6 months as gypsies

Last block of photos – Barcelona!

February 6, 2012

Hello from the Grangers in very comfortable Charleston, South Carolina. We wanted to send one last update about Barcelona which is where we wrapped up our trip. We kind of expected Barcelona to be similar to other cities we visited and we were proved wrong yet again. Hard to explain how Barcelona felt so different, but we thought its most striking differences were the people and (of course) the famed Modernista architecture throughout the city.

The people were definitely our favorite thing about Spain. Very urbane, but also very mellow, warm, and friendly at the same time. Not that we didn’t meet wonderful people in other cities, but so many strangers in stores, metros, and on the street were just so cool to us in so many ways. From the local barber to the market clerk to anyone, we found them willing to share a moment, a quick laugh, or strike up a little conversation. We just loved them.

The city itself reminds me very much (Brandon) of Los Angeles when viewed from the surrounding hills. All of the buildings are sun-bleached with modern structures sprinkled throughout, and the ocean in the hazy distance. We really enjoyed biking it and walking it as much as we could since there was much to explore on foot with all of the Gaudi buildings and funky Gothic area.

Sadly, a little travel fatigue had set in by month five as we didn’t visit surround areas as much as Germany and Italy but we enjoyed our month there very much with a huge if rather rustic apartment with 12 ceilings and outdoor bathroom (!). We also found another great church in the International Church of Barcelona whose pastor was from Dallas, Texas.

We have a lot of other great memories of the city which we tried to note in the photos below. Enjoy!

Grangers

: Our little king eating a holiday treat on Dia De Los Reyes

: Dia De Los Reyes Parade right below our flat. Like no Christmas parade we’d ever seen. Like a strange mix of Arabian Nights, Willy Wonka, and Circus De Soleil Barcelona. No Santa to be seen.

: Unnamed Modernista building. Let’s see how many times I can drop that word in this posting.

: Logan considers what to have for dinner at Boqueria Market. Not live snails. No, sir.

: Another modernista church that Rosy shot from her bike in the middle of traffic

: Did some foodie shopping at famed and huge Boqueria Market. Ginger and jalapenos for curry no where to be found.Pretend he’s sleeping.

: Much high art in Barcelona, but this massive graffiti comic book tree always got our attention in our neighborhood. Couple of blocks from our flat.

: Huffing and puffing our way up steep hills to Parc Guell. Slept well that night.

: Tapas. Gimme some.

: Your bill in a Catalonian tapas bar. 1.65 euros a stick.

: Christopher Columbus monument stands in Barcelona pointing home – America. Yet, everyone was walking in the opposite direction towards the famous shopping streets of La Ramblas.

: Parc Guell was a close second for Granger’s top fav in Barcelona. Hard to beat Sagrada Familia.

: The famed Parc Guell center piece. A lizard.

: Logan dug Parc Guell

: Magical and whimsical Parc Guell

: Our flat off of Urgeli stop. Look closely, Rosy and Logan on balcony.

: Logan spies a treasure at a rainy Spanish flea market

: Night shot of Picasso museum

: Upon seeing the Sagrada Familia, you ask yourself “How did Gaudi get the good people of Spain to fund such an outlandish church?” and “Why has it taken 120 years and still not done?” Both questions soon answered. Staggering.

: It’s impossible to not gush about the Sagrada Familia. Must have stared at the altar alone for 20 minutes. Somehow manages to be totally surreal, totally beautiful, and totally reverent.

: The passion facade at the Sagrada Familia. Still get chills just looking at this photo.

: Doors of Sagrada Familia thanking God

: Brandon, Logan, and Sagrada Familia

: La Sagrada Familia again. Nothing like it in the world.

: Our last metro stop had a Dunkin Donuts which we got to know well

: How did we only manage to get one decent family photo in Spain? Enjoy.

: Surprisingly, La Ramblas dumps out into a very family-friendly boat yard which we enjoyed

: No idea why this alley behind Barcelona Cathedral is so famous, but we stumbled upon it one night completely by accident

: Quatros Gats caters to tourists but still bleeds atmosphere

: Soaking up Quatro Gats. They served Logan hot chocolate thick enough to choke a cat. Seriously, Rosy and I ate it with spoons like soup.

: Barcelona just stinks with Modernista architecture. I (Brandon) confess I couldn’t even spell the word before this leg of journey, but Rosy schooled me.

: Brandon, Logan, fountain. Where’s Rosy in all of this photos?

: La Rambla

: Granger men in front of Roman wall of Cathedral of Spain

: Clowning in old town

: Logan enjoying the view from the Montjuic Fortress. Apparently, Barcelona is one of the largest port on the Mediterranean. Who knew?

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And the Grangers come home!

February 2, 2012

Hard to believe but we are on our way home. After crisscrossing Europe for 5 months, it has come to an end. UK, France, Netherlands, Italy, Germany, Austria, Czech Republic, and Spain. Lost count of the flats. Over 20 including cottages and hotels. After 4 car rentals (and two car accidents), several plane trips, many train trips, a couple of boat taxis, and a gazillon metro trips, our trip is ending and it feels a little surreal coming home. God gave us a great opportunity for our family and we hope we used it well. Felt like we had the world by the tail for a few months and now we are looking forward to what He has in store for us next.

In the short term that means returning to Charleston and returning to a regular schedule which Logan (and Rosy and I) really need. Hopefully, we will soon find a chance to start serving others again in some kind of ministry as it has been too long just serving us.

Anyway, we just wanted to send a quick update and we will send another update soon about our experiences in Spain with more photos. We also want to do a big recap of all of our favorite experiences with videos. More soon.

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Quick update about Germany from Spain

January 22, 2012

Brandon here. We’ve posted some photos recently, but no updates in a while so here goes. We had a great month to Germany in our tiny apartment in the small quiet town of Feldafing on Starnberg lake at the edge of Munich. We had a car which was a real luxury so we were able to visit several cities including Nuremberg, Berchtesgaden, Salsburg, Innsbruck, Baden Baden, Prague, and different ski hills in Alps for a lot of sledding. Our favorite new sport which we are unlikely to do much of in Texas or Charleston. We also did a lot of different Christmas Markets and found a great church (Munich International Community Church) thanks to our friend Amy Creech.

The month was very different from previous months as we really tried to slow down a bit and focus on family and Logan’s school. Our trip has been wonderful blessing, but I really have to constantly resist the temptation to treat each day like one huge photo opportunity for Facebook.

So what was our overall impressions of Germany? The country was so impressive in every way and Logan has said repeatedly that it has been his favorite country so far. It is kind of hard to describe, but there is such a fastidiousness to every detail in Germany. From the way houses are built to street signs to how grocery stores are stocked is just so thoughtfully done. Nothing in Germany is ever half done. Rosy says she wants to live here. We’ll miss it very much.

So of our top memories of December:

Zipping through the wooden slides in the Sliding through the Berchtesgaden salt mines
New Year’s Eve in Prague. Wow, those fireworks were LOUD!
Logan’s young expat church pals explaining: “All Americans are fat”. Logan: “I’m not”. Girls: “You will be”.
Dachau. Seemed so unreal until you come to a small brick building with a huge chimney and then your knees go a little weak.
Baden Baden. Best small town ever. Somehow totally dishy and quaint at same time. Great little Christmas market with the coolest castle ruins above the town.
Sledding in the Black Forrest. We planned to see more of the area, but we came around a corner and there was the best sled hill ever and the day was gone but very well spent.
Christmas in a foreign country. Our tiny little tree in our tiny apartment but with a new Granger tradition: homemade Beef Wellington. YUM!
Saying goodbye to our sleds. Got them for 10 euros a piece and they were just grand. Logan almost cried at the parting.
Seeing the Berlin Wall … from the airport. Oh, well. Maybe we’ll see Berlin on next trip. We were just too darn tired.

We are now in Barcelona and I will send an update about that soon. But suffice to say that the city is extremely urbane and mellow yet very warm and friendly. We are really loving it so far but not sure if we wanted another huge city again so quick.

We plan to spend our last week in Seville, then back to London for a couple of days, and home by mid-February. Wow, it’s getting close now. Five months has flown by.

The Grangers

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Photos of Germany, Prague, and Austria

January 8, 2012

Some of our better pictures of Germany, Prague, and Austria. Yes, we mainly hung out in the Alps sledding and did Christmas markets but also squeezed in Salzburg, Nuremberg, Prague, and Black Forest. A month well spent. Very blessed.

: Logan and Rosy perusing a Christmas market stand in Nuremburg

: Glockspiel looms over Munich Christmas market

: Christmas market mull wine house in Munich

: Christmas market candy house in Baden Baden

: View from Munich Glockspiel on Christmas market below

: Alps in Austria

: Mountains above Berchtesgaden

: Another view of the Bavarian Alps

: Grangers outside of Neuschwanstein castle. Sadly, most of the castle was covered scaffolding, but it was still awesome

: Lake below Neuschwanstein castle. Got this shot just as sun finally peaked out that day.

: Logan sledding in Black Forest. He is certain it will be an Olympic sport soon.

: Brandon and Logan scaling a ski slope in Bad Tolz for more sledding

: Logan sledding in Black Forest. Yes, we sledded like 10 times in 30 days.

: Brandon on a sled hill below our little flat in Feldafing.

: Logan flying down a hill in either Christlum, Austria or Black Forest. Not sure which.

: Father and son enjoying some snow

: Snowy tree in Black Forest

: Shari, Don, and their sweet daughters shared their home with us on Christmas day which was a huge blessing.

: Logan and Rosy on the balcony of a great family hotel in Black Forest. Best breakfast ever!

: Brandon above Baden Baden in castle ruins

: Logan above Baden Baden in castle ruins

: Rosy and Logan in Black Forest. A magical setting.

: Brandon and Logan at Dachau. London, Normany, Paris, Munich, Nuremberg, Dachau. So much WWII history.

: Grangers again

: Logan at BMW world dreaming the big dreams

: Getting suited up for salt mine spelunking at Salzbergwerk in Berchtesgaden

: View of BMW world from Olympic Park in Munich

: Logan getting down with the Oompa band at Hofbrauhaus, Munich

: An apple in the garden of Eden – The Black Forest.. Too gorgeous.

: Logan taking a spin in a BMW clown car at BMW Velt

: Brandon at square in Prague on New Year’s Eve

: The view from Prague Castle

: Prague military guys marching old school through Castle Prage. Logan cowed in background.

: Grangers under cathedral in Prague Castle on New Year’s Day

: Logan and Rosy in soft candle glow at cathedral in Prague Castle

: Logan and Brandon on Charles Bridge, Prague on New Year’s Eve

: Another view from Prague Castle

: Brandon trying a local pilsner in Prague. Looking a bit Archie Bunker-ish

: Street car in Prague in light drizzle. Rosy has such a great eye for these shots.

: Vintage signage in Prague

: Vintage sign points the way to a salt mine in Bavaria

: Old Jewish cemetary in Prague. 10,000 gravestones in about 5 acres

: Prague by night. Shadows and fog.

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Ciao Italia!

November 27, 2011

“A good measure pressed down shaken together and running over will be poured into your lap” Luke 6:38

We are so grateful to God for his wonderful provision! We had friends and family come to stay with us in Florence. It made our trip more meaningful than words could express. Sharing some pix of Florence, Venice, Rome, San Gimignano, Pisa, and Cinque Terre. Leaving for Bavaria next Saturday night.

Ciao Italia!
Rosy and Brandon

: One of Rosy’s many fine shots of Florence. What a city.

: David. Colossal.

: Top of the Duomo in Florence

: Logan. International man of mystery. Seriously, the kid will pose all day as long as we kept feeding him gelatos.

: Rosy and Tammy in foreground, famous naked Italian in background

: Logan in Roman cemetery

: Logan and Robert in front of the magnificent Duomo at Michelangelo Plaza (and I think they could care less about the view)

: Ah, Venice….

: Logan looking pensive in Venice. It was a lot of beauty to take in.

: Rosy and Brandon in Venice

: Venice canals at their most alluring

: Pisa, Logan, and the classic pose

: Rosy and Brandon feeling romantic at the Trevi. It was gorgeous.

: Logan dreams of being a gladiator and practices at it everyday.

: Roma. So many incredible ancient buildings that we’ve completely forgotten the name of this one.

: Italy is cool, but best buddies from Texas are better

: Grangers and Kabakjains at Coliseum. Feeling more than a little giddy.

: In Italy, there is Pinocchio, Hello Kitty, and no third.

: Rosy at Coliseum. Not a lion in sight.

: Rosy and Brandon in the Coliseum. Ready to rumble.

: Logan digs the Catacombs

: Logan lounging on the Adriatic Sea

: Logan at San Gimignano. All of Tuscany country side at his feet.

: Rosy and Brandon at San Gimignano

: Proof! Brandon’s mom Kay can ride a bike!

: Brandon’s mum treated us to several fine meals!

: Brandon crowding Logan in front of the Rivera at Cinque Terre

: I’m ignoring you. No, I’m ignoring you.

: Mama Kay doing what she does best… ordering Italian food. We ate very well with her as cruise director.

: Brandon with his favorite congresswoman

: Cinque Terre. No words needed.

: Sun setting over the Riviera at Cinque Terre with France in the far distance

: Brandon at Riomaggiore in Cinque Terre

: This was not what Kay had in mind for Thanksgiving, but she was a real champ about biking Florence.

: Brandon, Rosy, Duomo, Florence

: Logan and Brandon biking in Florence. Logan didn’t have a great seat, but he had an awesome attitude.

: Brandon and Logan enjoying a quiet spot in Cinque Terre

: Rosy at cafe on Via dell’Amore. A cliff top walk way between two coastal fishing villages.

: Logan and grandmother Kay in Riomaggiore, Cinque Terre

: Logan’s favorite part of Cinque Terre? Stone beaches. Never ran out of things to throw into the water.

Posted in Cinque Terre, Florence, Pisa/San Gimignano, Rome, Venice | 4 Comments »

Thank you, Kabakjians!

November 14, 2011

We just wanted to thank the Kabakjians for visiting us in Italy. We had a wonderful time with wonderful guests with no major calamities (except Brandon getting a very nasty eye infection). We squeezed in Venice, Pisa, Rome, San Gimignano, and (of course) Florence. They just left Sunday and we already miss them.

Granger and Kabakjians at Colleseum

Posted in Florence, Rome, Venice | 1 Comment »

Italy for Thanksgiving… Bavaria for Christmas?

November 1, 2011

Brandon here for a quick update. Rosy and I have been in Florence for a week and enjoying it very much. We arrived totally exhausted after driving from Scotland for 9 hours, flying to Rome late in the evening, and then taking an early train out to Florence. So first couple of days were just resting but we really like our flat which is very large and very central in a cool, arty area of town.

Florence is such a culture shock from UK and reminds us very much of France (e.g., language barrier, people somewhat stand-offish, hygiene issues which occasionally leave us slack jawed, graffiti on the noblest of historic buildings, etc). But of the flip-side, there are so many beautiful tight cobble streets, picturesque plazas, funky little shop galore, and Rosy has already hooked up with some very friendly expats for play dates. She moves fast.

Most interesting experience we’ve had so far was Halloween in Florence. Yes, they do celebrate it, but on a very small scale organized more around private parties with a little trick-or-treating here and there. Also, we had a late night pizza on Saturday at small dive below our flat and turned out to be THE place for local, middle-age men to watch the football (soccer) math. A sweet little moment.

Definitely been a different experience and that we why we are here but we considering going to Bavaria, Germany for December instead of staying in Italy through January. The holiday lights and celebrations are supposed to be very special which we would love Logan to experience. May also be the perfect anecdote for a little holiday loneliness which is inevitable.

We’ll see, but for now we are going to milk rich Italian experiences for all we can for next 30 days. Our friends the Kabakjian are coming into town in two days and my mom Kay for Thanksgiving so shaping up to be a spectacular month.

Keeps us in your prayers and we’ll try to send more regular updates!

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Happy Halloween from Florence!

October 31, 2011

We did some trick-or-treating in Florence. Logan got 6 pieces of candy. Definitely a new holiday in these parts but Logan was a champ about it. He is such a great kid.