'Celestial' Video

2022-10-18T22:31:00.000-04:00

I painted this piece last July. I was so proud of it that I didn't think I could do any better. I clipped the paper up to dry and let it hang for 5 months. I didn't intend for the break to last so long, but I was tired and needed to take some time to myself to recharge and focus on other aspects of life. Also, I was afraid I'd ruin it during the varnishing/mounting process. Well, here it is completed and I wish I hadn't waited so long. Better late than never, I guess!

You can find a full list of materials and tools I used in the video description. Peep the links below!

🛍 | Etsy Shop
http://www.ericvandykeart.etsy.com

🌲 | Linktree
https://linktr.ee/ericvandykeart

📸 | Stalk me on all the social medias!
→ Instagram http://instagram.com/ericvandykeart
→ Facebook http://facebook.com/ericvandykeart
→ TikTok https://vm.tiktok.com/TTPdS5j7Wh/

I Started a YouTube Channel!

2021-07-09T21:58:00.005-04:00

I have some exciting news!

Well, you already know what it is if you read the title of this post, but I started a YouTube channel! My goal is to create tutorial videos for alcohol ink artists and anyone else who just enjoys watching the process. I added some relaxing lofi music so even if you just want to watch the process unfold, you'll have some chill music to listen to, too.

Below are my first two videos. Let me know what you think!

Oh, and subscribe! ;)

More New Artwork!

2020-10-24T22:19:00.004-04:00

I recently finished four new pieces. It was so much fun to experiment with new color combinations, shapes and sizes. Click on any of the photos below to see more!

Autumn is Here!

2020-10-05T20:45:00.005-04:00

I recently tried to capture the feeling of Autumn (or Fall if you prefer) in a painting, and I think I did it! When I look at these photos, I see golden changing leaves. I hope you see them too, and it brings you joy! Click any of the photos to see more.

A New Side Hustle: EricVanDykeArt on Etsy

2020-08-14T20:30:00.013-04:00

Hello there!

I was put on furlough for about three months because of the Coronavirus and took that time to explore new hobbies. One of those includes painting! It's been so much fun to experiment with color and metallics.

I recently open an Etsy shop to follow my new passion. Follow me on this new adventure starting a side hustle and exploring my insatiable need to create. To me, one of the best parts of creating anything is the having the opportunity to share it. I'd love if you came along for the ride. Below are links to the shop, Instagram and Facebook pages. Check them out and let me know what you think!

Etsy: EVDgallery
Instagram: EVDgallery
Facebook: EVDgallery

Love,
Eric

Colorado!

2016-10-12T21:28:00.002-04:00

Wednesday, June 15: Reunited and It Feels So Good!

My best friend moved to Colorado a couple of years ago. She and I grew up together since we were 2 years old. Mary, her sister, and I decided to take a trip out to Colorado to see her.

We flew out Wednesday morning, and Katie picked us up at the airport around lunch time. I was so happy to see her! It had been entirely too long since the last time. She took us to some shops on 16th street and we ate at Grimaldi’s Pizzeria. Of course, I had to buy some souvenirs at the I Heart Denver store. I got a shot glass and some new coasters for my new townhouse!

We made a stop at Target to get some necessities--some of which included the three essential ingredients for s’mores for later that night.

I finally got to meet Winnie and Cooper, Cody and Katie’s two dogs! They were so sweet. Cooper is six months old and Winnie is about a year and a half. They weren’t used to having new people come around, so they got extra excited to see Mary and me. Cooper was so excited that I couldn't get a clear picture of him from moving so much.

Cody met us at Fuzzy’s Taco shop. I ordered a drink called a Shark Tank, not really knowing what to expect other than what alcohol and mixers were in it. To my surprise, it came in a beta fish bowl. The drink and the food were the best I have had in a long time. I wish Fuzzy’s would come to the midwest. I’d definitely stop by for another fajita.

On our way back from dinner, we stopped at the biggest liquor store I’ve ever been to, Total Beverage, to pick up some drinks for the rest of our trip. I picked out the most unique-looking bottle of wine I could find while Mary found some Ace Pineapple. The bottle I got was so tall—20 inches or so. I brought it home with me to see if I can make something out of it.

We spent the rest of the night relaxing and just hanging out watching TV. By the end of the night, we were exhausted from ours busy day.

Thursday, June 16: Pikes Peak & Garden of the Gods

Thursday began in the most delicious way possible: breakfast at Chick-Fil-A!

We drove about an hour and a half to Manitou for a cog ride up to the summit of Pikes Peak. The cog ride took about 90 minutes, but every minute on the way up was worth it.

The altitude made it more difficult to breathe because of the lower oxygen levels. The view was breathtaking—literally.

I was a little lightheaded at the top, but the view was amazing. Photos really don't do it justice.

We were pretty hungry after lots of site seeing, so we stopped at Sonic. It was a my first Sonic experience, and the food and strawberry lemonade were delicious!

Garden of the Gods was absolutely beautiful. At the entrance of the garden, we saw eight—yes, eight!—big-horned sheep. It was jus the first of many wild animal sightings for the trip. Some people got super close to them, but didn’t get out of the car. The only thing separating us and them was a wooden railing, and they could have jumped right over it.

After evading the sheep and entering the garden, we took a walk around. The weather was beautiful, but it was pretty hot in the sun. That’s one thing I loved about Colorado—even on a hot day, if you’re in the shade, you can still feel pretty cool. The humidity was so low compared to Indiana, I could definitely tell a difference.

We saw a couple rock climbers in the garden. I can only imagine what the view looked like from up there, but there’s no way I would have climbed that. It’s straight up!—pretty amazing how nature can create something so beautiful and colorful.

After strolling through the garden, we took a trip to Castle Rock Outlets to do some shopping. I bought a nice North Face jacket, and I can’t wait to wear it this fall!

By the time we finished shopping, we were exhausted, so we drove back to Katie and Cody’s for dinner. They made BLT’s for us, and I forgot how much I loved them until I took a bite.

We settled down and relaxed while watching Cutthroat Kitchen. Who knew cooking shows could be so much fun?! I sure didn’t. Eventually we all made it to bed and got ready for another exciting day tomorrow!

Friday, June 17: Rocky Mountain National Park

Friday started with a sweet treat, a trip to Krispy Kreme! I had never been to an actual Krispy Kreme before, and they’re so much better freshly made than out of the grocery store box.

After breakfast, we did some shopping in Estes Park and I bought a neat Estes Park mug to take home. There were so many things I wanted to buy!

Then, after doing a quite a bit of window shopping, we drove through Rocky Mountain National Park.

We stopped multiple times to get out and do some exploring. At one point, we hiked down to a river and got some great pictures. The water was freezing, but the air was so fresh and crisp.

One our way down to Bear Lake, we saw about ten deer. We didn’t see any bears, but I didn’t really want to. I could have stayed there for hours, it was so peaceful.

On our way back to Katie & Cody’s we stopped at a store called 2nd and Charles, a book/game/record store. Of course, the first thing I found was a Lady Gaga record. The album cover was printed on the vinyl!

Dinner was at a familiar place, Red Robin! Yum! Then, we headed back to the apartment and played trivia while watching TV until we were too tired to keep our eyes open any longer.

Saturday, June 18: Rocky Mountain National Park & Moose!

Saturday was probably my favorite day. First, we made a stop at King Soopers, another new place to me, for doughnuts!

We stopped at Beaver Meadows Visitors Center on our way to Rocky Mountain National Park. The visitors center was designed by Taliesin Associated Architects, and was one of the most significant commissions for that firm in the years immediately following the death of the founder, Frank Lloyd Wright!

We made several stops on our way through Rocky Mountain National Park. We saw at least 50 elk, and an elk calf! They were everywhere it seemed.

We took a hike to Lake Irene, another place with beautiful picturesque landscapes. It looked like it had just snowed not long ago, but it was all melting and running down the mountain.

Walking past Lake Irene, we finally came to an end of the path, where of course we had to take a selfie together.

We noticed multiple cars on the side of the road at one point with people standing and taking pictures, knowing it was a sign of something good. It was a moose! And a baby! Then, Katie turned to me and said, “Do you know who that is?” pointing to a man and his family. I had no idea, but it was the actor who plays Steve on Sex and the City! We had to do a little Googling to confirm, but it was in fact him!

Five minutes later, we saw another moose! It was grazing next to what looked like an old shed.

On our drive back through Rocky Mountain National Park, we made a couple stops at scenic lookouts, then had lunch. We took a picnic with us with all sorts of yummy food, my favorite being the bean salsa.

Overall that day, we saw FIVE moose! Katie hadn’t seen any the whole time she’s lived there, so five in one day was unheard of!

After we got back to Katie & Cody’s we took the dogs to the park and threw the ball around for a while. They were wound up from being inside while we were gone. By the end of the evening, we wore both of them out.

We ended the night with a game of Phase 10 with the TV in the background, then headed to bed to rest up for our last day.

Sunday, June 19: Finding Dory, Red Rocks and Heading Home

Our last day in Colorful Colorado, the Centennial State, or what people used to call the Buffalo Plains State, began with a trip to Panera for breakfast. Then, we decided to have a low-key day and go see Finding Dory. It was so cute! It didn’t seem as funny as Finding Nemo, but I still loved it.

We took a little drive out to see Red Rocks, and we tried to get into the amphitheater, but Bob Dylan was already rehearsing for his concert that night and we couldn’t get past the front gate. It was still neat to see the scale of the rocks and how colorful they are.

We said our “see you laters”—I don’t like goodbyes—then flew back to Indiana around 8:30.

I definitely want to make another trip to Colorado sometime. The scenery was too beautiful to never experience it in person again. Who knows…maybe next time I’ll try skiing!

Switzerland & Germany 2015 Video

2016-04-24T16:57:00.002-04:00

In April of 2015, Ashton, Stephen, and I went on a trip to Switzerland. It broadened my horizons and the journey was beautiful. Check out the video above and read more about the trip here.

How to Make Two Christmas Trees from One Wooden Pallet

2015-12-13T16:57:00.013-05:00

Wow, this post has blown up unexpectedly! If you'd like to see more of my projects, check out @EricVanDykeArt on Instagram.

I recently ordered cabinets and they were shipped to me on a pallet, and I kept it just in case I could think of a way to upcycle it instead of throwing it away.

My mom sent me picture the other day of a pallet tree, and I just had to try making one for Christmas! You can make two trees from one pallet. Geometry for the win!

What you'll need:

(1) wooden pallet
(48) 3" screws
(30) linear feet of 2x4's
(2) 6" or larger c-clamps or bar clamps
jig saw or circular saw
drill with phillips screwdriver bit
crow bar
hammer

What you might need (if you choose to decorate your tree):

decorations of your choice (paint, ornaments, garland, lights, topper, etc.)
staple gun - if you want to add lights and garland
paint and brush - if you want to paint your tree

Okay, so let's get started with the steps I took to make these crafty Christmas trees.

Remove all screws from the face of your pallet. Mine had two pieces of wood attached to it to keep the cabinets in place during the shipping process.

Draw two lines on the face of the pallet as shown in the photo above.

Saw the boards where you drew your lines. I chose to use a jig saw. A circular saw would work, I suppose, but the jig saw was easier to handle.

Turn the newly sawn pallet over.
Remove the slats from the back of the pallet with a crow bar and/or a hammer. You can complete this step before sawing, but I chose to do it after.
After the back slats are removed, you'll have three separate triangular pieces. One already looks like a tree without a trunk. The other two will need to be attached together. Lay the two smaller triangular pieces face down with their "spines/trunks" touching.
Align the two pallet pieces so that the slats are as aligned with each other as possible. My pallet's slats were a little off, so they didn't line up exactly, but that didn't really matter after adding paint and decorations.
Once aligned, clamp the two pieces together to prevent any movement when you attach them with screws. If the "spines/trunks" are bowed, clamping them together will also help with straightening them out.
Attach the two halves together. I used 3-inch screws because that's what I already had on hand.
Next, you're going to saw the base pieces. You'll need about 30' of 2x4's all together to make bases for both trees.

Saw the 2x4's into (8) 24" long and (4) 36" pieces. I used a miter saw, but you can use pretty much any type of saw to accomplish this.

Next, attach two 36" 2x4's to each side of the "spine/trunk" of the tree. I left about 10" of trunk to attach the other cross base pieces, which we will do in the next step. Again, I used 3-inch screws for this.
There will be a gap between the two 36" pieces at the bottom of the tree trunk. You will need 1 or 2 (depending on which tree your working on) approximately 6" long 2x4 pieces to fill the gap. You may have to loosen a screw or two to squeeze the 6" piece(s) between the two "trunk" 2x4's. Use 3-inch screws to attach the 2x4's together that the bottom.

Attach (4) 24" 2x4's to the "trunk" of the tree. They should form a structure similar to the photo above, but with the trunk in the middle of course.

Now you should have two trees that stand up on their own!

You can add any decorations you like, but I chose to paint them green, staple on lights, then add garland and ornaments. Oh, and I added a star!

We placed the trees on each side of our front yard, so the lights had to be for outdoor use. The hardest part was finding a star to attach to the tops that was meant for outdoor use. So hard that we couldn't find any and just used glitter-covered stars instead.

I hope you enjoy the process of this DIY Christmas project. If you'd like to see more of my projects, check out @ericvandykeart on Instagram. Feel free to DM me there if you have questions!

A Virginia Wine Vacation

2015-10-13T20:36:00.002-04:00

Thursday, August 6: Arrival and UVA

In August, Ashton and I made a trip to Charlottesville, Virginia. After about a nine-hour drive, we arrived Thursday evening. Ashton drove the first half when it was pouring down rain. I drove the second half when we got into the mountains. I'm used to driving on flat Indiana roads, so the mountains took some getting used to.

Right before we got to Charlottesville, we stopped at some scenic views along the route. It was beautiful! Now I understand why Ashton misses living in Virginia so much. The mountains are breathtaking.

Ashton's friends Lyndsey and Ryan so kindly let us stay at their house. They have the cutest dogs and cats: Rocky, Cody, Jasper and Oliver.

That night, we went to Cafe Catura for dinner, then to the Biltmore for some drinks. The nightlife mostly consisted of frat brothers and girls dressed in weird outfits--which makes sense because it's a college town. A giant Jenga set was calling our name, so we played a couple games.

In the middle of them, a peculiar lady--in her mid forties, maybe--said she was new in town and she asked to watch us, and she joined us for a game or two. She gave me weird vibes, but she was nice. By the end of the night, we were exhausted so we headed back to the house.

Friday, August 7: Wineries, Wineries, Wineries

Friday began with a scrumptious--I love that word--breakfast at Hot Cakes. Ironically they didn't have pancakes, so we got some sandwiches.

This was the big wine tasting day we had been waiting for! We started out at Veritas, then made our way to Afton Mountain, Cardinal Pointe, Pollak, and Kings Family. I stocked up on some great wine.

Here's what I bought from each winery:

Veritas: White Star
Afton Mountain: Mountain White
Cardinal Pointe: Quattro, Rosé
Pollak: Pino Gris
Kings Family: Crosé, Loreley

By the time we finished visiting five wineries and tasting all the delicious wine, we went back to the house to take a nap and get ready for the night. Nap time was glorious. There's nothing I love more than a good nap--especially after wine tasting.

Dinner time came by and the four of us were in the mood for some Mono Loco Mexican food! Ashton and I split a burrito, drank some margaritas, and we were feeling pretty good. While walking around the Downtown Mall, one of my flip flips broke. Luckily there was a CVS still open, so I bought two-pack of flip flops--only $4!

After running into some of Ashton's old Virgina friends, we walked to Skybar. The view from the balcony was pretty sitting next to the tall trees and and watching people walking along the main strip of the Mall.

We walked over to Miller's another bar, and went upstairs to get a few more drinks. It was too smoky for my liking, but playing pool with Ryan and Lyndsey was fun.

A few more drinks down, we checked out a gay bar, Escafe. It didn't feel like the stereotypical gay bar which was nice. I don't think many of the straight couples even knew it was a gay bar--ha ha. Ashton and Lyndsey boogied down on the dance floor, then we headed back home.

Saturday, August 8: Monticello & Starry Nights

Saturday morning began with a hunt for a new place to stay. A pipe burst at Ryan's & Lyndsey's, putting the shower out of commission. Ashton's other Virgina friends, JT & Elizabeth, saved the day and let us stay with them for the remainder of the trip. Thanks again to all four of you for letting us stay with you!

After we figured out where we were going to sleep that night, we drove to Monticello, Thomas Jefferson's estate! I was so beautiful, and the house was intriguing. Ashton and I went on a tour of the house, and it was neat to see how innovative Jefferson was almost 250 years ago. He was brilliant.

Ashton took me to her old neighborhood in Charlottesville and showed me her old house, the place of "epic parties" back in the day.

Then you know what time it was... nap time! We had to save our energy for Starry Nights!

Starry Nights, a concert put on by Veritas, was my favorite part of the whole trip. Ashton, Ryan, Lyndsey, Tanan, and a couple other friends enjoyed sipping on our White Star with strawberries and snacking on Chex mix and french bread.

The sky was beautifully clear that night. I hadn't seen that many stars in a long time. We danced, we sang, we drank wine. That's all I could have asked for.

Sunday, August 9: More Wineries!

Sunday morning, we woke up to the smell of pancakes. JT & Elizabeth made us breakfast. They're so thoughtful!

Ashton and I made a trip to Harris Teeter to get some lunch food to take with us to Glass House Winery. We met Steven and his girlfriend, Dawn, to do a wine tasting and have lunch together.

After a couple bottles at Glass House, we went to Pippin Hill to do one last tasting and share some appetizers. Pippin Hill had the best views of the whole trip. The flowers combined with the mountains in the background made for a beautiful landscape. This, of course, inspired me to buy more wine to take home!

JT and Elizabeth made three kinds of "haute dogs" for dinner: Tijuana, Californian, and French Poodle. They were so unique and were easily the best/most topped hot dogs I've ever had.

We made one last stop at Miller's to meet Ashton's friends, James & Angie. We had a couple drinks outside in the Mall and chatted until a couple guys came around yelling at each other about how one of them stole money from the other. Police were called and one of them was arrested. He was carrying a knife and following the other guy walking in circles around the area we were seated. That was a queue for our time outside with Angie and James to end. James and Angie, being pregnant and all, called it an early night, and Ashton and I went to Millers to meet her old friend, Pete.

We sipped on cocktails, snacked on some nachos, and listened to a band called B.C. They were pretty good! As night progressed, the bar got emptier, and we decided to call it a night. JT and Elizabeth had driven us to Miller's, and we thought we would be able to get an Uber back. The closest Uber was 20 minutes away, so we just hopped in a taxi instead. We needed to rest for our long drive home in the morning.

Monday, August 10: A Long Drive Home

Sadly, our trip had to come to an end. It's good to be home again, and we'll have plenty of wine to enjoy until next time!

Joywave with Grace Mitchell and Kopps at the Hi-Fi in Indianapolis

2015-10-03T23:59:00.000-04:00

October 3rd. Not only is it Mean Girls Day, but Mary and I went to the best concert! Joywave performed at the Hi-Fi in Fountain Square with Kopps and Grace Mitchell as their opening acts. The venue, a bar with a stage in the back, was intimate with a maximum occupancy of 195 people. The show was sold out.

Kopps was up first. The lead singer came out with a goblet full of who-knows-what and gold leggings. The whole band had a sports jersey thing going on with their wardrobe. I'm not quite sure what that theme was about, but it was funny to see the guitarists dance around in jerseys. They had choreography with the lead singer and everything.

They played about 8 or 9 songs, but I only knew one called "Dumb." I think it popped up on a playlist on Spotify when I was out running one day--great song to run to, by the way.

Kopps's lead singer was super energetic and interacted with the crowd--so energetic that I couldn't get a decent picture of her. At one point, she gave away a medal to whom she felt was the best dancer, which was actually just a little plastic thing you could pick up at the Dollar Store, but it was hilarious. She brought the winner up on stage and did a little booty shake on him after placing the medal on top of his head because it was too small to fit around it.

Of course, the band closed their set with "Dumb," and the crowd went crazy. I still have the tune stuck in my head.

Grace Mitchell performed next. I recognized three of her songs, "NoLo," "Raceday," and "Broken Over You"from listening to a radio station on Apple Music. I didn't know she was going to even be at the Joywave concert until we got there, but I'm sure glad she was.

Grace had a certain confidence about her, but not in an arrogant way. She sang with passion, and the lyrics were heartfelt. I could tell that she wrote the songs herself by her performances of them. She made a couple jokes--I can't remember exactly what about now, but that made her more personable and seem like she was enjoying herself.

After her set, Grace stood in the crowd to watch Joywave. She stood right next to me! I told her that her performance was awesome, and she seemed so humble about it. During the jumping up and down, we bumped into each other a couple times. As of now, she's the most famous person I've met and/or touched. That sounds kind of creepy as I'm typing it...but it's true!

Joywave was even better than when I saw them earlier this summer at the Alt103 Birthday Bash at White River State Park. Their songs are so catchy! I might not always know what their lyrics mean, but their songs just make me want to dance and jump around--which is exactly what everybody did at the concert.

Daniel, the lead singer, talked to the audience and told us a couple stories. I wish more artists did that. We were so close, I could have reached out and touched him!

Joywave played pretty much every song from their newest album, "How Do You Feel Now?" and a couple older songs from a previous record. The crowd's favorite song seemed to be "Destruction." A couple guys yelled out "Play 'Destruction' again!" after they performed it, and Daniel said something like, "We'll see what happens later." There's a break in "Tongues" after the bridge when Daniel had everyone get down low and get ready to jump up. When we jumped, the band switched to "Destruction" for the second time. It's a great song worth playing twice!

I wish I could relive that whole concert. From the venue to the performances, how close we got to the stage, and even the parking spot we found right in front of the building, everything was perfect!

Switzerland 2015: DAYS 9 & 10

2015-09-20T17:45:00.001-04:00

Day nine of our trip was quite possibly one of my favorites.

We started off the day by taking a walk around Schaffhausen and looking at the shops. Wait, no, that's a lie. We started with breakfast at Cafe Vordergasse of course! That day they had Bircher Muesli, a Swiss oatmeal full of walnuts, fruit, and deliciousness.

After breakfast, we bought some flowers for Ladd and Caroline as a "Thank you" for letting us stay with them. The whole trip wouldn't have been the same without them.

The main event of the day was Stein am Rhein!

We took a train there, then hiked up to Burg Hohenklingen, a castle!

The hike was steep, but the view from the top was worth it! And, there's a restaurant built onto the castle! We had something to drinkI think what I had was called Elmer, something like Sprite—then, we hiked back down to the bottom.

We took a nice, long boat ride down the Rhein back to Schaffhausen, then it was sadly time to pack and get ready to head back to America. We packed our bags to get ready for our long flight home the next morning, then we had one last delicious dinner with Ladd and Caroline.

The next morning, we boarded our flight after a weird bus ride between terminals, and off we were back to America.

I wouldn't have traded this trip for anything. I had such an amazing time exploring Switzerland and Germany. If you ever get the chance, make a trip to Schaffhausen. You won't regret it.

There are 300+ more pictures I couldn't possibly fit into one blog post, so I uploaded a slideshow. Check it out here: Switzerland 2015: Photo Album

Switzerland 2015: DAY 8

2015-09-20T17:43:00.004-04:00

Day eight—noooooo, this is almost the end of our trip—was full of more driving and sightseeing.

First, Laura's family, Ashton, Stephen, and I went to Gabriella's, a pizzeria, in Landstuhl. The pizza was better than Paradox, and they gave us little chocolates in the shape of bugs when we payed—again with the chocolate bugs! Maybe that trend will work it's way over to America soon.

We took the Autobahn back to Schaffhausen, making a couple stops in the Black Forest on the way. The mountains were beautiful. Photos don't do them justice.

After dropping off the rental car in Schaffhausen, we decided to make this our fancy dinner night. Ashton found a place called Ober Hof within walking distance of our apartment. I had easily the most delicious and fanciest cheeseburger and fries of my entire life—also the most expensive, but it was worth every Swiss franc.

Once we got back to our apartment, we realized we had all of this wine from our winery adventures in Germany, so we decided to take care of some bottles. This made us think, 'I wonder what night life is like in Switzerland on a Tuesday night.' So, we walked around Schaffhausen at 11:30 at night to take a look around. I felt weirdly safe walking around that late in a foreign city. Walking along on the cobblestone street with fountains and beautiful architecture was surreal.

Wanting to have the full Swiss experience, we took a drink from a fountain! I decided it would be a good opportunity to do a cartwheel, so I did! How many Americans can say they did a cartwheel in Switzerland? I can. I might just post that video later ...

At this point, we were exhausted, so we made our way back to the apartment and went to bed, ready for another adventure in the morning.

Continue to Switzerland 2015: DAYS 9 & 10 >>

There are 300+ more pictures I couldn't possibly fit into one blog post, so I uploaded a slideshow. Check it out here: Switzerland 2015: Photo Album

Switzerland 2015: DAY 7

2015-09-20T17:38:00.000-04:00

Even the breakfast in hotels is delicious in Europe! That's how we started our seventh day at Hotel Europa.

Ashton, Stephen and I ventured off to Bad Dürkheim, home of the the largest barrel in the world, Dürkheimer Fass. Instead of holding wine, though, this barrel has a restaurant inside!

Naturally, we had to start the day with some wine tasting, so we got some flights with a light lunch. As usual, the food and wine were tasty.

On our way to our next destination, Weingut Schneider, we past some beautiful castles! I wish we could have seen them up close, but they were all on top of steep hills—guess that made for a good defense in the past.

Weingut Schneider was one of my favorite places in Germany. We relaxed on the patio sipping wine and enjoying the scenery. The vines weren't in season yet, so there were no grapes, but the flowers were beautiful. The wine was so good and inexpensive! Well, the one I liked the most was only 7-something dollars for a liter! Apparently, one of Schneider's wines, Black Print, is a favorite of Barack Obama. I had a taste of it, and lets just say it's not my cup of tea. I'm usually a sweet white wine drinker, though, and Black Print is a dry red.

Next up was wine tasting at Weingut Reichsrat von Buhl! The tasting was in the dining room of old house with the original fabric wall covering. It was a unique wine tasting experience. Our server was super enthusiastic about the wine, and we were feeling pretty good at this point.

Stephen, our faithful DD, drove us back to Ramstein, and we picked up Thai That, Laura's favorite Thai restaurant in Germany on the way there. Pad Thai, the can't-go-wrong choice, was superb.

We hung out for a little while longer until we got tired and drove back to the hotel. I FaceTimed my parents and sister—which was really neat all the way from another hemisphere! I missed my family, but Europe felt like home, too.

Continue to Switzerland 2015: DAY 8 >>

There are 300+ more pictures I couldn't possibly fit into one blog post, so I uploaded a slideshow. Check it out here: Switzerland 2015: Photo Album

Switzerland 2015: DAY 6

2015-09-20T17:29:00.001-04:00

The sixth day was all about going to Germany! Of course, first, we had to start out our day by having breakfast at Café Vordergasse. I'm craving it as I type this. So good! I had a brioche and my first 4-minute egg!

Ashton's friend from Alabama, Laura lives on an Air Base in Ramstein, so we made a trip to go see her and her family.

The Autobahn was fun! Stephen drove the rental car and at one point I think we were moving at 120 mph, which is the fastest I've ever travelled in a car. Most of the Autobahn doesn't have a speed limit, so cars were going a lot faster than we're used to in America. There are some sections with speed limits, but we only ran into a couple of those. I drive like a grandpa, so the speed was as thrilling as it was scary. I slept in the backseat for most of the trip—ha ha.

We settled into our hotel and went to Paradox for pizza—so much cheese! We tried their version of a Hugo and it just wasn't the same as our first one in Zürich.

Laura's family is the cutest. She had a baby two weeks before we saw her, so she and Shawn had their hands full with an infant and a toddler. It was nice to see some fellow Americans in Europe.

For dinner, we went to New York Döner to pick up some food. I had a schnitzel döner—my first schnitzel! It was kind of like a gyro, but with pork. The Sprite in Germany is a lot different than America's. It was more refreshing because it didn't have loads of sugar in it—only 5 grams for half a liter!

We spent the rest of the night visiting with Laura and her family, then headed back to the hotel.

Continue to Switzerland 2015: DAY 7 >>

There are 300+ more pictures I couldn't possibly fit into one blog post, so I uploaded a slideshow. Check it out here: Switzerland 2015: Photo Album

Switzerland 2015: DAY 5

2015-09-20T17:25:00.000-04:00

On our fifth day, we took a boat ride to Zürichorn for some sightseeing. We walked around to get a feel for what our options were for lunch and ended up getting China Garten Take Away.

We walked around downtown Zürich and stopped by Gröss-Munster, Fraumünster, and St. Peter's Church. St Peter’s has the largest clock face on a tower in Europe.

I splurged on souvenirs at Teddy’s Souvenir shop and bought a bunch of keepsakes to take home for family and friends—of course this included Swiss chocolate! We stopped at Teuscher, a chocolatier, and they had very ornate chocolates, a lot in the shape of bugs. For some reason we saw this trend a lot at most of the chocolatiers.

Caroline had another meal prepared for us that night, but this meal was a little different. Everything was pre-prepared because of Shabbat, Judaism’s day of rest. Jewish Law states that one may not create or destroy anything during Shabbat. This includes turning lights on or off, tearing toilet paper, talking on the phone, cooking, and many other working actions. You can read more about the tradition here. Shabbat, lasting between sundown Friday night and sundown Saturday offers an opportunity to contemplate the spiritual aspects of life and to spend time with family.

It was so nice to be free of electronics and just spend quality time with friends. We played a card game called Dominion. It's a strategy-based game with endless possibilities for deck combinations. I bought the base set as soon as we got home to the States.

Caroline made the best chocolate pie I’ve ever tasted for dessert—seriously. It was divine.

Wine, Dominion, great food and friends made for a wonderful end to our fifth day.

Continue to Switzerland 2015: DAY 6 >>

There are 300+ more pictures I couldn't possibly fit into one blog post, so I uploaded a slideshow. Check it out here: Switzerland 2015: Photo Album

Switzerland 2015: DAY 4

2015-09-20T17:23:00.000-04:00

Of course, as any other day we spent in Switzerland, we began our day with breakfast at Café Vordergasse. The rest of the day was a little different because we ventured out of Schaffhausen to Zürich, where Ladd and Caroline have an apartment.

The apartments in Zurich are so much different than the Unite States. They’re compact, yet functional, and they don’t waste space that isn’t used. I plan on living like this when I have a house of my own.

We took a tram to Pardeplatz and ate at the Zeughausekeller. I forget exactly what I ordered, but it was some kind of sausage and warm potato salad. Either way, it was delicious!

Next, we wandered around the Landesmuseum. They had a furniture and interior design exhibit—loved it! There were so many interesting things to see!

After a tram ride back to the apartment, we watched Caroline make challah.

We had a little time before dinner was ready, so Ashton and I walked down to a little bar to grab a drink Morten’s roommate, Riva, suggested—a Hugo, which is prosecco with elderflower and mint. It’s definitely my new favorite drink.

Back at the apartment, we chatted about random topics and ate a traditional Jewish dinner with Ladd, Caroline, Riva, and Morten. The family sang traditional Jewish songs and recited blessings. It was really interesting to see and hear about their traditions. Caroline prepared vegetable cilantro soup, lemon potatoes, nut loaf, asparagus, carrots, chocolate cake and ice cream, and strawberry compote—yum! After trying some kosher alcohol, it was time for a good night's rest.

Continue to Switzerland 2015: DAY 5 >>

There are 300+ more pictures I couldn't possibly fit into one blog post, so I uploaded a slideshow. Check it out here: Switzerland 2015: Photo Album

Switzerland 2015: DAY 3

2015-09-20T17:22:00.000-04:00

On the third day, we ate breakfast at Café Vordergasse—do you see a trend occurring here? There are reasons we ate there every morning. The staff is so friendly, the food incomparably delicious, and the atmosphere is just plain magical.

After breakfast, the trio (Ashton, Stephen and I) drove to Zürich to meet Morten. Then, we drove to Arth to catch a train to the top of Rigi. By then we were all hungry, so we had some bratwurst, goulash, and fries amongst other things at Rigi Pic—of course we had to have some wine with it, too!

Replenished from lunch, we ventured up to the very top of Rigi. The views in the Alps are stunning. It almost didn’t feel real, like I was looking into a painting.

After we absorbed the beauty from the top, we took the train back down to the other side of Rigi, and hopped on a boat from Weggis to Lucerne. The view from the boat on Lake Lucerne was surrounded by intricate architecture with the Alps in the background.

Once we arrived to Lucerne we walked across Kapellbrücke, a covered wooden footbridge that spans the Ruess River. There are intricate paintings within the framework of the roof of the bridge. In 1993, part of the bridge burned down, and you can still see the charred wood where the old bridge ends and the reconstructed part begins.

After spending some time in Lucerne, we took a train back to Arth, dropped Morten off in Zürich, and drove back to Schaffhausen to have another delicious dinner with Caroline and Ladd.

Right before dinner, there was a man out in the street playing beautiful accordion music. I felt like I was on a movie set or in a dream, it was so surreal. The music combined with the surroundings and people on the square made for a magical moment.

Continue to Switzerland 2015: DAY 4 >>

There are 300+ more pictures I couldn't possibly fit into one blog post, so I uploaded a slideshow. Check it out here: Switzerland 2015: Photo Album

Switzerland 2015: DAY 2

2015-09-20T17:19:00.001-04:00

We began our second day with yet another delicious breakfast from Café Vordergasse. To this day, I still crave the croissant and nut bread in the morning.

On Tuesdays, Schaffhausen has a local market, almost like a farmer’s market. Ashton and I walked around downtown to take a look at what the vendors had to offer, and then we visited the Information Center to see if they could provide us with any info on the local wineries. They said it was a little early in the season for wine tasting, and most require reservations and a group of 3 would be too small. They were wrong, but I’ll tell you about that later.

Ashton, Stephen, and I (the trio) went for a walk along the Rhein until we got to Rhein Falls.

We walked to Schloss Laufen and ate lunch on top of the castle. The weather was perfect, and we were in heaven sipping Swiss Riesling with our pasta.

We paid 5 Francs to see the falls up close. It was breathtakingly beautiful. The water moved with such speed that it seemed amazing how the platform we were standing on didn’t get swept away with the current. Walking up and down 40 flights worth of stairs was absolutely worth it.

After seeing the power of the falls, we looked through a little museum attached to the castle next to them. It was interesting to hear the history behind the castle and to see a scaled model of it.

We made the trek back to our apartment, but we took a different route through a small village. Each house we walked by had a little garden in the back or front. The cobblestones and fountains give the villages such character. You can see grape vines pretty much anywhere you look. I would love to see what it looks like in the summer.

Caroline prepared a delicious dinner for us once again. The addition of kosher wine and great conversation made for the perfect end to our second day.

Continue to Switzerland 2015: DAY 3 >>

There are 300+ more pictures I couldn't possibly fit into one blog post, so I uploaded a slideshow. Check it out here: Switzerland 2015: Photo Album

Switzerland 2015: DAY 1

2015-09-20T17:10:00.002-04:00

Ashton, Stephen, and I took a trip to Europe! I've taken a while to write about it, considering we got back in April, but we had such a great time!

The first day was by far the longest. We drove to Chicago, then we flew from Chicago to Berlin and from Berlin to Zürich on AirBerlin. The flights were long and I didn't sleep for more than an hour. Luckily, we had empty seats on our 8-hour flight and we could spread out. I had two seats to stretch out in, but it's almost impossible to get comfortable enough to sleep restfully on a plane. Luckily there were monitors on the back of the headrests, so we played games and watched movies to occupy our time.

In Zürich, we met Stephen's cousin, Morten, who showed us to the train station. We had about a 45 minute train ride to Schaffhausen, where we stayed the majority of the trip. Morten’s parents, Ladd and Caroline, own Café Vodergasse in downtown Schaffhausen and so graciously allowed us to stay in their apartment above it.

We had the most delicious lunch at the café around noon with Morten and Jane, Morten’s sister. The zucchini and tomato quiche with a garden salad was so fresh, and a much needed pick-me-up after the long flight. We were thrown off by the time difference, but we decided to power through until the end of the day to adjust to Swiss time. That wasn’t as easy as it sounds.

Morten took us on a walking tour of Schaffhausen. We walked through the main strip of downtown and around to where he went to school, then to Munot Fortress on the Rhein.

The view was absolutely beautiful from the top.

After we walked around the fortress, we stopped at a local ice cream place, El Bertin Glacé. It was delicious. Morten was nice enough to pay for ours because we didn’t have any Swiss francs yet.

After ice cream, Morten showed us a monastery. It was so peaceful. I could’ve just walked around in it for hours, but we headed back to Schaffhausen for some coffee and tea at the café.

That night, Ladd and Caroline prepared a delightful dinner for us. One thing different about the Swiss is that they have larger lunches and smaller dinners. It makes sense, though. Americans go to bed after a big dinner and absorb all the calories. Having a larger lunch gives you calories to sustain you throughout the day. That’s just one example of a healthy habit I picked up from Switzerland.

I ended the night with a Facetime call with my parents and sister. It was bizarre being 6 time zones away from my family.

Continue to Switzerland 2015: DAY 2 >>

There are 300+ more pictures I couldn't possibly fit into one blog post, so I uploaded a slideshow. Check it out here: Switzerland 2015: Photo Album

Switzerland 2015: Photo Album

2015-09-20T17:00:00.000-04:00

I couldn't possible fit all these photos in my blog posts, so I decided to upload a slideshow of them below.

I Prefer to Be True to Myself

2015-02-27T18:43:00.001-05:00

Handcrafted Lighting by Eric Van Dyke on Etsy!

2015-02-21T23:30:00.000-05:00

After posting a couple photos on Facebook of lamps I created out of iron pipe fittings, I received a variety of positive feedback. I decided, since I enjoyed making the lamps so much, to create an Etsy page!

You can check out the lamps and details at etsy.com/shop/EricVanDyke

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