Islands here we come!

Island time kind of got away from me this week as we started the relaxing part of our Grecian vacation.

We started the Greek isles by going to Mykonos, but just for the day. Unlike the rest of this vacation, BK and I had to wake up before the crack of dawn (5am) to get to Rafina Port in Athens to catch a speed boat to Mykonos. You can take all kinds of different types of boats when you're island hoping, but if you take the slow ferries it takes much longer to get between them- 6 hours from Athens to Mykonos versus 2.5 on the speed boat we took. I think you can also go by plane, but I'm not familiar with that option either. For me, any of the options mean sleep because I will no doubt be taking motion sickness medicine for the journey.

A note on the ferries: they are a disaster and complete chaos when it comes to boarding and unloading. First of all, when you board, the boat may or may not even be on time. Our first one that left on time, but my impression is that's only because we were the first journey of the day. Our ferry from Mykonos to Santorini was about two hours late and the one from Santorini to Crete was about an hour late. The worst thing about this is that apparently they're "always late". Why not just change the timetable if you can't make the time? When you unload, people are trying to push their way out, your luggage is not anywhere close to where you are sitting so you have to go against the flow of traffic and the boat staff is typically yelling at everyone. Not the greatest customer experience, but still an efficient and affordable way to get around. I would highly recommend pre-booking your tickets online so you don't miss out on the boat you want to take, as they are generally pretty crowded. 

Fishing boats in Mykonos Old Port

Now onto Mykonos...I honestly have to say, overall I was not that impressed. We arrived into the new port, which seems to be just around the cove from the old port, so you're not out in the middle of no where or anything. The thing that struck me most is that it's really dirty. I got off the ferry hoping to step out and smell the fresh ocean air, but instead was hit in the face with the overwhelming smell of exhaust from all of the ferries, ships, buses, taxis and cars idling in the port area. There is also a lot of trash everywhere, which is disappointing for such a beautiful place to be disrespected by its residents and visitors.



Mykonos coastline

We only had six hours or so in Mykonos, which really isn't enough time to do the island justice (take that into consideration when I say I was a little underwhelmed). We didn't venture too far out of the Old Town, simply due to the fact that we were unsure about how long things would take and also know that we would want to explore around Old Town some. We walked around the ports first then headed up the hill a little bit to check out the windmills that Mykonos is somewhat known for. We explored the coast and a couple of beaches a bit then headed back to Old Town. The coastline and water was beautiful- the water is vivid shades of blue and the coastline is extremely rocky. 

The Mykonos Old Town is really nice, with lots of narrow, twisting cobblestone streets lined with small shops selling everything from random touristy stuff to high-end handbags. We did a little bit of shopping, stopped at a couple of churches, then pretty much just hung out at a cafe reading, people watching and enjoying fresh seafood for lunch. It was actually a really relaxing afternoon.



Our view during lunch

After a bit of waiting, we boarded our second high speed ferry of the day and headed to Santorini, where we would relax for the next three days. If we come back to Greece, I'm not sure that I would put Mykonos on the list again, but mostly because I really enjoyed the other islands we visited. I've also heard that if you're looking for a wilder nightlife, Mykonos is a great place. Santorini on the other hand, I would go back there in a heartbeat, but more about that coming up soon.

Athens day two- at our own pace

Our second day in Athens was taken at our own pace and not dictated by anyone else's schedule. With the general strike still going on, we knew we needed to get out relatively early to make it to various monuments before the deadline of 3pm. From our hotel we hopped on the Metro (subway) and headed back to the Acropolis area.

When you arrive in Monastiraki Square you are greeted with bustling activity. It's a lively place day and night, and at night seems to be a gathering place for young people. Always trying to make sure I have food available should hunger strike, I was pleased that there are also a number of vendors selling fresh fruit in the square. You can also go explore the Athens Flea Market, which apparently goes on all week long, but that's not really our thing.

We headed up to see the Roman and Athenian Agoras again, but up close this time, along with the National Observatory, which gives you another great view of the Acropolis and surrounding parts of the city. We also went to visit the Dionysus Theatre, which was okay, but nothing too exciting- you actually have a better view of it from the top of the Acropolis. 

The best thing we did on our second day was, by far, the Acropolis Museum. Kudos to the planners and architects who designed and built it, because it is really interesting and a very cool concept.  Many sections and artifacts that used to be part of the Parthenon are now housed in the museum, and the top floor is actually laid out just like the Parthenon, with eight columns on each end and 17 columns down each side. The parts of the top around the roof and many of the sculptures are placed exactly as they would have been on the Parthenon, which gives you a really good idea of what it would actually be like if it was all still intact. You should also take time to watch the video on Floor 2, as it helps you understand the purpose of the structure and various types of buildings it has been transformed into (Christian church, mosque, etc). The other floors of the museum are dedicated to other structures within the Acropolis such as the Temple of Athena Nike. At only 5 Euro it's absolutely worth a visit.

When you walk around the entire area surrounding the Acropolis, on any side, there is tons of stuff to see and do. The Plaka area specifically is a neighborhood known for its shops and cafes, so BK and I had lunch in the area and spent the majority of the afternoon walking around looking at shops and people watching. Dinner was quite an experience, that deserves its own post- we went into foodie land and got some crazy gastro cuisine. At the same time we discovered that even though we like nice meals, foodies we are not.

I forgot to take pics with my iPhone during the day, so I didn't get any pics to post for this one. I've gotten better though and will put some in my post about Mykonos tomorrow!

It's all Greek to me

Our first day in Athens was really good. The night we arrived, we made it around 9ish and then had dinner at the rooftop restaurant at our hotel. The food was pretty good, the views of the Acropolis were amazing, but the service was terrible. Around midnight we were finally done with dinner and turned in for the night.

We started our first day with a visit to the National Archeological Museum. The museum has many statues, pottery and some ruins and also gives you a good outline of Athenian and Greek history. The best exhibit they have right now is one about a ship wreck. I thought it was really cool to see pieces that had been partially submerged in the sea floor, as the half that was submerged was preserved perfectly and the other half had all kinds of damage from being in the open sea. The museum is worth a trip if you like to look at relics from ancient civilizations and things like that. I personally can only handle so much of it, so it wasn't my favorite thing that we've done. We stopped for lunch at a great place called Alexandra that is traditional Greek food. I would definitely recommend if you're in the area.

The remainder of our day was spent on a private tour that I booked to take us around Athens and to Cape Sounio. When coming to Greece you do have to keep in mind that things can still be a little volatile, nothing major, but with an unemployment rate of over 27%, people generally have something to say about it. So, for our two full days in Athens all of the government managed monuments closed at 3pm due to a general strike by workers.

Parthenon

In Athens we hit a lot of the big sites and our driver took us around to many neighborhoods and local spots, always explaining the history and any significance. We started at the Acropolis, hiking up to see all of the various monuments, such as the Parthenon, Temple of Athena Nike and Temple of Rome and Augustus. It was pretty amazing, especially considering that it was built around 2500 years ago. At times it can be hard to tell what you're looking at without a map because the ruins- what's left of them- look like a pile of rocks. From the Acropolis you can also see many other sites such as Theatre of Dionysus, Temple of Zeus, and the Roman and Athenian Agoras.

Then we took a little time driving through Plaka, the neighborhood and markets just below the Acropolis. We also stopped at the first Olympic stadium, which happens to be the only stadium in the world made of marble; went to the Hill of Lycabettis, which has 360 degree views of the city, all the way to the coast; saw the changing of the guard at the Presidential House; then did a drive by of the Parliament  building and National Library. The Parliament building was disappointing and surprisingly ugly. You would think with all of the architecture and history in Athens they would have done something good with it, but it's just not so.

After hitting some of the highlights, we headed out toward Cape Sounio where Poseidon is located. It was about 7Okm outside of Athens, and on our way out we drove through many of the upscale suburbs and coastal towns. There are beautiful views of the Aegean Sea and many secluded beach areas and coves along the coast. 

 

We ended our day at Poseidon at sunset. We enjoyed a light snack at the restaurant just below the monument, then walked up just before sunset to enjoy the view. It was really beautiful and made me realize that I'm really looking forward to exploring and seeing the islands later in our trip.

We then headed back into the city and had our driver drop us off at a little restaurant called Kuzina. The food was very good and it was a nice relaxing way to end the day. We're wrapping up our second day now; much more to come!

A weekend at the chalet

Sounds like what you think of when you picture Switzerland, right? Well, it was. We spent last weekend with BK's boss, his wife and dog at their chalet in Davos. Davos is about a three hour train ride from Basel and is a well known ski area in the Alps. In case you keep up with world events, this is also where the World Economic Forum is held every year in January.

 

It was a really relaxing weekend, and as fall seems to have rolled into Switzerland, quite chilly up in the mountains. Luckily the rain held off on both Saturday and Sunday until the evening and we were able to get quite a bit of hiking in. On Saturday we looked around the village of Davos for a bit then took the cog train up on of the mountains and hiked down. They had their dog with them the whole time and when we were hiking I was totally wishing we would have brought ours. Not sure how Tan would have done, but I think Toby would have loved it.

After our hike we returned back to the chalet for some rest and then enjoyed raclette for dinner. Raclette is both a type of cheese and a traditional Swiss dish. You use an electric stove/grill type thing which has a flat cooking surface on the top, heating elements in the middle, and small dishes to melt cheese in below. You typically eat raclette with various types of meat (which are grilled on the flat cooktop), potatoes and other types of veggies. It's a great after skiing/hiking meal.

Sunday we took it easy, getting out to hike mid-morning. We we were out for around four hours, and the rain held off until the last 15 minutes of our trip. I know it doesn't sound like much, but it was great to just be outside and enjoy the mountains. 

Hopefully BK and I will be doing more of these little weekend getaways. I know he wants to make the most of the ski season here, I'm just not sure what I'll be doing during that time, as I think it may be frowned upon for a six-month pregnant person to be skiing. Maybe I'll take up snow-shoeing or something a little less risky. We'll see.

Feeling compressed at breakfast

Now that we've finally gotten our big news out there, there are other things to blog about and I really need to get better about posting regularly. Story of my life on this blog. I also think I'm trying to be somewhat cognizant about not always posting about being pregnant, how we're preparing or how I'm feeling. Alas, that's what you get this morning!

All that said, BK and I are off for more travels today. By law here, he is required to take two weeks in a row off from work. For his two weeks we are headed to Greece. But before we get there we've made a stop in Zurich for a couple of business meetings and are then taking the train to Geneva to fly to Athens (direct flight and much cheaper), which leads me to where I am now- feeling compressed during breakfast.

Knowing that we're doing quite a bit of travel before the end of the year (everything planned right now involves flying), my doctor has prescribed compression stockings for me to wear on each flight that we're on. Fun times and super attractive, but obviously well worth it to ensure that no blood clots occur way up there. She also recommended that we fly business class on our long-haul flights back to the US so that I'm not cramped up in coach. Yes please, and thank you for that. We already do this, but a little reinforcement never hurt.

The stockings are not all that bad, but the thing is, I do whatever possible not to have to wear any type of pantyhose-type things. Tights are a little different and go in and out of being trendy (at least in Texas where you don't have to wear them for warmth) so I'm willing to do those occasionally. I would also put slips in this same category. It used to just kill my mom that I resisted pantyhose and slips so much. For me, they've always just been excess (and unnecessary) items that people wear under their real clothes. 

But, here I sit this morning with stockings under my jeans. They're honestly not that bad, although I'm glad the doctor didn't order me to have the full pantyhose up to my waist. I can't imagine the nightmare that would be when I make yet another trip to the bathroom. And, as it's pretty chilly here this morning (45 degrees) they do keep my legs a little warmer as well.

They won't be making any regular appearances in my wardrobe, but they do get to travel Europe and the world with me for the next few months. A small price to pay to make sure the lentil stays ok in there and can keep traveling with us.

BIG NEWS: A new addition on the way!

Wow! Big news from BK and I this week...well, we finally made it public news, that is. I think part of the reason I didn't blog while in Texas was because we were having fun telling family and close friends about our news. BK and I have known since around the beginning of August. The hardest part was keeping it to ourselves for two weeks before we went to Texas so we could tell people face to face.

I couldn't blog about it at the time, but it was fun to see everyone's reactions. Shock was the general reaction (not surprising), and often there were screams involved with tears that followed. One of BK's sisters asked us if we were playing a joke on them, and if it was, it was really mean. We took our first sonogram with us and typically told people that we had brought a pic with us from our time in Switzerland that really meant a lot to us, then we would hand the parent, sibling or whoever the sonogram picture. It was fun, but a little nerve-racking in the beginning.

Let me just get it out of the way and answer the most common questions that we've gotten when people find out. They may or may not be on your mind, but I figure I might as well answer for those people who are wondering.

Was this a surprise for you and BK? 
No, it was not a surprise, we just didn't tell anyone. We told a couple of close friends that we were thinking about thinking about it, but no one knew otherwise. We didn't really want all those questions about how it was going or anything like that. We figured we would just see what happened- it could have taken a month, six months, a year, or never.

What made you change your mind?
I personally blame it on the fact that Uncle Bub (BK) fell in love with Abbs. But really, BK and I started talking about sometime last year and decided that we had built a great life and should share it with a family. We are now getting some of the travel bug out of our system as well, which played into it too. Over the months we had tons of discussions about the whole thing. I mean, people have pretty much been asking when we were going to have kids since before we got married. We just needed time to do things our own way.

Will the baby be born in Switzerland?
Yes. After Christmas I will not be able to travel anymore, so that will be my last trip back to the US for a little while. I have found an English speaking doctor here that I really like, and has been great thus far.

Will the baby have dual citizenship?
No. The US is one of the only countries in the world where you gain citizenship so easily, as its given to anyone born in the country. Even if BK and I lived in Switzerland for many years, our child would not automatically be a citizen. The baby's birth certificate will be issued by the US Consulate here.

Are we going to find out what we're having?
Yes, but that doesn't happen for a little while. We'll keep you posted.

Who loves a weenie dog in a raincoat??

I do for sure! Tanner and Toby...not so much. BK...he just kind of laughs at us as we make our way out the door.

I mentioned in a blog post a while back that we were going to need some raincoats. One of the many things I purchased while we were in the US was dachshund-specific raincoats. Now, this may sound like overkill to anyone who does not have a weenie dog, but for me, it was nearly impossible to find something that fit these guys. Thanks to www.noodleandfriends.com, they are prefect.

Unlike in Texas, where it's still sweltering, here in Switzerland we've started to see fall weather. I think the high today was around 65 and it's been raining off and on all day. As a took the boys out for their last trip outside tonight, it was raining harder and is right around 60. And I'll admit, I've been excited to use the raincoats. 

They are awesome to say the least. Tanner and Toby's legs are less than six inches long, so they don't stand very far off the ground. When it rains here that means they literally pick up anything and everything in their path when we're walking- water, dirt, leaves, other gunk- you get the picture. Their chests are the worst, as they are broad and are even closer to the ground, so they are extremely dirty when they come back in the apartment, which also means anything they jump on is also dirty. The raincoats not only cover their backs (helping combat a constant wet dog smell in our apartment), but also have another piece that covers their chest so that all the dirt now goes on the jacket and can easily be washed off. It's the simple things, right?

I just have to hope the boys start liking the raincoats a little more than they currently do, because we will be using them. Right now Tanner just runs from me when I come at him with his raincoat, eventually surrendering, but not appreciating this at all. Toby is submissive, as usual, but once it's on, he acts like he has a straight jacket on and is now paralyzed where ever I put it on him. I pretty much have to drag him when he wears the coat. Like I said, hopefully they'll get used to them. They do look pretty cute and cheerful in the raincoats too- another plus! It's supposed to rain a few more days this week, so I feel certain we'll be putting these to good use.

On a completely different note, I am using the Blogger app for the first time tonight to post, as we've been using my computer to watch Slingbox (football) all weekend. We'll see how it goes; hopefully this one turns out ok.

So many recipes...so much time to try!

Baking and cooking took a back seat while in Texas. The one exception was making an Italian cream cake for BK's dad's birthday. I used The Pioneer Woman's recipe- it went over really well! I've jumped right back into cooking since getting back to Switzerland. It seems like all I've done over the past few days is destroy the kitchen, clean it up, destroy, clean...you get the idea.

Last night I made a quick and easy Tomato Basil Soup. It's a Cooking Light recipe, so it's really healthy, and it keeps for up to a week. It's a meal that's easy to heat up, considering we have no microwave. If you decide to make it, I would add some additional salt and pepper (to your taste), garlic powder and Italian seasoning. I like to eat the soup with a grilled cheese sandwich, and BK prefers a caprese salad. It's probably a little hot in Texas right now for soup, but this would be a great winter meal.

Tonight I embarked on two new recipes that I had not made before. I found an easy recipe for Sesame Chicken on Pintrest. BK is working late tonight, so I thought I would give it a test run to see if I should work it into the regular rotation. The recipe is really easy to make and turned out really good, but I woul d change a couple of minor things. The recipe says to make the sauce while the chicken cooks, but I would recommend making it before you start cooking the chicken, as to make sure that the sauce is ready to put on the chicken when it is done cooking. The other thing I would change would be to decrease the amount of fresh ginger in the sauce and possibly add a little more brown sugar to make it sweeter. Overall, it's also a really easy recipe that doesn't take much time. I think the leftovers will be even better tomorrow!

The dessert is the one that I'm really excited about (of course)! BK has asked that we have a new tradition: that I bake something for his team on Day 5 of the month. He lives in a work world where month close is on the fourth working day of the month, so day 5 is kind of a relief that the longest day of the month is over. Last month it was the cheesecake that I posted about, and this month I embarked on Peanut Butter Cup Crack Brownies. Yum!

As of this post, I haven't yet tested them- they need a little more time to cool. The one difficult thing about this recipe, specifically while being in Switzerland, is that they don't have peanut butter cup candy! Seriously...the Swiss don't eat nearly as much peanut butter as we do in the US. They go more for Nutella, if anything. Needless to say, I had to improvise the peanut butter layer that's under the top chocolate layer. The recipe also calls for a boxed brownie mix, but I don't really do box mixes of stuff, so I found another brownie recipe that I liked and made those as the bottom layer. It would have been nice to have a microwave for this recipe, especially when melting chocolate, but I used my double boiler instead, which worked really well.

I'm thankful to have this time to try new recipes and experiment in the kitchen. Hopefully this one goes over well at the office and all the Europeans appreciate just how good peanut butter and chocolate go together!

Two weeks in Tejas

Apparently I decided to take a vacation from the blog while we were in the US. It was not intentional, but looking back now, I'm assuming it was partially because I was visiting and spending time with the people I initially started writing the blog for.

The trip was a bit of a whirlwind, but having never lived outside of Fort Worth, I wasn't sure what to expect. I've never had to schedule a bunch of friends and family for lunches and dinner, making sure we see as many people as possible. About half way through the trip it actually dawned on me that I had been gallivanting around so much with my friends that I hadn't really seen much of my family. Things slowed down a little bit during the second week, but it was still pretty packed.

In the middle of the trip we also headed to Kilgore to see BK's family and celebrate RK and HG's birthdays. We capped the trip off by watching the Frogs play LSU the night before we left. Unfortunately we lost, but it's exciting the college football has begun again. And then there's the shopping. Let's just say the BK and I personally contributed to helping boost the economy over those two weeks.

I'll be honest, I was a little worried that when we came back I would be longing for Fort Worth- for my family, friends, familiar faces and places, easy access to many things I'm familiar with. But I was very happy to find that upon our return I was very happy to be back, and as strange as it feels to say, this feels like home right now. It probably also helps that Switzerland greeted us with perfect weather- 75 and sunny for the high, and 50 and cool at night. Sounds like late October in Texas.

Today I picked up the pups, who seem to be pretty much unfazed after 18 days at their holiday home. Now it's time to get back into our routine, and now that I have a little bit of language under my belt really find a purpose and way to spend my time here. Let's make it happen!