A Week in France

We spent last weekend in Strasbourg, France with Joe and LuAnne. Then LuAnne and I headed off to spend 5 days in Paris.  Someone has to do it!  We had a great time together and I'm now back in Heidelberg recouping. 

In the courtyard at our hotel Les Haras for happy hour.

Shopping and enjoying treats in Strasbourg

  Don visiting his favorite cheese store in Strasbourg.  He bought a bunch of french treats to snack on back in Germany

At the restaurant at our hotel, Les Haras.  It won best designed restaurant in the world a few years ago.

Notre Dame lit up at night

Some pictures from the rest of the week in Paris

Heidelberg with The Campbells

Joe and LuAnne are visiting right now.  We've been to the up to the castle, a ride on the water taxi and have just hung out exploring.  Today we leave for Strasbourg and then on to Paris.


Our first dinner out at Kulturbrauerei

On the old bridge

Water Taxi ride towards old town

On to Strasbourg for the weekend!

Hanging Around Last Weekend

We drove over the town in the wine country,Neustadt, which was very charming.  After walking around and visiting the farmer's market we sat down for lunch at a small restaurant.  There we were yelled at by the waitress who didn't speak any english.  We could only make out a few of the german words, so we finally got up and left.  It turns out she was trying to tell us that they were busy and we weren't going to get food for at least an hour.  She felt if she yelled louder then we would understand German.  Funny!  We definitely are spoiled in the town we live in where it's common to find people who speak some english.  It all worked out because we ended having lunch and wine at a wine festival the town was hosting celebrating the new release of the local wine.

We then drove over to Hambach and walked around the castle there.  There is a great view from the top of the hill

I have more photos to add, but am having difficulty transferring Don's pictures.  It's probably user error!  I'll post them later.











Sunday night dinner at our favorite restaurant here in Heidelberg-Schwarzer Peter.

View from our apartment in the evening.  It's still pretty warm here like an Indian Summer.

Geneva

I just returned from a quick trip to Geneva where I walked around, enjoyed the sights and food.  I also reconnected with my cousin, Heidi, who I haven't seen in 30+ years.

Jet d'Eau Fountain on the lake.

 I loved all the different fountains around the city.  I would just stumble on them walking around

 Great catching up with my cousin Heidi.  She lives in Geneva right now because her husband works for the UN.

The Carouge Neighborhood-it's known as "Little Italy".  This part of the city was designed by Italian architects.  There were great streets to wander here.

happy hour on the lake

Raclette for dinner

Chocolate, Museums and Beer-A weekend in Belgium

Don planned a weekend for us in Belgium which was great!  We arrived in Brussels late Thursday night and got back to Heidelberg on Sunday night.  We had such a fun time and the hotel Don picked out had great service and an excellent location.  Great food, great art, and it was a perfect place to walk around and explore. /We walked 23 miles in 3 days there!  Everywhere you turned there was a chocolate store. On Friday, Don had to work remotely so I headed to a museum and some chocolate shops that have been on my bucket list for years.  I saw a new exhibit that opened just that day on the art scene in Berlin between WWI-WWII.  It was excellent!  I also checked out some of the collection of the old masters and the Brueghel paintings.  One of the Brueghel exhibits was so unique I took Don back to see it on Sunday.
After hitting up 3 chocolate stores I had to drop off all my bags back at the hotel.   Don and I had an excellent meal of mussels and fries at a restaurant out of the tourist area in a local neighborhood.  They served us so many mussels we couldn't even make a dent in them.

Some of the pastries and chocolates in the windows

Great art nouveau building that turns out to be the musical instrument museum

Escargot "Belgium Style"  Cart

Fountain in front of our hotel

Mussel Dinner

The next day we travelled to Antwerp for the day.  I wanted to go to Peter Paul Ruben's house and museum and there was a brewery Don wanted to tour.

 Arriving at the train station.  We only got on the wrong train once!  It seems that the Belgians find posting the train #'s is overrated.

At The Ruben's House/Museum.  He was one of the most influential Flemish artists from the baroque period,

This guy was carved on numerous door inside the house

Don at De Konick Brewery.  We did a tour of it and then enjoyed the tasting room.

The next day we stopped at more chocolate stores.  I returned to the Pierre Marcolini shop for some more goods and we enjoyed a waffle with chocolate.  I've been wanting to visit his shop here and it didn't disappoint!

 At the mothership!

We then went to the Magritte Museum, looked at some of the Brueghel paintings, and walked around.  Great weekend!