Favorite Foods from 2011-Part 5

For my final post of favorite foods of the year, I'm going to feature a favorite drink. For our anniversary (which ended up being the same day as my graduation from grad school) Marshall and I took an Odyssey Potomac River Lunch Cruise. The cruise had a full bar (unfortunately not included in the lunch price) and I had a very potent but delicious apple martini. Here is the recipe. Try one tonight at your New Year's Eve party!

Candy Apple Martini

1 1/2 ounce Apple Vodka
1 ounce Apple Pucker
1/2 ounce Buttershots (butterscotch schnapps)
1/4 ounce Grenadine
Apple Slice or Maraschino Cherry for Garnish

Pour all ingredients into a shaker filled with ice and shake. Strain into a chilled martini glass and garnish.

Favorite Foods from 2011-Part 4

I was very fortunate earlier this year to travel to Europe with my sister and best friend. My sister had never been to Europe, and was about to embark on a 3-week total immersion program to learn Dutch, in Belgium. Since my sister did not speak a word of Dutch (or at least she didn't prior to picking up a Dutch dictionary before we left), French or German (the three official languages of Belgium), we started our trip in London, where they do speak English (sort of). On this trip, after London, we went to the Netherlands (Holland), before heading over to Brussels in Belgium.

Now, when most people think of Belgium, they probably think of beer, chocolate and WAFFLES! We were very excited for all three (well, two out of the three). Turns out there are two major differences in the Belgian waffles, by way of types. There are Brussels waffles and Liege waffles. I found a great blog post (and may have already posted this) on the differences.

Having tried both waffles on this trip (both covered in Belgian chocolate, of course!), it was decided that the Liege waffle is preferable. It is denser, and sweeter than the Brussels waffle. While researching recipes, it has come to my attention that making Liege waffles is time consuming, and requires special ingredients and tools. If you are able to find the Belgian Pearl sugar, and a Liege waffle iron, you are in for a treat. If you are able to find these items, here is site that offers an authentic recipe. For those of us that do not have the special equipment, I have found several sites that mention crushing sugar cubes for the pearl sugar. Here is one site that has a simple enough recipe, listed below.

1 package yeast
1/3 cup lukewarm water (about 105 degrees F- too hot will kill the yeast)
1 1/2 teaspoons granulated white sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
2 cups flour
3 eggs
1 cup melted butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup Belgian pearl sugar*

1. Mix the yeast, water, sugar and salt in a bowl and let it develop or sit for 15 minutes.
2. Place the flour in a separate large mixing bowl (we use the bowl of our kitchen aid stand mixer) and make a well in the center of the flour.
3. Pour the yeast mixture into the well and mix until blended on medium speed.
4. Add the eggs (one at a time), melted butter a bit at a time, and the vanilla and cinnamon. Be sure to mix well after each addition to the batter. Keep in mind the batter will be thick and VERY sticky (this is normal).
5. Remove the bowl from the mixer and let the dough rest until it doubles in volume inside the bowl.
6. Gently fold in the pearl sugar and let the dough rest for 15 more minutes.
7. While the dough is resting, heat the waffle iron (we use a Waring Pro Belgian Waffle Iron and I recommend Belgian waffle irons because they have the deep pockets).
8. Spoon about a 2" ball of dough into the center of the waffle iron (this should yield a waffle that is about 4" in diameter). I know that sounds small, but these rich waffles pack quite a punch. Waffles will take 3 to 5 minutes to bake (in our waffle iron, they take 3 minutes and 15 seconds on level 3).

Liege Waffle with Belgian Chocolate, Strawberries and Whipped Cream

* Recipe author note on pearl sugar:

It has been our experience that Belgian pearl sugar is difficult to find in the U.S. so we buy C&H sugar cubes (normally for coffee), place about 60 of them in a plastic Ziploc bag and 'crush' them with a meat tenderizer (you could use a rolling pin or heavy sauce pan as well). Then put the sugar through a sifter maintaining only the 'pearls' of sugar for the waffles. You need about 1 cup of pearls. The fine sugar that goes through the sifter can be put in your kitchen sugar jar or used to sweeten the strawberries if you are using them for the topping. I was able to find an online source at L'Epicerie. See the pearl sugar photo to the right so that you know what you are trying to obtain.

The addition of pearl sugar in the batter is what gives these waffles that special caramelized Liege waffle taste. However, that same sugar makes them sort of sticky so be careful not to burn yourself when removing them from the waffle iron.

The pearl sugar also makes clean-up of the waffle iron tricky. As the sugar melts, it runs in the crevices of the waffle iron. So my biggest tip is that after you finish baking your waffles, clean the waffle iron while it is still warm. If it cools completely, the caramel sugar mixture can be nearly impossible to get off the iron.
These waffles freeze extremely well so consider making a double batch. We just let the waffles cool, wrap them individually in Saran wrap, and then place them in a large Ziploc freezer bag. When we want one, we remove it from the freezer and put it in the oven on a baking sheet to heat it up.

Favorite Foods from 2011-Part 3

As you can tell from the title of this blog, I love to travel, and I love food. Continuing with my favorite foods from the last year, today I am sharing another recipe from Disney, this time from Shutters at Disney's Caribbean Beach Resort, in Orlando. The Caribbean Pasta with chicken is so delicious! (You can also get the recipe with shrimp instead.) It's creamy, with just a touch of heat, which, after researching the recipe, I discovered comes from fresh jalapeno. If you cannot find orechiette pasta (which is Italian for "little ears"), medium shells would work just as well. (I found this recipe on http://www.allears.net/.) This recipe is for one serving.

1 ounce Red Peppers

1 ounce Green Peppers
1 ounce Diced onions
1/4 ounce Jalapenos
2 ounce Heavy cream
1 ounce White wine
1 ounce Tomatoes
4 ounces Chorizo Sausage
1/4 ounce Cooking oil
1/4  ounce Goat cheese
1 ounce Spinach
4 ounces Cooked Orechiette Pasta
6 pieces Shrimp OR 5 ounces Chicken breast

1. In large pan, bring water to a boil and add 4 ounces of Orechiette Pasta.
2. Cut vegetables (small diced red, green, and jalapenos peppers, and onions) (medium diced tomatoes and Chorizo sausage).
3. In hot sauté pan, add oil, onions, peppers (red, green and jalapenos) and cook until tender.
4. Add Chorizo sausage and any other add-ons you would like to have.
5. Deglaze with white wine.
6. Add heavy cream and add pasta, tomatoes, and spinach.
7. Sprinkle on the goat cheese.

While this recipe did not taste exactly like dish at Shutters (face it, do they ever?), it is a great dish if you are craving something similar. ENJOY!

Favorite Foods from 2011-Part 2

Yesterday I wrote about Blue Bayou's Monte Cristo sandwich and Au Gratin Potatoes. Today, I am going to tell you about another awesome recipe featuring potatoes.

The Pioneer Woman has become my favorite person of 2011 (easily trumping Rachael Ray). She blogs, writes cook books and wrote probably one of my (and all of my sisters, it seems) favorite books of the year (From Black Heels to Tractor Wheels). Ree Drummond is the Pioneer Woman, and I think she is awesome. Here is her recipe for Potato-Leek Pizza. It is one of the tastiest pizzas I have had in a long time. Makes me want to make it tonight for dinner. (From The Pioneer Woman Cooks copyright 2009.)

Pizza Dough (I will share my recipe for dough at the end, but any refrigerated dough will work)
Extra Vigin Olive Oil
Kosher Salt
6 slices thick cut bacon, cut into 1-inch pieces
3 leeks, rinsed well to remove grit, and thinly sliced
5 small red or Yukon Gold potatoes, sliced paper thin
1 pound fresh mozzarella cheese, sliced thin
4 ounces goat cheese, crumbled
Grated Parmesan cheese
Freshly gound black pepper

1. Preheat the oven to 500 degrees F.
2. Prepare the pizza crust and drizzle lightly with olive oil. Sprinkle lightly with salt.
3. Begin by placing the bacon in a skillet over medium heat. Fry the bacon until cooked, but not crisp.
4. Remove the bacon from the pan and set aside.
5. Pour off most of the grease. Do not clean the skillet. Return the skillet to the stove and turn the heat to medium-low.
6. Add the leeks to the pan and saute over medium-low heat until soft, about 3 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.
7. Using a sharp knife or mandoline, slice the potatoes very thin. You'll need to do this just before you need them, as the potatoes will brown very quickly.
8. Arrange the potatoes in a single layer all over the crust, slightly overlapping the edges.
9. Sprinkle the potatoes lightly with salt, then lay the mozzarella slices in a single layer on top of the potatoes.
10. Place the leeks on top of the cheese.
11. Sprinkle the fried bacon over the leeks.
12. Then add the crumbled goat cheese, grated Parmesan and a sprinkle of freshly ground black pepper.
13. Bake for 8 to 11 minutes, until the edges are golden brown and the cheese is melted and bubbly. Cut into wedges or squares and serve immediately.

For step by step picture instructions, pick up Ree's book, The Pioneer Woman Cooks.

I have tried many recipes for pizza dough, and I have finally found my favorite. It is a tweaked version of the one listed in Food Network Magazine. This makes 2, 1 pound dough balls.

3 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/2 teaspoon salt

1 1/3 cups warm water

1 tablespoon honey

1 packet yeast

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1. Whisk flour and salt in a bowl. Make a well and add water, honey and yeast. When foamy, add olive oil and knead for 5 minutes. (I do this in a stand mixer with the bread hook attachment.)
2. Add dough to an oiled bowl, and cover with a cloth. Let rise until double in size, about 1 1/2 hours.
3. Divide into 2, 1 pound balls of dough.

Here are my tips for making any kind of pizza:

1. Stretch dough to desired size. Drizzle with olive oil and lightly sprinkle with kosher salt.
2. Parbake in a 500 degree F oven for 2-3 minutes, to start the crust baking (a pizza stone is an invaluable tool for a crisp, yet chewy, crust).
3. Top with desired toppings, and bake for an additional 8-11 minutes, until crust is golden and cheese is bubbly.

Favorite Foods from 2011-Part 1

When I started this blog, it was supposed to be about travel and food (and everything in between); however, it has been a while since I have posted about food. During the last month alone, I have taken some great trips, and experienced some GREAT food. For the next several days, until New Year's Day, I will share pictures and recipes of some of my favorites from the past year.

Today, I will start with a classic from Blue Bayou at Disneyland: The Monte Cristo Sandwich. (Recipe courtesy of Cooking with Mickey and the Disney Chefs copyright 2004.)

1 egg
1 3/4 cups plus 2 tablespoons water
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
8 slices egg bread (challah works well), sliced 1/2 inch thick
2/3 pound ham, cut into 4 slices
2/3 pound turkey, cut into 4 slices
1/4 pound Swiss cheese, cut into 4 slices
3 cups canola oil
Confectioner's sugar
Blackberry preserves

1. Line a cookie sheet with paper towels; set aside.
2. Whisk the egg and water together in a mixing bowl. Add flour, salt, and baking powder and whisk thoroughly, scraping the side of the bowl. Continue to whisk, for 20 minutes, until smooth.
3. On one slice of bread arrange a slice each of ham, turkey and cheese, covering the bread evenly. Place another slice of bread on top and slice sandwich in half diagonally.
4. Heat oil to between 365 and 375 degrees F in a 10-inch pan. Do not let the oil reach a higher temperature than this; if the oil starts to smoke, turn the heat down. Dip half of the sandwich into the batter, allowing excess to drain, and very carefully place into the oil. Repeat with the other sandwich half. Cook 3 minutes on each side. Place the cooked sandwich on the prepared cookie sheet in a warm oven until ready to serve. Repeat for the other 3 sandwiches. Cook the sandwiches one at a time, and allow the oil to reach the desired temperature in between each batch.
5. Sprinkle sandwiches with confectioner's sugar and serve with blackberry preserves on the side.

The potatoes served with the Monte Cristo Sandwich (and all of the Blue Bayou entrees) are to die for! I found this recipe on http://www.talkdisney.com/.

Blue Bayou Au Gratin Potatoes

3 lbs baking potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced
1 onion, thinly sliced
2 cups heavy cream
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
2 tablespoons fresh garlic, chopped
1 1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 tablespoon butter
4 oz Parmesan cheese, grated

1. Mix onions and potatoes and put into a buttered baking dish. Mix cream, garlic, salt, pepper, and thyme leaves.
2. Pour mixture over potatoes and onions, and cover with aluminum foil.
3. Put in a 350 degree F oven, and bake for about 1 hour.
4. When the potatoes are tender, remove from oven and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.
5. Return to oven, uncovered, and bake until brown, about 10 minutes more.

I hope you enjoy both of these recipes as much as I did!

2011, The Best Yet

As 2011 slowly winds to a close, I am thinking back on a pretty good year. Here are a few highlights from the past year, and a photo retrospective, month-by-month.

• Several trips including Florida, Europe, Washington DC, New Mexico, Texas, California and Louisiana
• Experiencing Europe with my sister and best friend
• Finishing graduate school and receiving my Master's degree
• Meeting my nephew and spending time with our ever-growing family
• Spending time with old friends and new
• Planning the next chapter of our life with Marshall

I hope this past year was wonderful for each of you as well! Here's to an even more eventful, fun and prosperous 2012!

Always,
Lonnie

This free scrapbook design customized with Smilebox

Always Remember, Lest We Forget

It's ironic, for a 20 year-old female, I thought September 10, 2001 was one of the worst nights of my life. I spent that evening on the phone with my, at the time, on-again-off-again boyfriend, learning about his time during the off-again. It was devastating, but it was a conversation we needed to have. Especially since I was set to move to England on September 15th. We talked on the phone until after 2AM. Since I was getting ready to study abroad, I had spent the summer at my parent's house in New Mexico. The morning of September 11th, my mom came in, said something to me, and turned on the TV. It was only 7AM, and I had gone to bed only about 5 hours earlier. I shut the TV off, and buried my head under the covers. A few minutes later, mom came back in, turned the TV back on, and said the words I will never forget: "NO AMERICAN SHOULD SLEEP THROUGH THIS!"

That made no sense to me in my groggy state, but I sat up and looked at the TV, just in time to see the footage of the second plane fly into the World Trade Center. You want to talk about a wake up call. The next few hours were a blur of phone calls to Monique, who was also headed to England, just a few weeks later than me, and the travel agency that booked my tickets. We had no idea when the airports would reopen, but I was certain I would not be flying to London that Saturday.

My flight did actually take off on Saturday, however, I was not on it. I rescheduled my flight for the following Tuesday, one week after this horrifying event. It's weird for me to look back at these events, because I wasn't here, but for a week. I moved to England, and put studying (well, if I'm completely honest, traveling) at the top of my list, and I really did not look back. Ten years later, I remember that instant vividly, and I will never forget.

God bless America, the troops who give me the right to say that, and all the families who will never be the same again.

I Graduated! Now what?

I can't believe what I have been working towards for almost two years is now finished. I have a Master's degree. And while I don't have to work on school work anymore, things seem like business as usual. I guess once I receive the actual diploma I will feel like a graduate.

It's funny, once we finished our final presentation, several of my classmates said that it felt anti-climactic, and I would have to agree. Even though I put on the gown (a gown with funny sleeves, that made Marshall say I looked like a dementor from Harry Potter), marched in to Pomp and Circumstance, and bought all the obligatory GW Alumni items, I still don't quite feel it.

I have started looking and applying for jobs. Maybe that will give me the feeling I am looking for. While I do feel relieved and proud of myself, there is just something missing.

Has anyone else felt this way after completing something to which you set your mind? Oh well, I guess time will tell.

European Food-Is there anything better?

While it has been a while now since we returned from our European trip, the food still lives on in my head. While Britain is not known for their culinary offerings, we had some great food while in London. Funny side story, while studying abroad in Reading, England, Monique and I actually escaped to Calais, France on a trip to Dover, in order to get good food. We had a stash of spices we carried to every meal in the dining hall (season salt and lemon pepper were a mainstay at our table).

Back to our most recent trip, our first meal was a traditional English Tea at the National Portrait Gallery. The scones and tea sandwiches were delicious, but we added on a cheese tray and charcuterie (cured meats) plate to make it into a meal. The entire meal ended up being a little more than the three of us could eat, but it was a great way to start off our trip.

The next day we met up with some of Monique's friends for authentic dim sum in China Town. I had never had dim sum, so I was excited to try something new. I think Traci was a bit leary, but ended up enjoying the food.

That night, after a day of siteseeing, we hit a pub over near Earl's Court and our hotel. I was thrilled to get my favorite British drink, a Snake Bite. This is made with cider and ale, and I asked for a shot of currant syrup (which I thought was called a Snakey B, as that is what I always ordered in the pub in our dorm, but I learned, after the bar tender laughed at me, that this is also a Snake Bite). Traditional pub food was on the menu and our minds. I ordered Bangers and Mash (which is sausage and potatoes with an onion sauce). I had never risked ordering this before, as I am not a fan of onions; however, this onion sauce was cooked down so much that there were no chunks or pieces, just the perfect essence of the onion. It was delicious! Traci and Monique each got the fish and chips.

Our last meal in London was snacks (sausage rolls [my FAVORITE] and veggies with hummus) while we watched Wicked! That was a pretty good one too.

Our first night in Amsterdam (after I was freed from the bathroom), we experienced an authentic Dutch meal. Traci ordered smoked salmon, which was served with capers; Monique got chicken satay, which had the best satay sauce; and I ordered macaroni and cheese. My meal was not what I was expecting, but it was really good. Elbow macaroni, with a bacon/pancetta type meat in a light tomato sauce, and grated aged gouda (known as oude kaas, or old cheese).

Traci and I took a tour of cheese, windmills, and klompers (wooden shoes). On this tour we were taken to Volendam, where the South Sea was dammed to create a lake (I'm pretty sure that is what they told us). Here were found a cafe (or essentially a Dutch pub) where we had some of the best fish and chips (the BEST fish ever, in my opinion) and a glass each of Amstel beer. I am not a big fish eater, but this was just awesome. There was no fishy taste, and it was moist and flaky all at the same time. I'm not sure I will ever find fish like that again.

That night, after visiting a local grocery store (so Monique could find some of that yummy satay sauce, and buying wine and more cheese), we found a local restaurant and decided we had to try Dutch pancakes. These were very good. They were like large crepes, served flat with our choice of topping. Traci went for a sweet pancake, with currants (which are like raisins)  and whipped cream, Monique got more of a breakfast-type one, with canadian bacon and cheese, and I ordered ham and cheese.

That night, we had our very own wine and cheese spread in our hotel room.

In Delft, we ate at another cafe. The food here was also very good. We started out with beef carpaccio, which is thinly sliced uncooked beef, served with a salad of greens, pine nuts, and shaved cheese. This beef was so delicious, and it melted in my mouth like butter. The idea of raw meat never really appealed to me, but I am so glad I stepped outside of my comfort zone and tried it. Next,  I ordered the steak (which was a filet) and Traci and Monique got the special, which was pork. One thing we noticed here especially, but definitely throughout the areas we visited, there is no rush to turn over the tables. We had gotten to the restaurant around 6:30-7:00PM, and planned to catch an 8:00PM train back into Amsterdam. 8PM came and went while we were waiting for our food. Once we ate and got our servers attention that we would like our bill, I just gave her my credit card right away, so we wouldn't have to further wait. I think it was way after 9PM by the time we made it to the train station.

Another interesting fact about the restaurants in Amsterdam, apparently pets are allowed. Two of the restaurants had their very own cats. Yes, I said cats! They weren't bothering anyone, they were just hanging out. I love cats, but this was strange.

In Belgium, we got what we had patiently be waiting for: Waffles, Chocolate, and Waffles with Chocolate! We learned on this trip that there are many types of Belgian waffles, but the two most popular types and sold all over Brussels are Brussels and Liege style waffles. Brussels are the type you normally think of when you think Belgian waffles. They are rectangular, with the deep holes. Liege waffles are a little different. They too have the deep holes, but they are not exactly square. I found a great website that explains the differences well. Monique and I both agreed that we prefer the Liege style waffles to the Brussels style. They are denser and sweeter. Both styles are great topped with Belgian chocolate, strawberries and whipped cream!

Belgian chocolate is one of my favorites (although I am not that big of a fan of chocolate). Around Brussels, we found tons of chocolatiers. And some very interesting chocolate statues!

Our last meal in Brussels was actually Italian, but it was quite good (probably more of the American Italian we are accustomed to). Traci, Steven and I all had different variations of pizza, and Monique had a chicken (or it may have been pork) dish that I can't remember the name, but it was smothered in a cheese sauce, and looked delicious. Traci also got tiramisu for dessert, and was excited when it showed up with a sparkler-type pompom on top.



Another interesting fact, fries in both the Netherlands and Belgium are served with mayonaise, not ketchup. And the mayonaise tastes different (more flavorful) than American mayo. The combo actually is pretty good.

I promised myself that on this trip we would do our best to eat only local, non chain, type food. And with the exception of Starbucks (and come on, we gotta get our caffenine fix somewhere, and they are everywhere), we did a very good job of this!

My (Mis)Adventures in Europe!

(I have been back for two months now, but with work and finishing up my Master's degree, this is the first opportunity I have had to actually post this.)

I had planned to wait until my sister got back from Belgium to write this blog since she has most of the pictures to back up my crazy (life) stories. (I can't believe her time there is almost done, and she will be back here on Saturday!) So expect an update with pictures soon!

London

• We landed on Friday after an 8 hour flight, and had to make our way not only through customs, but from Gatwick airport (which if you don't know, is NOT in London, but about 30 miles from central London) to Victoria Station, where we could transfer from the BritRail service to the Tube (or officially the London Underground). All this with 700 pounds of luggage (okay, not really, but it was probably close to 100 pounds). Not SUCH a big deal, except, oh yeah, it was RUSH HOUR. That meant the train was packed (we ended up in a First class train, and I just paid the extra difference over Second class, since we were already seated and had the luggage stowed) and the so was the Tube. We get off at South Kennsington (because I can't remember which station, I just know its AFTER Earls Court) only to find out that we should have gotten off at WEST Kennsington. Oh well, back on the train. Its only two stops. Finally we make it to our stop, and then we have to lug our luggage up two flights of stairs. Fun times. I made it to the top first, and this very nice lady stopped and helped Traci get one of her suitcases up the second flight. Oh yeah, did I mention she had TWO suitcases? No? Well, she did.

On the Gatwick Express to Victoria Station
• We finally make it to the hotel (bit of a walk, turns out Earls Court was closer, it just involves some extra turns) and our room is not ready. Of course not. It was only 9AM. We check our luggage with the front desk, then go into the public bathroom to change out of our "traveling" clothes. At first I am looking for a place to hang my coat, but there is no where. So I say (outloud) "Well, the counter is dry" and I lay my coat down. Only to have it activate the faucet, pouring water down the back of my coat and onto the floor! Well, poor Traci, after 8 hours of flying (and not sleeping, the girl ate like 3 big packages of Starbursts and was wired!) and lugging suitcases up and down stairs and across uneven sidewalks, really got a kick out of this! I think my blunder (stupidity) made up for the extra blocks of lugging suitcases, sort of.

• So once Monique finally met up with us at the hotel (she had some issues of her own, delayed in Orlando due to rain, delayed in DC due to rain, and United dropped her scooter in DC) we were off! We headed to Earls Court where they had "step free" access to tube trains (click here for Monique's blog on accessible London), only problem was the lift (elevator) down to our platform was out of commission. Okay, we'll take the other lift down to the other platform, get off at another accessible station, and back track. Yeah, easier said (REALLY?!?!) than done. The train pulls up, and it is totally NOT step free! There is at least a 6 inch step up into the train, not too mention the 4-6 inch gap between the platform and the train. So back up the lift we go. We can catch a bus! Once we finally found a bus that would get us somewhere NEAR where we were headed, we were off, again!

• We got off the bus at Victoria Station, and we were headed to Trafalgar Square, to get our passes for the hop on hop off bus. This worked well, as Buckingham Palace was on the way. We stopped to get our obligatory Red Phone Booth pictures, and Traci noticed a weird art sculpture-thing covered with polka dots, so of course, we have to get pictures! After we took pictures, I was saying something and gesturing with my hands, when I totally got POOPED on by a bird! YUCK!!!! Well, I've heard this is a sign of luck (but for me I should have looked at it as foreshadowing!) and my mom told me once (after getting pooped on by a bird in Washington  DC) that you really haven't been somewhere until a bird poops on you! Luckily I had tissue and hand sanitizer in my bag.

Fairly self explanatory
• We keep on walking, see the Royal Mews, pictures in front of Buckingham Palace, and then a walk through St James Park. Traci finds some ducks and geese and befriends them by sharing a cookie she bought at Starbucks. What bird doesn't love a good chocolate chip cookie? We're still headed towards Trafalgar Square, and headed out of the park, when Monique decides to go to the restroom. Traci and I are standing around people watching, when she sees a "bum" (her words, not mine) sitting/sleeping over near the restrooms. She asks if it is okay to take his picture? I tell her to be discreet. While she is taking pictures, I decide to stretch my leg. I grabbed my ankle from behind to stretch my hamstring/quadracep (not sure which one the stretches) when I hear a gentleman in a British accent shout "What are you doing?" I look over, and its the BUM! So I shouted back, "I'm stretching!" Neither one of us could hear what he shouted back, but luckily Monique was rolling past him at the time. She rolls up to us and asks what's going on, so I told her I was stretching and that man wanted to know what I was doing. She laughed, and said "Oh! That's why he called you DAFT!" Now I know what this means, but Traci didn't, so I had to tell her, he called me DUMB. You think getting water all over my jacket made her laugh! Her quote of the trip was "A bum called you dumb!"

• Sunday we planned our trip to Madame Tussauds, and got a decent start to get over to Trafalgar Square (we had waited to use our hop-on-hop-off tour tickets). By this time we had figured out how to get Monique on and off the tube trains (she could step onto the train, and we lifted her scooter on, then she drove it off), so we were able to take the tube from Earls Court to Westminster (I love walking out of the station and seeing Big Ben's tower!). We walked to Trafalgar Square, got our passes, then looked for a bus. This was March 13, but apparently it was the day London was having its BIG St Patricks Day Parade. Cool! NOT. The roads around Trafalgar Square were closed off, and busses were re-routed. When we finally found the ONE bus that would take us to Baker Street (for Madame Tussauds) it would not let us on, because there was already one (or two) people with strollers, and oh yeah, it was raining, and I guess the guy didn't want to kick them off to make room for the wheelchair! Monique figured out another routing that would get us close enough to walk, and luckily that bus was only about a minute behind the one that would not let us on. Once on, I told the driver what stop we were getting off at, and took a seat near the front. Traci was sitting with Monique near the back door with the ramp. After a couple stops the seat next to Traci was empty, so I moved back. When we got to our stop, I waited for others to get off, I stepped off, and waited for the ramp to come out. Only, it didn't. The doors closed, and the bus drove off. After a milisecond of WTF! I started chasing the bus! As best as I can chase a city bus! I kept praying PLEASE DON'T TURN!!! PLEASE DON'T TURN!!! I even walked/ran out in front of a car, but it stopped, and I kept going. The bus did not let them off for another 2 stops, and worse than chasing a London city bus, I later learned, was that the people still on the bus thought that Monique and Traci has lost their MUM. Mum as in MOTHER! How crappy must I have looked to be the mother of the two of them?!?!? Granted, Monique and Traci look young, lets say 25 and 18. Even if I looked 35 (which I don't think I do), that's just CRAZY! They finally get off the bus, and we catch up to each other. I thought chasing a bus would be as bad as it gets...

• ...until I almost had to chase a TRAIN. Traci wanted to get out of the city, so I did some research and found a town not too far outside of London with wildlife, canals, and world famous cakes! We planned the trip for Monday afternoon, after visiting the Tower of London. By the time we got to the train station, we were only going to have about an hour there before we would have to catch the train back to London. I knew Traci had her heart set on getting out of the city, so I looked at the train schedule and told her she could pick a town closer to London and we would go there. She picked a town called Denham. I bought tickets, and we caught the next train. We got out there, and there was nothing! It was nice, at first, until we realized that we had seen and done everything in the first 20 minutes we were there. As we were walking back to the train station, we met a lovely older couple, who reaffirmed that there was nothing there. While we were talking, the train drove up. I asked "Let me guess, that is our train back to London?" The woman said yes, and that the next one would be a while, so Traci started running. The lady yelled to her husband who had gone on ahead, to hold the train, but he wasn't paying attention to her. I took off running, as best I can. My brain was shouting the whole time "You can't run!" and I got up to the platform just as the doors closed! I guess Traci and I hit the door open button at the same time, because, luckily, the doors reopened! I jumped on, complaining of pains in my back, because my heart was beating so hard, and Traci was certain that I was about to have a heart attack. It was then and there we decided that if one of us got separated again (like on the bus) the others would get off at the next stop and wait until we were all caught up to each other!

Traci walking in Denham
• That was the end of my craziness in London, but I do have one more misadventure story that was more of a misadventure for Monique. Monday night, our last night in London, we went and saw Wicked at the Apollo Victoria theater. We knew which bus from Victoria went back to Earls Court, so we figured we'd be fine getting back to our hotel. We get to our stop, I go tell the driver we need the ramp, and Traci and I get off the bus. The doors close, the doors open, the doors close. The ramp come out, the ramp goes in. The bus pulls forward. Traci runs to stop the driver, but apparently he was just pulling forward. After about 5 minutes (which for a bus to stop is a long time) the driver finally tells us he can't get the ramp to come out. I can see Monique sitting in the bus, and looking at the floor. She thinking "can I drive this thing off the bus" to which I shake my head NO! Traci and I finally talk the bus driver into pulling the bus as close to the curb as possible so Monique can step off, and Traci and I pop her scooter in neutal (we're pros at this!) and pull it off the bus!

Monique stuck on the bus

Don't get me wrong, I had a WONDERFUL time in London, this is just me sharing the MISadventures!

Amsterdam

• We landed in Amsterdam with no issues, and other than meeting a fairly rude train attendant at the airport, we made it into Central Station and the hotel with little issue. We checked into our hotel, and waited for a fellow Sigma Kappa sister from UNLV to meet up with us to take us around and out for an authentic Dutch dinner. Tessa was on her way to the hotel from where she parked when Monique asked me to meet her in the lobby. I decided to go to the bathroom first. As I tried to exit the bathroom, I could not get the door to open. I had not locked it behind me, but somehow it got locked and/or jammed! We were on the second floor (third if you counted the lower floor) and the bathroom had a big window. But there was no ledge, and a bicycle parked under the window. Yeah, that was not an option. Traci went down to meet Tessa instead, and came back up with one of the front desk attendants. She used her key to try and unlock the door, and succeeded, after I had been in there about 10 minutes. Lucky it was me, and not Monique or Traci, otherwise there may have been some major freak outs (this is coming from the two of the them!). The outside of the door did not have a standard key whole, as I discovered, but the other side of the lock was a bolt with a slit, so the front desk person used her key as a sort of flat head screwdriver. We asked for some tape, and were given a roll of scotch tape, which I used to tape a business card over the latch. There was no way that door was getting stuck again!

Our window (next to the stars on the sign) from the ground

• After I finally made it out of the bathroom, we left for dinner. It was a rather busy night in Amsterdam, but Tessa took us to a great local restaurant. We had a bit of a wait for a table, but that wasn't a problem, because we ordered drinks. We situated our selved near the door, while we waited for seats at the bar. The place was fairly busy, and I was bumped several times. I put my arm up to protect Monique, who was standing in the corner near the door, because I knew if she got bumped it could be bad. Traci then asked me why I had my arm up, and no sooner had I explained that I was trying to keep Monique from getting knocked over, I got my finger slammed in the door! Let me just say, that hurt like hell!

Alcohol helped with the pain, Tessa, Monique and I

• The rest of our time in Amsterdam included many near misses and close calls with public transportation, but luckily, there were no more injuries, entrapments, or insults from bums!

Brussels

• Of all the cities we visited, Brussels was the least eventful, but that was okay with me. :) We did have some additional issues with public transportation, but again, nothing like in London or in Amsterdam. All in all, I'm glad I made it back to Brussels, because it was definitely better than I remembered, and there were NO MISadventures there (unless you count dragging my traveling partners to see a castle in a fairly boring city!).

Ghent Castle