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	<title>Paws on the Road</title>
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	<link>http://www.pawsontheroad.com</link>
	<description>Going places.</description>
	<lastBuildDate>Mon, 14 May 2012 12:56:44 +0000</lastBuildDate>
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		<title>Some More Sightseeing</title>
		<link>http://www.pawsontheroad.com/2012/some-more-sightseeing/</link>
		<comments>http://www.pawsontheroad.com/2012/some-more-sightseeing/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 14 May 2012 12:56:44 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Nora</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Germany]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.pawsontheroad.com/?p=2989</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[This weekend we headed over to Schloss Charlottenburg, the summer residence of various emperors and kings when those were still de rigeur here in good old Germany. The castle took quite a hit during the second world war but it&#8217;s been meticulously rebuilt over the decades and looks very close to what it would have [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><img src="http://www.pawsontheroad.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/headerCharlottenburg.jpg" alt="" title="Just a small summer home, nothing fancy..." width="724" height="140" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-2990" /></p>
<p>This weekend we headed over to Schloss Charlottenburg, the summer residence of various emperors and kings when those were still de rigeur here in good old Germany. The castle took quite a hit during the second world war but it&#8217;s been meticulously rebuilt over the decades and looks very close to what it would have been like all those hundreds of years ago. The furniture, paintings and whatever else wasn&#8217;t bolted down had been moved to a secure place before the war so those are mostly originals. (We didn&#8217;t buy a photo permit for the palace but <a href="http://www.google.com/search?q=schloss+charlottenburg&#038;hl=en&#038;client=safari&#038;rls=en&#038;prmd=imvns&#038;tbm=isch&#038;tbo=u&#038;source=univ&#038;sa=X&#038;ei=GPKwT6raGcnQsgbihIyNBA&#038;ved=0CJ8BELAE&#038;biw=1181&#038;bih=768#hl=en&#038;client=safari&#038;rls=en&#038;tbm=isch&#038;sa=1&#038;q=schloss+charlottenburg+inside&#038;oq=schloss+charlottenburg+inside&#038;aq=f&#038;aqi=&#038;aql=&#038;gs_l=img.3...3490.5048.0.5113.10.1.1.8.0.0.35.35.1.1.0...0.0.B8UcDsulNbw&#038;pbx=1&#038;bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.r_qf.,cf.osb&#038;fp=d1e89700c3aefc1b&#038;biw=1181&#038;bih=768">Google has a pretty good collection</a>.)</p>
<p><img src="http://www.pawsontheroad.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/schlossCharlottenburg.jpg" alt="" title="The entrance to the old wing of the castle." width="724" height="543" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-2998" /></p>
<p>In the backyard (i.e. a giant park originally landscaped as a French baroque garden but over the years turned into an English garden meaning more trees, less geometry) there are several smaller structures such as the Bellevue, a little teahouse in which a family of six could comfortable live nowadays and the mausoleum where Queen Louise, her husband King William, Empress Augusta and her husband emperor William I. are interred. The sculptures placed on their graves are incredibly detailed and beautifully done:</p>
<p><img src="http://www.pawsontheroad.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/tombSophie.jpg" alt="" title="Don&#039;t those folds look like it&#039;s actual cloth? Incredible." width="500" height="667" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-2992" /></p>
<p><img src="http://www.pawsontheroad.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/mausoleum.jpg" alt="" title="Not a bad tomb, if you have to pick one." width="724" height="543" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-2993" /></p>
<p>While we were there a group of actors or possibly just friends out for a fun afternoon came in as well, all dressed in period clothes from around 1860. </p>
<p><img src="http://www.pawsontheroad.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/charlottenburgActors.jpg" alt="" title="Oh gosh darn it, where ever is that blasted carriage?" width="724" height="545" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-2994" /></p>
<p>Yesterday after brunch we wandered a bit through our neighbourhood and came across an art installation from the Occupy movement Berlin (<a href="http://www.pawsontheroad.com/2011/we-will-miss-this-town/">remember New York City?</a>) that&#8217;s somehow linked with the 7th Biennale currently going on here in the city. We couldn&#8217;t quite figure out how the two were related but it was an interesting space in any case.</p>
<p><img src="http://www.pawsontheroad.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/occupyBerlin.jpg" alt="" title="The main space - art or activism? A bit of both?" width="724" height="543" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-3000" />]</p>
<p><img src="http://www.pawsontheroad.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/occupyBerlinCashier.jpg" alt="" title="&quot;Next in line...&quot;" width="724" height="543" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-3001" /></p>
<div id="attachment_3002" class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="width: 734px"><img src="http://www.pawsontheroad.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/occupyBerlinCutOuts.jpg" alt="" title="Hey look, it&#039;s Occupy USA! " width="724" height="543" class="size-full wp-image-3002" /><p class="wp-caption-text">This makes me think you can send for an &#039;Occupy Set&#039; somewhere, like one of those Irish Pub sets. How awesome would that be?</p></div>
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		<item>
		<title>The One With All the Culture</title>
		<link>http://www.pawsontheroad.com/2012/the-one-with-all-the-culture/</link>
		<comments>http://www.pawsontheroad.com/2012/the-one-with-all-the-culture/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 10 May 2012 11:05:05 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Nora</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Germany]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.pawsontheroad.com/?p=2977</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Last weekend we went to see the 360 exhibit at the Pergamon museum, museum of antiquity and Islamic art. The 360 exhibit is a giant artist&#8217;s rendition of what Pergamon might have looked like in 129 AD and when I say giant I mean humongous. The &#8216;painting&#8217; measures 25 x 100 meters. It&#8217;s very impressive [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><img src="http://www.pawsontheroad.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/headerPergamon.jpg" alt="" title="A mosaic floor at the gorgeous Pergamon museum." width="724" height="140" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-2978" /></p>
<p>Last weekend we went to see the 360 exhibit at the <a href="http://www.smb.museum/smb/standorte/index.php?p=2&#038;objID=27">Pergamon museum</a>, museum of antiquity and Islamic art. The 360 exhibit is a giant artist&#8217;s rendition of what Pergamon might have looked like in 129 AD and when I say giant I mean humongous. The &#8216;painting&#8217; measures 25 x 100 meters. It&#8217;s very impressive to see, unfortunately you&#8217;re not allowed to take pictures but there are a few up on the <a href="http://www.smb.museum/pergamon-panorama_/index.php?node_id=5">exhibits website</a>.</p>
<p>The permanent exhibit, which includes large parts of Pergamon&#8217;s past, was great too. </p>
<p><img src="http://www.pawsontheroad.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/pergamon.jpg" alt="" title="Just some gate hanging out in the museum" width="724" height="543" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-2980" /></p>
<p><img src="http://www.pawsontheroad.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/lionStatue.jpg" alt="" title="If this is your lawn ornament, no one will egg your house. I promise." width="500" height="761" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-2979" /></p>
<div id="attachment_2981" class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="width: 734px"><img src="http://www.pawsontheroad.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/zeusFamilyTree.jpg" alt="" title="Someone needs to buy a TV pronto..." width="724" height="543" class="size-full wp-image-2981" /><p class="wp-caption-text">This family tree of the gods was incredibly detailed and filled the walls of a whole room. Beautiful work.</p></div>
<p>And this is our friendly neighbour who stops by at least once a day to check things out, probably in the hopes that some breakfast got left behind. </p>
<p><img src="http://www.pawsontheroad.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/bird1.jpg" alt="" title="Herr Eichelhäher, with our lovely chestnut tree in the back." width="724" height="510" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-2984" /></p>
<p><img src="http://www.pawsontheroad.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/bird2.jpg" alt="" title="Yes, yes, I&#039;m gorgeous, I know. Can you please stop taking pictures now? I&#039;m here on urgent business." width="724" height="598" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-2985" /></p>
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		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Getting Into the Swing of Things</title>
		<link>http://www.pawsontheroad.com/2012/getting-into-the-swing-of-things/</link>
		<comments>http://www.pawsontheroad.com/2012/getting-into-the-swing-of-things/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 03 May 2012 21:25:41 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Nora</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Germany]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.pawsontheroad.com/?p=2963</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Classes have started, the good weather has given way to a few showers and we&#8217;re starting to get into a routine here in Berlin. Which doesn&#8217;t mean we&#8217;re not tourists anymore. Thanks to our friends Henri and Kalle we got to go on a riverboat tour through the city which albeit smelly (from the river) [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><img src="http://www.pawsontheroad.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/headerAmpelman.jpg" alt="" title="Das Amplemännchen, the &#039;don&#039;t walk&#039; sign of east Berlin" width="724" height="140" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-2973" /></p>
<p>Classes have started, the good weather has given way to a few showers and we&#8217;re starting to get into a routine here in Berlin. Which doesn&#8217;t mean we&#8217;re not tourists anymore. Thanks to our friends Henri and Kalle we got to go on a riverboat tour through the city which albeit smelly (from the river) was a fun way to spend an hour and see the city from a different angle.</p>
<div id="attachment_2964" class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="width: 734px"><img src="http://www.pawsontheroad.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/berlinDom.jpg" alt="" title="Not as impressive as the dome in Firenze, I have to admit..." width="724" height="543" class="size-full wp-image-2964" /><p class="wp-caption-text">The dome</p></div>
<div id="attachment_2968" class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="width: 734px"><img src="http://www.pawsontheroad.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/berlinReichstag.jpg" alt="" title="There&#039;s a lot of history there, old and new." width="724" height="543" class="size-full wp-image-2968" /><p class="wp-caption-text">The Reichstag building, seat of the German government. Can&#039;t wait to go up into the glass dome.</p></div>
<div id="attachment_2965" class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="width: 734px"><img src="http://www.pawsontheroad.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/berlinMuseumsInsel.jpg" alt="" title="Museumsinsel" width="724" height="543" class="size-full wp-image-2965" /><p class="wp-caption-text">The island of museums, literally an island in the river Spree that has some of the most important museums of the city on it.</p></div>
<div id="attachment_2966" class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="width: 510px"><img src="http://www.pawsontheroad.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/berlinNikolaikirche.jpg" alt="" title="They look like siamese twins." width="500" height="667" class="size-full wp-image-2966" /><p class="wp-caption-text">The Nikolai church, the oldest church in Berlin. </p></div>
<div id="attachment_2967" class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="width: 734px"><img src="http://www.pawsontheroad.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/berlinRalley.jpg" alt="" title="Moskau is still close..." width="724" height="543" class="size-full wp-image-2967" /><p class="wp-caption-text">Some cars from a ralley Moscow - Berlin were parked around the church.</p></div>
<p><img src="http://www.pawsontheroad.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/berlinUs.jpg" alt="" title="We did about 10 different takes until we figured out how to get this picture with the phone." width="724" height="543" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-2972" /></p>
<div id="attachment_2971" class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="width: 734px"><img src="http://www.pawsontheroad.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/berlinUhr.jpg" alt="" title="Half of that clock is Russia, I&#039;m not kidding." width="724" height="543" class="size-full wp-image-2971" /><p class="wp-caption-text">The world clock on Alexanderplatz.</p></div>
<div id="attachment_2970" class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="width: 734px"><img src="http://www.pawsontheroad.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/berlinStolpersteine.jpg" alt="" title="Stolpersteine" width="724" height="457" class="size-full wp-image-2970" /><p class="wp-caption-text">These are Stolpersteine, literally stumbling stones, placed in front of houses and buildings where Jews had lived during the war. They show the name, date and where the person died.</p></div>
<p><img src="http://www.pawsontheroad.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/berlinSonnenuntergang.jpg" alt="" title="Sunset from our apartment" width="724" height="543" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-2969" /></p>
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		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Learning ze German</title>
		<link>http://www.pawsontheroad.com/2012/learning-ze-german/</link>
		<comments>http://www.pawsontheroad.com/2012/learning-ze-german/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 29 Apr 2012 11:17:36 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Nora</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Germany]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.pawsontheroad.com/?p=2945</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Yes, he&#8217;s really taking the plunge and signed up for a German course. We chose Berlin because we both don&#8217;t know it very well and everyone who&#8217;s been here loves it, so naturally we have to find out what all the fuss is about. We&#8217;ve only been here two days but already did plenty of [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><img src="http://www.pawsontheroad.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/headerBerlin.jpg" alt="" title="The most famous horses in Germany" width="724" height="140" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-2947" /></p>
<p>Yes, he&#8217;s really taking the plunge and signed up for a German course. We chose Berlin because we both don&#8217;t know it very well and everyone who&#8217;s been here loves it, so naturally we have to find out what all the fuss is about.</p>
<p>We&#8217;ve only been here two days but already did plenty of walking in our neighbourhood &#8211; Scheunenviertel in Berlin Mitte &#8211; went up the Fernsehturm (the TV tower) to get a perfect 360 view of the city, walked under the Brandenburger Tor, across the Potsdamer Platz and had a lovely afternoon in the Tiergarten with a couple of beers. </p>
<div id="attachment_2951" class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="width: 734px"><img src="http://www.pawsontheroad.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/berlinOurHouse.jpg" alt="" title="That&#039;s us, or at least I think so..." width="724" height="543" class="size-full wp-image-2951" /><p class="wp-caption-text">Our house, from the TV tower</p></div>
<div id="attachment_2950" class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="width: 734px"><img src="http://www.pawsontheroad.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/berlinOranienburgs.jpg" alt="" title="At the Postfuhramt" width="724" height="543" class="size-full wp-image-2950" /><p class="wp-caption-text">The subway entrance at the Postfuhramt, the old postal transport offices</p></div>
<p><img src="http://www.pawsontheroad.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/berlinUs.jpg" alt="" title="Hallo!" width="640" height="480" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-2955" /></p>
<div id="attachment_2956" class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="width: 734px"><img src="http://www.pawsontheroad.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/berlinWall.jpg" alt="" title="And on every corner a guy in old uniform trying to sell you something from the GDR, in this case passport stamps." width="724" height="543" class="size-full wp-image-2956" /><p class="wp-caption-text">Pieces of the Berlin Wall at Potsdamer Platz.</p></div>
<div id="attachment_2949" class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="width: 734px"><img src="http://www.pawsontheroad.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/berlinHolocaustMem.jpg" alt="" title="It doesn&#039;t look it but it&#039;s very easy to get lost in here." width="724" height="543" class="size-full wp-image-2949" /><p class="wp-caption-text">The holocaust memorial with the US Embassy, the Brandenburger Tor and the Reichstag in the back.</p></div>
<div id="attachment_2954" class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="width: 734px"><img src="http://www.pawsontheroad.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/berlinSony.jpg" alt="" title="Old and new Berlin." width="724" height="543" class="size-full wp-image-2954" /><p class="wp-caption-text">At the Sony center, a ginormous rotunda of glass and metal, parts of the former Grand Hotel Esplanade have been preserved.</p></div>
<div id="attachment_2948" class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="width: 510px"><img src="http://www.pawsontheroad.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/berlinGiraffe.jpg" alt="" title="I think she likes you." width="500" height="667" class="size-full wp-image-2948" /><p class="wp-caption-text">Also at the Sony Center: a giant Lego shop!</p></div>
<div id="attachment_2953" class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="width: 510px"><img src="http://www.pawsontheroad.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/berlinSiegessäule.jpg" alt="" title="Hmm, Mexico? Berlin? Not sure..." width="500" height="667" class="size-full wp-image-2953" /><p class="wp-caption-text">The Siegessäule or victory column in the Tiergarten park. It&#039;s like Central Park but with more beer.</p></div>
<div id="attachment_2952" class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="width: 734px"><img src="http://www.pawsontheroad.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/berlinPinkTube.jpg" alt="" title="Pink tubes everywhere" width="724" height="543" class="size-full wp-image-2952" /><p class="wp-caption-text">Somebody please explain these to us... They&#039;re all over the city!</p></div>
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		<item>
		<title>Fancy Dinner</title>
		<link>http://www.pawsontheroad.com/2012/fancy-dinner/</link>
		<comments>http://www.pawsontheroad.com/2012/fancy-dinner/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 29 Apr 2012 11:13:40 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Nora</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Spain]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.pawsontheroad.com/?p=2931</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Before we start talking about our new location (ooh, mystery&#8230;) I want to share some pictures from a very special dinner we had in Barcelona. Our nephew turned 12 and because he loves food we took him for a fancy Japanese dinner as a present. Sushi is one of his favorite foods but we wanted [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><img src="http://www.pawsontheroad.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/headerWagakoro.jpg" alt="" title="We sat at the bar so we could watch the chef do his magic." width="724" height="140" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-2932" /></p>
<p>Before we start talking about our new location (ooh, mystery&#8230;) I want to share some pictures from a very special dinner we had in Barcelona. Our nephew turned 12 and because he <em>loves</em> food we took him for a fancy Japanese dinner as a present. Sushi is one of his favorite foods but we wanted to show him that there&#8217;s more to Japanese cuisine besides raw fish that comes around in little boats on conveyer belts. </p>
<p><a href="http://www.wagokoro.es/">Wagakoro</a> is a small and simple-looking restaurant in Gracia, with one waitress, one chef and one menu. Tiny and perfect.</p>
<p>The menu, which changes every few months, is set with six courses but diners can choose to add a seventh or eighth course as well. In our case there was a sashimi course and a wagyu beef on offer so we each chose one as an extra seventh course. (Because eight is just too much&#8230;) The food was so good and each course was exciting and new again, I forgot to take pictures of some but here are a few of the delicacies we got to try:</p>
<div id="attachment_2936" class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="width: 510px"><img src="http://www.pawsontheroad.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/wagakoroFirst.jpg" alt="" title="This was probably my favourite - so many different delicate flavours on one plate." width="500" height="667" class="size-full wp-image-2936" /><p class="wp-caption-text">First course: salmon sashimi with ponzu sauce, green beans with miso sauce, duck with mustard and octopus and apargus with a tart cherry sauce.</p></div>
<div id="attachment_2938" class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="width: 510px"><img src="http://www.pawsontheroad.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/wagakoroSoup.jpg" alt="" title="The trickiest part with this dish was drinking the soup out of the unevenly shaped bowl at the end." width="500" height="667" class="size-full wp-image-2938" /><p class="wp-caption-text">A tofu mushroom dumpling, steamed with miso soup and sugar snap beans.</p></div>
<div id="attachment_2933" class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="width: 734px"><img src="http://www.pawsontheroad.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/wagakoroBeef.jpg" alt="" title="Meat for the growing boy." width="724" height="543" class="size-full wp-image-2933" /><p class="wp-caption-text">Kaku and his - very tasty - wagyu beef.</p></div>
<div id="attachment_2937" class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="width: 734px"><img src="http://www.pawsontheroad.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/wagakoroNoodles.jpg" alt="" title="This was a pain to eat with chopsticks but nevertheless delicious." width="724" height="543" class="size-full wp-image-2937" /><p class="wp-caption-text">Noodle soup with an egg dropped in, dried onions and scallions to taste.</p></div>
<div id="attachment_2935" class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="width: 510px"><img src="http://www.pawsontheroad.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/wagakoroErizo.jpg" alt="" title="Damn, forgot the camera..." width="500" height="667" class="size-full wp-image-2935" /><p class="wp-caption-text">What was left of the sea urchin dish.</p></div>
<div id="attachment_2934" class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="width: 734px"><img src="http://www.pawsontheroad.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/wagakoroChef.jpg" alt="" title="The master at work" width="724" height="543" class="size-full wp-image-2934" /><p class="wp-caption-text">Chef Nakamura slicing fish for the sashimi course. This was done fresh for every new table so we saw him do this several times.</p></div>
<div id="attachment_2941" class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="width: 734px"><img src="http://www.pawsontheroad.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/wagakoroDessert.jpg" alt="" title="Kaku&#039;s capitulation" width="724" height="543" class="size-full wp-image-2941" /><p class="wp-caption-text">Dessert: black sesame mouse. And the one dish Kaku didn&#039;t like. (I&#039;m pretty sure at twelve years old this would have been the ONLY dish I would have even tried on the menu...)</p></div>
<p>Missing from this impressive line-up is the sashimi plate and the tempura basket. The presentation for each was flawless, so much so that when a piece of tempura in my basket fell on its side when the waitress put it down in front of me she got quite upset and I think for a second even considered moving it back into its rightful place but stopped herself since that would have been an even worse breech of etiquette.</p>
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		<title>Encore Provence</title>
		<link>http://www.pawsontheroad.com/2012/encore-provence/</link>
		<comments>http://www.pawsontheroad.com/2012/encore-provence/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 15 Apr 2012 20:26:28 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Nora</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[France]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.pawsontheroad.com/?p=2915</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Even though we&#8217;re back in Barcelona now, there are a few more pictures we&#8217;d like to share from our trip to Provence last week. And since there isn&#8217;t much to say about our stay here &#8216;at home&#8217; besides work, some good food and going to the movies we&#8217;ll re-live some of the lovely days we [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><img src="http://www.pawsontheroad.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/headerProvence1.jpg" alt="" title="In Gordes, one of the prettiest towns in Provence. (Stiff competition!)" width="724" height="140" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-2916" /></p>
<p>Even though we&#8217;re back in Barcelona now, there are a few more pictures we&#8217;d like to share from our trip to Provence last week. And since there isn&#8217;t much to say about our stay here &#8216;at home&#8217; besides work, some good food and going to the movies we&#8217;ll re-live some of the lovely days we spent in the south of France fattening ourselves up and enjoying the beautiful countryside instead. </p>
<p><img src="http://www.pawsontheroad.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/bluedoor.jpg" alt="" title="The shutters and doors in Provence make you want to take pictures of every other house. Of course we didn&#039;t do that. Not really.. Maybe just every third house." width="724" height="543" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-2918" /></p>
<p><img src="http://www.pawsontheroad.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/redhouse.jpg" alt="" title="Sometimes the houses just beg to be photographed. " width="375" height="500" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-2919" /></p>
<p><img src="http://www.pawsontheroad.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/abbey.jpg" alt="" title="Sénanque abbey, slightly less impressive this time of year without the lavender in bloom" width="724" height="543" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-2917" /></p>
<p><img src="http://www.pawsontheroad.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/pontStJulien.jpg" alt="" title="Okay, okay, now give me pensive... Great, great, now go for moody and thoughtful. YES!" width="724" height="543" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-2920" /></p>
<p><img src="http://www.pawsontheroad.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/cemeteryGordes.jpg" alt="" title="Apparently French people leave ceramic flowers and little &#039;souvenirs&#039; plates on graves instead of real flowers. Makes for some very colorful arrangements." width="724" height="543" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-2922" /></p>
<p><img src="http://www.pawsontheroad.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/plazaGordes.jpg" alt="" title="If you&#039;ve seen the movie &#039;A Good Year&#039; with Russell Crowe you&#039;ll recognize this café." width="724" height="543" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-2923" /></p>
<p><img src="http://www.pawsontheroad.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/roussillon.jpg" alt="" title="The ochre cliffs of Roussillon" width="724" height="543" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-2924" /></p>
<p><img src="http://www.pawsontheroad.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/rousillonPark.jpg" alt="" title="Walking through the ochre &#039;mines&#039; which is really just a bit of park that they&#039;ve fenced off to charge entry fees. Still, cool to see and a nice walk." width="724" height="543" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-2925" /></p>
<p><img src="http://www.pawsontheroad.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/sallysPool.jpg" alt="" title="Cool &amp; the gang enjoying the sunset" width="724" height="543" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-2926" /></p>
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		<title>Happy Easter and Joyeuses Pâques</title>
		<link>http://www.pawsontheroad.com/2012/happy-easter-and-joyeuses-paques/</link>
		<comments>http://www.pawsontheroad.com/2012/happy-easter-and-joyeuses-paques/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 08 Apr 2012 07:25:13 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Nora</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[France]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.pawsontheroad.com/?p=2903</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Ah, Easter in Provence &#8211; what a perfect place to be. The cherry trees are flowering, the little weekly markets are starting up again and the hordes of tourists aren&#8217;t overwhelming yet. The weather is still making up its mind, switching between rain and sun, accompanied by gusts of wind that make your hair fly, [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><img src="http://www.pawsontheroad.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/headerProvence.jpg" alt="" title="Bonjour, je suis une maison provençale très belle. " width="724" height="140" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-2904" /></p>
<p>Ah, Easter in Provence &#8211; what a perfect place to be. The cherry trees are flowering, the little weekly markets are starting up again and the hordes of tourists aren&#8217;t overwhelming yet. The weather is still making up its mind, switching between rain and sun, accompanied by gusts of wind that make your hair fly, but that&#8217;s to be expected in April. </p>
<p>We&#8217;re staying in Ménerbes, a small village between Aix and Avignon, at the house of friends. Although I should really say &#8216;houses&#8217; because over the years their property has grown into three houses, all more or less built on top of each other. There are little stairs and doors everywhere and just to get to the kitchen from our room we have to go down a flight of stairs, outside into the garden, up another flight of stairs, into another apartment, up some more stairs, through another door and into what might be called the &#8216;main&#8217; house for lack of a better description. (On the way passing three kitchens, yes each house has its own kitchen and could be completely independent.) </p>
<p>Ménerbes is tiny and looks like you&#8217;d imagine a typical Provençal village to look: with an epicerie, a boulangerie, a few restaurants and a church at the top. </p>
<p><img src="http://www.pawsontheroad.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/menerbes.jpg" alt="" title="The center of Ménerbes at rush hour." width="724" height="543" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-2910" /></p>
<p><img src="http://www.pawsontheroad.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/epicerie.jpg" alt="" title="The épicerie which offers excellent croissants." width="724" height="543" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-2905" /></p>
<p><img src="http://www.pawsontheroad.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/lilacHouse.jpg" alt="" title="My favourite house in the village." width="500" height="667" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-2906" /></p>
<p>To walk off our lunch from the Café Veranda, we strolled up to the Place d&#8217;Horologe (the clock&#8217;s square) to buy some wine at the grandly named <a href="http://www.vin-truffe-luberon.com/">Maison de la Truffe et du Vin du Luberon</a>. In the basement they have a cellar stocked with all the vineyards surrounding Ménerbes, including Chateau La Canorgue made famous by the movie &#8220;<a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0401445/">A Good Year</a>&#8220;. (Sadly Russell Crowe is not on the label&#8230;)</p>
<p><img src="http://www.pawsontheroad.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/laMairie.jpg" alt="" title="The place d&#039;horologe with said horologe" width="500" height="667" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-2907" /></p>
<p><img src="http://www.pawsontheroad.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/wineTasting.jpg" alt="" title="Rosés on offer at the wine tasting" width="500" height="667" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-2908" /></p>
<p><img src="http://www.pawsontheroad.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/wineTastingGarden.jpg" alt="" title="The pretty gardens of la maison de la truffe et du vin" width="724" height="543" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-2909" /></p>
<p>For Easter Sunday we will visit yet another market, this time in nearby Coustellet, and meet a friend for lunch in Le Barroux. Yes, it&#8217;s a tough life&#8230; </p>
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		<title>Spring has Sprung</title>
		<link>http://www.pawsontheroad.com/2012/spring-has-sprung/</link>
		<comments>http://www.pawsontheroad.com/2012/spring-has-sprung/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 04 Apr 2012 16:30:43 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Nora</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Spain]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.pawsontheroad.com/?p=2891</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Even though today&#8217;s weather doesn&#8217;t want us to believe it, Spring is really just around the corner. We&#8217;ve already had a few lovely warm days here in Barcelona and the colors sprouting up right and left are chocolate for the soul. Not to mention the possibility to finally have lunch outside again. Easter is of [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><img src="http://www.pawsontheroad.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/headerSpring.png" alt="" title="Apricot tree in the garden - let&#039;s hope there&#039;ll be some fruit in the summer." width="724" height="140" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-2893" /></p>
<p>Even though today&#8217;s weather doesn&#8217;t want us to believe it, Spring is really just around the corner. We&#8217;ve already had a few lovely warm days here in Barcelona and the colors sprouting up right and left are chocolate for the soul. Not to mention the possibility to finally have lunch outside again.</p>
<p><img src="http://www.pawsontheroad.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/6beauties.jpg" alt="" title="Shoes without socks - woohoo!!!" width="724" height="543" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-2892" /></p>
<p>Easter is of course also just around the corner. Palm Sunday we came across an open air mass on the Rambla Catalunya which looked very pretty with everyone holding palm crosses and decorations. Our pursuits that morning were much more worldly though: delicious breakfast at <a href="http://www.pasteleriasmauri.com/">Mauri</a>.</p>
<p><img src="http://www.pawsontheroad.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/palmSundayMass.jpg" alt="" title="I wonder if they are actually real palm leaves..." width="724" height="543" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-2896" /></p>
<p>Barcelona has changed though. The day after we arrived the unions had called for a general strike and some people took that opportunity to go nuts on the streets. Overthrown recycling containers littered the streets, fires were lit on roads and shops and banks had their windows smashed. (And we thought we&#8217;d <a href="http://www.pawsontheroad.com/2011/violence-in-vancouver/">left all that behind in Vancouver</a>. Don&#8217;t even think about starting to blame us for riots now too!) </p>
<p><img src="http://www.pawsontheroad.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/huelga.jpg" alt="" title="A tame little fire across our street." width="724" height="543" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-2895" /></p>
<p>Yesterday took the cake though: we went to the mall to get our <a href="http://www.benjerry.com/scoop-shops/feature/free-cone-day/">free Ben &#038; Jerry&#8217;s ice cream scoop</a> but when we arrived the shop was closed. We probably arrived too late and they had run out of free scoops but in frustration I took a picture of the closed shop. At which point a mall cop appeared at my shoulder and informed me that this was illegal. My perplexed &#8220;Porque?&#8221; was only answered with a shrug and a mumble about the mall being private property. So in full defiance of that stupid law I present to you my illegal yet very unexciting and sad photograph:</p>
<p><img src="http://www.pawsontheroad.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/benjerrys.jpg" alt="" title="Take THAT, mall cop" width="500" height="667" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-2897" /></p>
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		<title>Chalandamarz</title>
		<link>http://www.pawsontheroad.com/2012/chalandamarz/</link>
		<comments>http://www.pawsontheroad.com/2012/chalandamarz/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 02 Mar 2012 09:34:09 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Nora</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Switzerland]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.pawsontheroad.com/?p=2874</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[We were woken up early Wednesday morning by gentle singing followed by very loud cow bells ringing &#8211; Chalandamarz is here! Chalandamarz means March 1st in Rumantsch (chalanda = first of the month, marz = self-explanatory). Rumantsch is the language spoken in Switzerland&#8217;s Grisons canton, &#8220;Graubünden&#8221; in German. Traditionally, the first day of March marks [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><img src="http://www.pawsontheroad.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/headerChalandamarz.jpg" alt="" title="Happy Leap Chalandamarz!" width="724" height="140" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-2884" /></p>
<p>We were woken up early Wednesday morning by gentle singing followed by very loud cow bells ringing &#8211; Chalandamarz is here! </p>
<p>Chalandamarz means March 1st in Rumantsch (chalanda = first of the month, marz = self-explanatory). Rumantsch is the language spoken in Switzerland&#8217;s Grisons canton, &#8220;Graubünden&#8221; in German. Traditionally, the first day of March marks the beginning of the new year, the coming of Spring, and time to get rid of Winter with lots of loud noises. Each village has their own gang of kids and youths who form a procession that tours all day long around the village, visiting houses, stores and street corners to sing songs, ring giant cow bells and let the whips fly. Yes, kids with whips. Whatever could go wrong?!</p>
<p><video src="/videos/Whipping.m4v" width="740" height="460" controls autobuffer >You need HTML 5 to watch this video. Try Firefox.</video></p>
<p>All through February you see the kids practicing their whipping skills around the village, usually in the schoolhouse yard but occasionally just in front of their house or down a little alley. During one of those &#8216;solitary&#8217; training sessions we saw a kid hit himself in the eye which was obviously painful but he just glared at us, probably for having noticed.</p>
<p>Unfortunately we only got to see them training and not the official display on the 1st since we&#8217;ve already left Zuoz but we did get to hear the singing and cow bell ringing since that starts the morning before. </p>
<p><img src="http://www.pawsontheroad.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/chalandaSinging.jpg" alt="" title="♫ Chalandamarz, chaland&#039;avrigl, laschai las vachas our d&#039;uigl... ♫" width="724" height="472" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-2880" /></p>
<p>To give you an idea just how loud the bells are (at around 7am, mind you):</p>
<p><video src="/videos/Chalandamarz.m4v" width="740" height="460" controls autobuffer >You need HTML 5 to watch this video. Try Firefox.</video></p>
<p>There are even a couple of statues dedicated to the Chalandamarz kids in Zuoz. This one stands in front of the Café Klarer.</p>
<p><img src="http://www.pawsontheroad.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/chalandaStatue.jpg" alt="" title="My what a big bell you have..." width="500" height="707" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-2881" /></p>
<p>(And here&#8217;s a fun picture of <a href="http://edgarwerner.com/chalandamarz.htm">Chalandamarz 1937 in Zernez</a>, a village down the valley from Zuoz.)</p>
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		<title>And Now for Something Completely Different</title>
		<link>http://www.pawsontheroad.com/2012/and-now-for-something-completely-different/</link>
		<comments>http://www.pawsontheroad.com/2012/and-now-for-something-completely-different/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 24 Feb 2012 19:33:20 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Nora</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Switzerland]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.pawsontheroad.com/?p=2866</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Tomorrow is our last day on the lift ticket so we figured we should try something really wild and crazy &#8211; skiing! The last time I skied I was the epitome of style in a pink and blue all-in-one suit with a matching headband. Conor can&#8217;t even remember what he wore. So that should give [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><img src="http://www.pawsontheroad.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/headerSkiing.jpg" alt="" title="Another shitty day in paradise" width="724" height="140" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-2868" /></p>
<p>Tomorrow is our last day on the lift ticket so we figured we should try something really wild and crazy &#8211; skiing! The last time I skied I was the epitome of style in a pink and blue all-in-one suit with a matching headband. Conor can&#8217;t even remember what he wore. So that should give you an idea of our levels of expertise. </p>
<p>Which is why it&#8217;s all the more surprising that a) we&#8217;re alive and well as evidenced by this blog post and b) decided to do it again tomorrow. </p>
<p>We went up the easy lift (Survih) once before jumping into the deep end on the big mountain (Pizzet). We did fall once each, not counting my comically painful slip on the ice before I even put on the skis, but we also made it down a black piste and up a long anchor lift at the end of the day. And I fall on the snowboard at least once a day so that&#8217;s par for the course really.</p>
<p><img src="http://www.pawsontheroad.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/skiing.jpg" alt="" title="Style still isn&#039;t our forte..." width="724" height="483" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-2867" /></p>
<p>I don&#8217;t know if skiing will become the norm for us now but it&#8217;s definitely fun to mix it up every once in a while. We&#8217;re staying a few days longer after our lift tickets run out, maybe we&#8217;ll try some other winter sports while we&#8217;re at it. Curling anyone?</p>
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		<title>Sledding and Other Fun</title>
		<link>http://www.pawsontheroad.com/2012/sledding-and-other-fun/</link>
		<comments>http://www.pawsontheroad.com/2012/sledding-and-other-fun/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 22 Feb 2012 19:59:38 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Nora</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Switzerland]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.pawsontheroad.com/?p=2855</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[[Ed. note: This is a guest post from our good friend Claudia who came to visit because she didn't believe us that it could really get this cold somewhere in the civilized world. Unfortunately (or rather fortunately) by the time she arrived the temperatures had considerably warmed up.] February. A time to escape icy city [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><img src="http://www.pawsontheroad.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/headerClau.jpg" alt="" title="Welcome to Switzerland!" width="724" height="140" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-2857" /></p>
<p>[Ed. note: This is a guest post from our good friend Claudia who came to visit because she didn't believe us that it could really get this cold somewhere in the civilized world. Unfortunately (or rather fortunately) by the time she arrived the temperatures had considerably warmed up.]</p>
<p>February. A time to escape icy city pavement for sunny Caribbean beaches; or visit your friends in Switzerland and really&#8211;truly&#8211;embrace the winter in all its glory. While you&#8217;re at it, you must also embrace the Swiss, starting with the train (which incidentally departed 11 minutes late!): red parkas (they must have amazing sales on these, or maybe it&#8217;s a symbol of national pride&#8211;the only thing I know for certain is they can&#8217;t all be ski instructors), yogurt, and dare I say, untimely (and unsightly? the olfactory version&#8230;) passing of gas in closed spaces. The latter two must be related.</p>
<p>Did I forget to mention rolling waves of fluffy snow and breathtaking mountains around every bend? Letting the sun go through at just the right angle, at any angle, to give you the &#8220;best&#8221; view (THIS is the best view&#8211;no, wait, from this side it&#8217;s better&#8211;hold on, what about THIS one)? Mountains where I would certainly not be skiing given a) I&#8217;m Venezuelan, b) have terrible knees, and c) a rather embarrassing propensity to fall when my feet are attached to anything other than shoes (un-elegantly speaking, I&#8217;m a bit of a klutz). But hey, I do like sledding (&#8220;Perfect!&#8221; they said, &#8220;we&#8217;ll go sledding).</p>
<div id="attachment_2858" class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="width: 734px"><img src="http://www.pawsontheroad.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/mortas.jpg" alt="" title="What it looks like in good weather." width="724" height="543" class="size-full wp-image-2858" /><p class="wp-caption-text">The mountain of doom, also known as Muottas Muragl.</p></div>
<p>Arrive to the top of a scary (but beautiful of course) mountain on a neat little mountain tram. Posh hotel on the top, expert looking sledders all around (admittedly, I must have looked like one, too); how bad could it be? Sledding is easy!..when sledding on cardboard boxes or plastic trash bags on rolling hills in Pennsylvania. Several falls later with pro-sledder Conor as my guide, I was prompted to try it on my own. Never mind the ultra steep incline and harrowing curves, behind which lies the great beyond, otherwise known as the precipice. Go!</p>
<p>Went! Swooshed down that hill like a lime-green ferrari; shit, there comes the curve; there comes the HOLY SHIT it&#8217;s SHARP curve; BAM! Foot stopped me from falling to the abyss, but not before slamming straight into the wooden pole that marked the barrier between life and idiocy. How did I forget to fall off the sled (a sudden surge of camaraderie?), when I was so good at it five minutes ago? I guess I&#8217;m not much of a sledder, either. </p>
<p><img src="http://www.pawsontheroad.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/clauCurtSledding.jpg" alt="" title="The legendary team with asses of steel" width="724" height="543" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-2859" /></p>
<div id="attachment_2860" class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="width: 734px"><img src="http://www.pawsontheroad.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/conorSledding.jpg" alt="" title="Another victim of the slope" width="724" height="543" class="size-full wp-image-2860" /><p class="wp-caption-text">Ugh...</p></div>
<p>But thankfully still have strong bones, made stronger by life-changing cheese fondue on a terrace overlooking a glacier (winter in all its glory, as I mentioned).</p>
<p><img src="http://www.pawsontheroad.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/cheesefondue.jpg" alt="" title="&quot;Loose your bread three times and you&#039;ll end up in the lake with weights on your feet!&quot; (Asterix)" width="724" height="543" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-2861" /></p>
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		<title>Baby, It&#8217;s Cold Out There</title>
		<link>http://www.pawsontheroad.com/2012/baby-its-cold-out-there/</link>
		<comments>http://www.pawsontheroad.com/2012/baby-its-cold-out-there/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 04 Feb 2012 16:04:50 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Nora</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Switzerland]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.pawsontheroad.com/?p=2839</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[All of Europe is in a cold-spell these days so this isn&#8217;t too special, especially since everyone expects cold and snow up here in the mountains of Switzerland. But it&#8217;s still a bit disconcerting when you check the weather report and see these numbers (on the upside though, it&#8217;s getting warmer!): This morning I looked [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><img src="http://www.pawsontheroad.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/headerIce.jpg" alt="" title="View from inside our car, one recent morning." width="724" height="140" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-2840" /></p>
<p>All of Europe is in a cold-spell these days so this isn&#8217;t too special, especially since everyone expects cold and snow up here in the mountains of Switzerland. But it&#8217;s still a bit disconcerting when you check the weather report and see these numbers (on the upside though, it&#8217;s getting warmer!):</p>
<p><img src="http://www.pawsontheroad.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/weatherReport.png" alt="" title="Ha, only single digit minus degrees next week. Heatwave!" width="500" height="750" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-2841" /></p>
<p>This morning I looked out the window and got excited to get out on the piste because the sun was shining and the sky was blue but then I checked the temperature (-25 C) and went straight back to bed because really, what&#8217;s the point of loosing your nose in exchange for a couple of fun runs on a snowboard.</p>
<p><img src="http://www.pawsontheroad.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/coldmountains.jpg" alt="" title="This is what -20 looks like, the blue tint is actually the cold air in the valley. I thought the Schmitts were off their rookers when they said they could see cold out the window, but apparently at double digits it&#039;s true." width="724" height="510" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-2852" /></p>
<p>In order to do at least a little bit of exercise though we bundled ourselves up and walked to the next village, La Punt, for some lunch. It was a glorious walk there, along the cross-country track and criss-crossing the slowly freezing Inn river at times.</p>
<p><img src="http://www.pawsontheroad.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/crossCountrySlope.jpg" alt="" title="Of course we didn&#039;t walk ON the cross country slope. This is Switzerland after all..." width="724" height="543" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-2842" /></p>
<p><img src="http://www.pawsontheroad.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/innZuoz.jpg" alt="" title="The Inn at Zuoz, slowly but surely starting to freeze." width="724" height="543" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-2844" /></p>
<p><img src="http://www.pawsontheroad.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/innLaPunt.jpg" alt="" title="At La Punt the river is already well on its way to freezing over." width="724" height="543" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-2843" /> </p>
<p>On the way back the wind had picked up and we decided that it would be the prudent option to take the train back instead. Just a short ride but beautiful (and oh so warm&#8230;)</p>
<p><img src="http://www.pawsontheroad.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/rhb.jpg" alt="" title="Panorama train, yay!" width="724" height="543" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-2845" /></p>
<p>Last night we had the genius idea to go sledding because really, what else do you do on a freezing, snowy and windy night? This particular run goes from one village to the next, Preda to Bergün, on the actual road which is closed in winter time. Because it was so incredibly cold though we didn&#8217;t even take pictures (take off my mittens, are you nuts?!) until we got to the end of the run in Bergün and managed to warm our hands on some Glühwein at the ice bar:</p>
<p><img src="http://www.pawsontheroad.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/iceBar.jpg" alt="" title="Some guy actually ordered a beer. He got a bottle with a frozen block of beer inside. Fool." width="724" height="543" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-2848" /> </p>
<p>Then to really warm up we went for an excellent cheese fondue, complete with pear and potato pieces to dip into the hot oozing cheese. Never has a meal been more warming or welcome.</p>
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		<title>Buna Saira from Zuoz</title>
		<link>http://www.pawsontheroad.com/2012/buna-saira-from-zuoz/</link>
		<comments>http://www.pawsontheroad.com/2012/buna-saira-from-zuoz/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 27 Jan 2012 16:46:11 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Nora</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Switzerland]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.pawsontheroad.com/?p=2828</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Sunrise in the Engadin is supposedly at 7:51 but the sun doesn&#8217;t actually hit the valley floor until around 9am. So early mornings are rather dark around these parts. Luckily we don&#8217;t have to get out of bed until, well, until we feel like it really. (Sorry Curt&#8230;) But going up early to the slopes [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><img src="http://www.pawsontheroad.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/headerZuoz.jpg" alt="" title="Sunrise, a little later than in most parts. There being mountains and all..." width="724" height="140" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-2829" /></p>
<p>Sunrise in the Engadin is supposedly at 7:51 but the sun doesn&#8217;t actually hit the valley floor until around 9am. So early mornings are rather dark around these parts. Luckily we don&#8217;t have to get out of bed until, well, until we feel like it really. (Sorry Curt&#8230;) But going up early to the slopes is always a good idea since the snow is better and there are less people around. Unless you&#8217;re going skiing in Zuoz on a weekday. Then it really doesn&#8217;t matter when you go because the mountain will likely be empty. Excellent!</p>
<p>The conditions were perfect for re-acquainting ourselves with our snowboards and getting our bodies used to some more strenuous exercise than walking to my sister&#8217;s house for lunch once a day.<br />
I won&#8217;t lie: I fell on the first curve I tried to take coming out of the lift. I will however hold my bindings and stance responsible since after a lightening-speed fix up from my darling husband I managed to make it down the slope without falling too many times. Evil stance!</p>
<p>It wasn&#8217;t all falling down and embarrassement though &#8211; Conor rode a T-lift for the first time and managed to get all the way to the top! If you&#8217;ve never been on a T-life, it&#8217;s not easy on a snowboard. (He tried once before on a very steep T-lift and after falling off several times the guy at the lift told him he wasn&#8217;t allowed to try anymore. Instead he hitched one of those medical sled-beds to one of the Ts and had him sit on top of it to ride up. How I wish I had a picture of THAT&#8230;)</p>
<p>Back home, slightly worse for the wear and with a massive <a href="http://translate.google.com/#de|en|muskelkater">Muskelkater</a> announcing itself for tomorrow, we&#8217;re consoling ourselves with the gorgeous views and hope that tomorrow will be another gorgeous day.</p>
<p><img src="http://www.pawsontheroad.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/pizDesen.jpg" alt="" title="View down the valley towards S-chanf" width="724" height="553" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-2830" /></p>
<p><img src="http://www.pawsontheroad.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/pizUter.jpg" alt="" title="That&#039;s not actually a ski run even though it looks like it. Avalanche?" width="724" height="543" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-2831" /></p>
<p>Oh and just in case you were getting any funny ideas about taking a sled down into town, 	 fuhgeddaboudit.</p>
<p><img src="http://www.pawsontheroad.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/sleddingStop.jpg" alt="" title="This is a one way street, don&#039;t even THINK about pointing that sled down here. It&#039;s very tempting, isn&#039;t it?!" width="500" height="667" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-2832" /></p>
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		<title>Chiantishire Life</title>
		<link>http://www.pawsontheroad.com/2012/chiantishire-life/</link>
		<comments>http://www.pawsontheroad.com/2012/chiantishire-life/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 16 Jan 2012 10:45:28 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Nora</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Italy]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.pawsontheroad.com/?p=2811</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Life in Chianti in January is very quiet. There are hardly any tourists, many shops and restaurants close and when a cold wind like today whistles through the vineyards everyone is happy to stay home in front of chimney. Of course, if you have a dog to take care of then you do need to [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><img src="http://www.pawsontheroad.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/headerChianti.jpg" alt="" title="The hills are on fire... no sound of music." width="724" height="140" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-2812" /></p>
<p>Life in Chianti in January is very quiet. There are hardly any tourists, many shops and restaurants close and when a cold wind like today whistles through the vineyards everyone is happy to stay home in front of chimney. </p>
<p>Of course, if you have a dog to take care of then you do need to leave the fire every once in a while (grrrr). But we&#8217;ve had some spectacular days:</p>
<p><img src="http://www.pawsontheroad.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/chiantiView.jpg" alt="" title="The puddles were frozen and the air bit my ears but man, what a VIEW!" width="724" height="543" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-2813" /></p>
<p>And when you have the cutest dog in the world, how can you say &#8216;No&#8217;?!</p>
<p><img src="http://www.pawsontheroad.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/emmaWalk.jpg" alt="" title="I can haz a cookie?!" width="724" height="543" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-2814" /></p>
<p>Not that you ever would dare to say &#8216;No&#8217; because she will EAT you:</p>
<p><img src="http://www.pawsontheroad.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/emmaFerocious.jpg" alt="" title="She was actually just yawning. But don&#039;t tell any potential burglars!" width="500" height="694" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-2823" /></p>
<p>This weekend we were going to have a pizza party for a friend&#8217;s birthday but he got sick unfortunately (hope you feel better soon John!) and so we ate a lot of pizza by ourselves.  Everyone got to make one, or at least choose their toppings starting with a &#8220;Pizza Maialona&#8221; designed by Piri:</p>
<p><img src="http://www.pawsontheroad.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/piriPizza.jpg" alt="" title="Pig on a pizza, yummy..." width="500" height="667" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-2816" /></p>
<p>A heart-shaped &#8220;Pizza Vegetariana&#8221; collaboration from the Schmitt sister&#8217;s:</p>
<p><img src="http://www.pawsontheroad.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/heartShaped.jpg" alt="" title="I&#039;m getting hungry looking at all these pizza pictures." width="500" height="667" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-2817" /></p>
<p>and a lethal concoction dreamed up by Guido with Nutella, banana and grappa which he then proceeded to light on fire in honor of the absent birthday boy. Unfortunately the picture doesn&#8217;t do it justice because it was pitch black except for the pizza flambé:</p>
<p><img src="http://www.pawsontheroad.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/flambe.jpg" alt="" title="Here be Pizza Flambé." width="724" height="467" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-2818" /></p>
<p>The absolute star of the evening was Bruno though. If he keeps this up we can enter him into the Junior Pizza Olympics soon:</p>
<div id="attachment_2821" class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="width: 734px"><img src="http://www.pawsontheroad.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/brunoPizzaOven.jpg" alt="" title="Masterchef Junior, here we come!" width="724" height="543" class="size-full wp-image-2821" /><p class="wp-caption-text">He even figured out a trick to reflect light into the oven using his pizza paddle to check if the pizza was done.</p></div>
<div id="attachment_2820" class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="width: 734px"><img src="http://www.pawsontheroad.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/brunoPizzaAction.jpg" alt="" title="Desert is ready everyone, grab it while it&#039;s hot!" width="724" height="543" class="size-full wp-image-2820" /><p class="wp-caption-text">The &quot;Absent Birthday Pizza&quot; before it got the grappa treatment from Guido.</p></div>
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		<title>Oh, hello&#8230;</title>
		<link>http://www.pawsontheroad.com/2012/oh-hello/</link>
		<comments>http://www.pawsontheroad.com/2012/oh-hello/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 12 Jan 2012 19:32:55 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Nora</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Italy]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.pawsontheroad.com/?p=2792</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[You&#8217;re still here? How lovely to see you. Thanks for not abandoning us yet even after this rather long dry spell here on Paws on the Road. But it&#8217;s a new year and new posts are just waiting to be put up so let&#8217;s do this! New Year&#8217;s was a grand party with Elvis, Satan&#8217;s [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><img src="http://www.pawsontheroad.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/headerNewYear1.png" alt="" title="&quot;The year of the dragon will be marked by excitement, unpredictability, exhilaration and intensity.&quot;" width="724" height="140" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-2807" /></p>
<p>You&#8217;re still here? How lovely to see you. Thanks for not abandoning us yet even after this rather long dry spell here on Paws on the Road. But it&#8217;s a new year and new posts are just waiting to be put up so let&#8217;s do this!</p>
<p>New Year&#8217;s was a grand party with Elvis, Satan&#8217;s dog and Molly the jolly panda bear all in attendance.</p>
<div id="attachment_2793" class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="width: 734px"><img src="http://www.pawsontheroad.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/elvis.jpg" alt="" title="Elvis, aka Herr R aus D" width="724" height="543" class="size-full wp-image-2793" /><p class="wp-caption-text">Ladies and Gentlemen, he&#039;s ALIVE!</p></div>
<div id="attachment_2794" class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="width: 510px"><img src="http://www.pawsontheroad.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/satanDog.jpg" alt="" title="In her free time Satan&#039;s dog enjoys long walks on the beach, reading poetry and occasionally killing the neighbour&#039;s chickens." width="500" height="756" class="size-full wp-image-2794" /><p class="wp-caption-text">You will do as I command human. Bring me a steak!</p></div>
<div id="attachment_2795" class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="width: 510px"><img src="http://www.pawsontheroad.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/molly.jpg" alt="" title="Molly was unfortunately injured later in the evening and left the party in a huff." width="500" height="667" class="size-full wp-image-2795" /><p class="wp-caption-text">Ratzeputz anyone?</p></div>
<p>The rest of our time here in Italy has been taken up by work and the occasional slack lining session with our nieces and nephew. </p>
<p><img src="http://www.pawsontheroad.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/slacklineAll.jpg" alt="" title="Aaaandd everybody UP!" width="724" height="440" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-2796" /></p>
<p><img src="http://www.pawsontheroad.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/slacklineConor.jpg" alt="" title="Divulging the finer points of falling off the slackline to his nieces." width="500" height="667" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-2797" /></p>
<p><img src="http://www.pawsontheroad.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/slacklineGreta.jpg" alt="" title="Greta obviously got the hang of it." width="724" height="543" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-2798" /></p>
<div id="attachment_2799" class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="width: 734px"><img src="http://www.pawsontheroad.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/slacklineKids.jpg" alt="" title="The dog is clearly not impressed..." width="724" height="543" class="size-full wp-image-2799" /><p class="wp-caption-text">Their favourite part was just sitting on the line and bouncing up and down until they all fell.</p></div>
<p>We hope 2012 found you all happy and healthy and that you&#8217;ll continue to follow our little adventures on the road. So far it looks like our travels will be less far-flung this year but you never know what might come up. And just because we&#8217;ll stay closer to home doesn&#8217;t mean it won&#8217;t be exciting! First stop: Switzerland, where we&#8217;ll try to find out how exactly DO they get those holes into the cheese?!</p>
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		<title>Roarrrrrr</title>
		<link>http://www.pawsontheroad.com/2011/roarrrrrr/</link>
		<comments>http://www.pawsontheroad.com/2011/roarrrrrr/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 19 Dec 2011 13:33:25 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Nora</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Spain]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.pawsontheroad.com/?p=2768</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[We&#8217;re back in Barcelona and because it&#8217;s been a while we decided to check out the zoo last weekend. Our nephews are members so they&#8217;re on a first name basis with most of the animals but they still enjoyed introducing us to the pygmy hippo, the lion ladies and the new bearded vulture which has [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><img src="http://www.pawsontheroad.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/headerSeaLion.jpg" alt="" title="Hulloooo, aunt Sybil? Can you hear me??" width="724" height="140" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-2776" /></p>
<p>We&#8217;re back in Barcelona and because it&#8217;s been a while we decided to check out the zoo last weekend. Our nephews are members so they&#8217;re on a first name basis with most of the animals but they still enjoyed introducing us to the pygmy hippo, the lion ladies and the new bearded vulture which has a much more menacing name in Spanish &#8220;Quebrantahuesos&#8221; (bone-breaker).</p>
<div id="attachment_2769" class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="width: 734px"><img src="http://www.pawsontheroad.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/pygmyHippo.jpg" alt="" title="Fat and fantastic" width="724" height="523" class="size-full wp-image-2769" /><p class="wp-caption-text">Adorable pygmy hippo, that could probably crush your skull without much trouble.</p></div>
<div id="attachment_2778" class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="width: 734px"><img src="http://www.pawsontheroad.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/ratSex1.jpg" alt="" title="At it like bunnies. Or rather water rats." width="724" height="502" class="size-full wp-image-2778" /><p class="wp-caption-text">Hey, this is a family friendly site! We won&#039;t have any of that copulating stuff here, thank you very much.</p></div>
<p><img src="http://www.pawsontheroad.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/lionGlasses.jpg" alt="" title="Can&#039;t help it, they just look like the WANT to talk..." width="724" height="543" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-2772" /></p>
<p><img src="http://www.pawsontheroad.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/lionBiped.jpg" alt="" title="I bet they gossip about the zoo visitors all day &quot;Ooh, look at that fat one. Should he really be wearing those shorts?!&quot;." width="724" height="543" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-2771" /></p>
<p><img src="http://www.pawsontheroad.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/lionGorgeous.jpg" alt="" title="I&#039;ll also have you for dinner if you could just step a little bit closer..." width="724" height="543" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-2773" /></p>
<p><img src="http://www.pawsontheroad.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/lionKid.jpg" alt="" title="That kid doesn&#039;t have a chance in hell...." width="724" height="543" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-2774" /></p>
<div id="attachment_2789" class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="width: 705px"><img src="http://www.pawsontheroad.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/kakutomas21.jpg" alt="" title="Note that the hair gets darker with age, this is true for most humanoids except the female of the species." width="695" height="489" class="size-full wp-image-2789" /><p class="wp-caption-text">...and here we have two juveniles in their natural habitat, clowning around.</p></div>
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		<title>Leaving</title>
		<link>http://www.pawsontheroad.com/2011/leaving/</link>
		<comments>http://www.pawsontheroad.com/2011/leaving/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 02 Dec 2011 17:49:55 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Nora</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[United States]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.pawsontheroad.com/?p=2759</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Of course we knew this day would come but we didn&#8217;t think it&#8217;d be this hard to leave. There&#8217;s so much we still wanted to see and we only finished about half of our to-do list. (Not for lack of trying&#8230;) Christmas is very much in the air with trees being lit all over the [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><img src="http://www.pawsontheroad.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/headerNYC.jpg" alt="" title="What a fantastic town..." width="724" height="140" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-2760" /></p>
<p>Of course we knew this day would come but we didn&#8217;t think it&#8217;d be this hard to leave. There&#8217;s so much we still wanted to see and we only finished about half of our to-do list. (Not for lack of trying&#8230;) </p>
<p>Christmas is very much in the air with trees being lit all over the city this week and holiday markets springing up on every square. We celebrated the season in the most possible New York fashion by going to see the Rockettes at Radio City Music Hall. Spectacular indeed:</p>
<div id="attachment_2763" class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="width: 734px"><img src="http://www.pawsontheroad.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/rockettesLine.jpg" alt="" title="And up the legs, and up and up!" width="724" height="520" class="size-full wp-image-2763" /><p class="wp-caption-text">Their synchronization is incredible. </p></div>
<div id="attachment_2762" class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="width: 734px"><img src="http://www.pawsontheroad.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/rockettesFurries.jpg" alt="" title="Furries get love too" width="724" height="543" class="size-full wp-image-2762" /><p class="wp-caption-text">Dancing furries, what&#039;s not to love?!</p></div>
<p><video src="/videos/rockettes.m4v" width="740" height="460" controls autobuffer >You need HTML 5 to watch this video. Try Firefox.</video></p>
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		<title>A Very Merry Thanksgiving</title>
		<link>http://www.pawsontheroad.com/2011/a-very-merry-thanksgiving/</link>
		<comments>http://www.pawsontheroad.com/2011/a-very-merry-thanksgiving/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 26 Nov 2011 17:08:45 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Nora</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[United States]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.pawsontheroad.com/?p=2745</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Even though our visa doesn&#8217;t allow us to stay on until Christmas, we got to enjoy the next best thing here: Thanksgiving. Sally and Racey invited us to their lovely home in Connecticut together with 20 other lucky ducks (mostly family) to eat turkey, pies and more side dishes than you can shake a stick [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><img src="http://www.pawsontheroad.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/headerAlice.jpg" alt="" title="Look what&#039;s behind the curtain every once in a while..." width="724" height="140" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-2748" /></p>
<p>Even though our visa doesn&#8217;t allow us to stay on until Christmas, we got to enjoy the next best thing here: Thanksgiving. Sally and Racey invited us to their lovely home in Connecticut together with 20 other lucky ducks (mostly family) to eat turkey, pies and more side dishes than you can shake a stick at. </p>
<div id="attachment_2746" class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="width: 734px"><img src="http://www.pawsontheroad.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/pikachu.jpg" alt="" title="Giant pikachu" width="724" height="543" class="size-full wp-image-2746" /><p class="wp-caption-text">We started the day off with the traditional Macy&#039;s Thanksgiving parade.</p></div>
<div id="attachment_2747" class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="width: 734px"><img src="http://www.pawsontheroad.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/parade.jpg" alt="" title="This goes on for 3 hours..." width="724" height="543" class="size-full wp-image-2747" /><p class="wp-caption-text">We wanted to cross over into the park but obviously that was not going to happen...</p></div>
<div id="attachment_2749" class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="width: 734px"><img src="http://www.pawsontheroad.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/CTisland.jpg" alt="" title="Have your own private island in Connecticut." width="724" height="543" class="size-full wp-image-2749" /><p class="wp-caption-text">The perfect setting for Thanksgiving day.</p></div>
<div id="attachment_2750" class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="width: 734px"><img src="http://www.pawsontheroad.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/CTtable.jpg" alt="" title="A couple of hours later the table didn&#039;t look quite this civilized anymore..." width="724" height="543" class="size-full wp-image-2750" /><p class="wp-caption-text">The table is ready.</p></div>
<div id="attachment_2751" class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="width: 734px"><img src="http://www.pawsontheroad.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/turkey.jpg" alt="" title="Now, how do you cut this thing?" width="724" height="543" class="size-full wp-image-2751" /><p class="wp-caption-text">The turkey gets it.</p></div>
<div id="attachment_2752" class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="width: 734px"><img src="http://www.pawsontheroad.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/CTdinner.jpg" alt="" title="Finally, turkey is served!" width="724" height="543" class="size-full wp-image-2752" /><p class="wp-caption-text">Thanksgiving dinner table</p></div>
<p>Meanwhile, back in the city the Christmas season is coming closer and closer. Decorations are going up everywhere and ice skating is the entertainment of choice.</p>
<div id="attachment_2753" class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="width: 734px"><img src="http://www.pawsontheroad.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/xxlLights.jpg" alt="" title="In case anyone was wondering what season it was..." width="724" height="543" class="size-full wp-image-2753" /><p class="wp-caption-text">Giant Christmas light strings in NYC</p></div>
<div id="attachment_2754" class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="width: 734px"><img src="http://www.pawsontheroad.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/iceSkating.jpg" alt="" title="Round and round they go until someone does a spectacular face plant." width="724" height="543" class="size-full wp-image-2754" /><p class="wp-caption-text">Free ice skating at Bryant Park</p></div>
<div id="attachment_2755" class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="width: 510px"><img src="http://www.pawsontheroad.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/xmasTreeLibrary.jpg" alt="" title="Ooh, look at the pretty tree!" width="500" height="667" class="size-full wp-image-2755" /><p class="wp-caption-text">Putting the finishing touches on the tree at the Public Library</p></div>
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		<title>We Will Miss This Town</title>
		<link>http://www.pawsontheroad.com/2011/we-will-miss-this-town/</link>
		<comments>http://www.pawsontheroad.com/2011/we-will-miss-this-town/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 17 Nov 2011 04:16:03 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Nora</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[United States]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.pawsontheroad.com/?p=2723</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Endspurt is German for &#8216;final spurt&#8217; as in &#8220;We&#8217;re almost entering our Endspurt in New York City&#8221;. A very sad thought but looking at the pictures and thinking about all the lovely people we saw and the wonderful food we ate and the marathon-theater-going that is still to come in the next two weeks (Hi [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><img src="http://www.pawsontheroad.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/headerStatueLiberty.jpg" alt="" title="That lovely lady recently turned 125. " width="724" height="140" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-2724" /></p>
<p>Endspurt is German for &#8216;final spurt&#8217; as in &#8220;We&#8217;re almost entering our Endspurt in New York City&#8221;. A very sad thought but looking at the pictures and thinking about all the lovely people we saw and the wonderful food we ate and the marathon-theater-going that is still to come in the next two weeks (Hi Kuru!), we&#8217;re very happy about our stay in the city that only naps occasionally.</p>
<div id="attachment_2735" class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="width: 734px"><img src="http://www.pawsontheroad.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/gondolaNYC1.jpg" alt="" title="Am I the only person in the world who didn&#039;t know that there was a gondola in the middle of New York City?" width="724" height="575" class="size-full wp-image-2735" /><p class="wp-caption-text">The sky tram to Roosevelt Island</p></div>
<p><img src="http://www.pawsontheroad.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/gondolaBridge.jpg" alt="" title="Sailing over the Queensboro bridge" width="724" height="543" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-2726" /></p>
<div id="attachment_2727" class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="width: 734px"><img src="http://www.pawsontheroad.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/gondolaNYC2.jpg" alt="" title="Million dollar views" width="724" height="543" class="size-full wp-image-2727" /><p class="wp-caption-text">All of last weekend the top part of the Queensboro bridge was closed for filming of the new Batman movie. That would have a been a great time to take the tram!</p></div>
<div id="attachment_2728" class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="width: 734px"><img src="http://www.pawsontheroad.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/cloistersTrees.jpg" alt="" title="Just another beautiful fall day" width="724" height="543" class="size-full wp-image-2728" /><p class="wp-caption-text">At Fort Tyron park which surrounds the cloisters up in northern Manhattan.</p></div>
<div id="attachment_2729" class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="width: 734px"><img src="http://www.pawsontheroad.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/cloisters.jpg" alt="" title="I think the city pays some guys to go around and spray paint these trees." width="724" height="543" class="size-full wp-image-2729" /><p class="wp-caption-text">The entrance to the cloisters museum. If you&#039;ve never been, it&#039;s quite a pretty spot. Entirely built from looted cloisters, mostly French. Fun stuff!</p></div>
<div id="attachment_2733" class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="width: 734px"><img src="http://www.pawsontheroad.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/zuccotti.jpg" alt="" title="About a week before the park was cleared by police." width="724" height="486" class="size-full wp-image-2733" /><p class="wp-caption-text">The Occupy Wall Street protest at Zuccotti Park</p></div>
<div id="attachment_2732" class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="width: 734px"><img src="http://www.pawsontheroad.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/zuccottiLibrary.jpg" alt="" title="Encouraging that each OWS camp had a library." width="724" height="543" class="size-full wp-image-2732" /><p class="wp-caption-text">Visiting the Occupy Wall Street Library in Zuccotti Park. Not sure what happened to the library now that the park has been cleared... EDIT: Evicted like the rest of the protesters. http://www.mediabistro.com/galleycat/occupy-wall-street-library-evicted_b42238</p></div>
<p><img src="http://www.pawsontheroad.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/birdNYC.jpg" alt="" title="These birds are everywhere in the city, no idea what they&#039;re called but they are beautiful" width="724" height="516" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-2737" /></p>
<p><img src="http://www.pawsontheroad.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/foliage.jpg" alt="" title="I&#039;ve said it before, I&#039;ll say it again: GORGEOUS!" width="724" height="483" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-2738" /></p>
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		<title>Is That a Cupcake or Are You Just Happy to See Me?</title>
		<link>http://www.pawsontheroad.com/2011/is-that-a-cupcake-or-are-you-just-happy-to-see-me/</link>
		<comments>http://www.pawsontheroad.com/2011/is-that-a-cupcake-or-are-you-just-happy-to-see-me/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 11 Nov 2011 03:58:42 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Farranco</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[United States]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.pawsontheroad.com/?p=2696</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[The rage in New York is currently the cupcake. The trend is huge heaps of frosting in bright colors and packaging with more material than you could possibly recycle in a week. We have visited the numerous cupcake hangouts and distilled the best places for a New York tourist to sample. First on our list, [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-2714" title="Earl Gray cupcake on the left, who would have thought." src="http://www.pawsontheroad.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/Cupcake-header.jpg" alt="" width="724" height="140" /></p>
<p>The rage in New York is currently the cupcake. The trend is huge heaps of frosting in bright colors and packaging with more material than you could possibly recycle in a week. We have visited the numerous cupcake hangouts and distilled the best places for a New York tourist to sample. First on our list, by amount of fame, was the <a href="http://magnoliabakery.com/">Magnolia Bakery</a>. We bought four trial cupcakes including a peanut butter one that Nora declared the best cup cake ever on the spot. I think at the time of this proclamation she was affected by the late hour and more importantly having spent the previous hours eating and drinking at <a href="http://thespottedpig.com/">The Spotted Pig</a>.</p>
<p>Magnolia&#8217;s cupcakes are decent enough and they have the best packaging for giving them as a gift but they are not the most delicious. Their fame is more attributed to their baking book then to their actual baking. The frosting is too abundant and sweet, overpowering the actually perfectly baked cupcake batter. <a href="http://www.billysbakerynyc.com/">Billy&#8217;s Bakery</a> also suffers from the same mountains of frosting and sweetness and the cupcakes themselves are not nearly as moist. In fact it takes a dedicated connoisseur to tell that Billy&#8217;s is not Magnolia, they even finish the frosting topping in the same swirly motion leaving a spatula hole in the middle. Both are a chain by now and have several locations but both can most easily be visited on foot in the West Village.</p>
<p><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-2710" title="Magnolia Billy's – you can't tell the difference" src="http://www.pawsontheroad.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/Magnolia-Billys-–-you-cant-tell-the-difference.jpg" alt="" width="724" height="543" /></p>
<p>Some just want to know which is the best cupcake so let&#8217;s get to the point: the winner (so far) is a tie between <a href="http://www.littlecupcakebakeshop.com/">The Little Cupcake Bakeshop</a> and <a href="http://www.sugarsweetsunshine.com/">Sugar Sweet Sunshine</a>. Sunshine Cupcakes has a varied selection of cupcakes and other deserts along with tasty coffee to make it a charming place to have a sit down and relax a bit with some sweets and an afternoon coffee. Their prices are also the cheapest by far. The Little Cupcake is a little more hectic due to bigger crowds but they have some edgier creations. Just the right level of traditional cooking mixed with crazy like a blue velvet cupcake that looks like it had an affair with some smurf ice cream. Should you be a caffeine maniac, their craziness extends to their coffee menu: they serve drip coffee with three extra shots of expresso dropped in, it&#8217;s called appropriately The Insomniac.</p>
<p><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-2706" title="Sunshine – Delicious Pistachio" src="http://www.pawsontheroad.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/Sunshine-Delicious-Pistachio.jpg" alt="" width="724" height="543" /></p>
<p>I have never met a cupcake I didn&#8217;t finish until my visit to <a href="http://redvelvetwestsidebakery.com/">Red Velvet</a> on 72nd street. The regular vanilla/chocolate combination was dry with hard frosting. Their special combination, Devil Dog, which is a chocolate cupcake and marshmallow frosting was thick and gooey. The peanut butter one was sugary and old. All four cupcakes tasted like they&#8217;d been left behind the exhaust of a running car for 20 minutes to give them a slight gasoline-carbon taste.</p>
<p><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-2701" title="Half Eaten Red Velvet Cupcakes, Gooey Marshmallow at the Bottom" src="http://www.pawsontheroad.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/half-eaten-red-velvet.jpg" alt="" width="724" height="543" /></p>
<p>All of the bakeries seem to have a fixation with red velvet cupcakes, from Red Velvet who use it in their actual store name to Billy&#8217;s who refuses to bake a red velvet cupcake but feels the need to announce this on their door to avoid questions by the red velvet fans. Billy declares that all red velvet is made with coloring and therefore they can&#8217;t bring themselves to sell it. It can also be made naturally with beet root but that of course is more trouble than it&#8217;s worth, so indeed most places probably use coloring. (It also comes out tasting a bit funny as Nora and Ido found out a few years ago in Miami.) The interesting thing about Billy&#8217;s and their all-natural approach is that their frostings are a vivid neon bright color.</p>
<p>Are you Jewish and in need of a kosher cupcake? Head down to the East Village for Baby Cakes. It&#8217;s a small quaint cafe and truly all natural with options for Vegan&#8217;s and options for those with celiac disease, who need to avoid gluten. Unfortunately their cupcakes are a bit dense and dry. They do have several interesting choices and it&#8217;s nice that they carter to people who can&#8217;t have a regular cupcake but unless you need to, this is not a cupcake to seek out.</p>
<p><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-2705" title="Gluten-Kosher" src="http://www.pawsontheroad.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/Gluten-Kosher1.jpg" alt="" width="724" height="543" /></p>
<p>Honorable mention must go to <a href="http://www.butterlane.com/">ButterLane</a> cupcakes. We can&#8217;t honestly grade them as they were a bit dry and uninspired but we had just come out of visiting the new <a href="http://www.biggayicecream.com/">Big Gay Ice Cream Shop</a> next door and we might have been a bit over-stuffed with sweet as well as presentation. ButterLane seems to do well from catering and larger groups that can rent a room to make cupcakes together. We might have to give them another shot.</p>
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		<title>The Marathon</title>
		<link>http://www.pawsontheroad.com/2011/the-marathon/</link>
		<comments>http://www.pawsontheroad.com/2011/the-marathon/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 07 Nov 2011 01:25:41 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Nora</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[United States]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.pawsontheroad.com/?p=2680</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Today was the New York Marathon, the 42km race that runs through all five boroughs, closes some major New York streets and brings about $350 million in &#8220;economic activity&#8221;. That&#8217;s a lot of activity&#8230; There were some pretty crazy characters running the race from a bride and groom to Batman and Robin. But our favourite [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><img src="http://www.pawsontheroad.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/headerMarathon.jpg" alt="" title="A snake of runners winds its way through Central Park" width="724" height="140" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-2681" /></p>
<p>Today was the New York Marathon, the 42km race that runs through all five boroughs, closes some major New York streets and brings about $350 million in &#8220;economic activity&#8221;. That&#8217;s a lot of activity&#8230;</p>
<div id="attachment_2682" class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="width: 734px"><img src="http://www.pawsontheroad.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/marathonFirstWoman.jpg" alt="" title="The first of the pack but not the winner..." width="724" height="464" class="size-full wp-image-2682" /><p class="wp-caption-text">The first woman runner at the 30km mark. She didn&#039;t win though.</p></div>
<div id="attachment_2683" class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="width: 734px"><img src="http://www.pawsontheroad.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/geoffreyMutai.jpg" alt="" title="Almost there Geoffrey, almost there!" width="724" height="494" class="size-full wp-image-2683" /><p class="wp-caption-text">Winner of the marathon, Geoffrey Mutai, around the 36km mark.</p></div>
<div id="attachment_2708" class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="width: 734px"><img src="http://www.pawsontheroad.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/marathonMensPack.jpg" alt="" title="Way before the masses moved in on 5th Ave." width="724" height="483" class="size-full wp-image-2708" /><p class="wp-caption-text">Closely followed by the rest of the front runners.</p></div>
<div id="attachment_2686" class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="width: 734px"><img src="http://www.pawsontheroad.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/bananas.jpg" alt="" title="Gotta keep your energy up!" width="724" height="543" class="size-full wp-image-2686" /><p class="wp-caption-text">Water, Gatorade and lots of bananas.</p></div>
<div id="attachment_2687" class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="width: 734px"><img src="http://www.pawsontheroad.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/marathonBeer.jpg" alt="" title="Whatever gets you through the race I guess..." width="724" height="516" class="size-full wp-image-2687" /><p class="wp-caption-text">Is that really the right motivation?</p></div>
<div id="attachment_2700" class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="width: 734px"><img src="http://www.pawsontheroad.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/marathonBionicLeg.jpg" alt="" title="The crowd went wild when this guy ran past!" width="724" height="483" class="size-full wp-image-2700" /><p class="wp-caption-text">Team Achilles runs with handicapped and wheelchair runners. There were some amazing racers there.</p></div>
<div id="attachment_2702" class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="width: 734px"><img src="http://www.pawsontheroad.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/marathonWheelchair.jpg" alt="" title="Going uphill is a bitch but wheeee all the way down!" width="724" height="483" class="size-full wp-image-2702" /><p class="wp-caption-text">One of the many handcyclers in the race</p></div>
<div id="attachment_2689" class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="width: 734px"><img src="http://www.pawsontheroad.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/marathonDogs.jpg" alt="" title="*Shiver, shiver, shiver*" width="724" height="543" class="size-full wp-image-2689" /><p class="wp-caption-text">Not sure how interested the dogs really were in the marathon but they sure looked stylish on the sidelines.</p></div>
<div id="attachment_2699" class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="width: 734px"><img src="http://www.pawsontheroad.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/marathonLunch.jpg" alt="" title="Pretty good burgers at the Boathouse" width="724" height="483" class="size-full wp-image-2699" /><p class="wp-caption-text">Lunch with a view</p></div>
<div id="attachment_2690" class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="width: 510px"><img src="http://www.pawsontheroad.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/marathonFaDani.jpg" alt="" title="Hold on tight!" width="500" height="667" class="size-full wp-image-2690" /><p class="wp-caption-text">Almost lost our official photographer there. Luckily, Conor came to the rescue.</p></div>
<div id="attachment_2703" class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="width: 734px"><img src="http://www.pawsontheroad.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/runningSucks.jpg" alt="" title="At least he&#039;s honest..." width="724" height="483" class="size-full wp-image-2703" /><p class="wp-caption-text">And how do you feel about this race?</p></div>
<div id="attachment_2692" class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="width: 734px"><img src="http://www.pawsontheroad.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/marathonCentralPark.jpg" alt="" title="Home stretch guys, come on!!!" width="724" height="543" class="size-full wp-image-2692" /><p class="wp-caption-text">Gorgeous weather, spectacular foliage, crazy runners = great day</p></div>
<div id="attachment_2707" class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="width: 734px"><img src="http://www.pawsontheroad.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/marathonHappy.jpg" alt="" title="Woohoo, almost there!!!" width="724" height="483" class="size-full wp-image-2707" /><p class="wp-caption-text">This was probably the happiest runner we saw.</p></div>
<div id="attachment_2694" class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="width: 734px"><img src="http://www.pawsontheroad.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/marathonFinish.jpg" alt="" title="Amazing job everyone!" width="724" height="543" class="size-full wp-image-2694" /><p class="wp-caption-text">After the finish line, walking it off in heat blankets.</p></div>
<p>There were some pretty crazy characters running the race from a bride and groom  to Batman and Robin. But our favourite by far was Christoph Niemann, the <a href="http://niemann.blogs.nytimes.com/">Abstract Sunday</a> columnist for the New York Times who <em>ran, drew and tweeted</em> the marathon. See the results <a href="http://niemann.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/11/07/new-york-city-marathon/?pagewanted=all">here</a>.</p>
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