Wedding Blog

I made a wedding blog! I wanted to be able to remember this special period of our lives for years to come and of course share information with our family and friends. You can access the wedding blog by simply clicking on the link below or click on the link under "friends". Enjoy!

Wedding Blog

US vs. Europe

There are certain things about living in Brussels that I still find weird or interesting. I often find myself comparing the Europe to the US - I try to figure out which place does things the sensible or "right" way. My findings are generally inconclusive and I end up siding with the US anyways :)

Exhibit A
This is our supply of milk that expires on 4/30/2009. This thoroughly creeps me out! In my opinion, milk should always be refrigerated and not last for over a month and half. Since we have been here I've learned to tolerate the taste, but I can't wait to get home and polish off a gallon of AE milk, by myself!

1 point - US

Exhibit B
Light switches. I think these are pretty nifty.. easy to switch on and off but basically no better or worse than normal switches.

Tie

Exhibit C
In order to unlock/lock your door from either side of the door you must use your key. I found out I really prefer a standard deadbolt in this situation. The only way it works is if you leave your key in the door at all times.. otherwise you're always searching for it to unlock/relock the door.

I point - US

Exhibit D
The double flush toilet - genius!! I love that they use a lot less water and the concept just makes sense.

1 point - Europe

Exhibit E
European outlets. I have no issues with the prong design, I do however have a problem with the way the outlet is recessed into the wall. FYI, get European converters that have an extension on the prongs or else it may not fit into the wall. I guess there are some things you have to learn the hard way...

1 point - US

The US is victorious in round one of US vs. Europe!

p.s. I desperately need a life...

Lake Geneva

This past weekend we ventured to Switzerland for some spring skiing in the Alps! When we knew our 3 month excursion to Brussels was a go, Justin immediately started dreaming about skiing the Alps. It was the one place he insisted we go, and I'm so glad he was determined to fulfill that dream because the whole weekend was absolutely amazing!!

Originally, we were going to fly into a French town and take the train to a ski town.. however, we realized it would have been a logistical nightmare with expensive ticket costs to boot, so we scraped that plan and decided driving would be so much easier and once again provide us with the freedom we love.

We arrived in Montreux after midnight on Friday tired and ready to rest up for our big day of skiing on Saturday. We woke up the next morning and got dressed in a hurry so we could grab breakfast at the hotel and check out the views. WOW, the views were so much better than we could have ever dreamed! We walked 30 yards from our hotel to the river walk to soak it all in. It was fun arriving at night in the dark because we had no idea what to expect that next morning when we woke up.

After round 1 of the photo shoot, we jumped in the car and the lovely GPS helped us locate a ski resort nearby. In hindsight, we probably should have put more research into our choice of resorts. Portes du Soleil was the name of the resort- word to the wise.. never spring ski at a resort with the name "sun" in it. We ended up walking half way down the mountain on our first run because the sun had melted the snow on that side of the mountain!! I was seriously ready to javelin throw my rental skis down the mountain and then roll myself to the bottom of the valley. Justin somehow managed to ski himself into the mud where he proceeded to crash (infront of 4 other people haha).. I then wiped out while walking on the mush/mud/ice that formed where the snow was supposed to be! Not a good start to our experience in the Alps!!!

We did eventually get ourselves to a lift that took us to the top of the mountain where we found real snow again. From this point on, the day got much much better! The snow conditions on the mountain turned from crusted over snow to mushy mashed potatoes, but at least it was terrain that we could ski on. The mountains were absolutely stunning from every run and every angle.. we couldn't get enough of it. I could have spent the day on the deck of the restaurant sipping hot chocolate and enjoying the views and still has just as much fun.

After skiing we showered at the hotel and went down to the river walk to watch the sunset- so pretty! Then we ate at an Italian restaurant by the water and stopped by the Montreux casino to waste a few bucks. I thought I had the slot machine figured out, only for Justin to point out I was betting 3 swiss franc every play and within 30 seconds I had lost all our gambling money -- sorry babe :(

Sunday we did more sightseeing in Montreux and drove to nearby Lausanne to check things out. Once again, we took SO many pictures! The mountains looked so different from every vantage point that we wanted to capture each new view. The slideshows usually consist of 1/2 the pictures we take and they are still super long! Hopefully they are enjoyable to look at. You can watch the movies in HQ ( high quality - which I recommend) and also make them full screen if you choose.

Switzerland Statistics

54 - hours on vacation
17.26 - total hours spent in the car
1,006 - miles driven
82 - average speed
5 - countries visited
48 - average temperature in Montreux
6 - number of times the Kenny Chesney Greatest Hits cd played in our car
10 - Swiss Franc lost in the Montreux Casino
350 - pictures taken
1 - wipe out into the mud while skiing (that was all Justin)
1 - failed attempt to load the t-bar, resulting in a Justin/Spenser pileup (that was all me)
1 - trip to McDonalds for a burger, it even tasted just like home!
1 - amazing time and 2 happy people!!!

Justin's Addendum:
1.1 - miles to hike out of the valley to the chair lift due to unreadable French signs and poor snow conditions
30 - seconds it took me to lose 10 Swiss Franc

Crepes

My attempt at making crepes was a complete failure! (not that I expected them to turn out in the first place). I love me a good crepe, but from now on I will stick to buying them. When in Ames I order the berry crepe at Stomping Grounds and in Italy, the butter sugar crepe that melts in your mouth - both equally amazing in their own right. My crepes, however, tasted like chewy pancakes. Here is a list of reasons why I think they turned out less than great.

1. No measuring cup. I guesstimated the amount of milk to use
2. No spatula - the fork/knife combo didn't really work
3. The mix was made from 4 grain flour instead of regular bleached flour... blah
4. Directions in French/Netherlands didn't get me too far .. especially considering I've never made crepes before

Given my lack of skill in the kitchen, I didn't expect a great result - even if the above mentioned items were in my favor, I doubt I had any chance for success.

At one point Justin kindly said, "Maybe we should just eat brownies instead :) "




Yikes

Cinque Terre

I don't even know where to begin.. Cinque Terre is the most amazing place ever! The combination of the Mediterranean Sea, gorgeous coast line, terraced vineyards, walking paths and colorful cities makes it such a unique place! We had amazing weather and loved every minute of our time there.

Cinque Terre is made up of 5 cities (Monterosso al Mare, Vernazza, Corniglia, Manarola, and Riomaggiore) that are on the coast of the Med Sea - they are connected by walking paths, train and boat. Sadly, a couple of the paths were closed due to mud slides, but we were still able to hike between a few of the cities and explore them. The food was delicious.. I ate my fair share of pasta and pesto (the area takes pride in their pesto) crepes and ice cream! We tried the 3 alcoholic beverages that come from CT - they make a dry white wine simply called Cinque Terre, Sciacchetrà a delicious dessert wine and Lemoncino, an alcohol steeped in lemons - it would have been better to take it as a shot rather than sip it!

We ran into so many Americans (many of them from the midwest!) who were vacationing throughout Italy - most of them were visiting family members who were studying abroad. It was SO nice to be able to engage in normal conversation with friendly people from back home - I didn't realized how much I miss that!

Our room over looked the back side of Manarola - We had two terraces all to ourselves and they were right over the water - so cool! I just have so many wonderful things to say about this place... I could go on and on for days!

We took a ton of pics- a lot of them look the same but we had to capture the scenery from every angle - enjoy!!

We're Engaged!!!

After dating for over 3 years we are finally engaged! As most of you know I have been anxiously awaiting the proposal for awhile - but I am glad he waited because the timing was more than perfect.

We spent the weekend in Cinque Terre, Italy and he proposed on one of the walking paths between Manarola (the village we stayed in) and Corniglia. I was completely shocked when he pulled the ring - I was under a false impression the ring was in transit from the US.. oh how Justin enjoyed making up story after story to keep me on my toes.

I'm really glad that we were able to share the special night to ourselves before we had to start telling friends and family - but by the time we got back to our home away from home we were ready to spread the good news!

I made a little slide show of pics from the past 3 1/2 years.

Ouch

Belgians do not believe in concert sidewalks. Bricks, cobblestone and square cement tiles are used everywhere! So anyways.. onto my story - Monday I was walking home from the gym when a woman walking towards me totally tripped on the curb. Thankfully she didn't fall down, rather just looked really embarrassed. I made a mental note to be extra careful and watch where I was walking. (the cement tiles are cracked/sticking up and ready to trip people in a lot of places)

Fast forward to yesterday. This time I am walking to the gym, enjoying the nice weather and the tunes coming from my zune when I notice a man dressed in a suit walking 10m in front of me. I was day dreaming and not really paying to much attention to him - that is until I see him do an army roll onto the ground! It literally looked like he was being attacked or something.. nah, worse, he just wiped out! I felt so bad for him. He got up, dusted himself off and began to walk back in my direction. I got a good look at the damage done - a huge rip in the knee of his pants :( I assume he turned around to go home and change his clothes. I asked him if he was all right but he just smiled at me, said something in French and kept walking.

People, I could be next.

Waffles 101

Apparently there are different types of "Belgian" waffles, who knew?! The most common types in Belgium are the Brussels waffle and the Liege waffle, both named after Belgian cities. I cannot say that I have developed a waffle preference yet, although I am well on my way to developing an extreme love for any and all waffles I can get my hands on:) I would say that Brussels waffles are more common in ice cream/waffle shops and Liege waffles are more common among street vendors and sold in grocery stores. I stole all of the following information from wikipedia because everyone knows that wiki offers the absolute truth on every subject matter possible...

The Brussels waffle is generally, but not always, lighter, thicker, crispier, and/or has larger pockets compared to other waffle varieties. Waffle irons designed for the Brussels consist of a rectangular 3x5 pocket grid. They're served warm by street vendors, dusted with confectioner's sugar, and sometimes topped with whipped cream or chocolate spread. It may also be served as a dessert with fruits or ice cream.



The Liège waffle (from the city of Liège, in eastern Belgium) is a richer, denser, sweeter, and more chewy waffle. They are cooked from balls of dough in rectangular waffle irons with either a 4x6 or 4x7 pocket grid (22-32mm deep). Invented by the chef of the prince-bishop of Liège in the 18th century, as an adaptation of brioche bread dough, they feature chunks of pearl sugar, which carmelize on the outside of the waffle, when baked. They are the most common type of waffle available in Belgium and are prepared in plain, vanilla and cinnamon varieties by street vendors across the nation. Because of the addition of pearl sugar, which makes up 20-30% of the waffle's weight, they require no syrup.



American waffles (aka "Belgian Waffles"), based on Brussels waffles, are made from a batter leavened chemically with baking powder, rather than yeast. They are usually served as a sweet breakfast food, topped with butter and various syrups. They are generally denser and thinner than the Brussels waffle, on which they are based. These "Belgian Waffles" were actually invented for Americans by Brussels restaurateur Maurice Vermersch, who sold them under the name "Bel-Gem Waffles" at New York's 1964 World's Fair. The Belgian people do not actually bake "Belgian Waffles".




Take a hike, Eggo

One Month Anniversary

I can hardly believe we have been living in Brussels for a month!! Time is finally flying by and we are getting ready to start our "real" adventures. We have explored much of Belgium in the past month, but starting this weekend we are going to be exploring Europe! Here is out upcoming itinerary:

3/13-15 Cinque Terre, Italy
3/21-22 Skiing in the Alps
3/28-31 Paris
4/3-5 Amsterdam
4/10-12 Champagne Region of France
4/18-19 London

We spent this past weekend in Brussels checking out the following:

- Visited the Atomium - a huge atom that was built for the World Fair in 1958
- Toured the Royal Museum of the Armed Forces and Military History
- Marveled at the Cinquantenaire both day and night - construction on the structure was completed in 1905. Pictures do not do it justice!
- Visited the battle grounds at Waterloo and climbed to the top of the Lion's Mound

Date Night

Eating out in Brussels can be somewhat of a challenge. Many places don't have menus in English and even if they did, I don't think the Belgian/French cuisine would appeal to either of us. Tonight we ate dinner at Mare E Monti, a cute Italian restaurant in our neighborhood. The Hawaiian pizza was amazing - we will definitely be going back soon! After that we drove around and found a movie theater but decided to save that for another night.




We are spending the weekend in Brussels doing all of the touristy stuff we have yet to do. Everything is starting to become strangely routine here- hopefully I will have more to post about after Justin fills his 8 gig memory card in 2 hours :)

P.s. If you would like our address over here just send me an e-mail at srodish@gmail.com

Much love from Belgie

Pups

I'm enjoying Brussels and Europe in general but I do miss home/fam/friends a lot - especially the 3 pups! I would give anything to hear Penny bark for a dingo, find Sissy sleeping under my bed or even step over Truman every time I turn around.

I can't wait until Justin and I can get a dog of our own! For now I will pretend they are mine... well really only Sis and Penny ..Truman is only good for sleeping on the couch and waking the neighborhood up on Tuesday morning when the garbage/recycling trucks come by :)

Penny, Sissy & Truman


Penny & Sis

ISU Graduation

I'm over 2 months late in posting these pictures, but I figure they deserved a post - after all I'm a college grad! ( with no job I might add :)


Alyssa and me at the school-wide ceremony


Justin and me :)




Cutting the cake at my grad party



Some of my bff's from HS


Fam


Justin playing pool


Doug playing pool


Nice little get together with fam and friends- Dad and Sherry did an awesome job- everything was perfect!




Cute cake my Aunt Carolyn made - she makes them like no other! I think I might order one upon our return to the states - I could come up with reasons to celebrate just about anything so I can have an excuse to eat her cake


Jenny and me :)


Brit and I always take cute pics together!!


HRI girls!


HRI girls after some wine and shots


Yay for awesome friends


<3 you Nancy!

Last Time

This was on tv the other night and I just thought this kid was too funny. His dancing skills are so so but his attitude is perfect.

Bruges

This weekend we traveled to Bruges and loved it!! The city was beautiful, people were friendly and the food was very tasty!

A few things we did...
- Ate our first Belgian waffle.. it was 10x better than I imagined! They are a variety of toppings - we went with strawberries and whipped cream. Good thing there are stands of these must have treats all over town!
- Climbed to the top of the Belfry - a medieval bell tower that anchors the square. The stairs were extremely steep but the view at the top was worth it!
- Took a boat tour around the canals of Bruges
- Saw Michelangelo's Madonna and Child sculpture in the Church of Our Lady
- Ate some chocolates, checked out a few lace shops- we did anything thing and all things Belgian!
- Went to Ostend to see the beach & the North Sea


I finally learned how to make my pictures into a little slide show with music - now I can share more than just a few per post.