Nov 30, work, Frankfurt, frankfurter and gluhwein

Yesterday was a rough one - construction took it's toll on limbs not used to peeling off wallpaper, mixing mortar and demo work throughout. Even so, there was something incredibly rewarding in seeing results of day's work after straining every muscle in your body to peel layers from the wall circa 919 just so right. 
After several hours of chiseling and peeling, wet wallpaper was coming off like butter and we came up with a contest for the largest scrap ever pulled - Ania won by taking floor to ceiling piece in one pull, pretty amazing! In the meantime, our manly combo downstairs demolished bathroom tile and installed a new window after resizing masonry opening. All in all, we've been a very productive team.

out with old, new goes in - four phases

just a memo to self: let it soak well before taking action.

Today, on the other hand, we had time for recuperation and took a short train ride to Frankfurt. It got pretty cold over the past couple of days so we didn't get to walk around extensively, but a couple mugs full of piping hot Gluhwein cured all nostalgia for sightseeing madness. Prepared from red wine, heated and spiced with vanilla, cinnamon sticks, cloves, citrus and sugar - it's heavenly.

Here's to a 20cm Nordhessische Bratwurst (below), one of estimated 1500 types of sausage produced in Germany!

What's missing here is another German specialty - potato pancakes with apple sauce on a side. I know, doesn't sound so appetizing, but trust us - with the right combination of place, time, and frozen toes it's unforgettable! 

This is certainly not the size of our stomachs after we finished all that food from the Christmas market.

Nov 29, daily finds

Phisalis....i'm in love

Nov 27, Hainburg, family time!

Timing of our stay in Hainburg seems perfect - Sebastian's sister Ania and her husband Jarek-the-Master-Builder are remodeling their dream gingerbread home. We get to help out and snoop around European construction methods! I guess Sebastian is taking care of the helping and i'm snooping, although there's a plan for us girls to remove tons of old wallpaper next week. 

Working oh so hard! So hot in red pants, ripped after some heavy lifting...

....and taking out a "sample" of the ceiling

Nov 22, Belgium to Germany via Cologne

Front façade of the Cologne cathedral seems impossible to photograph in full. We stop here on our way to visit family in Hainburg and are pretty determined to make the most of the few hours here, despite the biting cold and ferocious winds. 
The Dom, as the locals call it,  makes a grand impression. Covered in black city smog it‘s a gothic beauty nonetheless.  

six centuries in the making

thinking of Vermeer

Nov 21, day trip to Bruges

Bruges floats on a sea of tourists. We dive into side streets to get some air and map out our own route through this amazing UNESCO maze. 
Last night, before our day trip to this capital of West Flanders, we meet our friends for dinner and get briefed on history and ongoing cultural/political conflict between Dutch-speaking region of Flanders in the north and French-speaking southern region of Wallonia. Consequently, after butchering some words in French and getting by mostly with English in French-speaking Brussels, we’re advised to make a full switch to English in Bruges. 
“Bonjour” almost slips when we enter a café, but I bite my tongue in time and we warm up to a delicious Kaffe before catching a return train to Brussels. 

Nov 20, around Brussels

Wake up at 6.57am smelling smoked sausages! Am I dreaming?? Sniffing around I finally figure the aroma is trapped in Seba’s sleeping bag, a delicious trace of our last camping trip before we left home. Right now can’t help but feel grateful for my laundry laziness. Oh…if I could only eat a smell! 


11am
After a ridiculous attempt to save a euro by walking for a mile to a bus stop within city limits, we arrive at the next hotel - this time a luxurious deal on a private room that includes free breakfast and wi-fi, with freshly renovated modern interiors to top it off - a priceless combination in the center of Brussels that feels like a steal for 59 euro. Our double beds are not bunk beds, a nice shower sits inside of a full bathroom (and not in the middle of the room), and we can circulate in the space comfortably. We both get excited at the sight of a small fridge filled up with Belgian ales, only to empty it out and jam full with backpackers’ survival food: more Belgian beer,  water, goat cheese, pastrami, and a baguette. Satisfaction guaranteed.


Later, heading out to discover the city, we realize that it might be quite impossible to do just that with only 5 euros in our pocket. It starts to smell like trouble when we can‘t find a working ATM, or any ATM for that matter. Granted it’s Sunday and all the banks are closed, but it seems strange that none of the ones we pass have any money and our cards get rejected. Asking around we find out that drivers who deliver money to ATMs have been on strike for the past three weeks and to get lucky we’ll need to seek out one particular bank. I think it’s this moment that confirms to us we’ve indeed arrived, we’re really in Europe - and there’s something so incredibly comforting about it….

Manneken Pis....never on strike

Nov 19, Chicago to Brussels

Waiting in Stockholm for our connecting flight to Brussels we devour the best airport meal I think I ever had: hot, non-greasy chicken teriyaki noodles and sailor size sandwich with bite size Swedish meat balls sitting on a mystery salad - beets? red potatoes? Makes no difference, we can’t eat it fast enough and the salad puzzle remains unsolved. 



7pm
Brussels. Realizing we just paid $71 for a shoe box size room by the airport, we figure that convenient location, clean sheets, hot shower and a free shuttle almost justify the price tag after 16 hours of flying on a budget. Will try to find something in the city center for the next two nights, this time booking ahead. 


8pm
We dropped 22 pounds of excess backpack weight back at O’hare, mailing it home only 30 minutes into the trip, and now we’re trying to get down to basic necessities as we sift through what remains. I think it’s getting a bit too extreme when Seba announces he’s not taking a deodorant to India, 8 oz and all, because it’s too heavy. Not a kidding-face in sight.
To uplift my spirit he goes out hunting/gathering and proudly brings a 7euro vending machine delicacy combo - Twix, Snickers, small bottle of water and a cup of hot tea. Nothing better than starting off a long trip with a mix of nutritious foods. Apparently 10” pizzas made with a push of a button @ the Pizza Box downstairs did not come highly recommended by Marcel at the front desk. 
We feel like celebrating regardless! 

Nov 18, Are we really doing this??

Our flight leaves in 8 hours. Still not packed, still putting our apartment in a box, finally getting a taste of an adrenaline rush and the weight of our next six months stuffed into a backpack.