The Trashman Cometh

"WHAT THE HELL IS THAT!" I shout as I spring from our uncomfortable double bed on a crisp Netherlands morn.  "That noise, where is it coming from?  It sounds like a garbage truck driving through a nitroglycerin plant. "  I then peer out the window to discover I was half right.

Enjoy my trashy video.

Wordless Wednesday: Red Pierogi

Pierogi Diavolo (pork meat, paprika, sweet paprika, fried onion, marjoram, pepper, salt)

Amazing pierogi from Pierogarnia na Bednarskiej, Warsaw, Poland.

So I Entered Some Writing Contests

Warning: Content of this Post Includes a Generic 

"Vote for Me in Two Writing Contests Plea".

So I got myself involved in two expat writing contests.  Writing/blogging has helped pass the time during these dreary winter days. If you have a few seconds, I would really appreciate your support.  Here's how you can help:

1.)  Visit: Barrel Hopping by clicking here

At the end of the article you'll see a gold star that says "# Votes"  Looks like this:

Just CLICK THE STAR; the number should change to record your vote.  That's it.  You can also Tweet, Like, and Google+1 the article too.  All social media interaction helps, but votes on their page are worth more.

2.)  Visit ExpatsBlog by clicking here

There's no voting for this one.  They are looking at comments to decide the winner.  Most quality comments wins. So if you care to share a few thoughts about my article: did it make you laugh? did it make you cry? did it make you confused? did it make you hungry? I guess that's what they're looking for.  I know many of you are talented with words, so I'm sure you can pen something very creative.  Sharing with social media is also a component with this contest too.  

Voting for both contests ends March 31, Easter Sunday.  It doesn't look like there's a limit to voting or sharing so, you can vote/share early and often.

Thanks guys, I really appreciate the support.

The Thoughts That May Cross An Expat’s Mind During Their First Month in the Netherlands

Sorry for the Silence

Wait, March 25 already?  When did that happen. And how did I go almost a week and a half without a new post?  Plus I missed mentioning our 2nd month anniversary in the Netherlands (March 15th) came and went.  Seems like after our trip to Rome, and our 15 minutes of fame, life just went into hyperdrive with no signs of slowing down.

So here's a short compilation post of what we've been up to.  I hope to have full write-ups on some of these topics very soon.

March 14th:  Went our our first "Expat Couples Blind Date."  Thanks to expat-blog.com 's forum Vicki and I were able to meet another nice couple from the next town over.  

March 15-17th: Traveled to Warsaw, Poland for St. Patrick's Day.  Warning: post may feature gratuitous pierogi pictures,  you've been warned.

March 18th-21st: Volunteered with an expat website, called Expatica.com. They are based here in the Netherlands in the town of Haarlem.  The commute takes almost 2 hours, but the adventures were worth the trip.

March 23-24th: Overnight in Dusseldorf, Germany to seek out pretzels and mustard.

I've also been busy putting together submissions for two writing contests.  Thanks in advance to everyone who took the time to Vote, Tweet, Like, & +1 my article on Cologne, Germany on barrelhopping.com. Every vote on their page counts as a full vote & social media interaction counts as half a vote.  The voting is open until March 31st so you can continue to VOTE EARLY & VOTE OFTEN.  Thanks for all your support.  You can read the article again and vote again right here.  

My other submission was for a contest sponsored by expatblogs.com ; the theme: "Top Lists."  I love making lists, as you can see from some of my posts, so I was all in for this one. I won't reveal the focus of my list just yet.  You should be able to view and make comments on my submission on their website after March 25.  Winners will be based on the lists with the best "high quality feedback."  I'll leave it up to my loyal readers and fans to decide what that means.  Thanks again for your support.  

As a reward for reading to the end and to apologize again for the silence last week, here's a picture of some pierogis from Warsaw, Poland.  

Have a great Monday everybody!

Rome If You Want To

St. Peter's in 11 Pictures

Rome, the "Eternal City."  After spending 5 days there you should see my eternal waste line. AY-O!  But a trip to Rome not only fills you with the world's best cuisine; it fills you with a sense of enchantment and awe for this capital of an ancient empire.

Rome is one of our absolute favorite cities in Europe.  This trip was a unique treat for us for two reasons.  First, we timed our visit just before the start of the Papal Conclave, so Vatican City was a hot bed of media frenzy, I LOVED IT.  Second, since it was our third trip, we already did all the tourist stuff: Vatican Museum, Sistine Chapel, Colosseum, etc.  This allowed us time to just sit, EAT and enjoy the "beauty and splendor of Rome."

The People of St. Peter's

The energy in St. Peter's Square was electric on Saturday morning.  Pilgrims and journalists from around the globe were watching two men prepare the chimney that would alert the world's 1.2 billion Catholics that their new Pontiff has been selected.

It was exciting for Vicki and I as Catholics to be at the Vatican in the days leading to the Conclave.  There was a sense among the people gathered that this was a special time, a time for renewal in the Catholic Church.  See the picture below to see the loneliest reporter in the world covering this sense of renwal in the Catholic Church. Speaking of media coverage, did you happen to catch our 15 minutes of fame on 6ABC's Action News on Sunday night?  There's a whole blog post about it.

One man news crew

Having a very light itinerary this time in Rome, gave us the chance to just meander around the city.  I'd have to say about 80% of our meandering took place in St. Peter's.  At least once a day we found ourselves in the square watching the crowds or tailgating with paninis and prosecco by the obelisk.  There's nothing like a PreConclave Tailgate.  

This trip was also the first time we had the opportunity to attend Saturday evening Mass in the Basillica. After waiting in a lengthy line outside, then saying the "magic word" to the Basillica Bouncer Vicki and I were granted access to Mass. No, I'm serious, that happened.

There was a barrier in place with a guard to limit access to the main altar for just Mass goers.  So Vicki and I made our way through the hoards of onlookers behind the barrier and asked the guard in my best broken English: "Ok for Mass?"  After a very uncomfortable look up and down. He says, in better broken English than mine: "What is the magic word?"  To which I reply: "Please?"  We got in.  Mass was beautiful, and all in Italian.  Caught the Our Father and a few Amens, but we did sing along with the Youth Choir all the way from Dallas, Texas.

Okay, going to vent here. Now, we've been know to snap some pics during Masses, but mainly it's at weddings, and other sacraments.  Alright maybe taking a picture during Mass in St. Peter's is just something you need to do with your iPad.  Go ahead, even though I still think taking pics with iPads looks so goofy (can you spot the two in my collage above?)

Now onto the even crazier part of the Mass.  I'm in the communion line and the young lady in front of me, who of course is taking pictures and videos with her iPhone (much more subtle) turns to me.  She says "Do you speak English?"  I whisper a confused "Yes?" Now keep in mind that she's on double deck to receive the Host.  She then says: "I very excite can you take my picture?"  I shoot her a look of disgusting annoyance and say "NO."  She asks: "Oh, not allowed?" Now I'm very irritated, and again respond with even more annoyance: "NO!" Now she is next to receive and I watch her stand at the altar, she seemed confused, the priest distributes the Host and she takes it in her hand. At this point I see the priest is concerned too; it appeared that she was about to place the Host into her pocket or purse or something.  Well, she had no time to complete the maneuver because one of the men in gray suits apprehended her and demanded the Host.  She then briskly ran her way up the aisle.  I should have taken a picture.

Okay, we didn't spend ALL our time in St. Peter's.  We took some time to explore some other sites and to enjoy some Italian bites as well.  Here's a rundown of our Rome itinerary with some brief commentary and pictures.  Enjoy.  Thanks for reading!

HOTEL and B&B

March 6: One Night Stay at the Hotel Eden

View from rooftop restaurant

Absolutely luxurious.  This property, located near the Spanish Steps,  is part of the Starwood chain, our favorite line of hotels. We were fortunate to be able to book on cash & points through the Starwood Preferred Guest Program to get a reasonable rate. The place was amazing.  It was one of those hotels where part of the check in process includes the desk agent walking you all the way up to your room, I like those little touches.  Also, the hotel has an amazing rooftop bar and restaurant where you can catch some spectacular views of Rome.

A beautiful "View of Rome"

March 7-March 10: 3 Night Stay at B&B  "A View of Rome."
It's not just a clever name; this B&B has an incredible view of St Peter's Dome.  A View of Rome is one of three properties run by a group.  So we had a rotating staff assisting us through our stay.  To be honest, it's location is the best thing going.  Don't take this review the wrong way, it's a very clean and comfortable B&B with friendly and accommodating staff who provide great Rome restaurant/itinerary suggestions.  They also serve up a delicious breakfast (the second "B" is always the most important part, ask for the ham & cheese omelet every day of your stay).

Our main beef was some inaccurate information we received from one of the hosts.  We had a food tour scheduled in Testaccio at 10:30AM.  So we asked how long it would take to get there from the B&B.  We were told 20 minutes via the 23 Bus.  Well, 30 minutes went by and we were still waiting for that 23 Bus.  We gave up waiting and started walking toward the taxi rank when we saw the bus finally coming down the street.  So we quickly turned around and jumped onto a PACKED bus.  Got to know people's armpits pretty well.  Not the best way to start our morning. 25 minutes later we were at our destination.  So moral of the story, if you plan on departing anywhere in Rome by bus, give yourself PLENTY of time.  I know I can't hold our B&B host entirely to blame for a late bus, but he should have warned us of the irregularity running times of the buses.

ATTRACTIONS

March 7: Villa Borghese/Galleria Borghese

"A Friend's" illegal picture.  Checkout the big foot on the right

I'm not a huge art guy but I will say, I was really impressed by this place.  It was "do able."  What do I mean by that?  Well, it's not as overwhelming as say the Louve, but it has really fascintating works of art.  My favorite was Bernini's Apollo e Davne Sorry no pictures allowed in gallery; this leads me to some other "PROTIPS."

PROTIPs:  1.) Tickets are timed stamped in 2 hour intervals beginning at 09:00 and last entry is 17:00.  BUY ONLINE ahead of time to avoid your preferred time slot selling out.  2.) No bags (even purses) allowed in the gallery. We found out the hard way after waiting in the long line we had to go all the way back to bag check.  3.) Save euro and just buy one audio guide and share it.  I saw a couple doing this, GENIUS!


March 8: The Pantheon

Despite this being our third trip to Rome we somehow kept missing  this place on prior visits.  We've eaten by it (BIG MISTAKE, you're paying for the view, not the food.) and we've walked by it dozens of times but never went inside.  It's free and it's beautiful.

PROTIP: If you visit during the daytime, make sure you walk by at night too, it's one of my favorite places in Rome in the evening.



March 9: Picnic at Piazza del Popolo 
We received a suggestion from our B&B to visit Piazza del Popolo at sunset.  But first they suggested stopping at a local supermarket "Billa" (B on Map) to pick up some wine and cheese.  We didn't exactly make it for sunset, but we were able to get some stunning night views of the city looking towards St. Peter's.

Piazza del Popolo at Night

March 10: Terme Di Caracalla
One of the largest and "best" preserved ancient Roman Bath complexes near the Circus Maximus.  Eh, if it's your first time to Rome, definitely no, if it's your second time to Rome, definitely no, if it's your third time to Rome, no again.  Here, you can experience Terme Di Caracalla with DannyZ Films.



PROTIP: If you go, save money by only buying one audio guide and share it with your group.

TOUR

March 9: Eating Italy Food Tours in Rome

Our actual reactions, not staged at all.

Simply amazing tour.  Yes, there is a glowing review by me available on TripAdvisor.  Seriously if you are visiting Rome book with these guys.  Random fact, learned that the owner of the company is actually from Philadelphia, PA. Vicki and I did the "Taste of Testaccio" tour.  From their website: "This guided 4-hour Rome Walking Food Tour offers you an opportunity to experience Rome like a local in an actual neighborhood where people live, eat and shop. We take you to seven authentic places to savor 12 fabulous food tastings and taste the best foods in Rome. Along the way you'll be dazzled with entertaining stories and insights into Rome’s culture, history, while exploring the city's most fascinating offbeat landmarks. Join us and discover the Real Rome!"

Our amazing Syrian-Australian-Italian speaking guide Luna.

The tour turned out to be well over 4 hours. It was the perfect time to eat, digest, learn a little culture and eat some more; all while listening to guide's Australian accent.  I would have paid for another hour just to hear her say "BAAHZIL" a few more times.  The tour also takes great care to cater to dietary or allergy concerns.  I got a pistachio free cannoli! So no concerns fellow peanut allergy sufferers, you're in good hands.





Here was our itinerary, borrowed it from their website:

• Taste why Volpetti has been Rome's top gourmet food store for 40 years
• Savor 3 of Rome's most famous pasta dishes with wine at Flavio al Velavevodetto
• Taste suppli' (fried risotto ball) from the NY Times acclaimed 00100 Pizza
• Sample the # 3 Ranked slice of pizza in all of Rome from Volpetti Piu
• Make bruschetta & try real buffalo mozzarella at the famous Testaccio Market
• Become a gelato-eating expert by learning how to spot the fake stuff from the real thing
• Cannoli at Dess'Art from famous Sicilian pastry chef, Constanza Fortuna
• Tiramisu in chocolate cups from Barberini, the neighborhood's best pastry shop
• Visit Rome's only Pyramid, John Keats mysterious tomb, the birthplace of Rome's mob gang and much much more...

PROTIP: 1.) Wear comfortable shoes & loose fitting pants :) 2.) Bring a bottle of water with you too. 3.) Even if you don't take the tour, we'd recommend trying to visit a few places on this itinerary.

Some quick scenes from our tour:

Tips for Dining in Rome
(*Disclaimer: These recommendations our based on the opinion of this blogger. I am not a professional restaurant reviewer or even Italian but I like to eat*)

Vicki and I both suggest when you visit Rome do your homework and scope out a few places to eat ahead of time from friends. You could also try TripAdvisor, but be warned there are 5000+ restaurants listed for Rome, by the time you read through all the reviews your trip may have come and gone.  Getting a personal recommendation is the best way to dine in Rome.

It can be very overwhelming and a bit intimidating if you think you'll just choose a place by just wondering around.  This is especially true of the more populated tourist areas around the Vatican and the Pantheon.  A good rule of thumb we learned for dining in Rome: Bad Service = Good Food.  Don't be lured by the over eager Menu Men out front of the restaurants with white linen table clothes and fancy oragami napkins.  They just want to fill their restaurant, once you're in they don't care about you or the food they serve.   Don't get me wrong, we've had some good luck finding a great place by just wondering by, L'Insalata Ricca for example.  But when you visit Rome, a few core places in mind to avoid a disappointing dining experience.

Oh, and last tip, order everything that has artichokes.

Here are some of the places we can highly recommend from our visit.  Click the restaurant name to be taken to the TripAdvisor Review.

L'Insalata Ricca (Piazza Risorgimento 4) #1,427 of 5,154 on Trip Advisor
First, I know, it's a chain and nothing good can come from chains right?  WRONG.  We found this place during our second visit to Rome, AMAZING pizza and incredible salads and inexpensive and delicious house wine. Service is mediocre so you know you can expect good things.

There are multiple locations of L'Insalata Ricca throughout Rome.  We've been to the  Piazza Risorgimento location twice now and have enjoyed each experience.





La Sagrestia (Via del seminario 89) #893 of 5,154 on TripAdvisor
We were fortunate to be dining with a priest who had been living in Rome for 10 years.  He suggested we go here on Friday night.  The place was packed except for one "Reserved" table for four.  Since we were with two VIPs (Very Important Priests) we were given that table.  Funny thing about this place, the service was outstanding from the start AND the food was tremendous.  So this place breaks the Rome dining rule, but this may have been a result of our dining companions or the fact that this place is off the beaten path.  

Vicki & I with our VIP (Very Important Priests) dining companions

Ristorante Tre Pupazzi (Borgo Pio, 183) #925 of 5,154 on TA

When in Rome...drink Limoncello

Borgo Pio is street located very close to the Vatican so as a result it, hosts a number of touristy restaurants.  Walk your way past all the Menu Men along the street and find Tre Pupazzi.  You know you've arrived because no one will be begging you to sit down, they don't need to.  We had one ouf our favorite dining experiences here.  We were able to catch up with our VIPs again and have a wonderful 3 hour lunch.  Yes, 3 hours.  True Italian style.  We were warned not to try the Daily Menu specials, our Priest friend said the items haven't changed in 10 years! Try their Fettuccine with mushrooms and peas in a cream sauce. 

Da Baffetto (Via Del Governo Vecchio, 114) #2,210 of 5,154 on TA

Before you question the validity of my recommendation based on the TA ranking, let me explain.  DaBaffetto or "mustache" in Italian, was recommended to us by two people, our host at the B&B and our Ryan Air Flight Attendant.  He not only recommended he took the time to draw a detailed map of its location in relation to Piazza Navona, pictured to the left.  I really should have been saving all the napkin maps we've collected through the years, this one's a classic.  

But be warned, do not expect good service, or much service at all. Frankly, it will probably be the WORST SERVICE you'll ever receive in a restaurant.  If you prepare yourself, it's actually a very comical experience.  The way our waiter shoved our pizzas in front of us made me actually laugh out loud.  Was it the best pizza in Rome as the guide books claim, it's debatable depending on your tastes and your toppings. The edges of our crust were a little burned but that seems to be the norm based on the reviews.  The thing that impressed Vicki and I the most was how crispy the pizza was throughout.  Normally we stay away from too many toppings because the pieces tend to get soggy.  So we did a test, we ordered one Margherita and one with artichokes, mushrooms, sausage and a fried egg.  The loaded pizza was amazing crispy throughout just like the Margherita, no soggy spots.  

Don't be scared off by the negative reviews, two locals suggested it to us.  Yes, you'll get bad service; yes, you'll probably have to wait in a line outside for awhile; and yes, there is a chance you may have to be seated with others (we got lucky and got a table for 2).  Just go for the experience and the crispy pizza.  

Da Vito e Dina (Via Degli Scipioni, 50) #418 of 5,154 on TA

We saved our best meal and recommendation for last and we didn't even realize it.  Da Vito e Dina was FABULOUS and worthy of it's high TA ranking.  Our B&B host was on a roll with his Rome suggestions so we tried another of his restaurant recommendations.  We went here for Lunch or "Pranzo" and did we pranzo...wine bruschetta, pasta, veal, limoncello it was all amazing.  But the pasta dishes stole the show as you can see.

Rigatoni Gricia con Carciofo (left) & Spinaci Raviloi con Funghi

There you have it.  Highlights from our five day Rome adventure which mostly involved sitting and eating.  Hope you enjoyed this post and found the information provided helpful in planning your own trip to the Eternal City.  Ciao!

Wordless Wednesday: Bandit is Not Impressed

Trying to teach Bandit how to keep in touch with us via Facebook while we're in the Netherlands.

When in Rome...Get on Action News

Okay, let's play connect the dots real fast.

I was born & raised in Norristown, PA (a suburb of Philadelphia)---moved & now live in Oss, Netherlands (an hour & a half south of Amsterdam)---vacationed in Rome, Italy this weekend---interviewed by major Philadelphia news outlet in front of St. Peter's Square, Vatican City.  Crazy world.

Thanks Bonnie for your TV pic!

Vicki and I took a long weekend to Rome to catch up with a good friend and to see some white smoke and a new Pope.  Well, we were too early to catch any smoke, but we did catch an interview from Action News reporter, Brian Taff (front runner to take over for Jim Gardner when/if he retires, IMHO). After we learned from Alicia Vitarelli's twitter that Brian Taff from Action News was in Rome, I immediately composed this tweet:

He taped a story while in Rome about buying a crappy umbrella from a street vendor

Brian, to his credit, quickly responded:

I wasn't comfortable tweeting my email (but in retrospect would it have mattered?  I dunno.)  So I asked him if I could "DM" (Twitter speak for "Direct Message") my address to him.  No response.  So a day goes by and I tweet him again:

Still no response.  I thought, "Hmmm, he's blowing me off."  Ducis Rogers immediately becomes my new front runner to take over for the legendary anchorman Jim Gardner.

Ducis Rogers the next Jim Gardner? 

I needed a new angle....I needed a new face: a duck face.

Since I was too cheap to splurge for the €2 to activate the internet on my phone, we were just using Vicki's phone for data outside WiFi zones. We were both in St Peter's square when I "borrowed" Vicki's phone and tweeted this breaking story from Vicki's twitter account "by mistake":

Then all this happened:

In case you needed proof the interview was really in Rome, see bus

The meeting took place as planned on Sunday at noon in front of St. Peter's where we met Brian and his crew.  He spent time interviewing us, then posed for some pictures.  But my favorite part was shooting the "B-stroll" footage.  Special thanks to Sean and Kris for sending us your screen grabs below.

So, did I ever unveil my diabolical interview plot to Brian Taff. Nah, I was testing his investigating reporting skills. Sadly, he did not put it together that I was the one who orginally tweeted him or that I used Vicki's twitter to pose as "Some broad you might wanna know" making a duck face in their twitter profile.  I have no doubt Alicia Vitarelli would have uncovered my scheme.  She's just that good.

But again, to their credit Brian and his crew put together a great piece with all the best sound bites and Emmy worthy B-roll.

"Okay Vic, laugh on my count....3,2,1..."  Classic B-Roll (Photo Credit: Sean O'Neill)

More classic B-Roll with nondescript, labeless water bottle (Photo Credit: Kris Goorsky)

 

So now I bring you, THE BIG STORY ON ACTION NEWS.

These will probably be our new facebook profile pictures forever.  Thanks Sean!

Here's my entire uncut interview.  I'll admit, I was a little nervous.  You try looking at those sunglasses.  Well, thank goodness for editing.  I wasn't fast enough on the draw to record Vicki's interview unfortunately.  She was just so awesome I was simply captivated by her responses.

Moving closer to our world with friend Brian Taff (@briantaff6abc)

Oh, and if you're wondering what happened to his jacket.  Brian lent it to a fellow journalist from I'm guessing somewhere in South America.  True story, the reporter walks up and asks Brian for his jacket so they can tape a spot.  Brian obliges and lends his coat.  Stand up guy that Brian Taff but he needs to back off the hand on the hip thing; that's Alicia Vitarelli's thing.

Thanks everyone for reading and thank you all for the feedback through facebook & twitter.  We've greatly enjoyed our 15 minutes of fame.

Wordless Wednesday: Beach Day

Bandit contemplating life or preparing to chase a seagull on Malahide Beach 

(Malahide, County Dublin, Ireland)




Sexy Astronauts & NespressOH!

"OUT OF NESPRESSO! WHAT DO YOU MEAN WE'RE OUT OF NESPRESSO? HOW AM I GOING TO FUNCTION. OMG. OMG. OMG.  OK, RELAX, NO, DON'T RELAX, DO CHORES. DO LAUNDRY OR MAYBE I'LL JUST LICK THE BOTTOM OF MY MUG. 

AH! IT'S. ALL.GONE. THE HUMANITY AHHHHH!!!!  

This is a slight dramatization of the conversation that occurred last Saturday morning when Vicki and I used the last of the Nespresso capsules in the apartment.  Have you heard of these things?  It's similar to the Keurig and other one cup at a time coffee machines. It was actually featured on NBC's "The Office" awhile back. Our Nespresso came with the apartment along with what we thought was an unlimited supply of coffee capsules.  

It's truly a magical machine. I don't know how we functioned without one.  During "BN" or "Before Nespresso" days, Vicki and I started our mornings with instant Folgers, you know, "the best part of waking up, is Folgers in your cup" frozen crystals.  Goodbye instant, hello "Linizio Lungo" "Arpeggio," and "Indriya."  I'll be honest, I have no idea what I just typed.  I copied the names from the sides of the box we bought this weekend.  So how did we come across restocking our Nespresso stash?  Let me tell you. 

After a caffeine induced frantic search of the interwebs I stumbled across the location of several "Nespresso Boutiques" around the Netherlands.  One such Boutique was located at de Bijenkorf (aka the "Beehive") in Eindhoven. It's a high end department store, with brands we're used to seeing at our local TJMAX (or TKMAXX for my Irish readers.)  With the help of the Journey Planner on ns.nl I learned that we could be in Eindhoven in 38 minutes!  

"Okay, good story so far Dan, but didn't you mention something about 'Sexy Astronauts' in your title?" Yes, yes I did, I'm getting to that.  Once we arrived in Eindhoven we embarked on our quest for coffee.  Along the way we encountered some extraterrestrial sirens making men fall under a spell with their enchanting mist.  Okay, they were Dutch models, dressed space suits handing out free samples of AXE body spray.  As the saying goes, "If it's free, it's for me."  I stocked up.

Houston, we are approaching.

Houston, we have capture of the free stuff.

Houston, we have NO Problems.  

Sorry, but no sexy astronaut is going to keep me from my quest.  We finally arrived at the de Bijenkorf and went straight to the 2nd Floor, the home of the Nespresso Boutique.  

Heaven is a place on Earth.

I was strong. I held back the tears; upon seeing this place for the first time, I got a little choked up.  It was magical.  As you waited in line, yes there was a line about 12 deep, they came around with free samples. We got to try their "Linizio Lungo." Then when it was your turn, a lady dressed in black ushered you to her register ready to fulfill your coffee dreams.  

Look, I couldn't swipe my VISA fast enough.  See the blur in my right hand? That's my credit card.

From what we figure, we purchased enough Nespresso to last us for the next month.  I hope it's enough.  

Sorry to upset any readers who were searching for sexy male astronauts. I'm an equal opportunity blogger.  But here, I've got something for everyone.  Watch this interactive movie to see how you "have more points in common with George (Clooney) than you think."  He's the official spokesperson of Nespresso, at least in Europe as far as I can tell.