Amy and the Great World

Archives for March 2014

Writing

The Sunday Paper (3.30.14)

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Happy Sunday! We’re driving back to Denver with my sister and her boyfriend. Road triiiiip! Since most of the trip is through Wyoming, one of the least-populated states, there is almost no internet access. So, enjoy some time online for me, and especially these links!

sunday paper

+ 29 Surreal Places in America. These exist?

+ 24 Awesome National Parks. All over the world!

+ 39 Honest Notes from Kids. For a laugh 🙂

+ Travel Fashion Girl has got the best packing tips.

+ What do you think of these “average” dolls?

Have a good one!!

Writing

Five for Friday {Two}

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Hello, and welcome to another round of Five for Friday! We’re in Montana for a few days, so I’ve had trouble picking up my computer. It’s hard on vacation…but I don’t really regret it. #YOLO

it's snowy here. hence the flowers!

it’s snowy here. hence the flowers!

1.  At my parents’ house, E and I are watching way too much cable (we don’t have it in Denver!), especially HGTV. Why are these shows so interesting? I’m nowhere near buying a house, or renovating, but I’m hooked. I’m always shocked at the expectations of those on House Hunters, although I guess if I was looking for a house I would be extra picky, too. (But seriously, is paint really that hard to change?). I wonder if we can apply for House Hunters International in Prague…

2. I’m still in analyzing mode for  every little thing we will be taking to Prague with us, from shoes to bags to bathroom products. I’m driving E crazy, but I want to be really intentional since we have such limited space. On that note, does anyone have a good recommendation for a small cross body bag? There are so many online and so many ideas about which one is the best, and I’m feeling overwhelmed. Maybe that’s the problem with analyzing every little thing…I’ll have to think about that one ;).  Anyone have a purse that’s perfect for travel?? I’d love to hear from you!

3. I can’t believe it’s almost April! Here in Montana, it’s freezing and snowy so…it feels like January. I love the cold weather but I packed very lightly for this trip. I was really proud of this until I got off the plane and realized I was going to freeze my butt off. Luckily, my hometown of Bozeman is packed with adorable, tasty coffee shops, like this one.

4. I’ve been dying to make these for breakfast, but I’ve never made an egg-in-a-hole and for some reason, it seems complicated and I’m intimidated! For some reason, everything that involves eggs, besides scrambling or putting them in a cake, intimidates me.

5. I think I’ve said that before, but now that we’re moving abroad, I’m re-thinking some of the items on my 30 by 30 list. Since we want to stay abroad as long as possible, some of those might just not get done by 30. Like…getting a dog or a cat. While I know it’s possible, I just want to avoid the hassle, commitment, and expense of having a pet abroad. However, several separate people are convinced we’re going to find a stray dog and adopt it abroad. I DID accidentally adopt a dog when I studied abroad in Peru (in my defense, I thought he was my host family’s dog…he sure seemed at home in the yard) so it could happen again, I suppose.

HAPPY FRIDAY!

Belgium

Food and Beer {Belgium}

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Although I’ve had delicious, strange, gross weird food all over the globe, there’s one place that always stands out to me when I think of great food and beer: Belgium!

Belgium is a little, often forgotten country in Europe, lost in the sea of people focusing on nearby giants, such as Germany, France and the Netherlands.

(I even read that people call Belgium BORING. Shut the front door!)

I don’t really want to spoil Belgium even more (trust me, the rest of the world knows it as a solid destination) but I have to tell you that Belgium is officially one of my favorite countries in the world.

And, part of the reason, is the food (and beer!).

From the well-known, like waffles, fries, beer and chocolate, to the unexpected, such as cheese, bread, sausages and sandwiches, Belgium has it all.

The fries are double-fried, crispy yet filling, usually with a side of mayonnaise. Trust me on the mayonnaise!! As you can see in the image below, the first thing I did after my long plane ride from China was to get myself some fries. Best jet lag food, ever!

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Of the food in Belgium, likely some of the most famous are the waffles. The standard Belgium waffle is not the kind you get at a breakfast place in the United States, which I was expecting. But don’t worry: they’re so much better! The best way I can describe the Belgium waffles is that they are more cake-like and less fluffy. We pretty much had waffles six times for the four days we were in Belgium (trust me, you would too), and the plain may have been my favorite, although I loved the one topped with ice cream. And the one topped with whipped cream…What!

(I know E loved his topped with Nutella the most).

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Belgium is also known for its amazing chocolate. There are many, adorable, local chocolate shops everywhere, as well as bigger, well-known chains. Our favorite was probably The Chocolate Line in Bruges (and there’s one in Antwerp!), due to their strange, but delicious, flavor combinations. I loved my lavender one, and E loved his Cuban-cigar flavored chocolate (which isn’t actually legal here in the United States). They also make chocolate into anything: including pairs of breasts (which I couldn’t resist taking a picture of, because hello, I’m twelve) and we saw a replica of the Grand-Place in Brussels made entirely of chocolate. (Not pictured…my photo was really, really blurry after too many samples of chocolate!).

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Another food you must try should you visit Belgium? The beer. While I am no beer aficionado–generally I avoid it if I can–but in Belgium, I could not stop. They have so many different varieties of beer, and I especially loved their dark, flavorful brews. Coors Light will never taste the same again! My absolute favorite was Kasteel Donker. I have yet to find it outside of Belgium/northern France (although we had amazing friends who were able to find it for their wedding!!) so I plan to head back to Belgium as soon as possible for a sip of the good stuff. Be warned, though, Belgium beer is strong: I wanted to try as many as possible, and ended up barely being able to make it back to our room! Also, just so you know, we loved so many different ones, hence the plethora of images of me and E drinking beer.

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Although I planned to only eat fries, chocolate, waffles and beer in Belgium, it turns out there is plenty more food to satisfy any craving, especially in the touristy areas of Brussels and Bruges. Our incredible bed and breakfast, Calis, had amazing breakfasts, with fresh bread and fruit and cheese and more. I can’t think of one meal in Belgium we didn’t love: from classic Croque-Madames/Monsieurs, lasagna, casseroles and to bread. Part of the reason I was in love may have been because, coming from China, I hadn’t really had bread or cheese in several months. Really though, I think Belgium is just that delicious.

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AND…I need to go back this instant.

*Welcome to another rendition of Travel Tuesday, hosted by Bonnie, Tina and Melanie! This week, Tina‘s prompt is to talk about our experiences with food and travel. Great idea, no? Check out the other posts below, and join in!*

Travel Tuesday
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