Croatia!

As mentioned in our previous post we were fortunate to have my mom here for two whole weeks.  During the second week of her visit, she and I planned a little getaway to the beach, aka Dubrovnik, Croatia.  I have always wanted to visit Croatia since Matt Lauer was there a few years ago during his "Where in the World is Matt Lauer?" on the Today Show.  After an incredibly tight connection in the Vienna airport we were on our way to paradise.  We were literally running through the Vienna airport to make our flight...not so fun!  Dubrovnik is a magical city with an old world charm.  It is set right on the Agean Sea nestled into a mountainous area and is just gorgeous.  The other great thing about the city is that while it is very touristy it is not very commercialized, so there is a very raw and natural feeling to the city.  My mom and I were fortunate to spend 3 days there exploring and relaxing.  We had a wonderful time visiting the Old Town, searching for a supposed Yarn store (although we were never able to find it), taking the Cable Car ride to the top of the mountain for a great view of the city, and relaxing by the beach.  We had wonderful dinners...especially the Bosnian food that we ate.  It was some of the best food that I've ever had.  And the atmosphere could not be beat.  While eating our Bosnian dinner in the beautiful surroundings of the Old Town we were treated to the sounds of a wonderful choir in the church down the street.  Because of the way the Old Town walls are built the sound echoed perfectly to our table...it was truly an awesome experience!

While we were away, Tom and my dad were busy at work.  So the boys have decided that the next time my parents are in Europe the boys will be planning their own special side trip.  :  )  It was a super special trip to share with my mom and I am so fortunate to have had the experience.  Thanks Mom!  I highly recommend adding Croatia to your travel list at some point in life.  I am excited to take Tom there and would love to explore more of the country!

It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year!

What time of year is it?  Time for lots of visitors here in Warsaw!  We just had our very first visitors...my parents.  It was truly wonderful to have them here and to get the chance to take them around our new home.  Both my parents were here for a week and my mom was able to stay for a second week too (more on that to come in a later post).  We spent our week as a family taking in the sites of Warsaw - an outdoor concert at Chopin park, our own walking tour of the city, a guided walk through Old Town, a trip to the Warsaw Zoo, the viewing platform at the Palace of Science and Culture, trips through Saski Park, and a bus tour around the whole city.  Of course, we also managed to fit in some great polish cuisine, a couple different types of pierogi, turkish kebabs and gofry (aka warm waffles with whip cream and chocolate).  Our favorite part of the visit was simply spending time together with some of our favorite people!  It was great sharing our new life with my parents so that they now have an understanding of which park we take Charlie to, where we get our weekend cofee, and which market we go to for our produce. 
While at times having them here magnified how far apart we really are, we also walked away from the visit feeling incredibly grateful.  Living overseas has given us the opportunity for longer and more concentrated visits - no more 72 hours weekend trips.  And, knowing that the visits are fewer makes us appreciate them that much more!

Thanks so much mom and dad for making the trip over!  We SO loved having you here and are excited for your future visits.  Also, a huge thank you for lugging an entire bag of "stuff" for us.  And, for all those that are wondering what "stuff" we asked them to bring over, well....Beggin strips for Charlie, peanut butter (it's not quite the same in Poland), Scotchguard Spray, Dayquil/Nyquil/and a few other medicines that you can't get here, Skyline Chili mix, and more....all things that we could survive here without, but are definitely nice to have!

And, our string of visitors continues.  Tom's former boss, Mike Ryan, is here for the weekend.  And, Charlie's all time favorite dog sitter, Cousin John, comes into Warsaw tonight for a few days on his way back to the states.  He has been living in Africa for the past two years.

Tom and Dad enjoying Polish Beer

Mom found a Polish Yarn Shop

The Warsaw Zoo

Yummy Pierogi

The intersection where my Grandma was born

The Jewish Quarter