Chamonix Apres Ski

In Europe, partying after skiing is kind of a big deal and everyone does it...its called Apres Ski. TJ and I certainly participated, but had two extremely different experiences! Our first day snowboarding in Le Tour was super fun so we decided to Apres Ski at the bottom of the mountain near the lift like many others. It wasn't wild, and it didn't have the cheesey Apres Ski music, but it was still fun and was the beginning of an great night. Here we are enjoying our first beer on the terrace.
TJ...


And me...

The beers weren't that big, but the French lady questioned me when I said I wanted a big one. I wanted to say, "Hey Lady, I have been living in Germany for a year and a half and this is the tiniest large beer I have ever seen!" But of course, I know like 10 French words and didn't know how to say it.

But we had a nice view as the sun went down and it was really pretty, and very cold so we went inside for another before our ski bus came.

After that we decided to find a place to eat as we had worked up quite an appetite, and we stopped along the route in the cutest town ever called Argentiere. There we found a British Pub called, "The Office". It was a great little place that had the best burgers! They were huge and we were so hungry we both ate the entire thing...I can't remember the last time I ate a huge burger! Any way we enjoyed some more beer and headed for the hotel.
So we realized the second night that the first night was very tame. We got into Chamonix around 3:30 or 4:00 in the afternoon and found this place called, "Chambre Neuf" or "Room Nine", and it turned into a wild, busy, and fun place!

It seems we got there early as it appeared to be a pub as you can see the picture of TJ below.

It soon became a packed party house with people everywhere and a great British band called the "Bored Poets". They were really good and the patrons had no trouble drinking and singing along to the Apres Ski music.

Most of these people hadn't eaten as they came right from the slopes so it was a drunken mess, just ask TJ. I had driven that day so I had one early on and then was able to witness the demise of the Apres Skiers! We did make some friends of the British and middle-aged variety. They were super friendly...a bunch of guys who used to play Rugby together that take three trips a year to basically get wild and celebrate their friendship. According to one, "You wouldn't believe it, but many of these baboons are captains of industry in England!" They were a hoot! But I am pretty sure their wives would be horrified...so I decided to post a nice picture of maybe half of them! They happen to be watching one of them hang from a rafter with a few twenty-teens!

I hope that my four besties and I can still have that much fun on our annual trips when we are in our 50's!

The only bad part about this place was the odor. Hundreds of skiers and boarders packed into a place after sweating the entire day in sweaty and wet ski clothes! It was really stinky, but at least everyone was in the same boat!

Once again, good times had by all on one of our European vacations!

Auf Wiedersehen!

TJ Draws a Line

This is the video I was writing about in the last blog. At first you can barely see him because he was high up and far away. It is still a good one, so enjoy!

Auf Wiedersehen!

Chamonix Snowboarding

We spent two days snowboarding in the Chamonix area, one day at Le Tour and the second day at Les Praz. On the first day we had no idea where we were going to end up as we just hopped on the bus and waited for the locals to get off at what we were sure was to be the best area...and we were right! Le Tour was amazing! We had fabulous powdery conditions and the sun was out with clear blue skies...it was super awesome! And it was a great area to go off piste because you could go forever!
Here are some photos of our first day, starting with me standing at the bus stop.


And your token "Annie and TJ are snowboarding" photo.

This was the ski lodge at Le Tour (well one of them any way) complete with lawn chairs to bask in the sunshine!

And me at the top strapping into my board!

The next picture is of the area where TJ climbed up to (the part to the left of the shade, you can see where some lines are drawn). We saw the lines and the fresh powder and TJ wanted to draw his own, so he climbed up there and rode his board all the way to me! It doesn't look that far, but it was a hike! I will try to post the video later if I can figure it out.

He then became a trendsetter as other boarders started going up when they saw him! We boarded at Le Tour for a long time and had a great day!

The next day we decided to try a different area called Les Praz, and it wasn't as good. It was closer and really pretty, but the slopes and off piste opportunities were not as good. And the snow was a little rough too. We didn't get any snow the night before and it got realy cold after being sunny the day before. We still had fun and entertained ourselves all the same. Here is TJ with his snowboard angel!

And here he is right before he dropped down to get to his run. Pretty ugly surroundings, huh?

TJ was proud of his action shots...this one is of me coming into the lift area.

I didn't board the entire day as my legs just gave up around 1:30 pm, so I went back to shower leaving TJ to rome the area solo on his board. He, of course, went off into the wild! This picture is just a look at what he saw from a different view.

Our second day sure turned into a long one as we joined in the Apres Ski festivities in Chamonix and TJ was in rare form. But you will have to wait to see that! We certainly had a good time snowboarding and look forward to our next time on the slopes!

Auf Wiedersehen!

Mont Blanc Views

Last weekend we took a snowboarding trip to the Mont Blanc Region which consists of a portion of the Alps in France, Switzerland, and Italy. We went specifically to the French part to the town of Chamonix. I will post more about the town and our snowboarding adventures later in the week, but I thought that I would first post some of the views of this amazing area. The pictures are really good, because we had the best weather and took most of them from the mountain tops! I won't describe them in detail as I think they speak for themselves.

It was even prettier in person! We had a really good time there, so stay tuned for our snowboarding post tomorrow!

Auf Wiedersehen!

The Weekend

We haven't really had much going on lately as we are some what exhausted from our busy fall. We have mostly been hanging out at home because of the weather being so miserable, but this last weekend we decided to do a couple of fun things. Friday night TJ took me out on a date in Heidelberg. It wasn't wild or anything, in fact, the only casualties were my favorite pair of black high-heel boots...darned cobblestones! We went to dinner near the old bridge at a little German place. Normally I don't love German food, but TJ was in the mood for schnitzel so I agreed. I was pleasantly surprised by how good it was too. I can't remember the name, but I am almost sure I will be taking my Dad there when he comes! Then afterwards we went to an old favorite place, The Dubliner, where we caught the last half of the Bayern (Bavaria) - Hoffenheim (Mannheim's area soccer team) game. It was packed...but not nearly as fun as an American Football game! We each had a beer...I had a Kilkenny because that is where my Dad's family is from in Ireland. Of course, I had to take a photo for him!



Its always fun to go out with TJ! And it was a good night, except that Hoffenheim lost!
Saturday was lazy, aside from a trip to the gym. But Sunday was really good because we saw Avatar in 3D!!! I have to say that I was a hater until Oprah told me to go see it, and I am glad she did! I should have believed TJ when he told me I would have liked it...sorry, T! The only let down were the super annoying loud talkers behind us. Sadly they were Americans...and I know this because when it came time for intermission (normal in German theatres) one yelled, "This is Bullshit!". Nice. Anyway, if you haven't seen it you should because it is really awesome!
In other good news, the snow here is almost all melted!!!!!! This is good for both me and Tut as we don't like the snow unless you can snowboard in it. Which reminds me that the blog will soon be more exciting as we have an upcoming snowboarding trip to Chamonix-Mont Blanc, France planned for this weekend. So stay tuned!
Auf Wiedersehen!

Simply Ridiculous!

I have been a little annoyed for about the last week, and especially last weekend with the weather situation over here. It won't stop snowing!!!!! Normally, our part of the country might get snow that sticks for a few days in the winter and then it melts. It usually snows at night and then by the end of the next day its gone. Last year we had some stick, but it was gone within a week and it wasn't that much, but people still couldn't believe it. This year we have this...



and this...


These pictures were taken outside my back window this morning! I object! Everyone who knows me, knows that I strongly dislike living in the snow. In fact, the only way I wouldn't mind it is if I lived in the mountains (but clearly I would still complain). Any way, I thought I had left the snow and everything that goes along with it in the Midwestern United States. Guess not. TJ was told by a co-worker today that it snows like this once every ten years, and unluckily for us it just happens to be a year that we live here. We probably have 4 inches that are sticking and the forecast has more coming. And to that I say, no thanks, Mother Nature. The silver lining better have something to do with amazing powdery conditions in Chamonix Mont-Blanc in a week and a half, or I just might lose it! I'll let you know when the time comes.
Auf Wiedersehen!

Tut's Fashion Show

I got home from the gym today to find a package in front of my door from TJ's mom. I waited for TJ to get home to find that in the box were three gorgeous sweaters...for Tut. These sweaters, combined with the one my parents sent him, allowed for an evening fashion show in the office.
First up, the Hawkeye sweater! I had mentioned to my parents that Tut would be needing a Hawkeye sweater and to keep their eyes peeled. And, of course, they came through for him! I only wish that the bowl game on Tuesday night wasn't in the middle of the night as Tut was already sleeping and wouldn't put it on. Its very cute and will get a great deal of use out of it next fall and winter.


The next three are from TJ's mom, and they are super cute and fit him perfectly. Tut LOVES sweaters in the winter, and especially in the Alps. So now he is ready for snowboarding season!

Aren't they cute?!? I know some people (who suck) think its silly to put dogs in sweaters, however, this dog gets really cold and shivers like crazy in the winter time. He is a basenji and is from the African desert...so just keep that and mind! The only judgement I ever pass concerning him on how cute he is! He tried on each sweater, posed for pictures, and then pranced around showing off his new stuff. What a ham!

I love all the sweaters, so thanks grandparents!

Auf Wiedersehen!

Prague at Night

Prague turned into be quite a party place for us. It wasn't intentional, but we did our fair share of drinking. We watch a show on the FLN called "Three Sheets" and we caught the Prague one right before we headed out, so almost immediately we stopped to have the country's widely known Pilsner and a quick bite. It's called Pilsner Urqull, which means original pilsner, and I fell in love. Here's TJ at an Italian restaurant about 5 seconds after we checked into the hotel. It was a good stop.


Tht same night we spent a great deal of time at the Prague Christmas Market, aka the best Christmas Market ever! It was cold, but so much fun. The hot wine and treats were fantastic! I really liked the spiced hot wine...it is delicious and keeps a lady warm! This was my first cup of wine in Prague.


As you can see from the photo below, the Market is a happening place, with tons of people and a lot of pretty too. And we heard just about every language walking through- it was so diverse.

And as the night went on...it just got busier and more fun. It also got prettier as the lights were so beautiful after dark.

As we drank our wine, we listened to a couple of medievil bands that were quite entertaining. They could play every instrument...they could play a beer can if you asked them to.

We took a break from the party to check out Prague Castle at night...just a few blocks away. It was our first look and it was worth leaving the market to see.

Our night did not end there. We weren't ready to go to the hotel so we found a great bar called, The Beer Factory. And that it was! Its a bar that allows you to pull your own drafts of Pilsner Urquell all night long. There are four taps at each table and a digital meter to keep track of your liters drank. Here I am pulling the first one...the rest didn't have as much foam after the first.

And it gets better. They have a screen that keeps track of each table's consumption, so if you are in the mood to compete...you can. The first picture is of TJ under the screen. We were sitting next to 2 Aussie couples that we became friendly with and they were kicking everyone's butt. Last I checked they had consumed 28 beers between the four of them! And they hadn't even been there long. The second picture is one of them showing us how they do it down under!

The following night, Christmas Eve, nothing was open and even the markets were shut down so we laid low in the hotel with some Bohemian Sekt and Pilsner Urquell and watched a few fights on TV...you know, what everyone does on the Eve of Christ's birth.
The next day we went on what might have been the coldest tour ever. So naturally we went to a late lunch/early dinner for heat and drinks. It was soooooo good. And from there we met up with the four Aussies again at a bar I cannot pronounce or spell. We had some beer and some fun and then continued on back to the Beer Factory, which had magically turned into a discotech in two days...or at least after a certain hour. Again, more fun.

Like I posted yesterday, Prague is fun and I hope you have enjoyed reading about our trip. We haven't anything planned for this month's travels, but I am sure it will include some snowboarding. We see!

Auf Wiedersehen!

Prague Sights

There are many sights to see in Prague, Czech Republic. We have about a million pictures of what seems like each and every building in the city...so I have chosen a select few (or 20) to share with you. TJ and I took two tours, one where we spent a lot of time seeing sights from a bus and then an in-depth castle tour as the castle is truly amazing. The first tour took us up to a monestary where this is clearly one of the only good pictures of the two of us with the castle in the back ground. Too bad it was cloudy, otherwise you could see almost the entire city behind us.


From that very same spot you can see the US embassy. The white building with the flag is on the property on the hillside gardens and the embassy is right below it. Pretty neat for an embassy!

We spent a lot of time in the Market Square as that is where the main Christmas Market is held. I will blog on our nightlife later this week where you will see more of the Market Square, but here is a daytime look with the fountain.

Near our hotel and near Wenceslas Square is the old city hall building. It is huge and quite beautiful for how old it is. In fact, the entire city is so beautiful as it remained untouched during the war.

In the castle city part of town we saw some amazing sights...and that is where most of the most popular ones are. The house below is adjacent to Prague Castle and is the city provided home to the area's Archbishop. Its quite impressive and extravagant for a simple holy man, if you ask me.

And then there is the main entrance to the castle. We actually saw the changing of the guard the next day at noon and they marched right past us. If you want to see that you can check out the video on TJ's flickr account. This city is full of statues and spires, and the castle is no exception.

Inside the castle area includes the new palace, the old palace, St. Vitus Cathedral, St. George Basilica, and the Golden Lane to name only a handful of buildings. My favorite was the Basilica of St. George pictured below. I liked it because it is Romanesque and is the oldest and most well preserved churches in Prague (built in the 8th century). Its not as neat on the outside as inside, but it is the orangey-red building below.

I like the inside because it is small and clean for such an old church...and completely quiet. I love it! It is also where the Grandmother of Saint Wenceslas is buried.

The other and more famous church on the grounds is St. Vitus Cathedral. It is impressive, if you like really big, giant cathedrals. Here is a front view...

The back side (which faces the Basilica of St. George)...

And the interior. And it is really as big as it looks.

I am kind of over the really ornate cathedrals, but I did LOVE the stained glass. The colors reminded me of Gaudi and his stained glass in the masterpiece, La Sagrada Familia.

Probably the most ornate pieces are the memorial crypts where significant people are buried. Here are a couple of examples.

It is pretty on the inside, but I prefer the outside and at night. Like this photo TJ caught at dusk.

Behind all of the major sights in the castle, there is the oldest street in Prague...the Golden Lane. Now the houses are tourist stores full of medievil stuff and crystals, though they originally kept the families of the castle marksmen.

The castle area is across the river from the old town (market area), and the foot bridge that connects the two is called the St. Charles Bridge. This is the gate.

It is wildly busy with people, tourists, pets, and entertainers. And there are huge statues every few meters too. Kinda like these guys.

And from the bridge you can clearly see Prague Castle.

And the river views aren't so bad either.

Back in the Market Square there is a very tall Bell Tower that we climbed our last day. Here is part of it...the clock part.

From the top of the tower there are pretty awesome views of Prague...

We stayed near Wenceslas Square, named after one of the most revered people of Prague, St. Wenceslas. At the very end is the National Museum. Its a really pretty building from the outside...we were unable to go in because of the holiday, but it is supposed to be a great celebration of the history of Prague. Maybe next time.

I think its very easy to see that we had a great holiday in Prague, and enjoyed much of the city. We did enjoy it much further at night as I hope to blog about next!

Auf Wiedersehen