A Jewish Kinda Party

So I've arrived in Kraków after an extremely pleasant train ride and bus ride....bit with Leo Express. The train was extremely clean, and I lucked into business class. I guess they know I mean business, therefore they gave me business class.

At any rate, the bus ride was three hours and it went by very quickly as I talked with Wally and Joanna the entire time. They live near Chicago, which I like to think of as a suburb on Indianapolis.

Fascinating couple that just spent two months in Egypt and are going to spend three months in Poland mostly so Wally can brush up on his Polish. Seriously.

I continue to meet some serious world travelers. I feel like I'm still in training and that's ok with me.

Wally suggested I grab some dinner in the Jewish Quarter of Kraków and I heard what I thought was some cool patio music. However I stumbled upon an enormous crowd enjoying some Jewish tunes. It was really quite cool. I grabbed dinner at Ariel, a Jewish restaurant, and it didn't disappoint. The soup disappeared before I could take a picture. This potato stuff dumpling was very good.

I'm going to hit the sack here shortly and try and get a little sleep. Auschwitz is tomorrow and I'm already feeling a bit somber. Wally told me I'll never want to go back again and I think he's exactly right.

Krakow, by the way, is a vibrant, clean and bright city. I maaaaaaaaay think about doing a third night here but we'll see. Time is dwindling away on this first leg of the trip. I'm thinking Budapest next. Any thoughts, oh fictional reader?

Robert

I haven't known too many Roberts in my life, however the ones I have known are pretty awesome people.

But when I entered Post Hostel Prague I had no idea that the gentleman named Robert checking me in late Wednesday night would have such a profound and surely long lasting impact on me.

I quickly learned that Robert hailed from Croatia, and like a lot of Europeans, and had moved around Europe working different jobs. I later found out he lived in Kansas City, MO for a while. But more on that later. Maybe. It all depends on if I remember.

But the night I checked in I was honestly thinking about doing just one night in Prague. Robert encouraged me to stay at least two nights and thankfully I took that encouragement to heart. Interestingly, as recent as this morning I was toying with the idea of staying a third night or even more. But again, more on that later if I remember.

I spoke in an earlier post about the Free Walking Tour I took. Robert said it was good. And it was. He said it's important to see the sights of Prague. He also told me about the trip he and whoever from the hostel wanted to join would be taking to the park where Stalin's statue used to be. In typical Robert coolness, he explained there would something for everyone there. Music. Dancing. Places to sit and view the city. And he was spot on. More on that later if I remember.

Ok I'll tell you more about that now. Wow. What an incredibly beautiful overlook of Prague from up at the park. And the music? Well, it was techno. And it wasn't loud. We were able to talk, laugh, dance if we chose in a spot, as Robert said, has "good vibes."

And I'm kicking myself for not taking more pictures but I ripped some off the internet for this post to give you an idea of what it looked like.

We left there because Robert told us about people getting together on a boat. So we piled into the #93 tram and headed northwest getting further and further from the hostel. And the boat? It was awesome. Same type thing. Techno music, people hanging out on land, others on the boat. It was a true Prague local experience yet again thanks to Robert.

Ok those are the logistical memories. What I want to remember about Robert is the following:

He is the most welcoming person I've ever met. He EXUDES acceptance. He accepts everyone. He talks to and cares for and loves everyone. He knows what he wants. He's very clear on who he is and what he likes to do. He's inclusive. The fact that a large group of us got to go to the park and the boat with him was nothing short of amazing to me. He just calmly stated the plan and said, "y'all are welcome to any or all of the things I'm going to do." And he made sure we knew where we were going but not in an intrusive, looking over our shoulder kind of way. He was just kind and caring about it.

He and I engaged in one of the most meaningful conversations I've had in a long time while at the Stalin Park. Through that conversation I learned that he has visited 26 of the United States(for those keeping score at home, I've visited 24 of them. And I'm a native). But he has made such good friends with people that stay at the hostel, he just takes a month or so off at various points in time and travels. One such trip he ended up in Kansas City. In order to make a little while there, his buddy had him work on renovating homes. He liked it so much he stayed for two years.

Robert shared how much he loves creating and completing things. He spoke about starting a business and building it from
the ground up much like he has done while working at Post Hostel. He spoke about the need for change and how he tries to avoid being comfortable. He said, "I have to leave Prague this year." When I asked, "Oh because of the Visa situation?" He replied, "No. I just have to leave Prague this year." And what he meant was that he is getting too comfortable and if he doesn't leave then he'll never leave.

Which, to me, is a very interesting idea. I totally see where he's coming from. And I can totally see the value in staying a place for a long time. At the time of this writing, I just completed my 12th year at Ridge View.

Balance was the theme of the day yesterday and I believe it's a theme here too.

Here's the truth for me: I love getting out and going. I love meeting new people. I love having new and different experiences. However I also value deep connection, vulnerability and genuine intimacy. I'm finding there's a way to have both. I have great friends and family that I can be open and honest with for which I'm extremely grateful.

The interesting thing here is that when talking with Robert I found myself greatly identifying with him and wanting a lot of what he has. Again, he is extremely warm, accepting and loving. I want that for sure for me. He also isn't interested in being tied down by "stuff." He rents a flat. Doesn't have a car. Like me doesn't have cable. He wants to be able to pick up and move at the drop of a hat. I want that. Now, don't get me wrong, I don't want that to be able to pick up and move, but rather I want to be free of the idea that I tell myself I need to acquire more stuff, more money and more ___________(whatever that is). The key is for me to know what I want and know the direction that I'm going and then let that drive my decisions......which as this meandering share comes to a close is the great lesson that Robert taught me.

He knows who he is. He does what he wants to do and let's go of other's expectations and thoughts about him. He just does Robert on a daily basis and that's enough for him. Seems to be a common theme for me lately. I'm learning to be me. And I'm believing that me is a enough.

It's funny to me how, when I look at my life, I've looked for a lot of things outside of myself to try and define who I am. And they never did. On my worst days I thought they did, however, all along I was just Brian. And just Brian is enough. I never had to perform for anyone's love or approval even though, on my worst days, I still think that sometimes and act that way sometimes.

I'm fortunate to be able to do a ton of things I like to do. I work in sports. That's so cool for a guy like me. I get to work with amazing kids and coaches and staff. That's incredible. I get to travel and experience new and different people and things.

And here's the thing I'm reminding myself of through this writing: I'm not defined by any of that. Those are just things I do. I'm a human. An acceptable member of the human race. And Robert is yet another angel in this journey of mine to teach me, yet again, that's all I ever need to be.

Thank you, Robert.

A Balance

One of the things I'm working on is to be honest about the things that I like and the things that I don't like.  

Clearly I love traveling, however I am learning I do not like touristy things.  Truthfully, I've known that for a long time.  However, today I took a free walking tour knowing that we were going to see the touristy sights of Prague.  And you know?  It was cool to see the beautiful buildings and architecture that I had heard about.  However, there were TONS of people everywhere.  There were TONS of those folks that dress up as robots(etc) and then scare people when they walk by.  (I'm ok with those folks as people, I just know I'm in a touristy area when I see them.  (Weird sidebar there)

Anyway, I ended the afternoon completely worn out(of course I know my sleep hasn't been good and today my eating was less than stellar but still).   I can't help but wonder what the balance is for me.  Yes I would love to see the sights.  But I would much rather hang out with locals and fellow travelers like I just did at the hostel just talking.  That's where I really enjoy traveling.  

Maybe the balance is doing something similar to what Jared, who lives in CA, does.  He spends 3-4 days in a city to really get the feel of it.  He says that for him, anything less than that is not enough to know what a place is really like.   Maybe that's the answer.  

I know one of my issues is that I want to see the whole world like RIGHT NOW.  And last time I czeched(yes.  That's a pun from Prague) the world is a large, enormous place.  I truthfully get jealous at times when I hear people talk about all of the places they've been.  But there's time to keep traveling.  I'll get there.  Even as I type this out, one of my dreams would be to see the world.  To visit every corner of the world.  There are lots of corners.  

But here are a few pictures.  The Jewish cemetery is that tall because the city wouldn't allow Jews to be buried anywhere else other than that cemetery so conventional wisdom says that people may be buried 11 people on top of each other.  Poorly constructed sentence but you get it.  You don't?  Oh.  

Most of these pictures came from within Prague Castle.  

The last picture is from my neighborhood.  Quaint.   And oh yeah quiet. 

At any rate, at the time of this writing I'm about to go to the park with Robert and some of the crew from the hostel....which by the way, Post Hostel in Vinohrady(section of Prague) is legit. I can't recommend them enough for their hospitality, cleanliness and overall cool vibe. 

Who Knew?

Who knew Blockbuster was still a thing?

Copenhagen Hogs

Ok not hogs, but they love their bikes. Check out this rail system on a staircase. They thought of everything when it comes to bikes In Copenhagen. Huge biking culture

Struggling With Time

So it's 00:32 here right now(trying to work on using the 24 hour clock) and I'm pretty wide awake. In my defense it's really 6:32pm. But I've been sleeping off and on and off hours. I slept in this morning so I haven't handled the jet lag terribly well.

Maybe I can wake up somewhat early tomorrow. I did decide to stay in Prague for two nights so maybe that will help.

That is all.

Prague by Veronica

I sat next to a native of the Czech Republic on the flight from Copenhagen to Prague today. She and her boyfriend live in Copenhagen now and she was extremely helpful giving me tips on things to do whilst in Prague. The cool thing was that Robert at the hostel was like "woah this is a really good list." So I leave this here you For you Incase you ever make it!

Thank you Veronica for educating me on Prague, sustainable fashion and more!

Oh and here was our plane. Curious that Czech Airlines didn't paint this one!

And while I'm posting I might as well put dinner out there. This is a potato pancake with pork and cabbage. Sounded a little gross, however it was quite tasty. A little on the heavy side but, "when in Rome!" Or Prague. You get it.

The waiter is pretty cool by the way. When I asked, "Just sit anywhere," he said, "Well we suggest sitting on your rear end but it's up to you."

Walking Copenhagen

I missed my walking tour this morning so I decided to go create my own. Here are some images of beautiful Copenhagen, Denmark. The last picture is the "pub" that we danced the night away at last night!

In these pictures are the area of town called Christiania which is literally a lawless area where anything goes.

Copenhagen truthfully has just about anything someone would ever want. Fortunately I don't want the unhealthy things but if someone did, they have it!

The picture of the open door is there as a reminder of what Lindsey told me this morning at the hostel. "I like walking cities and going through doors and alleys that are off the beaten path to see what I discover." Well, I took that to heart and did that today. Through that door was a renovated office building and two guys that looked at me a little funny when I walked past them into a dead end.

I decided to speak and they let me know they were wondering if I was a good guy or a bad guy. They figured out quickly I'm a good guy that was just curious. But it turned into a nice conversation with two guys that just live and work in Copenhagen. And it would never have happened had I not walked through the door.

Maybe that door represents the proverbial fear in my life. Who knows.....

Woodah Hostel Copenhagen

Now, as much as I like to travel I haven't stayed in a TON of hostels, but Woodah Hostel(Woodah-hostel.com) is the best.  Hands down.  This is my bed last night in a very small room with 7 other males and females.  It was actually quite comfortable.  The hostel itself is extremely clean, cozy and is attached to a coffee shop which is very convenient.  

I posted earlier about the staff but wow. They are amazingly welcoming.  And like a good hostel, they have a board of fun things to do while staying there.  I do regret a little that I wasn't in Copenhagen longer, and the good thing about doing a trip like this is that I make note of where I want to go back to.  I could do Copenhagen again for sure.  

Words Fall Short

I can't put into words how much fun I had last night in Copenhagen, and, as always, I'm going to try. Seems like an inordinate amount of commas in the previous sentence, doesn't it? And I believe that's the first time I've ever written the word "inordinate." I feel smart.

The night started at the hostel with me talking with Brett from Australia and Shameus(I'm sure I'm butchering that spelling) from Northern Ireland.

Then I went to Kennedy's to catch the soccer match, and a gentleman from Westchester, NY struck up a conversation with me and that led to an epic conversation with two Danes that happened to both be named Frederick.

I honestly lost track of the amount of time the three of us talked about life in Copenhagen, creativity, Trump(yep. I was afraid of this to be honest and it happened on night one and you know what? It was great.), and more things that fascinated us. Turns out bearded Frederick is a lead singer of a band(Strangers on a Train....they're on Spotify he said) and less bearded Frederick is a TV producer. Both were wicked smart knowing multiple languages. I can't thank both of them enough for asking questions and giving me honest, heart-felt answers to the things I wanted to know. It's conversations like those that get me excited and help remind me that we're all just human. I feel like I've learned a lot about love and acceptance recently and both of these guys gave me that last night. And I gave it to them too. It was just three guys, hanging out, talking and bouncing ideas and opinions off of each other.

I decided to call it a night and walked back to the hostel.

And whhhhhheeeerrrrrpppppp(that's the spelling of that record scratching sound in movies when something happens along the lines of "not so fast")

I made it back to the hostel and there was a group of travelers and some of the workers hanging out outside. I dropped some things inside and came back to join because, hey, it's Europe and my intention is to be open to letting things happen right? Well, happen they did.

I introduced myself to Lindsey, an American from Wisconsin, and she proceeded to tell me she's traveling for about a month and will be taking photos for a wedding in Edinburgh at the end of her trip. She had bounced all around the area in recent days and weeks. She was VERY knowledgeable about travel and extremely nice and welcoming. I had a blast talking with her.

The group then decided they were going to an Irish Pub(but the scouting report was that it was more like a dance club....more to come on this later). They asked if I was going to come and my answer? You think I: said no, went to sleep, had a great dream about clouds and gummy bears.

NOPE, I: Said yes. Went and had an absolute blast with the crew of Lindsey, Brett, Ignacio, Nicholas, Augustina, Damien and a girl from Chile. Right went when got there, the girls said they wanted to dance.

Now this is where some growth has happened for me. Dancing for 38 years has been a word that has produced a tremendous amount of anxiety and fear, but thanks to the work I put in a few weeks ago in Gainesville with that amazing group of folks, my relationship with dancing had completely changed. It used to be an exercise in self doubt, self judgement, comparisons, getting in other peoples heads and much much more. No wonder I hated dancing so much. BUT, with my new found ability to say "yes" to the difficult and a newfound ability to let go of a lot of negativity in my head, I got out there and danced. And danced. And sweated. And acted silly. And laughed. And danced and sweated and acted silly some more. I honestly don't think I've ever had more fun in my life. And, this is where it blows my mind: it was with complete strangers that loved and accepted me just like I loved and accepted them. We were humans enjoying each other, the music, the night.

Seeing some of them this morning was a real treat. Barriers were broken down last night and I'll forever be connected to them because of last night.

But as I pick apart last night even further, I can't help but wonder: can I do that when I get back tot normal life? Did last night help me move a little closer to my authentic self? Did being around strangers help me let go of the fear and negativity and just say "yes" more? I suspect all of the above will be true at various points in time.

As I sit in the Copenhagen Airport, I can't help but feel an enormous amount of gratitude for that crew last night. I enjoyed each of you so much and loved talking and dancing with you so much. It's a night I truly won't forget.

I'm also thankful for those in my life that have poured into me to help me get to the point where I can feel better about saying "yes" to things in my life. Yes, I'm traveling alone but I'm also bringing along bits and pieces of friends and family they have loved and challenged me over the years to grow.

Last night in Copenhagen doesn't happen if it weren't for those that I do life with. And, to give myself some credit too, it doesn't happen without me choosing to believe that I'm ok. That I'm enough. That I'm acceptable. That I'm loved. And that I can love and serve others.

What a beautiful night.

It Just Happens

For me, it just kind of happens whenever I get to a place that I'm not accustomed to.  And by "it," I mean just "figuring it out."  Just now I stepped off the plane in Copenhagen, Denmark and it wasn't until I started typing this that I realized that my decision to take the train to my hostel was born out of the same thoughts and feelings I had when I stepped off the plane in Shannon, Ireland in July of 2009.  Some of those thoughts/feelings today(and then) were:

This place is different.

What if I get lost(fear)?

What if people don't like that I'm from the US(fear)?

Where do I go? 

How do I get there?

What are those funny looking words?

Well, guess I need to figure it out.  

That train looks cool.  I bet it's cheaper and more challenging than taking an Uber or Taxi.  I think I'll do that. 

One of the differences today was that I asked this:  "Ma'am can you help me?" when I got to the ticket kiosks.  She cutely said, "No," and smiled.  Good thing I'm working on believing that I'm ok as I am because the old me might have gotten back into the security line and flown home.  That's a joke.  Or is it?

Anyway, she helped me purchase a ticket for 36 DKK which I'm not sure but I think is pretty cheap.  This will take me to near my hostel.  

I asked a couple of girls if this was the correct train to get to Central Station and they said yes.  So far I like the peacefulness of Copenhagen and the people, starting with the friendly immigration agent, have been really nice.  

I picked up this Avocado smoothie at the 7-11(about the fourth one that I saw....and one that I had to walk past the McDonald's and Starbucks to get to) after talking with a woman that was buying one.  I've made it a point to just strike up little conversations with people here and so far Copenhagen is batting 1.000 with friendly people and welcoming conversations.  

Bottom line, as my good friend Ray says, I have 38 years of God showing me he'll take care of me.  And when I press into the fear and take a risk, I'm usually rewarded with a cool experience.   So far, so good in that realm.  

This will be a whirlwind through Copenhagen and then it's on to Prague tomorrow!

Coconut Oil....Don’t Leave Home Without It

I have made it to London after an overnight(and direct) flight from London that saw me take a couple of naps.  I don’t know about you, oh fictional reader, but my hind quarters have a hard time(pun intended if you’re keeping score at home) on flights of over 3.5 hours or so.  Numbness sets sets in around the 3 hour mark and if I am not sleeping through the duration of the flight, it creates a considerable amount of discomfort.

At any rate I have made it to terminal 5 at London Heathrow.  I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again:  I really like this airport.  It feels like a shopping mall more than an airport to me.  

I have made a pit stop in the Aspire Lounge from some breakfast and a latte.  Priority Pass allows me into 10 of these lounges per year.  For a 5ish hour layover like this it really comes in handy. 

Speaking of hands....mine will be a little more dry this trip as I had to toss my coconut oil as I went through security.  Truthfully I tried to sneak it through and the agent knew what I was doing, called me out on it, and since that and my shaving cream wouldn’t fit into the plastic bag, they are now in the rubbish.  

In the interest of being vulnerable:  I’m becoming more aware the sometimes I think the rules shouldn’t necessarily apply to me.  I’m not happy about becoming aware of that and at the same time I’m thankful for the awareness because I truly don’t want to be that way.  

Shoutout to Shauna for dropping me at the airport.

Huge help to be able to walk right in the CLT terminal and hop on a plane overseas.  I'm so glad I initiated that friendship so many years ago (even though she'll attempt to tell you that she struck up the conversation first....admitting you're wrong is hard for some people). 

One night in Copenhagen coming up tonight and I’m doing my best to stay awake all day.  Not sure if that’s going to happen or not to be honest. 

Nick

Last night I got to enjoy dinner with a man(and his girlfriend) that I’ve had the pleasure of knowing for 12 years(almost a third of my life.....look at my hairline, my gray hair and just do the math).   

Nick ran for me when I first got the Cross Country job at Ridge View back in 2006, and I had the pleasure of coaching him for several years and then had the amazing experience of having him on my staff as an Assistant Coach AND then had the chance to watch him do wonders as the head XC coach when I got the AD job.  To say we’ve spent a large amount of time together would be an understatement.  

Life is funny sometimes, and I’ve learned a lot about principles lately(i.e. the principle of sowing and reaping, and so on).  A principle I’ve come to believe and accept is:  that I learn more from those around me than I could ever imagine teaching them.  And guess what?  I’m a trained teacher. 

One of those teachers for me has been Nick.  As a young and inexperienced head Cross Country coach, I leaned heavily on Nick and his ideas about the direction of our program.  (Which takes me to another principle:  Giving team members input into the process and direction of the team contributes GREATLY to the members feeling like they have ownership of the team and therefore increases buy in which, in my opinion, is what all coaches are striving for.   Stated another way:  a team that only listens to the coach or of fear of consequences or fear of letting the leader down will only go so far.  But, rather a team that cares about each other and each other’s development while contributing to the direction of the team will continue to grow each and everyday.  That’s the type of group of runners that we had while I coached and it was due, in large part, to Nick and what he taught me about listening to members of the team.) Nick cared an extraordinary amount about the team but, more than that, about his fellow teammates and their development.  On that team, he was a leader in the truest sense of the word.  To me, a leader is a person that asks:  “What can I do today to help you reach your dreams?”  Nick epitomized that as a runner and as a coach.  That quality can be taught, I’m sure, however Nick had it innately, and it was a huge learning experience for me to see it on the front lines.  

Nick has also taught me about perseverance.  He recently completed a goal and dream that he set out to complete years ago.  And, through some adversity, he focused on getting what he wanted.  And he did it, and I couldn’t be happier for him.  

Fast forward to this past Thursday.  As I was about to step on a plane to Denver, I got a text from Nick stating that he was having a great time touring Colorado.  The timing was incredible. My response:  “Great!  Where are you in Colorado?  I’m flying to Denver in about 10 minutes.”

That was met with a “Whattttttttt!” that I couldn’t help but read in my head in Nick’s voice.  

We were able to meet up last night in the Lower Highlands area of Denver at a spot called Linger which featured the world’s most honest waiter(like seriously, one of the first things he did was tell us “this item and this item really are not that good).  It was a pleasure to spend time with Nick and his wonderful girlfriend Kaytee hearing about their travels, catching up, and talking about vision. It was a rich conversation that I am extremely thankful to have had on my last night in Colorado.  

I was, yet again, taught by Nick(as well as Kaytee!) about the importance of knowing who I am, knowing what I like to do and giving myself permission to just “be.”  I was reminded that I live in a world that tells me I have to achieve, achieve, achieve and perform, perform, perform.  The lesson I’ve learned the hard way(and I’m thankful for that by the way) is that I’m ok.  I’m acceptable.  I don’t have to perform to be loved.  I don’t have to achieve to be loved.  I’m defined by more than what I do.  Now, don’t get me wrong, I love what I do and yet I’m not Brian the Athletic Director.  I’m Brian. And that’s enough.  God made me, and if I can operate out of that truth I come to realize that approval by anyone on Earth isn’t really what I’m after.  What I’m looking for is true connection. And I’m learning that that connection can come about in a myriad of ways for me:  spending time reading, writing, meditating, being of service, talking/laughing with friends(like last night), getting out in nature, hopping on a plane, getting around like-minded people that challenge me, dancing(yep I discovered this one last weekend in Florida), deep conversation and more ways that I’m forgetting right now and some that I’ll discover some other time I’m sure. 

All that being said, I think the world of Nick and am extremely thankful to have known him like I have.  It was awesome meeting up with him and Kaytee last night as I was yet again encouraged. I get the feeling that life is more about these types of moments than about any grandiose thing I THINK I should be doing.  Maybe life is about being around those I love and care for and trying to be the best version of myself along the way.  Sounds pretty good to me. 

Colorado Cuisine

It's rare that I write a post solely about restaurants, but then again, I'm a rare kind of guy.  

Casa Bonita

Jon is one of my dearest friends in world.  He and I share a love of travel and I can only hope to get to a small percentage of the places around the world he has been.  So, when Jon speaks, I listen(about anything!).  He suggested I go to dinner at Casa Bonita(meaning "beautiful house" in Spanish for those of you keeping score at home).  It sounded delightful.  He encouraged me to keep an open mind and "just go with it" when I walked in there.  I'll admit, my mind took me to a dingy biker bar reminiscent of something I might find, say on a back road of South Carolina.  

I couldn't have been more wrong, which is kind of funny when I think about it:   Expectations about places, people, events, etc usually get me in trouble.  (Maybe I'll write more on that one day, but the truth for me is that I am working on letting things go, just showing up, be accepting rather that judgemental and just let things happen)   

Casa Bonita, as I soon found out, bills itself as the "World's Most Entertaining Restaurant."  

One of the bits of information Jon did give me on the Scouting Report was that there were Cliff Divers there.  Yes.  You heard me correctly.  Cliff Divers.    Oddly enough, when I entered the restaurant in a state of utter confusion about what I was getting myself into, I struck up a conversation with a gentleman.  As we stood in line much like cattle waiting to go to the slaughterhouse, I asked him, "Um, how does this work?"  His reply, "I don't remember this part honestly, but they have Cliff Divers."  And guess what, when someone asks me about my experience at Casa Bonita, the first thing I'm going to tell them is, "You know the food is average at best, but they have Cliff Divers!"

CB is a really cheesy place.  And you know what, I knew that going in.  And it was fun.  When I walked in the main dining area, after going through the cafeteria style food line, I immediately noticed that the "gun fight" portion of the evening was happening on the main stage, which for those of you needing a word picture, overlooks the lagoon where, guess who dives in the water?  Yep.  Cliff Divers.  

I was taken to my booth where I had a right, front view of the stage and the lagoon.  Once seated I saw a wide variety of folks enjoying the World's Most Entertaining Restaurant:  mostly families with kids, but then there were couples on dates(young and old).  I couldn't help but think that this would be a fun place to have in Columbia.  

Between "shows" the mariachi band would strike up, there were puppets and piñatas in the room next door.  And of course, there was a cliff diver, and let me tell you, he was freaking awesome.  

So I'm proud to say I've been to Casa Bonita!  

The Chalet

I happened upon The Chalet after meeting some locals that suggested it.  It's located in Wheat Ridge right outside of Denver.  And let me tell you, Wheat Ridge is a really cool suburb that has everything one could ever need, including a Boston Market!  (More on that later)  

I liked The Chalet so much on Saturday morning, I went back today as well for breakfast.  Both trips I tried a "skillet" which features a base of home fries, scrambled eggs and cheese.  The skillet I had today added tomatoes, onions, peppers, bacon and sausage.  "Hearty" doesn't begin to describe these dishes.  

The service takes The Chalet over the top because, let's be honest, the interior and exterior of the restaurant is akin to Omega Pancake House or any other of the 7,429 pancake houses in Myrtle Beach.  There was one waiter that was on the move the entire time both mornings.  If I had just taken a sip of my coffee, he was right there to top it off and warm it up for me.  

Which, let me take a little detour here.  I'm not a fan of the "warming up of the coffee."  It takes me a while to get the perfect amount cream and/or sugar to get the coffee right where I like it and I don't want extra joe to entered into that equation.  Oh and while I'm on my soapbox, why is "joe" another name for coffee?  I think I'm going to start calling it vladimir.  

Ok, my point is:  I like The Chalet.  And I plan on going back one day.  

Oh and fun fact:  the building and restaurant has been there for over 50 years and was formerly known as Weber's Fireside Grill.  I'd like to think that they moved that one to Indy.  If you're wondering what I'm talking about, go back through my posts about Indy.  Don't have the time?  Me neither. 

Boston Market

For the first time in my life, I was able to actually use the hours of Boston Market TV commercials and actually visit a Boston Market.  Remember how they used to run ads on tv in South Carolina incessantly without a Boston Market to be found?  I never quite understood that.  However, congratulations Boston Market, those thousands of dollars you spent over the course of my life FINALLY paid off as I visited your restaurant and spent $7.54 on a salad.  Solid return on investment if you ask me.  

And if you asked me about the salad, what would I say: It was ok.  

Save A Lot

One of the most clutch things I've done in a long time was to stop by the Save A Lot near my Air BNB when I first got into town to pick up some water, bananas, peanuts and strawberries.  I ate those all weekend and they made for great snacks when I was out on the road this weekend.   

Linger

In the seemingly trendy Lower Highlands of Denver sits several good looking restaurants, one of which is Linger.  Offering a very diverse selection of food and drink this spot has a gorgeous setting with large roll doors that open and a good view to boot from the second level.  

Th waiter we had was one of my all time favorites.  Honest would be an understatement for this guy.  He told us right off the bat about a couple of dishes he thought weren't that good.  When I asked him about the Cuban Mojo Pork he said, "You know, it's ok.  I had it last night and it wasn't as tasty as I thought it would be."   And you know what, he was right.  It tasted fine and I agree with him, it was missing something.  

At any rate, I'd go back there again because it's a good looking spot with obviously great service and pretty decent food.  I guess you really have to know what to get and really listen to your waiter!