Just a Little Green...

Like the nights when the Northern Lights perform...

Well, I have been back from Iceland for a little less than a week now. What a trip! It was chaotic at times, but the chaos always seemed to work out in our favor- for example; free transfer from the hotel, free passes to the AMAZING Blue Lagoon, and free transfer to the airport.  But I digress...that is a different story for a different time. I saw the Aurora Borealis. And that, my friends, is what this post is about. The above photo is from that magical night, as all the photos I post will be.

Where to begin? OK, Our trip started on February 28th. We would be searching for the Northern Lights on March 1. On February 25th the sun unleashed the biggest solar flare of the year and one of the strongest in recent years. Thank you solar max! Sunspot AR1990 spat out a massive X4.9 class solar flare which in turn caused a Coronal Mass Ejection blast. X class flares are pretty much the most powerful flares there are, and had this flare been aimed directly at Earth, it could have caused some disturbances among satellites and such. Luckily for Earth, that wasn't the case.

It takes a bit of time for a CME to reach Earth...and it first start to hit on February 27, and there were reports and photos of the Aurora being seen as far down as Scotland and even northern Maine! Needless to say, the Aurora Borealis was spectacular for all who were fortunate to see them. I had been following the space weather for weeks now, so I was well aware of this solar flare, and knew my chances of seeing the Dancing Lights were very good- weather permitting. If you had read my first Iceland post, you knew I chose this time very specifically, right down to the new moon, and just had to hope luck would be on my side. Boy, was it ever.

I had been obsessively checking the weather and cloud cover for March 1st, and it changed daily. Snow/rain, cloudy, partly cloudy, mostly cloudy, clear...literally every option. Imagine my relief when the day of the tour CLEAR skies were forecast. Not only that, but unseasonably warm! I knew I was super fortunate. After an adventure packed day touring the country side of Iceland, and hiking on a glacier (actually pretty treacherous at times! But SO amazing) our tour group had dinner and then set out to hunt for those magical Northern Lights. It was about 9pm. No sooner did the tour guide tell us that our chances would be good, then I saw a hazy, milky green glow out my window. The tour guide saw this at exactly the same time, and excitedly pointed it out to us. A moment later he had pulled into Seljalandsfoss waterfall, and we all spilled out of the tour van to witness this beautiful spectacle of nature.

It was a hazy green strip across the sky. It moved very, very slowly...you almost couldn't tell until you looked away and looked back. I knew that it wasn't that strong, but I was so grateful just to catch even a faint glimpse of this phenomenon. We watched it for at least an hour, then we started heading back towards Reykjavic. The whole 2 hour ride back I could see the lights from my window. Sometimes a little stronger than others, sometimes just a glowing green fog. Then, about 25 minutes outside of Reykjavic, the van started to make a strange noise. It almost sounded like a flat tire. The van had broke down and pulled to the side of the road. It was about midnight by now, and we were told we had to wait for the tour van behind us to take their people home to their respective hotels, and come back to get us. About 10 minutes later, as I stare out the window up at the sky, I see the most amazing vertical, 3 dimensional green beam of light reaching down from the heavens straight towards my face it seemed. I screamed in excitement for my friend to come over to the window- and the sky just exploded in auroral activity. We all piled back out of the tour van and marveled at the display that was happening 360 degrees around us. It moved and danced and swayed, it changed color, if ever so slightly,  it took on amazing forms and shapes that had us all cheering and gasping in awe. It was everything I dreamed it would be and more. I could have watched it forever. But, as luck would have it, it started to die down right around the time the tour bus came back to get us. Such a magical, special moment of my life. I will never forget it.

One potential downfall I had, however, was that my manual setting on my camera did not want to cooperate with me. It refused to let me override my ISO setting. Nobody could fix it. I feared I would have no pictures of my Northern Lights to reminisce about. Thankfully, two wonderful ladies in my group offered to email the pics they had taken (the ones posted here) and I am so thankful for the kindness of acquaintances! The following pic is somewhat similar to what I saw coming down out of the sky, reaching to me, photo courtesy of my wonderful tour friend Tina:

Later that week, as I flew home from an adventure of a lifetime, I picked a Joni Mitchell song to listen to: Little Green. That song could not have been more fitting. I couldn't believe it. I had forgot about the lyrics, and I teared up as I listened (not that that's unusual, I tear up to Joni A LOT) but when she got to this part ; "Just a little green, like the nights when the Northern Lights perform" it was perfect. Just Perfect. I couldn't have picked a better song to see me home.

My heart and soul had ached to see the Aurora Borealis, and it is not lost on me that I was extremely, extremely fortunate to witness it. Some little part of my soul was filled that night. Filled with the magic, wonder and awe that only seeing something so mystical as that can fill.

The Northern Lights had been waving to me... and I got to wave back.

Step Into The Freezer...

"It's gonna be COLD, COLD, COLD, COLD, COLD!"

That was my hook for the Patriots/Broncos game Lenny and I attended a few weeks ago - and, well, it was correct. I looked at it as Iceland preparation, in actuality; it could have been Mount. Everest preparation. I don't think I will ever expose myself to anything that cold for such a lengthy period of time ever again, not willingly anyway. I thought we were so well prepared. I definitely could not have had any more layers on. We had toe warmers, hand warmers, body warmers, wool socks, thermals, base layers, ear muffs, hats, hoods, face masks, blankets - you name it. It didn't stand a chance up there in the 300s section of Gillette Stadium. The wind at ground level was bad enough - but get to the top of the stadium and...forget about it! It was the second coldest game in Patriots history. To add insult to injury, the Pats were HORRENDOUS in that first half. I mean...worst they have ever played. I kept shouting out "This is the worst game I have ever seen!" in disbelief as I watched three consecutive Pats possessions end  with fumbles and horrible passes/plays. I did not take any photos, as I did not want to remove my hands from my hand warmers. I did not want hot chocolate, I didn't want anything. I just sat there trying to stay warm. People who bought beers found they had frozen before they got a chance to sip them! Luckily, the game turned out to be AMAZING and was the biggest comeback in Pats history, if I recall correctly. By the time Lenny and I left, I legit could not feel my hips. In fact, they were so cold they burned. I was convinced I had frost bite on them. They did not respond to heat. They remained ice cold until the next morning - I shit you not. It was insane.

I don't actually have a wonky eye in real life. That is just a glare. (Yeah, sure, whatever, Jeanine ;)

So, with my Iceland trip rapidly approaching, I have a couple tweaks to make to my cold weather attire. First and foremost being SKI PANTS! I need to keep those hips/thighs warm! The North Face has some great pants for that, and I don't want to accept imitations when it comes to keeping warm! I honestly don't think it could be that much colder than the Pats game, though. So, I should be alright. (Knock on Wood)

In other Iceland news, it does seem as if we are entering into another Solar Max - as I had posted months ago. This is extremely good news for me where the Aurora Borealis is concerned! Now, if the weather will just cooperate, I'll be in for a real treat!

The Northern Lights are Waving to Me

Photo courtesy of earthsky.org - captured by Antti Pietikainen in the autumn of 2011




I always have the itch to travel. If I had my druthers I would travel the world all year round, exploring every tiny village and large metropolis, taking millions of pictures and amassing an impressive collection of souvenirs along the way. Of course I would occasionally be checking in at home base...I guess.

Unfortunately, I am not in the position to be able to travel all year, so I have reconciled myself to the idea of taking one interesting trip every year or so. This year, I am planning on Iceland! At the top of my list of things to see is the Northern Lights. I ache to see them. I feel like there is a void in my soul until I see them. It is just something that has been pulling at me lately with a strong gravitational pull. I don't think I can rest until I see the Aurora Borealis!

I understand that I am not guaranteed to see them. Which I admit is a rather daunting thought. But Iceland is such an interesting and beautiful place, all will not be lost if I don't see those elusive and magical lights. In fact it would just give me reason to keep traveling to find them!
I am doing my research on Iceland and biding my time waiting for the right deal to come along. Though I may not have any concrete plans yet...I am excited at the very thought of standing under the Icelandic sky, marveling at the wonder that is the Northern Lights.

2013: Endings and Beginnings

Well, as the new year draws closer, so too does the end of this chapter in my life.  I am leaving Florida. I am returning home to Massachusetts.  Tonight as I was leaving one of Lenny & I's favorite spots - Boston's on the Beach, it began to really hit me. This is the last time I will be visiting Boston's as a local. As I walked back to my car I snapped a picture of a group of Christmas Palm trees, with their festive Christmas lights coiled and winding up to the top, something I had taken for granted, now pulling sentimentally at my heart strings - I will miss the little things like that. I looked to my right to see the ocean, shimmering in the moonlight, calm and serene. My beach. My dear beloved little beach town of Delray. Atlantic Avenue, beautiful, charming, even romantic. Everywhere I turn I see a memory, including my favorite restaurant of all time: The Blue Anchor. All the 101 dear little spots I have traversed and become so friendly with, I am now realizing that I am leaving behind.

There is such a finality to this, which I guess is why it is affecting me so. When I left MA, I knew very certainly I would be back one day. Without a doubt. I can't say that about FL, about Delray...and I think that is what hurts me the most. I have grown so much these past six years. I have really lived and learned here. Here I became truly independent. One does not know the meaning of the word independence until they have lived thousands of miles away from their closest friends and family, all alone, with no financial help or help of any kind, really. And I would not trade one second of this whole experience. Not the heartache of a relationship gone wrong. Not the insecurity of being in a town - in a state that is completely foreign. Not the stress of just making ends meet so that you can live in a beautiful place that you are proud to call home. Or shaking the nervousness of going out of the way to make new friends, or go on dates, or try out for a band. None of it.

I also broke out of the shackles that had held me for so long in the world of retail sales and into a new and refreshing 9-5 world. Another Florida first. My experience with the bank was one that I always will fondly look back on. Especially since they sent me to Ohio for their "AmTrust Idol" Christmas party contest, which was an amazing experience...though not quite as amazing as winning $1000 in the FL contest! But one of the best things to come from that contest was meeting a great friend. Indeed the people I worked with at the bank are still my favorite FL coworkers I have worked with.

Also, and probably most importantly, I have Florida to thank for my relationship with Lenny, which it seems is destiny. Being with Lenny and having him move to the east coast of Florida to be with me really opened up a whole new world. Since we fell in love and have been living together we have also shared our mutual love of music and opened each other up to countless new bands and sounds and concerts and experiences. With Lenny I really started living. With him I really got to know South Florida. With him I got to express my passion and love for music in so many ways. I will never be able to thank him enough for that, or simply for his companionship and encouragement and caring nature. I think our meeting was the reason we both came to Florida...it just took a couple years before we realized it. 

And now, it is all coming to an end. Six years. From age 24 (just about 25) to 31. God, did that go by in a flash. I feel like it will all seem like a dream once I am settled back in MA. I'm sure I will wonder if it ever really happened, if it was just some figment of my imagination...my beautiful Delray Beach. With it's gorgeous turquoise oceans and golden sand. The mansions that line A1A that I never dreamt I would get to walk in. (but thanks to my extremely cool boss, not only did I get to walk in his ocean front mansion, I got to hang out with baby lions and cougars in it too!) My little home community of Verano, with it's lake and "Dirty Dancing" bridge. All the festive and wonderful gatherings downtown, where they close the streets to let us party, or sell their wares, or have parades. Boston's on the Beach where every Sunday night the local and renowned Grateful Dead cover band Crazy Fingers would play. All of these things and more..make my heart feel so heavy. I am so excited to be going home...but the taste is just so bittersweet. I never knew I would fall in love with Delray Beach. I don't know if I will ever move back here, but I sure hope I will, perhaps as a snowbird...someday.

A Special Thanks To Tour Guides Everywhere...

If there is one thing I would recommend for people who are traveling to a foreign country and plan on visiting any museums or historic sites, it would be to find a great tour guide. Especially if it is your first time visiting a new country.

The trip I took not only had one main tour guide that was exceedingly knowledgeable and took us everywhere and told us everything about anything at any time - which was extremely convenient, but we also had the BEST local guide you could have in France. Having tour guides makes a huge difference in the amount of information and history you get when visiting historic places. This information is compounded exponentially if you have a guide who is passionate about what he does, and loves to pass on his passion, and pride for his country's history.

Our local tour guide, (whose name is frustratingly escaping me at the present moment) was exactly like Lumiere from Beauty and the Beast, from his tone and inflection of voice, to his humor, to his movement. He was as entertaining to watch as he was interesting to listen to. I had him say my name (since it is a French name) just to hear an actual French person speak it...a French person that sounded like Lumiere, that is...
Our group had guided tours around Paris and he had superior knowledge about any point one could pick out. He also had very strong political views and let us know on no uncertain terms how he felt about certain leaders past and present, but the way in which he expressed these views was delightful and witty - never awkward or annoying.

If there is one place in Paris that it is imperative to have a tour guide for, The Louvre would be it. I could not imagine trying to tackle that labyrinth on my own. Not only that, it is impossible to get the sheer amount of history and/or folk lore that is behind any picture or painting you see with a pre-recorded head set or paper guide. Our local guide was a wealth of  historic data on just about every piece we encountered.

Lumiere took us through a little known entrance in the basement of the Louvre. We stood where the moat would have originally been, and were surrounded by the original medieval fortress walls - the only portion of the Louvre from that time that is still visible.  It was easy to hear him, thanks to the wireless headsets provided to us, and we knew we might have wandered a bit too far if we could not hear him through our earphones anymore.
Another place this came in handy was Versailles. The crowd  was so massive there it would have been pointless to have a tour guide trying to shout over the dull roar of people - thanks to the head sets, we never missed a word.
                                                                                                                                                       
Below: The fortress walls of The Louvre. Stonecutters were paid by how many stones they cut, to keep     track, they placed their unique trade mark on each stone that was theirs; this stonecutter left a heart,

The main tour guide we had was a nice older fellow named Robert. Robert was originally from England, but was very learned about all the countries we visited. He had that dry English humor that went over some people's heads..but it was so hilarious. He was also very fun and knew how to engage our group. When we all went out for dinner in Paris, he was up and dancing with everyone while the accordion player sang and played. Indeed, he took us to all the places that one must visit in every country, and also provided narration on our travels to each place, giving us perfectly told history lessons that I could have listened to forever.

So, thank you to tour guides everywhere for sharing your friendship, passion, and knowledge of these wonderful places we visit. You enhance your group's experiences so much more than imagined. Of course, thank you to my tour guides the most, whom I obviously believe were the best in the business! ;)

I Love Paris : The Eiffel Tower

Paris. I have been thinking about this amazing city a lot since returning from my trip. It truly is beautiful. It truly is the perfect place for those with a joie de vivre. As both an artist/musician I feel I had no other fate than to fall in love with Paris. Every hidden corner, every side street, every boulangerie or pâtisserie, every cafe, every restaurant, every shop, every last place you find yourself in is full of beauty and art, it's inescapable, it's wonderful - it's love.
 
 I remember driving in to Paris - I kept scanning the horizon for a glimpse of that icon, that tower amongst towers, one of the most well known structures that was ever built or ever will be built,  the emblem of France, of Paris - The Eiffel Tower. Was I really going to be seeing this in person? This is something I had actually dreamed about in my sleep, something that I knew had to be done someday, something that I have always wanted...and this was the day. It was really happening. I would be in Paris looking at the Eiffel Tower today.

Then...I saw it. Faint and misty on the horizon, like some majestic shroud had been draped over it, giving it a mysterious and powerful effect as it stood so lofty above the rest of the city, above the rest of the world it seemed. I literally gasped upon that very first glance. This was surreal. In fact, it stayed surreal. Every famous sight that I had always seen in books or on television, now in front of me, just seemed a dream. It was enchanting.

 Standing in Trocadéro square at night at the top of the hour, just as the Eiffel tower started to sparkle, and the crowd that was gathered collectively gasped their approval in awe, was one of my favorite and most magical moments. I could have stood there watching forever and would have been perfectly happy. But alas, I had to eventually be pulled away to see some other breathtaking sights that the city of lights had to offer. If I had to put a conservative estimate on what percentage of Paris pictures that I took were of the Eiffel tower, I would have to say it would probably be about 50%. My obsession was THAT ridiculous. I could not stop taking pictures of the Eiffel tower in every light, angle, and setting possible. I think one of my favorite views/and pictures was the one I put at the top of this post - from the top of the Arc de Triomphe.   Europe Pictures 2012  < This is a link to my Europe 2012 album. It is just a jumble of some pictures of my entire trip to Europe. Some are unedited, and some are edited. They are kind of in order - the order starts over once or twice, though. It is just a fraction of the pictures I took, but I think there is enough there. As hard as it was, I tried to limit the number of Eiffel Tower pictures I put up. ;)

Gypsies, Tramps & Thieves...

Just as my Amsterdam experience would not have been complete had I not partaken in the smoking of marijuana, so too, would my Parisian experience not have truly been complete without an authentic gypsy encounter.

Nancy, Marshall, my father, and myself were all heading to Notre Dame Cathedral from Pont Alexandre III bridge. We had just finished exploring the beautiful bridge and had taken many pictures. We were immersed in conversation when we saw a rather small lady that was walking our way stop and bend down to pick something up off the ground. Naturally we were curious, as she stopped but a foot or two in front of us, and then came over and asked if anyone had lost a ring. She then held up what had been on the ground. A rather large wedding band. Obviously belonging to a man. Upon further inspection we noticed that it was 18k gold, as there was a stamp on the inside of the ring indicating so.

We congratulated her on her find and were about to go our merry way when she asked if any of us would like the ring. She indicated in her broken English that it was really of no use to her and she did not want it. Right away I thought this was strange, and figured she was up to something, but if she wanted to give me the ring, fake or not I would take it. It would make a great souvenir with a great story behind it. So, I took the ring.

We then started again on our trek to Notre Dame. We got only a few feet however, before the tiny lady came running back up to us. She asked for money in return for the ring. Then the light bulb went on in all of our heads at once. This was a gypsy. She had planted the ring on the sidewalk, or used her pro gypsy magic to make it appear as if the ring had been sitting there..who knows, these people are masters of their craft. Now here she was, trying to sucker money out of us. I started laughing and said, "ohhhh, this is a scam, I get it. If you needed money you could have just asked for it." With that I gave her one Euro. But she obviously had had much more in mind. So, I simply gave her back her ring, saying that she was a great actress. We all applauded her performance as she walked away...and she in turn, gave us the finger.

I couldn't believe we really just had a gypsy encounter. We were told to beware of gypsies the whole trip, but just like anywhere else I have been warned about - Mexico, NYC etc..I didn't really expect for anything to happen. She did get one Euro for her trouble, but that is one Euro I would have given her regardless - as I said, she could have just asked. I immediately knew this encounter would make for a great story, though.

Esmeralda she was not, but she was a great character in that little page of my life. Nice try, gypsy.

Beautiful Bruges

Bruges, Belgium. What a charming place to visit. Besides Paris, Bruges is where I took the most photos. I just couldn't stop. Everywhere I looked there was another picture, another perfect scene.

Along with Amsterdam, Bruges is said to be the "Venice of the North." Of course, neither city really compares to Venice as far as the canals go. I admit I am a bit biased, because I still consider Venice my favorite city I have ever visited - though I think Venice may now be tied with Paris. But, canals or not, both Amsterdam and Bruges were amazing, beautiful places to visit. Bruges quaint charm is what really got me. Some areas looked like they were right out of a fairy tale; especially the Béguinage which had a courtyard just covered in flowers at the time that we visited.

Among many different places of interest, The Madonna of Bruges - found in the Church of Our Lady - is one of Bruge's highlights for sure. We set out on a quest to get to the church before it closed at 4pm. Or at least that's  the time we thought it closed. When we got there we were relieved to find that the church wasn't closing until much later. Now, if only we could find the correct entrance...being with people from the tour group, which included friends Nancy and her husband Marshall, we all wandered about until a few people from our group decided to be daring and jump the turnstile in an area that was obviously not being used at the moment. Nancy and Marshall followed, as did I, being ever the risk taker. Even my dad joined in the shenanigans! Of course, we didn't get too far before we were approached by security, nicely asking us to go around and use a different entrance - and we all had a good laugh at what we had just done.
Once legally inside, we explored this beautiful church and found our way to the Madonna of Bruges; a sculpture of Mary holding the baby Jesus done by none other than Michelangelo.

After seeing the church we went and had some Belgian beer and Belgian fries in the town square, just chatting and people watching, taking it all in. Later on, Nancy and myself set out on our own little photography tour, finding some great hidden gems. Of course, our Belgian experience would not be complete without a trip to a chocolate shop. I had bought some chocolate in Brussels, but had not had my fill, and it seemed that every other store in Bruges was a chocolate shop! We went to a well known, and well reviewed shop called "The Chocolate Line" and it was definitely some of the best chocolate I have ever tasted.

The next day was a walking tour of Bruges, covering pretty much every place you should see, including the Basilica of the Holy Blood, where there is an elaborate tabernacle that supposedly holds the actual blood of Jesus Christ. The Basilica dates back to the 1100s.

So, as you can imagine, I took hundreds of pictures in Bruges. Here, I have posted only a handful - my favorites.

                                                           Below: The Madonna of Bruges

 Below: These "love padlocks" are found all over bridges and fences, etc. in Europe. Couples do this as a symbol of everlasting love for each other.

  

Here I am drinking a Belgian beer called Juliper, which I was later told was the Budweiser of Belgium! I never said I was a beer connoisseur. I thought it was delicious! ;)

Veneration of the Crown of Thorns

There was another rare, or rather, little known experience I got to have on my trip to Europe. I got to see the "Crown of Thorns" up close and personal at Notre Dame Cathedral.

For those that might not know what the Crown of Thorns is, let me enlighten you. Being raised in an extremely Catholic family, I feel I am more than qualified to do so! The Crown of Thorns was an instrument of torture and mockery that was placed on Jesus Christ's head by soldiers before he was crucified. The soldiers did this to mock the claims of Jesus that he was the "King of the Jews". It is basically a bunch of canes woven together in a circle, held together with gold threads, with many thorns attached to the crown. (At least that is what Notre Dame says it is.)

The Veneration of the Crown of Thorns takes place at Notre Dame Cathedral the first Friday of each month, for only a couple hours. The exception to this is during lent, when the Crown of Thorns is on display every Friday leading up to Easter. On Good Friday the crown is displayed from 10am to 5pm.

Of all the relics that Notre Dame has (a piece of the cross that Jesus was crucified on, and a nail that was used to nail him to the cross) The crown of thorns is considered the "most precious and most revered". Now, I am not a practicing Catholic anymore. I am not a practicing anything, as I don't believe in organized religion or the Christian idea of God, but it was an amazing opportunity to see this relic, because it is a part of history... A pretty BIG part of history. The funny part is, the Crown of Thorns has undergone a lot of studies and research, but it's authenticity can not be certified. The argument of its authenticity and the places this crown has been has spanned over 16 centuries and many different countries, and that is where the history part comes in...

In the year 409, Saint Paulinus of Nola makes mention of the crown being a relic kept in the basilica on Mount Zion in Jerusalem. There are accounts of it being seen again at the basilica at Mount Zion by Anthony the Martyr in 570. Between the 7th and 10th centuries the relic was moved to the Byzantine Emperors Chapel in Constantinople, to keep it safe from pillaging. By 1238 Latin Emperor Baldwin of Constantinople pawned the crown and other relics to a Venetian bank to get credit. Go figure.
Saint Louis, King of France paid back the Venetians in 1239 and brought the crown and other relics, back to France.
During the French Revolution,  the relics were kept at the national library.
In 1801, they were given back to the archbishop of Paris, where they were placed in the Cathedral Treasury. They are still kept there today. These relics have been protected by the canons of the Metropolitan Basilica Chapter, who are in charge of venerations. They are guarded by the Knights of the Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem. This has been the way since being placed in the Cathedral Treasury.

So, as you can see, Catholic or not, the Crown of Thorns has some amazing history, and is something very special to view in person. Not only did we get to view it, but we got to go up to it and...umm...kiss it. Yeah, kiss it.

We went to Notre Dame on Good Friday, and we had expected to stand in line for a quite a while to see this stupendous relic - but the line moved fast, and before we knew it we were shuffling right along, up the center of Notre Dame Cathedral, heading for the altar. I was wondering what I was going to do about taking a picture of it, since it seemed disrespectful. Luckily my decision was made for me by a very stern and authoritative man behind me who berated me and anyone he saw with a camera, his thick French accent barking out the order "NO PHOTOS!" Since he was dressed in some military outfit and was most likely the equivalent of a U.S. Navy Seal, I complied. He was the ONLY French person I met on my trip that was less than cordial and pleasant. It didn't matter anyway though, once amongst the few people at the front of the line, you were directed by many fancy looking religious men up to the crown. It all happened so quick, however, it also happened in slow motion because I was a little freaked out about having to kiss something that about a trillion and a half other people have kissed. They wipe the crown with a cloth after every person, and they say the cloth is soaked in alcohol...but I just didn't want to take that risk. I panicked and really didn't know what I was going to do until the final moment when I was face to face with this most historic of relics...it sat on an extravagant plush red pillow, just taunting me - and in that final moment of do or die, I went for it. I bent down and pretended to kiss the crown. No actual contact made. The crown wiper guy did his crown wiping thing - everyone was a winner. Nobody suspected a thing. What a relief. I watched as my friend Nancy also pulled the fake kiss trick, and it was all I could do to keep from bursting out laughing in the middle of Notre Dame Cathedral. She is Jewish...but after that very Catholic ordeal she referred to herself as "Catholish".

I will keep this experience in my arsenal of random facts about me..not everyone can claim that they have kissed the Crown of Thorns! ;)

Keukenhof - Most Beautiful Spring Gardens in the World

 I was in the right place at the right time for a couple of pretty rare things on my trip to Europe. Being able to experience the breath-taking Keukenhof Gardens in Holland was one of those rare things. It is only open from March 22 - May 20.

Keukenhof, located just south west of Amsterdam in a town named Lisse, is considered the world's largest flower garden. These meticulously maintained beautiful, sweeping gardens are situated on 15th century hunting grounds. The actual grounds of Castle Keukenhof are open all year round. 

The drive from Amsterdam to Keukenhof alone was already gorgeous enough to boast about. Field after field of tulips on both sides of the road. All perfectly lined up rows in all different colors - like giant rectangular rainbows. Perfectly stunning views at every turn. This was what I had hoped for. This was what I had dreamed it would be. Upon arriving and passing through the entrance to the grounds was a small pool of water, in the middle of the pool stood a tall and very interesting fountain - it looked like a dandelion that is ready to be wished upon. A bit away from that, I could hear what I can only describe as the "old-timey" sounds of a strange mechanical...music machine.

As you can see in the video I took, the little figures all move in time, tapping their batons to their bells. Kinda creepy. Definitely cool. I stood under it's strange spell for probably longer than I should have before I finally snapped out of it and began  to explore this floral fantasy land sprawling out before me in every direction.

I have never seen so many flowers in my life, and I have never seen more artistically arranged and unique displays of flowers in my life. I felt like Dorothy entering the land of Oz - the colors were so vibrant. Everything was so lush. I was lost in a gorgeous labyrinth of blooming pathways. Every different path leading to more and more beauty, meandering endlessly, introducing me to every flower known to man...or at least it seemed that way. At one point, I reached a pond filled with swans. The view from where I stood was just lovely. Overlooking rows of hot pink and pale pink tulips, emerald green grass that I'm sure rivals the greenest grasses of Ireland, perfect path ways winding along, scattered with trees standing guard here and there..and swans swimming gracefully by...such a vision.

After hours exploring Keukenhof, I was beyond tired. After all, I had been up well over 24 hours by this point. After checking in at the hotel at 6am, naturally the room wasn't going to be ready until afternoon...so the morning had been spent wandering the streets of Amsterdam, and then taking the train, followed by the Kekenhof shuttle to the gardens. I still can not believe how lucky I was to have been in Holland at the perfect time. I had not even heard of this place until right before my trip. And though I knew I wanted to see tulip fields, I certainly did not not know I would be fortunate enough to be around during the relatively small window of time the world famous Keukenhof  gardens would be open! I'm a pretty lucky gal....

Thoughts About Amsterdam

Now I know I am officially old. Everytime someone finds out that one of the countries I am visiting will be Holland...more specifically that one of my main stops in Holland will be Amsterdam, the first thing they inquire about is if I plan on smoking weed, since it is legal to smoke in the coffee shops and all. My lame answer? "I don't know...maybe."

Young Jeanine wants to kick my ass. Who would go to Amsterdam without the number one intention of smoking it up? Old, fuddy duddy, post 20's Jeanine, I guess. I am much more interested in the architecture, the history, the culture, the food. I am very curious to try some Indonesian cuisine. I am also making it a point to try "Stroopwafels" which is supposedly two very thin waffle like layers stuck together with some super delicious, really bad for you, sugary sweet gooey goodness. That is at the top of my "food I need to try there" list.

I also love the fact that Amsterdam is similar to Venice- my favorite city in the world. I am eager to see if it can even remotely rival the charm of the amazingly beautiful "Queen of the Adriatic", but I seriously doubt it.
You know, now that I think about it, I also have no desire to wander into the red light district. At all. It kind of scares me actually!But I digress...More than just Amsterdam, I can't wait to see the windmills and the country side and hopefully...the tulips! And I am totally planning on buying some wooden shoes. I have wanted a pair since I was a toddler and watched Shirley Temple clog dance her little child star ass off in the movie "Heidi."

So there are my thoughts on visiting Holland. If I smoke, I smoke. (It is not even really, really legal there...there are some very strange laws regarding the smoking and distribution of marijuana.) If I don't smoke, it is no big deal. I am more interested in the country itself.
 Don't even get me started on how much I want to see and do and taste in France...and Belgium! This should certainly be an amazing trip.