From Europe to Africa in America - A Sisters' Expedition

[John's Mom]

That was the very first thing I thought of!

Yes, Edith Ann was the first thing I thought of too.

Great minds think alike.

 

[PNO4TE]

Yes, Edith Ann was the first thing I thought of too.

Great minds think alike.

More likely that we are old enough to know who Edith Ann was...

 

[Flossbolna]

All I can say is those pictures were WOW! I LOVE the pictures of Regent Park! My DH and I love to garden (he more than me) we would have spent all day there. Such beautiful flowers. I wish our gardens looked like that!

The flowers in Regent Park were amazing. So beautiful!

I loved your little sidetrip of photos from England, Magdalene. Thanks! Also, let me add my congratulations to a new beginning! I hope you enjoy your new job.

Thanks! I am glad you enjoyed the pictures.

Thank you so much for sharing your pictures! They are beautiful! The architecture is amazing...I really enjoy skylines with both new and old architecture, for some reason it just makes it all the more beautiful to me. The one bridge (I believe it was a pedestrian bridge), a new one, caught me as well - it was very interesting looking! I liked it. I think the picture of the canal was my favorite!

I think, I understand what you mean. I love the mixture of old and new as well. As long as it is good architecture, it does not have to be all old. I think it shows that the city is alive and not just a museum.

I think you would like London, to me it has a similar atmosphere as New York, but still is very different from it as well.

That makes a lot of sense about the "themed experience" versus the "themed decoration". I think the CR is a gray line between the two - perhaps even a bit on the "themed decoration" side, and that might be why a lot of people don't like the look of it as much. I think it's an amazing building - and the rooms are beautiful, so I like it. I'm not so keen on BLT...but Joe is!

When I first saw BLT being built I did not like it at all, but on this last trip Katharina really showed me how well it fits in with the CR. I love the decor at both and if it weren't at WDW it would be a top choice of hotel for me. But I think it lacks a bit of that themed experience to me which the other deluxe resorts offer.

I COMPLETELY agree with you about that "spot" in life. We were there for a loooooong time between Minnesota and New York, it was frustrating and almost depressing after a while. I'm SO glad to be IN the new life! Yours will be very, very soon!

Yes, I was thinking about that, it took you so long to sell your house and move. It is amazing how fast things are changing here now: only today, tomorrow and Friday at work here!

Henry's contribution:

Thanks to Henry! I see that he now likes other smileys besides the popcorn guy as well!

Beautiful pictures!! I love England-- London is one of my favorite cities in the world!

Thanks! I love England as well and London is very special to me! It is a great place to visit and I am really lucky that it is not very far away for me.

WoW! Mikki and I sat and enjoyed your London pix today, and were really impressed by the gardens and just calm beauty we saw there.

I thought those cute little souvenirs and cocoa dusting of the crown were simply adorable!! So fun!

Thanks for sharing those with us!

You're welcome, I am glad both of you enjoyed them. Regents Park was a great oasis after having spent two days running around a very busy city I chose to go there to get some rest. It is a beautiful park, most of it is more just a landscape park (we call this style English garden here in Germany), but there were those flowers and a lot of roses as well. And then there was a lawn with deck chairs as well where I sat for an hour reading my book and drinking some tea (Earl Grey of course!).

It is funny how the DIS has really changed my habits with regard to which pictures I take. I think it is so neat to have those souvenir and food pictures. They are great memories of the trip.

We explored the Swan/Dolphin last time too and fuound that while it was nice, it just didn't have that "Disney" feel to it. We even had a chance to look at a hotel room, and it could have been anywhere in the world. They just really don't seem to be for us. Now if that's the only way we could go was by staying there, then we'd probably do it. But I'd be whiney the whole time being so close to Boardwalk and Beach Club!

I think if I could get a good deal there and it would be the same prize for a Disney moderate or the Swolphin, I would pick the Swolphin over the moderate: being able to walk to Epcot and having the area there to explore and the higher standard hotel room would be worth it. But I know what you mean, it would be difficult to see the Disney hotels on a daily basis!

I'm glad you were able to have a drink at the BW...we stayed there and did not have that opportunity. I think you are right about early ADR's..ours are always so late and we never can do much afterwards.

The lounge there is so pretty. I think I would end up going there every evening if I was staying at the BW.

I'm excited for your new opportunity as a judge, although I know it will be difficult be a bit farther from Katharina than you have been the past three years. I can't remember if I ever mentioned it, but one of my closest friends in my town is from Nuernberg. She was just home at Christmastime. It's a small world.

I think you might have mentioned that once about your friend. It is funny how small the world is! I am sure Katharina and I will be able to see each others quite a lot despite the distance!

Loved the London pictures...especially the 9 3/4 track shot!

I am glad that there was at least one Harry Potter fan who enjoyed that!

 

[Flossbolna]

Yes, Edith Ann was the first thing I thought of too.

Great minds think alike.

More likely that we are old enough to know who Edith Ann was...

Ok, I realized that I had to find out more about Edith Ann and I found this video on youtube. It is absolutely hilarious! Thanks for the hint and I absolutely get why you were thinking about her when you saw the picture.

 

[All7OfUs]

Ok, I realized that I had to find out more about Edith Ann and I found this video on youtube. It is absolutely hilarious! Thanks for the hint and I absolutely get why you were thinking about her when you saw the picture.

ok, i JUST WASTED FAR TOO MUCH TIME WATCHING THOSE OLD TIME VIDEOS FROM YESTERYEAR. pRACTICALLY LAUGHED MY LUNCH UP. aND AS YOU CAN SEE, i WAS FAR TOO BUSY TO EVEN PUSH MY CAPS LOCK KEY.

Recovered now. Man, Gilda and Lily were a hoot!! So funny!

 

[Flossbolna]

ok, i JUST WASTED FAR TOO MUCH TIME WATCHING THOSE OLD TIME VIDEOS FROM YESTERYEAR. pRACTICALLY LAUGHED MY LUNCH UP. aND AS YOU CAN SEE, i WAS FAR TOO BUSY TO EVEN PUSH MY CAPS LOCK KEY.

Recovered now. Man, Gilda and Lily were a hoot!! So funny!

I am glad you had some fun! I was very amused as well! It is always great when old comedy still holds up. Some of things I thought were great are rather boring now...

Hi everyone! Sorry that updates are taking some time again, but I hope the next will be up soon. It is already written.

Today is my last day at work, fortunately there isn't that much to do anymore besides an appointment with my head of department and then providing my co-workers with the delicious carrot cake I baked last night! And then after work head out to the French department store for a glass of champagne with a colleague.

 

[lovealldisney]

I am glad you had some fun! I was very amused as well! It is always great when old comedy still holds up. Some of things I thought were great are rather boring now...

Hi everyone! Sorry that updates are taking some time again, but I hope the next will be up soon. It is already written.

Today is my last day at work, fortunately there isn't that much to do anymore besides an appointment with my head of department and then providing my co-workers with the delicious carrot cake I baked last night! And then after work head out to the French department store for a glass of champagne with a colleague.

Sounds like a nice and easy last day! Mmmm... carrot cake! Good luck with everything.

 

[TyRy]

Hi everyone! Sorry that updates are taking some time again, but I hope the next will be up soon. It is already written.

Today is my last day at work, fortunately there isn't that much to do anymore besides an appointment with my head of department and then providing my co-workers with the delicious carrot cake I baked last night! And then after work head out to the French department store for a glass of champagne with a colleague.

Sounds like a great ending to wrapping up the job..hope you had a couple glasses to celebrate

 

[brookelizabeth]

I think you would like London, to me it has a similar atmosphere as New York, but still is very different from it as well.

I've wanted to visit London for years. I think Joe would really enjoy it too. I know sometimes there are some CHEAP flights from here too. Perhaps a trip for when Henry is a bit older...

When I first saw BLT being built I did not like it at all, but on this last trip Katharina really showed me how well it fits in with the CR. I love the decor at both and if it weren't at WDW it would be a top choice of hotel for me. But I think it lacks a bit of that themed experience to me which the other deluxe resorts offer.

I'm kinda "meh" about it. I like it, but it could be anywhere. I like the CR's history... What did Katharina say about it fitting in with CR? I've always thought of them as polar opposites - CR is straight lines, chunky and brutal. BLT is wavy and smooth. But maybe that's what makes them fit!

Thanks to Henry! I see that he now likes other smileys besides the popcorn guy as well!

He does! He really likes the "pirate guy" and the laughing ones.

Hi everyone! Sorry that updates are taking some time again, but I hope the next will be up soon. It is already written.

Today is my last day at work, fortunately there isn't that much to do anymore besides an appointment with my head of department and then providing my co-workers with the delicious carrot cake I baked last night! And then after work head out to the French department store for a glass of champagne with a colleague.

New adventures await you!!! It's bittersweet I'm sure. And that last day at a job is always so booooooooring! Enjoy it! I hope the move goes smoothly, and have a GREAT time with Liesa and family as well!

(Carrot cake sounds divine right now!)

 

[englishrose47]

Good luck witth the new job!!!Have fun with Liessa !!!Pix Please !!

 

[All7OfUs]

By now, you are on WEEKEND, and between jobs! WOOHOOTY!! Have you already traveled to Nurmeburg?? If not, safe travels! Wednesday's plan sounds GREAT!!! I can't wait!


Did you start to box up your stuff?? How is that going??

See you soon!!

 

[IBelieveInTheMagic]

By now, you are on WEEKEND, and between jobs! WOOHOOTY!! Have you already traveled to Nurmeburg?? If not, safe travels! Wednesday's plan sounds GREAT!!! I can't wait!


Did you start to box up your stuff?? How is that going??

See you soon!!

Liesa - travel safely and have a great time!! I can't wait to hear about your Germany adventures and think of me and say hi to sweet Nuernberg for me! I know Magdalene and Katharina will be the best hosts you could ask for! ENJOY!

Heather

 

[tiggrbaby]

Beautiful pics, and congrats on the new job!

 

[manntra]

Took me awhile to get all caught up but I am back on track now
Loved your tour pictures...sounds like a great way to really way to spend a morning at AK I will make sure to look for the wood on the roofs of the buildings next time!
Your dinner at Cali looked wonderful....I have gone back and forth about making an ADR there for October and I think I should just do it!
The BW and BC are so pretty...I have stayed at both and just love the area....close proximity to Epcot and so relaxing to just walk around
Good luck with your move and your new job

Tracy

 

[All7OfUs]

Liesa - travel safely and have a great time!! I can't wait to hear about your Germany adventures and think of me and say hi to sweet Nuernberg for me! I know Magdalene and Katharina will be the best hosts you could ask for! ENJOY!

Heather

I'm sure they will be- I get to see them day after tomorrow!!

are there any particular pics you'd like us to be sure to get???

 

[Flossbolna]

Hi everyone! My boxes just arrived at my appartment - empty. Now I have to fill them with my stuff! Not looking forward to that...

Sounds like a nice and easy last day! Mmmm... carrot cake! Good luck with everything.

It was a very good last day at work and everyone loved the carrot cake! Thanks for the good wishes!

Sounds like a great ending to wrapping up the job..hope you had a couple glasses to celebrate

I had one glas of Moet Rose, very nice! And even got a charm with it because they had a promotion. I am not sure I would use it on a charm bracelet, but I am using it as a key chain now!

I've wanted to visit London for years. I think Joe would really enjoy it too. I know sometimes there are some CHEAP flights from here too. Perhaps a trip for when Henry is a bit older...

New York must be a great place for cheap flights. At least from Europe fares to NYC airports are really affordable, about 2/3 of the fare to MCO from here. But I think you are right, it would be more fun when Henry is a bit older. But I am always amazed how well younger kids do on those long flights. I think they still have more space in those seats than we have, that might help!!

I'm kinda "meh" about it. I like it, but it could be anywhere. I like the CR's history... What did Katharina say about it fitting in with CR? I've always thought of them as polar opposites - CR is straight lines, chunky and brutal. BLT is wavy and smooth. But maybe that's what makes them fit!

Katharina, do you remember what it was??? I think it might be the contrast between round and straight...

He does! He really likes the "pirate guy" and the laughing ones.

So this one is for Henry then:

New adventures await you!!! It's bittersweet I'm sure. And that last day at a job is always so booooooooring! Enjoy it! I hope the move goes smoothly, and have a GREAT time with Liesa and family as well!

(Carrot cake sounds divine right now!)

I had a great last time which I mainly spent chatting with colleagues for a last time! Thanks for the good wishes!!

Good luck witth the new job!!!Have fun with Liessa !!!Pix Please !!

Thank you Rosie! I will meet Liesa in less than 48 hours!! And I will definitely post pictures!

By now, you are on WEEKEND, and between jobs! WOOHOOTY!! Have you already traveled to Nurmeburg?? If not, safe travels! Wednesday's plan sounds GREAT!!! I can't wait!


Did you start to box up your stuff?? How is that going??

See you soon!!

See you soon, too! Most likely, you will read this after we met! I am excited about Wednesday as well and am looking forward to see you! Katharina and I will travel to Nuremberg Wednesday morning, so thanks for the good wishes! Boxes will start after the next TR update!

Liesa - travel safely and have a great time!! I can't wait to hear about your Germany adventures and think of me and say hi to sweet Nuernberg for me! I know Magdalene and Katharina will be the best hosts you could ask for! ENJOY!

Heather

I am really looking forward to hear what Liesa and her family think of Germany as well!

Beautiful pics, and congrats on the new job!

Thank you!

Took me awhile to get all caught up but I am back on track now
Loved your tour pictures...sounds like a great way to really way to spend a morning at AK I will make sure to look for the wood on the roofs of the buildings next time!
Your dinner at Cali looked wonderful....I have gone back and forth about making an ADR there for October and I think I should just do it!
The BW and BC are so pretty...I have stayed at both and just love the area....close proximity to Epcot and so relaxing to just walk around
Good luck with your move and your new job

Tracy

Hi Tracy, great to have you back! Thanks for the good wishes. The tour was wonderful and it forced me to really slow down. I am not very good at that...

Yes. make an ADR at Cali, however as you will see in the next update we loved Flying Fish even more!

I'm sure they will be- I get to see them day after tomorrow!!

And I will get to see you the day after tomorrow! I think I am equally excited!!

 

[Flossbolna]

We actually had to rush a bit to make it to Flying Fish in time for our ADR, we just had too much fun exploring. But we made it there!

We checked in and it was confirmed that Katharina had some dietary restrictions. We were also asked whether we were guests of the Boardwalk.

We had a table in the very front of the restaurant which was fine with me, we were seated in the same area the last time I was there. I find the layout a bit strange, the restaurant is rather narrow, but very long and at the front it has a show kitchen with a counter where you can sit and watch the chefs.

The décor is very whimsical and really lives on the “flying fish” theme:

the door mat outside:

And I love these lamps in the entrance, can you see what they are?

Our server here was Rebekah and she was excellent! She arrived with a special menu for Katharina:

Shortly after the chef arrived. He was really nice and was joking around about Katharina and me being sisters (and once again he told Katharina to wear her birthday button since nice things might happen to her!!)

Once again there weren't that many options for Katharina. But this chef was really sorry about that. He asked Katharina what she was thinking about ordering and she was thinking about trying the crab cakes. He was really happy to be able to tell her that this was fine for her! Ever since I started reading dining reviews on the Disboards, I wanted to try crab cakes. I had never had them and they sounded like something I would like. And they com in all different varieties at WDW! I thought I should try to order some as soon as possible.

For our main dish we had all already decided beforehand that we would want to share the steak. And that was fine for Katharina as well!

We also ordered some drinks to start our meal in style. Katharina saw a Bellini (champagne and peach puree) on the menu and had to get it:

delicious!

I got a seasonal cocktail called “Harvest Apple” which included cranberries and apple. It was rather too sweet for my taste, but still nice:

After ordering we got some bread. Another wonderful sourdough! And it was safe for Katharina as well!

It was served warm and the napkin in the bread basket was wrapped around the bread to keep it warm. We thought that was a very nice touch!

Talking about napkins: Our server was really wonderful and extremely attentive. When one of us went to go to the bathroom, she would come to the table and fold the napkin nicely, which we had just put on the table.

This is Katharina's appetizer: “Our Signature Flying Fish Cafe "Crispy Maine Coast Jonah Crab Cake" - Savory Vegetable Slaw, Roasted Red Pepper Coulis, and Ancho Chile Rémoulade”

I enjoyed it very much, it tasted very much as I had imagined for six months. The slaw, the crab cake and the coulis and remoulade complimented each other very well. I was very happy about my choice.

I decided to get a real classic: Caesar Salad - Young Red and Green Romaine, Roasted Garlic Dressing, Parmigiano-Sonoma Jack Frico, and Pesto-Sourdough Croutons

I keep mentioning it, Ceasar salad is not a common dish in Germany and I love it, so I try to eat a few times when I am in the US. This was the ultimate Caesar salad for me. The large thing on top is a cracker made from melted parmesan. It was delicious. It had that nutty taste from it being browned a bit, but it was not burned at all. I am sure if you tried to recreate it, it would be so difficult to manage to take it away from the heat at just the right second... The salad dressing tasted really homemade and very fresh. It also had a distinctive taste of garlic, which I liked, but others might not...

After our appetizers we got steak knifes (these are huge!) and we also got an empty plate each so that we could share the entree:

But then they already had plated it on two different plates in the kitchen anyway. So this is half a portion of “Our Signature Flying Fish Café "Char-crusted Certified Black Angus New York Strip Steak" - Roasted Heirloom Beets, Fingerling Potatoes,and Haricot Vert, with Classic Sauce Foyot”

And this is the other half:

We had asked for the sauce to be served on the side, I rather prefer to have control about how much sauce I have on my steak. But I can tell you that the Sauce Foyot is delicious! It is a sauce bernaise with demi-glace, so nothing to exotic, but very good!

We both agreed that after an appetizer this was just the right portion of steak. We felt that we still had a nice size of meat on our plates. Also we got quite a lot of potatoes with it as well. Everything had a lot of spices on it, the rub on the steak is very delicious and adds a lot to the taste. The beans were still crunchy and had quite a lot of butter on them. For me this is one of the best entrees I ever had at WDW.

We were rather full after our meal and while I was tempted to get dessert (there weren't really any options for Katharina, dairy free dessert is mainly just fruit), we settled on just getting coffee. Katharina was hoping that this wonderful restaurant would be able to serve really good coffee. So Katharina got an espresso and I ordered a cappuccino.

This is my cappuccino:

Katharina and I were highly amused by the cup it was served in. These cups are made by Villeroy & Boch, a German china brand. And this design is something you see a lot in shops. But the coffee was not so amusing. It was rather weak unfortunately.

However, we then got pleasantly surprised, our server appeared with a mini crème brulee for Katharina:

She said something about that Katharina could eat it, even the sign which was made from chocolate. We weren't really sure whether she really meant that this was a dairy free crème brulee (which would be possible if it was made with soy milk and the chef would have had enough time to prepare it). This was one of the occasions where it was good that Katharina only has an intolerance, not an allergy! We shared the small dish and it was very good! It was not very creamy, but rather firm, and it had a very thick sugar crust on top.

Our receipt is from 7:23 pm, so we spent nearly 2 hours over our meal, but we loved the relaxed pace!

In the end this was an absolutely wonderful meal, no complaints at all! The second time in a row Flying Fish topped California Grill in the overall dining experience for me. It will be the first “must-do” restaurant for a future trip for me!

For me too!

Bonus Feature: Nuremberg DISmeet and Hiking in Franconia

Up Next: Chapter 20: Window Shopping around the World

 

[manntra]

Mmmmm your dinner looked amazing I ate at FF about 2 years ago and loved it....I remember having some monster size sea scallops over a delicious risotto You are right....now I need to make a decision for my ADR's...I have some good ones lined up and I can't remember if my friend is a big seafood fan or not...although she can obviously have a good steak there too
Have a wonderful Dismeet!! How fun!!

Tracy

 

[Lady Lallie]

Wow. Your meal looks fabulous and it sounds like the service was amazing. I really want to there now!!

I love the decor too, very cute and in theme.

 

[If U Had Wings]

Your meal looks absolutely delicious!