Backtracking: Berlin Part 1

Hey, remember a thousand years ago when I told you I was going to Berlin with my friend Beerbaumer, for the night, to see the ska band Reel Big Fish? Well, we had an awesome time! And here's the pics to prove it!

We stayed at "The Circus Hotel," which was probably one of the nicest hotel experiences I've ever had, and not too pricey. The staff was great, and spoke English better than we do...seriously. The breakfast is absolutely worth the price of admission, as it's an entirely organic breakfast buffet. They not only have a hotel, but also a hostel and apartments to rent, so really they are perfect for whatever your needs when traveling... 

{Pic via Beerbaumer.}

Not many things tug at my heart strings like well placed graffiti and layers of concert posters, and Berlin has plenty of both...

The show was great, and we got to feel a bit like we were back in 7th grade again, which is always fun...though we did find the absolutely most sketchy route to Cassiopeia that was ever possible in the history of sketchy routes...

...and I got the set list at the end of the show. Because I'm feisty like that.

...but back to the graffiti. I think it's safe to say that it was really the highlight of Berlin for both Beerbaumer and I. I know I've said that Pisa has great graffiti, but it's nothing compared to Berlin. We were going to go on a guided tour of the city's graffiti, however decided to set out on our own and make our own tour. But more on that tomorrow...

 Oh and you know what else Berlin has a lot of? Vintage stores...really really really good vintage stores...

{Something old and something famous...}

{Lox and latkas, Berlin style...}

{Gasp!}

Something I was surprised about in Berlin? The amount of amazing design stores! I saw Eames chairs, and clean lines and bright colors...graffiti, bikes, beer, design, grit, shows...how did we ever leave Beerbaumer?!

Part Deux, demain...

A la prochaine friends...

Honey

When life hands you citrons...

...add vodka. And maybe some fresh mint leaves for fancy-sake. Am I right? Sorry for the absence here at I'm an Outlaw, Not a Hero, but life has been, to get as many corny metaphors in as possible in one blog post, throwing us some curve balls lately. And I don't mean no Kyle Kendrick curve balls, I'm talking some heavy duty Roy Halladay curve balls, meant to break faces. And it's been these face breaking curve balls off and on, since Christmas time (this is a  5 pitcher rotation after all, ya gotta throw Joe Blanton in there every fifth day...) But enough with the corny metaphors and baseball analogies - the point is, we're getting through it as best we can. Doc and I are a pretty good team like that. Maybe someday I'll talk about the things that have been going on, but today is not that day.

But what of our adventures of late? Well it hasn't been all pity-party this and pity-party that, (though I do throw a killer pity-party), we've had some adventures, and some visitors, and those are pretty much my two favorite things that happen in our little SwitzerFrance world afterall. There's also been a lot going on in the Duggan Terrace Orchard, so I'll be updating that as well. {Spoiler alert: Nous avons des figues.}  

While we get ramped back up here at the blog, I'll leave you with some pictures of our last adventure - taking a telecabine to the top of Mont Blanc in Chamonix, France!  

{Chamonix, France from above...}

{Standing Bow Pulling Pose - in my defense, it was 2 C and windy!}

{That's the top  mon amis...}

A la prochaine friends...

 

Honey

Great things are coming...

Everywhere.

So many.

Too many to count.

Upcoming trips.

Upcoming opportunities.

Upcoming hugs and laughs and drinks to be had with friends in far away lands.

But for now I'm just going to sit and enjoy this cup of coffee.

Because great things are happening people.

To be uber cliche: stay tuned.

Hope you're having a beautiful jeudi in your part of the world! 

A la prochaine friends... 

 

Honey 

First hike of the season.

{Doc and the view above St. Jean de Gonville}
 

This past Saturday Doc and I took advantage of the amazing weather and went for a hike in the Jura, the mountain chain of which we live at the "foot" of. (And when I say "foot," it's a complete and utter misnomer, which you realize when carrying bags of groceries and/or plants and/or a coffee table and/or etc up from the shopping center or bus stop. It's still very much "up" in every sense of the word.)

But I digress.
 

{Me and my sweet new Lafuma belly bag. Tres cool, no? Right? Hello?}
 

We're lucky enough that there is a cow pasture directly behind our house that leads to one of the many different trails leading up the Jura. It also tends to be pretty quiet as the main hiking attractions in Thoiry are Reculet and Crêt de la Neige, and there are more widely used trails in the center of town to make your ascent to those landmarks.
 

{Wild daffodils}
 

 {"Duck, dip, dodge, dive and dodge."}
 

{Doc and a little pocket of snow.}
 

We couldn't go much higher because it was getting late and there is still snow on the top of the mountain, but I'm hoping this weekend we can explore a little higher up. We were out on the mountain for about 4 hours, and with an earlier start this week we'll hopefully be able to do a lot more adventuring.
 

And there's something about a glass of wine after a few hours hiking that just makes it taste so much better, don't you think?

 

A la prochaine friends...

 

Honey 

Can't keep a Philly girl quiet for long...

{Mirabelle and Reine Claude pruned cuttings with blossoms in vase}



Sorry for the silence over here at I'm an Outlaw, Not a Hero, but I am straight up exhausted. (True story.) After a solid month of entertaining and traveling Doc and I needed a little time to hibernate after what was by far one of the most fun/hilarious/tiring/cheese-filled/adventure-filled months of our just over two years in SwitzerFrance. In that month I went to Berlin to see a concert (which I believe is where I left off here on the blog), we went back up to the Jungfrau/Wengen region (no, we didn't make Doc run up the mountain this time), spent 27 hours in Madrid where we overcame fears of the Disco Llama (more to come on that later), ate raclette three times (THREE!!!) in 2.5 weeks, and tried to show off to our friends just how cool SwitzerFrance really is (after that much cheese no one can resist the SwitzerFrance charms)...I'll have plenty to post as I get back on the blogging horse, so stay tuned.

{Mirabelle Sprouts}



{Duggan Terrace Orchard, ready for Spring 2012...}



What else has been hapepening here at House of Hadron? Lots of Bikram yoga, lots of bike riding, lots of running, lots of hiking (!!!), and lots of prepping for spring in the Duggan Terrace Orchard as we've been having redonkulous fantastic weather here. I just can't argue with tank tops.

{Propagated fig tree, about 2 months old}

So, in the meantime, before I jump back into the month that was, here is a gratuitous garden post to get you in the spring mood. Poppies and mirabelle blossoms go!  

A la prochaine friends...

 

Honey