After a long winter of sticking to their pond, the ducks of Parc de Merl have spring fever!
They’re flying all over our part of town, taking long walks around the park, and even naps on the grass. They always travel in twos and threes, unlike their stay-at-home nature the rest of the year. (more…)
26 March 2010
The Ducks are Back Around
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29 January 2010
How French is like golf, to me
I pray your indulgence as I attempt to articulate my present stage in learning French.
I came to Luxembourg with a dim memory of taking advanced French in high-school, and a few hours of practice during trips to Paris and Nice. It wasn’t long before I was reading signs and speaking easily with shopkeepers. (Lest I forget: There were a few incidents where I asked Anita to ask a question in English due to my fear of stumbling through a conversation in French.)
Now, when I want to express myself in French, I can find most of the words I need without effort. (more…)
22 October 2009
Interiors in violet
Both Will and I have always loved houseplants. One of the hardest parts about moving to Europe was finding homes for the 50+ plants we had in the US. Thanks to friends and family, all our plants eventually found loving homes and most are doing well in their adopted environments. In Ireland, we had few indoor plants due to the lighting situation of the apartment. Still, we left behind a couple of children for our friends there.
Our apartment in Luxembourg, on the other hand, is a houseplant’s dream: lots of sun, space to grow and fresh breezes off the balcony. (more…)
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16 July 2009
26 June 2009
Back in touch with the world
PRESS RELEASE: Bakker Bugle upgrades interweb access, begins new era of expansion
Friday, 26 June 2009
This morning, the Bakker Bugle completed one of the last phases of its ambitious plan to move its internet sourcing scheme to Luxembourg City. By partnering with local providers-of-excellence, the Bakker Bugle leveraged the expertise of its premium content-builders. In other words, the Bugle has moved your cheese and polished off its competitors’ milkshakes. (more…)
19 June 2009
We arrived in Luxembourg
We arrived before our stuff — “on holiday” for official purposes. We drove into Luxembourg with several large suitcases in the back of our Skoda estate (i.e. station-wagon). The contents of the suitcases were an inexplicable combination of stuff that I thought might be useful, stuff I forgot to send with the movers, and stuff that Anita purchased or used in the US. A security official would be sorely confused by our traveling habits.
On the way, we passed an IKEA near the border with Belgium. IKEA would come to dominate the remainder of our weekend. 
Almost as soon as we arrived at our new apartment, we dropped our airborne burden and drove to Belgium (15 minutes away) to seek a bed for our unfurnished apartment. If we failed, we would need to spend the night in a hotel and try again the next day. (more…)
24 May 2009
Busy, busy — but time for art
Anita and I so busy that we’re just now watching the Eurovision 2009 broadcasts from last week. (Fantastacular! Glorilicious!) Mostly, we’re preparing for the big move to Luxembourg in three weeks.
Today, we completed a task 18 months in the making: we bought a lovely painting from one of the regular exhibitors on Sundays at Merrion Square. We’ve strolled around the park at midday on dozens of Sundays, knowing that we would leave Ireland with a souvenir someday. (more…)
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12 April 2009
Talking on the street in Dublin
The Irish government presented its emergency budget for 2009 on Wednesday, and I’d picked up a newspaper to learn about it, after finishing some frivolous shopping. I was sitting outside a cafe, with coffee, reading that the changes would be hard on lower income residents of Ireland.
A women approached me to beg for spare change. I’d seen her around the area quite a bit. She didn’t recognise me, but that was no surprise. (more…)
6 April 2009
To a new country, to find new adventures
The staff had some fun on the first of this month, but our move to Luxembourg is no April Fool.
My work will take us from Dublin to Luxembourg City later this year. We will take the Bakker Bugle with us, and our beloved readers, of course. We’re excited about the move and, in the next month or two, we’ll find out more about where and when we’ll take up residence.
Will and I will be learning a new city and new languages. You’ll read about our adventures at our new home and all over Europe. Plus, the BBB&B will be open and accepting reservations as soon as possible.
This change is no fault of Ireland, of course. We have a long list of things we love about this island and its inhabitants, and an even longer list of things we’d like to do before we go. It is simply time to take new opportunities elsewhere. Thank you, Ireland, for your hospitality, for your good graces, and for letting us be part of this exciting place.
And thank you, dear friends, for being our patient audience for the past two years. Your support means the world to us. We are so glad that we can take you with us!
24 March 2009
Last Dark Grill of the Year
In 2007, the United States extended daylight savings time by three weeks. Europe did not. We will change our clocks this coming weekend.
So tonight should be the last night that I must grill in the dark. (more…)