The Golden Beetle

Last night I threw on my red dress and headed over to The Golden Beetle in Ballard for dinner with a few friends from my study abroad program a few years ago.


Here's who was there:

Top left: Me and Jarrett in the Latin Quarter of Paris being suuuuper weird (alcohol MIGHT have been involved; top right: Jessica, probably in Rome, up to her old antics, and me, very scared; bottom left: me and Britta in Berlin, fake smiles; bottom right: me and Laura at a Mozart symphony performance in Vienna


And here's what I had for dinner:

Cocktail: Beirut Fizz (Hendrick’s Gin, Rosewater, Cucumber Dry Soda)
First course: Oxbow Farm Carrot Soup – duqqa spice blend, crouton, cream
Second course: (Pictured above) St. Jude’s Albacore Tuna – grilled cucumber, tarator sauce, nut rice pilaf (plus a glass of Marqués de Riscal)
Dessert: Theo’s Chocolate Milk Pudding – fresh breeze milk, chantilly, milk chocolate


EVERYTHING was divine. The Golden Beetle serves organic Eastern Mediterranean cuisine, so a lot of the flavors were warm and sweet and spicy; really interesting! I highly recommend it!

Weimar, Germany, May 2007

Two Years Ago, Sorrento, Italy...

Lemons, lemons, lemons. They are like bright little jewels with not much glittery value, but beautiful just the same. I feel more comfortable walking around and exploring here. It is worlds smaller than Roma. It's much cleaner. I bought postcards and sandals. I also had a frozen lemonade... overall, I am settling in for a good long bath of beauty and pleasure.

Dinner was lovely... a large group of us dined at Giardenello's, on the via Accademia. I tried the risotto della pescadore, along with an eggplant dish. It was my favorite part of the dinner. Eggplant with basil and mozzerella baken in the oven with tomato sauce on top. Simple flavors and ingredients...

I am so worn out and sunburned by today that it is hard for me to collect my thoughts. Capri was such a gem of an island, a place I could certainly run away to whenever I feel blue... everything was summery and glorious. I just have a really hard time believing that I'm enrolled in school right now and not on vacation. After the boatride we ate lunch on the beach and skipped stones on the Mediterranean.

My Roman Holiday

Two years ago, I was having my own little Roman holiday, sans a handsome Gregory Peck.

What I miss...

the Piazza de Republica
juice box wine
Mary
getting lost
throwing coins in the Trevi
Babbo's

EQ Reunion

It's coming up on the two year anniversary that I was here,


here,


and here.


So last Friday the greatest group of students to have ever graced the streets of Florence, Berlin, Paris, and the like, got together for a reunion.

Here is the photographic evidence:







Sometimes (read: all the time) I think about my trip to Europe. I think about how much I grew as an individual. And I think about how my faith grew. And I think about how much I laughed. I think about the park benches I sat on, and the hot Italian sun, the color of the Mediterranean, the whispers of history, the quiet side streets in Siena, the pristine galleries, the way my feet would hurt from walking everywhere all the time, the passing moments on trains from one destination to the next, the rivers, the skies, the rain in Paris, the heat in Florence, the mist in Heppenheim, the countless group dinners, the way I danced, the music I heard, the darkness and the light.

This is a journal entry from one year ago, when I arrived in Heppenheim, Germany...

"We are in Heppenheim, and have been essentially shut indoors thanks to the ever-dreary weather. The bright side to being shut indoors is that we are shut in a castle... Which reminds me of one of my favorite books, called "I Capture the Castle." But I digress. The castle tower is where us poor females are shut away in, and we have nothing to do but imagine that we are Rupunzels and Sleeping Beauties... There are nice little window nooks for looking out of at the green hills and daydreaming..."

One Year Ago: Arrival in Berlin

One year ago I arrived in Berlin with my band of brothers and sisters. It took an overnight train adventure to get from Vienna, Austria to the Deutschland. If I remember correctly, I had the pleasure of sharing one little train compartment with Britta, Jess Vehorn, Cornelius Deppe, and Will & Josh (not to be confused with another inseparable duo, "Will & Grace"), who were, as usual, smashed. All of us, sleeping in one compartment that miraculously had six cots towering against the walls.

Got to the Berlin train station early in the morn, which is so impressive. Like a mall. Got some McDonalds breakfast with Jess and Jarr(ett Mylander)... And then we were off in our coach.

Later that night, the family met up in the city to celebrate...

This girl was pretty annoying.

This guy turned 21. Beer in the park. Classy pants.

We ate a FANTASTIC German dinner. Beer. Beer. Beer. Weiner schnitzel. One year ago.

In Case You're Interested...

I have been going through my blog and adding photos, specifically to my European entries. It is very fun to reread those. So if you're interested, there are now visuals to go along with them.

I miss Europe a lot, guys.



"I will tell the world where I've been."