Just got back from vacation...

Hi there... just a quick update... Sara and I just got back from our springtime vacation... we spent 8 days around western Europe... visiting Brussels, Amsterdam, Dublin, Copenhagen. Just wanted to give you a quick update on the trip...

Brussels - very nice to visit for 2 days or so... decent food, some history, very nice architecture.

Amsterdam - we've been here before, and decided to go back... that's enough of an endorsement. Great place to visit - absolutely beautiful city.

Dublin - been here before as well... came specifically for St Patrick's Day. Weather was not so good - cold and even a little snowy.

Copenhagen - the surprise of the trip. We went to Copenhagen only because it was "on the way back to Moscow" and we probably would never go there otherwise. Wow - we were wrong - great food, very quiet city. Very pretty... we are planning a return here.

We had a great time... and it was a good escape for the week. We were both sick unfortunately (I more than Sara) with bad colds / sinus infection / bronchitis / flu / etc (who knows - we just took antibiotics and cough syrup and let nature take care of the rest) but we still had a very nice time.

Be sure to check out the pictures!

We didn't have snow like this in Cincinnati...

I thought you may appreciate seeing a few recent pictures of the snow here in Novomoskovsk. We wanted to experience real Russian winter... I think we've found it. Our main priority now is making sure that when that snow drift slides of the roof that it doesn't take our satellite cables with it as well. The icicles are not so impressive - we've had those removed three times this winter (at one point, they were about 1 foot in diameter and about 4.5 feet long.

Ah... winter in Russia

In case you have not heard... it's been quite a winter here in Russia. We spent pretty much all of January and some of February in temperatures of -30 C and sometimes even colder. The picture here is from warmer day... -22.5C. I had to get out the shorts and the t-shirts...

It got so cold the lock on our cottage froze (on the inside of the house)!








The snow is now piled about 4 feet high (that's without drifts... we've received that much). Supposedly, we are supposed to get another 3 feet over the next week. We will see :)