I love you, Maastricht

A cathedral of books in Maastricht, the Netherlands. I sipped coffee where the old altar stood, lost myself in the sweet silence of  paper backs and pages where pews were lined up. An old house of worship, converted, re-purposed, but still gently holding onto the reverence of its former life.

It is a beautiful place, in a beautiful city.

Oostende/Ostende

What's the best remedy for a week that's left you a little out of sorts?

A quick road trip to the coast of everyone's favorite county-without-a-government  for sun, buckets of moules et frites, and lots of girl talk.

There was also a quick detour to James Ensor's house, the 19th century flemish artist who lived and died in Oostende.

You see, when I was 16, my dad showed me Ensor's famous painting 'Christ Entering Brussels' during a visit at the Getty Museum in Los Angeles. And believe it or not, it was seeing this piece that planted the seed that studying the history of art could actually be, really quite fun.

You better believe it was just as wonderful to see that this artist, with his quirky, crazy paintings, was just a colorful in his day-to-day life. And I bet he was a phenomenal dinner guest.

Where's Cleveland? A Scavenger Hunt!

Even though I've been based in lovely Luxembourg for the past two years, I've been lucky enough to keep up the hometown connection with a little project I've been working on!

Introducing 'Where's Cleveland?', an amazing scavenger hunt that's going to be taking teams of folks all around Cleveland to participating in fun challenges. And when I say challenges, I'm talking about taste testing, mind games, stuff that will test your navigation skillz and your Cleveland trivia.

If you're a Clevelander, and you're interested in joining in on the fun (and I promise you, it will be a blast!), go to www.ohiohomecoming.com for more information! Click on the events button for Saturday, July 23rd and you'll find all the glory details. Registration will be open in a few days so stay posted....

Trust me. This is something you won't want to miss.

The countdown begins...

There has been silence in this space for the past few weeks because, in typical world-of-academica fashion, there has been a transfer of students; season veterans leaving, overwhelmed newbies arriving with a healthy does of goodbyes, welcomes and hugs mixed in.

Also, there was a quick little hop over the pond to hug a very special sister who was graduating from university.

So. I'm back in my little apartment in my little Chateau. For just a little over six more weeks.

And then? Then it will be back to the good ol' mother land, the country of bbq sauce, bagels and every variety of Mexican food your heart could dream of.

And, as with all transitions, saying hello to a new adventure, means saying good bye to a place that has become so familiar and dear.

 But hey, isn't that the best excuse to really live it up? Carpe diem, live each day as its your last, dance like no one's looking kind of 'living it up'?

And if that means going to the gelato shop down the street every day, I'm in.

So stay tuned folks...there's a lot on the docket - new places to explore, old haunts to revisit, many glasses of wine to share with friends. It's going to be one helluva summer.

le printemps francais

Et Voila: spring scenes of Normandie in April. A region characterized by clouds, mist, and striped shirts, the sun was an unexpected (albeit pleasant) surprise.

Right now the fields all around Europe are filled with those yellow flowers - patch after patch, brilliantly contrasting with the rich green. They represent the end of winter, a breath of fresh, warm air, and the beginning of glorious spring. So badly do I want them to stay. I know once they fad, it will be almost time to go home.

Camino de Santiago

"With scarce belongings on your back

And enormous heritage in sour soul. 

Free from material things,

You greet many people

And love even more,

Free from material things,

You smile to all

And give away good wishes.

This is how you will climb and climb.

Feet firmly on the ground

Walking to your dream.

Pilgram, walk in freedom,

Walk without your belongings.

Pilgram, always towards your destination,

But never alone;

You encounter many in your way

And they remain in forever your heart.

You carry them in your rose-scented hands,

With which you give not only objects

But also joy.

Pilgram, may God remain forever

Wherever you transit."

:from a small spanish Church, on the way of St. James. 

With a seashell on my backpack, I joined centuries of men and women on the spanish path towards Santiago de Compostela.  Words cannot describe that week on the trail: the rain, the people, the landscape, the struggle, the joy. 

I feel so incredibly humbled to be a small speck in this tapestry of stories, of pilgrams, who have been making this journey for hundreds of years. 

God is good. 

Turkish Lights

Lamps at the Grand Bazaar in Istanbul

Les Petits Riens

This weekend I found myself with that all too familiar urge to go on a little adventure. Don't get me wrong, there are plenty of adventures to be found in Luxembourg, but I wanted to get out of my apartment, out of Differdange, heck, even out of the country.

Now, something you need to know (if you didn't already) is that I love thrifting. There's something about sifting through piles of junk for that one little treasure that thrills me. The wonderful Cate introduced me to the realm of second hand in high school, while Laura and I found ourselves in some pretty funky shops during our European adventures. In Luxembourg there's really no 'thrifting scene' so I did a little research about Brussels.

And I hit the jackpot.

Allow me to introduce to to Les Petits Riens, a warehouse of everything located just outside of Brussels' centre-ville. A social project (think Salvation Army), employing the unemployed and donating the proceeds to local homeless initiatives, it was like walking into a different world.

Each of the four (four!!) floors was filled with piles of clothes, mounds of dishes sold by the kilo, luggage, speakers, frames, furniture. There were vhs tapes, fake flowers, records, record players - an amazing collection of the obscure and archaic mixed in with the quirky and intriguing.

 If you visit, chances are you'll also find scores of artsy-looking students scavenging through piles. A fashion show is hosted every year comprised only of things found at Les Petits Riens. Standing there, I could imagine infinite possibilities for project-runway-esque challenges (complete with Tim Gunn).

I came back to Luxembourg with a small trash bag filled with scarves, a crazy looking dress, and striped sweaters. The next task will be figuring out how to wash, wash and wash again my new finds made of knits, wools and some kind of shiny fabric I can't identify. And thus, the adventure continues...

A Sunday Afternoon in Nancy...

A 20k stroll...

On Saturday, armed with the determination to do some serious training for the camino, Cafe Lux and I left in the wee hours of the morning for Lac Madine (If you haven't noticed already, she's sort of my partner-in-crime here in Luxembourg).

Lac Madine is a man-made lake in Lorraine, France, near la belle ville of Nancy. Though we only got a sprinkling of sunshine, it was beautiful.

 We took a little detour, climbing to the top of Montsec, a hill that over looked the lake. At the top was this monument, dedicated to the American soldiers who fought in this region during WWI. Actually, as we learned from another American who was visiting the monument at the same time, this hill was site of an important battle. The details escape me for the moment (I've never had a brain for battle history), but I remember sitting up there, wondering how many people visit this place. It must have been important at the time of it's construction - why else would it be there - but now? Now it's just a forgotten memory, until, maybe, another group of hikers gets a little curious.

It's something that I love about France, about Europe in general. No matter where you go, there's a treasure commemorating a moment in history. Sometimes its a monument, sometimes just a simple plaque, but it always makes you pause for just one second longer, to remember. 

Leuven, Belgium

The city center...

....fresh flowers....

....bricks and bikes...

....moon lit libraries...

...architectural eye candy...

...and inside? It's practically a different world.

"The vital importance of being earnest"

Not too long ago I found myself back in Paris and I figured it was about time to visit some dear friends (morbidly enough) in Pere Lachaise cemetery. There was Chopin, Edith Piaf and dear dear Oscar Wilde.

I don't know many 16 year old girls who would lay on their stomachs, giggling over Mr. Wilde's prose, finding lovesick solace in his wit. But we did, and I figured the least I could do was lay a few blooms on his already very venerated grave.

So thanks Oscar.


The truth is rarely pure and never simple. Modern life would be very tedious if it were either, and modern literature a complete impossibility! - Oscar Wilde, The Importance of Being Earnest

Obidos, Portugal

Portugal

On this last day of February I find myself wondering where this month went. It certainly took me a lot of places. For a month that holds no expectation, I found myself blissfully surprised by the love and light I found in a month known for the cold and darkness.

Last week I was swept away again, once more to the southern part of the continent and the sunny shores of Portugal.

And, I think I have one picture.

It was one of those weeks where it almost didn't seem possible to capture these fleeting moments on film. I just wanted to absorb everything and let it all soak in - the sun, the colors, the smells, the little flutterings in my heart.

Et alors, adieu fevrier. March, let's see what you've got.

Ole!

A few weeks ago, I found myself in Madrid, tagging along with an art history class as they explored the impressive galleries of the city. Between the Prado and the Reina Sophia, there were long strolls in the sun. The sun!

You see, in Luxembourg, sunshine in February is viewed as a wonderful fluke. Luckily, there have already been a few days where I've opened my eyes to blue skies and sunny weather. First, I'm surprised, then elated, and finally, I realize that I've almost forgotten about the sun. No, not in a 'what's sun?' kind of way, but in a way that I've been living in the gray for far too long that I don't expect sunny days. It's a 'where have you been all my life??' kind of reaction.

And so, Madrid was good for the soul in so many ways. Not only was there sun, but art, deep fried calamari, sangria, flamenco dancers - the list goes on. 

But you know, at the end of the day, it was good to return to Luxembourg as well. Even with its gray skies and rainy disposition, the comfort of being surrounded by languages you understand, an apartment you've made your own and everything that comes with the territory of 'home.' That's pretty good for the soul too.

  

A Walk in the Woods...

It's official. On April 17th I'll be joining centuries of folks who have made the pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela, better known as the Camino. I won't be hiking the entire trail (it's a doozy, let me tell you) but the last 100 km, finishing Easter Saturday. 

Last weekend, I took to the trails of Luxembourg with Lux Cafe to begin our training for this little adventure. After that first 10km hike, I realized it was going to take more than a few weekends of hiking to get ready for the Camino. But isn't that the thing about pilgrimages? It's all about the journey, the steps you've taken to get to your goal.

From now until April, I'll be spending my weekends in the woods, discovering the back country of Luxembourg, getting ready for Spain, getting ready to take this pilgrimage by storm. 

The Land of the Dutch

Any country characterized by flowers, bikes, pancakes and wooden shoes is okay by me.