Posted by Anita on August 4th, 2011 in consumer and travel
When we moved to Dublin, just over four years ago, I had many coats. Unfortunately, all of them were far more appropriate to the temperatures and seasons of Chicagoland. I found myself in Ireland either dry, but cold, or wet, but warm. I could never hit the sweet spot of warm and dry.
Not long after we moved, we spend a weekend with close friends in Galway, on the west coast of Ireland. For those that may have forgotten, Galway is even more wet that Dublin. During our visit, our hosts extolled the virtues of their jackets – the L.L. Bean Weather Channel 3-1 coat. This coat was created for the Weather Channel folks when they were out in the field. It seemed ideal for travel in Ireland (and in Europe). My mom was visiting Dublin not long after that, so I had her order one for me.
Some of you may remember the green jacket that makes me easy to find in a crowd. (As opposed to Will’s silly black outerwear, which he uses to slip away, unnoticed, into crowds of style-conscious European tourists.) Often, I would wear just the fleece layer, taking advantage of the versatile three-in-one nature of the jacket. On the right, you can see me sporting the green on a pleasant late-spring day in the Netherlands. Continue reading “Going native — for the moment”
Posted by Anita on July 30th, 2011 in entertainment, luxembourg and video
Hot air balloons are a familiar sight in Luxembourg. As Will showed you yesterday, four balloons were “inflated” for the Gala, although none of the four lifted off the tarmac. But after seeing the balloons Thursday night, my excitement for the Echternach balloon festival was renewed. I went to bed Friday night with big plans: I would go to the 7:00 a.m. Saturday launch!
I shopped the idea around to Will and a few friends, but no one was interested in my plan: “Let’s get up and be on the road by 6:15 to see hot air balloons!” I will admit that when my alarm went off at 5:45, even I began to question whether this was a good idea. I checked the weather – overcast, but no rain. I had no excuse to crawl back into bed. To the balloon festival for me! Continue reading “Prompt Post: Echternach Balloon Festival”
Posted by Will on July 29th, 2011 in luxembourg and sports
The Gala Tour de France whipped through Luxembourg-Ville last night, and we were there!
The race — fifty laps around the Gare neighborhood — included some of the greatest cyclists in the world: the Schleck brothers (accounting for two-thirds of the Tour de France podium); Thomas Voeckler, French hero of the 2011 maillot jaune; and many more. Continue reading “Prompt Post: Gala Tour de France”
Posted by Will on July 19th, 2011 in entertainment, luxembourg, photos, sports and video
The Tour de France is reaching its climax, so naturally the Bugle turns its attentions to the Tour of Luxembourg of early June 2011. (Plus, yesterday’s rest day gave me some extra time to catch up.) Part One took you to the opening time-trial in Luxembourg-Ville (the Prologue), and from the beginning of Stage 1 in the west of the country to the end in the south-east. Part Two will tell the story visually, so check your computer’s volume and click along! Continue reading “Tour de Luxembourg: Part 2 of 2″
Posted by Will on June 23rd, 2011 in culture, europe, germany and luxembourg
It’s National Day in Luxembourg! (We posted three times about National Day 2009 — one, two, three — and once in 2010.)
Perhaps this is a good time to note that, for the first time since the 18th Century, the rules of succession for the throne of Luxembourg have changed. Continue reading “National Day!”
Posted by Will on June 7th, 2011 in europe, luxembourg, photos and sports
This time last year, just after the 2010 Tour of Luxembourg, Luxembourgish pro cyclists Frank and Andy Schleck were offered leading roles on a new Luxembourgish pro team. Six months later, in January 2011, the world learned that Team Leopard-Trek would have its eye on the Tour de France, from July 2nd to July 24th. With proven talents like Fabian Cancellara, Jens Voigt, and Stuart O’Grady riding with the Schleck brothers, the new team caused a stir in pro cycling. Continue reading “Tour de Luxembourg: Part 1 of 2″
Posted by Dave on May 30th, 2011 in europe and sports
In this, the final episode of my Amsterdam adventure, I make a lot of Amsterdammer friends in the midst of a city delirious with the home team’s success.
After the crowd at our new favorite pub dispersed, we made our way to Dam Square. We had about an hour to kill before Katherine and Anita arrived. Of course, we set out in search of Ajax shirts for Will and me. We walked to a Foot Locker and asked if they had Ajax shirts. The store employee at the front, basically a bouncer, shook his head and pointed to Aktie Sport down the street. He clearly did not want drunk Ajax fans in his store.
In Aktie Sports, I saw the blue “change” jersey, but not the red and white shirts that the team had worn during the game and that eighty percent of the fans were wearing that day. We asked the helpful staff whether they had the home shirts. The young men said that Adidas had not yet released the home shirts for the following season, and that the prior season’s shirts were no longer on sale. Continue reading “Ajax, Part Three: The Aftermath”
Posted by Dave on May 23rd, 2011 in europe and sports
In Part One, I told you how our group of American tourists saw the lead-up to the big game between Ajax and Twente. Will and I approached a packed and overflowing pub to see the last minutes of the game and enjoy the local fans.
We still hadn’t determined the score of the game when Ajax scored a goal. The pub erupted. Everyone was high-fiving, tussling hair, hugging and jumping up and down. Will figured out that Ajax is leading 3-1. Based on the time the game started, we knew that it was nearing the end.
A couple of guys ran out of the bar, and created an opening inside. I shoved my wallet in my front pocket, and took my passport in my hands. I looked down at it. Will asked if I wanted him to hold my passport. I turned it over and ducked inside. Continue reading “Ajax, Part Two: Lands Kampions!”
Posted by Dave on May 19th, 2011 in europe and sports
Editor’s Note: Today we welcome a new contributor to the Bakker Bugle Blog: Dave! We’ll let his work speak for itself, for now.
Sunday morning started quietly enough, with breakfast at a pancake house by the canal near our hotel. On our way to The Pancake Corner (this one, not the other one), 
we noticed a work crew setting up a temporary wall on the avenue outside our hotel. Will’s best guess was the wall was a temporary board for posting political messages prior to an election. We made a note to return to the wall and discover its purpose, at the end of our day. Continue reading “Ajax in Amsterdam, Part One”
Posted by Will on May 9th, 2011 in europe, photos and travel
Anita’s work frequently takes her to Zwolle, a city of about 120,000 in the western half of the Netherlands. Will tags along, as often as he can.
We like Zwolle, a lot.
The Bugle accepted no promotional considerations from the tourist board or anything. Will just thinks that a public declaration of our fondness for Zwolle is appropriate at this time. Continue reading “We <3 Zwolle”
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