Paris.

It's a city I love going back to. We spent some fabulous days there, and it's a city that just never gets old. Each time I visit, I find new things to love about it. For starters, there are some fantastic hotels. And you don't have to blow your budget to enjoy a wonderful stay in the city. You just have to have an open mind. The place we stayed at was recommended by a friend who lives in the city. It's a little place with little rooms, see:

So what if you have to duck each time you go through a door! I love experiencing the old. And the wonderful service you get from the reception, where they know you by name. One of the things that shocked me was the americanization that has taken place over the years. A Starbucks at the Louvre. Really?? They also have a fancy new MAC store there too.

Trying to find the real Paris, we rode the subway like the real people do. I just don't know how they do it. The Paris subway system needs a revamp. You can barely breath down there because there are too many people, it's super hot & stuffy and there is no air circulation. And I thought the TTC needed work. It's luxury compared to the Paris Metro. The chocolate souvenirs we purchased didn't even make it back to the hotel because they melted instantly down there!

Did you know that to paint the Eiffel Tower it takes 60 tons of paint. There's a job for you Robert!! I also learned that when Hitler visited Paris and wanted to go up to the top of the tower, the elevators were broken so he had to walk up! ha! Oh, and I also learned that my mom LOVES shopping.

Next time we'll bring a compass

Small anecdote before I continue sharing the tales of our recent travels. I am officially a bike-queen. Today I rode my bike in the rain. With an umbrella. How's that for talent?? Clearly I was determined not to show up to my 'ladies lunch' soaking wet.

Anyways, back to the tales of our recent trip to mainland. We continued the journey and headed to Brussels. It was a pleasant journey, and we knew we had to change trains at one point. Since the train was delayed we rushed out of one and into another. Minutes into the journey we realized we were on the wrong train and heading to Antwerp. oh on. Luckily it was not an express train and we were able to get off in the middle of no-where to wait for the next train back. The station had a name, but it's a station that has barely been touched since 1935:

Hours later we finally made it to our hotel. Except it was not so much a hotel and more of a hostel. A crappy one for that matter. Our room faced some pipes that smelled like sewage. There seemed to be this same smell through out the city but we didn't let it stop us from enjoying some of the glorious food Belgium's got to offer.

Fresh mint tea and a belgian waffle:

Moules frites!

I had read on a blog written by locals that Brussels is an ugly city. I didn't quite recall from the last time I was there. But they were right. There is so much beauty in terms of architecture but there is so much dirt, pollution and garbage. It's certainly a city that's rough around the edges. It's evident someone is ignoring the basic needs of this city and it's people.

Who knew trains can float!

With my mom's arrival in Scandinavia, we decided to take a little tour down to mainland Europe. We boarded a really chic, modern train here in Copenhagen, it looked more like an office than a train. It was a great ride down to Germany - did you know that full trains can board a ferry?? Here is the train actually on board the ferry - how weird!

We also braced ourselves because we heard of the soaring temperatures down on the mainland... our first stop was Hamburg. As soon as we got off the train we were greeted by a soaring 30+ degrees and as you probably know, there is NO air conditioning in MOST of Europe. By the way, if you ever come across a popsicle with the laughable name of 'Bum Bum', don't buy it. It's gross.

This product is real, what was Nestle thinking??!@

The second train was not so pleasant. We were stuck in a 6 person compartment, full of sweaty men and a big dog! Poor Chris, with his severe allergies to four-legged people he had to go find another place to park - there were people everywhere, in the hallways, in the doorways, I had flashbacks of the scenes of I have seen of rural trains in India. It was like that. Except that they were giving out free water and at one point calling for a doctor because someone must have had heat stroke. The train trip was worth it though because we arrived in Cologne just in time to see Germany beat Argentina 4-0. The streets were full of parties and the parties lasted all night. And because you can drink anywhere, flip flops were strickly prohibited the next day due to the broken beer bottles, EVERYWHERE.

The party did not end there, we also got to celebrate Cologne Pride which was an even bigger, louder and longer party than the football win over Argentina.

Cologne is a great party city - and it also holds the biggest church I have ever seen!

Compared to southern Germany, the biggest difference was the size of the beer. We all love the 1 litre beers you order in a beer hall in Bavaria, but what's up with the tiny beers in Cologne that are more like shots than a drink?? They are called Kolsch and the servers just keep them coming until you tell them to stop! Notice the delicious fresh fish meal Chris is enjoying,

by far my favorite meal of the trip!

You know you're in Denmark when...

1. You go to the beach WITHOUT a sun umbrella and sit under the sun with no shade in sight.

2. You spend the first weekend of July at the Roskilde Festival (a big music festival that attracts huge bands but really it's just one big excuse to drink and party!!)

3. You close your shop/restaurant or whatever your trade is, for the ENTIRE month of July. (most stores on my street have a sign saying "Closed for summer holidays. See you in August."

4. You leave your city flat and live in a summer house near the coast line.

5. You have an ice cream cone in hand at all times.

It seems that my mom brought the gorgeous weather with her, 25 degrees and sunny every single day for over a week now. We have been busy seeing all the sights and I must say, I'm impressed with my mom's willingness to try it all. She loves smørrebrød and loves biking around town. When I ask what her favorite thing here has been she says she loves how no one is ever in a rush here. And yes, that is true. Power walking does not exist here!

The beaches of North Zealand...

The most delicious ice cream ever!!