Bridges, Canals, and Pringles

After landing in Geneva from JFK on Monday morning, Travers and I took a couple hours nap, before I had to get up and get to work. Travers on the other hand, got to sleep another hour or so before getting up, re-packing, and going back to the airport for a work trip to Kiev!  With both of us being jetlagged, it was not an easy week for either of us, but by Friday, we were very excited to be going on another vacation to Amsterdam, Brussels, and Bruges!

We took a mid-day flight to Amsterdam, and trained it to our hotel, The Manor Hotel Amsterdam. After checking in, we immediately went back out to find a drink and a snack and to soak in some sun before it went down. We chose a restaurant down the street from our hotel that we could tell immediately was filled with locals, not tourists. We were staying in Amsterdam Oost, which is just east of the main city center, and only a short tram ride away. So we were out of the super-touristy area, mixing in with the locals, which is something Travers and I love to do on vacations.

A few hours later, after returning to the hotel to change and get ready for the evening, we decided to tram to the city center and just wander the streets, hoping to see some beautiful canals, find something tasty for dinner, and just explore Amsterdam.  We had heard about this popular burger joint called Burger Bar that was supposed to have the best burgers in town. We have an on-going search in Geneva for the best burgers (which we think we found one the other day actually, but that's another story), so the opportunity to have a tasty burger was something we weren't going to pass up. And we were glad we didn't because these burgers were huge, so tasty, with a great bun (which is one of the most important parts of a good burger), and yummy fries on the side.

T's bacon cheddar burger

My blue cheese burger

After filling up on good food, we just started walking around town and seeing whatever we could. We wandered down some small alleyways, crossed some beautiful canals, and saw some really cool architecture.

We then found ourselves in the Nieuwmarkt square, surrounded by bars and restaurants, and a huge building that used to be one of the city gates and former city walls. Its now occupied by the Waag society, and the Nieuwmarkt was built around it and the weighing scales were placed inside it. Not really sure what the weigh scales do now, but it was a really cool building to look at. So we chose a bar that faced the square and grabbed some Amstel's and just people-watched for awhile. And while we were sitting there, I noticed this amazing machine next to us. I don't know why I like it so much, but what's not to like about mini-cans of Pringles in a bubble-gum machine!?

We then decided to walk towards the infamous Red-Light District.  I wasn't quite sure what to expect, and it was certainly a surprise to see such a lively area. There were several bars and restaurants interspersed with all the "windows" of ladies, and hundreds of people pouring out of bars, walking up and down the street, with the canal in between. With the amount of people drinking, I was surprised there wasn't more of a railing between the canal and the sidewalk, but seemed like no one was going to fall in. We stopped at a pub called The Old Sailor and got a great seat by the window so we could watch all the passersby.  After getting our fill of people-watching, and strolling the crowded streets, we headed back to the hotel for a good night's rest so we could do it all again and more the next day.


The next morning, we got up and found a cute local coffee shop called Coffee Bru. After ordering two coffees, a muffin, and banana bread, we sat on a bench they had outside and soaked in the sun. As we were finishing our breakfast we noticed a cheese and bread shop next door. The large rounds of cheese and the fresh baked bread looked delicious, so we decided to get some, along with some salami they had, and have a picnic in a few hours once in the city center.

So we hopped on the tram and got closer to the museum quarter of Amsterdam. We strolled past the Rijks Museum, some lovely canals, and found ourselves in a huge park called Museumplein. We saw the I Am Amsterdam sign, the Van Gogh Museum and the Stedelijk Museum.  We then found ourselves a nice place to sit in the park under a tree and have some local cheese, bread and salami for lunch!









We continued our walk back towards the center of town. We saw some beautiful canals and walked down some quaint streets. There were a lot of bicycles out and we managed not to get in their way too much. And we passed by tons of people enjoying the weather sitting outside at cafes all along the canals. After a few hours of walking around, we decided to join all these people and stopped for an ice cold beer, at a cafe right on a canal.


















The rest of the day was much of the same, walking through small streets, past lovely canals and wonderful architecture. There were lots of people in their boats cruising down the canals, and we crossed many bridges on our stroll through the city. One bridge in particular was the famous wooden bridge that is one of the most beautiful bridges in Amsterdam.

The Wooden Bridge

us at the wooden bridge

After a long day of walking the entire city of Amsterdam, we went back to the hotel to rest up and get ready for the evening.  Heading back out for a pre-dinner drink, we chose a spot in the Rembrandtplein where we could watch a soccer match on the tv.  We also had a great view of the square so we could watch all the people going by as well.  We then chose a nearby restaurant called Coco's Outback, who's slogan is "Lousy Food, Warm Beer", which was anything but. We had delicious bbq chicken and fries before heading across the street to a bar that happened to have a live band playing some of our favorite songs! We listened to some great music, then made our way around the corner to Club Smokey where we danced for the next few hours to some of the best dance music in Europe.

Sunday morning we checked out of our hotel, and headed towards the city center to grab some breakfast before hopping on a train to our next destination, Brussels.  Amsterdam was amazing to see and we definitely saw a lot of it. Its amazing thinking back that we were only there for a day and a half but were able to see so much of the city and really enjoy the culture, the people, and the lovely canals.  Its definitely somewhere we will go back someday.

A Wedding in Simsbury

To end my 2 week long trip in the states, Travers and I headed to Simsbury, Connecticut, for our friends' wedding. Tim and Jess have been friends of ours for years now. We first met Tim in San Francisco through a mutual friend, and Travers and him instantly hit it off. So well in fact that when the three of us would go out together, I often felt like the third wheel. So I was thrilled when Tim told us that his long-distance girlfriend, Jess was going to be moving out to San Francisco! And just like Travers and Tim, Jess and I hit it off immediately, and she is now one of my closest friends.

Now my parents can correct me, but I don't think I've ever been to Connecticut. If I have, it must have been when I was little because I don't remember. Either way, I did not know that it was such a beautiful state! Travers and I flew into Hartford, rented a car, and drove the 15 minutes or so to Simsbury, where the wedding was going to take place. All the houses we passed by were beautiful, the grass and trees were so green, and everything we saw looked like the picturesque place to live. We arrived at the Simsbury Inn, checked in, and immediately got back in the car to explore the town some more, finding a cute tavern down the street called The Iron Frog, which was the perfect find after our frog incident leaving Sarasota. We knew this would be our last moment of rest and relaxation, as both of us were in the wedding party, and we would be busy all weekend.

A few hours later, as predicted, we were enveloped in the wedding weekend. There was a casual gathering at First and Last Tavern to start it off. Then Friday, the girls had a luncheon and Jess' parents' house, followed by mani and pedi's at a nearby salon. The guys spent Friday on a tour of ESPN. They got to see the studios of where all of their favorite shows were recorded and Travers even saw one or two celebrities. Unfortunately, he could only get a cardboard cut out of Tim Tebow, but still a pretty decent life size picture of him.  We then all met at the church and went through rehearsal, followed by a delicious rehearsal dinner at the Simsbury 1820 House. Most of us were staying at the Simsbury Inn so we headed back there and took over the small hotel bar.  Staying up much later than we should have, we finally got to bed, only to wake even earlier the next morning so I could get my makeup and hair done!

Saturday arrived, and with a bit of grogginess, all the girls met at the beauty salon to get our makeup and hair done. Jess brought coffee, bagels and champagne, and we had a fun time getting pretty and enjoying some girl time before the ceremony. The guys have it so easy on the day of, as they can roll out of bed half an hour or less before they have to leave, throw on their tuxes, and head out the door. But it was all worth it because we all came out with beautiful hairstyles (one of the best I've had as a bridesmaid in a wedding), and wonderful makeup. Here we all are in the backyard of Jess' parents house about ready to leave for the church.




The wedding was beautiful. Jess looked amazing in her dress, and you could see Tim was trying to hold back the tears as he saw her walking down the aisle. For a catholic ceremony, it was pretty quick, and we all drove to the Simsbury 1820 House for some after cerermony photos.
















After photos were done, we went to The Riverview, where the reception was taking place.  We had a private bridal suite we could hang out in until they were ready to announce us. And our own waiter that brought us appetizers and drinks!  After announcing the bridal party and the new married couple, we had dinner, listened to some wonderful speeches by Maid of Honor, Jane, and Best Man, Sean, then we danced and danced and danced till they stopped the music.

Overall it was a fabulous weekend. It was so great to see Tim and Jess since we haven't seen them since we moved to Geneva. And to see some other friends that were there as well. We were so happy to be a part of this special event for them, and we know they will be lifelong friends of ours.

Sunday was our last day in the states, and we had a drive ahead of us to JFK.  We said our goodbyes and hopped in our car and headed to New York to catch our flight back to Geneva.  On our way, we made a small stop at a town called Newtown. Some of you may have never heard of it, but it is famous. Because its where Travers was born. And it happened to be on our way from Simsbury to JFK so we had to stop.  After taking a few wrong turns in the town, we finally found the main drag, bringing back lots of memories for Travers. And then finally finding the actual house that he spent the first few years of his life growing up in.

We drove through the town, passing by the General Store, and the Cornerstone, where he went to pre-school.











And on our way out of town, we stopped at the Ice Cream Shop, where his parents used to take him and his sister, Suzy. It was your picturesque ice cream shop, with parents and their kids getting ice cream after playing baseball, with teenagers having their first date, and with lots of locals who come there every day. So we bought two cones and sat on a bench in the sun, soaking it all in before hopping back in our car for the airport.

Just before getting to JFK we made an unexpected stop in Rye, New York. This is where Travers' Aunt and Uncle lived when he was younger, and he had spent several vacations in Rye with the family. We hunted down their old house (no idea how Travers remembers where these places are. he has an amazing memory), and just as we were finding it, a car that was in front of us, pulled into the driveway of the house! So, unfortunately, we could only take a picture from the street, and with the long driveway, its tough to tell, but Travers was pretty sure this was it. (Tante, maybe you can verify it?)

Finally at JFK, we called our families one last time to say goodbye, and got on our plane back to Geneva. I was happy to be going home and having a relaxing week before heading off again on our next adventure....Amsterdam. To be continued...

Old Salty Frog

After a fun but exhausting week in New York, I was thrilled to be heading south to Sarasota, Florida, for some sun, relaxation, and some home-cooked meals at my mother-in-law, Rosemary's house. Bryna and I said our goodbyes at JFK, and I hopped on a plane down to Tampa. Travers had arrived from Geneva a few hours earlier, and his mom and he spent those hours shopping and having dinner before picking me up at the airport.

We drove the hour from Tampa to Sarasota, and stopped at our favorite pub, World of Beers, before heading home for the night. Already the warmth of Sarasota was relaxing me, and I knew I was going to be able to recover quickly from my energy-consuming week in New York.

The next day we relaxed at Rosemary's house, spent some time with Nonnie (Travers' 101 year old grandmother), played with Schnitzel (the dog), and ran some errands in Rosemary's little convertible (top down of course)!  That night Rosemary took us to a delicious Cuban restaurant in St. Armands called The Columbia. Travers and I have walked past this restaurant several times before, and always thought about going there. So we were thrilled to get the opportunity!  We were sat at a great table by the window, shared a pitcher of delicious Sangria, and each had some tasty cuban dishes, something we definitely cannot get in Geneva!

Sunday was Mother's day, and we were so happy to be able to celebrate it with Rosemary and Nonnie. Mike, her fiance, had returned from a quick trip to Jacksonville, so the five of us were able to enjoy a nice brunch at home that morning. We made our traditional eggs, bacon, and potatoes, drank some tasty bloody mary's, and watched as Rosemary opened a few mother's day gifts.  The rest of the day was spent lounging around the house and ended with a delicious home-cooked meal (yes, Rosemary cooked on Mother's day. oops).

Monday, Travers and I went to the beach. We drove out to Siesta Key and spent several hours sitting in the sun, getting a little burnt, and enjoying the sound of the waves on the sand. We had some tasty ceviche and beers at a restaurant called The Cottage afterwards, which was a great way to end a hot day by the ocean.










For Christmas, Travers and I gave Rosemary and Mike tickets to a cooking class in town. They learned how to cook some really tasty dishes, so Monday night, Rosemary cooked one of them for us! And boy were we excited, because it was something you definitely can not get in Geneva - Enchiladas!  They were so tasty, with chicken and cheese, and a delicious sauce. Thankfully, Rosemary shared the recipe with us, so we will one day attempt to make them here in Geneva.

Tuesday started out with some time at the driving range. We spent just under an hour, went through one gigantic bucket of balls, and all walked away extremely sweaty and drained (apparently playing golf in Florida in the middle of the day is not the best idea). But we all made the best of it, and it felt great to get some exercise and know that I can still swing a club pretty well even though I haven't in a long time!

After golf, we drove to meet Rosalie, Rosemary's friend, at a yummy hot dog restaurant, Doggin' It. It was wonderful to see Rosalie and catch up with her over some delicious dogs, fries and soda, something we also cannot get easily in Geneva.

That night, we had a big night out at a fantastic Peruvian restaurant called Selva. The food was to die for, and the ambiance was perfect for one of our last nights in Sarasota.  We then ended the evening with drinks outdoors at Mattison's! Rosemary and Mike love to dance, and with the live band playing, they showed off their stuff!










As a small side note, we were staying at Mike's house, and when we got home that night, we were greeted by a tree frog that was sitting on the front screen door.  I don't like frogs. Never have. I had a bad experience once.  So I was terrified of this little thing, sitting quietly on the door. How were we going to get into the house? So Travers grabbed the nearby hose, and lightly sprayed some water at the frog until he jumped off the screen towards another wall, just enough so we could open the screen and sneak by him. My heart was racing the entire time, but we were able to get by and get inside before he got any closer.

By Wednesday we were getting sad that our time in Sarasota was coming to an end, but we made the most of it. Rosemary took us out to St. Armands for some shopping. We bought a fun sign that hangs in our kitchen now, and Rosemary bought me an early birthday present, a beautiful new top. We had lunch at one of our favorite restaurants, Old Salty Dog. We ate delicious hamburgers sitting outside on the deck, enjoying the views of the water and boats going by. 


After lunch, we went back towards St. Armands and after shopping some more, we just had to get some ice cream at Kilwin's, and pick up some brittle for Mike, his favorite. Now some of you may think that Switzerland has good ice cream, and I'm sure some people really enjoy it, but for Travers and I, its just not our favorite. Its never cold enough, and a little too creamy/soft for us. (Boo Movenpick). So we were thrilled to have some tasty pistachio ice cream in a cone from Kilwin's. 
That night Mike got on the grill, and we feasted on some tasty ribs! We lounged on the patio, had wonderful conversation, and played with the dog some more, knowing we wouldn't see the little guy for awhile.  We said our goodbyes to Nonnie, and headed back to Mike's for our last night in Sarasota.

Thursday morning, we packed and headed out the door to get to the airport. It was still pretty early in the morning, and we could hear the sounds of Sarasota around us, birds, crickets, frogs. Mostly frogs. And just as we're about to walk out the front door, Travers spies through the screen door, a frog sitting on the welcome sign, right next to the door, where we have to walk by! I immediately got nervous. I had this fear that as soon as we walked by, the frog would jump on me and get in my hair or something. My heart started racing, and I was on the verge of having a panic attack. Travers slowly opened the screen door, and as he did, another frog popped its head out behind the other one! There were two! He immediately closed the screen door again, and we peered out, wondering what in the world we were going to do. Then as we were peering, we spotted several more on the wall opposite the door. It was a whole family of frogs! At this point, I really didn't know how I was going to walk out that door. My heart raced, my breathing was rapid, and I was trying to talk to myself and calm myself down. After a few failed attempts, we finally decided to go out the back door and walk around the building. It was dark out the back, and there was no path to roll our bags on, but it was better than risking having frogs jumping all over us. So we quickly made our way, carrying our heavy bags all the way, and finally, safely, making it to the street to where the car was.  I think my heart didn't calm down until we were well underway to the airport!

So aside from the frogs, we had a wonderful time in Sarasota. We ate tons of delicious food. And although I was a bit worried I wouldn't fit into my bridesmaid dress for our friends' wedding that coming weekend, it was all worth it to eat some foods we don't get in Geneva, and to spend lots of time with Rosemary, Mike, Nonnie, and Schnitzel. And thankfully we get to see Rosemary and Mike again this October when they come to visit us in Geneva!  So off we flew up to Hartford, Connecticut to the wedding of our friends, Tim and Jess.

My Oh M(a)y!

Its going to take me most of June to write about all of May. It has been a non-stop month for me. And while I love it, it takes a toll on the body and mind, and I'm looking forward to a somewhat relaxing June.

May started out with a trip to NYC! Travers stayed home in Geneva and I met Bryna, my sister, at JFK. We had a week together in the city and we definitely made the most of it.  I had all intentions to sleep on the flight out, but with all the movies I had to catch up on, I couldn't force myself to close my eyes. I think I ended up watching 5 movies total. And to be honest, I don't really remember all of them. But it made the flight go by fast.

After meeting Bryna in baggage claim at JFK, we cabbed it to the city and checked into the apartment we had rented on AirBnB. Great website if you want to rent an apartment instead of spending money on a hotel. You lose out on the daily housekeeping usually, but you get the plus of having a kitchen and feeling like you are really living in the city you're visiting.  We settled in quickly as Bryna had a concert she wanted us to go to. So we threw on some clean clothes, hailed a cab, and within a few minutes we were in the Soho at Le Poisson Rouge! How very appropriate the name is in French and I come from a french speaking country!


We walked up to the front door of Le Poisson Rouge and the doorman asked us if we had pre-bought tickets online. We said we hadn't cause we thought we could buy at the door. He said yes, you can, but some of the people that purchased online haven't shown up, so I'll just stamp you and you can go in. FOR FREE!!  So of course we said ok and he stamped our wrists and we went downstairs to the show. The band playing is called School of Seven Bells. Bryna is a big fan of Spotify and has found a ton of new bands. This was one of her new fave's.  And even without knowing the songs, I was able to really enjoy their music.

After the show, we realized it was Cinco de Mayo, so we walked down the street to a restaurant called Dos Caminos. We had gone to this restaurant several years earlier in nyc while celebrating Bryna's bachelorette! We walked in and the entire place was bustling. We ordered some skinny margaritas (that's an actual drink with less sugar etc...for girls who want to drink their calories away) and waited for a table.  We ended up meeting these two people standing nearby, who were both originally from Germany. The guy grew up in the states, but the girl was in New York on a visa and was going to move back to Europe soon and of all places, Switzerland! So we chatted with them for awhile, then all decided to go to a club called Cielo, in the meatpacking district.  This club reminded me of all the clubs we have been to in Switzerland. They were playing some great dance music and everyone was having a fun time. We danced all night long and poured into bed much later than anticipated. It wasn't until the next morning that I realized I had been awake that day for over 24 hours since I didn't sleep at all on the plane ride over. Yikes. Welcome to New York!

And that was just the first night! Not even a full day. The next couple of days we took it easier. We had brunch with some of Bryna's friends on Sunday, and found an asian fusion restaurant for dinner called Cafetasia. We shared some yummy pad thai and curry and called it a night early, falling asleep watching Sex and the City, the movie. Monday was spent running a few errands, shopping, and dropping into Bryna's showroom.  After buying some great clothes at my new favorite stores H&M and Zara, we met my friend Mich, who happened to be in the city visiting with her mom and a girlfriend of hers from argentina and her mom! Mich lives in Geneva, right across the street from us, and has become one of my best friends here. It was just perfect timing that we happened to be in New York at the same time! So we met them at their hotel for a quick drink, then headed to Rue 57 for a light dinner.

Tuesday, Bryna had to do some work at the showroom, so i was on my own. I strolled leisurely throughout the city, shopping all the while. I ended up getting some really great things and met Bryna for lunch at the showroom. Later that night we had another concert to go to. This time the band was called Bear In Heaven, and it was at The Bowery Ballroom. And just like the previous concert, I didn't know the band's music at all, but ended up enjoying it and dancing just as much as anyone else.  Bryna sure knows how to pick good music!

Wednesday was spent again with more shopping (Yes, i bought a lot of things. All very necessary, i swear). I headed towards Union Square in the morning, while Bryna worked. Then met her for lunch and we ran some errands that afternoon, one of which included me getting my hair cut! My hairdresser, Lindsay, moved from San Francisco to New York a few months before we moved to Geneva. So the chance to have her cut my hair while in New York was wonderful!  We then met up with a friend of mine at Bar 89.  My friend Sam is a girl I met while in Hawaii last November for Travers' friend Adam's wedding. She was the girlfriend of the best man and her and I hit if off and have stayed in contact. So we met at Bar 89 in Soho. Bar 89 is somewhat famous, as it was featured in a Sex and the City episode. It is also known for its bathrooms, as the stall doors are glass. And I'm sure you're thinking, what? glass bathroom doors? Well, once you step inside, there is a sensor that makes the glass opaque from the outside. So looking in, you can't see anything. The weird part is, when you're inside the stall, you can still see out, so its a little strange to be doing your business and not quite sure if the opaque sensor is actually really working! Yikes.

Since Thursday was our last full day in new york, we decided it was going to be our touring day. We headed up to Madison Ave and 60th, where all the super high end designers have storefronts. We strolled the streets, oohing and awwing at all the stores, sometimes tempting ourselves by going inside some. We had a nice leisurely lunch then headed back downtown to quickly change before heading to Battery Park to catch a ferry to see the Statue of Liberty! Well, this photo is about as close as we got to the statue. Due to some very bad planning, and poor reading abilities, we missed the memo that the last ferry left at 3pm. It was now 5pm. Oops. So we took some photos as best we could, and headed to our next tourist adventure, the 911 Memorial. 


I didn't know much about the memorial. I knew they were building new buildings and had done something with the locations of the original towers, but I had no idea just how amazing and stunning it would be. We walked up to the memorial office and were immediately taken aback by all the memorabilia they had up, and the videos and photos they had displayed. Before we could get too emotional, we picked up our tickets and headed back out to the actual memorial site.  For those that don't know, they took the two locations of the original twin towers, and basically built two pools in their footprints. Then you look up and you can see the new buildings they are constructing. I looked up and got a bit dizzy as the buildings are so tall (one is over 100 floors tall now) and they reflect the sky and things around it.












Later that night we took a subway out to Brooklyn for a birthday party. We had dinner at a french-mexican fusion restaurant, where brie and duck tacos were served, along with some risotto which comes out with a fire ring around the bowl!  It was delicious and something you can't get in Geneva.  We went to a local pub afterwards then eventually made our way back to the city.

Our final day, Friday, was spent sleeping in, packing, getting starbucks coffees (I had one every day I was there), and going to brunch at a raw-food restaurant. I had a tasty "burger" and bryna had some yummy sushi. We had a farewall glass of sangria then slowly made our way back to the apartment to get our bags and head to the airport.

I'm sure I'm forgetting a lot but we were just on the go non-stop and really just enjoyed the sister time we got to spend with each other. We were both exhausted by the end of it, but I actually lost a few pounds, so I can't really complain!  It was sad to say goodbye to Bryna at the end of our trip, but it was definitely one of the best week's I have had and maybe we will make it an annual event :-)

The rest of May to come...Sarasota, Simsbury, Amsterdam, Brussels, and Bruges if you can believe it!