Norway - Land of the Midnight Sun

(posted by John)

Imagine Colorado mountains combined with the Boundary Waters area of Minnesota.  That is the closest analogy I can think of to capture the beauty of Norway.  Throw in being a far north as Alaska on the summer solstice (longest daylight of the year), and you have the makings of quite a vacation!

The kids last of school was June 16th and we wanted to experience one more European trip before heading back to Minnesota for the summer.  Fortunately, our friends the Pemantell's invited us to join them on a trip to Norway.  We had been wanting to explore Scandanavia in the summer and take a trip with our friends so this was a perfect match.

We arrived in Norway at around 11pm on Thursday, June 16.  It was still light out!  Almost an eerie feeling to have so few people/cars out and about when it's still light out.  We stayed our first night at the YMCA Hostel in Bergen, Norway.  Yes, HOSTEL.  Jen and I have never stayed at a hostel, let alone with kids.  It turned out great.  We had our own room with six twin beds.  It was just like staying in a college dorm room.  I'm glad I no longer live in a college dorm room...

The Pemantell's and Feriancek's (Jen taking photo)

Friday morning we woke up early to take the train into Fjord country.  We booked our transportation through a program called "Norway in a Nutshell"  http://www.norwaynutshell.com/en/explore-the-fjords/norway-in-a-nutshell// and geared our trip around seeing the Sognefjord, the largest fjord in Norway http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sognefjord.  We departed Bergen for the town of Myrdal where we switched trains to go to the town of Flam.  The train from Myrdal to Flam is famous for its scenic decent http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fl%C3%A5m_Line.  Unfortunately it was cloudy and rainy on this day, but we were still able to enjoy the trip. 

A stop at the Waterfall mid-train ride from Myrdal to Flam

We arrived in Flam and had a few hours to eat, do a small hike, and shop for souveniers before departing on a boat cruise from Flam to Gudvangen via the Sognefjord.  Being on the fjord was certainly the highlight.  Absolutely amazing.  In certain areas of the Fjord the cliffs are over a 1,000 meters high and the water is a 1,000 meters deep (that's over 3,000 feet!).

Matthew on the Naeroyfjord

Hearing the stories about the Viking age and how these towns were settled 700 - 1,000 years ago is quite amazing.  I also did not realize the impact the Vikins had throughout Europe during the middle ages http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Viking_Age  Our lodging for the next three days would be a cabin in Gudvangen, Norway.  Perfect.  Amazing views right out our front door, a playground for the kids, and hiking trails close by.





Fun on the teeter totter

Our Saturday consisted of exploring Gudvangen and the small village of Bakka (well Gudvangen is small, maybe tiny is more accurate for Bakka).  Bakka is located right on the fjord. 



The hiking kids in Bakka



The hike to and from Bakka wore us out so the rest of our evening was dinner in the cabin and playing on the playground.  Family and friends...best part of the trip.






Friends & Family



Sunday consistent of a bus ride back to flam for our "Fjord Safari!"  We dressed up in rain gear and goggles provided to us by the company operating the tour and headed our on a three-hour tour ("a three-hour tour"...think Gilligan's Island) of the Naeroyfjord, a UNESCO recognized historic site (this is the same fjord we toured on Friday and is the fjord on which both Gudvangen and Bakka are located) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/N%C3%A6r%C3%B8yfjord.  We were in a small boat with a tour guide so we heard much of the history of this area, saw seals that are native to the area, and of course breathtaking scenery. 

No words are necessary...

We ended the day with dinner at a micro-brewery in Flam (highlight for Chris and I) and a bus ride back to Gudvangen.

Monday was moving day, one more night in Bergen before heading back to The Netherlands.  A bus and train ride got us back to Bergen in time for dinner and an early night to bed. 

On Tuesday, we tour the city seeing the old city center of Bryggen http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bryggen, and the Bergenhus fortress... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bergenhus_Fortress and the Bergen fish market...

ARM in front of Bryggen waterfront

Tuesday evening we flew back to The Netherlands to get ready for Jen and the kids to fly back to the US for the summer.  Hope to see you then!

John

Uncle Randy comes to town

(posted by John)

We were fortunate to receive a visit from Jen's Uncle Randy from June 9-14.  We did not do any traveling other than to see the sights in The Netherlands, attend Ryan's baseball tournament, various school events, and in general enjoying each other's company.  We did drink a few bottles of wine during Randy's stay...  We enjoy Randy's visit and look forward to seeing him in MN this summer!

Randy and the kids

Dinner at Joselito

Cheeseman's in Europe

(posted by John)

This spring we have been blessed by a number of visitors from the States.  In late May/early June, we were excited to have our great friends the Cheeseman's (Jen, Mike, Zach, Isabel & Grant) visit us.  We first met Jen and Mike in Philadelphia while I was attending business school and our friendship has continued to grow ever since.  They currently live in Houston, but beginning in 2004, we would meet every summer in Colorado to hike, camp, sightsee, etc.  With our move to Europe, 2011 is the first summer since 2004 that we have not met in CO, but luckily, Jen and Mike packed up their crew and came to visit us in Europe.



Great friends in Amsterdam



The Cheeseman's arrived on Friday, May 27 and we spent the weekend exploring Amsterdam.  A traditional dutch pancake house, gelato, pizza place, gelato, playing in the park, gelato, you get the idea...

How many kids fit into a wooden shoe?

That Sunday, the Cheeseman's departed for Paris.  We saw all the pictures upon when they came back to our house on Wednesday night.  They played hard!  As has been the case for our kids, to experience a foreign culture and the sites of Paris at such a young age is priceless.


The Cheeseman's returned on Wednesday night for four days of play with the Feriancek's.  We balanced sight seeing (including a boat ride through the canals of Amsterdam http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canals_of_Amsterdam and visiting the Anne Frank House http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anne_Frank_House )  with just hanging out, playing in the park etc.  The same plan we use when we visit them in Colorado.  We ALWAYS have a great time with the Cheesemans and we look forward to their next visit to Europe our our visit to Colorado :)

Playing in the fountain at Museumplein in Amsterdam

Boat ride through the canals of Amsterdam

John

St. James Girls visit Holland & Belgium

(posted by John)

Jen will eloborate on this post at a later date, but I wanted to acknowledge the visit made by Jen's friends from high school made from May 20 - 30 this year.  Originally I believe the plan was for the four of them to go somewhere warm to celebrate their 40th birthdays.  Well, our move to Europe put a little kink in those plan so we were very excited when Nikki, Julie and Andrea decided that a European vacation was a great way to celebrate as well!  So the girls packed their bags (many bags) and headed to Holland.

The first part of their trip was focused on Amsterdam and a few other cities in the surrounding area.  The kids and I had fun partaking in the Heineken experience with them (a tour of the original Heineken brewery in Amsterdam) and eating at the Hard Rock Cafe.  Jen and the girls the headed off to Belgium for three days and I heard many stories of fantastic sightseeing, great food, and great chocolate!  I believe the city of Brugge, Belgium was the highlight, I have not yet been there but can't wait to go!

As I said, Jen will insert more detail about this trip, she was very excited that the girls made the trip across the Atlantic to expereince a slice of Europe with us.  Thank you!

Canal cruise through Amsterdam

John

Queen's Day!

(posted by John)

What is Queens Day you ask?  First, it's April 30th and it is the official day when the country celebrates the Queen's birthday.  Most importantly its the single biggest party in the Netherlands!  And for our first Queen's Day http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Koninginnedag it did not dissappoint.  We bagan the day with the kids selling random stuff (think garage sale) in Vondelpark within Amsterdam.  On Queen's Day, Vondelpark is traditionally reserved for children only to hold a giant garage sale.  Some even perform; singing, dancing, playing a musical instrument.  Allie & Matthew already have big performing plans for Queen's Day 2012. 

The kids crew in Vondelpark wearing the official royal color - ORANGE

After selling for 3-4 hours, we made our way to the home of our friends the Manbecks (Keith, Tracey, Kelley, Tommy and Jack) who live in the Old South (Oud Suid) section of Amsterdam.  Here we joined in on their block party and met many new friends.  Can't wait to celebrate again next year!

How do we look in Orange?

Cheers,

John

Grandma Betty, Jenny, Jon and Andie visit the Netherlands and Italy

(posted by John)

Wow, it's been a while since we last posted.  Lots of fun stuff to bring you up to speed on.  I'll try to catch up over the next week or so...

Jon, Ryan & Matthew biking to the Gelatoria

On Thursday, April 14th Grandma Betty and the Donovan crew (my sister Jenny, her husband Jon and daughter Andie) made the trek accross the Atlantic to visit us in Europe.  We were long awaiting their visit and were excited to show them around our European home.  As is customary for everyone who pays us a visit, once you arrive we take you to visit the kids school, the international school of amsterdam http://www.isa.nl/.  Next the kids took Jon to our neighborhood gelatoria for the first of many gelato cones during their visit.   It was a bit difficult at first for 20-month old Andie to fight the jet lag so Jon, Jenny and Jen took turns during the night staying up with Andie. 

The next day Jen took everyone to tour Amsterdam.  Many of the stops I've blogged about previously were on the itinerary such as the Anne Frank house, Museumplein, Leidseplein.  The best part of this day and the entire trip may have been the weather.  We've enjoyed what is by all accounts an abnormally pleasant April with a typical temperature in the mid to upper sixties and SUN!  Yes, we have had an amazing stretch of sunny days and we are enjoying every minute of it!

Friday night I took Jenny and Jon into Amsterdam for the evening. After a quick stroll through the red-light district (no pictures allowed, sorry), we had dinner in the Leidseplein area of Amsterdam http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leidseplein and then went to a bar to watch a couple of local bands play covers of American classics well into the night.  Lots of fun!

Saturday morning the girls went to visit the Keukenhof flower garden which was in full bloom http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Keukenhof.  Ryan and I went to his baseball game in Haarlem (they won both games!).  We took it easy Saturday evening since we had an early flight the next morning.

The girls at the Flower Farm



Sunday morning we departed for Italy!  Our itinerary called for two days in Rome and four days in the Tuscany region.  We flew into the Rome airport which sits about 45 minutes outside of the city.  Once we touched down, we took a train into the center of the city.  For those of you who have never been to Rome, this is a BUSY city.  More that eight million people and not one straight street!  Our hotel was located near Termini train station, very near the Colosseum.  After such a crazy day, we decided to check into the hotel and find something to eat.  Of course, finding something to eat in Italy is the highlight of any trip!  Lasagna, spaghetti and pizza...mmmm. 



Dinner in Italy...Mmmm



After dinner we wrapped up our evening by visiting one of the many famous gelatorias in Rome, and I know you'll think I'm exagerating...but there is nothing quite like Italian gelato....

Gelatoooooooooooo

Monday was our day to see some sights.  We purchased tickets for a hop-on, hop-off bus tour which is quickly becoming a favorite of ours as we tour Europe.  We saw the Colosseum http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colosseum, Roman forum http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roman_Forum, and Vatican City http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vatican_City among many other sites.  We waited in line to take a tour of the Vatican Museum, the highlight of which is the Sistine Chapel http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sistine_Chapel.  Amazing.

St. Peter's square

Our day was capped off by another great dinner and a bottle of wine (or two :))

Can you tell we like dinner in Italy?

Tuesday was our last day in Rome and we gave Grandma Betty the morning off (she enjoyed a leisurly morning of Breakfast on her beautiful terrace) and the rest of us toured the Colesseum.  We beat the lines by getting there early.  This was my second visit and I still find it amazing that they built this structure nearly 2,000 years ago.  One must see it to believe it.




Allie at the Colesseum


As we departed Rome, we made a quick stop at Trevi Fountain http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trevi_Fountain.  Beyond the fountain itself, the most amazing aspect of this stop was that I drove a nine-passenger van right to the fountain site.  Not an easy feat!




Tossing coins into Trevi Fountain


We departed Rome mid afternoon for Tuscany.  After a three hour drive was arrived at Bosco Della Spina http://www.boscodellaspina.it/.  This resort came highly recommended by Jen's cousin Julie who stayed here in the fall of 2010.  The hotel is located about 30 kilometers south of Siena in a town called Murlo http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=murlo,+italy&aq=&sll=37.230328,-95.712891&sspn=43.860855,123.134766&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=Murlo+Sienna,+Tuscany,+Italy&ll=43.068888,11.25&spn=5.088194,15.391846&z=7

What a find!  Many thanks to Julie for recommending this resort.  Great location close to many fun sites and in the middle of the Tuscan wine country.  We ate dinner at the resort Tuesday night and relaxed for the rest of the night.

Grandma & Jenny - View from the Terrace

On Wednesday we spent the day in Siena http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siena, and this may have been our favorite day of the trip.  Fun shops, historic sites, great food & gelato in a city that has not changed much in the last 700 years.  Jenny, Allie, Matthew and myself clinbed to the top of the clock tower that dominates Piazza del Campo, the primary town square.  The girls also enjoyed the weekly flea market.

Piazza del Campo in Siena

We caught our breath on Thursday and stayed at the resort for the day.  Jen, Betty and Jenny did break away for a winery tour while Jon and I took the kids to the park, ate lunch, and swam in a pool that proved to be a bit chilly.  We at dinner that evening in Murlo.  We went to bed a bit early that night so we had plenty of rest for the big Friday we had ahead of us...

Andie loves Italian food!

We left the resort early Friday morning and drove to Pisa, location of course of the leaning tower of Pisa http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leaning_Tower_of_Pisa  We were again blessed with beautiful weather as we inspected a 1,000 year old building that truly should have fallen over quite some time ago.  Pretty cool.




The Leaning Tower of Pisa



We spent about an hour at the tower and then departed for Florence http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Florence.  Florence is a past capital of Italy and the historic rival city of Siena.  Florence is also home to Michelangelo's David http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_(Michelangelo) which we went to see in person.  We also toured the Duomo (Church) at the center of town and found another great restaurant for dinner.

Grandma & Kids in Florence



Saturday was our day to depart back to Amsterdam.  Our flight was in the evening so we were about to squeeze in another great meal and sight seeing on the ride back to the airport in the village of Montepulciano http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Montepulciano.  One of the best meals we had!

Matthew, Andie and Ryan in Montepulciano

 

That night we flew back to Amsterdam.  Early the next morning Betty, Jon, Jenny and Andie flew back to the states.  We had a great time during their visit; we're so glad they came! 

Allie and Andie at Keukenhof

Hope to see you soon, plenty of room at the Hotel Feriancek in Holland!

John

A Visit to Texel

(posted by John)



Last Sunday, March 27th, Jen, the kids, Bella and I traveled to the northern section of The Netherlands to visit the island of Texel (pronounced tessel).  Texel is the first island in a chain of islands that extends from Holland northward http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Texel. 

On the ferry to Texel, still a bit chilly!



We drove north from our home in Amstelveen for about one hour and twenty minutes until we reached the town of Den Halder which is at the northern tip of the mainland.  Once here, we parked our car and took a twenty minute ferry ride across the sea to Texel.  So now how do we move around Texel?  Of course since we are in The Netherlands, we rent bikes! 



Biking to the beach



We optimistically had hoped to bike around the island, but Texel is MUCH too big for my crew, so instead we biked to the beach (aren't you surprised Jen wanted to go to the beach?)  The ride from the ferry port to the beach area took about an hour and a half.  A fairly liesurly ride, except for Bella.  She received quite a workout!



The landscape is beautiful.  Imagine small farm houses with orange tiled roofs, lots of sheep, and flower fields everywhere.  Yes, the are flower farmers!  I guess I never though about who grows flowers, but yes indeed, there are flower farmers.  We were a bit early to truly appreciate the beauty, that will occur about a month from now, but already a few fields were springing up yellow and purple.  I express my amazement to my Dutch colleagues, and they shake their head.  Flower farms are quite normal to them.  Maybe you have to grow up around corn and bean fields your whole life to be amazed...

Flower field

 

The bike ride was great.  Jen and Matthew shared a tandem bike and Matthew did an outstanding job.  Allie and Ryan were on adult sized bikes and did a fantastic job as well.  In addition to the farm landscape, there was a forest and of course the beach. 

We hung out at the beach for about 90 minutes, had lunch and ran Bella around on the beach and in the sea.  we also basked in the sun and enjoyed the beautiful day.

Any day on the beach is a good day

The bike ride back to the ferry went just as well as the ride out, but we had to slow down a bit for Bella.  25 kilometers running next to a bike wore her out!  Once we returned out bikes, we bought some ice cream while we waitied for the ferry.  Another ferry ride back to shore, back in the car and back home.  Another great European adventure!

Beach Bums

We hope you are all doing well!

John