A Long Time Gone

Wow, I have really neglected this poor blog.  I can't believe my last post was written in late January about our time in Nepal.  The rest of our travels flew by as we visited Taiwan, Fiji and New Zealand until early March.  Great times were had as usual!  Since then life has changed a lot because we're are no longer travel nurses, and we have decided to make San Francisco our permanent home for a few years.  Scary, but exciting for sure.  Actually my first day as a staff nurse was just yesterday.  It is so nice to have proper medical coverage after four years of very marginal and expensive insurance.  I might go to a different doctor every day next week just because I can. 

So here is a little of what we have been up to over the past several months...

We purchased some furniture!  Our little motor lodge of an apartment is decorated with the most lovely items from Ikea.  This is not what I had envisioned when looking around for furnishings, but shopping there was just so easy and quick.  Within two hours we found all needed items to properly furnish our tiny apartment.  With a few pictures on the walls and an assortment of worldly gadgets scattered on the shelves, it really has become home! 

Work has been going well.  I actually took a four month travel position on the same unit when we returned from our trip.  It worked our very well, and it was great to catch up with all of my pals.  Aaron has taken a full time per diem position at a different hospital.  He seems quite happy as well.  Some weeks are difficult because of schedule differences, so we just have to make the most of our time off together.  No prob!

Aaron continues to brew large quantities of beer.  Uggggghhhh...just kidding.  At one point we had about 17 gallons sitting in the closet, but fortunately Aaron drank a few beers on a recent camping trip.  Now we are down to 12 gallons.   I have considered hosting Friday night tasting parties in our apartment lobby to help rid of our overflowing amount of beer.  Honestly, I haven't really liked his recent brews.  They're a little too strong for my liking, but I have high hopes for the pumpkin beer that is still settling in our tiny closet. 

I have loved using all of our awesome wedding utensils that we had never opened until recently.  I try to make a few interesting dishes every week.  So far no complaints from Aaron, but he will pretty much eat all foods.  Any excuse to get in the kitchen and use my beautiful KitchenAid mixer!  After traveling with the bare minimum for so long, it is so nice to have an assortment of utensils to choose from and pretty dishes. 

Making friends is a full time job, but I am very determined to have a sense of community here in San Francisco.  Our work friends are fantastic, but it is really nice to meet folks who don't work in healthcare.  I recently started attending a community church that is in our neighborhood.  It has been an awesome experience, and everyone there is so welcoming.  This is just what I needed during this season of my life, especially since we're settled down for a while.  We are also part of a few Meetup groups, so this provides another social outlet.

My parents came for a visit.  We had such a great time showing them the area.  After a few days in Pacifica we drove up north to Bodega Bay to stay for a couple of nights.  From the fabulous California coastline and the Redwoods to the delicious clam chowder, it was really a perfect trip. 

We made a quick road trip up to central Oregon last week.  This was a new state for both of us.  We had contemplated traveling abroad to Scotland or Ireland, but just decided it might be easier and less tiring to stay in the region.  We camped, hiked, fished, drank the local beer, and visited Bend.  Zuri came along as well, so it was really fun to have her with us.  She constantly guarded our campsite while attempting to catch chipmunks.  Poor Zuri, no luck with the chipmunks, but she never gives up. 

So these are just some of the things we have been up to lately.  Next week we fly to South Carolina for a week at the beach with my family.  Pawleys Island is one of the most beautiful and relaxing places on this earth.  We will have good fun!  I am going to try to update the blog more often now that life has slowed down. 

Cheers!

Trek Guide Extraordinaire

I have fallen in love with Nepal, and it is going to be very hard to leave tomorrow afternoon.  We will be on our way to Taiwan, which I am sure will not disappoint, but Nepal has definitely been a wonderful experience.  I must admit that I was less than thrilled to be badgered by multiple taxi drivers trying to haggle prices on our arrival into Kathmandu two weeks ago.  I actually lost my patience somewhat and began to wonder if I could handle being here for two weeks.  This was worrisome since we hadn't even left the airport parking lot, but fortunately the following day I awoke from proper slumber and felt renewed and prepared to enjoy this fine country.

Aaron has written plenty on his blog, so I will keep this short, but I just wanted to jot down a little bit more about our wonderful trek guide, Manish.  We first met Manish in the trek company office here in Kathmandu the day before departing.  He stands about five feet tall and probably weighs around a hundred pounds when soaking wet.  He also wears a very thin mustache directly above his lip, and he has one single hair in the center of his chin that he doesn't shave.  My first impression was that he was very shy since he hardly spoke above a whisper and didn't make eye contact with us during that initial meeting.  The following day we rode the bus together to Pokhara, and he seemed to be warming up to us slowly.  We exchanged pleasantries discussing the weather and briefly talked about our upcoming six day hike.

Aaron and I were very impressed by his attentiveness from the start of our trek.  His constant concern about our well being and enjoyment were very obvious as he encouraged frequent rests during intense climbs, and he was happy to stop for Aaron to take many many many pictures.  It didn't take him long to learn of my birding tendencies, and he found all kinds of great species for me to gaze at during the week.  He always provided warm cups of tea as we rested along the way, and he helped to cook our meals at the many guesthouses.  He never sat down to eat his Dal Baht until he knew we were completely satisfied with our food.  Before going to bed he always loaded us up with  plenty of heavy blankets to keep us warm during the cold nights.

I really started to notice his personality on the second day when Aaron had a morning of multiple slips and slides on a muddy hill.  His frequent reminders as he took up the rear and watched us struggle down the hill were, "Slowly, please Aaron.  Slowly, please I cannot carry you."  He would laugh, but I think underneath the smile he really was worried about Aaron breaking a bone and having to become a walking ambulance.  Throughout the days there were many random moments of him breaking out into song and impressing us with how well he could carry a tune.  He loves Hindi music.  During the evenings he performed some excellent magic tricks making cards disappear in his sleeve and what not.  We also had several serious conversations about life in Nepal, the poverty here, and the overall culture.  He is from a small village towards the east.  To get home he has to take an eight hour bus ride from Kathmandu and then walk for an entire day.  He eventually told us about his home life and that he has a wife and two children back in Kathmandu.  He doesn't love living in the overcrowded polluted city, but has chosen this as his home so that his children receive a proper education and have the opportunity to learn English.  He is very aware that without English his children will have very limited options in their futures.     

As our trek came to an end we were very sad to have to tell Manish goodbye.  We so enjoyed his company, and he was one of our favorite things about the trek.  I was becoming tearful and ready to give him a big hug when he mentioned that we should come to his house for tea when we returned to Kathmandu.  My tears quickly dried while we exchanged contact information and planned to visit with him during the weekend.  Such a  fabulous idea!  So, we called him yesterday after our long and bumpy eight hour bus trip and planned on meeting early this morning at our hotel.  I think Aaron has written a detailed account of our day with him.  It really was a wonderful experience to be invited into his home and meet his family.  His wife really can prepare wonderful Dal Baht, and his two children are absolutely darling.

Yesterday on our return to Kathmandu we met several other backpackers who are getting ready to trek the hillsides.  We talked about their various plans and none of them will be hiring a guide.  We all agreed that this would most certainly save them lots of money.  I am so glad we chose to spend a little extra and hire a guide because we would have missed out on lots if we hadn't met Manish.  He has contributed so much to our time here in Nepal.  You meet lots of people in life, but really only a handful of them stand out.  Manish is truly an awesome person, and we are very hopeful to return to Nepal in the future and trek the Annapurna Circuit with him.  And yes, tears flowed today as I had to tell him goodbye.

When in Rome...

Currently we are in route to Kathmandu.  We started out from Rome last night around 10:30 and had a tiring four hour layover in Qatar this morning.  Now we are on the final stretch and should be landing in Nepal in an hour or two.  We were both very sad to say farewell to Italy last evening as it has provided us with amazing travel experiences and memories to last for years to come.

We arrived into Rome Wednesday afternoon and made our way from the train station to our hostel.  The train station is the largest one that I have ever seen as we had to walk at least a mile from the train to the actual station entrance.  There were plenty of shady looking characters along our walk, but as we neared the hostel the area appeared a bit more bright and welcoming.  It turned out to be a fine location in a quiet Italian neighborhood away from the crowded touristy sites.  We quickly got settled into our basic four bed dorm and briefly took a rest on the roof top terrace before hitting the city streets.

My first impression of Rome was not great.  After coming from a slower pace in small town Italy, the city completely overwhelmed me with its many crowds and insane traffic.  Frequently there is no rhyme or reason to the pattern of traffic with motorbikes, cars and buses weaving through the congested streets, ignoring all rules and always competing to be first.  There is one monstrous roundabout in particular that we had to walk through at least twice daily during our visit.  There are four one way lanes with faintly painted crosswalks and not a stop sign in sight.  We usually managed to cross with a group of people to feel more protected.  The hostel receptionist told me that if I was hit while using the cross walk, we would be rewarded 8,000 Euros.  He made this sound like a pretty great way to earn a little extra spending money.  No thank you, but after a day or so I had adjusted pretty well and walked out into all sorts of oncoming traffic without gripping at Aaron's coat sleeve in desperate fear. 

That first afternoon we got plenty of walking in, but didn't actually visit any of the tourist attractions.  We enjoyed eating gelato (coconut and pistachio) as we past the Colosseum and the Forum along our way.  The evening was spent strolling alongside the Tiber River and visiting the quaint neighborhood of Travestere.  Travestere lies just across the Tiber and is a lovely old fashioned neighborhood full of piazzas, narrow cobblestone streets, small gelaterias, pubs, and plenty of older Italians.  We entered a small local hardware store looking for a corkscrew.  The ninety year old man working there was very suspicious of us, and came hobbling from behind the counter with a stick in hand ready to defend himself from the haggard long haired man standing before him.  Once he realized that Aaron was harmless and actually willing to pay for the corkscrew he became pleasant, speaking jovially in Italian with plenty of hand gestures.  He even threw in a free bar of soap and thanked us profusely on our way out the door.  We weren't sure if he was trying to apologize or if he thought that we smelled.  From there we visited the ornate Basilica di Santa Maria, which according to our guide is the oldest church dedicated to the Virgin Mary in Rome, established in the third century.  We were in awe of high ceilings supported by twenty one ancient Roman columns, the colorful marble walls and floors, and the many paintings of Mary and Jesus.  Very Catholic and very impressive.  The long walk back to the hostel just about did us in for the night.  After a quick stop at the grocery store we made dinner of pesto and pasta, and we called it a night. 

We had every intention of being out of bed by 8:30 the following morning, but we didn't actually make it out until a little after 10:00.  Our first stop was the Colosseum.  Because we are traveling in the off season the lines were very short, so we only had to wait for about five minutes to purchase our ticket and enter.  Also, before coming to Rome we downloaded Rick Steves' audio guide, which provided us with lots of interesting information about the main tourist attractions here.  Our tour of the Colosseum was amazing.  The weather was cooperative with moderate temperatures, and the cloudless sunny sky provided perfect views of the ancient stadium.  The enormity of this building is breathtaking in itself, and to think it was inaugurated in AD 80 is absolutely mind boggling.  The arched walls stand so high above, and back in the day they were adorned with various statues and ornate decorations.  On the ground level lies an intricate maze of small rooms and hallways that was considered the 'backstage' area, below what was once the actual staging floor.  For all the wonder and the amazing architecture of this structure, it was also astounding to learn about what occurred here.  The theme of the Colosseum was death.  Spectators in the stands drank wine and cheered as they watched their fellow man kill one another all day.  Prisoners were frequently dressed as various characters and brought on stage.  Here they were humiliated and made to act out the parts of past battles or fallen enemies, dying in the same fashion as the character they played.  Gladiators fought to the death.  Midway through a day of 'games,' the rotten stench of blood and death became so overpowering, they sprayed perfume all throughout in attempt to mask the horrid smells.  So, the Colosseum was most certainly an interesting place to visit, but we were both clearly reminded of the cruelty of humankind.


Our next stop was to The Forum, the city center of ancient Rome.  From afar, this area looks like a pile of rocks, but the combination of getting up close, learning from the audio guide, and using a bit of imagination allowed us visualize what it must have looked like back in the second or third centuries. It was interesting to imagine the main road leading through the heart of the city lined with various shops. The guide walked us through all of the significant routes, like Julius Caesar's place of death and tomb. The Palatine Hills above the Forum were where the upper class of ancient Rome resided. Even after all of the many centuries gone by and all that remains are shells of buildings, it is still obvious that this area was for the upper crust.

Our last tourist visit for the evening was to the Jewish Ghetto. Thanks to Rick Steves for providing a guide to this area because it turned out to be an interesting part of the city that we would have missed out on otherwise. The tour started on the Tiber River at Rome's largest synagogue. Sadly, this small neighborhood was frequently flooded by the river many years ago, which is why the Romans chose this place as the Jewish neighborhood. In the ancient times, the Jews were forced to walk through the Forum where they were laughed at and spit upon. We visited a square where several thousand Jews were selected to go to the concentration camps during World War 2; many didn't return. Today, the neighborhood no longer floods, thanks to renovations, and the locals here appear happy and healthy. There are plenty of kosher restaurants and shops, as well a a Jewish school.

After a very full day of walking and sightseeing, we had pasta at the hostel, and our evening spritz. These days we have felt a little on the older side, coming in early and being in bed by ten (at least me). So, after dinner we were determined to go out to a local pub for a beer. We downed a quick pint each and then made our way back to the hostel for what was still an early night.

Our second full day in Rome was spent at the heart of the Catholic Church, the Vatican. The walk to Vatican City was long and tiring but well worth it because it was a fine day. Our first stop at the Vatican was St. Peter's Basilica. After standing through a security line for about ten minutes, we entered this most impressive structure. After visiting many churches throughout our trip so far, we have seen some large and beautiful ones. This gleaming, massive cathedral beat them all, as even our audio guide described its size in terms of football fields. With its marble floors and columns, its walls and ceilings covered completely with paintings, and icons and statues everywhere, there was nothing dull or drab about this church. My favorite part of this tour was seeing Michelangelo's Pieta, his statue of Jesus and Mary. It was subtle but sublime.

The next big experience was our visit to the Vatican Museum. Their collection of art and various archaeological finds is most impressive, but after three hours of walking through endless hallways of statues leads to intense grumpiness. I really enjoy art museums, but even I was limping, and Aaron was staggering like a zombie by the end. It is almost too much, but fortunately the Sistine Chapel awaits at the end, and it is a spectacular sight. Michelangelo's ceiling of frescoes is considered his masterpiece, and it's easy to see why. The colorful frescoes that he painted while standing on scaffolds and straining his neck take you through God's creation to the story of Jesus. The alter wall is his later work, a depiction of Judgement Day, which is huge and scary. It was amazing how our backs stopped hurting after entering the Sistine Chapel. Aaron actually looked human again.

Following the Vatican, we found some much needed gelato around the corner. My pistachio, ricotta, and dark chocolate ice cream cone was perfect after a morning of museums. We continued on our walk, and wandered towards the Pantheon, and even found the Spanish Stairs. I had never even heard of the movie The Roman Holiday, so Aaron had to educate me on this apparent classic that takes place on the stairs. From there, we made it to the Pantheon, which is an amazing dome shaped, Roman era building. We also had an audio guide for this, which made it an interesting experience; it was especially interesting to see the painter Raphael's tomb after seeing his work throughout the city. Before heading to dinner, we sat in the piazza of the Pantheon and took in the crisp evening air. Throngs of people out and about, enjoying the final few minutes of daylight while musicians played various instruments and artists painted the scene in front of us. We were just trying to take it all in before leaving.

Our final day in Italy involved wrapping things up, doing a few business chores, and eating one more slice of pizza before making our way to the airport. About an hour before we left for the train station, I just happened to look up and see a tour bus full of nuns in their traditional garb, snapping pictures and taking in the sights. It was a classic moment. We have loved Italy and all that it has had to offer us. From the quiet canals of Venice to the beautiful artwork in Florence, from the rugged cliff sides of Cinque Terre to the busy excitement of Rome, we have enjoyed every moment. We have also eaten our way through the country and will refuse to eat pizza anywhere else on this trip. It has spoiled us rotten, and it will make our entry into Nepal that much more different.

Nepal, here we come!

Florence

The past several days in Florence were really nice.  We arrived by train from Venice Thursday afternoon, and thanks to google maps we made it to our hostel without getting terribly lost.  The hostel was really basic with only one shower and a closet sized kitchen, but the beds were clean and our fellow bunk mates were quiet.  After coming from very decent hotels in Germany and Venice, our six bed dorm room was a startling change.  Anyways, we got aquainted with our small living space, found ourselves a map, and walked around for a while.  My first impression of Florence was that it was overrun with massive amounts of tourists everywhere, and I really missed our quiet visit to Venice.  Feeling a bit overwhelmed by all the people we kept our walk short that evening and went out to find dinner.  The receptionist at the hostel sent us to a very touristy restaurant packed with Americans, so that was kind of a let down.  He made it sound like an authentic dining experience... Oh well.  It turned out that the food and wine were really quite good, so we left in better spirits.  Following dinner we made it back to the hostel for a quiet night.

Friday we were up and out early for a action packed walking tour of the city. Breakfast was at a small cafe we had passed the night before.  The beautiful almond glazed scones sitting in the window display had caught our attention, and we just had to give them a try.  The scones, along with piping hot Italian coffee were the perfect combination to get our epic day of walking into full swing. 

We started our stroll around the more touristy area near the center of town and made our way to the Piazza della Signoria.  This medieval styled plaza was a great place to stop for a while.  The small street cafes were full of mid-morning coffee drinkers.  The buildings are all so ancient and grandiose.  The Uffizi and Palazzo Vecchio surround the plaza and house many important pieces of art.  Everywhere you look there are large columns, watch towers, huge buildings and impressive sculptures.  From here we went towards the Arno River and the famous 16th century Ponte Vecchio Bridge. The bridge is always crowded due to the nice views of the river and the many jewelry stores that line its length on both sides. Aaron took a few pictures and we continued on.

We crossed the river and continued our walk beyond the Palazzo Pitti.  After several stops into beautiful old cathedrals, we found ourselves in a non touristy area of Florence.  The south side of the bridge offers a very different experience for tourists. This might have been our favorite part of the day. The quiet narrow streets wound up the hillsides taking us to a beautiful residential area.   The old villas came in a variety of colors, pink, bright orange, and canary yellow.  The well groomed yards housed a mixture of interesting plant species and plenty of olive trees.  Many residences were gated, but we peeked through cracks in the walls to catch sights of the bustling city below and distant mountains.   Tucked among the homes we found a convent and a very small church that was built in the 13th century.   It felt like going back in time as we quietly strolled along this amazing and quaint italian neighborhood.

On our way down we found a cafe to stop and eat lunch.  We sat beside a fireplace and enjoyed a lovely meal.  I had fried polenta topped with fontina cheese and proscuitto, and Aaron had penne pasta with salmon.  Thankfully wine is cheaper than water here in Italy, so we split a half liter of the house red. After a quick Americano to complete our fine dining experience, we were back outside continuing our long walk.  

Before crossing the river back towards our neighborhood, we climbed lots of stairs that led us to the Piazzale Michelangelo.  The plaza is littered with tacky souvenir shops and yet another fake David.  Poor Michelangelo.  Anyways, the panoramic view of the city from this plaza was well worth our time.  The clouds dispersed, the sun made an appearance, and Aaron got some great shots.  

We started the long walk back to the hostel to take a short break and give our feet a needed rest.  Our return trip took us along the Arno River and back into the busier parts of Florence.  Of course we stumbled upon a market, so we had to stop and check out the many interesting foods for sale.  We are both market junkies.  It doesn't matter what is being sold, from trinkets to foul smelling fish, we can be found.  As Aaron says, the more disturbing the better.  Not to get off track, the meats, cheeses and breads had us constantly oohing and aahing, and the fresh produce didn't look so bad either.  We decided to buy a few dinner items here, and so we excitedly left with fresh gnocchi, pesto and some veggies.  

Finally back at the hostel we took a brief hiatus and put our feet up until late afternoon when we went back out.  Earlier in the day we saw fliers at one of the cathedrals about a concert featuring pieces by Handel.  We crossed the river once again and found the church hosting the concert.   Mass was just finishing so we snuck in the back and waited for it to end.  The concert was very small and informal with a soprano and two organists, and there were only a handful of people in attendance.  Really there was only a nun, a few older folks, and us.  The cathedral was dark and gothic style adorned with large columns and frescos throughout.    Heat was lacking, so we stay bundled in our warmest winter wear.  The musicians performed above from the balcony, and the music was absolutely beautiful.  Handel's 'Rejoice' was amazing as the soprano sang impeccably and with appropriate emotion.  This was a perfect end to a perfect day.

Back at the hostel we prepared dinner and just had a quiet night.  The pesto gnocchi was excellent.  I believe we put in about 13 miles throughout the day per our pedometer.  Not too bad...

I won't go into as much detail about the next two days as they were a bit lower key.  Saturday morning we toured The Uffuzi and saw impressive Renaissance art.  Botticelli, Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, Raphael...  Standing in front of The Birth of Venice was extremely surreal. We also had gelato several more times.  The pistachio is my absolute favorite so far.  

New Year's Eve was especially nice. I managed to stay out way past my bedtime.  We rang in 2012 in one of the central plazas listening to the Florence philharmonic symphony, watching fireworks, and sipping cheap champagne.  There was a competition going on between the music and pranksters shooting fireworks.  The conductor got very flustered as the surrounding booms drowned out the music.  It was pretty fun to watch him get so angry.  He most certainly could have used some of our cheap bubbles to calm down.

We slept in on New Year's Day, and in the afternoon we made a short hour trip to visit The Leaning Tower of Pisa.  Pisa is a nice quiet town that is easy to navigate.  After walking a short distance from the train station the tower came into view, and sure enough it was leaning at a pretty decent angle.    After Aaron took about 300 pictures we found a pizza place for lunch.   Once again we enjoyed an excellent meal.  In the early evening we caught the train back to Florence and just relaxed and played cards in the hostel.  

Yesterday we packed our bags and made our way to Lucca, which is where we are currently.  Florence was a place that we have always wanted to visit, and it certainly met our expectations! Let the good times continue throughout Italy!

Finally a Few Pictures

We have been slow to get pictures up so far.  Here are a few from my camera.  Will have to wait to get some up from Aaron's collection due to difficulties downloading.  We just got back in from walking around Florence all day.  We're getting ready to go out for gelato and a concert featuring music by Handel. 

Aaron Lets No Time Go to Waste

Aaron's Dinner 

Post-Meal Blues 

Christmas Market in Munich 

Evening in Venice 

View from our Vaporetto in Venice 

Roadside Cat in Florence 

View from Michelangelo Plazza in Florence



Christmas in Germany

So far our trip has been absolutely great.   We just arrived into Florence after spending a couple of nights in Venice.  It is hard to believe that we have been on the road for over a week already.

Aaron and I had a really wonderful Christmas weekend with our friend Verena and her family.  Aaron met Verena years ago when he studied abroad in Finland, and they have managed to keep in contact since then.  We recently visited her in Chicago and she extended an invitation to spend the holiday with her family in Rosenheim, which is about a thirty minute train ride from Munich.  We met Verena at the central train station mid-morning on Christmas Eve.  The ride to Rosenheim took us through quaint Bavarian towns, and we could see glimpses of the snow covered Alps through the clouds.  After dropping off our luggage at the hotel, we went to meet her parents at their apartment.  Gisela and Jurgen gave us a warm welcome as we gathered for coffee and biscuits before going back out for the afternoon.

Our first stop was to a local restaurant in Rosenheim to eat the traditional late morning meal of white sausages and hefeweizen.  This is a very common meal in Bavaria.  According to Verena, these sausages are made out of the 'extra parts' of the pig, and they are supposed to be eaten before the noon bells ring so not to spoil.  They are served in a large pot of hot water, and you eat one at a time so that they stay warm. 
Eating instructions per Verena:
Remove one sausage from pot
Cut lengthwise but not all the way through the meat
Peel the skin without being too messy (we were horribly unsuccessful at this and used our hands)
Slice and dip in sweet mustard sauce
Wash down with Hefeweizen
Repeat

This fine dining experience left us full and content as we boarded the train for Salzburg to enjoy some more holiday festivities.  During the ride Verena and I took turns jotting down Christmas songs to be sung later in the evening around the tree.  Of course we practiced our singing as we rode along, which was really nice.  Aaron finally got a little embarressed during 'O Holy Night,' so he pretended not to know us for the remainder of the trip.  We arrived to Salzburg around three or so and caught a bus that took us to the center of town.  There were plenty of people out wandering, and a few frantic shoppers taking advantage of the final hours of the Christmas markets.  The city was lit with beautiful white lights along the narrow cobblestone streets.  After strolling through the main plaza we made our way up a steep hill to a quiet overlook of the city.  There were no other people, just the three of us and the view below.  Verena and I sang Christmas carols while we took in the lovely sight.  The best part of being in this location was hearing the many church bells throughout Salzburg chime simultaneously at five thirty. 

From the hilltop we quickly made our way back towards the center to an old graveyard.  This is where the locals gather on Christmas Eve every year to listen to a brass band play carols on the rising hill.  While the music sounds above, families place small Christmas trees and light candles on the graves of loved ones.  All day had been very overcast, but while the music played the clouds parted, and we got a peak of the clear winter sky.  It was a beautiful and peaceful experience, and I especially loved hearing Silent Night and humming along with the instruments and the crowd.  Salzburg on Christmas Eve was a very surreal night for us, and we were so thankful that Verena shared it with us. 

Following the music it started to rain heavily, so we caught a taxi to the train station and made our way back to Rosenheim.  Gisela and Jurgen had prepared a lovely meal, so after singing a few more carols around the tree we sat down to a traditional dinner of homeade sausages and potato salad.  The food was amazing and the conversation was lively.  Aaron and I both felt right at home with Verena and her parents.  Gisela and Jurgen are both passionate and intelligent people, so we covered a variety of topics well into the night while drinking fine local beer.

Christmas day started out with a traditional German breakfast-a variety of meats, cheese, bread, fruit, cereal and lots of strong coffee.  We enjoyed a very low key morning lounging around the house and talking before Jurgen and Verena took us on a tour of the town.  Rosenheim is a small comfortable city that is really quite scenic.  We passed by churches, walked along the Inn River, and looked around the city center where there are old buildings and cobblestone streets.  On our way home we stopped at a local brewery that is one of Jurgen's favorites, and we warmed up while enjoying a pint and liver dumpling soup.  Delicious.  We also made a quick visit to a chapel originally built in the 1400s.  It was very small and dark except for the outside lights shining into the windows and a few lit candles.  Once again we broke out the Christmas carols and sang into the still quietness of the church.  It was beautiful.

Back at home Gisela had outdone herself once again with an amazing dinner of roasted duck, potatoes, brussel sprouts, chestnuts and beets.  We had no difficulty clearing our plates.  For dessert we enjoyed a delicious vanilla mousse with strawberry preserves.  The remainder of the evening was spent lounging, looking at old photos from Verena's younger years, and talking.  We made it back to our hotel around one or so, and slept for a few hours before getting up, enjoying a quick breakfast with the family, and making our way back to the train station for one final night in Munich.  We couldn't have asked for a better Christmas.  Verena and her parents really made us feel like part of the family.  Wonderful memories to last for many years to come...        

A Happy Holiday!!

The holiday season has been very good thus far.  After wrapping up our travel assignments in late November we managed to quickly pack up our apartment and make it safely to Colorado.  We spent a fun week visiting Aaron's family and reconnecting with a couple of friends.  Longmont was very cold, so we spent most of our time indoors trying to stay warm.  We had a fine getaway up to Estes Park and got to spend time with Aaron's sister and our sweet nieces.  Throughout the week I especially loved sleeping on the leather sofa in front of the fire while Aaron and his folks watched the entire Lord of the Rings Trilogy (twelve hour extended version).  Perfect slumber...

This past week we have enjoyed catching up with my folks in South Carolina.  The temperature has been very mild so Aaron and Dad have gotten in some fishing time.  We all piled in the car and had a great day trip up to Asheville for a tour of The Biltmore House.  This weekend my brother's family came down for a holiday celebration.  It was lovely to spend quality time together and give my nephew lots of love.  We also managed to clear out the attic of our many belongings from pre-travel nurse days.  After several trips to Goodwill and about twenty boxes shipped, the attic is looking very empty. 

Tomorrow morning we will be leaving for our three month trip.  Our first stop is Germany where we plan to enjoy Munich and the surrounding area.  We're looking very forward to spending Christmas with our friend Verena and her family.  From Germany our travels will take us through Italy for several weeks.  I am very excited about pasta, gelato, wine and art museums!  Then it will be on to Nepal...

So tonight we can relax as we're pretty much ready for our next great adventure.  Aaron has had his bag packed for over a week now.  He is always very methodical in how he prepares for a trip.  Over the past several days he has made multiple lists, and he has tirelessly checked each and every item off.  He has carefully inspected his pack nightly making sure he forgets nothing.  The zippers are zipped, and the locks are locked.  The bag is ready.  I, on the other hand stuffed my pack full of all kinds of necessary items just this afternoon.  I tried to follow the 'two pair of everything rule,' but I decided to live a little and pack a third shirt just for kicks.  So my bag is almost ready, and I will try to do at least one double check tonight.  This is usually how we do things, and it seems to work out okay most of the time! 

Next post will be from Germany!  Good times shall be had!!  Merry Christmas to all!



 

Chicago

Our weekend spent visiting Verena in Chicago was wonderful.  It is always nice to get away for a few days and experience new things.  The weekend was full of conversation, great food, local beer and crisp fall weather.  We left last Thursday in the early afternoon and got in that evening.  It was easy to hop on the train and make our way to the loop to meet up with Verena.  Our first stop was to have a drink in the John Hancock Building and enjoy an amazing view of the city and lake.  We then made our way back to Verena's place for a quiet dinner and early night.

Friday we had a great breakfast at a local diner and then spent time wandering the city.  Verena is currently working at DePaul, so we enjoyed touring the campus with her.  Afterwards we made a trip to the botanical conservatory where we were in awe of the amazing orchid room.  The room was full of  colorful Lady's Slippers and stunning bromeliads.  The late afternoon was spent walking the windy shores of Lake Michigan and chatting about our recent travels.  Verena always has good stories to tell.  We started our evening out very high class on the top floor of Trump Tower sipping cocktails.  It is hard to believe the owner of such a fancy establishment has such dreadful hair.  Aaron felt bad about not being dressed up enough, so I kept having to remind him of the combover.  An unkempt ponytail, scruffy beard, torn jeans, and old flannel shirt combined are more presentable than Donald's hair.  I think this made Aaron feel much better.  Anyhow, dinner was at an authentic Mexican restaurant that served excellent food.  Our final stop of the evening was a lovely jazz concert at The Green Mill.

Saturday morning got to a later start as we all needed some extra rest.  Verena's friend Mike picked us up around eleven and took us to Chinatown for some delicious dim sum.  This dim sum experience was very similar to the one we had in Hong Kong several years ago.  We left the restaurant satisfied and ready to venture towards Oak Park to visit the Frank Lloyd Wright home.  Oak Park is really a beautiful little suburb with amazing old homes.  It is especially a nice place to be this time of year with the colorful leaves and cool weather.  Before our late afternoon tour we stopped for a frozen treat at the historic Petersen's Ice Cream Shop, which has been around since 1919.  My vanilla bean ice cream was the perfect pick-me-up! 

Our tour through the FLW home was really quite good.  Aaron and I visited Talieson during our contract in Wisconsin, and we really enjoyed the experience.  Our guide in Oak Park was mediocre because she really struggled to answer questions throughout the tour.  This was not terribly impressive, but just being able to walk through the house was very exciting.  In fact, I was so thrilled that I might have gotten a bit tearful when we entered the front door.  And Aaron was so embarrassed that he might have acted like he didn't know me.  After our tour we walked back to the train station admiring the other FLW homes along the way.  They really do stand out from the more traditional Victorian style houses that make up a large part of the neighborhood.

Back in the city we had a delicious dinner and then hit up a brewery to try some local beer.  It was a fine evening.  Aaron and Verena enjoyed a lively political discussion while I stayed silent and looked on in amusement.  Luckily there was no shouting involved and their friendship survived even though it is quite clear they have very different opinions.  So we enjoyed a couple of beers, and we even managed to keep the conversation away from politics the remainder of the night.  Good times were had!   

It was a fine weekend spent with Verena.  She is just a lovely person, and we always have so much fun together.  We're looking forward to seeing her in Germany next month and celebrating Christmas with her family!

Beautiful Oak Park

Frank Lloyd Wright House

Weekend Getaway

Aaron and I are getting ready for a quick three day trip to Chicago.  We will be spending the weekend with our friend Verena.  It has been well over a year since our last visit, so it will be very nice to spend time together and catch up.  I am also looking forward to fall weather, eating good food, and sampling a variety of local beer.  When we return home I only have nine shifts left before we head out of town for three months.  Where has the time gone??  It is a little bittersweet to be leaving so soon even though we will be returning in the spring.  We're both very excited about seeing our families in early December and heading to Germany for Christmas!  Until then we have lots of packing to do!!

 

Zuri suspects we're leaving her this morning, so this is her very sad and pitiful pout.  As always, she will have a wonderful time with the dog sitter Katy and her sweet pug Otto.  

The Past Week

It is amazing that October has come and gone, and November is here.  We have only a month left before we leave for three months.  I am really looking forward to some time off from work and our upcoming travels.  We have figured out our housing situation for March, which is a relief.  It seems most sensible to stay in the lovely motor lodge, but I think we will be changing apartments within the complex to have a balcony.  Our apartment really isn't much to look at from the exterior, but the inside is nice and spacious.  Most importantly though, I feel safe in this location.

We have had an enjoyable week with plenty of activity.  Aaron's friend Scott came to visit from Arizona.  It was great to have him around and enjoy his company.  He helped the husband brew yet another batch of beer, which just thrilled me.  No, I really do like that Aaron enjoys this pastime so much, I just don't know what we are going to do with all of this beer!  We also managed to go out and enjoy the Halloween festivities in SF. 

I have had the past two days off and have immensely enjoyed my free time.  Yesterday I took the train over to Oakland to meet up with a friend for a day of hiking, eating and beer tasting.  Melissa is one of my favorite people, and I look forward to continuing our fun times when we return in the spring.  I met her at work last summer, and we have quite a lot in common.  She loves to eat and travel, so there is always something to talk about over a good meal.  Anyways, we enjoyed a beautiful and strenuous hike up a very steep hill that provided great views of the bay.  On our way back to town we stopped at a great little gourmet sandwich shop and split the ahi tuna and pulled pork sandwiches.  Both were fantastic...  The day ended downtown at a joint called Beer Revolution, which has approximately fifty beers on tap at any given time.  The smoked pumpkin beer was amazing!  Poor Aaron, he had to work.

Today has been uneventful.  I took a friend to the airport, exercised, and then read more of my book on China.  My friend was leaving SF today for Shanghai, so I was very jealous when dropping her off.  Tonight for dinner I made a veggie and cheese quinoa dish.  It turned out really well and was much more healthy than the sausage apple pie I made last week.  Oh well, I suppose it is okay to have comfort food sometimes...  I pretty much work the next week and then we leave for Chicago to visit our friend Verena.  Good times shall be had!

A Night Out and Back in the Kitchen

Aaron and I met our friend out for Singapore cuisine a couple of nights ago.  It's probably a good thing we exercised hard that day because it was a night of full of calories!  Here are a few pictures... The fish and oysters were really great.

Poor Fish

Ready to Eat!

Me and Gig

I met Gig last January when I started nursing orientation.  She is from NYC and has a fantastic accent.  My southern drawl probably drives her absolutely crazy!  She has become one of our good friends here in the city.  We have such good times trying new restaurants and talking about life.  I am so glad she will be staying in the area for a while!  

I am trying to get back in the kitchen and cook more these days.  After a summer full of company and then various trips back east it has been hard to make myself prepare new recipes.  I whipped up a pumpkin casserole a couple days ago, and it tasted very similar to pumpkin pie filling.  Aaron gave it two thumbs up and managed to finish it in approximately 24 hours.  To rid of the leftover pumpkin, I prepared homemade pumpkin pancakes.  Aaron ate silently and asked for seconds, which I take as a good sign.  We are both off today, so I think I will try to make some type of ethnic cuisine this evening.  Hopefully it will be a delicious dining experience!  We'll see...

Our Apartment = Brewery

 Aaron has been interested in brewing beer for quite some time now, and in late August he finally started his new hobby in our very small kitchen.  There is a store down the street that sells everything beer, so he bought all needed supplies and got to work right away.  His friend Ryan came over to our place and taught him all of the necessary steps to becoming a brewmaster.  Two months and twenty gallons later, he has successfully made four batches of home brew.  We have sampled three out of the four, and the beer is really very good.

Here's what's on the menu:

Ole T-Shirt Pale Ale (Aaron steeped the grains in his very old t-shirt)
Frisco Soul Porter (just cause it's a cool name)
Apricot Jess Wheat (hmmmmm...)
Zuri's Honey Amber Ale (Zuri is the same color as this beer)

I have taken some pictures of the bottling process.  It would be nice to have captured the brewing experience, but the smell forced me to leave the apartment.  After Aaron brews the beer he places it into a large glass container and stores it in the closet for approximately a month.  Over the past few weeks I have frequently come into the living room and seen him on the closet floor admiring his precious concoction.  "Just come take a look Jess, please.  Can you hear the bubbling?  No, you can't hear it from the kitchen, you have to come closer."  Once bottling draws near I find him digging through the recycling downstairs to find old bottles.  "Jess just help me dig for a few minutes, please.  We really need more bottles."  Really?  We??  Oh well.  I helped him with bottling one morning after getting off night shift.  It wasn't a pleasant two hours, and there just might have been words exchanged.  Shocking.

Fortunately for the final bottling this morning, I have had four days off and am well rested, so we worked happily together.  It was really fun actually, and I just can't believe how much beer we have in our little apartment here in San Francisco.  If you're in the neighborhood and thirsty, come on by and have a beer (or two please)!  Cheers!

Preparation

t

The Brewmaster and His Wife

A Proud Momen

Hard Work

Ready to Go

Finished Product

A and J

A Place to Call Home

We have made the decision to make San Francisco our home for now.  After a couple of months talking things over and considering our options, Aaron has signed on at The General.  We will be leaving for about three months at the beginning of December to enjoy the holidays with family and then travel through Europe.  Aaron will start back some time in March, and I plan to get a travel assignment and then find a permanent job in the city or surrounding area.

Settling down can be a little scary for nomads like us, but we have really enjoyed this area over the past year and it is starting to feel like home.  I have really wanted to become more involved in the community with volunteering and taking art and sewing classes.  There are so many more restaurants that we have to try when we get back in the spring.  Marin County is loaded with fantastic hiking and biking trails that we have only sampled since January.  We have made some pretty good friends along the way as well.  I love taking the muni and not worrying about driving everywhere.  I suppose I could go on and on...  Anyways, we're really looking forward to reopening our wedding gifts and putting them to good use.  And we will actually purchase a few furniture items along the way also.  It doesn't get much more exciting than this! 

Aside from the above news, the past couple of days have been really nice.  We revisited the climbing gym with a group of friends.  Overall I hung in there okay and managed to climb a 5.9, which is my best yet.  Yesterday we hiked in Marin at Mt. Tamalpais State Park.  It was a gorgeous day with temperatures in the low 70s and clear blue skies.  Zuri came along, and she enjoyed herself thoroughly.  Our hike was about nine miles, so we felt deserving of a beer afterwards.  We ended our outing at Marin Brewing Co. sampling beer and eating delicious bruschetta.  It was really a fine day...


Here are a few pics of Z.  She was so eager to catch a fly that she completely ignored her milk bone.  That's a first.

Aaron's Birthday

Aaron and I have different schedules this week, but fortunately we had one night off together to celebrate his birthday.  I can't believe the husband is turning 33!  Our years spent together have flown by too fast.  Anyways, I wanted to take him somewhere nice for dinner, so after doing some research online I decided we should dine at Mr. Pollo.  Really Mr. Pollo is a dive in the Mission District that blends in with the multiple neighboring tacquerias, but according to the reviews online it is a foodies dream.  We arrived very early and got our name on the list since there are only about twelve seats in the restaurant, and while waiting we had a quick beer at a pub across the street.  Finally 7 o'clock came around and our fine dining experience began. 

The restaurant's interior is very simple with the kitchen in the main dining area, so it really is just one small room.  We both ordered the sampler plate, which provided us with four courses.  The restaurant doesn't serve wine, so I brought a bottle of Red Zinfandel from Nelson's Winery to enjoy with dinner.  

Here are some pictures:

The Birthday Boy!!

Very Excited 

A Chilled Cauliflower Soup (we wanted to lick the bowls clean)

Prawns with Heirloom Tomatoes 

A Fantastic Squid Dish

Final Course of Trout with Vegetables

All of the food was delicious, but my favorites were the soup and the trout.  We had no problem clearing our plates while conversing about current events and politics.  The meal lasted for about two hours, and amazingly it only cost forty dollars.  I think we will be visiting Mr. Pollo again soon.   

We took the bus home and enjoyed cake and ice cream.  The perfect ending to a perfect evening together.  Happy Birthday Aaron!

A Wonderful Weekend

This weekend was really just perfect.  It started on Friday afternoon when I picked my dear friend Julie up from the airport.  I have written about Julie on this blog and our previous weekend visits.  It is always so exciting to have her visit.  We got settled at the apartment and then decided to go on a walk through the park before enjoying happy hour at one of my favorite wine bars.  Zuri got to come along because this little bar is dog friendly, and so she enjoyed plenty of attention and attempting to catch flies.  For dinner we ate at one of our favorite Italian restaurants in the Sunset.  This little mom and pop place never disappoints and we dined on fresh bread, calamari, pizza, salad and pasta.  I think we even sneaked in some chocolate cake and coffee before calling it a night. 

Saturday we spent some time in Napa enjoying a couple of my favorite wineries, and then had a very quiet evening.  We sampled at Cuvaison and Black Stallion, which both make excellent wine and provide beautiful views of the vineyards.  It was so nice to sit outside, enjoy the sunshine and cool breeze, and catch up with Julie.  As always we laughed a lot...  We found a small cafe for lunch before making the drive back to the city.  It was such a relaxing and low key day, which is what we both needed.  Our evening in SF consisted of holding down the futon and chattering away.  At this point we were starting to develop sore throats from all the talking.  It was definitely going to be an early night to relax our voices, because we had all day Sunday to talk too...

We managed to just hang out at home Sunday morning in our pajamas drinking coffee.  Our throats were feeling better even though we both developed tongue blisters.  This made talking really difficult, but we remained strong and chattered on.  That's all you can do when you see your best friend only a handful of times a year.  Anyways, in the early afternoon we hit the beach with Zuri and walked for a while before grabbing lunch and heading to the airport.  As always it is sad to say goodbye, but I am very hopeful to make it down to LA in the near future for another fun girl weekend.

So really we didn't do much during Julie's visit, but that is the beauty of our time together.  We are both so happy to sit around and enjoy each others company.  I am so thankful we have managed to stay in touch all these years.  One of the best things about living in California is that once again we live in the same state (it has been since college), and it is easier to get together. 

Sunday night I was tired and hurting from the tongue blister and lingering sore throat, but it was a fantastic weekend spent with the best friend.  Well worth the pain and great memories for sure...

A Quiet Week

The past week has been rather relaxed.  Working nights takes a toll on my body, but I am managing okay.  I am always awake by noon and ready to start the day, which is really not compatible with a 7p-7a three day in a row schedule.  Oh well.  Next month it is back to day shift, which will be nice.

Yesterday was really pleasant.  After sleeping for a couple of hours I managed to get out of bed and drive over to Daly City to get my hair done.  Maintaining my blond status means more frequent salon visits, which is okay by me.  I go to a Chinese salon, so everyone speaks Mandarin the entire time.  I prefer this because I really dislike making small talk during a hair cut.  Michael said all of three words to me: Hello.  Beautiful.  $112.00.  It was a peaceful hour quietly vegetating and reading trash magazines.  When I got home Aaron was busy brewing up another five gallons of beer.  This batch will be called Zuri's Honey Amber Ale.  It smelled horrible, so I head out to the park with Zuri for a two hour walk.  The weather wasn't perfect, but it was just nice to be outside and enjoy the fresh air.   

On our return home Aaron was finishing up making homemade dog treats, and Zuri just about bit his hand off sampling them.  She really is a lucky dog.  In the evening we head out to meet up with a friend for dinner in the park.  On Thursday evenings there is a wonderful variety of food trucks that show up on the edge of Golden Gate Park.  It is heavenly, and there are all kinds of interesting foods to try.  I chose Vietnamese and got some delicious garlic noodles.  On the side I treated myself to sweet potato tater tots with a spicy mango dipping sauce.  Aaron found a spicy curry chicken burrito that was excellent, but left him with intense heartburn that lasted well into the night.  Jenn had fried macaroni and cheese.  We managed to stop by Kezar's before heading home.  It was really nice to chat with Jenn and hear about what she has been up to lately.  I think we have a running date in the park on Monday.

Aaron works all weekend, but I only work tonight and then have a couple days off.  I think Saturday will be for relaxation and quiet time.  Sunday should be a good time with brunch in the morning and meeting up with friends in the afternoon.  

On a side note, I just finished reading Shanghai Girls and Dreams of Joy by Lisa See.  Great books about a wonderful Chinese family and their struggles from the 1930s and into the Mao years.  Today I started reading River Town by Peter Hessler.  This book is about Hessler's experiences as a Peace Corp volunteer in Fuling China during the 1990s.  I guess I am on a Chinese kick, but so is my Mom because she has recommended all of these, and we usually have very similar taste in books.  Happy reading...

A Visit to the Redwoods

Aaron and I had a few days off together, so we decided to roadtrip our way up north to visit Redwood National Park.  It was a wonderful two day journey, and we thoroughly enjoyed spending time together in such beautiful territory.  We stayed in Arcata, California and wandered through the national and state park system in the area.  I really don't have a favorite when it comes to Sequoias or Redwoods.  They're both such splendid trees, and walking among them is truly a majestic experience.  The giant trees are one of my favorite things about this state for sure!

Arcata, California

Marbled Murrelet-Arcata, California

Beautiful Countryside

Redwood National Park

Redwood National Park

Having Fun!

So Tall

Redwood National Park

Screwdriver Tree

 Screwdriver Tree

A Friendly Banana Slug (we spent a long time watching this slug)

 Klamath River-Klamath, California

 The Husband

Gigantic!!!

Me in Fern Canyon

A Mysterious Image-Redwood National Park

Expecting T-Rex at Any Moment

 

Ladies Enjoying the Redwoods

A Pretty Pic on the Drive Home

So, we had a fantastic time.  We're just having a quiet night here in the city this evening.  Aaron will be bottling his first batch of beer, and I will be assisting him with that.  I believe tonight's batch is a pale ale.  Then we have a porter brewing in the closet, and he plans to make a wheat beer on Friday.  I think that will total fifteen gallons of beer when all is said and done.  Hmmmm... not sure what to think of this new hobby. He is currently wearing my apron and happily baking bottles in the kitchen as I type.

I work the next three nights, and then we have plans with friends on Sunday afternoon.  Fun times as always!