Weekend Update

I think the husband and I are still getting used to have so many weekends at home these days, since that's never been the case before. Prior to moving to Scotland for a year, we were constantly on the go or headed out of town. I mean, constantly... like every weekend. It was rare when we were actually home on a Friday through Sunday. Then when we moved to Scotland, we were traveling to new countries each month and scattered road trips and events in between our trips. We definitely had more "free" weekends, but it certainly feels different when it's spent going to the pub, touring a distillery or traipsing through castle ruins versus cleaning up the garage or mowing the lawn!

At the Glenfiddich distillery in August, 2009.

Once we'd returned to the States this past August, our weekends were spent driving to Dallas to spend much awaited time with our families, in addition to various events and welcome home parties we were delighted to be a part of. Then the holidays hit, and we were swamped with Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years festivities (but no complaints here!). Now that things have settled down a bit, we're literally basking the glow of "home life." Because the last thing on Earth that we would label ourselves is homebodies, but for once, it's kinda nice to experience a bit of that. Staying in town and having fun sans an eight-hour round trip trek to Dallas is a novel idea and then some. ;)

All that to say this past weekend was another one of those spent close to home. On Saturday, we picked up some chair railing from Home Depot at long last. It's for my office, which is slowly but surely coming together and looking fantastic! I can't wait to share pictures and keep thinking I'll be done with it soon, but I'm actually having to work in it instead of on it a lot lately, so eventually it will be ready for its grand reveal. We did bring home the chair railing and painted it, then the husband went to work nail gunning it into the wall. I grimaced and squinted my eyes shut every time he airshot one of those babies into the railing... as if closing my eyes would help avoid any wayward puncture wounds in nearby hands and feet! He just finished off the caulking Sunday night and it looks really good. 

Saturday evening we celebrated a friend's 30th birthday party with a beer-themed shindig his sweet girlfriend put together for him. Everyone (well, almost everyone) wore their favorite beer shirts or apparel, carted their favorite brew to the party and sampled the birthday boy's home brewed ales on tap for the event. His girlfriend also makes her own wine, so they are a match made in heaven. I didn't have a beer shirt, but I did proudly sip my Tecate from a kilt koozie I picked up in Scotland. It got a lot of comments!

After church on Sunday, and a big bowl of fresh chili that had been simmering away in the crock pot, I headed over to my friend Lisa's house for craft time. She and some other girls had the grand idea of getting together for "sewing parties," which involve wine, Champagne, munchies and inspiration all grouped together with gals who want to work on their projects in a creative atmosphere. I didn't have any sewing projects on hand, but I did bring all my jewelry supplies to make some necklaces that had been on the agenda for awhile. I was pretty happy with how they turned out! Stay tuned for a post on that tomorrow...

It was a typical around-the-house relaxing weekend. We ended it with a yummy dinner at our friend's house (the folks we lived with for four months while searching for a home post-Scotland!). Now I'm gearing up for another good weekend, this one not so close to home though as I'm packing up to visit my bestie in Arizona! Another of my best friends is meeting me there so the three of us are looking forward to some shenanigans out in Tucson. I am beyond excited to finally see her and thrilled we could all get together, it will be FUN!

Me, Medley & Jessica in July, 2009 at mine and the husband's going away party for Scotland.

There's something to be said about having wonderful and cherished friends in your life. Even when distance separates us and our life paths change, those kinds of friendships are the treasured constants to our every day.

Gorgeous, Green & Grand

Scotland is at it's greenest right now.

I mean, literally everything is awash in a rich state of emerald beauty.

And we've been in our own "green" state, so to speak, setting foot on the Old Course at St. Andrews golf & spa resort merely minutes after some of the world's greatest golf players had cleared the scene.

The charming experience rides on the coat tails of our recent good time in Spain celebrating the country's World Cup victory as we watched.

We've been so fortunate to have so many wonderful international experiences. Our heads are swimming, still, with all the places we've seen and all the memories made at each destination.

This particular weekend started on Saturday, a day of rest for us. I'd been running my feet off at The Open golf Thursday and Friday for the Aberdeen events management company where I work. We accompanied more than 100 clients to the championship, where they enjoyed top-notch corporate hospitality during the golf. And I learned just how many drunk Scotsmen I can put up with on a bus ride from St. Andrews to Aberdeen at the end of the day!

Saturday afternoon, our friends, Darren and Allison, arrived from DFW and we took them to the Ferryhill House Hotel for dinner. Our favorite place! They enjoyed heapin' helpins' of fish and chips while I got one of my preferred meals there - the chorizo chili pasta.

After we'd had our fill of bacon, toast and eggs, the four of us scrunched into our Nissan Micra and hit the dual carriageway (aka two-lane highway) for St. Andrews. We did have to make a pit stop on the two-hour drive in Stonehaven, though, for them to see the gorgeous Dunnottar castle. I think it's one of our favorites here in Scotland. Though we've seen it at least three or four times, Mike and I can't resist taking a couple photos whenever we visit. This particular trip was especially meaningful as it also marked the last time we'll be there, with our return to Texas just around the corner!

There's something about the thistles in Scotland that I absolutely love. Perhaps because it's such an unusual plant to see?

When we arrived at the Open, we were immediately struck with the importance of such an event and how incredible it was to see firsthand. We were witness to The Open Championship's 150th anniversary, played by big wigs like Tiger Woods (who didn't do so well this time), Rory McIlroy (the 21-year-old record setter from Ireland) and Louis Oosthuizen (this year's South African champion).

We caught the end of The Open and walked much of the course as we followed some of the players. After the awards, the course was opened to the public and we took plenty of pictures of the 1st and 18th holes and the famous Swilken Bridge. The husband was one happy guy!

St. Andrews is a small town (by our standards, logging around 16,600 citizens), but rich with history. Known as the home of golf, it houses the Royal & Ancient, founded in 1754, which, according to Wikipedia "exercises legislative authority over the game worldwide (except in the United States and Mexico)."

And St. Andrews' namesake University is the oldest in Scotland, dating back to 1410.

After a couple drinks and a yummy dinner in the golf mecca, we headed back to our hotel, the Laurel Bank, via taxi. It was about 20 minutes away in a quaint, quiet little town called Glenrothes. The next day it was back into the Micra as we returned to St. Andrews again, this time detouring to the Fairmont St. Andrews Bay resort and spa.

Allison and I headed to the spa for pedicures and massages - one of the best I've had in awhile! I actually started dozing off halfway through. It was pure...

While we were comfy and cozy indoors, Mike and Darren braved the rain to play their 18 holes on the Torrence Course. I was proud of them for lugging their golf bags the whole way - it's hard work! After our afternoon tea, complete with mini sandwiches, scones and sweets, Allison and I met the boys in the clubhouse where we sat and enjoyed the bay-area view.

Before dropping D & A off at the train station, we pulled through St. Andrews one last time (literally, since Mike and I won't be back there again!) and snapped some pictures of the impressive cathedral ruins. It took 150 years to build, completed in about 1318, and was the largest church ever built in Scotland. Uprisings and the pillaging of stones by townspeople left the cathedral in it's current state of ruins.

Everything was moist and damp from the fresh-fallen rain, a busy weekend washed clean by nature's elements. It seemed to age the ancient stone walls that still held their own at the St. Andrews castle - also left in ruins and propped atop a grassy cliff overlooking the glassy clear ocean.

Once we were sure D & A were able to catch a train from their itty bitty train station in Leuchers, Mike and I drove back to Aberdeen, jammin' to our country music and taking in all the pretty scenic views, fat fluffy sheep and landscaped hills. Gorgeous, green and grand, our days here are numbered!

"If a golfer is going to be remembered, he must win at St. Andrews."

{Jack Nicklaus, professional American golfer and winner of The Open Championship in 1966, 1970 and 1978}

Switzerland, Germany & Austria: Das Good!

After five days galavanting around Germany, Switzerland and a snippet or two of Austria, we came back to Scotland reminding ourselves that the people here do speak English and we could stop over pronunciating our words. We could also eat vegetables again. The Germans believe in a meat-and-potatoes diet and nothing more. Starch overload... somebody get me a carrot!

But all kidding aside, the husband and I got to take in some breathtaking views of Germany, some elaborate Swiss banks and cuckoo clocks and a foggy, hazy view of the Alps along with the Disney-inspiring structure, Neuschwanstein Castle. Piqued your interest, have I? Grab another cuppa (Scottish "slang" for a mug of tea or coffee) because more of our "Texas Tales from Europe" are coming 'atcha!

It took about six hours for us to get from Aberdeen to Zurich, and it was late night and raining when we arrived. We easily grabbed a taxi from the airport to our overnight digs at the Leoneck Hotel, which was decorated in an odd combination of cow themes. But our room was plenty big enough (UK and European hotel rooms run notoriously small) and we dropped off our bags then went for a walk in search of the city and dinner. We took in a few sparkling nighttime views from a bridge near the rail station and stopped in at Mickey D's for some food. Sometimes, when all else fails (or is already closed), you come to appreciate the consistency of the familiar American Golden Arches.

rainy arrival in zurich

dinner a la mcdonalds

our cow-themed hotel

Our next day I was up and ready to go explore Zurich! I've been looking forward to visiting Switzerland for a long, long time. One large hot tea and a blueberry muffin at Starbucks later, we were headed for Bahnhofstrasse, the main shopping street in town and also home to the headquarters of Switzerland's two largest banks, the famed Fraumünster church (more on that later) and yummy chocolated-lined shelves at the delicious Confiserie Sprungli chocolate shop and cafe.

We browsed a couple stores, took a bunch of pictures and stopped for some truffles du jour at Confiserie. Then we headed into the Fraumünster since I wanted to see the gorgeous stained glass windows created by 20th century legendary artist Marc Chagall. They did not disappoint - they were beautiful! The church is one of three main cathedrals in the city of Zurich and was founded way back in 853. The actual building that stands now was created in the late 1800s, I believe. There are five breathtaking Chagall stained glass windows in the choir, each depicting a different theme and specific color. Of course, we weren't allowed to take pictures inside the church but I managed to get a pretty dang good secret snapshot of three of the windows! From left to right, they depict Jacob, Christ and Zion.

After a tasty local Italian lunch (and much needed beer break), we wandered over to the edge of Lake Zurich for some pictures and nature watching. There were tons of swans and beautiful mallard ducks swimming around everywhere. Two odd looking duck-creatures in some sort of funny mating ritual captivated our attention for a good 20 minutes. They chased and swam around after each other, diving underwater like little torpedos, then would come face to face and spread out their neck feathers and shake their little heads at each other!

That afternoon we managed to find the Hertz office and retrieve our rent car - a giant upgrade from the little Nissan Micra we're used to driving in Aberdeen! It was an actual SUV! Once we were loaded up, we set out for Oberstaufen, Germany and enjoyed such gorgeous scenery along the way. Our hotel in Oberstaufen was actually a resort, but we stopped so many times on the road for pictures and a little sightseeing that we didn't end up with a ton of time to enjoy our place. We did find yet another good Italian place for dinner in a small town nearby, but luckily they had some native Germany dishes as well. I had some of the most delicious salmon and we tried out some new beers as well.

stopped for a drink and a snack at this charming cafe in constance

drive-by scenery

the alps!!

the view behind our resort hotel in oberstaufen

It was an early rise the next morning to give us enough time to make breakfast in the adorable hotel restaurant, pack and load and get back on the road. This time the highlight was to see the Neuschwanstein Castle, which provided the inspiration for Disney's Sleeping Beauty castle. It was absolutely breathtaking, perched high in the rocky cliffs. Your Wikipedia facts: Neuschwanstein Castle is a 19th-century Romanesque Revival palace on a rugged hill above the village of Hohenschwangau near Füssen in southwest Bavaria, Germany. The palace was commissioned by Ludwig II of Bavaria as a retreat and as an homage to Richard Wagner. The palace was intended as a personal refuge for the reclusive king, but it was opened to the paying public immediately after his death in 1886. Since then over 60 million people have visited Neuschwanstein Castle. More than 1.3 million people visit annually, with up to 6,000 per day in the summer. The palace has appeared prominently in several movies and was the inspiration for Disneyland's Sleeping Beauty Castle.

We opted not to go in for a tour but rather admire it from the ground below, becoming only mildly distracted by some highflying gliders who were partaking in the Hang Gliding World Championships 2010. Uh, that would be kind of a big deal. There was a festival of some sort set up just down the ride to celebrate the competition so we stopped off to check it out, and ended up riding a toboggan down the hillside. Who said we aren't a fun bunch? Hang gliders sure are.

Our next overnight stop was in Garmisch-Partenkirchen. This little resort town, right near the Austrian border, was, as its name suggests, formerly two separate cities. A little history nugget for you, courtesy of Wikipedia: Garmisch and Partenkirchen remained separate until their respective mayors were forced by Adolf Hitler to combine the two market towns in 1935 in anticipation of the 1936 Winter Olympic games. Today, the united town is casually (but incorrectly) referred to as Garmisch, much to the dismay of Partenkirchen's residents. Most visitors will notice the slightly more modern feel of Garmisch while the fresco-filled, cobblestoned streets of Partenkirchen offer a glimpse into times past. Early mornings and late afternoons in pleasant weather often find local traffic stopped while the dairy cows are herded to and from the nearby mountain meadows.

the view from our hotel window

streets of partenkirchen

The streets of Partenkirchen are charming, indeed, with beautifully decorated buildings. But there was hardly a person in site as Mike and I went for a stroll. We stopped in what was probably the only busy bar (and by busy, I mean more than 1 person not counting the bartender), grabbed a beer and found out from the locals that there was a festival going on in Garmisch that evening. Of course we had to check it out, which ended up being a great time and we spent our night sipping local German brews, sampling Bratwurst, flan and mojitos (from now on, I'll leave those to Mexico!) and enjoying some live music. I felt very German! Our taxi driver was also kind enough to drive us by the old Olympic stadium; it's really amazing to think about the many memories made there back in 1936. Apparently Garmisch-Partenkirchen has put in a bid for the 2018 Olympics, to be supported by surrounding cities Munich and Schönau am Königsee. (There are only two other competing bids coming from France and South Korea, supposedly making up the lowest number of Winter Olympics bids since 1988.)

eating up the festival in garmisch

the 1936 olympic stadium

We were up and at 'em the following morning to make it to Munich in time to return our rent car and explore the city before night fell. We checked into the Marriott, which was the most "Americanized" and modernized hotel we've stayed in our entire time abroad. Thank Heaven for USA-inspired digs. The weather had graced us with bearable temperatures and even some sun, so we enjoyed perusing the city which included an overabundance of Bavarian pretzels, beersteins and architecture. We landed in Marienplatz square, a central city spot in Munich, marked by the stately New Town Hall, built in the late 1800s and explemifying the typical Gothic Revival architecture which dominates so much of Europe. Here, we watched the building's Rathaus-Glockenspiel chime the five o'clock hour. The Glockenspeil is a two-story clock of sorts equipped with 43 bells and 32 life-sized figures that rotate as the bell dongs out the time. Each half of the "clock" tells a story, the top portion depicting the marriage of the local Duke Wilhelm V, who also founded the world famous Hofbräuhaus.

st. michael's cathedral in munich

After a sun-drenched meal of beef noodle soup and salad and a couple beers and one dessert stop at the Ratskeller restaurant (underground eatery beneath the New Town Hall), we stopped back by the hotel to freshen up then headed to said Hofbräuhaus for dinner. Another two-story creation, the brewery was inititally established in 1589 and serves up a storied past which you can read about in detail here should you wish. We drank litres of their dark ale and ate to our heart's content while special performers entertained diners with everything from traditional German dancing to playing "Appalachian Spring" on the ricola trumpets! (Actually, it's really called an alphorn. See more here.)

hofbrauhaus large white building on left

inside the old restaurant brewery

Before we left the following morning I got in a bit of shopping and a little more people watching... there's nothing that quites makes your day like seeing a grown man in lederhosen (leather pants) at 10:30 in the am. In fact, there's actually nothing at all like seeing Munich, Germany at 10:30am on a Monday morning. Or Zurich, Switzerland three days before that.  Or flying back to your "home" in Aberdeen, Scotland. Funny how something that once seemed so foreign can become much less strange over time. Speaking of less strange, I'm off to find me some vegetables for dinner. Not all things familiar need stick around...