Germany - A Visit With My Parents

Last Friday Sigrid and I stuck a little closer to home. My parents were going to be coming in town on Saturday, and Sigrid had a few things she wanted to do before they came. I also figured that she was about ready for some time without Becca. She has been so fantastic about showing me the sights and introducing me to all things Bavarian.

So, after going with her to the Metro (think grocery store and department store mixed with a little bit of Costco), Sigrid dropped me off at the local mall, the Donau Einkaufs Zentrum, for about three hours. I had a lot of fun just looking around. I managed to purchase something at four stores without too much difficulty, despite the fact that I do NOT know the language.

The lady at the first store asked me a question, to which I answered "Ich kann nicht Deutsch." ("I do no German.") I made it through the next two stores without having to say anything more than "Hallo" and "Tschüs." I was doing so well . . . until . . . the woman at the last store asked me something, I tried to reply in German then lost my focus and stumbled, "Sorry . . . no German." Ugh! I have got to learn this language!

That evening after supper Pit, Sigrid, Patrick and I went to see old Regensburg at night. We enjoyed a beautiful walk, followed by a rest at an outside cafe in front of the Dom (cathedral). I can't believe how well the weather is cooperating with me!

We also walked through a courtyard and Biergarten outside a hotel that was magical at night. You can't tell from the photos, but the courtyard was absolutely lovely.


My parents arrived the next morning. We had a late breakfast outside, after which we allowed them to take a nap before sightseeing. I enjoyed my first two days in Germany so well, that I decided to do the same thing for my parents. After their nap we went to old Regensburg, saw the Stone Bridge (built in the 12th century), climbed the tower by the Salt House, and looked over the Donau (Danube) River.

We then took the same one-hour boat tour on the Donau that Sigrid took me on.

The obligatory "Yes-I-was-really-there" photo:

The next morning we went to church. It was a tiny branch that had to use a rented space, but it was nice to be there. I was even able to play the organ for the service after hearing the following conversation between two men:

First man: Do you play the organ?

Second man: No.

First man: Would you like to?

I quickly volunteered to play for them and I think they (especially the second man) were very grateful.

After church we went back to Sigrid's for lunch before heading out to the city for more sight-seeing.

Our first stop in the city was one of the tallest towers in the middle of the city that you are able to climb. It afforded us another magnificent view.

Like the tower in Rothenburg, we had to climb up a number of stairs which got smaller the higher you climbed.

The bell at the top of the tower was so big I could easily stand inside of it.

We continued on to see other sights, such as this painting of David and Goliath.

Beautiful flowers surrounding a fountain.

My father admires remains of a Roman wall from about 179 A.D.

My mom acting the tourist. (We won't talk about the fact that all my photos indicate I have also been acting the tourist in a big way.)

We finished our short walking tour in front of the Dom (cathedral). This photo is amazing to me. First of all, who would have thought that I would have been able to realize my dream of visiting Europe like this? And who would have thought that I would be able to share some of these experiences with my parents here? I feel so fortunate.

Before my parents left on Sunday they presented Pit and Sigrid a bottle of maple syrup and some maple sugar candy which they brought from New England. Pit and Sigrid were not familiar with maple syrup (how do they survive?!). My dad explained to them the process of making syrup, and while talking about the sugar maple trees they discovered that Pit and Sigrid had a maple in their back yard.

My dad asked me if I remembered "helicopters". Of course I do. We had to show Pit and Sigrid what we meant. Then Sigrid showed me what she did instead of playing "helicopters". She made an Einhorn. Can you guess what it is?

A unicorn, of course! Evidently, my mom did this as a child as well.

After my parents left and things quieted down the Plank family introduced me to a knew game: Inkognito. I loved it. Unfortunately, I did not play well because I was unwilling to take the necessary risks. I hope that I have learned from my experience and that we can play again to see if I am improved.

A fabulous second weekend!

Germany - Bavarian Woods

Have I mentioned how beautiful the weather has been while I have been in Germany? Sigrid keeps reminding me how lucky I am. It has been fantastic--like a German summer. This is important to us, because there are so many things we want to see and do that depend on the weather to be really enjoyable.

One of those things was going through the Bayerisher Wald (Bavarian Woods), which we were able to do on Monday. Sigrid wanted to take me to Junka Glass, a huge glass shop there in the woods. Pit suggested a new way of going that would be a little more scenic. Little did he know how scenic it would be. One of the main connecting streets we needed was closed, and we had to go around a different way. Luckily, it was a lovely drive and I really got to see the area. I had been expecting steeper mountains. Instead, we mostly drove through rolling hills that gradually increased in elevation. So as we got higher we looked over the hills below with little villages tucked in here and there.

We spent quite a while looking through the glass shop, including some beautiful displays they had outside the shop.

We ate a light lunch in the cafe there. I enjoyed my first Damf Nudel during my first tour of Regensburg with Sigrid's neighbor. Now I know why Barbara took us to that spot in Regensburg. After trying the Damf Nudel in the cafe I believe that Regensburg has the best. The one at the Junka Glass cafe had much to be desired. Oh well. Live and learn. I enjoyed Sigrid's Weissewurst at least.

It got a little hazy later in the day, but that didn't prevent us from enjoying the view at our next stop.

Unfortunately, I don't remember the name of the park we went to. I don't know if it's considered a park or an attraction. About three years ago they built a huge elevated boardwalk overlooking the Bavarian Woods. The boardwalk is so high that you feel it shaking. It made me a little nervous for the first five minutes or so. Then I focused on the view and soon it was no big deal (and maybe even a little fun).

This park had some fun little things for the visitors to enjoy like an interactive display on how long it took objects to decompose, guess which mushrooms are poisonous, hear bird songs, guess that smell, sounds of the forest, an inside look at a bee hive, and some pretty cool seats carved from tree trunks.

Then Sigrid took me for a surprise: another "bobsled" ride on the Sommerrodelbahn.

These are fun!

Before leaving the Bavarian Woods I wanted to get a picture of the typical buildings there. We were running a little short on time, and took a more direct route home, so I wasn't able to get a shot of the picture-perfect home that I wanted. However, this one gives you an idea of the white houses, dark brown wood trim, and flowers, flowers, flowers. (If only it had the dark wood balcony, it would have been better.)

We finished up the evening again in old Regensburg to celebrate Patrick's birthday. We ate dinner outside at a French restaurant in another lovely courtyard (did I mention the beautiful weather?) with Sigrid's parents. I think Regina and Adi don't go out very much in the evenings; they seemed to really enjoy their time in the city with all of us.

On Tuesday Sigrid had an appointment in the city, so we drove together and I explored a little more. After walking around in a circle (twice), I broke the pattern, managed to get a little disoriented (a good thing, actually, because it took me to some new streets), easily found my way back, and met Sigrid for Bratwurst und Sauerkraut at the most well-known Bratwurst restaurant in Regensburg by the Donau River. We shared a table with some American tourists who were much happier talking to a native German than a fellow American, much to Sigrid's dismay.

I have been making an effort to become more familiar with the German language. (I can't say I've been trying very hard, but I have been trying a little.) I have a long way to go, and this really hit home while I was exploring the city. I usually have a map of the city with me. I often get turned around in the streets of Regensburg. On earlier walks through the city I kept coming across the same street sign, but was never able to find the street on the map. I came across the blue street sign again on Tuesday when I was in a completely different section of the city. That's when I started to think I was making a big mistake. I took a closer look at the sign which I now saw was by another sign pointing at a 90 degree angle to the first. This is when I realized that "Einbahnstraße" means "One way street"! I laughed out loud. No wonder that I couldn't find it on the map. And no wonder that I couldn't connect all the dots. I kept encountering "Einbahnstraße" in different parts of the city.

A little later in the afternoon Sigrid and I joined her parents for afternoon coffee and cake at their home (hold the coffee, keep the torte!). We finished the afternoon with a trip to the cemetery where Regina and Marianne's parents are buried.

I know this wasn't something Sigrid particularly enjoys, but I was glad to see it. And, I found it interesting to see some of the differences in the cemeteries I am accustomed to seeing in the States.

At least we were able to enjoy a nice little walk in the woods nearby as well as another fantastic view of the city.

(Did I mention the fantastic weather?)

Germany - End of First Week

I can hardly believe that I have been here a week already. I have called home and have heard that my children are completely happy and most likely don't miss me at all--a blessing if the truth be known. I know they are in the best of hands, and I couldn't leave them under any other circumstance. (And maybe they miss me a teeny, tiny bit and just haven't let on.)

Sigrid and I had a few quieter days at the beginning of this week. We went to the mall twice and tried a few local specialties. There is a bakery and butcher on every corner and though I have seen a number of them by now, they still amaze me. Sigrid is trying to help me learn the language one little phrase (or menu item) at a time. I think she may feel comfortable leaving me on my own at the mall this weekend. We'll see how it goes. I have learned some of the most important phrases for that adventure: "I speak no German," "I don't know," "Excuse me," and "Ein Harfel weisse heisse shokolade, bitte (a mug of white hot chocolate, please)." We had a lot of fun learning that last phrase this afternoon. It was the source of quite a few laughs throughout the rest of the day.

Yesterday, we went to the city of Kelheim to see the monastery, Weltenburg.

The best way to get there is by boat. You go through the narrowest point on the Danube River, through a small gorge, and it is quite beautiful.

It was cloudy, a little cool, and threatening rain while were on the boat the way there. Luckily, the sun came out and it proved to be a beautiful day--nice enough for us to enjoy a warm cup of soup in the outdoor cafe. (Soup sounded appealing to us because Sigrid was coming down with the cold that I am getting over.)

This is a little church we saw from the boat. In front of the house to the left of church you see a wedding post.

I can't remember whether Sigrid told me the name this wedding post. It is a tradition for the wedding guests to put this post in the garden and cover it with baby clothes to wish them luck for the future.

Following the boat drive we went up to the Befriungshalle, another impressive structure built by the same king who built Walhalla (see previous post). This hall sits at the top of a hill. If you look closely at the picture of Sigrid and me, above, you can see it in the background. There is a path that you can climb to the top of the hill, but we were a little pressed for time, so we took the easy way and drove to the top. We were rewarded with a beautiful view overlooking the city of Kelheim.

We arrived in plenty of time for me to see the Regensburg Domspatzen (the boys' choir) practicing. Patrick attended this school for nine years. Rather than being a school that has a choir, it is a choir with a school. There are other cathedrals with boys' choirs, but Regensburg is the only one in Germany that has its own school. Pit gave me a little tour of the school and we sat in on the practice for the youngest boys. Afterwards, Pit said that while he was able to understand the language of the choir director, he wasn't able to understand all of his meaning. I, however, was much better able to understand the musical meaning of his instructions than I was the language. The choir director was fantastic, and it was amazing to watch how these boys who were talking and laughing and joking just minutes earlier turned into serious students making serious music! Absolutely beautiful!

Today, Sigrid and I joined Pit on a drive to Amberg, where he had to go for work. We dropped him off and first made a short visit to Weiden, where Marianne lived with her parents before moving to Trier.

After our visit to Weiden, we went to Amberg. The tourist information center had a fabulous brochure (in English and German) that allowed us to go on a self-guided tour through the city. Our first stop was this wedding fountain, where I saw some of the fattest pigeons.

Can you see why they call this structure "the city spectacles"?

This little, emphasizing "little," house had a cute story behind it. Way back when (I would tell you more, but I don't have my brochure with me), it was a rule that you had to have a home in town before you could get married to prove you were able to provide for your family. The tradition goes that one man found a small courtyard between two homes, built a front wall, a back wall, and put a roof overhead, thereby satisfying the demands of the law. The home was then sold many times over to other couples who found themselves in similar circumstances. The door of this home now pays tribute to this story, and I believe that the home is now a one-room hotel. (The street was too narrow for me to get a full picture to give you an idea of how small it really was.)

On our way home, Pit surprised me by taking us to this Bobsled-type of ride. I have no idea what it is really called, but it was fun. The climb to the top is a little scary, but the second time around I had more courage and was able to fully enjoy the view.

Whee!

Pit and Sigrid's family have a great sense of humor and they love to laugh together. It seems as if they are not the only ones on their street that do. Sometime after Pit and Sigrid trimmed their front hedge with a little wave on top, their neighbor trimmed his in return.

Don't you just love it? Check out the hair!

Thus ends my update. Here's hoping you're smiling too.

Much love!

Germany - Busy First Days

I am alive and well in Germany. More than being alive and well, I am having a great time. I left home on Wednesday, and arrived early Thursday morning. I did not sleep on the plane, but I have been too busy to be too tired.

After an hour nap Thursday afternoon, I was off to see a part of the city with Sigrid, followed by a full tour with her neighbor on Friday. Sigrid's neighbor does tours for the city, and it was fantastic having a personal, English-speaking tour guide. Pit, Sigrid, and I have taken advantage of the beautiful and unseasonably warm weather they have been having, and have gone on a few outdoor walks. We walked 334 steps up to the building below, Walhalla. It is an impressive structure with an even more impressive view of the Danau (Danube) River and the surrounding area.


On Saturday, Pit, Sigrid, and I drove an hour and a half to the city of Rothenburg, another beautiful German city. The streets of the old part of these cities are so charming. It was so nice sitting in an outside cafe eating a delicious torte, talking, enjoying the sun, and chatting. This is vacation!

We climbed more stairs while in Rothenburg (this time a little more than 200) to the top of a windy tower in the town hall. From there, you can look out over the city and valley beyond. Another spectacular view.

In order to get to the top, you had to climb some rather narrow staircases. You may not see it in the photo, but there is a little trepidation in the smile below over going back down those narrow and steep stairs.

We visited a little Christmas museum and shop in Rothenburg - a fun little stop.

This was a funny little car. I have never seen one so small that the door has to be in the front.

On Sunday we enjoyed another sunny afternoon with Sigrid's parents (and Oma's sister). We had a lovely time, and I only felt bad that I couldn't communicate with Regina's husband. He seems like such a nice man. I would like to be able to talk with him. Just another reason to learn German and come back.

It is so fun to watch the family interact together. I can see how much they all enjoy each other's company. This picture is not the greatest (Elke and Patrick's eyes are half-closed), but I love it because I see how much they love each other. You never saw two siblings so cute to watch together.

On our walk together yesterday afternoon, we came across a hazelnut tree. I immediate thought of Brett and Marianne.

I hope I will have the chance to keep you updated as I go. There is so much to see here, it's hard to know what to say. Hope everyone is doing well back home.