October 2011

This beer mug is another souvenir given by Kuya Obey. He brought it from his trip to Seegrotte, an underground facility in Hinterbrühl. It was used for the production of Heinkel He 162 jet fighters during World War II. If it’s worth mentioning, it was used as a set for the 1993 film version of the Three Musketeers.

(Bellagio)

On a spontaneous decision, hubby went to the US for a 3-week vacation. I get updates whenever he’s online on Skype or when he tags me on photos he uploads on Facebook. He’s been around California – in LA and San Francisco to Victoria, BC in Canada and to Nevada, particularly Las Vegas and Boulder City. Some of the photos he uploaded were the famous hotels and casinos Bellagio, MGM Grand, the Cosmopolitan, Mirage (ehem), the Venetian and a lot more.

For those trips he’s been either with his highschool friends, an aunt and a game developer turned friend through the years. He did not avail of any motorcoach rentals for his tour which is really a convenient way to go around the different states. Most particularly services by All Aboard America.

They offer charter bus tours since 1936, family-operated so you know how friendly the people you are dealing with and how personal your travel experience can get. All Aboard America United Motorcoach Association’s Vision Award for 2011 for their dedication to provide travelers with the best services, safety on the road and  comfortable transportation service.

Next time, should he decide to come back with us I’ll suggest the best services of All Aboard America.

(Hoover Dam)

I have very seldom featured our Paris trip, which happened some years ago. I think it because I have very photos….rather good photos to share.

This is one of the few souvenirs I got from Paris. The Moulin Rouge is easily recognizable at the base.  Inside the dome is the Notre Dame and another famous structure. Could you guess which one is it?

I got this ceramic mug from Kuya Obey, my highschool senior who came to Vienna last winter for a scholarship. He’s already based in Japan and he was sent by Osaka University here. During his stay, he also visited parts of Europe, Amsterdam and other parts of Netherlands, Pompei/Naples in Italy, other cities in Austria and Bratislava.  Bratislava and Vienna are two of the closest European national capitals to each other, at less than 60 kilometres (37 mi) apart…from here, it can be reached within an hour via train.

He brought me back a number of souvenirs during those trips, one would be this mug designed with dancing locals dressed in folk costumes called kroj/kroje.  Fine pleats and gathered lace collars and bell-shaped skirts with delicate oriental pattern define these costumes…It looks similar to an Austrian Dirndl only shorter…

(my kids enjoying snow)

Without any warning, our wonderful 15°-20° of autumn turned 8°! Brrr…I haven’t sported my ankle boots yet and the weather has gone low…boo!  Well, I can use my knee-highs instead. Teehee! This sudden change made me look forward to what would be coming in the next months, winter = snow. Though my kids and my husband love snow, I don’t. Photographing the pristine white landscape with a blue sky background, yes but playing in it, building snowmen or making snow angels is not my thing…I’m just there for the look.

🙁

I know, I sound boring but hey, who would take photos of the hubby if I join in on the fun. Hahaha that’s my perennial excuse. (Left photo: hubby practicing with his board.)

It has never been customary for us to have a winter getaway. There’s a two weeks off-school and off-the-office vacation around December and January but because the cold weather makes you feel like hibernating as bears would, we do the same. We would only be out for 2 hours at most playing snow and we would be home to warm ourselves playing Wii.

But ski holidays in France sounds so tempting! Why with all the mountain-laden snow and the charm of a cozy Villa, who wouldn’t want to? I raise my hand! Hahaha. Yet, for my husband and kids I will have to say yes if a plan pushes through.

Most of the ski resorts offer free stuff for this booking season. I saw one offering free 6 Day Portes du Soleil Lift Pass for children under 12 years and free ski insurance for children. By my standards, those are a big discount since hubby would always tell me how expensive lift passes could be whenever they go up the mountains in Austria.

I may not be for the adventure of skiing and snowboarding but I can definitely find something to do there, perhaps a thermal bath or I could go gawk at the displays at every boutique in a shopping street (buying optional) or eat to my tummy’s delight in a restaurant that serves foie gras!

(photo taken by hubby at Unterberg)

“Don’t forget the plutonium for your DeLorean!” were my last words to hubby as he went out of the house with his luggage…He was due to Kiev, 1.5-hour flight from Vienna. We have been joking the whole week about him getting, rather, stealing stuff as Dr.Emett Brown did in Back to the Future. We figured Ukraine is somewhat near Russia and he could easily smuggle something back home. Teehee! We must have been watching too  much Chuck!

Above photo is the St. Michael’s Golden-Domed Monastery, a functioning one actually located on the right bank of the Dnieper River…I will look at hubby’s archives for a photo of that river.

I can’t remember how long he stayed there but I know he truly missed the little boy. That’s why even if I asked him to get me a snow globe, he took home a set of Ukraine airline memorabilia toys instead. He also came back with a set of Babooshka dolls. I recall my daughter during her younger years who used to play with mom-in-law’s collection whenever we visit her. Dawty would take out each doll from the bigger doll and line them up like dominoes. She would stack them again inside afterwards, run to me and would show me the “whole” figure again just like how the little boy does it now. He’s quite fascinated with them.

There’s also Faberge eggs and beer mugs among many other things but hey, there’s no plutonium not even empty gas cartridges for display nor co2 cartridges for his bike! None, nothing to use for building  a time machine! Anyway, the kid did enjoy all the other stuff he brought back. That’s what really matters…

 (When we visited Prague I told hubby I’d buy some Babooshka dolls again but he responded negatively. lol. I settled with a snow globe and some refrigerator magnet instead.)

Joining in on the bandwagon, I’m listing this blog for BC Bloggers Secret. What’s BC Bloggers? It’s a build-linking program that my friends have been talking about. Most of them have joined in the past and they attest to the benefits it has brought their blogs.

Linky love, reader, new blogging friends and of course new blogs to discover. Application is open until the 15th so you have until then to join. Click the badge to know more about the Secret.

(Getting lost in Nürnberg, August 2011)

If my hobby is to take photos of every corner, windows and potted flowers, parked bicycles and musicians in the streets- my hubby takes photos of cars, all different models and colors. I think it is but natural since back home he has a car that he would often tend to, making sure everything is going well. I can’t remember the particular model now but it wasn’t really that new though it’s not as hippie as the one below. Teehee! I think he saw both cars at the same street, can’t really remember but there were lots of colorful cars around Nürnberg anyway.

Whatever the make or the color, I’d bet that all cars need compressor oil to protect them against rust, oxidation and foam development. It means, not only the outside should look good, the inside should be of good condition too! Like I know a lot about cars…I don’t! I can’t tell what’s a volt regulator, an air compressor filter, a fuel gauge and so on from one another. Heck, I don’t even know how to drive…well I do, I just should go forward – no lefts and rights. lol.