Tokyo, Paris, and Tegucigalpa. He’s driven straight through downtown London, all over the UK, in the South Pacific, and even in Tijuana. None of those quite compare to the indescribably crazy, chaotic, and ridiculous rules of the Casablanca roads. 

Rules of their roads:
(The same rules apply to EVERYONE. Cars, pedestrians, mopeds, donkeys, trucks, old ladies ...)

1. Be aggressive or get off the road.

2. Don’t yield, I repeat, do not yield for anyone or anything. Not a donkey. Not a big bus making a left hand turn from the far right lane. Not for a brand new Audi. Not even for an old woman with a cane. 

3. Don’t drive a nice car because IT WILL get scratches and gauges. 

4. There is no such thing as illegal jaywalking. The roads are for everyone and everything. Move it or lose it.

5. If you’re driving a scooter and want to keep your legs, wear a large pad to protect them. However...

6. If the light is red or if there is a stop sign, do not even consider running it. This one is big, guys. Even our amazing guide had a deep and abiding fear of the impending ticket that would be given by an officer standing at the intersection of such signs and lights. 

Countryside near Rabat

Phew! Between the “rules” of the road, construction, the cruise ships in port, and the time of day, we finally made it out of Casablanca and into the Moroccan countryside. Driving was much more relaxing and uneventful out there… with the exception of a goat sleeping on the top of an agricultural van, Mini (from Cars) with an actual mattress strapped inefficiently on the roof, and a donkey hanging out under a McDonald’s sign.

Lunch in Morocco. Let’s just pretend that maybe after a long flight and who knows how many crashes we dodged, all of this was a bit more than I was prepared to take in. From the lunch sawed off of the unidentifiable raw animal hanging in front of us placed in a grinder, grilled, and placed in front of us to the double-size meal I got due to some language barrier and miscommunication, to tomatoes that said to me: “eat me, and I’ll give you the runs for the remainder of your 2.7km road trip.”

But not Mike! I don’t think I’ve ever seen him happier and more in his element than he was out in this countryside market. It was like the opposite of kryptonite. He loved it. It’s like his brain craves foreignness. The language, the signs, the driving, the roads, the food preparation, the donkey driver on the road. It all just worked its magic on him. It’s no wonder he thrived and I would not have survived on his mission to the survival islands of Vanuatu. How I love and appreciate him.

Top Ten highlight right here: our Moroccan mariachi band. 

When we arrived in new town Fez, Mike was too courteous to a mo-ped driver which as afterthought must have been a dead give away that we were not from there.  A Moroccan Nacho Libre tapped on our window and he drove by and said “thank you.” In English. He then persisted to follow us. For ten more minutes and two obvious wrong turns-- the entire way to our Riad. At which point, and we were warned of this, he tried to get us to cancel our previous hotel reservations so we could stay at his, as his compatriot tried to sell us a tour. 

Driving is Fes was a little better with a dramatically improved overall feel of the city. We fell in love with Fes. And I think spending a day in Casablanca helped to spark that flame, as we had the crazy as a comparison. As a sidenote, the ancient medina of Fes is an entire UNESCO heritage site and I couldn’t agree more. Not only is the city  authentically beautiful, but its people are as well. I had an instant love with the darling kindred spirit at our Riad’s reception, we loved the sisters at the restaurant at Riad Mazar Fes located in the medina, and we just loved Mohammad, our tour guide.

Saturday is like our Monday. It’s the first day of the week, and for Moroccans, the best day to sell. The Souks were well-stocked, fresh, and ready for the week. 

After a fabulous Moroccan breakfast, Mohammad (Mohammad the Great, as Mike calls him) met us at our Riad for our own personal and private tour of Fes from 9-1. And what a blessing and joy that was for us! We had no idea that was something people even do. He rode with us—I’ve never seen backseat driving like this one—and told us exactly where to go. Thankfully our 12pm flight was delayed 4 hours, so we had the entire morning to explore this historical city. He taught us, joked with us, and was a great companion. No matter where we go in the world, people have a genuine love and appreciation for their home, Mohammad was no different as he proudly unfolded this beautiful gem of a city, the “Heart of Morocco,” before us. He was fast, efficient, and somehow showed us everything in 3 ½ hours. We bought a few things, including my Argan oil, enjoyed experiencing the tannery, and enjoyed observing what life is like for him and his little family. He was a friendly guy and seemed to know everything about his hometown and everyone in it.

Can I hear an “Ahhhhhh” and a huge sigh of relief as we pulled into the Sixt car return parking lot and handed over the keys to the agent. Miraculously, we returned it un(further) scathed and in one piece. Phew!

The Fes airport is absolutely beautiful, clean, and quiet. Just a day earlier, in Casablanca, I never would have imagined myself having a desire to return to Morocco, but after experiencing Fes, Mike and I both left with the words “until next time” lingering in our minds.

It was our first time flying with Air Arabia and hopefully not our last. The preflight briefing included a prayer displayed on the TV screens. The timing could not have been better, though “protect us from the evils we are bound to see” is worth praying for as well… and after visiting Barcelona, and other larger cities, more appropriate than I had previously envisioned.

Barcelona. First, can I just try to express how much I LOVE the window seat. I’m worse than a kid. Geography is fascinating to me and flying over it just does something for me. Flying over green Morocco in the spring, breathing in their beautiful mountain ranges, seeing in real life the Strait of Gibralter, flying over the entire east coast of Spain, enjoying the Mediterranean and ships in it, and then flying over Barcelona and seeing the monastery on the hill and the Sagrada Familia from an aerial view! Just so cool. 

Our evening was a bit frazzled. It wasn’t until I returned home that I learned that even in Europe, one can pay a taxi driver a couple hundred Euro to be our personal guide of the city. That would have been worth it—and yet, not necessary—as we enjoyed a sleuth of entertainment that we otherwise would have missed. From this crazy and ongoing firework display at the Sagrada Familia to showing up where the news recorded Team barcelona celebrations Las Ramblas to two beautiful musicians in the Barri Gothica to eating dinner at 10 pm to walking the streets with the live crowds at midnight. We may not have “seen” the city in connection to “site seeing” and crossing off bucket list items, but in retrospect, maybe I’m glad we didn’t rend a “petite taxi” as we would have been so caught up in “seeing” the city that we would have missed it altogether. 

On second thought, maybe we dragged our heals getting to bed because we knew what that bed looked like at the Hostel Rio De Castro. No complaints here. Price was right, location decent, and bathroom was big. Mike’s feet may have hung off 6 inches with only 3 to spare before hitting the wall and our bed may have fit only 1.5 of us, but it was clean and it did the job.

Team Barcelona Celebration 

at Las Ramblas

Sunday

I’m learning. And when I forget, I’m reminded of this: no matter how small, meager, or inconsequential an offering I give to the Lord, He multiplies it. He takes the little I give and He magnifies it. Mike and I both knew that we were so blessed to be on this trip together. We also knew that both we and those at home were in need of some help beyond our own. We also know that the Sabbath really isn’t ours. So, instead of sleeping in, like our bodies wanted, we got up at 7 to catch our 8 am tickets to Parc de Güell. We enjoyed, explored, than caught a taxi to the Church building in Barcelona... which wasn’t. Typically big cities have a decent sized church building and sign out front. Not Barcelona. No matter what angle we approached the address, it was not there. 

Thankfully in our stupor, we bumped into an American exchange student who was heading our way. She told us where the ward met (rented out bottom floor of a building) and we were mutually able to help each other—us with directions and with her suitcases for home. Church was good. In Sacrament meeting I started feeling overly confident in my Spanish abilities. I understood the speaker and followed the talk. .. and then I went to Relief Society, taught not by an American senior missionary (like the talk) but by a native Barcelonan. And that was a different story as I was quickly reminded of my 4 month level Spanish and all of its limitations. I’m not sure if it was a good thing or not, but I sat in the back with two sister missionaries, one from Utah and one from Texas. We enjoyed sharing that time with each other and following along here and there. 

How grateful I am for our Savior, Jesus Christ. For His love for me. For His power in my life and in the lives of my loved ones. How grateful I am to belong to a worldwide church that loves and worships him and for the instant connections and friendships that come with that knowledge. 

Yo testifico que El Salvador vive y me ama. 

Tengo agrado por El y por El iglesia. Me encanta. 

After church we made a point to use the fascilities, because when in Europe, one should use the lou every chance they get, because one does not know when that chance will come again. 

We took the metro to the train station, enjoyed their 1^stclass lounge, and caught a TGV train to Nimes. As much as I wanted to gape mouth open at France’s countryside, I knew better, reclined my seat, and let myself be lulled to sleep by the subtle rocking of the high speed train.

I know in the states, flying is like the cool thing. Like, that’s how we want to travel. But trains is where it’s at. No huge security check and taking an hour to load a plane. No waiting, hunched over to get off, and no paying extra for a “comfort” seat that is still half the size of what I slept on in that train. Planes are loud, they pop the ears, they’re ridiculously expensive, and they have a lot of residual time on both ends of the trip. It’s impossible TO sleep on a plane and NOT TO sleep on a train. AND Mike gets to sit back, relax, and enjoy the ride as well. 

Here are a few gems from the Rick Steves podcast we listened to on part of the ride:

“If all Americans traveled, we might fit in better in the world.” Rick Steves quoting someone

How is it people can point out Americans so easily? 

Shorts are for the beach, not the city; we wear sport shoes, and we’re loud.

Europeans learn to talk quietly in their highly densely populated cities. 

TGV Train Ride to Nimes, France

K. We flew to Spain. We trained to France. Now the trip gets real: 

Now for the driving portion: 2,713.6 km road trip

4:30pm Pick up rental car in Nimes.

Not a BMW fast series...

But, a big, wide, not sporty Mercedes. 

When we first saw it, my heart may have skipped a beat 
and Mike’s probably lost one. 

It was big, luxurious and classy. 

and not turbo, fast, or aggressive. 
Not an Audobaun record breaker, but

It said Europe all over it.

We both ended up really enjoying and appreciating our luxurious 2,700 kilometer drive in this comfortable, safe, and new car as we went in and out of, and sometimes in and out of again, 9 heart throbbing countries of Western Europe. 

1^ststop:  Villa Arca in Les Arcs, France

Picture say more than words but so much less than being there.

There is no way to describe this place. 

The sounds. 

The smells.

The perfect air temperature. 

The ever so slight breeze.

The colors. Oh the colors that no camera can properly capture.

The stone buildings and architecture.

The history. 

The Feeling. 

Lands have feelings to them. Sometimes I notice and sometimes I don’t. It’s hard not to notice when walking in a preserved, 11^th century medieval village in the hills of Southern France. It fills my soul to walk these cobble stone streets and to soak in all they have lived through. 

While enjoying this village I conveyed to Mike “How my feet have craved walking on cobblestone streets!” I feel complete again.

Mercedes E class is growing on Mike, and while driving he said: “Nice cars are nice.” 

In the morning we ate and enjoyed the young family that helps run the hotel. We especially enjoyed speaking English and French to their darling 3 year old daughter. She reminded me of our cute niece Sydney, but French.

With the help of cameras and viewpoints on all the necessary parts of Mercedes (the name for our car), we exited the village and town and enjoyed a stunning, warm, sunny drive along both the French and Italian Rivieras. We drove through Nice and into Monocco. This principality is unreal. The money, the buidings, the yachts. And yet, just like Alpine, Utah, the people, for the most part, look like normal people. We enjoyed the Prince’s car collection. We enjoyed seeing his cars and especially the race cars, but I think I slightly prefer the car museum in Balboa Park with a larger collection and with Steam Punk.

Nice, Italy

Monoco

Prince's Car Collection and surrounding port

We continued this most breathtaking and rejuvenating drive along the coastline. I was pleasantly surprised with the views from the motorway as my research had indicated lots of tunnels with not much to look at. The land was more hilly and green and the water more colorful than I had envisioned. It seems every where we went, we want to go back. Why is that?

Our final stop of the day was Santa Margherita Ligure. We both loved this town, but I think it especially resonated with Mike. 

“Pigeons are cute. For being flying rats.” -Mike

“Driving through Europe is like a ride at Disneyland.” -Mike

“Portofino smells like Lemony lilac honeysuckle bushes." -Robin

“Instead of barhopping, we go dessert hopping.” -Mike

It was in this town that I had the Best pizza ever in my whole life! The crust was crunchy. Like, all of it. In fact, we loved our pizza and the people at The Black Stallion (restaurant) so much, that we went back for another one a couple hours later. We were the only costumers at the time and enjoyed visiting with our server who had previously traveled Utah and New York. 

Here’s her tips on making this pizza: it has a taller crust, not thicker but taller. They use the same amount of flour and water as other dough, but more yeast. Plus, their family get up every morning around 4 to prepare for the day! Cook it at 428F ). Gonna try it. Gonna have to go back.

We enjoyed driving out to Portofino bay, inspiring to both Pixar’s Cars 2 and the Portofino Bay hotel at Universal Studios Orlando which is a similar to scale, near- replica of the real thing. But hosting man-eating alligators instead of multi-million euro yachts. 

We stayed at Hotel Continental in Santa Margherita Ligure. We were told that our room would have a garden view, which typically means, not a water view. Well, we scored on this one. From our balcony we had BOTH a perfect garden and a water view, which we utilized and enjoyed while cuddling after our evening shower. 

Portofino Bay, Italy

Santa Margherita Ligure, Italy 

Mike got up before sunrise and enjoyed the town at that peaceful, colorful, and magical time of day. Like I said, this place resonated with him. 

Robin: "It’s hard to say we’re backpacking Europe when I washed my hair last night."

Mike: "And when we’re driving a Mercedes."

More interesting facts from a Rick Steves audio:

“For every church in Rome you have a bank in Milan.” 

Giuseppe Verdi opera singer

“God made Italy. And then, just to be fair, he threw in some Italians.” Rick Steves

…Which, to be fair, although I feel like a giant in Italy, I love the happy, friendly, gelato-making, pizza cooking Italian people. They are beautiful and it’s so good to be back! Of all the places I was looking forward to going back to, Italy was right there with Germany. Who knew?

Once again, an amazing breakfast and no, this is not a coincidence. Location, cleanliness, price, ratings, and a good breakfast are our main priorities in booking a place. A real European breakfast makes or breaks the deal.

Next, we drove to Genoa. It’s funny how preconceived notions and information can make or break an experience with a new place (or person, food, movie, experience in general). I had written off Genoa. Everything I read said that it’s a busy, industrial city not really worth taking time for. But we were pleasantly surprised. 

I had it in my head that I had to see Piazza Ferrari, mostly because I had previously thought that that’s where the Cars 2 plaza was designed after. Which it’s not. But also, I really had a need to bring home more pasta and spices from Italy. They use a better flour and their spice mixes are unique to their country. I brought some home last time and ended up loving the products. 

We hit the piazza, which had this mind-boggling walk for like ½ mile. This mosaic walkway under arches on both sides, this guy walking at least 8 dogs on leashes, the McDonalds that we finally had to track down so we could pee, and my new Italian counterfeit purse. The buildings were beautiful and the industrial area wasn’t the eye sore that I’d expected. Yum lunch. Super yum filled crescents. We bought from 3 different bakeries because each time they looked even yummier.

Market in Genoa

Genoa and the Piazza de Ferrari

Cattedrale di San Lorenzo:
Every square inch of the cathedral was intentional
Incredible place

An additional stop that Rick Steves’s audio convinced us to take at the last minute is Milan. The overall consensus on the net is that Milan is “another big city and the only things worth seeing are the cathedral and the Last Supper by Di’Vinci. Well, we didn’t have a need to stand in line for a fresco that doesn’t do much for us, but taking 2 hours out of our day to eat Venchi gelato and to tour the cathedral was worth every minute and Euro. It’s big. Like, I’d only seen photos of the façade, but the entire cathedral building itself is big. It takes up a lot of square footage. Plus, what other cathedrals let you pay for an elevator ride to the roof for further exploration. Flying buttresses, great lighting, detailed carvings; talk about a photographer’s dream photo op. The vision of this project lasted for 600 years and was a collective effort for generations. 

By the way, we listened to a podcast on gelato and learned that it’s actually ‘healthy for you' (according to the lady who was obviously addicted to Gelato). So, when we saw our favorite Venchi gelato store we each got our favorite two scoops not to share with each other, but to share the enjoyment together. Mmmm. Gelato. Pistachio and Hazelnut for me. Chocolate and Coco (coconut) for Mike. 

Venchi Store, Milan

The remainder of the day we drove to Lake Como, had to catch our breath as we approached the alps, pulled over for selfies, and walked the streets on Bellagio at Lake Como. Again, we scored on our room. We stayed at Miralago B&B and Apartments in Bellagio, once again, with a view from a magazine, and a yummy breakfast spread.

Bellagio, Lake Como

Valmadrera, Italy

We woke up early to enjoy a walk before breakfast. The darling woman at the front desk gave us maps, ideas on where to go, and even showed us where we could find George Clooney. We enjoyed walking along the lake, through narrow alleys, along cobblestone streets, and amongst fresh flowers and happy chirping birds.

Then there was breakfast. How does one explain this breakfast! There was the usual. The meats, breads, cheeses, juices, and cucumbers. But also, freshly scrambled eggs AND, a whole table straight from a quality bakery. All the treats I’ve seen in the windows but didn’t really want to buy and eat. Those were there. The hazelnut cake. The fresh croissants. Additional cakes and pastries. And Carmine’s cake! With the exception of my gluten-free/ paleo chocolate cake, it’s the best cake in the world. I wanted to knife a piece for the road. But instead I assured myself that I WILL learn how to make it. 

More interesting podcast facts:

37,000 Gelaterias in Italy; there are more cars than people

One can take classes at Gelateria David with Mario in Sorrento 

The awesomeness of this day just kept getting more awesome!

You know how I mentioned that we were in need of blessings. Well, the weather was one of those pleas. As I tracked our places and forecasts, the weather was looking cloudy, cold, wet, and even snowy for this day. 

The weather we’ve had has been nothing but idyllic. Morocco was a perfect temperature. France and Italy, perfect. And our Alps day, today. Perfect. Not. A. Cloud. In the sky. Not a one. And the drive. Stunning.

But before I jump too far ahead, lets go back to Bellagio. We had a couple route choices:

1. Go back the way we came-backtrack. No thank you.

2. Drive around the other leg of the lake (it really looks like half a body and two long legs). Beautiful, enjoyable, and nice. But long and time-consuming. Next.

3. Okay, and this one is cool. For like 20 Euro we were able to take a ferry across the upper thigh of the leg. And not just take a ferry. We were able to drive the Mercedes up onto it. Ourselves. I was sure someone else would do that for us. And get this, we got to stay in our car the only time. And who was lucky enough to have the front row with an unimpeded view? Us! I’m telling you, things just worked out for us on this trip. Little things. Little blessings, miracles, and tender mercies that we were oblivious to but were given. Even ones that we were initially disappointed with, such as the Fes flight change. What a gift that ended up being for us. 

The ferry was awesome. The drive, absolutely breathtaking. If I had to give a top 10 drive in the world, this one would be there. From Varenna on Lake Como to Interlaken/ Lauterbrunnen/ Grindelwald. I could have done it twice. Really. I actually wanted to turn around to see it from the other direction, but we had a lot of ground to cover this day. Next time. Until next time, you breathtaking, sunny, snow-capped alps and drive to Como.

The entire day Mike and I were both in awe with the vistas and the visibility. What a miracle and what a blessing for us. Additionally, although today’s weather (May Day) changed for us, the ten day forecast had this sunny day sandwiched in between overcast, rain, and even snow. Yuck.  

Oh, the gorgeous views and vistas for as far as the eye could see. Our last trip had its own cloudy beauty, but our views were inhibited. Not today, clear skies and air allowed us to see and enjoy every major mountain and peak in their fullness. 

One highlight was returning to Lauterbrunen, seeing all the mountains, enjoying the gushing and oozing spring run-off waterfalls, and our cog wheel train ride up to the small town of Wengen. Bought lunch at the store because the restaurants were closed, Face-timed the boys, and stared, eyes wide and mouth open at the splendor and views every single way we looked. 

A second highlight was one that we almost missed. On our way back to Interlaken,  and at the very last minute, we said: “we’re right here!” and turned our car around for a 45 minute detour to Grindelwald. And what a great decision that turned out to be! This place, as like everywhere we went, is indescribable. You just have to experience it. The Alps. They’re huge. I’m a Colorado girl. I grew up with mountains. But not these ones. The Rockies are spectacular. The Alps, unbelievable. They’re like the Rockies, but with an entire additional layer of more jagged peaks behind them that are above timberline and capped in snow the entire year. 

The Alps. One of the things I miss most from back home. 

Lauterbrunen, Switzerland

Cog wheel train up to Wengen

One thing that really stands out as I reflect upon our European Honeymoon is this:

No matter how much planning and preparing we did, which was a lot, we could have always done more. There is always more planning, like hours more, that can be done. But there’s life too. There’s parenting, cooking, work, and daily responsibilities. 

But somehow, the Lord compensates. We didn’t know about the Ferry at Como. Our sweet hostess did. We didn’t know Genoa would be such a hit- or even where to go, but what a gem of a memory we'll treasure from walking those streets, and Grindelwald? At the last minute I felt like I needed to speak up and we both felt excited about the detour. We weren't planning on making these jaunts, but we felt like it and we acted on it.  

I’m not saying that every thing we do works out. But when we really study and do our part and when we quiet down and listen, call it the holy spirit or good luck, we’re blessed as we act on those little jolts, promptings, or good karma.

Back to Switzerland. 
This place is unreal. It’s all just perfection packaged together in a little, tiny country. Everywhere we went I felt like saying: “I could live here,” or “I could get used to these views.” 

Plus, as an added benefit, we drove through a 10 mile tunnel which allowed me just enough time for a cat nap without the fear of missing out on any view or vista. 

One of my favorites vistas was near the city of Thun and to look backwards and see the giant peaks standing clear and taller than anything I’ve ever seen.

Grindelwald, Switzerland

For dinner, we enjoyed driving into the surprisingly beautiful and peaceful city of Bern. It really helps to hear people talk down a city, as this was for us. The streets were quiet and the town wasn’t busy. The clock tower was worth seeing, and the dinner, twice plus more than anywhere else, was delicious and almost worth what we paid for it. 

This town is quiet. The electric street trains seemed especially quiet. People bike. I saw some of the most beautiful tulips. One variety was a massively huge pink tulip. 
Mike calls it the “Pink Swissmeister.”

Lastly, we left Bern, to my complete delight, surprise, and thrill I looked over at Mike and the Bern LDS temple spire caught my eye. This one is substantial, as it was the first one built outside of the United States. We decided to put off visiting it until we bring the family, but for me, another tender mercy and pleasant surprise.  

Bern, Switzerland

Finally, our day ended as we drove into Germany! And stayed at Hotel Mühle in Binzen, near Frieberg. This is the one night we had researched but not booked before the trip. We knew it would be a long day and a lot of road time. We didn’t want to overdo it. But we also knew it would be good to reach that point on the map. Plus, I kind of needed a night and breakfast in Germany. Again, the people, the hotel, the room, and the breakfast did anything but disappoint. They even had a schnauzer on the grounds to greet their guests.

The darling woman at this front desk loved Mike—he’s so nice and he’s so good to me that they all do—how can a little old lady not love watching a tall glass of water walk in carrying both his and all of his wife’s luggage?

Binzen, Germany

Again, there's nothing like a healthy and fresh German breakfast! The homemade granola. The fresh yogurt. The “brown bread” with nuts and seeds. It was one of my first introductions to German food which went against all my decades of preconceived and totally misguided notions of fatty, bland, heavy, gross German food. 

“Another day, another country.” –Mike

Over the Rhine. Yes, that was my first time and it is just as massively huge as I’d expected. We drove over two fingers of it, however that works out, then on to Ribeauville, one of the four most popular villages in the Alsace region, which come to find out used to be Germany but became France after WW I. This for me explains why it looks so similar to Rothenberg en Tauber.

Then to Riquwihr with the French Diagon Alley.

Ribeauville, France

Then to Strasbourg. So, funny story. I really thought Strasbourg was another quaint town and the one that had the gingerbread factory, so we drove over an hour to see this place. Um. No. Not a little, quiet, quaint town. Another ridiculously huge city we had to drive into and find a place to park in. I actually told Mike that we could just turn around and head straight out of town. But, he’s good and said: “No way, we drove all this way, let’s go see it.” 

Thankfully he made that call, because this place was worth it. We ate French Flambee on a balcony on the water, saw beautiful architecture, ate TWO different gelatos, and saw the cathedral. Height meant more than aesthetics, and their Notre Dame has only one front spire instead of two. 

Strasbourg, France

A few more quotes before we get to Colmar: 

“When in doubt, just drive like a taxi driver. They get away with anything.” -Mike 

“Robin is like my plant. Just give her water... and sun. And Europe.” -Mike 

Robin: I’m going to peek in the modern art museum. 

Mike: I would. If I were not me. 

“Beaver rat” on a boat ride in Colmar

Our arrival into Colmar was drizzling, beautiful, and clear to me as to why Colmar is the favorite of the four. Each of the towns are quaint, but this one is on the water. Our ridiculously awesome hotel was located in Little Venice, at Le Colombier in Colmar, France in the Alsace Region. Where “our windows kind of look up because we’re in the attic.” Mike 

We enjoyed a peaceful and enjoyable boat float on the river, pet a protective daddy swan, walked the beautiful streets, took in a nice sunset, ate this yummy potato dish in a cast iron skillet, and surprisingly enjoyed a change in weather: light rain.

Colmar, France

Thank goodness this morning was rainy and overcast. I so badly wanted to get up at 6 for sunrise, but there wasn’t one today, so I let myself go back to sleep. Today’s leg of the trip is the longest. 8 hours, 4 countries, and touring a castle. Not much energy for cutting the night early and not much time for sleeping in.

When Mike woke up, he rolled over and asked: “Have you ever had a dream you are sitting in a giant tea cup filled with hot chocolate?” -Mike

I love him.

Followed by our drive out of town with an: “I’ll just stick my face out the window if I need a drink.” -Mike

1^st site seeing: Baden-Baden. We didn’t stop, but got a glimpse of the black forest and the surrounding areas. 

2^nd site & stop: Heidelberg. Our friends lived here for about a year and I’ve heard good things about this college town. It did not disappoint. The city and castle are definitely worth the stop. From the Funicular, the trees and ivy growing on other trees, to the coloring of the castle, to the giant barrels, to the ham, cheese, and pineapple crepe, to the Lindt store, the only thing that could have been a let down was the scaffolding on the iconic bridge, but scaffolding means upkeep, and upkeep means beautiful Europe. Next time.

Heidelberg, Germany

3^rd site: this beautiful, agricultural stretch of land in and near this little town called Lutzkampen, Belgium. In the back of my mind I had this question: “if Mike and I were to move to Europe, really, where would that be?”

This little villiage could have been it. Peaceful, friendly, quiet; yet close and conveniently located to everything!

Lutzkampen, Belgium

Heckhuscheid, Belgium

Burgreuland, Belgium

 4^th turbo stop: Luxembourg. I’m not talking exploring the country, I’m talking: cross the border, snap a couple shots, fill our totally empty tank of gas, and head on our merry way to the next country. 

Luxembourg

5^th observatory: So, it was kind of hard for me to give up the Brussels stop. Afterall, the Grand Palace is on the cover of my DK Europe book and I’ve drooled over it for a decade. But, it's that or Bruges and that was not a hard choice. 

Luckily, however, due to traffic, Mercedes rerouted us through the city. Not through downtown, but we saw a good deal of the city, saw one of our church buidings, and bought a Bounty bar in exchange for the Lou. 

Additionally, Mike took full advantage of his “Muscles in Brussels” photo op.

6^th and final stop: Bruges, the prettiest little town coined “the northern Venice and charming, walkable city laced with chocolate.” –Rick Steves

and, 

“A house is not a home without flowers.” Netherlands saying

Notes from our podcast:

Holland is one of Netherlands “states” 

The Rhine splits into the Wahl and Moss 

“In Netherlands we learn German, French, and English. Plus a foreign language.” -Rolinka Bloeming 

I underestimated Belgium. I’ve never ever had much of a desire to experience it. It’s never been on my top anything list. I appreciate Swiss chocolate and didn’t need further exploration. It’s kind of the little, lost sibling in the family… and yet! And yet it is this gem of a place. Eye candy every where I look. These beautiful buildings on the water. Again, indescribable. 

Plus, the food. Unbeknownst to us prior to our arrival, Belgium is a top 5 culinary country and it shows. They have fine dining and cuisine on every block, and its reasonably priced. We enjoyed our 2.5 hour dinner at restaurant Spinoli where we had an open view of the chef and impeccable kitchen. 

Our B&B Ambrogio on Spinoli 20 has a 9.9 rating on booking.com and it shows. The B&B is spotless, impeccable, and renovated to look like a magazine. It was perfect, as was the darling Chanda, the owner and resident there.

Bruges, Belgium

Another ridiculously amazing breakfast. My favorite was when Chanda handed both of us glasses of fruit and said: “vitamins.” I am going to have to try that at home with our boys. She went on to make fancy eggs of our choice, and give us a loaded basket of various breads. I just fell in love with her and am grateful for the opportunity that was mine to get to know her and to share info so we can stay in contact. 

Over and over I was almost taken by surprise at the beautiful, accommodating, friendly and helpful people we met. People who so graciously and patiently speak our language because I sadly do not know theirs. 

I felt like I needed to give Chanda the Book of Mormon that we brought with us-- as totally uncomfortable and awkward I felt, I loved her and I knew I had to give it to her. So I did. I want her to find joy in feeling of our Savior’s love for her and her family just like I do. It’s a blessing that gets me through the good, the bad, and the ugly. 

After breakfast and visiting, we hit the town. Expecting to be gone for an hour, we ended up exploring for about 3. A chocolate town it is. Every other store seemed to have window displays of chocolate. So, we tried some and we bought more.

We also enjoyed our very first Belgian waffle, which also, did not disappoint. It’s like a crispy cake cooked in a waffle skillet. Plus, there was a gigantic blob of real whipped cream, strawberries, and chocolate sauce. 

Here’s the simple chocolate sauce recipe:

53 percent callebaut chocolate melted with water = sauce for waffles. That’s it!

Sunrise photo taken from the comforts of our amazing suite at B&B Ambrogio

Our dear, sweet host Chanda wrote our names in Nepali. A beautiful written language.

A few more quotes from the day:

“Thank you, Mike, for continually opening my eyes to the beauties of the world.” –Robin 

“How grateful we are for the sacrifices of Ama and the boys for us to be here.” Mike’s morning prayer on his pray day

When I travel, I really like the people. I generally like to think that people are good and mean well. There are millions of people living closely and life can be stressful for Europeans. I cut people some slack.  –Rick Steves

Next stops: The Hague Temple and Keukenhoff Gardens!!!

The Hague, Netherlands LDS Temple

Today’s flag was at half mast in honor of Remembrance Day in the Netherlands. Another thing we couldn’t have realistically planned was coming across these random but big deal celebrated. Sagrada Familia, Las Ramblas, and Remembrance and Liberation celebrations in Dam square. We were right there amongst the action.

I’ve been dreaming of the day I could go to the “Real” tulip festival and didn’t imagine it would happen for years, if ever. But, today we went and I was like a little kid smiling from ear to ear, just so excited to be there.

Keukenhof Gardens

THE Tulip Festival of the World!

I suppose that with the exception of the airport, this evening we reached our final destination with similar feelings as that of a runner finishing a marathon. We entered the city tired but with a little bit left in us to get a feel for Amsterdam. We did it!

After dropping off Mercedes with a second huge sigh of relief (Fes being the first), we exited the parking structure, walked to the main train station, turned on our Rick Steves audio tour of Amsterdam and started on our way. 

After dodging who knows how many clouds of pot, etc. smoke and responding to our growling innards, we decided to find and book a reservation for dinner. We had heard great things about rice toufle, and according to Steves: “The ritual dish for tourists in Holland is Indonesian rijsttafel (literally "rice table"). Though not a true Indonesian meal, it's a Dutch innovation designed to highlight the best food of its former colony, especially all the great spices that were a big part of what originally motivated the colonial age. For around $40 you get about 20 dishes and a rainbow of spices with white rice to mix and mingle on your palate.”Our reservation wasn’t until 9:15, giving us to time to walk the city and just sit and take it in. Additionally, because “Over 20,000 were expected to attend National Remembrance Day in Amsterdam, as they “join the rest of the Netherlands on 4 May when its citizens pause to pay their respects to the victims and fallen soldiers of World War II, as well as more recent military conflicts and peacekeeping operations.” Iamsterdam.com

Amsterdam, Netherlands

Love the leaning, crooked houses

My first impressions of Amsterdam were “meh.” I see a few factors that contributed to this: 
1) After spending time in Colmar and Brugge, both quaint and well-preserved towns nestled on the water, we came to the city spoiled rotten, having seen the best in the world. Amsterdam is beautiful and would have been better appreciated before seeing its superior counterparts, 
2) Due to the holiday, ALL of the souveneer shops were closed. We’re talking Saturday night, nothing opened. My need to buy the little trinkets and wooden shoes were not satiated. 
3) Of all the cities we had spent time in, this one had been the most crowded, busy, and saturated with tourists, 
4) Dinner was amazing but really late. We were too tired to really enjoy it, 
5) We were overall, just too tired to explore or to even want to explore, and finally, but potentially the number one reason, 
6) No LINDT Store. What’s up with that, anyway?

Alas, even though we were blocks away from Anne Franks house and a few miles from the Hiding Place, museums, and masterpieces we were too tired and worn out to even want to visit them. Additionally, we knew what lay in store when we got home: 100% parental attention and love doled out to children and an Ama who had been amazing sports in letting us go but were also very ready to have us and our usual routine back.

Being beyond tired after dinner, here’s how I felt: “If it was warmer, I could sleep on a bench tonight.” –Robin

Granted, there was no Venchi or Lindt, but “You know that when gelato doesn’t even sound good, it’s time to go home.” -Robin

Thankfully, we cashed in our free Hyatt night and stayed at Hyatt Regency Amsterdam in which we slept, and slept, and slept.

Observations of building and maintaining a beautiful town (and home):

Early on, all successful medieval towns had fortresses.

Beautiful towns have scaffolding, maintenance and construction which are eye sores, not pretty, messy, and sometimes inconvenient. 

New, updated, modernized, and often improved regularly build upon the old. Typically incorporating and even magnifying it. 

Perpetual expansion, renovation, and building projects. 

Beautiful buildings require maintenance.
A beautifully preserved town or city takes work, time, money, commitment, and sacrifice.  It takes foresight and intentional planning. It requires a vision and outside skill.

Our final and relaxing morning included sleeping in, breakfast, resting, enjoying our last few minutes of Europe, and a late check out with preparations of flight and the responsibilities of being parents again.

We were excited to leave and we’re excited to get back!

On the direct flight home from Amsterdam, I was fortunate enough to sit by a lovely couple from Cologne Germany. They like to travel too. When we discussed the reasons why we love to travel, here are a few ideas we came up with:

It’s exhilarating, energizing, and just plain fun. 

The People! It’s so refreshing to meet such a variety of beautiful and friendly people. The world is filled with some very good people. 

The breathtaking sites and places in this beautiful world.

The history, ancient buildings and architecture.

The change of pace and schedule.

The food! Gelato, Italian flour, German breads, meats, and cheeses.

The sounds, music, and languages.

Varieties of cultures, traditions, and histories.

Learning new words in different languages.

The shot in the arm we get until next time.

1:1 away time with Mike on our Annual Honeymoon.

The breather from work, responsibilities, and daily cares and concerns.

Final thoughts on our crazy fast European blitz:

Robin: Yay! It’s out of our system. 

Mike: Yeah, and now it’s in our blood. 

A very lush and green Salt Lake City, Utah

A tender and grand welcoming from our 5 favorite people!

The Amazing Ama who watched these boys for 12 days and made this whole trip possible. 

We are all so lucky to have her and to be blessed with her love for us and 

her happy & positive outlook on life!

How grateful we are to all those who sacrificed so much to make this trip possible. 

Top Favorites with Ama:

Less chores than normal

Driving on the freeway with the windows open

We played boardgames, like Life

We made butter beer 

Sleeping at Katelyn’s house

Playing with friends

Reptile show with Josh and Nathan

Slumber party in Daniel‘s room

Mom. Dad. (are home). Parks. 

Pizza Pie Cafe

Seeing the Lego movie at the theatre

Playing at all the different parks

Costa Vida after soccer practice 

Skip Soccer game

What are some things Ama lets you get away with that Mom and Dad don’t?

Video games

Buy candy at the dollar store

Mom. Me wuv doo. 

Ezra Taft Benson: When they returned home [from a four week trip around the world], daughter Beth was waiting as the plane landed. When she saw her parents, she began running toward them with tears in her eyes. Her father reached out and pulled her into a loving embrace. He reflected, 
“With all the wonders of the world [we had seen], that moment was suddenly the best of the entire trip.”