Europe Part 1: Canals, Castles & Cascades

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The past few weeks we traveled from the canals of Amsterdam and Belgium, through the Germany countryside to the Swiss Alps.  We had a few days when we were in three countries in 4 hours, which is pretty incredible coming from a state that is hard to get out of in the same amount of time. 
The crazy streets of Amsterdam with their hundreds of thousands of bikes and tram and bus traffic coming from all directions were a big change from the relaxing beaches of Texel—Xander was especially unenthusiastic about the crowds and cigarette smoke—but we managed to have fun none the less.  Between a fascinating city tour that included the red light district, the NEMO Science Center that had a teen exhibit with explicitly positioned wooden models, and the just like Denver smell of marijuana drifting out of the coffee houses, we figure we’ve covered much of Liam’s “growing and changing” unit for this year.  Yay “world school”!  However, art appreciation was a bit of a bust as Liam decided he’s “done with museums with paintings in them" after 2 hours in the Rijksmuseum.
We agreed with all of the guidebooks that Bruges, Belgium is a charming city with its scenic canals, cobblestone alleyways and delicious chocolate. Did we mention the chocolate?  No, just ask Liam—He mentioned wanting to get some every 5 minutes for two days (for good reason :) ).  That kid is not wanting in the persistence department.   We saw our first castle, Castle Gravenstein, on a rainy blustery day in Ghent, Belgium, complete with an art exhibit on death and a display of instruments of torture.  Bwahaha.  (Seriously, part of the art exhibit was a blue-lit dungeon with spooky music.) As Xander noted “Don't get people angry during medieval times, you'll probably get tortured and killed.”  We took a wonderful detour up to Breda, Netherlands to meet friends of friends, Jollette and her fantastic family - They took us out to a great meal and ordered off the menu for us (we typically buy food at grocery stores because we know what we’re buying and it’s MUCH cheaper).  It was great to get a little snapshot of living in the Netherlands vs our mostly tourist view.  
Next we made our way down through the German countryside, exploring castles and marveling at the eye popping funicular rides and stunning tall trees in the Black Forest.  We shared a good meal and Hefe-weisen with Britta, Andrea and Justine from the Carolyn’s work Frankfurt office.  Another highlight for Germany was an exciting day at Europa Park-  a cross between six flags and Disney.  We are at the short-lived phase where the whole family is at the same ride “level.”  Although no one would go on the Silver Star roller coaster with Carolyn (minimum age, 11.)  
Finally, we spent a week at a Swiss Chalet (e.g., fairly rustic cabin with no wireless- oh the horror!) in Stechelberg, Switzerland in the Lauterbrunnen glacial valley.   The valley is surrounded by glacier mountain peaks like Jungfrau and Eiger and plummeting waterfalls hundreds of feet long that have carved caves into the granite.  We spent our time alternatively hiking, zip lining, taking cable cars and “trotti” scooter bikes up and down the shockingly steep cliff side wanderwegs (trails).  The first night we were there, August 1st, was Swiss National day inspired by the Federal Charter of 1291 celebrated with yodelers, alpenhorns and kids parading with fire lit torches.  (Switzerland clearly has a longer history and less safety-obsessed parents than the US.)

Bro Wanderin'

We spend a lot of our time figuring out what to do/see/where to go next.  We average about 2-3 days ahead.  We are working on balancing flexibility and stability and trying to fit everything in without burning out.  But things work out.  For example, we somewhat inadvertently missed going to Cologne and the must-see Rhine river valley, but ended up in an Air B&B oasis in Schmitten, Germany, storming castles and getting shot around a not-so-lazy river by jets at a local spa.  We were also annoyed that we booked a non-refundable hotel for 2 nights on the wrong side of town from where we were planning to go, but it turned out to be great and we were able to walk to the incredible Strasburg cathedral in France.  It’s who you’re with, not where you are, right?   Of course, as Xander pointed out, “You will always eventually get sick of somebody.”  Luckily, food and sleep and some lonely time are easy resets.
Favorite senses from the past few weeks:
Liam: The sharp pain of my skin squealing against the wood and screw at the log park outside of the Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam; the intricate look of the huge bells and wires after I was winded climbing up in the 300 steps at the belfry tower in Bruges, Belgium; walking on top of the dance floor on the truly amazing colossal 55,000 gallon barrel of wine underneath the Heidelberg castle; the powerful and humbling sight of the beautiful Strasburg cathedral as I stared at its magnificent stained glass windows
Xander: The dim, spacious annex reveals itself as I climb through the hidden doorway behind the bookcase at the Anne Frank house; the smooth cool texture of the metal chains as I swing with them to victory over dad (twice) on the mini rope course playground in the Hessenpark, Germany; wind blowing across my face at the top of the Baden Baden tower as I look down over the green Black Forest mountains and the swift floating paraglider; the bright blue sky hovering above the clouds climbing the glacier above the Lauterbrunnen valley
Carolyn: The humbling sight of the pictures Anne Frank pasted to the wall in her secret annex house; the silky feel and exquisite taste of Belgium chocolate melting in my mouth at the chocolate museum in Bruges, Belgium; the toe tapping sound of the fiddler and his band playing in the busy courtyard in front of the awe-inspiring Strasburg cathedral; the flashes of hundreds of mini firework explosions whose sound reverberates down the sheer mountain valley long after they finish
Jim: The whoosh of sports cars zooming by at twice my speed as I drive the speed limit on the German highway; the dizzying climb up the worn stairs overlooking the gargoyles and flying buttresses, Strasbourg Cathedral; The smell of alpine plants and flowers as we hike through the forest to the top of the glacial cliffs to the small town of Gimmelwald.


(A lot) of lessons learned:
* If you feel like you're not carrying enough stuff, you're not and you've probably left something behind
* You need to check in and out of trams in Amsterdam
* Red lights were the original botox
* Amsterdam was like the Amazon.com of the 1600s
* Amsterdam buildings have hooks so that people can pully up large items that can't fit up the staircase.  This often ends up breaking windows
* Anne Frank lived in the secret Annex for 2 years
* Rembrandt painted "The night's watch" in 1642?  It is famous for showing the action of the guardsman and his use of light.  In 1975 someone slashed the picture with a knife, but they mostly fixed it.
* There are no moose on art that we could find in the Rijksmuseum
* There are parrots flying around the Voldenpark in Amsterdam
* Don't walk on red paths (bikes!)—especially when you think you’ve finished getting across the street but there’s still a bike path to cross
* People who drive BMWs are jerks everywhere
* If there is a chocolate museum go, because you get free samples
* Bells work like music boxes/clocks and use a lot of gears
* Milk chocolate wasn't created until 1887
* Find the green spots on the map for breaks 
* Never underestimate the size of a place by the front door
* Xander sneezes at least 10 times every morning
* Dutch people are the tallest people in the world
* Seeing local friends is always worth the detour
* The Roman Empire spread all the way to near Frankfurt Germany
* Test out a hotel safe without valuables in it before you lock everything in and can't open it back up
* German rabbit are really fat
* It's a lot easier to keep track of your money if you keep track of your money as you spend it
* Sometimes it's good to spend an extra day
* German pigs are much bigger than expected
* Castle ruins are great places for hide and seek
* What you think is steak may actually be pork
* Wasps love to torment Liam
* Castles were used as rock quarries during the 1700 and 1800s 
* Funiculars are diagonal trams that go straight up a hill
* It's fun to storm castles
* The most efficient path is not always the best path
* European hotel breakfasts are way better than in the US
* Take advantage of a WC (i.e. bathroom) if you’re near one
* People in Germany speak less English than in the Netherlands
* Carolyn is guaranteed to get drenched on water rides
* There are no water fountains in European amusement parks; there are, however, many cigarette vending machines
* Bring a raincoat if you think you're going to go on a water ride
* The Swiss alps has an extensive and expensive system of cable cars
* Switzerland isn’t in the EU.  They use Swiss Francs instead of Euros.  You don’t need to show your passport to get into the country.  However, you do need to have a highway toll sticker on your car.  (Thanks to Jollette for helping us get one back in Breda!)
* There are concrete avalanche bunkers all across the Lauterbrunnen valley
* Hiking trails are called Wanderwegs in German
* Side trips are often worth it
* Sometimes it's good to ditch the tour
* Switzerland is steep (in both elevation and price)
* Swiss hiking estimate times are ways shorter than American hiking estimate times
* Cheese fondue is yummy and easy to make (and way cheaper than at a restaurant)
* The only thing to be afraid of for a 85 kph/800m zipline in the Swiss alps is the anticipation waiting for an hour in line beforehand

We're currently in Split, Croatia after a fun few days in Italy (thank you to Carolyn and Paul for an amazing respite in the beautiful Italian hill town of Petritoli-)We're heading to Plitvicka National Park tomorrow, up through Slovenia, then back down through Italy via Venice and Florence en route to Rome.  If you know anyone in any of those places that would like to meet up, please let us know!

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