Mom in Germany

For Mom's last full day in the Netherlands we decided to have a little day trip to Aachen. It was Mom's first visit to Germany and a special day for us. The last outing for the Pardo girls all together. 

Mom in front of the Rathaus

I feel very fortunate to have had all this quality time with my mother. It was the first time that we ever vacationed together without the rest of the family. I thought that adding an extra trip outside Maastricht following Amsterdam would be too much, but Flora was extra cooperative that day. She had a record number of naps and Mom and I got to explore Aachen "peacefully." :)

Aachen Cathedral 

What's cuter than this?

I was really hoping that Mom and I could experience something that was typically "German". Mom had some good German beer at an outdoor cafe and for a nice late lunch we had flammkuchen. This was surprisingly delicious!

Then it was Flora's time to eat, so we headed to Starbucks. Not very German, but I still enjoy drinking coffee in a to-go cup. It's a shame that it's still such a novelty here in Europe. (I sound very American now).

Thanks for a great visit Mom and for passing on all your great Mommy wisdom. These two weeks were very special for us. Flora's already looking forward to her first Christmas in NY!

Mom in Maastricht

My favorite pic of the week. Lunch at Grand Cafe Maastricht Soiron

I feel like I waited all summer for my Mom to arrive for her official visit with Flora and it's already over. Time really flies when you're having fun (and busy with a newborn). Mom's visit came at the perfect time. Just when I needed a little Mommy confidence boost, my mother arrives to tell me that everything I'm doing is fine and to trust my "Mommy instincts". I needed that extra reassurance.

Long walk in the Stad Park

I'm sure this visit was more special for my Mom than it was for me. Meeting your newest grandchild for the first time is a big deal. We had lots of relaxed quality time together. Our days were full of long walks, frequent trips to cafes all over Maastricht, home cooked meals, and of course, lots of cuddles with Flora. We even made it to Amsterdam for two nights. Our first overnight trip with Flora was a success!

And now I'm settling back into life without having my Mom around all the time. The first few days after saying good bye to my parents are always the hardest and this time it was particularly difficult. The thing I miss the most is the warm, cozy feeling my Mom gives me. Now it's my turn to share it with little Flora. :)

A Brussels Babymoon

Grand Place

As Jaap and I wait around for this baby to arrive, my mind is becoming more and more restless. I've only been on maternity leave for three weeks and yet it feels like three months! I told Jaap and I needed something to do this weekend to keep my mind occupied, so we planned a last minute trip to Brussels. I have never had a proper chance to explore the city and what better time to do it than now before our household goes from "just the two of us" to a family of three. 

We arrived in Brussels and started exploring...first stop...Manneken Pis. An interesting choice for a city's mascot. 

Europe's "greatest square", The Grand Place. Saturday was full of a lot of walking and I was happy that my very pregnant self was able to keep up with it. 

Here's a view of Galeries Roayles St. Hubert...Europe's oldest shopping mall. :)

And finally a quick peak at St. Michael's Cathedral before it was time for me to rest my swollen feet at an art nouveau era cafe near The Bourse.

Break time

Afterwards we had a delicious little lunch at Le Perroquet in the Sablon neighborhood, after a recommendation from a friend (thanks Faye). We walked up to Place du Petit Sablon a nice, little, beautifully landscaped oasis. 

Notre Dame du Sablon Church

The large statues throughout the garden are great Belgian thinkers that once called Brussels home.

And now for one of the best parts of our trip, the hotel. I gotta give props to my amazing-deal-finding husband who found this 5-star hotel at a very affordable price. Who knew Brussels would be so much cheaper in the summertime? Apparently when all the diplomats are out of town on summer holiday, you can get a great bargain. Nice find Jaap!

Stanhope Hotel

One bus ride away from a romantic evening

Drinks on the square

Our dinner reservations weren't until 8:30, so we killed some time having drinks on the Grand Place and enjoyed some decent people watching with nice cool weather. Jaap enjoyed his Kwak beer and I sipped a decaf coffee looking on with envy. I was saving myself for my one glass of wine at dinner. :)

Dinner was at a simple seafood restaurant in the Sainte Catherine-Fish Market neighborhood. I highly recommend La Maree on a visit to Brussels. This place rocks. Even though I debated getting some other type of seafood from the menu, I knew I would order "mussels from Brussels". I'm glad I did though...they were delicious!

Mussels "from the House"

What does Jaap order at a seafood restaurant? The filet. :)

Our romantic evening was perfect. Excellent service, simple and delicious food, and a friendly atmosphere. Just when I thought the meal couldn't get any better, the chef comes out, walks around, and asks all the guests how their meal was. I told Jaap to pinch me because you never get great service AND good tasting food like this in Maastricht. And as much as I love little Maastricht, it's still the most expensive place to eat in Europe.

I was definitely "living in the moment" trying to take in all our remaining couple time we have left before our little baby arrives. The best part of the evening wasn't the delicious food, but the great company with my loving husband. :)

Secret family recipe from Chef--we have no idea what it was...but it was delicious!

The Stanhope Hotel did not disappoint with their breakfast. Jaap and I both agree that it has taken over the number spot of best hotel breakfasts ever. Lekker!

Good-bye King Albert

Sunday was a quick sightseeing day for us, shortened by my fatigue from this horribly hot weather sweeping through Northern Europe. We just happened to be in Brussels the same weekend that Belgium inaugrates King Philippe to the throne and staying literally around the corner from the inauguration. We had a quick stroll around Parc de Bruxelles to enjoy the festivities before heading back to Maastricht.

Thanks Jaap for a great babymoon weekend!

A Wiener Melange Melange

Café Landtmann

Enjoying lunch

Who does coffee better than the Viennese? Okay, maybe the Italians and I'm sure you can argue many more. (I had some amazing coffee in Rome). But who has the best café culture? Hands down, the Wieners! Jaap and I spent a very romantic (and cold) holiday in Vienna to celebrate the New Year. The highlight for me...coffee!

Way too excited for this coffee

A return to one of my favorite places as a student, Café Stein

Sitting with Jaap in these these smoky places made me miss Vienna so much. I was amazed by how much the Viennese are still smoking up in cafés and restaurants. I guess old habits die hard.

All I could do was reminisce about my great memories from this beautiful city. So many good times to think about. I had such a love for this city when I left the first time that I was afraid it wouldn't be the same when we returned on this trip. And of course it wasn't. Vienna felt very different to me, but in a good way. It still felt like I was returning home.

Brunch at Café Leopold

[As you can see, I enjoyed documenting our hot drinks at various cafés. I've been inspired by one of my favorite blogs, Merisi's Vienna for Beginners. Visit her daily blog to see the beauty of Vienna and especially their café culture.]

I miss Croatia

This is how we started each day in Dubrovnik. We'd wake up, prepare breakfast, and lounge on the balcony. We'd sit outside watching early morning swimmers floating in the a clear blue/green Lapad Bay as we sipped our tea. It was so peaceful. Not to mention delicious. I miss that yoghurt and honey.

Lekker!

I think it's impossible not to feel relaxed in this place. We stayed at a great apartment on Lapad Bay and only a 5 minute walk from the coast. Walking around the peninsula you can find tons of quiet, tranquil, shaded swimming coves.

We had some great afternoons in this little spot. It was perfect. Swimming access, no tourists, and lots of shade. We'd read for hours, lounging around, jumping into the water periodically to stay cool, and Jaap would listen to me talk about how much I love this country.

Jaap, my little fish

And a great way to end the day...some grilled squid. I had grilled squid almost every night. It was delicious and usually only 60 kunas. (That's about 8 euros). I wish I could eat like this in the Netherlands.

I'm longing for the Adriatic, another reason why I can't stop writing Croatia posts. So many good times and memories. Maybe I can squeeze one more post out of Croatia?! I'm still clinging to summer!