Mussels + Beer = Brussels

Went about a month ago. A little behind posting, will try to do better. Aaron had a buisness meeting so we took the ferry to France and drove up to Brussels. Good city for just a day visit.

Cliffs of Dover from the ferry


Grand Place


Another view of Grand Place




Aaron and I enjoying Mussels and Beer (belgium blonde)


Manneken Pis

Sheep on a Hill

Or Wales. Went to see Snakes on a Plane, before the trip. Don't think the English quite got the movie. Aaron and I were cracking up and everyone else was a little too serious.
Wales was beautiful. The countryside reminded me of Ireland. Drove a lot, almost the entire country in one day. On the map distances don't look that long...


Inside of Tintern Abbey




Caernarfon Castle



Aaron took this picture. Already had climbed up two towers, didn't think I could make another. He went up and took a picture of me waiting.

Cooking up a Storm

One thing that is definitely an upside to being here is that we’re cooking a lot more since moving. Eating out is about the same expense as back home (if you keep to our method of thinking that if we spend a dollar back home we spend a pound here). What is different is the availability of the food we would normally have gone out for. Back home if we were eating out it would normally be for Mexican, Chinese, or any of a number of ethnic cuisines. Since the most common of those was Mexican, that’s not as much of an option here.

There’s also not as much to do in the evening since there’s not a house to maintain and we’re not preparing for a wedding and a move. In the last week we’ve had roast chicken, rigatoni with tomato vodka sauce, chocolate chip cookies, beef and lamb stew (see below), and spaghetti with tuna, caper and tomato sauce.

Needless to say we’re eating much healthier now, which is funny if you consider some of the British cuisine. My favorite was the traditional dessert that one celebrity chef made on TV. It was basically lemon flavored fat with a little flour. The actual name was something on a pond with the pond being the lemon flavored fat. How that was appetizing is still unknown to me.

But that’s the bad of British cuisine. There are some good things. The fish and chips is great, and beef and ale pie is very tasty, especially if there are mushrooms included. And there’s always bangers and mash or liver, bacon, and mash, neither of which Wife will eat.

When it comes down to it, though, any more we’re just as happy cooking dinner at home. It’s been really nice having time to do things like make stock. Wife is taking on one baking project a week and is getting more interested in cooking. Now we have to each have nights where one of us cooks.

But that’s enough rambling from me. Here’s the stew we had tonight.



Cheers,
Frog

I Miss my Nerd Friends

Well, at least the friends I had before that title. Work life is very different here than back home. The people are very nice, but they aren’t technical. Being the only engineer in an office is challenging. Most of the time nobody has a clue what I’m talking about. I haven’t seen so many glazed over looks since I went to conventions in high school.

Another thing that’s strange is that almost nobody goes out for lunch. Granted there aren’t many options that are close by, but for the most part no one has time. I guess it’s the mark of a growing company that you have to work harder and have less time for things like lunch, but at some point it becomes counter productive because morale drops.

If you think I’m on about food again, you’re wrong. Back in the US lunch was always a time to have a little social interaction to break up the day. It gave me a chance to vent frustrations to friends/coworkers who had similar frustrations. While we all like our jobs it was nice to be able to discuss what we really thought of situations without being diplomatic.

I have a coworker here that Wife and I hang out with fairly regularly. Her husband and Wife normally get bored because we’ll take the discussion on a work tangent because we don’t have that outlet during the day. That outlet is definitely something that I miss.

Or maybe I’m just depressed because the police force here in the UK seems to think that being politically correct and making sure no one is offended is more important than making sure no one gets blown up: http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2087-2372471.html

Time for another sandwich at my desk. I miss Chipotle!

Frog

Borfesztival

Didn't get much of an impression of Budapest. Nothing stood out, but still a fun trip. Lots of beautiful buildings and a very fun wine festival. Hungarian red wines tasted like rubbing alcohol to me, but liked the whites.

Are you ready for some football?

I sure am. Could someone please send me a DVD of a taped game? I’m dying over here. And anyone that asks what I’m talking about because they have “real” football over here would be advised to not say this to my face. I miss my Chiefs. I miss my Saturday afternoons at Memorial stadium. I need football!

Listening to the first half of the Chiefs game last night was nice. I even got Bob Gretz shilling for Price Chopper. Of course it wasn’t the most exciting game to listen to, but I guess that’s what Herm brings to the table.

Wife has said we could get Sky with their Sports package since they show two NFL games a week, but I’m more tempted to get ESPN’s GamePlan on-line. I’d get more games and a wider selection. Plus then I could get GamePlan for college basketball, which is even more important.

Haven’t done another for and against so I think it’s about time to bring that back:

For: Multiple varieties of sausages at butchers.

Against: Chicken and beef stock is the equivalent of $5 for a 15 oz. can.

For: Being able to walk to the grocery store.

Against: The grocery store we like moving too far away to walk to.

For: The TV shows Top Gear and Saxondale.

Against: Almost every other British TV show.

For: Guy Fawkes Day (Nobody seems to know whether they’re celebrating an attempt to blow up Parliament or the prevention of that attempt).

Against: Christmas items appearing in stores already.

For: Beautiful, Welsh countryside.

Against: Slow, winding roads through Welsh countryside.

For: Friends and family coming to visit us.

Against: Going to Stonehenge innumerable times.

For: Hungarian white and sparkling wines.

Against: Hungarian red wine (aka, rubbing alcohol).

Hope everyone is doing well. Sorry I haven’t been keeping things up to date.

Cheers,
Frog

Budapest

Little late on the post. Budapest was fun. Lots of food and drinks. Guess that's what happens at a buisness meeting.


Hungarian Parliament


St. Stephen's Basilica

View of Basilica from across Danube


State Opera House

Inside Opera House (wan't supposed to take pictures, so no flash)


Bridge that links pest with buda. Buda Castle up on the hill.


Matyas Church. Really cool church. Rebuilt several times, so get a lot of different styles.


Statue Park. Took some of the communist statues from around the city and put them in a park. Really surreal walking around giant statues in the middle of nowhere.

Copenhagen Part 2

Radhuspladsen. Big square next to City Hall. Lots of tour groups.

Another view of the Radhuspladsen from Tivoli Gardens.



Tivoli Gardens. Roller coasters, cafes, ballet, and open air concerts.



Square along the Stroget. Long pedestrian street with shopping (lots of shopping).



Right side of canal is part of Slotsholmen (Danish Parliment).



Carlsberg Brewery.


Not quite sure where I took this picture.