Tash & Mike's Wedding in Bognor... London for NYE

On Boxing Day (Dec 26th), we travelled to Bognor Regis, a town on England's southern coast, to witness Tash & Mike's Holy Matrimony.

Jellied eel?  I am willing to try any seafood (at least once)

We stayed at The White Horses Inn, a few steps from the English Channel.

Photog Scoots snapping sunset shots

Scoot's peaceful pic

From the start, I was fond of the Brits' witty sense of humor and vibrant energy.  This was going to be a brilliant time to practice my accent and learn new vocabulary!

We met all the local relatives and out of town guests at a lovely welcome party, at The Barn Pub (fitting name for Tash & Mike who are always "at full gallup")!

Bognor Regis is a small town and friendly chaps, perhaps intrigued by our new faces, greeted us with pleasure.

The stereotype of Englishmen with horrendous teeth was bloody true in this man's case; he clearly learned to compensate with this half arsed smile - disappointing since his chompers were unreal

When Oliver (above) asked me "What's your star (pronounced stahhhh) sign?,"  I wandered away and left him to bond with Scoots (another old soul intrigued by the universe).

 Sassy Sheila (on left) became my favorite British wedding guest when she shared her sausage with me and scolded Tash about her sleeping arrangements for the night before the wedding

The next day, Tash's Uncle Dave took 17 of us wedding guests in a passenger van on a "mystery" pub tour through the countryside.  First stop, was for a round of pints by the fire at St Mary's Gate Inn.  We ordered a snack to prepare our guts for a full day of imbibing.

Bangers and Mash (free-range chicken sausage and rosemary whipped potatoes with scrumptious green peas)

Castle in Arundel which is home to the Duke of Norfolk

We admired beautiful castles and cathedrals as we rode to the George & Dragon Pub.

Trish, Maddie, Tash, Sheryl, Karen, Me

Historical facts surrounded us at these old countryside establishments. 

Fighting wars and drinking ales in England =  Crab cakes and football in Maryland

Next stop, The Maypole Inn which has a legendary jukebox and "skittles."

The bride was glowing- no cold feet on this lady

Tash had introduced us to her friends, the Wageners who lived in Stuttgart, a year ago when we moved to Germany so it was great to travel with them to the wedding.

Me, Sheryl Wagener, and Tash-  also notice "Skittle Alley" sign in background

We got to play "Skittles," old school British bowling.

Tearon, the best man, bowling in the pub!  Bloody Brilliant!

Tash & Mike (an Irishman) gave us all authentic scarves from Ireland to keep us toasty warm.

Mike (the Groom), Uncle Dave (pub tour leader), and Scoots

A wide range of beverages were consumed and I tried a local small batch cider.

 Scrumpy Cider- 7.3% - surprisingly powerful for a tart refreshing cider...light switch

Last stop, was The Murrell Arms for "real ales."

Joyful

Me, Tearon, and Kendra (awkward hand placement due to plentiful cider)

Scott, Karen sporting fur hat, Me, Tearon, Mike and Tash up front

The entire crew gathered for pics after a full day of site seeing and celebrating!

Tash's adorable and inspiring "Mom Pat" (right of me above wearing a cap)

The rain stopped and the sun (kind of) came out on Tash's wedding day!

The glorious weather must have been a sign of their eternal love and happiness

After mass, we gathered at Littlehampton Golf Club for the reception.  The Duke of Norfolk is indeed a member of this classy links course.

Groom, my girl sassy Sheila & Me

We popped Christmas Crackers, an English tradition, and wore crowns at the wedding feast.

Scott and his best bud Uncle Dave (left)

Splendid warm goat cheese & mushroom appetizers in front

We were served a typical British Sunday Lunch, beef "roast" with carrots, cabbage, parsnips, and roast potatoes served with Yorkshire pudding.  

 A condiment of thick and creamy horseradish sauce soon coated my entire plate, perhaps the greatest thing I ever tasted in the UK

After the wedding dinner, we went to The George, a local pub, once frequented by Tash's grandparents.  Scoots got the karaoke started with his classic rendition of "I Cant Dance."

Passion

The bride was truly the star of the show with help from the groomsmen.

Groom, Bride and English Buddy Tim wailing out a painful rendition of "Livin on a Prayer."

The next day, we headed off to London to ring in the New Year.

Indian and Fish n Chips - 2 cuisines on my crucial London "must eat" list

The first night, we strolled along the Thames and rode the London Eye like supreme tourists.

Views of London from the top of the "Eye" were spectacular at night.

The Palace of Westminster and Big Ben in background

Iconic British red "telephone box"

A London resident we met on the slopes of Austria suggested we check out Gordon's Wine Bar and Joe found it's address in his trusty tourist book.

Oldest wine bar in London

It is magically set up inside a dark and dingy cellar, serving wine and tapas by candlelight. 

  I highly recommended this gem!

We ordered some fantastic sherry and port to sip with the locals

Later that night, we met Mariel's Londoner friend Alex at a pub on the Thames with spectacular views of St Paul's.

View of St. Paul's Cathedral from The Founder's Arms Pub

The next morning, we walked around the city, stopping at the famous British Museum (it's free).

One of many phallic objects (God Phallus above) on display in the museum's "Enlightenment" section

Gandhi once said, "An eye for an eye and the whole world's  blind."

Scoot's professional grade photo of St Pancreas Hotel near King's Cross Station

London's Chinatown was full of energy and strong scents at night.

Ducks roasting in the window

We devoured lots of fresh tasty dim sum.

Steaming prawn & chive and vegetable dim sum,  fried seaweed (on right)

On NYE, we sang classic songs as we strolled across London Bridge but it did not collapse.

Me, Mariel and Tower Bride in background

We enjoyed a delicious dinner at Vinopolis Cantina near Borough Market.

London has an innovative food scene- creative steak presentation above

Scoots and Me on NYE

Freezing rains and high speed winds did not stop us or a crowd of thousands from watching the epic fireworks on the Thames.

Fireworks were shot out sideways from the Eye in a dazzling array of colors.

We snagged prime seats with the Ballards on a ledge along the river

Happy New Year!!!

 Special thanks to Tash's wonderful family for a lovely trip. 
Final thoughts: England has really cool dogs, craptastic weather, and contrary to its reputation, delectable high-quality cuisine.  In conclusion, if you enjoyed this blog, you really must watch a glorious television series called Downtown Abbey!

Exploring with Eddie, Beers in Belgium, Secret Santa in Stuttgart

We have been busy travelling and hanging with wonderful visitors.  Last month, our family friend "California Eddie" came to Stuttgart on his way home from an African safari.  

Eddie, Ira's BFF since before their Bar Mitzvahs, and I at the Esslingen Christmas Market

The sunset was gorgeous!

Weihnachts pyramiede in background-energy from the candle's flames make the top spin- ITS MAGICAL!

Eddie was mesmerized by a variety of Germany innovations, like the headrest at the bar's urinal and the utensil specifically designed for eating fries.

No messy fingers when dipping fries in condiments thanks to this handy tool

The famous Mercedes Benz museum was huge and informative.

Eddie in front of the museum - Terryl Gardner would appreciate this architecture

Many old school vehicles were on display along with random cultural treats (i.e. pics of Elvis).

I liked this bus - "La Perlita" 

Eddie liked Ringo Star's old car

The Pope Mobile was a bit peculiar.

Pope Mobile

 The following week, Scott and I went on a road trip to Belgium.  We stopped in Luxembourg since it was on the way and no one ever visits poor Luxembourg.

Luxembourg City is in fact an affluent and peaceful capital.  

Fortifications built in the 10th century in the background

 We strolled along the river and explored the Castle of the Counts and "casemates," an area once considered the "best fortress in the world."

Scott's favorite Lux site- street art in the underground rail

We drove about 250 km North to the Flemish City of Ghent, located between Brussels and Bruges.  

Scoots trying to open the giant door to our old building where we stayed for 3 nights

We were advised to stay in Ghent because it's a University town and not full of tourists.  We also found a stellar deal on airbnb.com.

Many of the cathedrals (like the one above) took several hundred years to build 

Ghent is a splendid walking city with magnificent structures and neighborhoods.

The Belfort (on left) and Stadhuis (right)

View of Graslei and the 16th century guildhouses along the River Leie

Het Gravensteen was known as "Castle of the Counts."

Medieval torture instruments on display inside


Beer & frites = Bloated fat faces

View of Graslei and the 16th century guild houses along the River Leie

Step-gabled house 

We frequented De Gentenaar for a beverage and were handed a phone-book thick detailed beer list.

Smiling confuses people in Germany but not so much in Ghent

Our first beers were delightful!  Scott ordered a Kwak (8% amber ale).

 Scott's Kwak MUST be served in a special long tube like glass with a wood handle

Later, we enjoyed a memorable dinner at De Vitrine (intimate setting not ideal for pics)

After our 3 course meal, we gallivanted around the Christmas markets!

The next day, we took the train to Bruges, known as "Venice of the North."

View from the roof of the De Halve Mann Brewery  

We toured the only working brewery in the city that was established in 1856.

We learned about hops (above) and how barley malts create beer strengths and flavors

Old Skool bottling process

The brewery tour ended with a delicious Bruges Zot (Bruge lunatic), a blonde beer named after a celebration when locals welcomed Maximillian of Austria to their city.  

We also ordered the quadrupple (strong ass beer - 11% alc)

The weather was cold and wet but that didn't stop us from exploring the city and "sampling" beers when we needed to dry off.

Best Chrismakkah Horse Ever

Bruges escaped major damage during both world wars and has many well preserved medieval buildings.  There are no billboards or high rises but plenty of tourists.

The Belfry (above) was built in the 13th century

When the sun set above the canals, we enjoyed a romantical stroll along the outskirts of the City.

Thanks to my beer peddling pal, Leon, I learned about sour beers years ago and have been a fan ever since.  They were invented in Belgium and are fairly expensive in the states.  The process for making sours, also known as lambics or guezes, is unique (google it- it's fascinating).

Sour Refreshments 

Rodenbach is one of my favorites and many bars had it on tap!

Scott prefers darker beers so we purchased a variety to bring back to Germany.  A "couchsurfing" contact recommended a local beer store, Dehopduvel.  The beer store was sampling free high-gravity beer thus shopping was hilarious and plentiful.

Nissan's trunck filled to capacity with sour, stout, blonde and Trappist Belgium beers

Traditional Flemish candies, only sold in Ghent, are called "neuzekes" (little noses).  These nose-shaped treats are made with fresh fruit (raspberries & blackberries) that's melted into syrup and baked (no preservatives). 

It was our only chance to buy some neuzekes that cant be exported and must be consumed within 3 weeks.

Ghent has a legendary store that sells traditionally made Tierenteyn mustard.  It lived up to the hype; we agreed it was the most potent mustard we have ever experienced.

Our jar being filled with fresh mustardy goodness to bring home- hooray

Obviously, the mussels were delectable and the portions were huge.  I preferred the traditional white wine and garlic sauce to the curry cream.  However, the frites were not impressive (I prefer Thrashers in Ocean City, MD).

Scott's plate (above) waterzooi - classic stew  from Ghent of poached chicken and vegetables in a creamy broth 

This trip may seem non-educational, so I must share that I did become an expert on Belgium waffles!  After intense Internet research, I discovered there are 2 types of waffles in Belgium!  Brussels waffles, resembling those sold in America, are made from batter and Liege waffles are made from dough.

Our 1st waffle, ordinary Brussels version- nothing special - in fact, disappointing since it was re-heated 

Eventually, we found the glorious Liege waffle!  I was confident it was what we were searching for when I watched the waffle man smash a big ball of fresh dough, coated in pearl sugar, into the waffle maker.

  Liege waffle and espresso from a cafe called Koffie 3.14 Thee in Ghent

 Leige waffles are more dense with a caramelized sugary crust.

3rd Waffle=WINNER!- crystallized crust covered in gooey warm spiced pears, melted Belgium chocolate, and homemade whipped cream!

One of many masterpieces from the walls in our apartment in Ghent

 In conclusion, Belgium is a completely underrated Country and we hope to return! 

We drove back to Stuttgart on Xmas eve.

This year, we celebrated our first Christmas in Stuttgart, with friends at the Pyatt's festive home.

Me, Mariel, Sasha (the generous host), Kelly, and adorable German Shepard named Rorschach

Many of our Stuttgart friends are from Charleston so we shared a delicious feast with good ol' southern flavors that made it feel like home.

Ham, Mac n Cheese, Roasted Veggies, Brussel Sprouts n bacon

  Secret Santa was followed by a few rounds of Cards Against Humanity

 (H. Bomb we owe ya for sharing this gem).

Scoots holding our gifts: rubber ducky and MRE ("Meal, ready-to-eat"- from Navy pal GI Joe)

Happy New Year blog coming soon: THE UK- McCarthy wedding and London