RopinRita'sInEurope: February 2013

Okay, so now I am currently in Valencia, Spain. But let's back track a little.

Belgium. The land of chocolates and waffles. Thank goodness there was a gym next door to our hotel! We started off in the city of Antwerp. We didn't start shows until Friday that week, so I made sure to take advantage of those nearly 4 days off. On the Tuesday, we decided to head to Brugge, a small, beautiful town about an hour away by train. Most of you might know the city from the film "In Brugge". I enjoyed it very much. There is a small canal which runs through the entire town. We decided to rent bikes and I am so happy we did. We were able to bike around the entire city in only a couple hours, something that would have taken all day on foot.

Since Brugge was such a success on bikes, why not do it again, in Amsterdam! The next day, we took a 3 hour train to Amsterdam. I can now check it off my list of big cities to see! We rented bikes for the day and once again, saw all the major sites and tourist attractions. These included Ann Frank's home and museum, the Heineken factory, and the Red-Light district. That was interesting. For those of you who do not know what the red-light district is, it consists of prostitutes standing in windows on 'display'. The district is full of R-rated shops, as well as live sex shows! Needless to say, it was an experience!

Next stop, Brussels! Brussels is a lovely city. Our family friends, Hilde, Harry, Charlotte and Alexander live in and around this city. They used to live on our street in Bolton before moving back to Belgium. I think I was about 7 years old the last time I saw them! I went to see Hilde and Harry's home during one of our days off. It was so nice to be in a home again, and to sit at a kitchen table for a meal. I've gotten so used to eating in bed! Hilde took my friend and I to Ypres, home to Flander's Fields. The town was very small and cute. We visted the War Museum and even drove to a near by cemetary to see the crosses, "In Flander's fields the poppies blow, between the crosses, row on row". It was very neat to see.

The whole family, including some of their friends came to see the show in Brussels. I was able to go in as 'Wendy' for them too! It was a lot of fun, and is always nice to have someone you know watch the show. They had front row seats and enjoyed themselves very much! It was so great to have that little bit of 'home' again. :)

From Brussels, we flew to Valencia, Spain. We have been here for just over a week now. Valencia is home to the famous Place de Toros.. Bull fighting arena. We were able to go inside because it is the off season right now. Really neat to see. It is a great city to simply walk around in. Many cathedrals, old clock towers, an Olympic park, modern museums, and of course, great shopping. On the other end of the city, you can find yourself soaking up the sun on the beach. And beside the beach, you will find the Spanish Formula One race track. The food has also been very good. Tapas, Paella (Spain rice dish which originated in Valencia), and Sangrias! All great, and super cheap! Did I mention the weather has been 17 degrees and sunny?
Needless to say, I have enjoyed my days off in Spain thus far!

Next stop, Barcelona! After that, we have 3 more weeks in Spain, including Madrid which I am looking forward to. Then two weeks in Lisbon, Portugal, then home! We are on our final stretch, and I must say, it feels good.

Okay, so you are all caught up now! My final post will most likely be from Lisbon!

I stumbled upon this spanish saying and thought it was appropriate:

Ojos que no ven, corazón que no siente - "Whatever the eyes don't see, the heart doesn't feel."

All the best, as always :)
Erika Xox

Biking in Brugge

With Carlotta and Christiana!

Amsterdam, Netherlands

Heineken Factory

In Ypres with Hilde in front of Flanders Fields Museum

Cemetery in Ypres

Church in Brussels

We can Fly! :)

Valencia, Spain

Valencia Cathedral

Place de Toros - Bull fighting arena

Hello Everyone!! Unfortunately we haven't been very lucky with good internet connection. I wrote this blog posting several weeks ago but have not yet posted it till now because I was unable to upload the photos to go along with it. So here is one posting, and another is on its way shortly!

Bonjour, comment ca va?

Firstly, I would like to appologize for taking this long to finally write again. I could blame it on the site seeing, the Holiday season, the busy show schedules, but at the end of the day, I was just being lazy!

Now that we've gotten that out of the way... where to begin? How about Paris! Paris, France; one of the most famous cities in the world, THE city to see in Western Europe. I was most certainly a tourist in this city. I went to all the major tourist attractions. The Louvre Museum, home to The Monalisa, and the Champs-Elysees; shopping street where you can find Louis Vitton, Cartier, Channel, and much more. As well as the Arc de Triomphe, Notre Dame, Sacre-Coeur Cathederal, and of course, the Eiffel Tower. I was even lucky enough to get outside the city to see the Palce of Versailles (home to Marie Antoinette), and to spend a day at Disneyland Paris! Oh, and a group of us decided to see a Moulin Rouge show! That was a lot of fun, and certainly an experience!

The Eiffel Tower was one of my favourite sites in Paris. It was beautiful to see at night, all lit up, and was equally spectacular during the day. It was so sureal. I couldn't believe I was standing underneath this amazing structure, looking up at something I had dreamed about seeing one day.
My Mom was able to get two flights to Paris in one week! On the second week, she flew in with a friend, Phyllis. We grabbed some dinner together and were able to catch up, quality girl time! They watched the show that night and were on their way home to Toronto the following morning. Short, but sweet! As always! :)

When I look back on our visit to Paris, those are the memories I try to remember. Unfortunately, our two week visit wasn't as spectacular as I may make it sound. The end of the first week, my room was broken into. My computer and camera along with my roommate's computer and camera were stolen. Some cords and other small things were also taken. I am very fortunate for my hard drive which contains all of my pictures, music, etc from my computer. However, it was very difficult to enjoy the rest of our stay in the hotel. I was very uncomfortable until the day we left the city. Thankfully, the hotel is covered by insurance, and I am currently still waiting for a follow-up.

Okay, onto a happier note! London! London, England over the Holidays! That's better :). I loved London. Big Ben the clock tower, the London Eye wheel, Parliment buildings, Buckingham Palace, the London Bridge over the Dames River, the Olympic Park, and more. Due to our busy show schedule, I was only able to do a couple days of site seeing. Luckily, I was able to see most of what I wanted to see, but would love to go back one day!

The company provided us with a Christmas dinner which was very nice. We all dressed up and had a nice 'family' dinner, where we also exchanged our secret santa gifts :). On Christmas day, I skyped with my family back at home. They were all at our house in Bolton for a Christmas lunch. It was so nice to be able to see everyone's face, and to wish them all a Happy Holiday. I may have missed out on the Christmas decorations, the tree, the family gatherings, the snow, the stuffed stockings.. but not the feast! That's right. My mom flew into London on the 26th and brought a tupperwear full of turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, AND, my Dad's famous, homemade cinnimon buns! So, not only was I able to see my Mom for the holidays, but she was able to bring Christmas to me :). I am so thankful, and grateful for such an amazing and loving family I have. One, I will never take for granted. Love you all so much, and missing you all everyday!

3... 2... 1... HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

Well, happy 2013 everyone! I hope that so far, the new year has been kind to you all. We have had a very busy start to the new year. After London, we flew back to France, and spent the next three weeks in small French cities. During one of those weeks however, we performed in Geneva, Switzerland for three days! My Mom AND Dad were able to visit here. While my Mom worked the flight, my Dad had a relaxing ride over the ocean in business class, lol. It was yet again a short, but very sweet visit. It was so so so nice to see them both and to be able to catch up in person. I was also able to send about 20 pounds worth of clothing back with them, so that was a plus! lol. I am a lucky girl to have such wonderful parents! :) Xox
One of the France cities we performed in was Nice. A beautiful, small city on the Mediterranean Sea. During our stay in Nice, we took a short train ride to Monaco. Monaco is it's own country. The city of Monaco Monte Carlo boarders the Med Sea and is home to the 'rich and famous'. It is a beautiful city and I would go back there in a heart beat! It is the home to an annual Grand Prix race (Formula One) held within the streets of downtown, and is known as a summer paradise for many celebrities.

We are now on our way to Toulouse, France. Next week, we will be in Belgium which I am looking forward to very much! We will be in Antwarp for one week, and then in Brussels the following week. In Brussels, I will be visiting some family friends of ours, and they will be coming to the show! See you soon Hilde!!
After that, we are off to Spain and onto the final stretch of tour!! I should be home at the beginning of April! And I promise to blog a few more times before then! Well, you are all caught up now. Hope all is well at home for everyone. Wishing you all the best as always!

Till the next post... C'est La Vie!
Xox