Cool American Doritos

In the US, we have "Cool Ranch" Doritos. Here in Holland we have "Cool American" Doritos with the same flavor. It reminds me of the "Big Americans" pizza box we saw that had a "Texas style pizza" callout. I guess they think all Americans are cowboys when the word ranch gets translated to American :-)

Metal Lizards

A month ago I posted about the metal tree trunk "art projects" around Amsterdam. The other day I ran across this field of metal lizards. I'm not sure what the significance of this project is, but it is kind of cool and did make me stop. Maybe that's the point.

Sausage and Makeup together - an interesting sales tool

I was in a store called Hema the other day. I can't think of how to describe it other than as a Dollar Store/Walmart/Deli counter combined in a small space. In other words, a real hodge podge. Party balloons, socks and deli meat all in the same 1000 square feet.

Just after entering the store, I noticed a display of warm sausage in between the make up aisles. It seemed like an odd placement to me. The picture quality is poor, but if you could see inside the bin with the "kielbasa pictures" on the side, you'd see loose sausages, tongs, and bags to put the sausage in. I guess a girl can get hungry with all that lipstick shopping.

Fish roll ups and hot dogs for dogs

At the pet shop the other day I notices some interesting dog treats. The hot dogs for dogs were unique, but the thing that grossed me out a bit was the fish roll ups. The name alone just sounds terrible - especially if you were raised eating "Fruit Rollups." In addition, Holly's breath smells awful even without me feeding her dead fish. Needless to say we passed on this purchase :-)

World Animal Day

Our dog walker brought Holly some treats yesterday in celebration of World Animal Day on October 4th. The most unique gift was beer made for dogs. I'm sure Holly will love it since she likes to lick up the few drops of people beer that Brett occasionally gives her.

In celebration of World Animal Day the pet shops had special events and giveaways and even the bars were getting into the spirit. One bar had dog beer posters in the window, and a man dressed like a kangaroo was out front welcoming guests. I love that you can take your "best friend" to the bar for some suds.

We also got Holly a small treat, which she's eagerly enjoying as I type this.

More pictures of Cologne

Since my camera battery croaked while I was in Munich, I didn't get many pictures in Cologne. If you want to see more pics though, check out the blog of my colleague, Jenny Cisney. She's our Chief Blogging Officer and I hung around with her most nights after the show ended. She takes some great pics. http://ljcfyi.com/

American Groceries in Amsterdam

When Brett and I were walking around the Leidseplein area on Saturday we found an American food Grocery store. They sold things like Lucky Charms and Oreos and had such nutritious staples as Marshmallow Fluff and Chips Ahoy. I didn't need any of that, but I did pick up corn flour (for making sweet corn tomalito) and some baking soda for making cookies. They even have Stubbs Barbeque sauce. The only issue is the price. It will cost you 5 times the price you'd pay in the US - but when you've got an insatiable craving or a favorite recipe - it's well worth it. I made sure to take good mental notes of their inventory. We're pretty stocked up right now since Brett and I both brought suitcases full of American food home with us in the last month or so - but it's good to know they're there when you've got a craving for a pop tart :-)