Electrabel Nights

After our day in Bruges, we decided to make a stop in the centre of Brussels to visit their Christmas market. I had done a little searching beforehand and discovered that on Saturday nights, there was a special performance and light show, in addition to the usual festivities. This year, Elise Caluwaert, a Belgian soprano, performed several pieces, accompanied by some very interesting dancers.



Following Ms. Caluwaert's performance, which was really very good, despite the odd dancing, there was an incredible laser light show. I was a bit skeptical at first, but really, it was mesmerizing. I managed to get a bit of video once I thought of that option. It was pretty incredible. Magical, even.



And, if you'd like to see more, check out this link.

Leuven

My first stop in Belgium was in the medievil city of Leuven. Joe conferenced here last fall and loved it and was adamant that I not pass by the chance to see Leuven for myself. So, while he was busy presenting a paper in Louvain-la-Neuve, I roamed the streets of Leuven and took in this charming city on my own. It did not disappoint.

After a pretty walk from the train station, down cheerily decorated streets lined with bright, bustling shops, my first stop in Leuven was the quaint town centre where the Stadhuis (Town Hall, built between 1439 and 1463) stood quite impressively. The intricacy of the stone work reminded me of Notre Dame in Paris and I loved seeing this majestic building all lit up, later in the day, for Christmas.


My walk through Leuven took me by some beautiful old churches...

St Peter's Church, dating back to 986 and significantly damaged during WWII

St. Michael's Church

It was really cold during this trip, so I used the excuse of the cold weather to stop in a little cafe/hut for what turned out to be the.best.hot.chocolate.ever. seriously. imagine pure melted chocolate (the good stuff), mixed with thick, hot cream (also, the good stuff). Now, you may be imagining something a few steps inferior to what I actually tasted.

After that delicious interlude, I found myself on this charming little path:


I then meandered through the streets of Leuven, attempting to follow my map, before finally finding the Groot Begijnhof (the Great Beguinage) where unmarried, religious woman lived in a community devoted to prayer and helping those in need. They were not, however, nuns and took no formal orders. This particular Beguinage apparently dates back to the 13th centurty and was really interesting to walk through as it is really a small village within the larger city of Leuven. It seems completely self contained and it is easy to forget the busy streets of Leuven just beyond the walls of the Beguin.





My last stop was back in the city centre at the Oude Markt, a pretty little street that is apparently busy with students dining and debating outside during the warmer months.


On my way back to the train station, I decide to make a small detour to check out the Christmas market. What a treat! I am so glad I stopped. This particular Christmas market was by far the best one I came across on our trip and I just loved it. It was so charming and festive. There was great Christmas music (with live musicians at times), and a very pretty set up. My favorite part, however, that the very centre of the market was a small "wooded" area that you could enter through a particular gap in the trees. The path lead you through a small village of log cabins showing various rooms all ready for Christmas and St. Nicholas' visit, who was himself hanging out in one of the cabins.





Leuven is a charming little city and I would definitely recommend the short train ride to visit, should you ever be in Brussels.

Stranded!

In December, Joe attended a conference in Belgium to present a paper. As with most of Joe's conferences, we made this one into a trip for both of us to enjoy. Joe flew out on Wednesday evening, with the plan for me to follow on Thursday and we would both come home on the Monday.

As you may remember, however, there was quite a bit of snow in Europe in December which I was in love with. In love with until it began to cause quite a lot of drama in airports across the continent and the UK and that chaos posed some potential disruption to our travel plans. For the entire week leading up to the trip, we wondered, would we be able to go on our trip? Wednesday came and Joe made it to Belgium without incident (easy peasy, lemon squeezy, as one of my Sunday School kids would tell me). I too made it to Belgium the next day but not without enduring what seemed to be the longest, slipperiest, fish-tailing-est landing and journey to stop I have ever experienced, all in near white-out conditions. Seriously, people on the plane were so quiet and everyone kept looking at each other with nervous, wide eyes. I still really cannot believe they landed the plane.

But, landed we did and I eventually made the bus then train then taxi journey to the hotel where I met Joe and from where we enjoyed three perfect days in Belgium (more on this on a later post). Somewhat naively, we thought all travel drama was behind us.

Monday morning, however, we woke early to check out and make our way to the airport. I went to check in online only to discover that the airport was closed and the flight canceled. Not good. Because we fly the cheap airline, there aren't that many flights available. The next flight was 60 hours later and more snow was predicted every day--meaning we could easily miss that flight and be stuck in Brussels until Christmas Eve, when the next flight was scheduled. We quickly looked into other options--other airlines and the nearest airport. All no-gos. The main Brussels airport eventually closed as well and flights were well over 500. So, we got creative and came up with the following (surprisingly affordable) plan home:

• Walk to Brussels North Train Station
• Take train from Brussels to Amsterdam Central
• Spend evening and next day in Amsterdam
• Take speed boat ferry from Amsterdam to IJMuiden (small island near Amsterdam)
• Take overnight, large ferry from Amsterdam to Newcastle, England
• Take bus from Newcastle port to Newcastle Train Station
• Take train from Newcastle to Edinburgh (after happily discovering that trains are, in fact, still running from Newcastle to Edinburgh.
• Gratefully accept ride home to flat from concerned friend with car (who will patiently and kindly wait at the station when the train ends up being 45 minutes late due to snow delays).
  

If you were counting, that was 8 steps, and included all modes of transport, except for our originally intended: foot, bus, car, train, and boat. And, we arrived home only 51 hours after we were originally meant to return! It was all a bit dramatic, but honestly, we couldn't have been happier with the outcome: we never got stuck in an airport, we got to see another city, and had a relatively leisurely journey home. More on our wintry holiday to come....

Family Time

On Boxing Day, the day after Christmas, I made a short trip back to America, to see my family for a few days. Joe and I agreed, when we moved, that we would likely take one trip back to see family while we were here. As Christmas approached, I felt like I was ready to make the trip and was eager to see my family (I hadn't seen my sisters, brothers-in-law, or niece in nearly a year and a half). Joe and I talked about it and decided, for a variety of reasons, that we would make our trips back home separately--I would go after Christmas and Joe will go at a later date that best suits him and his family.

While I was sad not to have Joe with me and disappointed not to see the Riveras, it was really nice to spend some time with my family. We didn't do a ton--ate lots of delicious food, played some serious wii, hiked, and had good conversation. Highlights of the trip included some mii creating on the wii, a girls' pajama party (during which, when the men-folk returned prior to our movie ending, my niece kindly requested the three men go to the store for "something that will take you an hour to get"), a wintry hike, and dancing on the lawn of the Masonic Memorial on New Year's Eve (thankfully, no video of that).

Check out this sweet girl. I miss her tons and loved getting some quality time with her.


An extra treat on this trip was my dear friend Cheryl was able to come for an afternoon visit. Cheryl was one of my first friends at JMU and has been a really good friend ever since (we're talking a 14 year friendship). I have not seen her since her wedding in the fall of 2008 and have never met her incredibly beautiful little boy (though, I have seen him on Skype). It was an even more exciting treat because this beautiful friend is expecting her second baby and I got to see her pregnant for this first time. Such fun.


This visit was so good for my heart. Such a sweet time with my family and my dear friend. Thanks to them all for making it happen!

Traditions

Over the last few Christmases, Joe and I have been thinking about Christmas traditions. Both of our families have Christmas traditions that just mean Christmas to us and we are eager to carry those on and incorporate those into our own little family. And, we are excited to create some of our own Christmas traditions. We've really had a chance to do that since we've moved to Edinburgh and have been so far from family over the holidays. We've started a few, but I thought I'd share my favorite with you.

For several reasons, Joe and I have decided to put some parameters on our gift giving to each other at Christmas and our new tradition has sort of sprung from those "rules." Last year we agreed on an amount of money we could spend and decided to spend a few hours on Princes Street shopping for each other. We walked over together, split up, and agreed to meet back at a set time. Part of the fun was keeping an eye out for the other and making sure we weren't discovered. When we met back up, we headed over to the German market and had a German lunch.

This year, having enjoyed the last so much, we decided to do something similar--shopping together, but seperately, and doing a special activity afterwards together. After our shopping (where I accidently ran into Joe in a shop), we made our way to The Filmhouse to catch an old Cary Grant Christmas movie. It was so fun to see this old black and white film, that neither of us had ever seen, on the big screen. It was really great. If you've never seen The Bishop's Wife, I suggest you add it to your list, and that you check out this "trailer:"



After two really enjoyable years of shopping and playing, we've agreed to make this a permanent fixture in the Rivera Christmas traditions. I know it's long past Christmas, but I'm curious--what are some of your favorite Christmas traditions?

Christmas

Christmas 2010 was our second Christmas in Edinburgh. We loved our first Christmas here and our second was no different (except that I didn't take a single picture). As much as we do miss our families on the holidays (and, we really do miss them) the past two years have been a really good opportunity for us to create some of our own traditions and to make this a special time for our little family.

On Christmas Eve, we had dinner at the home of friends (with whom we spent last Christmas Eve), along with another couple and their wee baby. It was a really sweet, leisurely evening and was capped off by the midnight service at our church. I have to say this is the first year that I have ever been to my church on Christmas and I loved it. It was really special to worship and celebrate the birth of Jesus with people that I know well and in a setting that is so familiar. It was a lovely service and, though late, we enjoyed bringing in the day with our Edinburgh family.

Joe and I again set Christmas morning aside for our time together. We woke up a bit later than usual and had a special (and light) breakfast and the traditional Schmitt-family hot, spiced cranberry juice! We read the Christmas story and opened gifts and just spent the morning relaxing together before heading out to spend the rest of the day with friends.

Late Christmas morning we joined about six other couples for a Christmas brunch that our friends Rebecca and Scotty hosted. It was so lovely--the food, the table, and the company. All just perfect (check out this link to see some pictures).

After leaving the Manors we made our way to the home of George and Myra, an older couple from our church (who was dance with) for a really special afternoon/evening. After a brisk walk around the Dean Gardens, lead by the very knowledgeable George, we have an absolutely incredible Christmas dinner. But, my favorite part was after dinner when George led us through his family's Austrian Christmas traditions.

Our day ended with phone calls to family and enjoying their merriment, albeit from afar.

It was a special day and we are so grateful for the friends who made us feel like family and the family who loved us even from so many miles.

What's On...

As I am, apparently, prone to do, I've gotten swept up in the busy-ness of life and have neglected my blog. I am sure you've all been waiting with baited breath for my return to the blog-o-sphere. So, wait no more...

The fall turned out to be a very busy few months for us. In a lot of ways, the busy-ness was unexpected and we felt a little caught off-guard and unprepared, sort of swept away with so many things to do. It was all great, but we both entered the Christmas holidays exhausted and ready for a much needed break. This semester is starting off busy as well, but I am feeling a bit more prepared for it. We've given some thought to what we're going to be spending our time on, what we are going to invest in, and considering how we are going to build room in for each other and ourselves, in the midst of the other things we are doing. I am calling it "intentional living" and am feeling good, so far, with what this is looking like for us.

Our parents, and other family members, say they like to know more about what we are doing, so here's a little about what's on tap for us this term (note to readers: please feel free to skip this--I feel a little odd writing about these things--it seems kind of obnoxious--but our families like to know about all this, so this is really for them):

• French classes are resuming for me! I am actually really excited about this as it gives me a weekly opportunity for some formal instruction and opportunity to practice, plus it's a great way to get to know other people in the area (I've got my eye on a couple in the class that I think we might really enjoy getting to know!)

• I am going to continue to help out with a weekly event at our church as a member of the catering team. I, along with a group of really fantastic women, get together to prepare a meal, serve it, and clean up for a weekly course that the church hosts for people interested in learning more about Christianity. I love doing this as it really combines my love of cooking, serving, and being with people. And, I am really enjoying the relationships that are growing out of this for me, on a personal level. I've also started teaching Sunday School (for 5 and 6 year olds), twice a month, which is fun for me as it's a great chance to interact with little kids, which I miss as I now really only work with teenagers in my job at Barnardo's.
  

• I've got some exciting things coming up at work, including taking on all the training that is given, along with my coworker (who I really like working with). We've got training dates in the calendar for the next year and are looking forward to taking our show on the road. The national conference I was meant to present at in December was snowed out, so that's back on the calendar for later this year, giving me more time to refine the material and stress out about it! I'm also getting some really great opportunities to be trained in some various areas that I am really looking forward to.

• My biggest new challenge, at work, will be the new student that I'll be supervising through August (the student is great, so not a challenge in that way). I've supervised in the past, but the work I am doing now is still relatively new to me and in a system that I am still learning, in many ways.
  

• Joe and I are continuing to go to a small group, through our church once a week. This has been one of the best things we've gotten involved in and our group has really become like a family to us--they have really taken care of us, especially during our move in December, and over the holidays. We really have grown to love this very eclectic group of Scots, English folks, and Canadians, young and old.

• Joe is busy tutoring again for 2 new courses and he will be lecturing twice in a third course. This latter opportunity is pretty exciting as the course is taught by Joe's advisor who has invited him in to talk about his own work and to lecture on two of the theologians he is studying. He's also still teaching a distance learning course for a university in Missouri. All great teaching opportunities but they definitely keep him busy busy!
  

• He is also managing, somehow, to make some incredible progress on his dissertation. He has got some chapters completed and is working on what he describes as the most difficult one at present. He's also got some things in the works for (hopeful) publication.

• We've set aside Sundays as "no work allowed" days and have agreed to spend the days taking walks, having leisurely afternoons with friends, reading, watching movies, taking naps, whatever we find restful and rejuvenating on that particular day. So far, that's making a huge difference in being able to start the week well. We've also discovered Friday afternoon bargain matinees at a local movie theater that shows good films--so, I'm flexing some time at work to take off every other week to meet Joe for film. By Fridays, we are usually ready for some down time and this is a really fun way to end the week.

• Finally, we're planning a trip for March. Actually, we aren't yet sure where we are going--tossing a few ideas and dates around, but we're planning to be gone about 10 days and are looking forward to seeing another city and immersing ourselves in another culture. We are also planning a weekend trip to London with some friends for the Royal Wedding (which all my Scottish and English friends think is absolutely ridiculous, but we are excited!).

We'll still be doing our Scottish Country Dancing once a month and are enjoying spontaneous game nights with friends, reading some good books (we're reading a fun Scottish book together every night before bed, among other books that have us both interested), cooking new things, cycling to and fro, and I am determined to keep abreast of the news and to learn about opera this year (these latter two points being my New Year's resolutions).

So, that's us. And, I am determined to keep this blog going! Promise.