FAWCO in Berlin - A working trip

The week after the Marine Ball, I headed to Berlin for a three-day FAWCO board meeting, followed by the Region 5 meeting, with participants from all over Germany as well as the board (with members living in Dubai, Saudi Arabia, France, Italy, the Netherlands and Germany and the president of the FAWCO Foundation who lives in England). They are an amazing bunch of women and I'm really honored to be working with them and with FAWCO.

Our board meeting was held in the home of the FAWCO president in Berlin. Our meetings last the entire day and, naturally, discussions continue over dinner.

We were invited to attend a performance by Robin Goldsby, a friend of mine who lives in Cologne. She is a piano player and author of many books about music and combines the two in a very entertaining performance in which she reads excerpts from her books and performs her music (for more about Robin go to http://www.goldsby.de/robin/index.php). We were privileged to attend her performance at the Steinway showroom in Berlin.

We had dinner at a traditional German restaurant where I ate crispy pork knuckle (and beer) and also ate at an Australian joint where I had a kangaroo burger! Although the burger was, well, edible - and I'm glad to have tried it - I wouldn't recommend it over a regular beef burger :)

Oh yeah, we had some more beer - this is Germany after all!


After our board meeting we moved into the city center to the Hollywood Media hotel where the Region 5 (Germany and Austria) meeting was held and attended by 32 women spanning the region. Friends from all over Germany attended and it was such a delight to spend time with such a fun group. Although we had many hours of meetings, we had time for a bus tour of Berlin with special stops at the Holocaust Memorial and the Berlin Wall Museum. It is strange to think that it was only in 1989 that the wall was torn down. We also visited the Ronald McDonald house in Berlin which is strongly supported by the AWC of Berlin. My friend Angelika, a native west Berliner married to an American, and the president of the AWC Berlin, was recently honored by the city of Berlin, as one of its 200 most inspiring citizens. I'm privileged to know her.






That eveing we gathered at the Hard Rock in Berlin to celebrate our friendships and have a bit of fun - and yes, a bit more beer :)

Happy 236th Birthday

This year we attended, for the third time, the annual US Marine Ball, celebrating the 263rd birthday of the United States Marine Corp. It is always a big event, a formal dinner with about 200 guests, including civilians, military personnel (from all branches) and their spouses, employees from the embassy and consulate and other distinguished guests. There is a cocktail hour before guests are seated for dinner, which is followed by a formal military service, led by the most senior embassy official (last year the US Ambassador, this year the US Deputy Chief of Mission) and a somber reminder of marines lost and stories of marines. Both the oldest and youngest marine in the room are acknowledged. After the ceremony there is music and dancing and lots of merriment. It is particularly rewarding to see the young marines enjoying themselves - and always a delight for me to be photographed with them in uniform :)

Many of my AWC friends regularly attend, and it is always a fun evening.

This year we met some new friends and did lots of dancing. At about quarter after midnight our cab arrived to take us home to get to bed in order to be ready for a wine tasting on Sunday afternoon!

What a weekend.

Girls in the Dam

In October, friends from the States had plans to visit Amsterdam, and we caught up for an evening. I know Sheila and Michelle from college, and Hollie is a friend with whom I worked at Midnight Networks. As it turned out, Michelle and Hollie were attending the same conference, although they've never met. Small world



Sheila and Michelle were staying at the Citizen M hotel in Amsterdam - a cool, self-serve, "pod" hotel.



The rooms are all exactly the same, with one very large bed, a shower with a circular, clear glass door, and a toilet, with a circular, frosted-glass door. The concept is an interesting one, and works well - the place was modern, safe, clean, new, comfortable and efficient. The remote operates the lights (including the color), the temperature, the window shade, the tv and the alarm clock. Cool stuff.
This artwork is a bit tough to see, but if you look closely you'll see the artist's depiction of what might be happening in each of the rooms...Sheila was bit shocked when she took a good look! This is Amsterdam, after all :)

We had a late night with a few martinis so I stayed with Sheila and escorted her to the airport the following morning and heading back home on the train.

What a delightful reunion!!!

Two days later I headed back into Amsterdam to meet Hollie. From central station I took a tram to the Leidseplein. As I stepped off the tram I was struck from the left from a full-grown Dutchman who was running past the door at speed. I was knocked backwards into the steps and then fell forward onto the ground. I scrambled away from the tram, afraid that it would move before my feet were clear. I realized that my phone, which had been in my hand, had been knocked away and I bent to look under the tram for it. I think the woman standing in front of me thought I was collapsing. I'd twisted my knee, but was ok - more shaken than anything.

The perpetrator had apparently seen the phone fly out of my hand and had retrieved it. He handed it to me and said something in Dutch, which I didn't understand, but presumed he'd asked if I was ok so I said, "I'm alright, I'm ok, I'm ok" - but he said, "oh, you speak English - just make sure you have everything" - not "geez, I'm awfully sorry, are you ok?"!!! Anyway, moments after the tackle, it was better than ever to see Hollie and give her a hug - and have a large beer!

I'd wanted to return to the restaurant where I'd had dinner with Sheila and Michelle earlier in the week as Sheila and I had both left our umbrellas behind. Nothing that couldn't be replaced - and I certainly own more than enough umbrellas - but retrieving the lost umbrellas would feel like a coup. It was just a few hundred yards away so we headed there. Sure enough, the owner recognized me before I asked and handed me both umbrellas. Certainly we'd thought we'd never see them again - umbrellas the kind of things prime for losing :)

We walked back to the plein and settled down for some beer and a catch-up while we enjoyed the interesting people-watching that Amsterdam offers on a Saturday evening.

Feeling hungry, Hollie and I headed back down the street where the Argentinian restaurant is and considered the menu. And then we walked a bit further to find what turned out to be a spectacular Indian restaurant where we enjoyed a delicious and spicy meal! It was kind of special as, it was Hollie and the Midnight Networks crew that introduced me to Indian food - and it has been a favorite of mine since.

I headed back, not too late, accompanied by about 20 German tourist on the tram, to Amsterdam Central Station to catch the train home. Always a pleasure to see Hollie, always!

Here's a film capturing the fun visits:

Another visit to Brussels

The second weekend in October I took the train to Brussels and attended the Region 4 FAWCO Conference held at the AWC of Brussels in Waterloo. If you're interested in what FAWCO is about and why I'm involved, you can see more at www.fawco.org

As you can see, we mix work with fun but make no mistake, we work hard to try to get some good things done in the world.



The picture above is of the group on the day we learned about the Well Deserved Desserts program, one way our local clubs can raise funds to build wells for the Tabitha Project in Cambodia (http://www.fawcofoundation.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=169&Itemid=137). In about 30 minutes we raised $210 - enough for another well!!!

Here's a video clip for you to think about. In an effort to raise awareness about our Target Water Project and the water crisis our world faces, please take a look at this:




Our goal is to raise $80,000 for the project, and we're now more than halfway there!

What else do we talk about at such conferences? Here's another example of what is important to us:



To see more pics from the meeting, go to my facebook page.

Girls Gone Wild in Paris

Last weekend I met up with my friend Sue (from St. Mike's) and her hilarious friend Mary for a long weekend in Paris. I arrived before Sue and Mary and was delighted to find that our hotel was about 1,000 yards from the Eiffel Tower. The girls arrived a few hours later and we began a weekend of good food, wine and fabulous company. We laughed A LOT!

We wandered around the city to see the Eiffel Tower, Trocadero, the Louvre, Notre Dame, St. Chapelle...what a beautiful city. And the weather was remarkable - sunny and about 80 degrees. I wore shorts for the first time all summer!

On Saturday evening we'd arranged for a package deal that provided transportation to and from the Moulin Rouge theatre, which included a three-course meal and champagne. When we arrived we were escorted to our table - in the front row right up to the stage edge. The dinner was excellent and I can't even put into words how amazing the show was. It included a raised stage that was filled with water - and snakes - into which one of the performers jumped and swam with with the snakes....yikes! There was a ventriloquist that made me laugh so hard I thought I might pee myself!! The dancers, simply amazing. Lots of naked boobs! We were so close to the stage that when the dancers went past, there was a "whoosh" and at times I found myself under a cape or a boa! During one performance, a dancer who was playing a drunk spied our champagne bucket - and when I pulled the champagne bottle toward me, she scowled, so I gave it to her. It was, of course - and to her chagrin - empty - and she returned it. Mary was quite taken with the male dancers, and because we were so close, they were well aware of her. During the next act, from an elevated stage, they looked down and winked at her. The whole show was just extraordinary, impressive - and thoroughly entertaining.

After the show we met a charming couple, Warren and Sally, who were in Paris to celebrate Sally's 75th birthday. Warren, who is 78, was in the US foreign service, and saw Moulin Rouge back in the 50's and was as impressed this time as he was then. Since we'd just been to the show (which has lots of exposed bosoms) the topic of boobs was top of mind for Warren, who prefers the larger sets, but assured me that it is quality, not quantity...

On Sunday evening, Sue's sister, Patty, and her husband, Mark, arrived from Wales and we all enjoyed a fun evening of more food, lots of beer and plenty more laughter. The following morning we all got up rather slowly and headed out to explore more of the city, getting a bit lost in the Metro and making our way to Sacre Coeur and the surrounding areas until I had to catch a cab back to the hotel and another to the train station for the three hour ride back to The Hague. I hated to leave.

It was a simply fabulous and perfect weekend!

I love you Sue and Mary!!!!

A fun birthday

Not much I have to say here - I was able to celebrate my birthday this year with family in the States. We celebrated being together, but very importantly, celebrated being from Boston - early in the Red Sox season, and right at the time that the Bruins were fighting for the Stanley Cup (we were still in town for game 1 and watched it anxiously from the Netherlands upon our return) - GO BOSTON!!!

I can't take credit for any of the pics, as I was busy being the birthday girl - so thanks to my aunt Nancy and hubby Alex for capturing the essence of this very fun day!

Alex bought me a MacBook for my birthday, so it has taken me a bit of time to get out of my PC head and into the ins and outs of the Mac (which I love!) It has some great advantages, particularly where processing and working with my photos is concerned, but it has taken some time to make the transition and learn how to do it on a different platform.

I'll be posting about our trip to Greece shortly!!

Our Holiday in Greece

In mid-July, Alex and I headed to the island of Corfu, Greece in the Ionian Sea (about 100 miles southeast of the heel on the boot of Italy and only about two miles from Albania). The island offers a bit of everything and is stunning. We stayed at the beautiful Grecotel Eva Palace, a romantic and luxurious resort on the Kommeno peninsula. The hotel offered live entertainment in the evenings and it was nice, although we spent most of our evenings out and about. It also had an amazing spa which Alex visited several times and at which we spent one relaxing afternoon having a romantic couples massage.

For the first couple of days, it was time for decompression - lounging by the pool or the beach, reading, sipping cocktails, just enjoying the amazing beauty and perfect weather. During the course of our time in Corfu, we had plenty of feta cheese, lots of lamb, Greek yoghurt with walnuts and honey - and I've been Wii-Fitting like mad since our return as I only used the fitness center once during our stay!

The resort has a beautiful pool area, but also a lovely beach tucked into a private cove. There is really no tide, perhaps a six inch varation in 24 hours. We chose a side of the beach where there were stones rather than sand, which was a bit tough on the tootsies. And for the first time since I purchased a pair of water shoes several years ago (and have yet to wear) I didn't actually *pack* th water shoes :) So we coined the awkward dance across the stones to and from deeper water the "Corfu Shuffle" - well worth the hobbling to reach deeper water where we could float and swim in the very salty Ionian Sea.



Mid-week we rented a car so that we could explore the island - and we did so for three days, driving up along the northern part of the island, through the middle, to the south side and all around. We drove through villages, olive groves, along the beaches and even through the center of a *tiny* village - where the buildings were so close together and the road so narrow that the rear view mirrors actually scraped along the walls! So many interesting places! Corfu, Dassia, Ipsos, Roda, Sidari, Paleokastritsa, Pelekas, Agios Gordis, Agios Mattheos, Agios Georgis, Kavos and more!



We travelled along the north side of the island from Ipsos to Sidari and making our way back across and south through some zig-zaggy roads! We also explored the southern side of the island, making our way all the way Kavos, a resort designed for young Brits (late teens to 30) to spend their holidays. I'm afraid it seemed all a bit seedy and sticky to me, but I'm sure if I was 20 it might have lots of appeal. We continued our journey by way of Korission Lake, Agios Mattheos and Sinarades, crossing back across the island to Corfu and back to Komeno Bay.



We'd planned to use a taxi to get to and from the local towns for the remainder of the trip, and chose first to go to Gouvia, just a five minute drive from our hotel. We happened upon a huge traditional Greek restaurant with live Greek dancing (interactive)! Alex wasn't so keen on trying it, but you know I had to and I found myself holding hands with strangers and dancing both in and outside of the restaurant with about 50 others who enjoyed the experience with me while Alex took videos and photos.








A couple of nights later when we returned to Gouvia we had not only some of the best Tex-Mex Food (no kidding - a placed called "Three Monkeys") that I've had in Europe, we saw the BEST ELVIS IMPERSONATOR EVER! This guy was smooth. He had it all - the body type, the costumes, the voice and the star quality and magnetism. It was a small pub that we'd just randomly chosen for a beer before heading back to the hotel. Several hours later we poured out of the pub having had just a delightful evening of partying and dancing with a friendly group of punters other pub-goers - a smashing good time! We loved Gouvia!

On our last day with the car we drove back up north and spent the afternoon at the beach on Roda and came back via a different route than before so that we could see even more of the island. Planning to return to Gouvia again for another fun night, we were disappointed to find out that the taxis - all across Greece - had gone on strike.

No worries for us, we knew of a restaurant nearby that we'd wanted to try, so we walked just a few minutes and up a very steep hill to be rewarded with a spectacular view and we enjoyed a relaxing dinner overlooking Gouvia Bay. Not Gouvia, but at least we could see it :)

The following day the taxis were still on strike (as they were for the remainder of the trip), so we walked into nearby Dassia. Not a terribly long walk, but it is pretty hot in Corfu in mid-July, so we burned some calories! We wandered around the shops and stopped for lunch before walking back to the hotel - more uphill than down so more caloric burn!

We were almost glad that the taxis were unavailable the next evening becuse the phone-hacking scandal in the UK was all over the news. We didn't want to miss anything and it gave us an excuse to stay in! So we ordered room service and watched all the testimony from the Murdochs and others. It was juicy stuff and quite interesting to watch live testimony to Parliament by such prominent figures.

On our last full day we took another walk into Dassia during the day, cocktails by the pool and a quiet dinner at the hotel's beautiful restaurant and it was an early night before our departure from Corfu.

It was a delightful and relaxing trip with yet more new terrific experiences - simply wonderful.