Summer Fun in the City

For my first trip with out the kiddos and Kirk I jetted of to Malta for an amazing weekend with some girlfriends. This crew of girls flew from the States and Amsterdam. My girlfriend Melanie is moving back to Maryland so we knew we had to get in one last trip to send her off properly! Malta is a southern European island near Italy and Tunisia. It is noted as one of the smallest and most densely populated countries. The capitol is Valletta and they have two official languages (Maltese and English). The island consists of a number of walled cities, forts, and citadels. Many movies/shows were shot here because of the landscape and structure like Game of Thrones and Troy. And oddly enough one of their biggest exports are potatoes to the Netherlands - how funny!

While there we stayed at the Radisson Blu in the St. Julien's area. Our first outing - wine tasting at Meridiana Wine Estate.  The tasting was perfection and we all left with a few bottles.

We stopped for lunch in Mdina at de Mondion restaurant. Afterward we walked around Mdina, purchased little souvenirs, and had some yummy gelato. That evening we ate at the hotel restaurant and then popped out for drinks and dancing in the St. Julien's bar scene.

                                                     

Saturday we chartered a boat to take us to some hidden beaches: Comini Island (named after cumin) the blue grotto, and a little tasty spot for some beers and fish and chips. The water was incredible - crystal clear blue and crisp - I could swim in it for hours. Any opportunity to dip in the Mediterranean I am all about! That evening we ate at The Medina Restaurant for some delicious local eats (rabbit, lamb-shanks and gnocchi).

                                                            

                                       

 

On Sunday we went to the local Fish Market for some strolling, shopping and lunch. Afterward we chartered a bus for a tour of the Megalithic Temple Complex (Hagar Qim). These are among the most ancient religious sites on Earth.  Our driver took us to a few cliffside spots for a better view of the sea and the Three Cities - Vittoriosa, Senglea and Cospicua. It was a beautiful day exploring. For our final dinner we went to The Villa and sat outside on the terrace. We were joined by other expats from Sweden (part of the American Womens Club). The night was filled with many drinks, savory dishes, and stories galore. This trip not only was the best break from the daily grind of motherhood it was an amazing way to meet some fascinating women and spend some quality time with my dear friend Melanie. The last hoorah and a good one at that - I wish I could of relive every single moment because I honestly can't remember the last time I laughed so hard. It was simply the best!

After Malta the Stuek's joined us for a quick visit in Amsterdam. It was great to pop out for a lunch and drinks and meeting their new addition! And another blast from the past - Grant stopped by for some dinner while he was in town for work. Always happy to see our old neighbor and friend back in this neck of the woods. Meanwhile little Colette is getting bigger by the second. She's eager to crawl and absolutely adores Teia - she can't keep her eyes off of her.  And Teia is the best big sis - she loves feeding, giving hugs and kisses, and playing with Coco.

                                                

        

                                      

Our dear friend David hopped over from London for a quick one night's stay. Amsterdam alumni, Leslie and Nate, were also in town with their precious daughter, Noa (it was our first time meeting her). We went to De Reiger for dinner and walked around a bit. It was so great spending time with David (Teia was in heaven) and it was equally wonderful to see Nate, Leslie and Noa! We miss you guys!

Finally, the day we all have been waiting for - Teia's ballet performance.  It was absolutely darling.  Teia and her friend London had a blast twirling around the stage.

It's been a busy month with guests arriving - Savinay being our next. Kirk was able to catch him for a night before heading off to New York for work. During the week Sav worked from our place, helped me out with the littles so I could run errands and we met up with Katie and Ryan for Afghani food (my first time and not my last) and we also attended Melanie and Eric's going away party. Thanks for keeping me company for the week Sav - hope you had a nice time and come back soon.

As I mentioned before my friend Melanie is moving to Baltimore and it just so happens that London, her daughter, is Teia's special and dearest friend. This is a tough one because these little ladies had an amazing bond. I can't count the number of times Teia talks about London: wants to go to her house, can't wait to see her at school, and looks forward to swim and dance with her. We are so going to miss this little cutie. And I am going to miss her mom and dad too (Melanie and Eric). Like our kiddos we shared a really special friendship with lots of laughs and glasses of prosecco - playdates were the best I have to say! Best of luck to the Gillman Family - you are truly one of a kind and will be missed! To send off the family properly I put together a little video of our girls!

                                                      

   

While in New York, Kirk mostly worked but he managed to catch up with Jesse Licht to watch some football (soccer) and play good ol' American-styled beer pong ahead of the 4th of July weekend.

About 5 years ago a friend of mine introduced me to Tara - a California girl traveling to Amsterdam by herself. Well a few email exchanges and an invitation to stay with me for the weekend ended up with some pretty amazing memories and keeping in touch. Tara came back out for a quick visit with her boyfriend before heading off to Barcelona. We took a trip down memory lane - renting Paap's boat with a few other friends. It was a beautiful day and the perfect way to reconnect. Glad you came back out and happy that you are doing well, Tara!

Eric's parents, Sharon and Byron, were in town for a few weeks so we had them over for brunch with another visitor, Dane. Dane and his girlfriend Katy were in the town for the week (part of their European trip). After brunch we got out on the canals for a lovely day trip (with the kiddos). That evening we went to De Klepel and had some beers across the street before calling it a night. So glad we got to show you our city, Dane and Katy, and looking forward to seeing you in a few weeks!

When Dane & Katy left, Kirk also left again for New York for the week. As usual, he spent most of his waking hours working, but all-in-all it was a successful trip and he got to enjoy some great food and hospitality.

This week Teia had her final class at her Dutch school Mona Liesje.  I will really miss our 5 minute walk to school, sitting together to do puzzles and read, watching her play with her Dutch friends, and most of all her lovely teachers. We had a really wonderful experience at this school!

And another milestone for Teia - her final days at Bizzi Lizzi's Pre-School. Teia absolutely loves this school. The special bond and experiences created for these children really is remarkable. And not only that - the bond between the moms was always incredible - we had many a fun night wining and dining. I hope we continue to meet up. We will sorely miss Teia's little friends, Lizzi, and Nicole.

Now we're off to our summer vacation - can't wait to see family, friends and the good old Pacific Northwest! This is my first summer home in 7 years - can you believe it?!!!  Honestly with all our travels, nothing beats the beauty of Washington State!

Spring has Sprung!

It's been a fun and busy few months with the kiddos, Kirk's work travel, and gatherings with friends.  I can feel summer approaching with the longer days and the temperatures trying to go up.

In late April Kirk went to Sao Paulo for work. Well that's what he said he was doing, but he came back with pictures of a big EDM festival (Tomorrowland), and of his meal he ate at DOM (Brasil's top restaurant). He said the highlight of the meal was the Amazonian ants! Apparently the ants were actually delicious and naturally tasted very strongly of lemongrass.

During that time I joined a few ladies for a fabulous night of Drag Queens for Rupaul's Drag Race at the Melkweg.

In May the Nelson's moved into our neighborhood - about a stones throw away! How crazy. We're so looking forward to hanging out, playdates, wine dates and more!  On our first night out we hit up the Leon Bridges show in Utrecht - he put on a great show!

Shortly after that, Kirk went to Los Angeles for a week of meetings. While he was away we kept busy with Teia's school, swim class, ballet, and a Mommy-Night-Out for dinner at Salmuera!

                       

      

This year we spent King's Eve on Paap's boat with good friends. On King's Day we met up with the Gillman's at Vondel Park and walked over to Sarah's house to people watch from her balcony onto the Prinsengracht.

Ironically, while Kirk was landing in Los Angeles, Sharon was flying here from Bakersfield. It was Sharon's first time meeting Colette. A bit of deja vu since Kirk was also out of town the first time Sharon met Teia - funny how that has come full circle.

On Mother's Day we took Paap's boat out on the canals with the Haley's. It was so fun watching the kiddos enjoy driving the boat and it was Colette's first time (she mostly just slept).

  

      

         

Kirk was home from LA for a couple days then went to Madrid for a shoot. It was a quick trip full of jamon, tapas, paella and work.

For an early birthday gift for myself, and a late one for Courtney, we finally had High Tea at the Intercontinantal Hotel. What a perfect way to celebrate our birthdays especially since Courtney and her family will be moving to London at the end of the month.

While Sharon was here we wanted to do a mini holiday to Belgium (her birthday gift). We first had lunch in Maastricht on the way down before driving to the Ardennes area and a very small village called 'Sgravenvoeren. We stayed in a beautiful converted farmhouse. There are many hiking trails just up the hill from our place, and below the farmhouse a few quaint cafes. The next day we walked around the neighbouring town of Vise and visited the nearby Val Dieu Abbey/Brewery for lunch.

Once we got back home from Belgium we went to a nearby park for the Haley's going away party.  The Haley's have been a huge part of our Amsterdam experience. We have had many adventures together and will truly miss watching Husky football, brunches, boating, and watching our kids grow up together. Good luck in London!

It was really sad to see Sharon go but luckily we will see her this summer.  We are so thankful we got to celebrate Mother's Day and her birthday while she was here. Can't wait to spend some time at the farm, Seattle, Chelan and my cabin!

For my birthday this year we chartered a massive boat and celebrated the occasion with many friends. Good tunes, all you can drink, beautiful weather, and a pleasant journey. It was a good night!  Thanks to all my friends for coming out and making this birthday really special!

The next day we met up with Chelsea and Taylor - fellow expat friends in Amsterdam who have since moved to Birmingham, AL - for some pizza at La Perla, followed up with some ice cream!  It was a great way to recover and finish off my birthday weekend and head into summer!