Paris was great!!! The weather was cold, but not too cold for exploring. We even saw a little sun! We took the hop on and off bus for the first day – those kinds of tours are my favorite for getting to know a city. There are headphones to plug in and hear about the sites, and if you see one you like, you just hop off of the bus - and then climb on the next one when you’re done and head off for the next neat place.
We toured the Musee D’Orsay and wandered the streets of Saint Germain. We posed for pictures in front of the Eiffel Tower and Notre Dame and warmed ourselves with café au lait at cute little cafes. It was the first vacation Hubbz and I have had, where we weren’t visiting family or attending a wedding, just the two of us, since before we got engaged. It was a lot of fun! I’m looking forward to the next one!
I actually have a little French still in the gooey parts of my gray matter, so it was fun to be able to figure out how to ask for things, and read the signs as we navigated the city. Hubbz was impressed and says he’s definitely interested in going back again sometime soon!
We found a wine shop (in our guide book) owned by an American. They had free tastings, and soon, we were on our way to purchasing our “Learn about French wine” kit! The lady who helped us had been married to a Navy man herself back in the 60’s. She chatted with us about Norfolk and the Navy and the wines she selected for us. What a treat! We brought home 7 wines (6 in a shipping box and 1 in my suitcase). I had to do some creative shuffling with our luggage, since we were flying Air France and they have strict checked baggage allowances. Basically, we made the box of wine one piece (since you can’t carry on any liquids) and then put all of our regularly checked liquids in the other suitcase for checking. Hubbz carried on a bag with just clothing and shoes in it, and I put extra stuff that he would carry on in my big purse. We were laden down like pack mules, but we got the job done!
What a crazy few weeks it has been! I guess that’s life in the fast lane!
Sunday, October 24, 2010
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
BACK IN THE SADDLE
So, I am back from sunny CA – and sunny it was – 90 degrees in mid October! Definitely NOT the weather I had left in Germany.
The week was nice, despite the circumstances. The flights were easy enough, I was able to share a room with my cousins - which provided us with some time to catch up, and I felt like I made a contribution of support somehow. I knew that my family was amazing and loving and capable – but it was really inspiring to see everyone in action as we all worked together to put together my Grandmother’s funeral and get my Grandfather situated for the biggest transition of his life. He’s perfectly capable of taking care of himself – he’s an impressive man for his 91 years by any measure. However, he hasn’t lived without my grandmother in more than 60 years – and that is something that he will have to learn to navigate. I can’t begin to imagine.
Today, I am working on my suitcase full of laundry because tomorrow, Hubbz and I head for Paris! We have no specific plan. I have been there a few times, but Hubbz hasn’t been there since he was a small child. It’s fun to be able to share something neat with someone you love. So croissants and museums – here we come!!
The week was nice, despite the circumstances. The flights were easy enough, I was able to share a room with my cousins - which provided us with some time to catch up, and I felt like I made a contribution of support somehow. I knew that my family was amazing and loving and capable – but it was really inspiring to see everyone in action as we all worked together to put together my Grandmother’s funeral and get my Grandfather situated for the biggest transition of his life. He’s perfectly capable of taking care of himself – he’s an impressive man for his 91 years by any measure. However, he hasn’t lived without my grandmother in more than 60 years – and that is something that he will have to learn to navigate. I can’t begin to imagine.
Today, I am working on my suitcase full of laundry because tomorrow, Hubbz and I head for Paris! We have no specific plan. I have been there a few times, but Hubbz hasn’t been there since he was a small child. It’s fun to be able to share something neat with someone you love. So croissants and museums – here we come!!
Saturday, October 9, 2010
NEWS THAT COMES AFTER MIDNIGHT IS SELDOM GOOD
There are times when I kind of forget that I am living in Europe. Family is still just a phone call or email away. My furniture is now in my apartment – and heck, we get American foods from our commissary whenever we want them!
However, last night we got a call in the wee hours that made us feel like we were very far away. Unfortunately, tragedy has befallen my family and it is time to start planning a trip home. I am struck by just how far away I actually feel from my loved ones. It’s silly, because there’s nothing I can do by being there. The situation will not change – but I sure would like to be available to help somehow – and that’s simply impossible from Germany. It kind of makes the situation feel surreal.
So – it seems that I am off to CA very soon. Hubbz is doing everything he can to be supportive and helpful as I pack and prepare for the journey, but I can tell that he too feels a little strange and disjointed. Thankfully, there are very few demands on my time from work right now – so the Trophy Wife advantage is that I have only to jump on a plane. I’m also strangely looking forward to the trip. It will be nice to see family and bear the burden of grief together. I guess there are blessings to count amidst the sorrows.
However, last night we got a call in the wee hours that made us feel like we were very far away. Unfortunately, tragedy has befallen my family and it is time to start planning a trip home. I am struck by just how far away I actually feel from my loved ones. It’s silly, because there’s nothing I can do by being there. The situation will not change – but I sure would like to be available to help somehow – and that’s simply impossible from Germany. It kind of makes the situation feel surreal.
So – it seems that I am off to CA very soon. Hubbz is doing everything he can to be supportive and helpful as I pack and prepare for the journey, but I can tell that he too feels a little strange and disjointed. Thankfully, there are very few demands on my time from work right now – so the Trophy Wife advantage is that I have only to jump on a plane. I’m also strangely looking forward to the trip. It will be nice to see family and bear the burden of grief together. I guess there are blessings to count amidst the sorrows.
VOLKSFEST FAMILY STYLE
We had a great day today at Volksfest. For some reason, today we were unable to get into a single beer tent! My theory is that Oktoberfest in Munich is done for the year. I figure that if one wanted to hit both festivals, they would go to Oktoberfest last weekend, and to Volksfest this weekend, with some travel in the middle. In any case, the beer tents were so crowded at three o’clock on a Saturday, that we couldn’t even get in the door, let alone find seating for seven!
It was nice to see the family side of the Volksfest. The rides entertained the kiddos, and the “fest food” was yummy! The line for the ladies room was incredible – more incentive to pay for admission to the tents and get that reservation!!
The kiddos stayed true to their darling, sweet, well behaved and impressively interactive selves. We watched the Neverending Story – it entertained the boys and took us adults back in time to our youth. I know that our friends are proud of their children – and we wholeheartedly agree that they should be!
It was nice to see the family side of the Volksfest. The rides entertained the kiddos, and the “fest food” was yummy! The line for the ladies room was incredible – more incentive to pay for admission to the tents and get that reservation!!
The kiddos stayed true to their darling, sweet, well behaved and impressively interactive selves. We watched the Neverending Story – it entertained the boys and took us adults back in time to our youth. I know that our friends are proud of their children – and we wholeheartedly agree that they should be!
Friday, October 8, 2010
COLUMBUS AND CROISSANTS
Today is important because it is my dear mother’s birthday! It’s tough to be so far from family on celebratory days – but I have a little insight into her celebration that she doesn’t yet have (don’t worry, she’ll know by the time I post this). Pops is giving my mom a trip for her birthday ….to this cute little place I know….also known as the Holy Grail Apartment (and Guest House). WOOOO HOOO!! I’m really, really excited to get to spend some time exploring Europe with her. I feel a little bad that her present is really a present for ME – but that’s not going to stop me from encouraging my Pops from going full steam ahead!!
We have had a relatively quiet week thus far. Our first house guests returned to Italy on Sunday afternoon. We sure enjoyed their visit and we look forward to many more opportunities to share our European experience together!
The State Department issued a travel warning this morning for Europe. It’s a little eerie to consider that we are LIVING here – so we can’t decide to stay home and be safe – but honestly, Hubbz and I are both of the mindset that while we won’t purposely insert ourselves into dangerous situations, we also can’t hide out every time we are reminded that there’s evil in the world. We went ahead and booked a long weekend in Paris for this month. It’s someplace we’d both like to go again – and it’s about to get pretty dang cold there – so we’re eager to get there before Winter does!
Thanks to Senior Christopher Columbus, Hubbz has a four day weekend – so we are welcoming our second set of house guests (also from Italy). I was lucky enough to inherit these sweet friends from Hubbz – he has known them since flight school. In addition to being a truly fun couple, they are the proud parents of three absolutely fantastic boys. We are so excited to have them with us!! We are off to Volksfest (part trois). However, we are insured yet another different fest experience this time – since we are taking three young kiddos with us, this trip will focus on the amusement park portion of the fest.
We cannot wait! Having a house that is relatively clean and ready to accept guests means that I can finally take a few pictures of our apartment! Since I’m still working the anonymity angle here – please consult my facebook site – or our Flickr account if you’d like to check it out!
We have had a relatively quiet week thus far. Our first house guests returned to Italy on Sunday afternoon. We sure enjoyed their visit and we look forward to many more opportunities to share our European experience together!
The State Department issued a travel warning this morning for Europe. It’s a little eerie to consider that we are LIVING here – so we can’t decide to stay home and be safe – but honestly, Hubbz and I are both of the mindset that while we won’t purposely insert ourselves into dangerous situations, we also can’t hide out every time we are reminded that there’s evil in the world. We went ahead and booked a long weekend in Paris for this month. It’s someplace we’d both like to go again – and it’s about to get pretty dang cold there – so we’re eager to get there before Winter does!
Thanks to Senior Christopher Columbus, Hubbz has a four day weekend – so we are welcoming our second set of house guests (also from Italy). I was lucky enough to inherit these sweet friends from Hubbz – he has known them since flight school. In addition to being a truly fun couple, they are the proud parents of three absolutely fantastic boys. We are so excited to have them with us!! We are off to Volksfest (part trois). However, we are insured yet another different fest experience this time – since we are taking three young kiddos with us, this trip will focus on the amusement park portion of the fest.
We cannot wait! Having a house that is relatively clean and ready to accept guests means that I can finally take a few pictures of our apartment! Since I’m still working the anonymity angle here – please consult my facebook site – or our Flickr account if you’d like to check it out!
Saturday, October 2, 2010
BLACK FOREST
We made our way into the Black Forest today. The weather was lovely and we girls we ready to shop! Our friends, Jack and Jane, came with us, and armed with our GPS (coincidentally, also named Jack), we took of for Triberg - a little town known for it's waterfall, as well as it's Black Forest-y attributes of cuckoo clocks and Black Forest Cake. Along the way, our friends asked us if we were going to buy a clock. We smiled and said that cuckoo clocks weren't really our speed - so we'd pass, but we were excited to see what we could learn about them.
Triberg was a cute, one stoplight kind of town. The leaves were beginning to change, and they were all set up for Black Forest Tourists!
The cuckoo clock options were dizzying. We met a man who had lots of opinions and expertise about hand vs. machine carved characters and how he could customize a clock, etc. I smiled and nodded - it truly was interesting. However, my dear, sweet husband was HOOKED. He thought it would be really neat to take home a hand carved clock. (By the by, we didn't see a clock for less than 250 Euro!) He was all jazzed and ready to hand over his wallet. So then, I stepped in and resumed my role of "She Who Makes His Dreams Die" and pointed out that two hours before he hadn't been interested, and perhaps maybe we should wait awhile before deciding to make this purchase. I indicated that we didn't live far from here and if he got home and months later still really wanted a clock, we could always come back.... It did the trick :) Jack and Jane passed on the clock option as well. We decided to wrap up the shopping and head instead to the cake part of the trip!
I gotta tell ya, we were a little disappointed in the Black Forrest Cake. We went to a place advertised as having the "first and best" recipe for the cake. I'm sure there are another 20 just like it with a similar claim on the main street there. It was ....okay. A little spongy. VERY booze-y. I dunno - it felt like a bad grocery store cake to me.
After Triberg, we siddled on home and had a late dinner at the Japanese place down the street. It was one of those hibachi style places where you cook your meal at your table. It was yummy (not cheap, but yummy!).
All in all, it was a mellow adventure, but one more feather in our German Culture Cap :)
Triberg was a cute, one stoplight kind of town. The leaves were beginning to change, and they were all set up for Black Forest Tourists!
The cuckoo clock options were dizzying. We met a man who had lots of opinions and expertise about hand vs. machine carved characters and how he could customize a clock, etc. I smiled and nodded - it truly was interesting. However, my dear, sweet husband was HOOKED. He thought it would be really neat to take home a hand carved clock. (By the by, we didn't see a clock for less than 250 Euro!) He was all jazzed and ready to hand over his wallet. So then, I stepped in and resumed my role of "She Who Makes His Dreams Die" and pointed out that two hours before he hadn't been interested, and perhaps maybe we should wait awhile before deciding to make this purchase. I indicated that we didn't live far from here and if he got home and months later still really wanted a clock, we could always come back.... It did the trick :) Jack and Jane passed on the clock option as well. We decided to wrap up the shopping and head instead to the cake part of the trip!
I gotta tell ya, we were a little disappointed in the Black Forrest Cake. We went to a place advertised as having the "first and best" recipe for the cake. I'm sure there are another 20 just like it with a similar claim on the main street there. It was ....okay. A little spongy. VERY booze-y. I dunno - it felt like a bad grocery store cake to me.
After Triberg, we siddled on home and had a late dinner at the Japanese place down the street. It was one of those hibachi style places where you cook your meal at your table. It was yummy (not cheap, but yummy!).
All in all, it was a mellow adventure, but one more feather in our German Culture Cap :)
Friday, October 1, 2010
VOLKSFEST PART DEUX
Yep, we are back again!! This time we joined Hubbz’s command which had reservations for a different beer tent. The email from the command urged us to be there at 4pm to ensure that we were occupying our reserved tables (when the party reaches critical mass, it’s too hard for the Fest staff to get folks to vacate a reserved table).
The crowd was MUCH more subdued when we arrived at 4:00. The band was also a little more tame – although still very good. By 8:00 the party was picking up – but we had already had four hours worth of beer, and we were timed out. We felt a little bad for our guests – the scene was much more lively in our previous Volksfest experience – and we had talked it up quite a bit. But I think that they had a good enough time (they probably think we have a SAD definition of a wild night in our old age!!)
Tomorrow we plan to get up and hit the road for the Black Forrest – home of the cuckoo clock and Black Forrest cake!
The crowd was MUCH more subdued when we arrived at 4:00. The band was also a little more tame – although still very good. By 8:00 the party was picking up – but we had already had four hours worth of beer, and we were timed out. We felt a little bad for our guests – the scene was much more lively in our previous Volksfest experience – and we had talked it up quite a bit. But I think that they had a good enough time (they probably think we have a SAD definition of a wild night in our old age!!)
Tomorrow we plan to get up and hit the road for the Black Forrest – home of the cuckoo clock and Black Forrest cake!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
