The Slovak National Theatre

Mr. C. and I attended our first Opera last night, La Fille Du Regiment or in English The Daughter of the Regiment. I cannot say that Opera as a music form will become a favorite for us…or that the music transported us to a new plane of culture and enlightenment but I can say it was an experience we will never forget.

I just love the cover of the program!

Throughout the day several locals I spoke with told me how lovely the theatre was…the coat room, the bar and the lovely theater. When we first arrived we were pretty surprised. The bar, bathrooms and coatroom had a very dated look to them. We thought, why have all the tourism books recommended attendance so highly?

Mr. C. is such a ham, he made sure to crinkle his eyes in this photo because the show Lie to Me says a fake smile never has wrinkles (he was proving them wrong).

Then we entered the theater…it was so charming. I felt like I had stepped back in time as I looked at the various boxes and when we climbed to the very top floor it was gorgeous! More than even the architecture of the theater was watching the locals in attendance. In a range of different colorful outfits some they laughed and clapped while the Opera went through it’s libretto and arias on stage. I realized that while the theatre had some older portions that the performers were having such a wonderful happy time that they brought joy to their craft that I often find missing in many live performances. And the voices and costumes! So perfect. I cannot also forget the audience though strange to see children (as an American) at the theatre it was wonderful that the old were passing this art tradition to the younger generation.

I give you the Opera from the very top! (at least during intermission!)

If you have the opportunity to visit Slovakia I agree with the tour books and recommend that you take a visit to the old Slovak National Theater. If possible, dress in layers and buy a ticket for the main floor and after Act 1 climb to the very top to watch the theater from above for Act 2. I recommend layers as it was very hot in the top portion of the theater even during the Winter! Most importantly when visiting the Slovak National Theater cast out judgments on what makes a performance or theater perfect and enter with a heart and mind ready to receive the enthusiasm, joy and beauty of the Slovak National Theater. Enjoy!

To find out more about the Slovak National Theatre or La Fille Du Regiment you can visit:

Daughter of the Regiment: Wikipedia

Watch part of the Opera on YouTube!

Slovak National Theatre

Come back tomorrow to check out my Travel Smash book updates and new smash book releases from CHA!

Hello Slovakia!

The adventures present this week on the Mrs. C. Life Adventures blog will be coming to you from the heart of old town Bratislava in Slovakia! Armed with my new instax camera (did I share that Mr. C. bought me this for Christmas!), my travel smash book and an abundance of washi tape I will be recording my travel musings and adventures!



Slovakia is country number 19 in my 30 countries before 30 years project. That means 11 more countries to experience in less than 4 years??? I better get moving!

You can read about my adventures in the other 18 countries I have visited by going to the travel adventures page on the navigation bar above. Have a wonderful day experiencing your life adventures!

Recycled Travel Journal 2011

Sometimes I think Mr. C. might find me just a slight bit crazy. Scraps of paper, pieces of string and my favorite corrugated boxes. I keep them all stored flat behind the sofa in my art room just waiting for inspiration to strike…Luckily this week it did and I proved just how useful an old box can be!

Introducing… “See the World 2011!”

Made of old boxes, travel receipts and the fun October Afternoon travel collections this little book was made in about 3 hours during a scrapbooking play date. I was so excited to finish it so quickly! The speed is dedicated to two factors. The first is a lack of pictures. Do you find that adding pictures really slow you down? I print my own photos  and I can never decide the best pictures to include. It was so much fun to just journal my thoughts!

The second reason why this book was completed so quickly was because of my new friend Julie. Meeting Julie was a little crazy…I had signed up for a scrapbooking class but found that I was flying to Germany the day after. I went to the class with my mother to pick up the kit and while talking to the teacher (Julie) found out she was moving overseas, to Germany and to the exact same town! What does that mean? We had to become friends.

So how does this new friend help me scrapbook faster? By being super positive, a friend to chat with and someone to bounce ideas off. Julie is my new go to girl for scrapping, chatting and fun. Did I mention we are planning a scrapbooking trip to Paris this spring? YAY!

So what have we learned? Sometimes craziness is good…especially cardboard cravings and receipt storage…and it might just be the reason Mr. C. likes loves me so much!

Check back later this week for more recycled travel journal fun…and here is hoping that you are having fun with your scrapbook friends this weekend!

 

The Egg Rebellion

There has been a lot of girl time going on in this house…days spent with friends knitting slippers, watching British turn of the century dramas and hours spent scrapbooking in the art room. Last weekend during another fun knitting marathon with E.P. she decided that Eggs would look super cute with ribbons from her tiny owl knits slippers…Eggs was a good sport but I think this picture sums up his thoughts on all the girl DIY time.

Enough!

For those of you who can never get enough DIY (like me!) then stop by the tiny owl knits pattern shop to grab your own free Amy March slipper pattern inspired by Louisa May Alcott’s book, "Little Women.”

{Image Credit: Tiny Owl Knits}

Rothenburg ob der Tauber

What a fun little town! Rothenburg ob der Tauber is a town in the Franconia region of Bavaria, Germany along the Romantic Road. Surrounded by a large city wall it is a well preserved medieval town full of cute little shops, museums and cobblestone streets and beautiful walks. The best part? Hardly any cars in city downtown area due to traffic restrictions which makes it a joy to walk through.

The name "Rothenburg ob der Tauber" means, in German, "Red fortress above the Tauber". Tauber is a river in the region and the views of it our magnificent from the Rothenburg ob der Tauber walls.

We visited RothenbUrg ob der Tauber as a member of the Stuttgart-American walking club…you may be thinking what… a walking club?? Walking clubs or Volksmarching is actually very popular here! What it meant during our day in Rothenburg ob der Tauber was a fun day of walking, well actually walking a teeny-tiny bit and then detouring to all the antique stores. Even though the detour was great we still made sure to head back to the fest tent for home made German treats, food and live music.

My personal favorites from the day? Antique shopping, the doll and toy museum and schnee balls aka snow balls! These little dough shaped treats taste delicious and in Rothenburg ob der Tauber you can find every flavor imaginable. Strawberry, Grand Marnier, Fudge, cinnamon and the list continues. Check out this site to see pictures of the schnee balls and learn a little more about how they are made, http://wokandspoon.blogspot.com/2007/06/schneeballen.html

I also loved the Dolls and Toy Museum…I love tiny little dolls…and old dolls with whole wardrobes of mini-DIY items?? LOVE! As a frequent visitor of doll and toy museums, this particular museum is definitely worthy of stopping to take a little adventure. 

If you are interested in taking a trip to Rothenburg ob der Tauber then check out these great sites to help you plan your trip.

 

Tourist Office

Bio-Hotel zum Baeren

Romantic Road: Rothenburg ob der Tauber

Tour of Rothenburg ob der Tauber

        

Now go out and have your own adventure today…but make sure you put a few chocolate schnee balls in your pocket in case a bear attacks!

Camera Love

Have I mentioned how much I adore my new Nikon Camera lately? If you already read about it here, I am sorry but I have to post about it again! Simply amazing. This picture was captured by Mr. C during the Martin Luther King Jr. Day fireworks at the Eidelwiess Lodge and Resort in Garmich-Partenkirchen, Germany.

Love the Man...Love his pictures...Life is good....

P.S. Click on the picture to see it enlarged to view all the details!

Yarn Shopping in Dublin, Ireland

Yesterday was spent organizing part of my yarn collection, the word “part” is used because I think there might be too much to organize in one day!


The best part about organizing a stash is remembering what you have, like the alpaca lace weight yarn by the Dublin dye company I bought in Dublin at the store, This is Knit in fall of 2010.


If you get the chance to visit Dublin or live nearby I would definitely recommend a stop by the store. A lot of the time when I travel and look for unique local items at the area’s arts and crafts stores I often leave disappointed as many of the items are international brands, this won’t be the case at This is Knit! While the store is tiny they had 2-3 local brands which were all gorgeous and the staff assisted me in finding patterns by local designers. My only disappointment? There were no green dyes…boo… My St. Paddy Day scarf yarn will have to wait for another year.

The store is located in the Powerscourt Townhouse Centre near Grafton Street. While the Dublin guides called it a mall, it is more like a multi-story market hall and you can sit under the glass in the middle enjoying the sunshine. In addition to the, This is Knit store the downstairs has a great trim and millinery store. I walked around this store just staring at the beautiful lace trims for what felt like forever I could not get enough of the ribbons, laces, buttons and feathers. Don’t spend the rest of your money at the millinery store, save a little but don’t spend all your money here (. When you have taken your fill of shopping (or emptied your pockets done shopping head upstairs for a yummy gelato cone and cart all your great local purchases back to the hotel. Check it out!


And when you arrive at the hotel you may find that while you were working hard shopping for yarn your own Mr. C. found the mall flower shop to bring you a surprise!

Embroidered 12x12 Layout

Have you checked out my outside the box inspiration layout for this month over at Pretty Little Studio? Check out these sneak peaks!

You can see the full layout and other Pretty Little Studio goodies here at the Pretty Little Studio blog. Have I said before how much I love embroidery? Especially on paper? Best.thing.ever! Check back this month for a paper embroidery tutorial.

Top Ten Travel: Brugge, Belgium

So you found out your taking a trip to Belgium and want to do something original and exciting, how about a trip through Brugge with stops to sample taste and experience all the local beer brews…and the local local’s!

In May of 2011 I did exactly that. On a spur of the moment with a couple I had just me I decided to take them up on their generous offer and headed on a Belgian Beer tour with the destination…Brugge. What is life if you don’t stop and take an un-planned adventure every so often? We had a blast, so much fun in fact that I had to make a top ten travel list of the city so that you can experience the fun too!

Top Ten List for Brugge, Belgium

1. Hop in car and start driving! You will quickly be amazed to see a beautiful brick walled city surrounded by yes…a moat!

2. Drive through the winding streets and arrive at your home away from home, Hotel Cordoeanier. This unique small hotel features all the amenities you could ask for, breakfast a nice little garden and a hotel owner who really understands Belgian Beer.

3. When at the Hotel Cordoeanier make sure you take the time to have a drink at the hotel bar. They have a great selection, good conversation and the owner can give you the details on where to find the local beer markets outside the city for really great deals.

3. Make sure to stop in the main town square and to buy some authentic Belgian fries. Did you know french fries actually originate from Belgium? And that the map of the city features icons for…can you guess? French fries!

4. Slow down, and talk to people around you. I was amazed at how much fun I had conversing with the locals and other visitors. We were lucky enough to talk Belgian politics with the locals and meet the best British WWII veterans imaginable. Dressed up in their white linen suits, out to see the world (or at least parts of Europe) while grieving over the recent loss of both their wives. Marriage advice from two gentlemen who had been married for 60+ years and best friends even longer (they were groomsmen at each others wedding’s) is some of the best relationship advice you can receive!

5. Stop to visit the Abbey of Saint Sixtus of Westvleteren for a unique dining experience, truly local trappist beer and beer ice cream…so delicious and a gorgeous view.

6. Use your GPS, and get lost in the area surrounding the city. Nothing like being lost in the midst of farm fields and dirt one lane roads when you need a restroom!

7. Sample a Belgian waffle, eat a bar of chocolate and stop at the local outdoor market if in the city for a Saturday morning.

8. Buy an embroidery kit at one of the many needle craft stores, did you know DMC embroidery floss is produced in Belgium?

9. Check out the night life and dance the night away in one of the unique day pubs turned clubs with people from all over the world. But make sure if you go you remember two things…your party ring aka wedding ring (and yes a drunk girl did think that the ring below was my wedding ring!) and directions on how to navigate back to your hotel at four in the morning, otherwise you may end up circling the city for several hours before finally resting your head on you comfy bed.

10. Have fun, and most of all take the time to simply pause and enjoy the beauty of this unique gem on your next Belgium or European adventure. And…buy a lot of beer to take home with you!

Loading up the beer cart, it’s great to be able to drive home!

 

My supposed wedding ring (haha!)

Note: This top ten trip is based upon my trip to Brugge in May 2011. If you have any questions about the trip please feel free to contact me as it is a great city and I would love to help with recommendations!

- Katie