Ski Trip - Winter break 2018

Giant Man made of snow. 

This week is Emmy's winter break from school. We had originally planned to go visit friends in Italy, but their plans changed and so we shifted around and we'll visit them later this spring. We haven't been skiing since we left CO (and by we, I mean Charles and Emmy because I have no intention of strapping sticks to my feet and attempting to move around on them), so we decided to go to the mountains a few hours from us along the Polish-Czech border.

We found an apartment in a little town called Rokytnice nad
Jizerou, Czech Republic.  A new Polish friend recommended the next town over, but we found better lodging in Rokytnice.  Then we found our some friends/colleagues from Szczecin had also rented apartments here for the week. I love that the Americans, Estonians and Lithuanians living in Poland met up in the Czech Republic. Haha.

Top of the mountain, taken by Charles. 

Emmy came down with strep throat again (January and the first week of February have NOT been kind to our immune systems) and so we had a little delay departing on Saturday.  I'm glad we still decided to go, she felt much better with antibiotics on board.  We got into town Saturday evening and got settled into the apartment. I'm super glad I understand a little Polish because the owner didn't speak any English, so all his instructions were in Polish. (Since it's close to Poland, many Poles come here to ski and a good many Germans so most of the folks spoke Polish and/or German but not that many spoke English). Whew.  Best I understood it, we were supposed to go to the building next door where there was a ski rental shop and go to the office to take care of the bill, paperwork, get a discount card, etc.

The most amazing egg rolls. Worthy of a photograph. 

The next morning after pancakes, we went next door and success! We took care of the paperwork and used the discount to rent skis for the kids, get some new ski goggles for Charles and Emmy, and get some information on the area from the lovely English speaking woman who worked there.

She recommended we get a quick lunch from a lady across the street who set up a booth in front of the Tesco grocery store. The woman sells homemade Chinese food that she said was quite good, and boy was she right! Those were the best egg rolls I've ever had and the lo mein was fabulous.

After quick naps we took the kids up the mountain to their ski school class. It had been 3 years since Emmy took lessons and Matthew was new so we put them in a beginners class. Emmy said it was baby-ish and seemed bored and didn't seem to put a lot of effort into it. Matthew, our shy one, basically refused to let us leave his side and didn't want to participate (which shouldn't have surprised us, he's done this with gymnastics) so we just took him out. After some hot chocolate, he was in a better mood and wallowed in the snow for an hour.

He was over ski school before it even started. 

Charles was unable to ski essentially because of bad communication with the non English speaking man at the ski pass booth, which made him grumpier (after dealing with shy boy in ski class), but t it was later in the day and he decided just to forget it. A beer put him in a better mood.

After ski school, we headed back and got ready for dinner at another place recommended by our friend at the ski shop/apartment office.  Cafe Restaurace Kino was wonderful and we enjoyed delicious Czech food and beer. Well, it wasn't my favorite Czech beer but it was good.

The next day, I drove Emmy and Charles up to meet our friends to ski for the day. I'm SO glad that Lina, my friend, invited Emmy to ski with them. Her daughter is in Emmy's class and they are friends. Charles said the mountain was much bigger and more difficult than he'd done before and Emmy had never done anything remotely like that, but really she needed that for her confidence. They both just got out there and skied! And fell a lot but had a good time.  Emmy really just needs to be pushed a bit and she does better. Charles enjoyed using his new skis he'd purchased here.

Emmy and Charles, photographic evidence he was there! 

Matthew and I hung out in the apartment and watched a lot of the Stinky and Dirty Show cartoon (about a dump truck and a "digger") on Amazon.  I wasn't feeling great so it was ok with me to just hang around. We walked over to the grocery store again and fixed lunch. He took his nap and Emmy and Charles came back early afternoon on the ski bus (which stopped right in front of our apartment, it was such a great location!), tired but happy.

After another nice dinner of delicious Czech food at another restaurant just down the street at Dendip, we headed to bed.

We came on home Tuesday and of course we wish we'd had more time. We decided you really spend one day renting skis and figuring out how everything works and then you have time to enjoy skiing.

A big thank you to my friend Lina for taking some photos, Charles forgot to take many and without her photos we'd have no evidence that Charles went skiing at all!

 Here are a few more photos from the trip.

Post ski school attempt selfie. His mood had improved greatly. 

It was quite cold so as the snow started falling again we could see lots of details on the individual flakes. I'd never been able to see them quite like this, it was amazing. 

Doing pretty well! 

Dinner at Cafe Restaurace Kino

Delicious fried cheese. 

Emmy and her pal Austėja skiing.

 

Another view from our apartment. The sun was finally coming out late Monday afternoon. 

Town Hall, across from our apartment.

Family selfie in front of the town hall. 

Easter Break Part 2 - Trier, Bruges and a bit of Luxembourg

Let's see where were we...oh yes, on our way to Bruges! Everyone we'd spoken to about Belgium said Bruges was their favorite city, including Rick Steve's travel guide, so we decided to take advantage of being closer to Belgium and drive to Bruges.  On the way, we stopped in Trier, Germany, as it is a short drive from Michaele and Josh's home.

Trier is the oldest City in Germany, founded in 16 B.C. b Augustus, and was an ancient Roman capital . It is situated close to the border with Luxembourg, and while we wanted to take a trip much to do in the same day as Trier. We made it late morning and parked near the Porta Nigra, the remaining Roman gate to the city.

To the right is a church that was added to it, which is possibly was it was saved from destruction during various wars. 

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Photography by Emmy

Happy girl at lunch.

We walked down to eat lunch at a restaurant that had been recommended to us: The Potato Restaurant, Kartoffel Restaurant Kiste. It was yummy!

The Basilica is now a UNESCO World Heritage site.

As we left lunch, rain had begun to fall again. We walked over to the Basilica of Constantine, which is the oldest Christian church in Germany.

Outside of a restaurant, I just love Europe for all of it's charm. When the weather warms up, this place will be amazing. 

Plan showing the original plan of the church.

We were back on the road fairly quickly in order to get to Bruges by suppertime. We had arranged to rent a flat from a lovely couple who runs a B&B and have recently remodeled a couple of flats nearby.

Walking to supper, one of the lovely canals in Bruges

We were a little later because of construction, so we checked in, threw our stuff in the flat, parked the car (parking is tight in the city, one reason we picked this place is they offered secure parking a couple of blocks away that our big American car barely squeezed into), and went to eat at the closest restaurant recommendation to our location from Rick Steve's guide, a delicious Italian place called Carlito's. Fortunately we got a table and the kids, while tired, did not embarrass us too much while we inhaled food and got out of there. Ha! I always feel a bit self conscious taking the kids out to eat in Europe. I'm not sure about Belgium specifically, but eating out in Poland is expensive for Poles, so you don't see children out as much as were used to.

YUM!

The next day we slept in a bit. The time did not change here until Easter weekend, so we were all adjusting and sleeping in later, which was pretty glorious. Our goals for the day were to cover the basics: Belgian beer, chocolate, waffles, and fries. We ate a small breakfast and took off for the city center in search of our 2nd breakfast: Belgian waffles!

After waffles and walking around the square some, we opted not to climb to the top of the tower so we could make the brewery tour at 11 am. Along the way, we stopped at a couple of recommended chocolate shops for some Belgian chocolate, of course!

Belgian Chocolate!

Brewery tour! One of the best we've ever been on. 

Learning all about the different grains used for making beer and how they add flavor.

After climbing a lot of stairs, we made it to the roof of the brewery. 

These are the tanks they used to ferment the beer in. 

Belgian Beer! Beer tasting after the tour.

Emmy enjoyed hot chocolate instead.

Matthew enjoyed playing around. 

After the brewery tour, it was time for some lunch, to include Belgian fries, of course! 

Belgian fries! 

Sharing a delicious piece of chocolate.

Beautiful statue of the Madonna and child. 

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Canal boat tour! It rained on us off and on, but we enjoyed it. 

The next day we had to pack up and start the trek back home. We made a quick stop for Belgian beer, then headed into Luxembourg. We'd hoped to go into Luxembourg City for lunch, but time was tight making it to our stop for the night, so we opted to stop at the American Cemetery instead.  General George Patton is buried there. We walked around a bit before heading back to the car to make it to Ramstein for the night. 

On the way out of Belgium we had to stop at a grocery store so Charles could fill the car with beer. 

We barely fit! 

American Cemetery in Luxembourg. 

General Patton's grave

Emmy loved the fountains.

We spent the night back at Ramstein AFB (well, just off base this time) so we could pick up a few more things at the commissary, then we headed home the next day. It was a wonderful trip!