tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7015925339748108572024-03-12T21:52:27.708-04:00Oh Colleenvisual journalohcolleenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02675006184546825034noreply@blogger.comBlogger43125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-701592533974810857.post-31608534242618906232012-03-09T23:07:00.105-05:002012-03-11T23:05:22.770-04:00France with a side of Spain<b>PARIS<br />
</b>It's been about two weeks since we've returned from our mini-journey to France (and a dip into Spain). There is always a period after a trip where your mind is being pulled by two polar opposites of thought: vacation-thinking, competing with realworld-thinking. It's like a tug-of-war game, and I'm always pulling for the vacation side. Daydreaming, wishing you were still there, hopeful that your next meal will taste as good. Then eventually, you're completely immersed back into regular life and what you have left are things like this, a journal blog, where you can go back and relive moments of our little adventure. So, here I am, trying to pickle some memories so I can taste how delicious they were a little later on. I've pickled a lot of memories here but if you just wanna see the pics, you can look at them <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/oh_colleen/sets/72157629446981133/">here.</a><br />
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Everyone has their own travelling style, but at this point, we've clearly defined that we just like to 1) wander, and 2) eat. And we did a ton of both, with a side of art and culture. <br />
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Before the trip, I was trying to get down on some Rosetta Stone french lessons (which are amazing) and of course I wasn't exactly bilingual, but I did waaaay better than the last time and my french comprehension was through the roof compared to last time. I had some pretty awesome french teachers too... Like Romain, who was also the amazing host who let us stay with him and introduced us to his friend and roommate Jean Guy. <br />
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I learned a bunch and merged some french into my english. Like the new word for wandering -- the verb flanneur (to wander). Dave's knowledge of Paris always makes for easy-breezy flanning and of course, tasty meals. <br />
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Paris was freezing but it's such a beautiful city, it's easy to forgive. I didn't take a ton of pictures because well, I took a ton the last time which wasn't all that long ago, but here's a small sampling and you can see a few more on <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/oh_colleen/sets/72157629446981133/">my Flickr.</a><br />
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And oh, those tasty meals. This was my first time in Paris as a meat-eater so there were some glorious moments. Dave took me to this lovely, lovely little bistro called Le Temps de Cerises where I was introduced to Cassoulet. I'd never even heard of this dish before, but it was bonkers. It's a slow-cooked casserole that originated in the south of France, and ours had pork sausage, pork belly, goose, duck confit and haricot beans in this really delicious rich sauce. And I also tried beef cheeks for the first time ever (but not the last time in France, as they were pretty common all around, and yummy). The french take their meat seriously, and they do it very well! <br />
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I had taken some scrumptious food shots on my iphone but sadly, it was stolen on our last day in Paris, and a bunch of really lovely photos went with it. So I can't show you pictures of the crazy duck confit we ate, or the buttery pastries, the delicious breakfast our friends Greg and Agnes made for us, or the turkish pistachio cookies we found in Montmartre. But take my word for it, we ate very well. <br />
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<b>BARCELONA BOUND</b><br />
We packed a picnic, french cheese, charcuterie and wine, and headed to the night train to set off for Barcelona. And, lugging a big suitcase up one of the huge staircases in the metro, I felt something funky going on with my handbag and when we got to the train, I discovered my phone was stolen. And what also went with it were the directions to our hotel. When we arrived after taking the overnight train, the city felt empty -- partly due to the fact that it was very early Sunday morning, but also because it definitely wasn't tourist season (pros and cons to that). We got off the subway and just started wandering, hoping we would stumble upon a clue about our hotel. We stopped a woman in the street to ask and she didn't know. And a few minutes later, a man approached us and asked if we were looking for the Ibis hotel -- it turned out the woman had stopped him to ask him, and said if he saw two tourists to direct them to the right spot. HOW NICE IS THAT?? <br />
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We went flanning and stumbled upon one of the most bizarre and amazing things I have ever seen. We could hear people cheering and thought we were walking past a soccer game but it turned out it was a Human Tower competition!!!! Have you ever seen a Human Tower? Or a Castell, as I've learned is the proper name in the Catalonian region of Spain. People form a base, then more people climb up to create another level, and another, until finally small children climb to the top, forming a human tower that is ten people high. Amazing and totally insane. Especially when the square is full of flying pigeons who threatened to collide with the small children at the top. <br />
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And we ate lots of tapas. Which were good, but nothing mindblowing. I did the research to find out where the good spots were, but even after visiting a handful of them, overall, I was a little disappointed in our food in Spain. Although from what I hear, just like you don't go to Germany for the food, you don't go to Spain for it either. There is a really typical tapas dish called Patates Bravas, which I think translates to 'wild potatoes' and for the most part, I would say there was nothing wild about them. They're basically homefries served with spicy mayo and most were nothing special, except for this delicious little number below, which also served us delicious paella (we were in Spain, we had to). The place was called Pollo Rico, and was patronized mainly by men with no teeth, but the food really was good!<br />
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Despite my general dissatisfaction with the food we ate, my obsession with all things "pattern" was on overdrive in Barcelona. Wow. Incredible tile work, facades that haven't been touched since the 60s (thank goodness for that -- why fix it if it ain't broke), and a general interest in making the exterior surroundings beautiful. For me, it was all about foyers of apartment buildings. <br />
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Barcelona is beautiful, but for me, Gaudi and his insane structures are where it's at. When I was in Barcelona the first time, the Sagrada Familia was not open to the public. Ten years later, a ton of progress had been made and the inside absolutely blew... my... mind. Awe struck. Gaping jaw. Wide eyes. Incredible. If I knew someone who was looking for God, this is where I would direct them. It's still not done and next time I go to Barcelona, I can't wait to see how it has continued to transform. <br />
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And then there was Park Güell, this totally insane garden complex which was equally amazing but in a more playful way. Again, love of pattern -- my head was going to explode. It looks like it's made of candy. <br />
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After 4 days in Barcelona and a lovely time overall, we debated the possibility of spending some more time in Spain, but we let our bellies guide us -- and they told us to go back to France. <br />
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<b>PAS BONNE, AVIGNON, ARLES, NIMES</b><br />
On the train trip away from Barcelona, it was clear we were entering back into France. Beautiful little villages, clay-tiled rooftops, thin rows of tall skinny trees and views of the Pyrenees mountains. Our rail passes were pretty flexible so we chose to hop off at some random little spot on the rail line called Narbonne. We got off the train and immediately, it was like the howling winds were trying to tell us something... Run! Go! This is not the place for you! We started to walk around and there was just something kind of cold and uninviting about the place. After struggling to find any kind of nourishment, we renamed the city Pas Bonne, and hopped on the next train outta there and got off at the lovely Avignon, where we spent a few nights and used it as a base for doing some daytrips to other little towns in the south. <br />
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We went in search of a nice meal, and we found it at this restaurant called Caveau du Theatre. What we also found was foie gras. Don't hate me, but it turns out... it's crazy tasty. Like, it's insane. This particular one was a foie gras terrine served with onion chutney and led me down the same path about trois fois more while we travelled in France. My sincere thank yous and apologies to the little ducks and geese who made it. <br />
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After dinner, we explored some drinks and more of the city, which was cast in golden light. What a beautiful little spot, with a fortified old town. It had some magic at night, but it's also pretty by day. <br />
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Nimes was even nicer! What a gem. It's an old, quaint town known for its Roman amphitheatre but I know it for the adorable little streets that charmed me completely. <br />
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And then we hopped on the train and went to Arles, which is a place where Van Gogh spent a ton of time, if you recognize the name. It was an old, pastel-tinted city. It was also where we had one of my favourite little picnic lunches, having gone to a butcher shop to get some duck rillette and to the bakery to get one of the best baguettes I've ever had. Beautiful. <br />
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I didn't know what a rillette was until Dave introduced me to it. It's similar to a pâté. Often made with pork, but also other meats like duck or goose or even seafood, the meat is cut finely, salted heavily and cooked slowly in fat until it falls apart, and then cooled with some of the fat to form a paste. And it's delicious. <br />
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An amazing couple of days. What perfect surprises these places were. <br />
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<b>MONT PELLIER, ST GUILHEM LE DESERT, BOUZIGUES<br />
</b>The next day we headed off to Mont Pellier, to see and stay with some of Dave's very best friends, Ben and Lorenie. (And their amazing little girl Rachel, who proved to me that I am not smarter than a 3-year old. Her french blew mine out of the water). Ben and Lorenie are awesome. Ben treated us to some super tasty french food I'd never tried, including Tielle, an octopus tart, and Seiche à la Rouille, which is basically a tomato- and white wine-based octopus stew. Yum. <br />
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B&L also took us on some pretty great road trips to the Pont de Diable, and my favourite, this amazing little village called St Guilhem le Desert that looked untouched by time. And we saw the most amazing sunset over french mountain tops. <br />
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We also ventured off to Bouzigues, this nice seaside town, and got down on some serious seafood. <br />
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<b>Carcasonne</b><br />
Another daytrip was to Carcassonne which is the home of Cassoulet (!!) and has this crazy old medieval castle. We got off the train and headed up, and it was just totally deserted. It looked as though it had stayed relatively untouched by time and tourists. It looked like the kind of place that people forgot about, and the only people that patronized the castle were teenagers looking for a good drinking spot. It was so refreshing. Until we went around another few corners and discovered that we had just gone up the wrong entrance, and that it was completely developed for tourism. But, it was fun while it lasted. <br />
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<b>Back to Paris<br />
</b>And while I have very few pictures to prove it, we had an amazing time in Mont Pellier and were super sad to leave. We headed back to Paris, where we found one final epic meal to complete the trip at La Strasbourgeoise which serves Alsation food which was also new to me and one of the tastiest meals we had the whole trip. Alsatian food is where french food meets german food. And the main reason we went was because Dave said we had to go for choucroute. If you like sauerkraut, which I do, you would love this dish. <br />
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The dish is basically a sauerkraut stew... sauerkraut served with pork, sausage, and potatoes. Super simple but super delicious. We also tried Flammekueche, also known as Tarte flambée and with my poor french I translated it as "ham and cheese pizza" but it was soooo much more! It's a crusty dough rolled out and covered with crème fraîche, carmelized onions and lardons. Crazy delicious! And last but not least... my absolute favourite dessert in the world... crème brulée. And this one was to die for. A perfect end to a delicious trip. <br />
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<b>My final thoughts<br />
</b>The food in France just tastes so amazing, but it's usually based on the simplest ingredients, and you're just left wondering, WHY does this taste so good? My sister was telling me there is a word for this, a french word nonetheless: terroir, which describes the special qualities that the geography, geology and climate of a certain place has upon particular foods. Basically, unique land produces unique results that you can't mimic elsewhere. And I'm a firm believer. And the bread! Even when I buy the fanciest artisanal baguette at home, it just doesn't even come close to the baguettes you can get at the bakery on any given corner in France. <br />
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This time around, I couldn't believe just how incredibly warm and friendly and helpful everyone was. Even after having my phone stolen, I feel like this trip restored my faith in the goodness and kindness of strangers. <br />
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All of my trip pictures are posted here, take a look <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/oh_colleen/sets/72157629446981133/">here!</a>ohcolleenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02675006184546825034noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-701592533974810857.post-60412987959189507762012-02-07T18:12:00.001-05:002012-02-07T18:12:46.712-05:00The journey beginsAfter a dramatic day, our flight nearly cancelled, cancelled then put on again, we have made it into the boarding lounge and are hopefully on our way to France! Cross your fingers for us!!<div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-uDWE3OmeXLE/TzGv7Tkuy6I/AAAAAAAAAck/yyrr03XBOeo/s640/blogger-image-1843307676.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-uDWE3OmeXLE/TzGv7Tkuy6I/AAAAAAAAAck/yyrr03XBOeo/s640/blogger-image-1843307676.jpg" /></a></div>ohcolleenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02675006184546825034noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-701592533974810857.post-57468499816705903462012-01-24T10:00:00.002-05:002012-01-24T10:00:07.342-05:00J-j-j-jengaI was looking through some pictures this week of when we were visiting our friends Amanda and Lazlo in Budapest and came across a picture of us playing Jenga, and it got me thinking about shapes, and ultimately got me doodling a little jenga-inspired pattern, which was the starting point for this little series. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-TPJCo2WuKys/TxurO2rJUMI/AAAAAAAAAcM/mPXUTxKNUME/s1600/Jenga3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style=""><img border="0" width="600" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-TPJCo2WuKys/TxurO2rJUMI/AAAAAAAAAcM/mPXUTxKNUME/s600/Jenga3.jpg" /></a></div>ohcolleenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02675006184546825034noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-701592533974810857.post-26328043054187950932012-01-21T22:30:00.000-05:002012-01-21T22:30:52.502-05:00Hibernation hallucinationsI've been hibernating. And perhaps it's my constant craving for warm blankets that has me seeing quilts. A little pattern series inspired by those visions.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-S0hxltfLCkk/TxuCLiIUgKI/AAAAAAAAAbQ/St0Se1ILang/s1600/QuiltDreamin1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style=""><img border="0" width="600" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-S0hxltfLCkk/TxuCLiIUgKI/AAAAAAAAAbQ/St0Se1ILang/s600/QuiltDreamin1.jpg" /></a></div><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ypy2F7fF3yg/TxuCTsbvqBI/AAAAAAAAAbo/ivvfWLl19pk/s1600/QuiltDreamin3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style=""><img border="0" width="600" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ypy2F7fF3yg/TxuCTsbvqBI/AAAAAAAAAbo/ivvfWLl19pk/s600/QuiltDreamin3.jpg" /></a></div>ohcolleenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02675006184546825034noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-701592533974810857.post-87407444715086317922012-01-09T00:12:00.000-05:002012-01-09T00:12:02.258-05:00Post-sabbatical sabbaticalWhen I posted back in JULY about keeping my blog going (I'm resisting the urge to use that emoticon with the squiggle for a mouth), I really meant it -- but I clearly have been taking a break. I just don't have nearly the same amount of story-worthy material as when we were jaunting about across the sea... nor the wide open schedule. But I'm here now, and it's in the spirit of my sabbatical that I return -- I'm trying to keep the creative dream alive in my pattern work and I wanted to post some. Strange how things just kind of feel more real when you put them out into the world. <br />
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The other creative outlets I've been a little too motivated to work on are cooking and baking. Yikes. I've been embracing the world of meat and even gone so far as to make my own sausages -- I considered posting pictures but thought the juxtaposition of patterns and pig intestines might be a little off-putting. And who knew I loved baking so much?<br />
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I think about Berlin every single day. We were so free! But, next month we'll be heading off for two weeks to France to satiate our hunger for travel... It won't be a full meal, it will just be a nibble, but hopefully it's enough to sustain us until we can jet off for another sabbatical. Fingers crossed.<br />
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Et voila, here are some of my patterns since the return to Toronto…<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5BE6dF7PnfY/TwpzfRW__UI/AAAAAAAAAZk/dmvWKK2Lzys/s1600/BallsAndChains_600.jpg" imageanchor="1" style=""><img border="0" height="600" width="600" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5BE6dF7PnfY/TwpzfRW__UI/AAAAAAAAAZk/dmvWKK2Lzys/s600/BallsAndChains_600.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-klU9f8QZPmY/TwpzsA8Q_xI/AAAAAAAAAZw/qJ-qo6qsexs/s1600/Borderline.jpg" imageanchor="1" style=""><img border="0" width="600" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-klU9f8QZPmY/TwpzsA8Q_xI/AAAAAAAAAZw/qJ-qo6qsexs/s600/Borderline.jpg" /></a></div><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-sJiXqB8xOMA/Twp0uwVNtYI/AAAAAAAAAbE/r5TICRETmy0/s1600/TurkishDelight_600.jpg" imageanchor="1" style=""><img border="0" height="600" width="600" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-sJiXqB8xOMA/Twp0uwVNtYI/AAAAAAAAAbE/r5TICRETmy0/s600/TurkishDelight_600.jpg" /></a></div>ohcolleenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02675006184546825034noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-701592533974810857.post-59775939981838727222011-07-10T17:04:00.000-04:002011-07-10T17:04:34.653-04:00Baby's First SteakOkay so if any of you have talked with me about what the best meat I've had since I started back to meat-eating, you would have heard about this steak I got at Gasparro's butcher shop on Bloor. The butcher that helped me was super awesome and told me exactly how to cook so I'm gonna pass this delicious knowledge on to you. He told me if I followed his instructions we would have steaks that would sell for $60 in a restaurant and they would melt in your mouth. He was right. <br />
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<b>Choose your meat<br />
</b>First, you gotta get a good steak, obviously. We had Angus NY Strip and it was bonkers good.<br />
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<b>Season it up</b><br />
Then, you gotta have a good seasoning. Gasparro's sold me on the Barbarian steak spice and I'm glad they did. So coat the steak in a healthy amount of steak spice on all sides, and you're ready to grill.<br />
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<b>Grill time<br />
</b>Step one: <br />
Turn your BBQ to the hottest it can get. Oil the grill a little bit and pop your steaks on, and grill for ONE MINUTE each side. This is just to sear the meat and keep the juices in.<br />
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Step two:<br />
If you have two burners, turn the heat down to medium on one side and turn the heat off altogether on the other side. Then move your steaks to the side that's off so you're cooking with indirect heat. Make sure that you TURN the steaks 90 degrees so that you get the nice criss-cross grill marks on them. Close the lid. For medium steak, cook for 5 minutes each side -- no more. <br />
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Voila, perfect steak!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ypdGFeC5gS0/ThoTr9xBexI/AAAAAAAAAZc/t09fxhtjD4A/s1600/Steak.jpg" imageanchor="1" style=""><img border="0" width="620" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ypdGFeC5gS0/ThoTr9xBexI/AAAAAAAAAZc/t09fxhtjD4A/s620/Steak.jpg" /></a></div>ohcolleenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02675006184546825034noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-701592533974810857.post-54213197748591704552011-07-10T16:51:00.000-04:002011-07-10T16:51:09.777-04:00What the heck, let's keep goingIt's been about 6 weeks since we've been back in Canada and life here is great. We turned things upside down a little to leave for a few months and I'm happy to report that things are settling back into place, even better than they were before. I'm trying to look at the city with fresh eyes and I'm seeing there are pretty things here too. <br />
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For me, big changes being home:<br />
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1. Time! I have time to do things that aren't work. Before I left I was working way too much and now, I've got the time to enjoy life (like going to Toronto Island).<br />
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2. Meat! I didn't eat meat before I left so it's like discovering a whole new city to eat and cook in. And eat Dave's homemade braised beef short ribs (with red cabbage and apple slaw) in. <br />
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3. Freelance! Before I left I had a job and was freelancing a lot, but now I'm back to focusing on solely freelance. I decided I wanted to work on things that make me happier and get me excited, and so far, the universe is truly working in my favour. Pinch me. Here's a window painting thing I did for Miss Cora's Kitchen in Kensington (much more to come on this project). <br />
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4. Movin' in! Dave and I are living together for realz and it's awesome. <br />
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I think going to Europe was the perfect kickstart to a new chapter.ohcolleenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02675006184546825034noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-701592533974810857.post-1286029708459699122011-06-02T17:23:00.003-04:002011-06-02T17:33:50.235-04:00Back in Toronto :: Insights on our TravelsSo it's been a week since we arrived back on Canadian soil and while I truly was dreading coming back home and back to reality, I am happy to report that I am really excited to be home. The first few days were really quite an adjustment but every day has gotten a little brighter and brighter to the point where I feel like I've fallen in love with Toronto again. It's true that I have a mile long wish list of things that I would love to be different in Toronto, but home is where the heart is. And when the sun comes out, and you're sitting on a patio drinking a Caesar with your pals, this is a fantastic city. I thought I would wrap up this little blog by just sharing some insights that I've had around the trip. <br />
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<b>Train travel is the best!<br />
</b>I'd never spent much time on trains before this trip and it made me feel like never flying again. It was such a nice, relaxed and smart experience. It was nice that you could just hop on and be in another city in Europe within a few hours, without having to arrive hours early to go through intense security and feel like a criminal for deciding to take a trip. <br />
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<b>Alcohol is not kept under lock and key<br />
</b>In Europe, you could buy alcohol at the grocery store because hey, if you're shopping for dinner, wouldn't it be nice to have some wine with it? And wouldn't it be nice if you could drink some beer with your picnic in the park without potentially being fined for it? Europe was super relaxed about drinking and it was nice to feel like you weren't a criminal for having a few drinks. If I'm being honest, however, I do have to tell you that I have never seen so much smashed glass in my life. <br />
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<b>Canada really is multicultural<br />
</b>I knew it was, but it really became apparent in Berlin and in Europe as a whole. It was soooo white. It was kind of bizarre to look around and just see a sea of white folks. It's good vibes to live in such a multicultural city -- and to eat all of the amazing food that comes along with having such diversity. Top things we were looking forward to eating: Ethiopian food (Nazareth!), Indian (Banjara!) and Mexican (we can make that way better at home than any mexican restaurant in Berlin). <br />
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<b>Life is for the living in Berlin<br />
</b>So green, so liberal, so spacious, so full of young people and artists... Berlin a super chilled out city during the day, and a buzzing city at night. Because of the Wall, Berliners didn't always have the freedom to experience life on their own terms and now they're making up for lost time. We could go out on a Monday night to an experimental music show, and it would be packed. And the bars don't have to close -- if there are people there drinking, they can stay open for as long as they like. <br />
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<b>Berlin is cheap<br />
</b>Cheap wine. Cheap groceries. Cheap dinners out. Cheap rent. And beer is cheaper than water. Toronto is pretty expensive in comparison.<br />
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<b>If you love culture, you'll love Berlin<br />
</b>Galleries both big and small, museums, history, massive parks, incredible architecture... except for the overall pretty mediocre food, Berlin has everything culture-lovers could ever need. <br />
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<b>Berlin is so easy to get around<br />
</b>The bike lanes were amazing and I actually felt safe riding around. Very few people even wear helmets there. Drivers seem to have respect for bikers, versus the animosity that seems to exist between drivers and bikers in Toronto. Let me put it this way -- at no point did I feel the need to yell expletives at a car because it nearly hit me, but I've already done that a few times since being home. Plus, the transit system is ridiculously efficient. In Berlin, they really do show up when they say they will. <br />
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<b>Big difference: apartments vs. houses, parks vs. backyards...<br />
</b>This is just an obvious observation but it's really true, they simply don't have houses in the city like we do in Toronto. Here it feels like you could be in the suburbs, except you're downtown. And as a result of having apartments there aren't really backyards like there are here. So everyone goes to the park. So on the weekends, parks were packed with people of all walks of life. Teenagers, families, old men playing chess, hipsters, eccentric folks doing the Thriller dance... It was nice. <br />
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<b>Berlin is super colourful<br />
</b>Berlin is a moderately new city when it comes to much of their architecture, because of the war and so much of it being destroyed. And they take the plainest buildings and spruce them up using COLOUR. Berlin really loves colour. It was awesome.<br />
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<b>Toronto is a really friendly city<br />
</b>I'm not saying that Berlin wasn't... but it was different. There is something that you can't help but feel, something hanging in the air at times in Berlin. You are surrounded by the history which is so dark and awful and the people have truly risen above it all, but it's strange knowing that you're surrounded by that kind of energy. And while Berlin feels really loose and relaxed as a city, and we did meet some really nice people, somehow I couldn't always say the same thing for the people of Berlin. <br />
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<b>Houseswapping<br />
</b>Houseswapping has its pros and cons for sure. I would do it again but if any of you were considering doing a houseswap, ask me about it and I would be happy to give you some tips. I will spare you the nasty details but we had a few issues with the person we swapped with -- and he had WAY more issues with us. Oh well, it all makes for a funny story in the end... which I would be more than happy to recount to you sometime!<br />
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I could see myself spending more time in Berlin. I could even see myself living there for a while. Or even more ideally, I would love to do this 3-month sabbatical in a new place every year. But there's something to be said about coming home. Seeing familiar faces, sitting in your favourite spots in the park, being able to speak the language, knowing where to get a good chocolate chip cookie, sleeping in your own bed, and knowing friends are just around the corner. I'm happy to be home and all the cozy feelings that come along with it.ohcolleenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02675006184546825034noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-701592533974810857.post-4733970206882220432011-05-26T11:09:00.000-04:002011-05-26T11:09:40.594-04:00Berlin :: Weeks 9 & 10 (final days...)The last few weeks were spent jaunting around town with Dave's sister Sarah, followed by Sam and Heather from Toronto as well. Soaking up the city, taking advantage of the benefits of not working by working on our own projects (more patterns up at http://gallery.me.com/ohcolleen), enjoying the sun and food and trying to not be sad that it was almost over.<br />
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We finally ventured into Tiergarten and upon entrance, wished we hadn't waited so long. It's a massive park in the middle of the city and it's beautiful! It was green on green on green, and there were lakes in the park, often surrounded by lilac bushes so it was just the most picturesque scenery ever. It was so lovely. <br />
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On our final Saturday, we went on an epic bikeride and ended up in Friedrichshain, which is somewhere we'd be interested in staying if we decide to do another stint in Berlin. It was kind of mind boggling to me when we first got into the neighbourhood... everything was on a such a massive scale and just made you feel really small. The main street, Karl-Marx-Allee is a monumental socialist boulevard built by the GDR between 1952 and 1960 and is like 90m wide... huge. And the architecture was totally crazy. Apparently the huge buidings were built after the war and were coined 'workers' palaces' and were supposed to be large luxurious apartments for working class people. But to me, they just looked really minimal and huge and very Soviet. There are still some statues of workers at the entrances to the buildings. A very cool neighbourhood though, despite how intimidating I'm making it sound. <br />
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We went to Berlin Templehof, a Nazi-built airport that has halted operations as of a few years ago. It was a crucial airport during the Berlin Airlift, when soviet authorities halted all traffic to West Berlin by land and water. So the only way to get Berliners the supplies they needed was to fly them in, into this airport. (Thanks, Wikipedia!) And now, the airport itself is used for events and things, and the runway areas surrounding it is used as parkland. You walk into the area and all you can smell is barbecue, and the place is packed with people bbq'ing, chilling out, riding bikes, partying. It was really awesome against a totally bizarre backdrop. It struck me that this probably wouldn't happen in Canada.<br />
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We went into a Humana, which is Berlin's answer to the goodwill and in keeping with the neighbourhood, it was the grandest thrift store I have ever been in. It was incredible. It was six floors of stuff, united by a spiral staircase and still had it's original lighting fixtures and hand-drawn signs. Amazing place.<br />
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Our last few days in Berlin were sombre ones. Tried to keep our spirits up but it was really hard to fathom leaving such an amazing place. But we made the most of it, and stayed out till the wee hours of the morning on our final Saturday night and it was light out when we got home the next morning. And when we left the bars were still packed. Truly the city that never sleeps. <br />
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The next day we went to Mauerpark where I reluctantly sold the bike I had come to love and hung out for the last time. <br />
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Had some final meals that we had to have just one more time, including german fare the Prater Biergarten (one of our favourite places to hang out), burgers at The Bird (amaaaaaazing) and some Wiener Schnitzel at the Schnitzelei. <br />
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And then it was time to go. We flew to London, stayed in a cheap hotel, and flew home the next day. Apparently just missing Iceland's take two on the volcanic ash disaster. And now the adjustment to home begins...<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/oh_colleen/sets/72157626686051807/">:::::::::::::: SEE MY FINAL BERLIN PICTURES HERE ::::::::::::::</a>ohcolleenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02675006184546825034noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-701592533974810857.post-33586400534856266242011-05-14T11:39:00.000-04:002011-05-14T11:39:01.129-04:00BERLIN :: Week EightFirst off, just wanted to say that I'm glad so many of you are reading and enjoying my blog. Glad I could share all this crazy stuff with you guys. And if any of you are considering getting up and taking a sabbatical in a new place -- DO IT!! It's been awesome. <br />
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Hard to believe that we will back in Toronto in less than two weeks time now. I'm equally bummed and excited to be coming home. It's been so so so amazing to travel and while it's made me pretty frustrated by Toronto and Canada at times, it's also made me realize some of the good things that I take for granted. I'm working on a list which I'll share at the end of the trip!<br />
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So, the big excitement this week has been visitors. Michael came over from London last weekend and we had a blast. We rented bikes (Boo sucked it up and rode a big ol' honkin' bike -- not his usual slick single speed), booted it around the city and visited some Berlin essentials. <br />
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We ate some apfelstrudel and it was alright but I suspect there is better strudel to be had... So naturally, what with us not being quitting types, we tried it at another place the next day, along with Topfenstrudel (a strudel with with sweet soft quark cheese), and while it's pretty, well... the search continues. <br />
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We also had drinks at one of the beach bars which are a Berlin phenonmenon. Beach bars are a wonderful idea -- they set up lounge chairs all along the Spree river (some aren't on the water but they recreate a beach scene with palm trees and sand) and if it weren't for the live DJs they have playing awful techno music, they would be the perfect way to spend a sunny day. Super fun weekend!<br />
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I saw a billboard this week that had been graffitied and it was a case of how context is everything. Someone went around putting little Hitler moustaches on billboards (not with marker, actual fuzzy sticker moustaches) and I saw this little girl with a moustache and it kinda made me laugh a bit. And then I realized where I was and it made me think about it differently. It's kind of a different thing to use a Hitler moustache as graffiti in Germany. Needless to say, the billboard was not up when I walked by the next day.<br />
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We've been putting our heads down and working on the projects we had our hearts set on when we came here -- Dave with his music and me with my drawing stuff. But we've also been getting out of the house and there's something new around every corner in Berlin. One of the things I love most about Berlin is that they have these sort of hidden courtyards behind all of the buildings. You can wander down one of these alleys and discover little clusters of lovely shops or parks or restaurants or just some crazy wacky architecture you couldn't see from the street. It's a city full of surprises. Here are a few pics from a walk we took a few nights ago.<br />
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There are also just so many old buildings with so much character, many of them untouched, or touched but left as is (so you can visibly see the decay or age or even battle wounds). Dave's sister Sarah arrived yesterday and we went for lunch at this outdoor biergarten called Clarchen's Ballhaus and could see that there was some really wacky decor going on inside so we wandered in and there was an old beautiful banquet hall, just covered in reflective streamers. And then upstairs we wandered into this other empty hall that was incredible. Ornate but decaying old mirrors, paint that had seemingly lost it's pigment over the years and had become this gorgeous shade of grey, piles and piles of rich brown Thonet chairs, an intricate old glass chandalier untouched by time. That's the kind of thing I'm going to miss about Berlin. I hate to say it but in Toronto, you'd wander down an alley and you'd probably just find a dumpster.<br />
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When we came to Berlin, I kept saying I wanted to just see what would happen if I had 3 months with no real work responsibilities, to see what would happen. To see what I could produce, or if I was inspired to do anything creatively, other than straight up graphic design. I've been focusing on patterns, which I have always been obsessed with, but taking them in a new direction. Here are a few of my faves so far. These and a whole lot of others are <a href="http://gallery.me.com/ohcolleen">online</a> too.<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/oh_colleen/sets/72157626593414461/">:::::::::::::: SEE MY BERLIN WEEK EIGHT PICTURES HERE ::::::::::::::</a>ohcolleenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02675006184546825034noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-701592533974810857.post-73377781806000897872011-05-05T13:45:00.006-04:002011-05-05T13:45:00.660-04:00BUDAPEST! (Berlin Week Seven)I looooooved Budapest. It was partly because Budapest is just a really awesome city, partially because the food was incredible, and partly because of our totally awesome hosts Amanda and Laszlo. It was a blast!<br />
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Since we hit Eastern Europe, we have been going through what Dave calls Meatox. It's been all meat all the time. Honestly, I would not be eating a fraction as well if I weren't eating meat, it's pretty meatcentric but totally delicious! It was no different in Budapest, so naturally, we bought some sausage and it would blow your mind. <br />
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As is the Hungarian tradition, we went to the baths. Amanda took us to the Szczesny baths and they were incredible. 'Baths' is a scary word, it sounds like everyone is going to wash themselves in a communal bathtub, but it's actually more like going to a spa at the fraction of the cost. Szczesny was a series of pools at different temperatures infused with minerals or green tea or sulfur salt (relieving to know because the smell of bad eggs near a pool is a bit disconcerting), plus a minty steam room, a sauna, a lazy river (!!!) and a whirlpool, all set in and outside of these amazing old Roman buildings. <br />
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We did all of this while Amanda's fiancée Laszlo was at home slaving away in the kitchen making us goulash. The real deal. It was heaven. Absolute heaven. I thought it tasted like Meat Butter. AND you get to eat it with pickles. Laszlo is an amazing cook! <br />
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Other fun food that we tried: <br />
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Lángos, a deep fried flat bread made of a dough served warm, topped with sour cream and grated cheese (or a million other toppings but Laszlo insisted this was the real deal and after that goulash, I will never question anything that he says about food) and the best cabbage rolls I've ever tasted. <br />
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Kürtőskalács, a thin yeast pastry ribbon wound around a wooden cylinder, sprinkled with sugar so it gets kind of crispy and then topped with sweet spices like cinnamon and is delicious, as you can see here as demonstrated by our model Amanda. <br />
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Pogácsa, little puffy bread pops that were almost like buttery little mini croissants. And Körözött, a super delicious cheese spread made with paprika and onions (and many more ingredients I'm sure I don't know about).<br />
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What with my love for folk art, Budapest was a magical place for me. Handcrafted textiles, matryoshka dolls, embroidered dresses. It was hard to walk through without buying everything I wanted, but in the end I settled on a tablecloth. And of course, I picked up some paprika, in this gorgeous little tin. <br />
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The old metro lines were beautiful, in that it was super old and seemed like it came from a time when beauty actually played a role in public transportation.<br />
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The architecture in Budapest is a really eclectic mix of styles -- art nouveau, romanesque, gothic, turkish. The result is pretty amazing and totally beautiful. And to me, it still really felt quiet and still relatively untouched by tourism. It's still got that well-worn gritty feeling like people actually live there, versus the Disneyland feeling we got in Prague. Mind you, we had locals showing us around so we had the advantage of not going to overly touristy places and got a unique look at the city. Here are a bunch of things that, together, kind of sum up what Budapest looked like to me. <br />
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There are a ton of photos and I have honestly edited them way down. It was just too nice. <br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/oh_colleen/sets/72157626520243663/">:::::::::::::: SEE WAY MORE BUDAPEST PICTURES HERE ::::::::::::::</a>ohcolleenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02675006184546825034noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-701592533974810857.post-9459211700443799702011-05-03T14:24:00.001-04:002011-05-04T06:50:32.240-04:00PRAGUE! (Berlin Week Seven)We took the train to Prague in the morning and I wish I had pictures to share just how incredibly lovely the countryside was on the way there. All through Germany and into the Czech Republic was so pretty and picturesque. Think rocky hills with cute little cottages and bavarian houses at the bottom. Horses in fields or drinking from small little rivers that run through the green landscapes. Little rowboats on little docks. So incredible. And as we got further into the Czech Republic, mustard fields that were electric yellow.<br />
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We arrived in Prague and hit the ground running with a few Czech beers. Pilsner Urquell to be specific because as we were told by the server VERY matter-of-factly, It Is The Best Beer! It was all Pilsner Urquell, everywhere we went but it's not like at home where Molson Canadian ads are everywhere but nobody really likes the stuff -- people here really seem to believe in Pilsner Urquell.<br />
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The city is full of majestic and elaborately decorated, colourful buildings. Elaborate bridges, beautiful gothic spires shooting into the sky, buildings that look like they're illustrations until you get get closer to them. Straight out of a fairy tale at points. But the place was absolutely swarming with tourists and it seemed as though the city had been fixed up accordingly. It sort of seemed to me that going to Prague is like stepping into a fairy tale on many levels. There are the beautiful buildings, which you're happy to admire (so much art deco!), but then you walk 10 minutes out and there you see the ugly step sister buildings that haven't had an abundance of money poured into restoration. And honestly, that's what gave this city some character, because it was just a bit too picture perfect otherwise. Those underdog buildings gave the city some grit and some real spirit, and made it feel more believable. But truth be told, I do LOVE a beautiful building so of course, I have tons of pictures of beautiful buildings... <br />
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Many of the bars and restaurants we went into seemed relatively untouched by time. Old school, traditional czech restaurants that weren't trying to be anything but an unpretentious place that served home cooking. They were really charming. While we, apparently, were not. We tried to speak to people with some basic czech words (please, thankyou, hello, two beers please) but our charms and 'sorry we don't speak your language' looks were certainly lost on them. In fact, at points it felt as though we were actually met with some downright hostility. By the time we left, I considered it a really positive exchange when I smiled at someone and they stared back blankly. (With a few exceptions, like the great dudes at Alternatif bar, and the man at the delicious restaurant Pivnice u Pivrnce, and a few other people along the way). As much as I would love to know it, the Czech language is super hard to just kinda pick up for a 3-day trip, you know?<br />
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But of course, we had some excellent experiences in Prague. The food was kind of crazy... in flavour, and as an until-recently vegetarian, in the total lack of vegetable matter. The food is based around meat, dumplings and gravy. And when I say it's based around those things, I mean that's it -- you get a plate and it's just meat + bread + gravy, and you're done. Oh, one night I got potatoes instead of dumplings. But that said, it was totally delicious. Just not exactly a well-balanced meal. <br />
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Interesting food we tried: <br />
Pivní sýr (Beer Cheese) which is a soft cheese, mixed with raw onions and mustard, and spread on toasted bread (or in our case, "toast" turned out to be deep fried bread).<br />
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Trdelník, a traditional cake and sweet pastry, made from rolled dough, wrapped around a stick then grilled and topped with sugar.<br />
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Roasted pork knuckle, the picture speaks for itself. It's just like a GIANT pork knuckle. And a knife. With horseradish and mustard. It was Dave's meal but I helped him out a few times. <br />
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Three kinds of knedliky (dumplings) including potato dumplings, bohemian dumplings (kind of reminded me of just plain white bread) and bacon dumplings (a little bit little bread balls meet stuffing with bacon). <br />
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We also went to Kutna Hora, a small church decorated with the bones of 40 000 people, about an hour away from Prague by train. It was incredible. I kept walking through thinking I was in some kind of halloween haunted house with fake skeletons, and then would realize that they were actually real bones of real people. A pretty crazy place. <br />
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Lots of awesome folky art around town too, which I adored. Like this mammoth painted egg.<br />
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And I saw these awesome doughnuts in the grocery store and they were too cute.<br />
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We went to the Old Jewish Cemetery, and the Loreto (an outlandish baroque church which hosts statues of saints like St. Wilgefortis, the patron saint of unhappily married women who grew a beard as a tactic to avoid marriage to a heathen, and St. Agatha the Unfortunate who is seen carrying her severed breasts on a platter. Pretty dark stuff! I would have taken photos except that on top of the overpriced admission they CHARGE you to take photos! <br />
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And one more picture for the road... we found a really lovely café one day when the sun wouldn't shine, and it was just so nice and had tons of character. Felt like you were in France, which is a feeling I love.<br />
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Other than that we just walked and walked and saw and saw and ate and drank and ate. Overall, it was a lovely time but truthfully, I wasn't sad to leave the, at times, chilly Prague.<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/oh_colleen/sets/72157626515254305/">:::::::::::::: SEE MY PRAGUE PICTURES HERE ::::::::::::::</a>ohcolleenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02675006184546825034noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-701592533974810857.post-70587381003709701672011-05-03T08:13:00.001-04:002011-05-03T08:14:14.237-04:00Berlin :: Week Six(I hate the title of this post because it means there is so little time left! This post is a little delayed so pardon the time lapse. I meant to post this last week.)<br />
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The awesomeness continued this week. Michael and Patrick were still here and we continued to eat and drink a little too well. My meatatarianism is ploughing full force ahead. I've (unfortunately) discovered that I have been missing out on some pretty insane flavours and so I am giving in to it. You can thank Europe for making me an easier-to-feed person from here on out. <br />
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On an unrelated note, I love this picture.<br />
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Wednesday was Patrick's birthday (yay!) so we wanted to do something special. So we went to Potsdam, which is a little town west of the city that's supposed to be super lovely but I have to say, we weren't all that amazed. It might have partially been due to the fact that like everything was under major construction. But there were some saving graces and we had a nice day anyway. And like Berlin, Potsdam loves colour!<br />
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The highlight was a fair we came across. Lots of airbrushed babes on cars, but my favourite part was seeing the difference in the snack vendors which naturally all had super german lettering. <br />
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But... truthfully... while we had a good time (because it's impossible not to have fun with Patrick and Michael), this sign we saw in Potsdam kind of summed it up for me. <br />
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Dave left to go to Paris for five days and we were all sad to see him go. We went to the Olympic Stadium that was made for the 1933 olympics, which is totally crazy to think about because when that was happening, there were literally concentration camps operating in the city. How did that get overlooked by the whole world? So nuts. We also went to the Topography of Terror, which sounds like a horror movie but is actually another sort of outdoor exhibition on all the crazy stuff that happened in Nazi Germany. You know, a nice light day. Jeez! <br />
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But we did make it to the Bauhaus archive, which was great, and lightened things up a bit. <br />
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Friday we went on an epic bike ride down the path that's quickly becoming one of my favourite places to go. We went to the park and had a picnic and tried a new path and discovered that our house is super close to Tiergarten and the Brandenburg gate, and more pieces of the puzzle came together. I feel like every day I'm here, the city starts to make more sense to me, and it feels smaller and more familiar to me. Stumbled upon the Oyster building (Haus der Kulturen der Welt / House of World Cultures), which is beautiful. Also went through Tiergarten and found a bunch of 'beach bars' along the water. What a city. <br />
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And we finished off the visit by going out to a club called the Berghain. Man, what a night. It was like going through security at the airport to get into this place but even more unpleasant. After we got past the bouncer with the face tattoos, my bag was searched so thoroughly I thought they were going to ask to do a strip search afterward. Then the lovely cashier with the rotting meth teeth took my money and threw my change at me so that I had to get down on my knees to pick up all the coins. A pretty degrading experience to get into a stupid club. BUT Patrick was like a cheerleader and lured us onto the dancefloor and we had a blast. Those guys are troopers -- we stayed out till 4, even though they had a plane to catch the next morning. Boys just wanna have fun. <br />
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Super sad to see those boys go but happy to have Dave back a few days later!<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/oh_colleen/sets/72157626637092550/">:::::::::::::: SEE MY BERLIN WEEK SIX PICTURES HERE ::::::::::::::</a>ohcolleenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02675006184546825034noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-701592533974810857.post-52151230086562455142011-04-24T19:22:00.000-04:002011-04-24T19:22:03.763-04:00Berlin :: Week FiveI can't believe that we're into our sixth week in Berlin. I'm so happy to be here and while the prospect of going home has it's comforts and has my favourite people, the reality is setting in that I don't really want to go home. <br />
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Week five was an awesome one. The weather here has been unrelentingly beautiful with cloudless blue skies and above 20 degrees every day! (Sorry to rub it in Canada, I hear it's not so nice there.) AND Michael and Patrick arrived! I miss them so much since they moved to Halifax and so it was a pretty amazing thing to be able to spend a full week with them. And we didn't waste any time embarking on a week of Culture & Cocktails. And I made some more fans of Berliner Weisse in them too. (The consensus in Germany is that it's a trashy drink but whatever, it's tasty.) And we discovered a whole bunch of new things, like the Prater biergarten, which is apparently Berlin's oldest beer garden, and is awesome. And so we became regulars. <br />
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I'm happy to say that the we were on a winning streak with the food this week. We took the boys to the best places we've been so far, and found a few new ones, including -- oh mon dieu -- the Schnitzelei. Dear Lord. We had what I would consider one of the best meals I've had. As you might guess from the name, it's a German/Austrian restaurant and it's ridiculously good. And I ate like a German and tried beef (a roulade stuff with pickles!!) for the first time in like 10 years. And I sampled the schnitzel which was bonkers good. Think warm potato salad, red cabbage with bacon, bacon-wrapped plums, sauerkraut, potato dumplings, trout mousse... dang. Amazing meal. And at Berlin prices! <br />
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We took in lots and lots of culture this week. We went to the Jewish Museum which was designed by Daniel Libeskind and is called 'Between the lines'... basically the building is made of two juxtaposing lines that intersect to create voids, which represent the voids in jewish history because so much of their culture was destroyed (there is a lot more to it than that, but that's a snapshot). A pretty amazing building and a bit of a heady experience... The building is designed with lots of angles -- angled walls, angled windows, angled glass displays and ceilings -- and the result is that you actually feel a bit physically disoriented. A pretty amazing building. <br />
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On Tuesday the boys went off to do some stuff we'd already done and Dave and I took this amazing bike path through new parts of the city... it was all new to us and it seemed like every corner we turned, there was something crazier than the last. Like, a lovely pond. Then a nude park. Then a picturesque little bridge and stream. Then a reserve for wild boars. Then a fairy tale-like little village of tiny little cottages in all colours, many of which had decorated their gardens with colourful easter eggs. Such a nice day! <br />
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And we had an Absinthe night. Absinthe is more common over here than at home, that's for sure. I don't know what the big deal is at home, it's like it's some illegal drug or something but truth be told, it's just a lovely drink that tastes like anise and is super fun to drink because you get to light an absinthe-soaked sugar cube on fire, and you get to dance with the green fairy. Absinthe aside, we had a suuuuper fun night. <br />
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A totally awesome week!!!<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/oh_colleen/sets/72157626444921493/">:::::::::::::: SEE MY BERLIN WEEK FIVE PICTURES HERE ::::::::::::::</a>ohcolleenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02675006184546825034noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-701592533974810857.post-58525425838693369302011-04-13T09:45:00.002-04:002011-04-13T09:56:37.702-04:00Berlin Week FourA pretty chilled out week here in Berlin. Just sticking to our neighbourhood, going to the park, bike riding, reading, doodling and cooking. It's kind of unreal and I feel pretty spoiled. Been taking it easy in preparation for Michael and Patrick coming this weekend!!!! Will be really nice to see some more familiar faces that I love. <br />
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I went for a long walk to rediscover our neighbourhood -- because it's become such a part of our every day that I barely even see it anymore. So I went out walking, with an emphasis on keeping my eyes wide open and my mind alert so that I could see everything fully and was happy with what I saw. What a great neighbourhood. <br />
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So many architectural details that you could totally take for granted because they're just what surrounds you. One of the best things about Berlin are the alleys. Walking down the street, a door will be open, leading to a courtyard behind the street facades, and if you follow the passageway you can see some beautiful things. Also, totally love all the colourful schools... you just look at them and feel like they're encouraging kids to be creative inside. Such a nice thing. <br />
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There is also a ton of street art in Berlin... I love to see a city painted in colour so I think it's great. <br />
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Had a fun week of cooking. Man it's nice to not be working so much! I made homemade pierogies! And eggplant parmesan! And lemon cake with creamcheese frosting!<br />
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We got our bikes going this week and I love my bike more and more. Wish I could bring it home with me. Our friend Vanessa has been here visiting so we've been out a few times trying some news bars in new neighbourhoods like Trinkteufel (drink devil, kind of a cheesy punk bar with skulls everywhere) and Z bar, a bar that actually has a theatre in it that plays cult classics and is free, so you can grab a drink and watch a movie. Been partaking the delicious Pastis that is so much more common in europe than at home, and what a nice little ritual to get a glass with the anise-flavoured liquor, and a carafe to add as much water as you like. My new drink of choice.<br />
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Been working on more personal work and have been posting it so I can see the big picture of what I've been doing. It's <a href="http://gallery.me.com/ohcolleen">here</a> if anyone is interested!<br />
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We booked train tickets to go to Prague and Budapest which is SUPER exciting. My friend Amanda has graciously accepted to have us stay with her in Budapest which is awesome. <br />
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So yeah, a pretty chilled out week with not a ton to report, but all is well over here.<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/oh_colleen/sets/72157626358943349/">:::::::::::::: SEE MY BERLIN WEEK FOUR PICTURES HERE ::::::::::::::</a>ohcolleenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02675006184546825034noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-701592533974810857.post-90713629546548030942011-04-06T07:36:00.000-04:002011-04-06T07:36:39.580-04:00Berlin Week... three??Man, time is unfortunately flying by over here. My friend Jenn has gone home to Canada and we did a ton of good stuff this week. The weather was so, so beautiful... big blue skies and fluffy clouds. It was 23 degrees and sunny all day on Sunday!!! I think I got a bit of sunstroke, strange but true that I was happy to have it. <br />
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Went to the Museum of Decorative Arts which was awesome. Stuff ranging from the 1400s to present, and they painted a realistic and kind of hilarious picture of the 80s. Truly a decade when you have to wonder what we were thinking...<br />
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But mostly it was just totally beautiful and amazing things. Crazy handmade compasses from the 1500s, furniture, glassware, vases, utensils, tea sets, shoes... the kinds of things that I love most in this world. <br />
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Also did my first adventures into Berlin shopping. Oops! But look at this vintage shop! How could I resist? And this was probably about a third of their selection of boots. Needless to say, I will be returning home a little richer in footwear.<br />
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Saw some pretty amazing things this week. There were the standards, like segway tours. Then there were these cheesy tours that you can do on bicycles built for 6 people; a big tacky spectacle, really. So imagine how I felt when I saw this cycling BAR -- built for 12 people who pedal while sitting at a bar and being served beer. Only in Germany. <br />
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While the food continues to be mediocre at most restaurants, there were some highlights. Lattes are really delicious and I don't even like lattes that much. Tried some good traditional german food, including bavarian meatloaf which kind of tasted like a premium hot dog loaf, but ten times more delicious. And we happened to be walking through an outdoor market the other day, in search of a snack and I came upon this and before my common sense kicked in, I had ordered what appeared to be a bread and cheese kebab which was then dipped in batter and deep-fried. It was delicious! But after I got home, I realized I had hit rock bottom, and so I went for a run. The Beat the Berlin Belly fitness routine has begun. <br />
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Needless to say, we've still been cooking for ourselves a lot. We also tried some Turkish food which was delicious -- there is a huge Turkish community in Berlin so it was nice to see some food with some real love (and real vegetables) put into it. <br />
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We went back to the jewish memorial at night to see what it would look like and let me tell you, it was about a million times more scary.<br />
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Berlin has started to seem smaller and more familiar as we start to get our bearings and put the puzzle pieces together. Going out on epic walks through the city and stumbling upon some really great things. Like neon-lit buildings, or monuments with bullet holes. So much history here. Like the other day when we happened to walk past this... a beautiful hotel had been bombed during the war and parts of it remained, so they put the inside outside in this display for all to see. There's all sorts of 'half bombed' things that have been preserved... it may only be a portion of what was once there but it's a reminder of what happened here and gives the city so much character.<br />
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And we now have bikes! I bought mine from some shady vendor at Mauer Park, that huge Sunday flea market. Yesterday we went to put air in our tires and it was like my tire started to grow a tumour in front of my eyes, this big bulging air pocket formed inside the tire and then it totally exploded! It sounded like a shotgun went off in the street. Resulting in the first investment in this temporary bike with the addition of a new tire, which Dave put on for me. What a man, what a man, what a man. What a mighty good man.<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/oh_colleen/sets/72157626315914561/">:::::::::::::: SEE MY BERLIN WEEK THREE PICTURES HERE ::::::::::::::</a>ohcolleenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02675006184546825034noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-701592533974810857.post-76078482138998131992011-04-04T08:42:00.004-04:002011-04-04T13:00:27.504-04:00Berlin Week TwoA little behind in my blogs but... better late than never?<br />
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Another awesome week in Berlin, which included our first real experiences of Berlin night life. The bars can stay open 24 hours if they want to, we have taken them up on their offer a few times until about 4am but after that, the thirties in me kick in and it's time for bed. It definitely affects the vibe of the night though... when the night has no beginning or no end for everyone collectively as a group, it's hard to tell what time it is. We then naturally ended the night by indulging in Currywurst. If you've never had Currywurst, it's a Berlin food phenomenon -- sausage served with curried ketchup. Yes, I have tried it and yes, it's delicious. I've been taking a totally 'when in Rome' approach to eating meat and happy about my choice so far. <br />
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My friend Jen arrived this week and we've been having a super fun time. We went to the Memorial for the Murdered Jews of Europe and it was soooo well done and so, so heavy. It's this crazy arrangement of 2711 dark columns rising up from the ground arranged in a grid... when you walk into the grid, the ground starts to get deeper and more hilly, and it's really like a massive maze that you feel you could get lost in. It's kind of suffocating and scary, and disorienting and makes you almost feel a bit panicked. There is also a museum that goes along with it that recounts all of the horrors of the Holocaust. Very emotional, heart-wrenching, mind-blowing. I learned some stuff I didn't know happened and it's so horrifying. Anyway, it's something that you kind of have to face when you come here... you can't ignore the intense and horrifying history of this city. So it was a heavy but necessary experience going to the memorial and museum that goes with it. It's really amazing. <br />
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We also did a walking tour, which was like 5 hours long and super interesting. Hitler's bunker, lots of crazy facts about the history in Germany, and lots of museums.<br />
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Other highlights of the week included our first german rock show, the amazing weather, and the little hot dog and fry men scattered around the city. <br />
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I nearly lost Dave this week to the human donation box but I convinced him to stay with us. Thank goodness. A bizarre concept to so blantantly ask for peoples souls, don't you think?<br />
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We are in a beautiful city with a dark past, but it's such a vibrant and beautiful place to be. The architecture is great -- a mix of really vibrant and colourful (sometimes garish) buildings contrasting against really beautiful classically European styles with muted stonework and lovely iron work. Loving it in Berlin! <br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/oh_colleen/sets/72157626426204454/">:::::::::::::: SEE MY BERLIN WEEK TWO PICTURES HERE ::::::::::::::</a>ohcolleenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02675006184546825034noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-701592533974810857.post-24001699323526250112011-03-23T11:22:00.000-04:002011-03-23T11:22:28.504-04:00Berlin Week OneA wonderful first week getting to know our new friend, Berlin. The first few days were absolutely miserable and grey, what I might have imagined Berlin weather to be like in the winter. And then miraculously, the weather turned to bright, sunny and 13 degrees. It's been beeeeaaaautiful. We've been all early-bird-gets-the-work stylez and have been getting up at 9am. We are starting (almost) every day with a German lesson and trying our best to ask for things in German wherever we go. It's a challenge but hopefully by the time we leave we will be able to have some basic small talk. <br />
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Christian, our awesome host and house-swapper, showed us around a bit and told us about the neighbourhood. We are in Mitte, which is a stone's throw away from some the last remaining remnants of the wall. When we leave the house, we walk down a path in park that used to be a death zone. It's pretty mind-blowing to think about. We also went to the a museum, Gedenkstätte Berliner Mauer, which is a Berlin Wall Memorial that contains the last piece of Berlin Wall with the preserved grounds behind it. It's been shocking how much of the wall still exists and it sort of brings you back to reality, makes everything that happened here seem that much more real. It's hard to believe it the wall only came down in 1989. It's amazing to see. The history feels like a living thing in Berlin. Walking around the other day, Dave spotted some bullet holes in an apartment building. <br />
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Also down the street is Mauer Park (translation: Wall Park), which has this totally crazy and massive flea market on Sundays. It has everything under the sun. One of the nicest things that I've seen in every place we've been in Europe so far is that Sunday is not all about shopping -- it's about hanging out. And in this park, a HUGE crowd gathers to do just that. On the hillside, there must have been like 1000 people sitting there watching a stage where people sing karaoke. And on the other side of the field was a techno dance party with another 300 people. Apparently just an average Sunday afternoon in Berlin. Pretty wild. <br />
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So far, we've been to the Pergamonmuseum, explored some neighbourhoods including Prenzlauerberg (way more to explore there) and Kreuzberg (way more to explore there too). Yesterday we did a Kreuzberg Krawl... an afternoon drink turned into a bar crawl, which led us to my favourite bar so far, where darts were all the rage and people looked at us strangely because normally, the only people that go there are the regulars. Super kitschy, beer steins, lanterns, old couples that looked like they hadn't moved from their table in 30 years. We had a blast and felt like it might be our new Cheers by the end of the evening. <br />
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A nice picture from a restaurant we went to...<br />
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The food in Berlin, so far, is really making me miss the food in Toronto. I know I'm always complaining about the food in Toronto (I do think there's tons of room for improvement) but I'm seeing that Toronto does ethnic food really well, and I'm missing that here. But on the plus side, it's encouraging us to cook. I think we're both going to into a bit of sugar withdrawl since we've been here... the treats aren't all that tempting, but we did find an awesome little coffee shop that was a dessert utopia, and we got our fix. <br />
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Beer, however, is another story. I fear that I may return with a Berlin Belly. Beer and wine are SO CHEAP. Like a bottle of a decent wine is 3 euros??? I don't even like beer that much and I can't help but drink it because it feels like I'm saying no to a bargain every time. And I unfortunately discovered a drink that I love, which is called Berliner Weissbier Schüss, which basically means that they put a magical raspberry or green apple elixir into your white beer and it's delicious. Too delicious. <br />
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It's been a pleasant surprise to get here and find things are even cheaper than we thought they would be. I haven't done much shopping but so far I've seen sooo many vintage and used clothing stores. I really felt like I was in Germany when we went into a thrift store and they actually had a whole rack for lederhosen and this cute little German hat. <br />
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Our houseswapping partner has gone off to Canada (I'm sorry to hear there is snow there!!) and we have been left to settle into an apartment that is nothing short of incredible. I absolutely love it. Dave has a room to do his music, I have a room to work on my doodles, and there's lots of room to spare. Here's a sample, but more pics with the link below!<br />
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I think I've been getting a little bit better with the camera too! Inspiring subjects all around. <br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/oh_colleen/sets/72157626207955023/">:::::::::::::: SEE MY BERLIN WEEK ONE PICTURES HERE ::::::::::::::</a>ohcolleenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02675006184546825034noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-701592533974810857.post-69443395512900368102011-03-16T15:17:00.002-04:002011-03-16T15:21:00.777-04:00Finally... Berlin bound :: March 15/16Super, super excited to be on our way to Berlin. We booked a little private room on the night train to Berlin and had more fun than the train sounds like it would be. They had one of those awesome dining cars that looked straight out of the movies. We had a blast and had some wine and ended up experimenting with my camera and getting some funny, creepy and weirdo shots. Including some 'the train is on fire' shots. And then woke up in Berlin. <br />
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SO SO SO excited to be here! The apartment we're living in for the next few months is completely amazing, I keep telling Dave to pinch me. Seriously. It's crazy and amazing. Christian, the guy we're doing the house swap in, showed us around today and I already feel right at home. YAY!<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/oh_colleen/sets/72157626155708637/">:::::::::::::: SEE MY TRAIN PICTURES HERE ::::::::::::::</a>ohcolleenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02675006184546825034noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-701592533974810857.post-3148803416474635792011-03-16T14:58:00.000-04:002011-03-16T14:58:59.713-04:00Monday March 14 :: On to AmiensFunny little thing about Brussels -- they play pop music in the subway... it was the Culture Club that bid us adieu as we left this amazing city. I absolutely loved this place, would return in a heartbeat!<br />
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Caught the train to Amiens (a super cute place, lots of colourful houses and these crazy knotted wood street art things) where Dave was playing a show at the Grand Wazoo, which was a blast -- the first Merm On'Ry show was totally awesome. Met some new french folks who were the great hosts and we felt right at home. And had enough drinks to agree to have a full french conversation with a super nice girl, and she humoured me even though I doubt I made an ounce of sense.<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/oh_colleen/sets/72157626155579817/">:::::::::::::: SEE MY BRUSSELS PICTURES HERE ::::::::::::::</a>ohcolleenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02675006184546825034noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-701592533974810857.post-35444720069577341192011-03-16T14:18:00.000-04:002011-03-16T14:18:21.527-04:00Brussels Day 2 :: Sunday March 13Dave tested out his music equipment and blew out the power in 5 floors so we decided maybe we should just nip out for a while so we headed off and found a lovely little Belgian cafe called Le Salon that served us tasty brunch and this piece of delicious chocolat moelleux. The city pretty much shuts down on Sunday but we found some serious gems. <br />
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We went to the Horta museum which was just one of the most amazing things my eyes have been dazzled with... The preserved home of Art Nouveau Designer/Architect Victor Horta. Every little thing in that house was thought Bout in detail and with design in mind. Right down to the keyholes in the furniture. The nails that brought two pieces of organically shaped metal railings together. And then there were the things that made the house look as if it were actually a living and breathing thing... The wooden banisters carved into ornate knots. Shelves grew into walls which grew into support beams and ceilings so much so that you forgot it could serve any other purpose than to exist for beauty alone. It was like looking into a forest where everything had coexisted for so long that everything began to morph and grow into each other. It was incredible. And must have cost an absolute fortune. No pictures allowed so I couldn't really capture things properly but I did sneak a few with my phone...<br />
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Then we went to a brown bar which is what they call an old bar with lots of dark wood that has retained characteristics of days gone by. And enjoyed some more beer. Rodenbach was my fave from this trip. Rochefort for Dave. Yum. Smoking allowed too... A strange thing to encounter after many years of hanging out in non-smoking bars.<br />
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One of the belgian culinary specialties are their frites and even better, is Moules frites (mussels and fries). So we dove in. I researched some spots, and we decided to go all out and sample a few restaurants to see if we could seek out the best. The best we found was at this completely charming place in a more working class neighborhood of Madou, called La Bonne Humeur. The belgian equivalent to a Chippy, it was a charming but no frills little spot that put some serious love into the food. Off the beaten path and well worth it. <br />
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Getting soooo much better with my new camera... but photos are still a bit dodgy in spots.<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/oh_colleen/sets/72157626155363643/">:::::::::::::: SEE MY BRUSSELS PICTURES HERE ::::::::::::::</a>ohcolleenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02675006184546825034noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-701592533974810857.post-87358281283906258962011-03-16T14:17:00.000-04:002011-03-16T14:17:11.249-04:00Au Revoir Paris, Bonjour Bruxelles :: Saturday March 12There is something so fresh and exciting about flying by the seat of your pants while traveling. Truthfully, I'm usually more of a planner but it's been a blast making it up as we go. Like Saturday, when we were supposed to go to Brittany to see on of Dave's friends but had our first encounter with the rail system and realized the trains were all full... So a change of plans was required so we looked at a map and decided, what the heck, let's go to Brussels. Why not! <br />
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Our Eurail passes found us doing it up first class styles -- free drinks, fancy snacks and red velvet seats -- and Pricelined a hotel for an amazing price and turned up to find we had booked ourselves into a swanky hotel room with a king sized bed. Ballin'!<br />
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We took a big jaunt out into the night and headed toward grand place, which is like the old town area of the city. All cobblestone and totally lovely and lively, full of restaurants and bars where we had our first encounter with Moules Frites and naturally sampled a bunch of different Belgian beers. When in Rome. Fun area! And then we weaved our way home through the windy, hilly streets and passed out in our king sized bed.<br />
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Man does it help to have a boyfriend who is totally fluent in french! In Belgium they speak French, German and Flemish and lord knows I know none of the above. BUT I'm trying.<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/oh_colleen/sets/72157626155363643/">:::::::::::::: SEE MY BRUSSELS PICTURES HERE ::::::::::::::</a>ohcolleenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02675006184546825034noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-701592533974810857.post-20245240777336795252011-03-16T13:07:00.001-04:002011-03-16T13:25:03.120-04:00Paris :: Friday March 11We embraced our inner goths (I've learned that's not a far stretch for me) and went to Père Lachaise. Yes, this is the cemetery where Jim Morrison was buried but no, that's not why we went. If anyone ever discourages you from going, do not listen -- it's a must. It was amazing to see. The most elaborate and well-crafted gravestones and monuments. It went on for miles and miles, each grave more elaborate than the next. You really got the sense that these people were being remembered in style, sent off with class, never to be forgotten. Famous artists, intellectuals and generally important (and likely wealthy) people are buried here, including Oscar Wilde whose grave has inspired many a lipstick kiss and angsty teen letter. I was just amazed by this place. I hope my pictures do it some justice!<br />
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And we had a did a little photo exploration with some resin & flower plaques there, like this image below... see the set of photos <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/oh_colleen/sets/72157626280177804/">HERE</a>. <br />
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When in Paris, try duck confit and try duck confit I did, at the Bistro de Peintres. And it was delicious. Crispy fatty rich and wonderful. No regrets and should it cross my path again and is done well, I will not hesitate to do it again. An exception but not a rule.<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/oh_colleen/sets/72157626153537553/">:::::::::::::: SEE MY PARIS PICTURES HERE ::::::::::::::</a>ohcolleenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02675006184546825034noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-701592533974810857.post-19582077347250607392011-03-16T12:56:00.000-04:002011-03-16T12:56:03.589-04:00Paris :: Thursday March 10And the weather has been spectacular. Some of karmic repayment for the punishing cold we experienced in London. Beautiful days and beautiful evenings.<br />
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So nice that we decided to pack a picnic and go to the park. We hit up a market and the beautiful and delicious boulangerie Au Blé Sucré some some bread and pastries, and ended up at the park and enjoyed the cheeses to inspire all cheeses. Comte, Chevre aux Herbes Fine, Saint Marcelin, and my favourite, Tommes de Brebis. Wine. Bread. Smoked Salmon. Tarte au caramel salé. Heaven. We also enjoyed wine in the park, which is not illegal like it is at home (what is really so wrong about having some spirits in the park? government bullsh•t!) although we forgot to bring glasses so we were drinking it hobo styles. Classy, I know. <br />
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And yes, we may have just gorged ourselves, but no visit to Paris is complete without sampling some macarons. (Luckily, lugging our luggage has been quite the workout but I'm not sure it's been enough to ward off tubby bellies. We may be a little plumper when we arrive in Berlin. The trip so far has been more of a culinary tour). We went to Ladurée, which is on the Champs Elysées and can take credit for creating the macaron. We sampled licorice, lemon, coffee and cardomom, raspberry, cherry almond, and pistacio. C'est delicieux. <br />
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And it was on this day that it occurred to me that Paris has a taste for the bizarre. Namely, jesters and clowns and stores with crazy masks to accommodate the need. Here are few examples: <br />
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Met a few more of Dave's friends, including Ben and Laurenie and beautiful little Rachel, the smartest two-and-a-half year old I've met. So smart that she learned our names and would say little things like "Colleen elle est contente, Dave il est contente" and follow most of her sentences with a perfect little ribbon: "et voila". <br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/oh_colleen/sets/72157626153537553/">:::::::::::::: SEE MY PARIS PICTURES HERE ::::::::::::::</a>ohcolleenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02675006184546825034noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-701592533974810857.post-52557503767814112062011-03-16T08:03:00.000-04:002011-03-16T08:03:09.396-04:00Paris :: Wednesday March 9We got into Paris and our bodies punished us for the excessive amount of luggage we seem to be travelling with. And I was shocked at all the military men walking around with machine guns. <br />
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Stayed with Dave's friends and lovely hosts Greg and Agnes, who graciously spoke their best english with me. Over the years, my french has become increasingly weaker but I would find myself following along with the french and understanding things and then wanting to give myself some kind of internal high five. In the end, Greg & Agnes went away for a few days and we had the whole apartment to ourselves... Incredible. <br />
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Walking around Paris, I feel like a kid in a candy store. Or like I've been locked in an orphanage all my life and I'm seeing the outside world in all its splendour for the very first time. I remember visiting there in the past and how in awe I was how everything -- like really, almost everything -- was beautiful. So much CARE put into the buildings, the iron work, the overall attention to every little detail in the city. And how it simply becomes part of the lifestyle if you live there. I'm always going on about this study I heard about, saying that you can get used to anything 6 months after it's introduced to your life. So I suppose I would understand if you almost didn't see it after walking around for a while. But with fresh eyes, that city is the dazzling and beautiful and a feast for the eyes. Breathtaking. <br />
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Dave's been patient with me, being a megatourist and learning the ropes with my new camera. And I hope I have done some justice to the beauty that is so deeply embedded into this magnificent city. <br />
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Of the areas we explored, my most favourite was La Marais. Beautiful architecture that has stood the test of time, building after building, iron work that looks inspired and delicate and ornate and gorgeous. Endless examples of the most beautiful handpainted signs. Signs that appear to have been done many years ago but are just so timeless and exude a classiness you can't fake. Beauty is just so engrained into the fabric of this city. We wandered for a few hours, me taking pictures, Dave wishing he had a bigger stomach for all the food he wanted to relive after living there for so long, after we ate a gorgeous lunch at a little café called Les Philosophes, outside, in typical parisian fashion. Doesn't it look delicious? It was every bit as good as it looks.<br />
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Paris, c'est cool.<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/oh_colleen/">:::::::::::::: SEE MORE PICTURES HERE ::::::::::::::</a>ohcolleenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02675006184546825034noreply@blogger.com2