Top Ten Things I WON’T Miss About Brussels

1.     Doggie-do – It’s a little known fact that Brussels is the Doggie-do capital of the world.  Neither of us could ever understand why no one felt compelled to clean up after their dog.

2.     Store hours - The lack of stores open after 6:30pm was a constant source of frustration, given our tendency to eat (and plan) late.  Sunday closures were also challenging, but on the bright side, they led me to discover Indian cooking at the one open corner-market down the street.

3.     Confusing road signs – I don’t think we ever managed to reach our destination without a few wrong turns, despite arming ourselves with increasing numbers of maps.  The main obstacle was that each major road had a multitude of names (one French, one Dutch, two numerical) yet none of them ever seemed to map to our map armamentarium.

4.     The weather – We arrived in January for a wet, cold (for us) winter and left just when spring was finally taking hold…in June!  I thought Vancouver was rainy (166 days per year) but Brussels takes the cake at 220 days per year!

5.     Expensive water – While beer and wine were extremely affordable when dining out, a large bottle of water that cost 1 euro in the store would typically be marked up 6 times…I think it’s clear what Belgians consider essential with their meal!

6.     Laissez-faire attitude – We both got along with Belgians on the whole – they were generally friendly and laid-back – but sometimes the degree of laissez-faire was a tad frustrating.  One vivid example is the time I was sold a broken cell phone: the store staff seemed completely oblivious to the fact that it was an inconvenience for me to have to return to the store and then wait 45 minutes for them to fix it.

7.     Elusive food favourites – Jerel and I each lamented the unavailability of a few food favourites – for Jerel it was pinto beans and ‘real’ tortilla chips, and for me it was edamame (a new addiction from China).

8.     Erratic drivers – Even after learning the ‘rule of the right’ (feel free to cut someone off if you’re on their right), the other drivers always seemed totally erratic to me, making me a highly anxious (even more than normal) passenger.

9.     Public smoking – I don’t think I need to elaborate here… Unfortunately, this one applies to most of Europe (and I guess most of the world besides the US and Canada).

10. Our building door – Attractive as our steel door was, I always dreaded having to hip-check it with all my might whenever I entered or exited the building.

Top Ten Things I WILL Miss About Brussels

1.     Speaking French – I never tired of putting my many years of French Immersion schooling to use; I also loved hearing Jerel attempt any of his handful of phrases: “une grande bouteille d’eau petillante, s’il vous plait”.

2.     Spinning classes – I came a long way from the first class, when I caused a scene by falling and skewering myself on the handlebar pole of my stationary bike, to my last, when I was in front of the class as an instructor in training.  I will miss those sweat-fests!

3.     Central location – The standard comment about Brussels is: “The best thing about it is its central location in Europe”.  I grew fond enough of Brussels to take offence to the implicit ‘dissing’ of our temporary hometown, but can’t deny that Jerel and I enjoyed many a weekend away.

4.     My local cafes – On weekdays, I could often be spotted at one of my two favourite local coffee shops, diligently working on a manuscript, planning the next weekend jaunt, or reading the French newspapers.

5.     Consistently great dining – Jerel and I sampled a wide variety of cuisine in Brussels - pub food, Moroccan, Thai, Italian and more - and were never disappointed.  Fresh ingredients and good produce seemed to be the secret to success.

6.     La Trattoria – Our favourite way to end the week was with a mellow night at La Trattoria, where the pizza Milano was unbeatable.

7.     Boutique shopping – Shopping for dinner became a fun hobby, as it entailed hopping between specialty shops, offering freshly baked breads, a vast selection of stinky cheeses, and the freshest produce. 

8.     Farmer’s markets galore – Brussels has an abundance of open markets featuring not just produce, but also flowers, cheeses, breads, nuts and of course, waffles.  My favourite was the Wednesday afternoon market in the trendy Chatelain neighborhood.

9.     Tasty treats – Who wouldn’t miss the aroma of fresh waffles wafting from the many ‘waffle trucks’, or the abundance of exquisite chocolateries and patisseries.  I never fell for the double-fried-fries with your choice of hundreds of sauces, but based on the lines many others did!

10. Local parks – Our apartment was a hop-skip and jump away from three of Brussels’ many green parks: ‘Abbaye de la Cambre’, ‘Etangs d’Ixelles’, and ‘Bois de la Cambre’.

Turkey Part III – Going with the Flow

The final phase of our travels in Turkey was a mellow five days at “Flow Datca”, a quiet beach club in southern Turkey.  The club was on the outskirts of Datca, a small coastal town that is popular with Turkish holidaymakers, but has not yet been inundated by the western European rabble.  The region is known for windsurfing as well as for honey, almonds, and olives, all of which we made a point to enjoy.

For most of our stay at the resort, we were the only guests, which made us prime targets for the eager-to-please staff.  The front desk clerk cheerfully handled a range of requests from changing rooms (Mom, you’d be proud) to usurping his computer, the guitarist enthusiastically serenaded us with American tunes, and the chef willingly catered to our tastes.  Each evening we had the best table in the house as we dined on yogurt dip and eggplant mezzes, followed by specially ordered white beans for Chana and daily special for Jerel, and finishing with a massive platter of fresh fruit.

When we weren’t consuming copious amounts of fruit, honey or eggplant, we were either hanging out by the pool, windsurfing at the French outdoors club next door (see, French is a useful language!), or roaming around Datca, where we tried truly fresh almonds for the first time – they had a remarkably intense flavour with strong hints of vanilla.  We also squeezed in a full-day boat cruise with twenty-odd Turkish tourists, during which we visited the Greek ruins of Knidos and made refreshing swim stops at several pristine coves.

From Datca, we flew to Istanbul, where I had booked us a beautiful hotel on the water near the airport (about an hour out of the main city).  Enter major travel blunder number two…it turns out that this scenic hotel was actually located a good full day’s drive from Istanbul.  Ooops!  To make a long story short, at dusk we finally checked into a nearby hotel, which featured great views of the freeway and the surrounding truck yards.  As the front desk clerk judiciously put it when asked where we could go for an evening walk “the location here is not the best”.  Although Turkey was wonderful, we were both relieved to return to ‘normal’ life in Brussels. 

For more photos, please click here.

Turkey Part II - Charging for the Ionian Ruins

From Istanbul we headed towards the ancient city of Ephesus, via plane, taxi and mini bus (aka dolumus), settling in the nearby town of Selcuk. It was a tall order for Ephesus to live up to the hype, but it succeeded. The ruins included an intact coliseum, an imposing library façade, finely engraved Ionic columns, and unearthed terrace houses complete with sculptures, mosaics, marble floors and bathtubs. Despite the blazing sun and lamentable lack of shade, we happily explored the expansive ruins for a good four hours before walking (of course) back to our hotel.

Selcuk itself was underwhelming, but our warm and welcoming hotel with its beautiful rooftop terrace overlooking St John’s church and the local castle more than compensated. We enjoyed two delicious and entertaining dinners at the hotel. The best part was the “pre-game show” in which an eccentric Turkish waiter helped us to chose our mezzes from a selection of nearly 20 mostly vegetarian dishes (eggplant galore!) on display. Our enthusiasm for the food was rewarded on the last morning when the cook provided impromptu cooking lessons as well as a parting gift of his special spice mix.

During our stay we also visited the local Hamam (Turkish bath). Chana grinned gleefully throughout the scrubbing and sudsing sessions, but the process was a bit more concerning for me. As the hairy Turkish man peeled off layers of my skin, I thought hard to recount from physiology exactly how many skin layers there are in the human body. The oil massage finale was the best part, although I drew the more brutal of the masseurs and left with some body parts feeling better and others feeling worse.

From Selcuk we rented a horribly underpowered Fiat and drove south to visit two other famous ruins: Priene and Miletus. We were among the only tourists to brave the heat and the hilly ascent to Priene, giving us a rare chance to pose amongst dramatic Greek ‘props’. Miletus was especially exciting on account of the ancient philosophers that had lived there: Thales, Anaximenes, and Anaxiamander. We left puzzling over how Thales thought that the world was made of water when there didn’t seem to be a drop in the place.

Our road trip ended with one of two blatant travel planning errors of our trip (stay tuned). Based on some misguided pages from the Lonely Planet, we had planned to spend our 2-year wedding anniversary night in the beach town of Oren. We arrived to find that the only hotel in town was painted a 1980s-style piercing shade of lime, the “beach” was strewn with litter, and that not a soul spoke English. We promptly exited Oren and identified a new destination - Yalikavak, a small town on the Bodrum Peninsula. Yalikavak turned out to be a much more desirable choice, and we celebrated our anniversary with a romantic seaside dinner.

For more photos, please click here.

Turkey Part I - Basking in the Warmth of Istanbul

We had only 3 days to embrace the ancient city of Istanbul. Despite this fact, and Chana’s mandate that we walk absolutely everywhere, we managed to take in a healthy number of sights. The Hagia Sophia won the blue ribbon for impressiveness with its massive domed interior, juxtaposition of Byzantine construction and Muslim adornments, well-preserved mosaics, and view of the Blue Mosque.

The Blue Mosque rivaled Hagia Sophia in size, but offered a very different environment. The experience started at the doorway, where doormen draped Chana with blue sheets to cover her hair and legs. The plush rug and blue mosaic walls were immaculate and provided a serene atmosphere for worshipers.

The most anticipated sight was the Kariye Museum. The museum
is a Byzantine church which holds spectacularly preserved mosaics; the type you “go to Istanbul to see” according to my art history teacher. For us, the anticipation was amplified by the fact that we were foiled on our first attempt at a visit. After walking 6 km to the mosque (thanks, Chana) we arrived to find the museum closing early at 4:30 pm (enter the grumpiest Jerel of the trip). Fortunately, a dose of Starbucks coffee at bustling Taksim square and some spectacular views from the Galata Tower provided an antidote.

As we covered the sights, we were struck by the mix of the religious and the secular and the pace of modernization. We saw multi-generational families in which the women’s dress code correlated dramatically with age: from the 70 year-old woman fully covered and wearing a traditional shawl, to the 18 year-old wearing a tank top and shorts. We noticed that the architecture recapitulates the modernization: moving north along the Bosphorus, you are met first with the old city, filled with ancient buildings; then with aging buildings housing Starbucks and Zara, and ultimately with the steel and glass skyscrapers of the incipient business centers.

Our biggest takeaway from Istanbul was the warmth of the Turkish people. We noticed this in their greetings - based on the number of hugs and kisses one family exchanged at a bus stop, one would think they had been separated for decades. As tourists, we were welcomed at every turn. We dreaded the persistent barrage of restaurant solicitations, but once we sat down for dinner we were treated like family. The staff at the hotel’s front desk were perhaps the best exemplars of Turkish hospitality. A mere query from Chana incited a flurry of activity involving half of the hotel staff, who cheerfully created a make-shift travel agency and booked the next leg of our trip.

For more photos, please click here.

Pounding the pavement in London

As Jerel’s final project in Europe came to a close, Chana seized the chance for a weekend trip to London. She arrived with two missions: to visit with two Canuck-turned-Londoner chums and to add one more city to the growing list of “cities in which Chana can charge for a walking tour”. We were sad to miss our other London dwelling friends, Peter and Natacha, but happy to take them up on their generous offer to stay at their flat (complete with a yummy loaf of freshly baked bread).

Chana got a head start on her tour training on Friday, with a leisurely jog to Piccadilly Circus, Leicester Square, Hyde Park, and Buckingham palace, including a chance sighting of the changing of the guards. Saturday, Jerel joined for the full-on tour day, whereby we hit as many of London’s ‘must-see’ sights as possible, all on foot. From Clapham, we headed north to see Harrod’s, continued to Buckingham Palace and Big Ben, and ended with a stroll along the Thames to the Tower of London and the Tower Bridge.

We were equally successful on our social missions. Chana and Bronywn had calculated that we could spend precisely 3.5 hours together on Friday night if we rendezvoused near London Liverpool station. The three of us shared a delicious meal, serenaded by an electric violin, while Bronwyn and Jerel regaled Chana with ‘loads’ of stories about British expressions. Among the favorites were “the complete history of the word posh” and the word ‘pudding’ which apparently means any type of dessert.

Saturday evening, we met up with Andrew (a friend from Chana’s UBC days) and his girlfriend Helen in their old ‘hood (Islington). We started with a pitcher of Pimm’s at one funky pub and ended with dinner and ‘pudding’ at London’s first pub serving organic food …those of you that enjoy the Naam in Vancouver would have felt right at home!

We wrapped up our weekend with shopping in the bustling streets of Covent Garden. In typical fashion, we lost track of time and arrived at St. Pancras station just in time to catch our Eurostar train back to Brussels for one final week in the city of waffles and chocolate.

For more photos please click here.

Amsterdam Assembly

Unlike most bloggers, I rarely write a blog entry in close proximity to the inspirational event. The problem is that I am far too good at keeping busy (aka procrastinating) - planning the next trip, going to the gym, ‘puttering’ around the apartment and occasionally hunting for a job. Today, however, I have inadvertently given myself ample time in front of my computer without access to my usual procrastination tactics.

What should have been a 3 hour train ride from Amsterdam to Brussels has magically turned into a 6 hour journey to Paris and back...I was so engrossed in writing my latest overdue blog entry that I missed my stop! I would have loved to stay in Paris for the night but unfortunately I need to get back to Brussels to show our apartment to some potential new renters.

Onto Amsterdam… Four of us converged on Amsterdam for a festive weekend: Chana, Jerel, Mom and Katharina (plus Mom’s colleague Jennifer). The timing was perfect: Katharina had just aced the last portion of her medical school exams in Berlin, Mom’s conference in The Hague had concluded, I was determined not to leave Europe without seeing this (in)famous city. Jerel and I arrived by train late Saturday night, and barely made it to our hotel intact… one of us (the newbie) was nearly demolished by cyclists several times on the way home, having not yet adjusted to the extra (silent) lane of traffic on every street.

Sunday morning we kicked off two days of wandering Amsterdam’s narrow streets, criss-crossing its café-lined canals, and sampling its cultural and historical offerings. Jerel had to leave Monday morning, but was still able to join the crew for his most eagerly anticipated event – an evening boat cruise through the canals.

Aside from the abundance of bicycling juggernauts, the most memorable part of the weekend for me was our visit to the Anne Frank House. The exhibit was very simple– a few passage excerpts, photos, and videos - yet the experience of being in the space where Anne Frank hid for two years and trying to imagine what she and others must have felt was incredibly moving. Another sight that also merits mention is the very inviting, state-of-the-art Amsterdam Public Library, which I was gently encouraged to visit by a certain library-lover. I missed out on the Van Gogh museum (Saturday’s activity) but heard from mom and Katharina that it was very impressive.

Tuesday morning we all went our separate ways – Katharina by train to Berlin, Mom by plane to Vancouver, and me by train to Paris…I mean Brussels!

For more photos, please click here.

Introducing Chana Palmer Davis

Better late than never, I like to say!  

Just in time for our 2 year wedding anniversary, I picked up the first official document (US passport) bearing my married name...Chana Palmer Davis.  Don't worry if it takes you a while to get used to it - I've already messed up a few times when asked my name!

Brussels Abridged Tour with Mom

Mom and I returned from Paris to Brussels via the remarkably quick (1.5 hours) speed train, arriving just in time for an afternoon spinning fix.  Jerel soon joined us from London and together we enjoyed a mellow night in our apartment, serenaded by the cheerful birds in the garden out back. 

After another spinning fix Saturday morning (I couldn’t miss Jonathan’s rendition of ‘man, I feel like a woman’ with his strong French accent), we headed out to explore the nearby Flemish university town of Leuven, often likened to Cambridge.  The only item on our agenda was to check out the gothic Stadhuis and St. Peter’s Cathedral in the main square; otherwise we were content to wander around town, soaking in the atmosphere.  Our most exciting find was the farmer’s market, where the fruits and vegetables were so big, colorful, and plump that they inspired a fruit tasting event.  Based on my random sampling of cherries, blueberries, and blackberries, I and am pleased to report that they tasted as good as they looked. 

Sunday, I donned my tour guide hat for the ‘Brussels: Abridged” tour package (Grand Place and Place du Grand Sablon) with an extra dose of antique shopping (available upon request).  We started with a random walk through the myriad goods spread all over Place Jeu de Balle and proceeded with determined digging in several more selective shops in the area.  It was worth the effort to see the grin on Mom's face when she declared victory and proudly displayed the two new "313" number plates for the outside of her house.  We celebrated with chocolate sampling on the way home (it seems there is always something to celebrate in Brussels) stopping briefly to admire the exquisite delicacies created by Marcolini and Whittamer's choclateries.  We wrapped up the weekend with a quick meal with Jerel before preparing to go our separate ways for the week – mom to The Hague, Jerel to London, and me holding down the fort in Brussels.

For more photos please click here.

Paris Rendezvous with Mom

My mom and I continued our tradition of travel together with a multi-city sojourn, built around her academic meeting at The Hague. We rendezvoused in Paris on Sunday, a city that we were both eager to return to after recent visits that whet our appetites. Unfortunately, Jerel was unable to join us…someone has to pay the bills! We stayed in two different quaint hotels on the Left Bank, near Jardin de Luxembourg, and within striking distance of many major attractions (for hardy walkers or metro aficionados).

We filled each day to the brim strolling Paris’ eclectic neighborhoods, sampling its vast array of impressive museums and churches, and pausing frequently to enjoy the café culture. Not surprisingly, the Louvre won our vote for best - and most exhausting - museum, as well as for most worth-it café splurge (great service, food and ambience). The other museums on our agenda were no slouches either: the Rodin Museum, in an 18th century mansion on beautiful grounds, the Petit Palais, featuring an exhibit on William Blake, and Musée du Luxembourg, featuring “Lippi: The Renaissance in Prato”.

My favourite church was Sainte-Chapelle, built by King Louis IX in 1248 to house an expensive Jesus’ crown of thorns and known for its amazing stained glass. For the record, Notre Dame was ineligible to win favourite church as we did not re-visit this time. The award for coolest neighborhood goes to Marais, a hip and chic area that mixes old and new and has historic ties to the Jewish community.

Our evenings were equally packed, and we ended each day in a pleasant state of exhaustion. Our entertainment choices included a sunset cruise on the Seine and a variety of classical concerts amplified by their amazing venues (Vivaldi at Eglise Madelaine, Chopin at St. Julien-le-Pauvre, and Baroque choral at St. Clothilde). Our one ‘eventless’ evening was equally memorable – a baguette and cheese picnic on Pont des Arts, a local tradition that is now in jeopardy due to new laws on public wine consumption! As we left Paris for Brussels, we both felt that that although we now had a much better grip on the city, our appetites for Paris were still not sated…

For more photos please click here.

Davis Family Belgian Tour

Thursday – Awake and Moving
Steve and Janet arrived in Brussels at 8am on Thursday, whereupon Chana took it upon herself to help them to beat jetlag using her tried and true strategy: walking, walking and more walking. She took them on a marathon tour of Brussels’ parks, including nearby Bois de la Cambre and Etangs d’Ixelles, and not-so-close Park du Cinquantenniare, with great city views from its replica Arc de Triomphe. On the way home, Chana bemused Janet with her inefficient grocery foraging – stopping at not one, not two, but FIVE stores for ingredients. Steve and Janet were also treated to Chana’s break-in technique (oops, forgot the key!) which involved slithering through the air tunnel into the ‘Jardin d’Hiver’. Steve stared in amazement and remarked “I’m so glad I was here for this.”

Friday – The Standard
Jerel was working on Friday, thus Chana took Janet and Steve on the “Standard tour” of Brussels. This included the happening Chatelain neighborhood, the Grand Place, and numerous irresistible choclateries and patisseries in the Grand Sablon. Jerel joined in the evening for a home-cooked Italian meal accompanied by Chana’s (still) favourite Belgian beer – Raspberry Lambec.

Saturday – A Tour to Remember
Saturday, we drove to Bastogne, the epicenter of the “Battle of the Bulge”, and a town with something of a family connection. Toward the end of the battle, the need for more medics became critical. Janet’s father, a medic in the war, volunteered to help and was flown in via a silent glider. We poked around downtown Bastogne, where a restored tank sits in the central square, then visited to the very impressive war memorial and local museum outside of town. On our way home, we stopped in Liege (a first for both Jerel and Chana) for diner, ironically settling on a quaint café that specialized in Flemish cuisine.

Sunday – Market Madness
While most of Brussels is all too calm on Sundays, the markets really come alive. We started at the Gare du Midi (train station) market, which feels like a slice of Morocco, and is a great place to stock up on fresh, inexpensive produce, which is exactly what we did. We then headed to the two antique markets, including the rather raw ‘Jeu de Balle’ open market (can you believe Chana actually purchased something for once?) and the more refined antique booths in the Place du Grand Sablon. Along the way, Janet and Steve finally had a chance to sample warm Belgian waffles (two thumbs up!).

Monday – Medieval Times
We finished our Belgian tour with a trip to Ghent. The highlights were: (re)visiting the Belfry with its amazing views, lingering in St. Bavo's cathedral decorated with Reubens’ paintings and exploring quintessential Gravenstein Castle for the first time.

Janet and Steve left early the next morning. We were sad to see them go, but grateful for the few days that we were able to spend together showing them our latest home-away-from-home.

Windy City Weekend

The timing of the Canary Symposium coincided nicely with one of Jerel’s meetings in Chicago, so I arranged a layover in Chicago en route back to Brussels. The layover was part of a master plan to re-connect with old friends and to meet their new little ones. Thursday night, we had an epicurean evening with Casey, Katherine, and ‘grandma’ Brown, and met their 3-month old baby Corinne. TJ and Christy joined us for the weekend, and we treated ourselves to a stay at a cool hotel (the W) in the heart of Chicago, right on the lake. None of us knew Chicago very well when we arrived, but by the time we left, we were unanimously smitten.
Highlights included: jogging along the lively lakeshore, admiring masterpieces at the Art Institute, cruising the Chicago River on an entertaining and edifying architectural tour, admiring the view from the John Hancock tower, and dining at Zed 451, a restaurant that claimed to specialize in meat but whose ‘harvest table' had us all going back for more…and more…

After two days of fun in Chicago, we road-tripped to Columbus on Sunday afternoon where we celebrated mother’s day with Christy, TJ, Jake and Christy’s parents. Jerel and I spent the evening competing for Jake’s attention and I think it’s safe to say that we both won. Jake charmed both ‘Cha Cha’ and ‘Jerjel’ with his warmth, cheerfulness, playfulness, and boundless energy.

For more photos please click here.

Canary reunion in California

Prompted by an invitation to attend the Canary Foundation’s Annual Symposium at Stanford, I made a short but sweet trip back to the Bay Area.  I arrived in California a few days before the conference so that I could spend the weekend hanging out with the growing Dean clan (Jed, Sara, Esther, Beatrice, and girl #3, expected in August).  Friday night, I received a huge surprise when we were sitting down for dinner and the doorbell rang… there stood Jerel, with flowers and a big grin on his face.  He had realized at the last minute that it made just as much sense to fly to his Chicago meeting later that week from Shanghai via San Francisco rather than via Brussels. Lucky me!

It felt just like old times as we passed the weekend hiking, discussing/debating, and feasting with the Deans.  The girls were cuter than ever, and as always, full of energy that we love to watch them burn off running circles around the house or dancing freestyle to pop music (Rhianna's “All the Single Ladies” still tops the Dean girls’ charts).  Bea stopped so much traffic at the SF Ferry building with her cuteness that we debated giving her a collection bucket!  We also made a fun trip to the SF Exploratorium with Stephen and his two little ones, where I tried and failed to get over my ‘gyrophobia’ (long story).

I had a great time at the Canary Symposium, connecting with old friends and colleagues and nourishing my hungry brain.  A few themes emerged from the meeting - that we should devote resources to identifying ‘pathognomonic’ markers (not produced by any normal cells) and that while we believe that there is a real window of opportunity for early detection, the tumors are likely to be very small during that window.  Another theme of the meeting was enjoying good wine, thanks to one of Canary’s supporters who dug into his amazing wine cellar for the occasion.

Sampling Belgium with Katharina

Ezra's girlfriend, Katharina is a notorious chocoholic, so it wasn't hard to talk her into coming to Brussels from Berlin for a weekend visit. She arrived the day after passing her grueling medical school written exams, providing a good excuse to indulge in a celebratory weekend.  Friday, we showed Katharina our favourite Brussels sites, shops and neighborhoods stopping to fortify ourselves with chocolate as needed.  We capped off a delicious day by inaugurating our balcony as we enjoyed some of Belgium's finest raspberry beer.

Saturday, we ventured to two nearby flemish cities - Antwerp and Ghent.  It was our first time in Antwerp where we were struck by the extent to which shopping dominated the city's activities - the main streets were bustling with trendy, upscale shops, while the rest of the city was strangely deserted. We had visited Ghent for the first time the previous weekend and were eager to return to this lively city - Ghent has much of the old-fashioned charm of its famous neighbor, Brugge, yet seems to have more of a real life going on beneath the surface. 

Jerel left for Shanghai after brunch on Sunday, so Katharina and I seized the opportunity to cruise Brussels' various antique and craft markets at a leisurely pace, again stopping for chocolate (or waffles) for fortification as needed!  The pink room is again ready and waiting for more guests...

For more photos from our celebratory weekend please click here.

Lausanne - Easter Wedding Extravaganza

The wedding of our friends Peter and Natacha in Lausanne gave us the perfect excuse to visit Switzerland. Lausanne was in peak form - the views across sparkling Lake Geneva towards dramatic snow-capped French Alps were amazing, and the city itself lived up to my Swiss stereotypes in being impeccably groomed and well-organized. Friday’s theme was getting to know our fellow guests while enjoying our surroundings. A group of twenty or so of us journeyed to a local winery, first by ferry then on foot through the vineyard-covered hills, before returning to Lausanne by train for an evening of pizza and drinks.

Saturday, Jerel and I jogged along what we agreed was probably the most beautiful jogging path in the world (challenge, anyone?) before donning black-tie attire for the big event. The celebration was held at the Beau Rivage Palace, a beautiful, grand, lavish hotel with a Baroque feel. The short and sweet marriage ceremony was followed by cocktails and hors d’oeuvres in the spectacular hotel gardens overlooking the lake. The reception offered great food and entertainment, including risqué speeches, a comical newlywed game (the ‘shoe game’ – where bride & groom answer provocative questions from the guests), and live music and dance moves from across the decades.

Easter Sunday, Natacha let her game-loving side shine with a fabulous Easter-egg hunt involving over 1000 chocolate eggs hidden throughout the expansive hotel gardens. I may not have one the prize for most eggs but I think I won the prize for persistence (I was the only one that left with a grass-stain!). That afternoon, we worked off our chocolate spoils walking through hilly Lausanne, which was quiet even by European standards for a Sunday on account of the Easter holiday.

Hamburg - Day in the Life of a Chippendale

Anyone that knows my older bro won’t be surprised to hear that for the last few months, he’s been on tour in Europe with the Chippendales. They closed out the tour in Hamburg, inviting an easy weekend trip for me and Jerel from Brussels. We weren’t expecting much from Hamburg but it turns out to be quite a lively and scenic city. Canals and bridges abounded - I learned that Hamburg has more bridges than Amsterdam and Venice combined!

After a late arrival on Friday, we kicked off our weekend on Saturday with lunch at Ami’s regular haunt, a casual cafeteria where you are guaranteed the best bang for your buck when it comes to generous portions of healthy food. We spent the afternoon exploring Hamburg, meandering along the Binnenalster (inner city lake) and past the impressive Rathaus (city hall). Jerel and I continued on to enjoy a chilly panoramic view of the city from St. Nikolai’s church, whose ruins are a WWII memorial, while Ami went to rehearsal.

Ami had arranged for guest tickets to the Saturday night show, known to be the craziest night of the week…and crazy it was. I’ve never seen so many seemingly normal women going nuts – upwards of 600 women filled the venue that night. The crowd was on their feet for much of the show, cheering and shrieking. Fortunately, one of the other two men in the audience (the tour manager) was sitting at our table, which gave Jerel some comfort. He tried his hardest to look like he was on official business as well. The show was a lot of fun, with impressive dancing and music (and abs). To my relief, I didn’t have to close my eyes nearly as much as I had feared… The show also featured a good dose of audience participation, and to my dismay, Ami had ensured that I would be picked as one of the ‘volunteers’. Suffice it to say that I survived, with even greater appreciation for the nerve it takes to perform in front of a big audience.
After the show, I stood in shock as women lined up to take their picture with Ami, or requested an autograph. Either he’s a good actor or the experience hasn’t grown old even after 6 shows a week for several months! After the show, we navigated the bustling Reeperbahn together (Europe’s largest red light district) and joined Ami for his second dinner.

Sunday and Monday passed much the same as Saturday, to the rhythm of Ami’s sleep-eat-exercise-eat-perform-eat life. Katharina (Ezra’s girlfriend) joined us from Berlin as did her friend Jana who lives just outside Hamburg. Jerel returned to Brussels for work on Monday while I stayed behind. Katharina and Jana attended the show on Sunday and it seemed that they also enjoyed it …I caught them posing with one of the other Chippendale’s when I returned to meet up with them after the show in the ‘flirt lounge’. Sunday ‘apres-show’, Ami and I joined some of the guys for dinner, which made for some interesting conversation. Monday, Ami and I passed a pleasantly quiet day, lifting weights at the gym (my pecs are still recovering!) and lingering over lunch and tea. All in all a very satisfying and memorable weekend.

Morocco - Spring Getaway with Bronwyn

After several months of grey winter, Brownyn and I agreed that a spring getaway was in order. We settled on Morocco as our destination, for its warm weather, interesting culture, and easy access from Europe. Upon arrival into Marrakesh, we were initially taken aback by the dusty streets and worn stone buildings, but soon warmed to the city as we began to sample its exotic sights, sounds and tastes.

We spent our first 2 days exploring Marrakesh, a city that seems to never sleep. During the day, we struggled not to get lost as we navigated the maze of narrow streets of the souks (markets) where small shops displayed colourful ceramics, blankets, spices and teas. The bargaining skills that I acquired in China were indispensable, as prices were almost always negotiable. At night, we lingered at the main square ‘Djemaa el Fna, where tourists and locals alike congregated until the wee hours. On one end of the square was a collection of stalls offering freshly squeezed orange juice, dried fruits and nuts, and fragrant Moroccan cuisine, all manned by charming young men determined to convince you of their stall’s superiority. The adjacent courtyard featured an eclectic mix of performers (musicians, contortionists) and vendors (traveling pharmaceuticals, henna artists), each encircled by a rapt crowd.

We began and ended our days at a wonderful Riad (B&B) unexpectedly tucked away down a back alley, featuring elegant local décor, private pool, rooftop views and delicious mint tea…the perfect antidote to the craziness of the medina. The only downside of our accommodation was the mournful daily 5am call to prayer from the nearby mosque.

Next, we ventured to the coastal town of Essaouira for 24 hours of relative tranquility. Like Marrakesh, Essaouira remains very down-to-earth despite the thriving tourism industry – Brownyn described it as a ‘Muslim Santa Cruz’. As native ocean girls, we were thrilled to simply walk on the beach and inhale the sea air. The beach was alive with impromptu soccer games, while sunbathers were noticeably lacking. We also enjoyed exploring Essaouira’s lively port, filled with fishermen selling their catch, as well as seagulls and stray cats eager for a spare morsel.

One of the many memorable parts of the trip was our visit to a Hammam – the Moroccan equivalent of a Turkish bath - where we had the roughest scrubbing of our lives and had buckets of warm water dumped on our heads. It was a lot more fun than it sounds and Bronwyn and I both eagerly bought scrubbers so that we could recreate the experience. We wrapped up our visit to Essaouira with camel rides on the beach, a first for both of us. We couldn’t stop grinning as we climbed the sand dunes, the perfect ending to our Moroccan escapade. We returned to our respective homes the following morning, equipped with tea, spices, scrubbers and more, keen to bring a taste of Morocco home with us.

Bronwyn Visits Brussels - Quel Plaisir!

Last weekend, we hosted the first of hopefully many visitors to the pink room at “chez Jerel et Chana” in Brussels. The lucky guest was Bronwyn, who traveled from London for a short but very sweet visit.

We took Bronwyn on something of a culinary tour of Brussels on Saturday, starting with authentic Belgian waffles (far superior to the North American imposters) served from the Belgian equivalent of a California ‘taco truck’, moving on to gourmet chocolate tasting, and ending with ‘moules frites’ (mussels and fries). Along the way, we managed to take in a good number of Brussels’ main attractions, including the Grand Place, various beautiful churches, and the notorious ‘Mannekin Pis’, which some say celebrates a young boy who saved the city from fire by peeing on it.

Sunday, we opted for a day trip to Bruges, perhaps one of the world’s quaintest cities. This medieval town is a UNESCO World Heritage site and on the surface, seems to have hardly changed since its time as a thriving trading center in the 13th and 14th centuries. It truly feels like a step back in time, complete with horse-drawn carriages. There isn’t much to do in Bruges besides climbing the narrow, winding staircase to the top of the bell tower, strolling through the town and along the narrow canals, and sipping beer (or raspberry Lambec, yum!)…all of which makes for a great afternoon.

Monday, Bronwyn joined me and the other regulars for “Lundi matin RPM” (indoor cycling) at my second home, the gym. Quel plaisir! We then took a brisk stroll to the nearby ‘Etangs d’Ixelles’, scenic manmade ponds featuring an interesting assortment of birds, and where spring fever is in full swing amongst birds and humans alike! We had just enough time to squeeze in some souvenir shopping so that Bronwyn wouldn’t be chastised for leaving Belgium without chocolates (and beer) in tow.

I hope that this blurb helps to entice any potential visitors that are wavering on the allure of Brussels! For more photos please click here.

Valentine's in Paris

Aaah, Paris! I’m not normally a big city person, preferring beaches, forests and mountains to concrete jungles, yet, somehow Paris captivated me. I think it has something to do with the city’s energy and balance…Parisians seem to balance their busyness with a knack for taking advantage of life’s simple pleasures. The busyness is typified by the hustle and bustle of the streets, the relentless traffic and scores of cyclists, while the countless cafes and restaurants bursting with life at all hours (a sharp contrast to sleepy Brussels) speak to the other side of the coin. As we sipped coffee (it’s growing on me!) in a café on Sunday, it struck me that many the things we consider a treat - croissant breakfasts in cute cafés, jogs along the river or past middle aged churches, and lingering, delicious dinners - are part of daily life in Paris. Given the short train ride from Brussels, I just might become a part time Parisian over the next few months!

Saturday, Jerel and I created our own walking tour of Paris. We started the day breakfasting amidst joggers in Jardin du Luxembourg, then slowly wound our way through the streets to the very gothic Notre Dame cathedral. Jerel and I had both visited Notre Dame nearly 10 years ago but had no trouble appreciating the majestic flying buttresses, ornate columns, and rose windows for a second time. We next headed past the Louvre courtyard, through the Jardin de Tuileries to the busy Champs-Elysées and the Arc de Triomphe. We concluded our tour at the Tour d’Eiffel where we witnessed spectacles including a Valentine’s Day proposal and college girls sporting “free hugs” signs. The extremely long lines forced us to postpone our trip up the tower for the next day.

That evening we attended a unique musical show, starring our Brussels apartment landlord - Jean-Felix Lalanne – who had kindly invited us as his guests. Jean-Felix was a childhood guitar prodigy is now a top classical guitarist (though his repertoire is much broader). The setting at Théâtre du Petit Hébertot was intimate (~100 people) and the performance was part concert part play. It was a timeless autobiography with three cast members: present day Lalanne, in the flesh, feisty 10-year-old Lalanne and nostalgic 90-year-old Lalanne. His younger and older selves spoke were presented as, believe it or not, holograms. The show was both touching and musically impressive.

Sunday, we awoke to another beautiful day and headed directly to the Eiffel tower…stumbling along the way upon an open market with delicious crepes and also making the requisite café stop. When we finally made it to the (almost) top of the tower, it seemed possible to behold all of expansive Paris. The long lines, the pushing and even the overpriced, bad food were definitely worth it. From the tower, we made our way along La Seine to the Musée d’Orsay. We did the ‘best of’ tour, which essentially means you don’t leave anything out, including plenty of Monet, Renoir and Van Gogh…leaving just about the perfect impression from our weekend in Paris.

For more photos of our weekend in Paris click here.

Bienvenue à Bruxelles

Time flies when you’re eating chocolate… We’ve been in Brussels for about 3 weeks now and are already quite settled – we have not only obtained an apartment furnished to our taste, cell phones, and gym membership but are already cultivating guanxi (à la Shanghai) at our favourite local shops and cafes. I think I’m finally getting the hang of the relocation business!

Jerel and I have both been pleasantly surprised at how much Brussels has to offer, managing to be simultaneously international and cozy. The city is full of grand old buildings, impressive squares, and pleasant parks (two of which are very close to our new apartment!). The vast maze of cobbled streets offers an endless selection of cute clothing boutiques, flower shops, cafes, chocolateries, pubs, and restaurants (and a notable abundance of hair salons!?).

The predominant language here is French, which makes interactions with the locals a little challenging at times but also more fun. I am loving being able to finally put all those years of French schooling to use. More often than not, I can get the job done and have even garnered a few compliments on my French, (which, I admit, make my day). Still, I clearly have a ways to go as to my chagrin, I sometimes receive replies in English. Jerel arrived with almost zero French but thanks to his background in Spanish and his aptitude and enthusiasm for languages he is learning quickly.

Here are a few other first observations on Brussels and Belgians:

1. The people are very friendly. Strangers frequently converse, or at least exchange greetings that seem very sincere. Jerel loves riding the elevator in the morning at work for at each floor there is a chorus of well-wishes (“Bonne journée!”) between those exiting the elevators and those continuing up.
2. A balanced lifestyle is a high priority. In contrast to the workaholicism of North America (and China), Belgians seem to protect their personal time. It can be very hard to find anything open on a Sunday or after 7pm on a weekday. Even IKEA is closed on Sunday! I am still in denial about this and find myself frequently shocked when things are closed at what I consider normal business hours.
3. Chocolate is a food group. I guess you can’t blame them with so much good chocolate around, but I was floored when I first entered a large supermarket and saw that more than half of the adult cereals have chocolate. Who ever heard of special K or granola with dark chocolate?! I will never forget the hot chocolate that I had while watching the Obama inauguration (in French). Simply divine!
4. Specialty shops are the norm. While this is certainly not unique to Belgium, I nonetheless find it baffling that people find time (before 7 pm, no less!) to go to separate shops for cheese, bread, produce etc. Also, chains are out - I have yet to see a single Starbucks (although I did spot a few McDs and Haagen Dazs).
5. Pedestrians are king/queen! I would have taken this fact for granted before living in Shanghai, but I now truly appreciate not having to worry about being run over when I cross the road…Brussels is clearly on the opposite extreme from Shanghai when it comes to pedestrian rights.

Not a bad place, eh? The only downers so far are the weather, which seems like a colder version of Vancouver, and the prices – not crazy, just a bit of sticker shock after China. I must confess that I really miss the affordable luxuries of Shanghai!

Homecoming Three – San Francisco

When Jerel and I left Shanghai with our possessions in tow, we didn’t know what to call home. Thankfully, our friends and family consistently opened their homes to us, reminding us that in fact we have not one but many homes. We kicked off our third homecoming with an action-packed weekend including an evening at Alicia & Christian’s new home in Berkeley, a forested hike to Barnabe Peak (Marin County) with Jed and the girls, and a visit with the Poppers in San Francisco. We had a busy but satisfying week, catching up with friends, working (Jerel) and preparing for Brussels (Chana). Just as we were beginning to feel settled again, it was time to pack our bags for our new home… Brussels.

Homecoming Two - Malibu

Our next stop was Malibu, where we visited with family and with as many local friends as we could squeeze in over a week. Among the many fun memories are: Guesstures with the Davises and Shores (women won!); day trip to San Diego - helping Josh keep his cool following the mysterious disappearance of his truck (an illegal tow) and cooking up a storm at Jan’s place; visiting the Getty museum with Tyson on a glorious ‘winter’ day; meeting Emily and Chad’s son for the first time; and moving day with Cyndi – beginning with moving furniture from Malibu to Pasadena and culminating in six firetrucks swarming her new house (long story…no major damage!). Never a dull moment, that’s for sure!

New Year’s Among Giants

From icy Vancouver, we migrated south to San Francisco en route to our New Year’s destination – Sequoia National Park. We road-tripped to Sequoia in comfort and style, thanks to the latest addition to the Deans’ fleet of bargain buys, a snazzy Dodge Caravan. We ventured on daily hikes amidst the magnificent sequoias, and as always, the Deans impressed us by not letting the kids slow them down – as if snowshoeing isn’t hard enough, try doing it with a 3 year old on your back! The Davises (Steve, Janet and Cyndi) joined us for New Year’s and we greeted 2009 with plenty of good food and good cheer. The rest of the week was filled with more beautiful snowy hikes, this time with the Davises, who also deserve accolades…Janet asked only that we keep her dry and get her home before dark yet kept her cool when we failed on both accounts on day one!

Homecoming One - Vancouver

After bidding a bittersweet farewell to Shanghai, Jerel and I arrived in Vancouver for the first of several homecomings. Vancouver felt completely deserted compared to Shanghai, and we eagerly soaked in the open space and the ‘sound’ of silence. We were also both struck by how much easier life is when you can understand everything going on around you, and know the rules of engagement. Although it was a real treat to communicate freely in English, I have to admit that my ears perked up whenever I heard Mandarin spoken around me (not that I let on!).

We soon headed up to Whistler for few days of unusually chilly, snowless ‘skiing’ (and socializing), returning to the city just in time for a spectacular snowfall, bringing one of the whitest Christmases I can remember! Jerel built goodwill with his in-laws with his snow-shoveling prowess and ability to drive coolly on unplowed roads (unlike a certain truck driver who hit our (parked) borrowed car!). A definite highlight of the trip was an improvised toboggan session with all the sibs and significant others (except Ami’s Mana) - see Ami's Facebook page for a video!