Castles and Windmills

I'm still a bit sluggish this morning, so I'm going to blame jet lag from the 6 hour time difference we were in last week.  It couldn't be that "vacation mode" is so much more relaxing than "work mode."  Just not plausible.  It's the jet lag. Before we return to our regularly scheduled program on Wednesday, I present to you: "What I did on my Thanksgiving vacation"

Last week's trip was a.maz.ing.  And I have officially crossed off 2 more items on my 30 before 30 list (Which I really need to get a move on, but I have many of them in the works, I swear....)

Not only was it my first time to Europe and the furthest I've ever traveled, it's also the most places I've gone in a week.  That's the benefit of going on a river cruise, though, each day we were in a different place, and sometimes a different country.  My favorites were Kinderdijk in The Netherlands, Cologne Germany, Heidelburg Germany, and Strasbourg France.

We were only in Kinderdijk for a few hours one chilly morning, but it was enough to take in the breathtaking view of the windmills.  I won't bore you with a history lesson, but the engineering that goes into these 270+ year old windmills is mind-blowing.

They are still totally functional, and, if you get proper certification and get on a long waiting list, you can even live in one of these!

Cologne was Hubby's favorite- you can't NOT be in awe of the sheer scale of the Dom Cathedral (which was started in 1248 and only completed in 1880 after a 400 year hiatus- craziness, right??)

My favorite stop by FAR was Heidelberg.  Not only was it the first sunny day all trip, it's just a beautiful place both scenically and architecturally.

Did I mention there's a castle?  Parts are in ruins and it is magical.  Parts are restored, but it will never be fully restored, because they truly believe in the "beauty of the ruin."  Mark Twain even wrote about it in his book A Tramp Abroad.

Strasbourg felt like it was right out of a movie set.  It was a bit surreal.

I'm in love with the half-timber houses- so charming, so... Beauty and the Beast.  Don't worry though, I resisted the urge to spin around in a full skirt whilst singing.  It was tough though.

Now I'm back from the fairy tale and ready to jump back into flipping with renewed motivation.  This flip won't know what hit him!

Marché aux Puces

I hope you had a wonderful, heart-warming and stomach-satiating Thanksgiving!  Although I loved traveling, I'm thankful today to be home sweet home. Within the past year, Hubby and I have developed a habit when we travel- we try to find some neat vintage treasures to help commemorate our trips.  So much more fun than coming home with plastic, mass-produced souvenirs.  We (attempt to) seek out vintage stores, antique stores, and flea markets and it turns into an adventure not only finding the stores, but finding items too.  Granted before this trip, our scavenger hunt only extended to travels in New York City and Montreal, but now we can add Europe to the list.

I can't say that we had time to go treasure-hunting in Germany (poo), but France was a different story. With the help of our river boat's friendly concierge, Dora, we found a few places to poke around in Strasbourg. A couple were closed, one was a bit too 'crafty,' one was way beyond our price range, but as per usual, the flea market- or marché aux puces (as Google translate informs me) was just my style.

We located the flea market after a guided tour of the area and we. were. cold.  After turning a few corners and getting away from the touristy areas, we found a cute (almost a bit too hipstery) coffee shop where we were able to warm up for a few.  I'd love to tell you their name, but I don't speak any French, and their sign was just a bunch of hipstery symbols, so....

Beyond the rockabilly music that was just a bit too loud, the hot chocolate was delicious, Hubby says the coffee was tasty, and the vibe was great.  Why am I talking about a coffee shop when I should be talking about a flea market??  Do you notice the vintage TV on the counter?  They had the place decorated with a fun collection of vintage goodies, so I had to ask them- any good vintage stores around?  Sadly, (as the girl at the counter told us) Strasbourg is lacking vintage stores, but the flea market is where you can find some good stuff.  OK.

Finally warmed up and on a mission, back to the flea market we went.  They had a huge variety, but the tough part always come in making a decision.

If I didn't already have a vintage camera, this would have been very tempting-  look at the options!

Can I interest you in creepy taxidermy seemingly attacking an even creepier wooden mask?

At this booth, I definitely had to remind myself that our luggage wasn't big enough.  That chair? the side table? and how about those rugs?  I loved the pattern on the folded red one, I just wish it had some slightly different colors.

Naturally, I couldn't leave a French flea market empty-handed.  I ended up with 2 small treasures that were easily transported home.  The old lock is about 5" tall for reference.  The carved edelweiss on the top of the box puts a smile on my face.

I hope ever country has flea markets.  I want to go to them all.  Every single one.  That's totally attainable, right?

Spontaneous Adventuring

So..... this week is a last minute change-of plans.... but in a very good way.  By the end of this week, I'll be able to check off 2 of my 30 before 30 list. I'm not sure if I've mentioned before, Hubs is a travel agent for a river cruise company.  (Can you see where this is headed??)

We've been trying to get his promised discount on a trip for months, but when everything sells out, they don't send employees (bummer).  Well, just over a week ago, Hubby realized there was still openings on their Rhine River cruise over thanksgiving..... so with literally a weeks notice (SO unlike us!), we hopped on a plane to Europe (!!!).  Some of you may have noticed that my instagrams have veered a little away from the usual flipping mess or cat pictures.

This is my first time crossing an ocean.  Super exciting!  Although it took me a bit to get excited- I was a little nervous.  My previous passport stamps only included Costa Rica, Mexico, and Canada... By the end of this week, my list will have expanded to include The Netherlands, Germany, France, & Switzerland!  (!!!!!)

We've already visited the Netherlands, and are currently cruising down the river with amazing views of Germany.

I can already check one item off of my 30 before 30: #15- Visit another Continent.  YAY!  In a few days, I'll be able to check off #2- Visit 5 places I’ve never been.

We've been doing a lot of walking around and exploring, and shocking practically NO shopping so far!  We plan to turn that right around soon and hope to hunt down an antique store or two.  Vintage European treasures?  yes please!

Wednesday I hope to be able to show you some fun finds, so keep your fingers crossed!