Blame Canada! (Toronto to Pittsburgh via Rental Car)

Just to make life a little more interesting our flight from London was delayed as we tried to get back to Pittsburgh via Toronto. We took North America's #1 Airline (Air Canada) and landed in the most improved airport of the world (Toronto) but even with this on our side we found ourselves in a tough spot.

As we approached US Customs we were actually told "The United States is closed".  From there we then pushed our way through Canadian customs where we were met with a lady that told us what hotel we'd be sleeping at and that our new flight would be taking off 8:30pm the following day (Christmas Eve).  This news didn't sit well with either of us who had plans in Pittsburgh, so we thanked her and went to find a rental car.

The six hour drive (on the right side of the road!) that got us to Pittsburgh a little bit before 4am was definitely the right choice.  I even gave the customs agent at the border our "landing cards" from our flight to announce what we were bringing into the US.  He also was confused for a moment when he thought that I actually worked in London, Canada rather than London, England.  As we crossed into Buffalo, NY both, our GPS and iPhone decided to crash at the same time but even that couldn't stop us from continuing Southwest.

On the flight I found myself often trying to maintain self control by not singing the lyrics of "Blame Canada" but now that this ordeal is over and we're back in the USA, I chant it proudly.  Looking forward to a week of relaxing with friends and family.

Headed Home for Christmas

Get ready USA here we come.  They are making us bounce through Canada but that's not going to stop us from leaving the UK and getting back to Pittsburgh for the holidays.  You all better have your bells on because we are going to bring a level of energy you aren't even ready for.

Light the fire, pour the eggnog .... Merry Christmas!

Berlin! (Happy Holidays)

Nothing is quite like Berlin close to the winter holidays.  Christmas markets all over the city full of fun German trinkets, lights, lots of people, and gluwein!  No matter how exhausted you are from a day exploring the city and its history these markets make you feel better.  They have music, plays, beer halls, and much more.  It turns out that Mike's German is just as bad as his French but he does think he's bilingual after enough of the gluwein (warm wine, with amaretto and cinnamon).

Even more amazing was the history of Berlin.  The amazing amount of artifacts the German's collected in the early 1900's from all over the world makes some of their museums some of the most impressive we've seen.  The fact that they had to hide many of them away as Berlin was bombed to pieces during WWII, even sinking quite a few to the bottom of the Spree River to protect them at that time makes it that more fascinating.

With that, it is the history of Berlin since the 30's and the everyday reminders that are what really capture your attention.  Bullet holes in buildings and other damage from the bombings of World War II, a sign marking where Hitler's bunker was found, parts of the Berlin Wall that still remain, and just the amount of work that is being done to make this city whole again from it being reunited only 23 years ago.

It's the first time the name Egger didn't need to be spelled out to people as we checked into hotels or went places (Egger is a very German surname). We also had the best Mexican food in a long time (we got this from a restaurant in the base of the Canadian embassy).  We got the chance to be guided around by a woman who grew up in East Berlin, ride a ferris wheel, snow tube down a fake slope in the middle of the city, test currywurst, and much more.

Jolene, Fuzzy Hat, and the Berlin Wall

Mike once again quickly linked back in with his roots and has fallen for the Berlin Bears which can be found all around the city.

Mike Berlin Bear Collage

Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving - Back in The States

Mike's family headed to New York City for the holidays.  It was a "destination" holiday in an effort to get everyone from the various cities of the North East in the same place.  We stayed right off Times Square, saw the Macy's Day Parade, watched Lion King, and had a lot of really good food (anything is better than British beef).  We also took the train out to Long Island for the holiday meal to visit Mike's Aunt/Uncle and cousins.

London actually seems a little more "normal" than New York City to us ... we're not sure if that is a good thing or not.

As always hanging out with family was a good time and kept things interesting.  You should have seen everybody going different directions in the subway trying to figure out where we actually were headed.

This about sums up a long weekend with family. (Added by Mike)

While New York was great ... we really can't wait to get back to Pittsburgh for Christmas and be out of a city for a change!

Glasgow, Scotland

"O ye’ll tak’ the high road, and Ah'll tak' the low (road)
And Ah’ll be in Scotlan' afore ye
Fir me an' my true love will ne-er meet again


On the bonnie, bonnie banks o’ Loch Lomon'" 
"The Bonnie Banks o' Loch Lomond", or simply "Loch Lomond" for short, is a well-known traditional Scottish song.

The night train from London got us in and out of this Scottish city that is often overlooked as a tourist stop with Edinburgh only an hour or so East of it.  It still has Protestant and Catholic friction that can best be seen in the Celtic or Ranger football chants but you wouldn't know it on an early winter weekend as everyone is out shopping and attending church.


We took a small coach with a group of eight up to the Highlands stopping at Loch Lommond, Glencoe, Loch Ness, and driving back through Inverness, Sterling, and Falkirk on our way back South. The bens, glens, and lochs (mountains, valleys, lakes) of this country are just amazing and nearly untouched as nearly all the population live near one of their six cities.  Green hillsides covered in sheep and highland cows. We did not see Nessie on our boat ride across Loch Ness but there were some suspicious shadows below.


Special thanks to Michael from Rabbies for guiding us through this country with a Scottish accent that would make just about any piece of history sound interesting.  I still say Braveheart was a hell of a movie even if Hollywood took liberty with the actual facts and cast a short Australian to play who we know to be at least a 6'5" Scot.

Made it to both St. Andrews and Glasgow Cathedral. Drank some Scottish beer and ate some Scottish food (haggis and neeps). Picked up a Scottish accent and will never be the same.

Thank You Scotland!

Harry Potter Walking Tour!

Today Mike and I went on a walking tour of London to learn all about Harry Potter and the filming locations. We saw many of the scenes from all of the movies including the streets of Diagon Alley, the bridges the Death Eaters destroyed, both entrances to The Leaky Cauldron (1st and 3rd movies were different), Gringotts Bank, the Ministry of Magic, and most excitingly Platform 9 3/4!!  Our guide Shannon was brilliant. I was apparently the biggest Harry Potter fan of the group answering nearly all of the trivia questions Shannon threw at us!

Guy Fawkes Night

Jolene and I went out with a coworker, his wife, and a group of their friends to celebrate Guy Fawkes Night on the other side of London.  We were in Battersea Park with an absolute ton of people, lighting bonfires and watching fireworks.

"Guy Fawkes Night, also known as Guy Fawkes Day, Bonfire Night and Firework Night, is an annual commemoration observed on 5 November, primarily in England. Its history begins with the events of 5 November 1605, when Guy Fawkes, a member of the Gunpowder Plot, was arrested while guarding explosives the plotters had placed beneath the House of Lords. Celebrating the fact that King James I had survived the attempt on his life, people lit bonfires around London, and months later the introduction of the Observance of 5th November Act enforced an annual public day of thanksgiving for the plot's failure." - Wikipedia

Dublin, Ireland

Dear Ireland ... We will miss you so.  We've only been back a couple days and can't wait to go back.  There was something eerily fascinating about being in Dublin, the birth city of the author of Dracula, during Halloween weekend.  Touring the city with all the pubs decked out in decorations and people wandering the streets in costumes added to the overall affect.

Kilmainhem Gaol, Book of Kells, the zoo, Christ Church Cathedral, Dublinia (Vikings Museum), and Temple Bar were just a few of the places we saw between Irish meals and pints of Guinness.  The Vikings Museum was a last minute add on of the history of Dublin, but the “Black Pool” and the people who lived there kept us entertained for some time.  They even let you dress as Vikings while in the museum (the whole concept of horned helmets is a myth by the way).  We also attended mass at Christ Church and were invited into the crypts afterwards for tea and coffee with the others at mass and the priests. 

While all the sites were great, what really made the trip were the pubs with Irish food and Irish music.  Trabba, a local band was following us around (Blarney Inn, Temple Bar), one night dressed as the undead and the next as super heroes.  I haven’t gotten a chance to listen to their CD yet, but people should look them up.

While we’re anxious to go visit other places, the separation anxiety that we both already suffer from will soon put us back on the short flight over to the Republic of Ireland.

NFL International Series

Mike and I recently attended the Bears vs Buccaneers NFL game at Wembley Stadium with his coworker Cory and wife Allison. Everyone came wearing their favorite team's jerseys. Good times had by all. We were even part of a full stadium 6 lap wave!

NFL Tailgate 

 Representing the US during the National Anthem

 A squirrel even participated in the festivities

Can't have football without someone rushing the field

First Guest!

Well JR wins.  I know he didn't want to visit us in London but it was on his way further east so we're going to count it anyway.

Sadly the only obvious way to prove he was even here is a picture of him standing next to a giant M&M dressed as a Beefeater.

Living in London

We've been in London for about a month already. So many things have happened and we've already let our blog fall behind .... Let me catch you up.

We have finally moved out of the hotel and into our new flat in Northeast London. Both of us are enjoying the additional space and the view from our balcony but are still in the process of getting cable/internet setup along with buying all the other items you need for an apartment.

During the the last few weeks we've also snuck in a handful of tourist attractions which have been fun (London Eye, London Dungeon, Big Ben, Regents Park, Buckingham Palace, Chinatown, etc.). The amount of times we've rode the tube back and forth has to be a record. We've also already had our first guest, and have an upcoming trip booked at the end of the month to Ireland.

Goodbye USA ... Hello UK!

Mike has officially moved to London and has started his new job while I tie up loose ends in the States before I make the move myself in 2 weeks!

Mike was able to pack all of his life possessions into 5 tightly packed suitcases/bags!

Welcome to our blog!

By popular demand, Mike and I have decided to start a blog as we move to London, England over the next year and travel all over the world. We will try our best to keep this up to date!