October 21st, 2016

“Let’s start at the very beginning. A very good place to start…”

On the morning of September 4th, we boarded a bus parked near the Mirabell Gardens to head out for the four-hour, Original Sound of Music Tour. There are actually several SOM tour options in Salzburg, including a bicycle tour. We choose Panorama Tours from the recommendation of my travel buddy, Rick Steves. We also got the Rick Steve’s discount. Score!

 

Our first stop was the Leopoldskron Palace where the famous boat scene was filmed. Remember watching Julie Andrews and the children fall out of the boat? That’s the place! We were only able to see it from the other side of the lake. Only the backyard, gardens and lake were used from this location. The Von Trapp home in the movie was actually a different building. Those techy movie folks did some pretty fancy film editing in 1964!

 

Remember the gazebo where the dancing scene from “16 going on 17” was filmed? It was originally on the grounds of the Leopoldskron Palace. But, due to the significant foot traffic it brought from fans of the movie, it was eventually moved to the Hellbrunn Palace where we saw it. Unfortunately, Mein Mann did not get to swing me around while I sang at the top of my lungs. Our tour guide, Peter, told us the gazebo was locked after an 80-year-old, American woman danced on the benches, fell off and broke her hip. A kindred spirit.

 

After driving through Salzburg, we ventured out to the Salzburg Lake District Area where panorama shots and scenes of the picnic were filmed. We stopped at St. Gilgen and Lake Wolfgang. What breath-taking scenery!

Once we boarded the bus again, we settled in for the drive out to Mondsee where the wedding of Maria and Baron von Trapp was filmed in the movie. Peter cued the music and led us in a massive sing- along. I’ve heard the tour guide can make or break the experience you signed up for. Peter was FANTASTIC!

I introduced the boys to the Sound of Music a couple of years ago. Before our Salzburg trip, I pulled out the movie again and showed them the first half. We also watched a few of the song sequences on Youtube. “Play it again Mom!” S surprised me with how quickly he learned a couple of the songs! During the sing-along, he melted a few hearts of the folks sitting around us.

Here’s a little video…

Before we knew it, we were pulling into the quaint town of Mondsee. A street train took us to St. Michael’s Basilica. Here are a few of our fellow SOM groupies from our tour bus. They were from Ohio.

St. Michael’s

 

 

After visiting the church, we sat down at a little café for a quick bite to eat that we ended up taking with us so we wouldn’t miss our bus.

 

Our sing-along continued on the ride back to Salzburg. We finished the ride singing Edelweiss. It was grand! What a GREAT tour!!! The boys did well and even Mein Mann enjoyed it. After we disembarked, Peter took us back to the Mirabell Gardens and told us where we could find the little gnome from the movie! He also encouraged us to go to the Augustiner Bräustübl, a well-known biergärten.

 

As is our norm, we balanced out the day shifting gears in the boys direction and spending the afternoon playing at a couple of parks. The first one was in the Mirabell Gardens.

 

We came across the second one completely by surprise as we were walking to the biergärten Peter recommended. The boys are at the perfect age to enjoy all of these amazing parks Europeans have built. Cheers for childhood!

 

 

 

We took a couple of more detours on our way to the Augustiner Bräustübl, including a short rest in the Parish Church of Mülln. The boys were fans of the door knockers!

 

 

 

We eventually made it to the Augustiner Bräustübl for an early dinner. The famous beer, Augustiner, is a local and national favorite. The recipe has been kept secret and guarded for nearly 400 years. Since 1621, the Mülln Monastery has been brewing beer for the city and all of Austria.

 

Don’t worry…the children drank water! Prost (cheers)!!!

Afterwards, they played in the kid’s area. Of course!

On our way back to our hotel, we threw in one more SOM reenactment for good measure! Crazy Mama! =)

 

The Sound of Music drew us to Salzburg and I’m so glad it did! Next time we watch the movie, we’ll say, “Hey, we were there!” I never imagined when I was a little girl, I would get to play in Salzburg with my own family. What a treat! I’ll remember the beauty for years to come!

Doe, a deer, a female deer
Ray, a drop of golden sun
Me, a name, I call myself
Far, a long, long way to run
Sew, a needle pulling thread
La, a note to follow So
Tea, a drink with jam and bread
That will lead us back to Do, oh, oh, oh…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

October 16th, 2016

Most people seem to have some sort of Bucket List. I have never formally written mine out. However, I definitely have ideas that float around in my mind of things I would like to experience and places I would like to see. Hovering near the top of my list for years has been taking a trip to Salzburg, Austria…the original landscape for the Sound of Music. 

Over Labor Day weekend, we toured around Salzburg to my heart’s delight! I think I wore a smile on my face almost non-stop for two days. Mein Mann and our boys were quite the good sports for allowing me to relish in the sites of the movie, the beauty of the city and the Sound of Music bus tour complete with a sing-along! Cheesy? Perhaps to some. But, I’m SO good with this kind of cheesiness! Super-fun? Absolutely!!! Here’s a recap…

After leaving Munich on Saturday morning, we drove into Salzburg in time for lunch.

Our hotel had a lovely beer garden in the back with a teeter totter that kept the boys entertained while we waited for our food. If I haven’t mentioned it before, a Beer Garden (“Biergarten” in German) is an outdoor area where beer and local food is served. E still talks about the fun hotdogs he ate there!

After fueling up, we ventured off on foot in the direction of the Old Town. On our way, we walked and played in the Mirabell Gardens where the Do, Re, Mi sequence was filmed in the Sound of Music. The soundtrack was playing in my mind as I tapped into my inner Maria. I may have sang out a tune or two! The surrounding beauty alone inspires one to burst out in song. I can see why the film-makers chose this enchanting garden for the film.

 

 

We crossed over a bridge covered in locks, sealing the love and commitment of those who attached them. We have seen this fun display of love in a few place now, including Paris and Koblenz. The boys like finding the really old, classic locks.

 

As we began to meander through the streets of the Altstadt, I was excited to come across the puppet lady! During my trip-planning, I read about this local woman, Maria, who has been selling her handmade puppets out of a brown basket since 1987. I was so surprised that we actually crossed paths with her! Both boys bought one of her puppets as their souvenir from Salzburg.

My souvenir was a water-color print from a local artist selling his work in one of the piazzas. I have started a travel wall in our kitchen and am slowing collecting prints from artist I meet from the various places we visit. I always ask if I can take their picture after I purchase a print. Its my plan to print the pictures off and add them to the back of the frames.

After an ice-cream stop, we made our way over to the Residenzplatz. The incredible, marble fountain in the middle of the square is considered the largest baroque fountain of Middle Europe. Another SOM sequence was filmed here. For the fans out there…remember when Maria first leaves the convent and splashes her hand in the fountain? Of course, the boys and I  had to do the same!

 

I loved taking in all the beautiful architecture and surrounding artistry. The Salzburg Dom is the first picture.

 

In the Kapitelplatz, we came across a sculpture of a massive gold ball with a man standing on top of it gazing out. The sculpture is called “Sphaera” by Stephan Balkenhol. From its base, there is a lovely view of the Hohensalzburg Castle…one of the biggest medieval castles in all of Europe.

We rode up to the castle on a funicular (a cable railway) and toured the grounds, including a little marionette museum.  It’s like a mini-village up top…some people even live there! The views were amazing!

 

 

 

During my travel prep on Salzburg (did I mention I get to be the family trip planner?), I learned of another exit down from the castle that enables you to walk to the Nonnberg Abbey. Thankfully, we found this exit and slowly made our way over, giving our boys rides as needed.

 

 

The real Maria von Trapp was a postulant at Nonnberg Abbey and the outside of the Abbey was used for filming. It is still run as a convent today so tours are not possible. However, you can visit the chapel. When we walked in, the nuns were singing. Beautiful!!!!

Here is a short video of what we heard…

We could only hear their voices which was a bit of a disappointment to our youngest who kept asking, “Where are the nuns?”

Our boys began to lose steam around this time. Can you tell?

 

We slowly made our way back down to the Kapitelplatz on foot for another refueling. The view along the way definitely helped along with the fountain we found to fill up our water bottles! We love how so many places in Europe have fountains with drinkable water.

The bells were chiming! Imagine walking with us for a moment…

Once the boys were reenergized again, we walked through the Petersfriedhof, the cementary at Saint Peters church, dating back to 1627.

 

We also peeked into St. Peter’s before making our way back to one of the big squares for a good round of pigeon chasing. This is seriously one of the boys’ absolute, favorite things to do when we travel! You know they are just about to run when you hear them say in a low voice,” p…i…g…e…o…n…s!” Fly birds, fly!!!!!!

 

 

I’m seriously thinking of putting together a collage of the boys chasing pigeons in all of the different places we have visited. Poor birds!

 

I’ll share some more Salzburg stories in the next post. Its Thursday afternoon now as I wrap up this post. I gotta go and pick up the boys from the bus stop! Lots of love and locks from our family to you!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

October 14th, 2016

München is the German way of saying Munich. This Capitol city of the state of Bavaria is also its largest. Known for its annual Oktoberfest celebrations and its beer halls, Munich seems to always attract a crowd. Since it was on our way to Salzburg, Munich made a good stopping point for our road trip over Labor Day weekend.

Mein Mann rented a German car to save the wear and tear on our aging Honda. Driving on the Autobahn was a whole new experience for him! Though there is often an impression that you can drive at any speed on the Autobahn there are many areas that still post speed limits above the roads. In the picture below, the limit was 100km…about 62 mph.  On this particular stretch, we enjoyed some open roads. However, just on the other side of the barrier, the traffic was bumper to bumper. After getting caught in our fair share of stau’s (traffic jams) and construction zones for hours, we were more than ready to pile out of the car!

Our hotel was near the train station and within reasonable walking distance to the Altstadt (Old Town). On the walls in the entry way, there were pictures of various Bavarian kings, including King Ludwig whose castle we visited over Memorial weekend. E was excited to sit on a throne (just an old chair!) amongst pictures of royalty!

Though we only spent one night in Munich, we still took advantage of the nice weather to head out on foot. We got directions to a wonderful pedestrian walking area where we enjoyed fountains, popping in to a church to light candles, beautiful architecture, lovely flower boxes on windows and getting a feel for the international culture we were in the midst of.

 

 

Here’s is a short video I took as we walked…

We got the boys a couple of brezeln (giant pretzels) as we walked through the central Marienplatz square to help starve off their hourly hunger attacks. The Neo-Gothic Neues Rathaus (town hall) has a popular glockenspiel show that chimes and reenacts stories from the 16th century. Unfortunately, we missed the show but the building was still impressive!

 

Thanks to the navigational skills of Mein Mann (and his trusty iPhone), we found the famed Hofbräuhaus where we stopped for dinner. This three-floor, beer hall was founded in 1589 and has pictures on its walls showing its history over the centuries. Many tables were reserved for men and women who were sitting in traditional lederhosen and tasteful dirndls (women’s dresses). The place is quite the tourist attraction and felt a bit over the top with its large crowds and loud music. Thankfully, we found a table off to the side so our little travelers could rest their legs and refuel on meat and apfelschorle (sparkling apple cider). Of course, Daddy got the house beer!

 

After dinner, we started weaving our way back through the downtown streets, passing musicians on the way.

The boys caught sight of this sweet ride (next picture below) and begged us to take it back to the hotel. We quietly agreed on a price that we would be willing to pay. The cyclist’s price matched our figure exactly so we piled on. On the ride home, we chatted with the man who powered this rikscha with his strong, thin legs. He was Hispanic, had lived in Munich for a year and was extending his language skills to include German. We were impressed!

Once we arrived back at the hotel, our driver put both boys on the bike for pictures. For these two boys that literally put miles on their shoes whenever we travel, this was a real treat! They LOVED the ride!

 

The next morning, we ate a delicious breakfast at our hotel, packed up and hit the road!

Salzburg, here we come!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

September 26th, 2016

(I started this post, took a break for a couple of weeks, and am finally playing catch up again!)

E started second grade on August 29th. Did I type that correctly? SECOND GRADE???? FB memories just showed me a picture of him today on one of our traditional Autumn hikes five years ago when he was TWO!!! The cliché is real…time is flying!!!

So here is our seven-year old before we left the house. I think these pictures capture different aspects of his personality! Each year, I ask the boys what they want to be when they grow up. This year, E told me he wanted to be a pilot for cats. He’ll probably have Adi as his co-pilot.

 

 

After a couple of more silly pics with Mom and Dad, we were off to school!

We all accompanied E to his new classroom.  He likes his teacher and has fifteen other students in his class.

 

After dropping E off, we headed over to the Kindergarten rooms for an orientation.

(Here’s a quick catch up for those of you who knew about our hopes for S to experience our village Kindergarten…We had S on a waiting list for almost seven months. However, after our landlord did some investigative legwork and determined we wouldn’t get a spot, we finally let go of this hope and enrolled him at E’s school the Friday before school started. Though I was initially disappointed he wouldn’t get to experience a German school, I’ve been pleasantly surprised with the great fit his Kindergarten class is!)

I loved how the classroom was set up with tables, a reading area and different play stations. S immediately started playing! A few days later, his new teacher and her assistant came to our house for a Home Visit. I was impressed with this personal touch.

S and I had the rest of the week to ourselves before school officially started for him the day after Labor Day. We took advantage of the nice weather and rode our scooters at the Dino Park one afternoon. Did you catch the “our” in that last sentence? Mein Mann ordered us a scooter to share so we can keep up with the boys when they ride their scooters. Our boys are FAST! Thankfully, the skate park was empty so I could get a lot of practice in without colliding with anyone! Though Tuesday’s child is supposed to be full of grace, I’m a bit of a klutz!

 

To help E ease into his new school routine, we did some unwinding at the ice cream shop after school. Adi also got a lot of after-school snuggles. =)

 

That Friday we drove to Salzburg for the long Labor Day weekend (more on that adventure later). On Monday night, with TWO backpacks ready at the door, I sat with the boys in their room and read a book about a little boy starting Kindergarten. To my surprise, the story was about the mixed emotions of both the mother and the boy. Suddenly, a few tears rolled down my cheeks. I was struck with the reality of this new transition and it pulled at my heart-strings harder than I expected. Mein Mann took this picture in the moment…

I took a breath, wiped my eyes and continued reading. I knew S was SO ready to start school. I also knew I would miss spending my days with this joy-filled little guy. The heart of a parent can hold so many emotions all at the same time for these dear ones entrusted to us.

The next morning, September 6th, it was our five-year old’s turn to smile wide for the camera with his First Day of Kindergarten Sign. He did so with pride and joy…of course! Here’s our future firefighter!!

 

 

He took pictures with Dad and Mom before we both dropped him off together.

 

He walked into his classroom with confidence! His cubby was labeled with his picture and name. His teacher is FANTASTIC and her assistant is from the same city we lived in before moving to Germany. S has fifteen other students in his class for a total of ten boys and six girls. Like his brother, he has six Specials that rotate throughout the week alongside his regular classroom subjects. The Specials are: Host Nation (a German culture class), Spanish, Music, Art, Gym, Library, and Computers.

 

He did great! No tears from him and only watery eyes from Mama after I walked out of his classroom. Mein Mann and I went to the downtown Farmers Market together afterwards where he bought me flowers. It was a sweet time to be together…just the two of us!

 

When I returned to school that afternoon to pick up the boys, S came charging out the door. He yelled “Mama” as he ran into my arms! BIG HUGS!!!!!!! Big brother joined us shortly afterwards. How I love these boys!

 

S had an AWESOME first day of Kindergarten! He adores his teacher and we think he hit the jackpot getting her. He was so excited to show us the hat he made and the book he colored. What a great start to his school years!

 

 

When a German child starts their formal education in first grade, they receive a Schultüte as a gift from their parents. This special, cone-shaped container is about three feet tall and filled with candy, toys and school supplies. To celebrate this new school year for our boys, they both received their own Schultüte on S’s first day.

 

And as they quickly figured out, the cones double as hats. Gotta love it!

In case you are wondering what I’m doing with all my free time now…

Trust me, I have a list a mile long of things to do and catch up on! I did start volunteering at the boys’ school on Wednesday mornings, spending time in both of their classrooms. I love the insider’s peek I get of their school day, the opportunity to meet their classmates and the lunch dates we have. I’m continually grateful for this season of life!

Schönen Tag (Good Day)!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

September 24th, 2016

Happy Fall! Leaves are changing and falling in the streets, there is a crispness in the air and still plenty of sunshine. We love Autumn! Hopefully, it will last as LONG as possible. Please…

Summer in Germany was wonderful! I’m thankful for how it balanced out the grey/rainy winter and helped to replenish our vitamin D. As summer was wrapping up, our backyard pool continued to get good use. The boys figured out how to make a wave pool by one of them shaking the side while the other rode the waves with their goggles on! Adi checked out the pool, standing up on her hind legs. However, she had NO INTENTIONS of taking a dip!

 

They also loved doing a run and jump move into the pool. Here’s a quick video of S perfecting his Superman moves!

Our last weekend before school started for E, we added a few new experiences to our memories. On Saturday, we drove to the Kurpfalz-Park in Wachenheim. This park, like others we have experienced in Europe, seemed to put the emphasis on play and not purchasing. We didn’t see kiosks around each ride or attraction selling toys, trinkets and souvenirs. Instead, there was one gift shop near the exit. Also, though we found a couple of food stands, many visitors brought their own food. Large areas were set aside with picnic tables and outside grills for guests to use.

With a park that emphasizes play, we found plenty of opportunities to do JUST THAT!

Warthog greetings and funny mirrors

 

Slides…

 

Motorcycles and Swan Rides

 

The Kurpfalz-Coaster

S especially LOVED this ride we individually controlled with brakes. We were pulled up on rails and then released at the top to control our ride down. Of course, Daddy gave more of a thrill ride than Mama! E was pretty adamant about not riding but later let Mama talk him into it. The last picture is with him and the view ahead as we were taking our slow ascent. He really liked it too and wanted to go again!

 

 

The AWESOME playgrounds (of course!)

 

 

  

The Bumper Boats

 

The Petting Zoo and Wildlife

 

The Bird Show

We sat under a large tree in an open field and watched eagles, hawks, falcons and other surprising fowl do various tricks. This bird, with the trainer, was one of the stars of the show!

Walking/Running the Maze

Even on a hot day, this park was fun for all!

On Sunday afternoon, we drove to our landlords’ home in another village for lunch. Their adult son, Florian, was home this summer from college and they wanted to have us over for a barbecue and some extended time to spend together. They are such kind-hearted people! We spent hours in their backyard. They have a small garden house, complete with a covered porch. This is separate from their main home. The German meal they prepared for us was DELICIOUS!!!

The boys LOVED their pond filled with large goldfish. The fish, Fabian’s tool sharpening lesson, and the remote controlled fountain kept the boys pretty entertained for hours. E did try to pet one of the fish and fell in, thus the costume change in the photos. He got to wear one of Fabian’s shirts!

 

 

We have heard horror-stories about landlords. Thankfully, we have experienced both kindness and prompt attention to the requests we bring before them. They are thoughtful with the boys, enjoy teaching us about German culture and share their lives with us. Our afternoon barbecue was a sweet way to end our summer vacation before school started. We are so grateful for them and the home they rent to us!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

September 16th, 2016

On a cloudy Saturday in mid-August, we grabbed our rain coats and drove to the quintessential city of Heidelberg.  Being one of the few German cities that survived World War II, Heidelberg’s history is preserved within its architecture. It is home to the oldest university in Germany (founded in 1386), a medieval castle, a late-Gothic church and a wonderful Altstadt (old town). We only spent an afternoon there, but left with a wonderful taste of this lovely city.

After finding a parking garage that we hoped was somewhat close to the downtown area, we took off on foot. We walked through a part of the university grounds on our way to the Altstadt. Here is a short video showing our youngest in classic form!

We strolled along the main pedestrian walkway, enjoying little window displays. It didn’t take long for us to find a café that served both kaffee und eis (coffee and ice cream). A great combination for our family!

 

Fueled up and caffeinated, we were back on our feet! Our next stop was the Heiliggeistkirche, (Church of the Holy Spirit). Per our tradition, we lit candles and prayed. Something unique about this church was its Prayer Wall. A nearby table had colorful pieces of paper and pens available for visitors to write out prayers and then affix their papers to the wall. What a beautiful visual of the words spoken through the hearts of so many.

 

Our boys both added their own prayers. E wrote his out while little S dictated to his Daddy his prayer. Love!

 

 

The church was beautiful! It dated back to 1398. It has been used by both Catholics and Protestants, sometimes simultaneously when a partition was inserted allowing both congregations to hold their services without disturbing each other.

 

 

The Marktplaz (Market Square) was just outside the church. Several vendors had souvenir stands set up to allure tourists. We are learning to navigate these ongoing traps a little better with the boys. Sometimes, we simply avoid the stalls all together. However, this summer, we started our allowance system which is divided into three categories: giving, spending, and savings. Now, if the boys want a souvenir, they get to use their own money to purchase it. It’s amazing how this seems to curtail their desires for just anything. Go figure! While I was waiting for one of them to make up his mind on a purchase, I saw this sign with my Dad’s name. It made me smile!

Here are a few more of the surrounding sites…standing in front of the Rathaus (where the city council meets), a restaurant that reminded me of my PopPop, and Schloss Heidelberg looking over the city.

 

We walked up a steep, cobbled-stone road to Schloss Heidelberg. We heard there was some sort of funicular (a railway on a cliff) but missed the entrance and instead made it up to the castle on foot. About half-way up, the boys began to lose steam. Snacks always help!

 

The views from the top were beautiful! The building with the tall dome in the second picture is the church of the Holy Spirit with the prayer wall. We paid our admission fee and explored the castle (circa 1214).

 

 

We walked down to the wine cellar and saw the world’s largest wine barrel called the Heidelberg Tun. It was built in 1751 by Prince Elector Karl Theodor to house the wine paid as taxes by the wine growers of the Palatine. Its seven meters high (22.9659 feet), and eight and a half meters wide (27.8871 feet). It holds 220,000 liters (58,124 gallons) of wine!  We walked up stairs to the dance floor built on top of it.

 

We also walked through the Pharmacy Museum. We took a sniff test of various herbal treatments in a children’s display.

It started to rain but that doesn’t seem to faze people here. Out come the umbrellas!

 

 

On our walk back down, we passed the funicular. “So, that’s where it was!” On foot, we miss things but also unexpectedly come across some wonderful places. I love traveling with these feet alongside mine!

This kid’s park was one of those fun finds. The boys REALLY wanted to take the slide but the rain was coming down hard, we didn’t have a change of clothes and still needed to eat dinner somewhere. Our alternate route across rope bridges was still a treat!

 

We ate a delicious dinner in the Marktplatz. Our clothes dried as we dined. Eating out at a quiet restaurant felt a little easier that evening with the boys. We timed their hunger and exhaustion just right! We walked back to our car with full tummies and relatively dry clothes. Of course, the boys managed to find every rain puddle on the walk back to the parking garage. I need to be on the lookout for rain boots this Fall!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

September 11th, 2016…Our 17th Wedding Anniversary!

Back in March, S found a picture of an AWESOME park in a newspaper and showed it to me. There was an article written in German that went along with the picture. The one thing I could understand was the location: Deidesheim. I ripped out the article and put it away in a folder I keep for places to visit…someday.

On August 13th, we boarded a train to Deidesheim. Not only was it a beautiful day to check out that park, there was also a wine festival going on. We hadn’t been to a wine festival before but had been to this quaint town last winter for a Christmas festival. We figured there would be something for everyone to enjoy.

The boys received a “ticket” from the train attendant who validates these fun little drawings with the date they were riding the train. Children often ride for free and don’t have their own tickets to show the attendants when they walk the aisles checking. Now they do!

As usual, the park did not disappoint! We are continually impressed with the thought and creativity put into creating children’s playgrounds. Europeans definitely seem to foster playtime for kids! This park had an outdoor workout area for adults alongside the climbing structures, sand pits, and crazy slides. Mein Mann knocked our five-year old’s socks off when he conquered one of the climbing poles and reached the top. If you click on the picture, you can zoom in and see his expression!

 

 

After enjoying a picnic lunch at the park, we navigated the roads on foot to the wine festival. We passed some fun sights along the way.

 

The wine festival was held in the Altstadt (old town). This fountain commemorates a medieval story/tradition from Deidesheim’s history. It has something to do with a peace-offering of a goat from the neighboring town of Lambrecht. The goat is delivered each year by the youngest married couple in Lambrecht. In exchange, the couple receives a “kasebrot” (a piece of bread with cheese) and a good “swallow” of the famous Deidesheim wine. Notice the German man behind me riding the goat!

We enjoyed walking around, stopping for food and wine and walking some more.

 

 

Here’s a short video clip I took as we were strolling through the streets…

Many of the altstadts that we have visited have pedestrian walking zones which gives them a more relaxed feel. We still need to step aside for cyclists though!

 

Marching Bands, jugglers in the streets and carnival rides added to the festive feel.

 

 

Near the rides, we passed this sign. I think it went with one of the games because “Sammeln Sie” translates to “collect them.” Here’s a little German lesson for the day. The pictures and words depict family members…father, mother, son and daughter.

E got his customary hotdog for dinner. He would eat them three times a day if we let him! The rest of us branched out a bit with the culinary options. We shared a German dessert called Dampfnudel. It’s a steam fried dumpling that resembles a sweet bread roll. We ate ours with vanilla sauce. Yum! It was recently featured as the challenge on the show, The Great British Bake Off. (http://www.bbc.co.uk/newsbeat/article/37306054/great-british-bake-off-what-is-dampfnudel-and-why-is-everyone-obsessed)

 

I’m glad S found the article about the park in the newspaper! If you know of interesting places to visit here in Germany, we would love to hear them. My Mom recently sent me a newspaper clipping from her home paper with a suggestion. Thanks Mom! We are all ears and I’ll add your ideas to our travel folder. =)

Auf Wiedersehen!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

September 10th, 2016

We have been a one car family for almost a year now. Living in a village with a train station has helped tremendously! Mein Mann purchased a year train/bus pass for our region for his daily commute. He has become quite familiar with riding the rails and navigating public transportation with the help of an App. on his phone. One evening, the boys and I walked to the train station to meet Daddy on his commute home. It was fun to greet him when he stepped off the train!

 

Though hubby is getting quite proficient at riding the train, I still feel like a newbie. I have yet to take the train by myself or with just the boys. However, back in August, I rode the train three days in a row. Since I wasn’t alone, they all felt like practice sessions but the cumulative effect was a confidence boost. Mein Mann also added the train App. to my phone which is a big help too!

One morning, Amy and I decided to venture with our boys to the Dino Park by train. We had five boys, three bikes, one scooter and a push bike/stroller. We were Super Moms in Action!

 

I was so proud of us when we made it to the Dino Park after catching our connecting train downtown. This was no small feat! Everyone was excited as we approached the entrance. Then, to our utter sadness, we were turned away at the gate. Turns out, you can’t take bikes into the park. What??!! No!!!!!!!!!!!! Here are the Super Moms feeling not so super anymore.

 

We let the boys play at a little playground nearby before we caught the next train back. On the way home, we misread where to catch our connection and had the crazy adventure of going up and down flights of stairs at the train station, carrying bicycles and shuttling children. We hustled and boarded our next train just in time without loosing any of the boys. Phew! Though our trip wasn’t a success, it taught me a few more tidbits about riding the train while making a new memory with my friend. “Hey Amy, remember that time that we took five boys, three bikes, one scooter and a push bike/stroller on the train?”  

The following evening, our family hopped on the train to go to an Italian festival at the Dino Park. When we walked in, massive flower pots were filled with blooms of every color. The yellow daisies were my favorite. Gorgeous!

 

It was a perfect summer evening to enjoy the beauty of our surroundings, listen to music, eat Flammkuchen (flat bread pizza), and mingle amongst the locals.

 

 

 

Many families brought picnic baskets and ate a home cooked feast.

 

A few hours later, we caught the train back home.

 

The next morning, we boarded the train again for another adventure that I’ll write about in my next blog post. Riding a train still feels like such a novelty. Then again, so does getting to live in Europe!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

September 9th, 2016

Fall is in the air! Though the days are still warm, the nights are cooling off and the leaves are starting to change colors. I’m still working on trying to catch up on our summer adventures here on the blog. I need to work on my editorial skills because there is just sooo many pictures and so little time. =)

The last Sunday before Terri left, the two of us went on a Genusswanderfung Im Zauberwald which translates to “a Relaxing Hike in the Magic Forest.” I came across a little advertisement in our village newspaper of this event. The pictures caught my eye so I used my Google Translator to learn more. It was a culinary hike involving five food stations, a lovely trail and over 100 various sculptors carved out of natural elements. Count us in!

Mein Mann was more than happy to relax at home with the boys after our Koblenz trip the day before, so Terri and I headed out with our GPS and the little newspaper clipping in attempts to find it…not always an easy feat. Thankfully, we managed to park right at the start. We followed the signs to the forest and the first food station. Time for lunch!

 

 

Then, off we went into the woods. At first, we stopped where others were gathered and noticed a woodland creature or two. Then we started finding them with our own eyes. It was like a scavenger hunt along the trail. We had to keep our eyes peeled or we would walk right by one.

 

 

 

The trees were watching us!

 

There were also very artistic creations. Can you see the man holding the child carved into the bark in the second photo below?

 

There was even a nativity scene with the three wise men and the shepherds nearby.

 

We stopped at another food station for a snack of magic fries and apfelschorle (apple juice with mineral water) before finishing the 5 kilometer loop. We both enjoyed the hike immensely!

I’ve been told the art work stays in the forest year-round. Next time, I’ll bring Mein Mann and the boys. We can pack a few treats and enjoy our own culinary hike!

 

 

 

 

 

 

August 26th, 2016

During Terri’s visit, we drove to the ancient city of Koblenz to see the Deutsches Eck and the Ehrenbreitstein Fortress. Also known as the “German Corner,” the Deutsches Eck is the name of the headland where the Rhine meets the Moselle River. Dating back to 8 BC, Koblenz was one of the military posts established by the Roman politician and military commander, Claudius Drusus.

We hit the jackpot with beautiful weather that day. Summer in Germany can be a real treat with the blue skies, warm sun and low humidity. One of the benefits of the rain is the lovely gardens and the lush green everywhere!

 

After finding parking, we followed the Mossel River as we walked to the Deutsches Eck. Along the way, we passed cruise ships and a monument containing three sections of the Berlin wall.

 

You can’t miss the Deutsches Eck! It is marked by a colossal equestrian statue of Kaiser Wilhelm I. The original statue, erected by the Rhine provinces in 1897, was destroyed by US artillery in WWII. The one we saw was the replacement. We climbed up the stairs to take in the view. Don’t worry Mom, the boys were not sitting on the horse…just my shoulders! =)

 

 

 

The Ehrenbreitstein Fortress sits on the opposite side of the Rhine. To get to this fortress built back in the early 1800’s, we rode by cable car over the Rhine river. What a fun way to travel, if you don’t mind heights and enclosed areas!

 

 

The fortress is massive! Due to our limited time on our parking meter, we only had about an hour to walk around and see a few of the sites.

 

 

Our favorite was a hands-on exhibit where we got to dress up in costumes. The armor was heavier than we expected. Knights must have had very strong necks!

 

 

The view from the top was beautiful! You can actually see the difference in color between the two rivers.

 

We traveled back down again by cable car, filled up our parking meter again and strolled around Koblenz on foot to take in a few more sites.

 

The boys begged to take their shoes off and play for a few minutes in one of the fountains we found. The setting was a perfect place to sit back and relax while we watched them enjoy themselves. We eventually moved on before they got TOO wet!

 

 

We came across a fountain in the Altstadt (old town) depicting the city’s history with a sign explaining the different time periods. The Roman settlement, the Crusades, times of prosperity, the French Revolution and WW II are a few of the sections artistically displayed.

 

We stopped in a café and ordered a few coffee drinks for the adults. When I asked the barista if he had any flavors to add, he told me that Starbucks has ruined coffee with their flavors. Their coffee didn’t need any additional flavors. He turned out to be right…to my surprise!

 

We liked these tables and benches outside a restaurant we passed by…perhaps a home project some day.

 

Koblenz definitely gets two thumbs up!