We are now back home in New Jersey. The flight was relatively uneventful but it was tough for Mindy as she was sitting in a group of 3 seats with the kids while I was across the aisle. Due to it being a daytime flight the kids were quite energetic and it was very draining for Mindy having to deal with that. It was also tough for me - on several occasions I had to pause the "Space Invaders" console game I was playing on the plane's entertainment system to assist.
The dogs were very glad to see us and the kids were also excited to get back home. I was quite suprised by how much growth weeds can have if left unattended for a month. Sunday was devoted to washing clothes, cleaning up the dog room and starting to get the yard straight.
I am now back at work. Fortunately I have a local project for the forseeable future so I am looking forward to getting home every night. It will be tough to get used to working a regular job again after the holiday and a few weeks of relaxed work in the head office. Also, the calorie restrictions will have to begin to shake off the effects of 4 weeks of schnitzels, beer and junk food.
One final thing about Germany...the toilet paper was horrible. It was like using a paper towel. It was nice to get back to something with a little more consideration given to comfort.
Showing posts with label Vacation. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Vacation. Show all posts
Monday, July 23, 2007
Friday, July 20, 2007
Last Day
Today was our last day in Germany. It began very well with a nice, long sleep in...well, at least for Naomi and me - Mindy and Fiona got the usual 5 hours of thrashing around they normally get! After breakfast we spent a couple of hours in Karlsruhe near the hotel. There was a castle which was essentially a museum with some nice gardens around it but it became clear that the kids have had enough of museums for a while.
Next was the drive up to Frankfurt to be ready to depart tomorrow. We decided to walk to a local beer garden for dinner and we were glad we did. Basically, surrounding the main building were several small cottages with gardens. We kind of figured it was kind of like a mobile home village. We found out later that the plots and cottages are rented by city dwellers who grow their gardens out here. The food in the beer garden was the best we have had on our trip. One more schnitzel for each of us, while the kids continued their enjoyment of German sausages. Some nice wheat beer to wash it all down and then back to the hotel to relax before the flight.
Next was the drive up to Frankfurt to be ready to depart tomorrow. We decided to walk to a local beer garden for dinner and we were glad we did. Basically, surrounding the main building were several small cottages with gardens. We kind of figured it was kind of like a mobile home village. We found out later that the plots and cottages are rented by city dwellers who grow their gardens out here. The food in the beer garden was the best we have had on our trip. One more schnitzel for each of us, while the kids continued their enjoyment of German sausages. Some nice wheat beer to wash it all down and then back to the hotel to relax before the flight.
The Black Forest
On Thursday we explored the Black Forest. We drove the "Black Forest High Street" (Schwarzwaldhochstrasse), a scenic road that takes you through the forest and past various small villages and lookout points. At first we thought the rain was going to have an impact on things but it cleared up by mid-morning and it turned out to be a nice day.
Our first noteworthy stop was at the Mummelsee, a mountain pond at one of the highest points on the road. The views from here were amazing, looking down into the forest below. At the Mummelsee itself is a small group of shops and a paddle boat rental place. We decided to rent a boat, even though no one else was out there and went out onto the lake. It was a lot of fun on the lake and quite interesting when the fog came in and we could only see about 20m in any direction. We ate lunch here and for dessert tried a slice of the "Black Forrest Cherry Cake" (Schwarzwalder Kirschtorte). It was OK, the liqueur and also the cherry flavors were quite strong so the kids did not like much more than the cream itself.
From here, we completed the drive on the scenic road which ends at Freudenstadt. At this point, we headed for Triberg, the site of the largest waterfall in Germany. There were several nice souvenir shops in the main street, most of them selling cuckoo clocks and other wood products from the forest. After browsing these we headed for the waterfall. It was certainly worth the trip. There was a path up to the falls with various stopping points along the way for taking in the scenery. We walked up to the top of the falls, stopping to feed the squirrels along the way. Naomi almost had one take a peanut from her hand.
Our first noteworthy stop was at the Mummelsee, a mountain pond at one of the highest points on the road. The views from here were amazing, looking down into the forest below. At the Mummelsee itself is a small group of shops and a paddle boat rental place. We decided to rent a boat, even though no one else was out there and went out onto the lake. It was a lot of fun on the lake and quite interesting when the fog came in and we could only see about 20m in any direction. We ate lunch here and for dessert tried a slice of the "Black Forrest Cherry Cake" (Schwarzwalder Kirschtorte). It was OK, the liqueur and also the cherry flavors were quite strong so the kids did not like much more than the cream itself.
From here, we completed the drive on the scenic road which ends at Freudenstadt. At this point, we headed for Triberg, the site of the largest waterfall in Germany. There were several nice souvenir shops in the main street, most of them selling cuckoo clocks and other wood products from the forest. After browsing these we headed for the waterfall. It was certainly worth the trip. There was a path up to the falls with various stopping points along the way for taking in the scenery. We walked up to the top of the falls, stopping to feed the squirrels along the way. Naomi almost had one take a peanut from her hand.
Thursday, July 19, 2007
Leaving Munich
We had planned to drive to our next stopping point first thing in the morning but made a quick diversion in order to see the Neue Pinakothek museum. Featured artists in this gallery were van Gogh, Toulouse Lautrec, Monet and Manet. It was quite small and due to time pressures we only saw about 1/2 of the paintings in display. Fiona made the quite understandable comment - "I don't want to see any more paintings mommy". I felt the same way too.
After this we began the drive back north and broke up the trip by spending the rest of the day at Legoland Germany. This was a lot of fun and the girls had a blast. There were many rides to enjoy but the highlight of the day was probably at the end when we looked at the Lego replicas they built of various towns around the world. It really was quite impressive. Mindy took more pictures of this than of the rest of Germany combined so you will all be able to share her passion for the models we saw.
From here, we went to Karlsruhe which will be our last stop on our tour. For dinner was the second worst Chinese food we have ever had but at 9:30pm we did not have many choices.
After this we began the drive back north and broke up the trip by spending the rest of the day at Legoland Germany. This was a lot of fun and the girls had a blast. There were many rides to enjoy but the highlight of the day was probably at the end when we looked at the Lego replicas they built of various towns around the world. It really was quite impressive. Mindy took more pictures of this than of the rest of Germany combined so you will all be able to share her passion for the models we saw.
From here, we went to Karlsruhe which will be our last stop on our tour. For dinner was the second worst Chinese food we have ever had but at 9:30pm we did not have many choices.
More Museums
On Tuesday we planned to visit both the Alte Pinakothek and the Neue Pinakothek art museums. Unfortunately, the Neue museum was closed on Tuesdays. The Alte Pinakothek contained older works of art from about 1400-1800. Rembrandt and Rubens were among some of the better known artists whose work was on display.
Following this, we walked back towards the Marienplatz area of the city for one last look at the shops and to take in the older buildings when there were less people around. On the way, we saw a sign for an Egyptian Artifact display so decided to take a look. It was actually quite impressive with well preserved statues, relics and other artifacts on display. Naomi especially enjoyed seeing this.
After walking through the shops we caught a taxi to Nymphenburg Castle. The most impressive feature was the size of the grounds which essentially was a large public park with walking/biking trails, lakes and gardens. The castle itself was not as nice as we had hoped. The first room was spectacular but other than that, there really was not that much to see, especially compared to the castles we saw the day before. The day ended with us wandering in the grounds and the girls playing in a small stream, trying to catch fish with their bare hands.
Following this, we walked back towards the Marienplatz area of the city for one last look at the shops and to take in the older buildings when there were less people around. On the way, we saw a sign for an Egyptian Artifact display so decided to take a look. It was actually quite impressive with well preserved statues, relics and other artifacts on display. Naomi especially enjoyed seeing this.
After walking through the shops we caught a taxi to Nymphenburg Castle. The most impressive feature was the size of the grounds which essentially was a large public park with walking/biking trails, lakes and gardens. The castle itself was not as nice as we had hoped. The first room was spectacular but other than that, there really was not that much to see, especially compared to the castles we saw the day before. The day ended with us wandering in the grounds and the girls playing in a small stream, trying to catch fish with their bare hands.
Tuesday, July 17, 2007
Ludwig's Palaces
Monday began with an early start to make the drive south to see King Ludwig's palaces. We had to travel about 90 minutes from Munich through beautiful countryside and towards the Bavarian Alps.
We arrived in the town of Hohenschwangau in time for breakfast and then took the 10 minute walk up to the first castle - Hohenschwangau Palace. This was the childhood home of King Ludwig II and was a very nice castle to visit. It is in very good condition and all of the furniture and artifacts inside are originals. The tour took about 40 minutes to complete at which time we had to make our way up to our second stop of the day - Neuschwanstein.
Neuschwanstein was the castle built by Ludwig II, his so called "Fairy Tale Castle". It is the building that was the inspiration for the Sleeping Beauty castle in the Disney story and was also listed as one of the 20 choices in the recent 7 Wonders of the World popularity contest. You have 3 options for getting up there - a 40 minute walk uphill; a 20 minute horse carriage ride or a 10 minute bus trip. We had received advice that the bus was the best option - it drops you close to Marienbrucke which has the best views of the castle and the valley, then you can walk downhill to the castle and after your tour, take a carriage ride down the hill. Well, this was the plan but the lines at the bus were relatively long so by the time we got to the top of the hill, we did not have the time to go to the bridge...so we walked downhill to the castle and planned to do the bridge later.
The tour of the castle was amazing. The rooms were immaculately decorated and of a standard equivalent to similarly themed rooms in places like the Vatican. Gold, marble, ivory everywhere, magnificant paintings and murals and even a room that resembled a cave. Unfortunately, Ludwig died at the age of 40 before he could finish all of the rooms, so there are a couple of unfinished rooms to walk through to end the tour. Even so, the 30 minute tour is a must if you are in this part of Germany.
Following the tour, we did in fact walk back up hill for 15 minutes to get to Marienbrucke. Again, this is a must see attraction. The view from here down to the castle is incredible. It is a little disconcerting though - you are up high above a waterfall and the floor of the bridge is made out of wooden beams that you can feel move beneath your feet as you are standing there. Add to this the fact that the tourists are all crammed on here and pushing past each other to get the best camera shot made it difficult with the kids. Next was the walk back down to the castle where we rode the carriage down to the village.
Considering that it was only about 2:00pm and that the kids were doing quite well (Fiona took a nap in Mindy's sling during tour #1), we decided to take the 45 minute drive to see another of Ludwig's palaces - Linderhof.
Contrasted with Neuschwanstein, where Ludwig only lived for 6 months before his death, Ludwig lived at Linderhof for a number of years. Much like the other two castles of the day, you had to be taken on a guided tour of Linderhof. The interior was probably even more spectaular than the earlier two castles. Similar themes were seen - I think Ludwig might have liked gold. After the tour we had a little bit of time to see the gardens and we wandered up to the "Venus Grotto". When we arrived we found out that we required another ticket...so I had to limp (my knee went out a few days ago) back down the hill to the ticket office. I made it back in time for the tour and it was also quite interesting. Essentially it is a man-made cave where Ludwig used to go to listen to musical performances, sometimes getting paddled around by his servants on a boat.
After the grotto, we wandered in the grounds for a little while where the kids, inspired by the Venus Grotto, decided to run around and pretend to be Greek godesses (Aphrodite and Nike). The grounds were also great - many fountains and gardens to see. Of particular note was the fountain in the main courtyard which erupts every hour. Quite a nice sight.
After all of this we were all exhausted so we limped our way back to the car and returned to Munich.
We arrived in the town of Hohenschwangau in time for breakfast and then took the 10 minute walk up to the first castle - Hohenschwangau Palace. This was the childhood home of King Ludwig II and was a very nice castle to visit. It is in very good condition and all of the furniture and artifacts inside are originals. The tour took about 40 minutes to complete at which time we had to make our way up to our second stop of the day - Neuschwanstein.
Neuschwanstein was the castle built by Ludwig II, his so called "Fairy Tale Castle". It is the building that was the inspiration for the Sleeping Beauty castle in the Disney story and was also listed as one of the 20 choices in the recent 7 Wonders of the World popularity contest. You have 3 options for getting up there - a 40 minute walk uphill; a 20 minute horse carriage ride or a 10 minute bus trip. We had received advice that the bus was the best option - it drops you close to Marienbrucke which has the best views of the castle and the valley, then you can walk downhill to the castle and after your tour, take a carriage ride down the hill. Well, this was the plan but the lines at the bus were relatively long so by the time we got to the top of the hill, we did not have the time to go to the bridge...so we walked downhill to the castle and planned to do the bridge later.
The tour of the castle was amazing. The rooms were immaculately decorated and of a standard equivalent to similarly themed rooms in places like the Vatican. Gold, marble, ivory everywhere, magnificant paintings and murals and even a room that resembled a cave. Unfortunately, Ludwig died at the age of 40 before he could finish all of the rooms, so there are a couple of unfinished rooms to walk through to end the tour. Even so, the 30 minute tour is a must if you are in this part of Germany.
Following the tour, we did in fact walk back up hill for 15 minutes to get to Marienbrucke. Again, this is a must see attraction. The view from here down to the castle is incredible. It is a little disconcerting though - you are up high above a waterfall and the floor of the bridge is made out of wooden beams that you can feel move beneath your feet as you are standing there. Add to this the fact that the tourists are all crammed on here and pushing past each other to get the best camera shot made it difficult with the kids. Next was the walk back down to the castle where we rode the carriage down to the village.
Considering that it was only about 2:00pm and that the kids were doing quite well (Fiona took a nap in Mindy's sling during tour #1), we decided to take the 45 minute drive to see another of Ludwig's palaces - Linderhof.
Contrasted with Neuschwanstein, where Ludwig only lived for 6 months before his death, Ludwig lived at Linderhof for a number of years. Much like the other two castles of the day, you had to be taken on a guided tour of Linderhof. The interior was probably even more spectaular than the earlier two castles. Similar themes were seen - I think Ludwig might have liked gold. After the tour we had a little bit of time to see the gardens and we wandered up to the "Venus Grotto". When we arrived we found out that we required another ticket...so I had to limp (my knee went out a few days ago) back down the hill to the ticket office. I made it back in time for the tour and it was also quite interesting. Essentially it is a man-made cave where Ludwig used to go to listen to musical performances, sometimes getting paddled around by his servants on a boat.
After the grotto, we wandered in the grounds for a little while where the kids, inspired by the Venus Grotto, decided to run around and pretend to be Greek godesses (Aphrodite and Nike). The grounds were also great - many fountains and gardens to see. Of particular note was the fountain in the main courtyard which erupts every hour. Quite a nice sight.
After all of this we were all exhausted so we limped our way back to the car and returned to Munich.
Sunday, July 15, 2007
Munich's Museums
Today we decided to try to see a few of the local art museums. First stop was to walk to the Glyptothek museum. There were two main buildings in the courtyard. Mindy took the kids to see the first building which had an exhibition of artifacts from Ancient Greece. While she was doing this, Jon and I returned to the hotel to get his car and bring it to near the museum. His Lotus sports car was too small to fit us all, in fact, it was barely big enough for the two of us. A few quick demonstrations of its acceleration were had and it was something that I can see Jon having a lot of fun with over the years.
Meeting back with Mindy and the kids, we then went to the second building, which holds the permanent sculpture collection of the museum. The highlight for Mindy was seeing "Barberini's Faun", along with many other ancient sculptures.
Next was a walk to the Pinakothek museums, a collection of 3 museums - the Alte Pinakothek; the Neue Pinakothek and the Pinakothek der Moderne. It was decided to tackle the Pinakothek der Moderne first. After getting through some sections with bizarre furniture displays, pretty much resembling an Ikea showroom, we found the section with actual artwork on the next floor up. Paintings from Dali, Picasso, Matisse and other famous modern artists were on display.
Leaving here we decided to get lunch before Jon drove back home. Unfortunately there were no restaurants open that we could easily find and in the heat, it was becoming a struggle to get around with the kids. We found a place that looked expensive but we were sick of walking at that point so we took a chance. The food was OK but it was horribly over priced and not really a good place for the kids. We left, rounded the next corner and were confronted by about 10 restaurants, all open and all much better choices, so we learned a lesson here.
We said our farewells to Jon and then we went to the hotel to relax out of the heat. The kids were exhausted and had little trouble in getting to sleep, which is good as tomorrow we are driving to see the Neuschwanstein Castle in southern Bavaria...so it will be an early start and another full day.
Meeting back with Mindy and the kids, we then went to the second building, which holds the permanent sculpture collection of the museum. The highlight for Mindy was seeing "Barberini's Faun", along with many other ancient sculptures.
Next was a walk to the Pinakothek museums, a collection of 3 museums - the Alte Pinakothek; the Neue Pinakothek and the Pinakothek der Moderne. It was decided to tackle the Pinakothek der Moderne first. After getting through some sections with bizarre furniture displays, pretty much resembling an Ikea showroom, we found the section with actual artwork on the next floor up. Paintings from Dali, Picasso, Matisse and other famous modern artists were on display.
Leaving here we decided to get lunch before Jon drove back home. Unfortunately there were no restaurants open that we could easily find and in the heat, it was becoming a struggle to get around with the kids. We found a place that looked expensive but we were sick of walking at that point so we took a chance. The food was OK but it was horribly over priced and not really a good place for the kids. We left, rounded the next corner and were confronted by about 10 restaurants, all open and all much better choices, so we learned a lesson here.
We said our farewells to Jon and then we went to the hotel to relax out of the heat. The kids were exhausted and had little trouble in getting to sleep, which is good as tomorrow we are driving to see the Neuschwanstein Castle in southern Bavaria...so it will be an early start and another full day.
Munich
On Saturday we said goodbye to the staff in the lounge who had looked after us during our stay. They had been very good to us, helping Mindy a lot with the kids, getting them cups of milk for the evenings and generally putting up with us being perhaps a little louder than the average guests in the executive lounge!
We then left for Munich. According to the car navigation system it was supposed to be a 3 hour drive. However, this did not account for the strange German practice of doing road works in 150km sections! Seriously, there literally was about 150km of their highway that was getting repaired, so lanes were removed and it ended up being 4 hours of traffic to get there.
Well, Munich is very different from Heidelberg! Heidelberg is a small town while there is certainly no mistaking Munich for being a big city. More crowds, more dirt and lots of stuff happening - kind of had a New York type feel to it in some ways. There are also more people here wearing burkas and head scarfs than I have seen before, even in New York. There must be a large immigrant community from the Middle East in this area as you cannot walk down any street without seeing many examples of this. In contrast to the burkas and scarves are the strp joints and porn shops. One shop we passed had an array of colorful "play things" and Naomi said, "Look at that pretty shop!". Mindy just kept pushing the stroller past the window.
After grabbing lunch we met up with my school friend Jon who had driven down from The Netherlands to see us. We set off to the main part of the city, Marienplatz, where there is a large pedestrian walkway and outdoor mall, as well as a few nice old buildings, churches etc. We plan to come back on a weekday when it is a little quieter as there was really no room to move and it was tough to appreciate it. We continued through here and set out to find the Hofbrauhaus, to sit, relax and drink some beer. The Hofbrauhaus is famous for its 1 liter beers and so Jon and I decided to appreciate this aspect of German culture. We also ate a huge Bavarian pretzle as well. Inside there was a traditional German band playing and the atmosphere was quite relaxing.
Heading back towards the hotel we stopped for dinner and a few wheat beers before getting Mindy and the kids settled in for the night. Jon and I then went back out to a local bar specializing in hookah pipes. We tried the Apple tobacco with a couple more drinks and an enjoyable evening was had. Unfortunately, most of the bars closed at 11:30 (even the Hofbrauhaus) so it was a relatively tame evening, finished with another round at the hotel bar.
We then left for Munich. According to the car navigation system it was supposed to be a 3 hour drive. However, this did not account for the strange German practice of doing road works in 150km sections! Seriously, there literally was about 150km of their highway that was getting repaired, so lanes were removed and it ended up being 4 hours of traffic to get there.
Well, Munich is very different from Heidelberg! Heidelberg is a small town while there is certainly no mistaking Munich for being a big city. More crowds, more dirt and lots of stuff happening - kind of had a New York type feel to it in some ways. There are also more people here wearing burkas and head scarfs than I have seen before, even in New York. There must be a large immigrant community from the Middle East in this area as you cannot walk down any street without seeing many examples of this. In contrast to the burkas and scarves are the strp joints and porn shops. One shop we passed had an array of colorful "play things" and Naomi said, "Look at that pretty shop!". Mindy just kept pushing the stroller past the window.
After grabbing lunch we met up with my school friend Jon who had driven down from The Netherlands to see us. We set off to the main part of the city, Marienplatz, where there is a large pedestrian walkway and outdoor mall, as well as a few nice old buildings, churches etc. We plan to come back on a weekday when it is a little quieter as there was really no room to move and it was tough to appreciate it. We continued through here and set out to find the Hofbrauhaus, to sit, relax and drink some beer. The Hofbrauhaus is famous for its 1 liter beers and so Jon and I decided to appreciate this aspect of German culture. We also ate a huge Bavarian pretzle as well. Inside there was a traditional German band playing and the atmosphere was quite relaxing.
Heading back towards the hotel we stopped for dinner and a few wheat beers before getting Mindy and the kids settled in for the night. Jon and I then went back out to a local bar specializing in hookah pipes. We tried the Apple tobacco with a couple more drinks and an enjoyable evening was had. Unfortunately, most of the bars closed at 11:30 (even the Hofbrauhaus) so it was a relatively tame evening, finished with another round at the hotel bar.
Friday, July 13, 2007
Leaving Heidelberg
Today was our last day here in Heidelberg. My work is over and so we are leaving tomorrow morning to travel to Munich.
The last couple of days have been fun. We went to dinner the other night with that couple we met this week. We ate outside in a courtyard in the Altstadt where the kids could run around a little and play. Typically there would have been no cars in such a place but over here it seems like anywhere that is not blocked off by 3 foot high cement walls, is fair game to a car, so we had to keep an eye on them. While they were playing a group of Indian tourists went walking by and apparently thought our kids were locals or maybe gods of some sort. They stopped and started to take pictures of them, much to the distress of Naomi, who was a little freaked out by the situation. Mindy grabbed Naomi away and has since taught her to enhance their picture by "giving them the bird" if the same situation happens again. Now I know how the Amish feel whenever I go down there and basically chase them down in their buggies and try to get a "head-shot" for the photo album.
Today was my last day at work so it was busy trying to wrap everything up and say goodbye to everyone. I have enjoyed the 3 weeks here, in fact the door is open for possible future trips if my schedule allows.
Mindy took the kids to a playground today. There was a fountain with rocks and other water play type things. The kids stripped down to their underwear and had a great time playing with the other buck naked German kids.
Tonight we went on a cruise on the Nekar river. The boat was solar powered and it was strange not to hear the sound of a motor as we were sailing along. It was a good way to end our time here. The boat was announced as the "biggest solar boat in the state", which was quite a dubious achievement I think. Dinner was at McDonalds where the kids got their 3rd German speaking Shrek figure. Apparently German teenagers hang out around McDonalds as well, the main difference was that they all had 6 packs of beer and were drinking.
After a full day, the kids crashed in bed and hopefully will be ready to hit to road to Munich tomorrow morning.
The last couple of days have been fun. We went to dinner the other night with that couple we met this week. We ate outside in a courtyard in the Altstadt where the kids could run around a little and play. Typically there would have been no cars in such a place but over here it seems like anywhere that is not blocked off by 3 foot high cement walls, is fair game to a car, so we had to keep an eye on them. While they were playing a group of Indian tourists went walking by and apparently thought our kids were locals or maybe gods of some sort. They stopped and started to take pictures of them, much to the distress of Naomi, who was a little freaked out by the situation. Mindy grabbed Naomi away and has since taught her to enhance their picture by "giving them the bird" if the same situation happens again. Now I know how the Amish feel whenever I go down there and basically chase them down in their buggies and try to get a "head-shot" for the photo album.
Today was my last day at work so it was busy trying to wrap everything up and say goodbye to everyone. I have enjoyed the 3 weeks here, in fact the door is open for possible future trips if my schedule allows.
Mindy took the kids to a playground today. There was a fountain with rocks and other water play type things. The kids stripped down to their underwear and had a great time playing with the other buck naked German kids.
Tonight we went on a cruise on the Nekar river. The boat was solar powered and it was strange not to hear the sound of a motor as we were sailing along. It was a good way to end our time here. The boat was announced as the "biggest solar boat in the state", which was quite a dubious achievement I think. Dinner was at McDonalds where the kids got their 3rd German speaking Shrek figure. Apparently German teenagers hang out around McDonalds as well, the main difference was that they all had 6 packs of beer and were drinking.
After a full day, the kids crashed in bed and hopefully will be ready to hit to road to Munich tomorrow morning.
Wednesday, July 11, 2007
A better trip to the zoo
Well yesterday I decided to take the girls to the old town section to look at the shops. We have to see it in sections because the girls will go crazy if we stay too long. We were looking for the gummi bear store and I heard someone speaking English to their child. I stopped her and asked if she knew where the shop was and we started talking. It suddenly started raining so we had to take our conversation under some shelter. We decided to meet the next day to go to the zoo.
We met today and took the kids to the zoo. She has a little boy(2yrs.). The zoo experience was a lot better today than last time. We saw more of the animals this time and I had company. We talked about all kinds of stuff and found we had much in common. We plan to do something tomorrow as well. It's a shame we didn't meet early but better late than never.
It is funny how much it means to you to meet someone from your home when you are travelling. You just feel a level of common understanding.
We went to dinner by the Alt bruke and took some pictures. Nothing too exciting. We are now realizing our trip is coming to an end. It has passed so quickly. Oh, well.
From my perspective, it is really winding down quickly. Only two more days of work, then a week of travelling around and then back to our normal life. We have started to make some plans for our week off. We will be meeting up with a school friend of mine (Jon) who lives in Holland and will be visiting us in Munich. We have also booked a couple of castle tours for Monday. I am looking forward to fulltime travelling and also some warmer weather that is forecast.
We met today and took the kids to the zoo. She has a little boy(2yrs.). The zoo experience was a lot better today than last time. We saw more of the animals this time and I had company. We talked about all kinds of stuff and found we had much in common. We plan to do something tomorrow as well. It's a shame we didn't meet early but better late than never.
It is funny how much it means to you to meet someone from your home when you are travelling. You just feel a level of common understanding.
We went to dinner by the Alt bruke and took some pictures. Nothing too exciting. We are now realizing our trip is coming to an end. It has passed so quickly. Oh, well.
From my perspective, it is really winding down quickly. Only two more days of work, then a week of travelling around and then back to our normal life. We have started to make some plans for our week off. We will be meeting up with a school friend of mine (Jon) who lives in Holland and will be visiting us in Munich. We have also booked a couple of castle tours for Monday. I am looking forward to fulltime travelling and also some warmer weather that is forecast.
Monday, July 9, 2007
Good Food
Tonight involved a quick trip into Heidelberg for dinner. A combination of sausages, pork schnitzel, bratkartoffeln (sliced, pan-fried potatoes with spices) and kasespaetzle (German noodles with cheese sauce) was shared by all. It was actually one of the better meals we have had since being here, although the beer was not one of my favourites.
After dinner we had a walk out on the old bridge of the city with a nice view of the castle on the hill and the city itself. Strangely, for a weekday, it was not freezing cold and raining making this possible. The walk back to the car involved Fiona screaming the words to the song "Lovely Ladies" from Les Miserables at the top of her lungs. I think people knew were were foreigners.
After dinner we had a walk out on the old bridge of the city with a nice view of the castle on the hill and the city itself. Strangely, for a weekday, it was not freezing cold and raining making this possible. The walk back to the car involved Fiona screaming the words to the song "Lovely Ladies" from Les Miserables at the top of her lungs. I think people knew were were foreigners.
Tripsdrill
On Sunday, we had originally planned to visit the old Roman town of Trier. However, the thought of driving for two hours and convincing the kids to look at ruins and walk through museums did not seem that appealing. So instead, we headed an hour south to the kids amusement park called Tripsdrill.
This park was a perfect place to spend a day for kids about this age. The themes and rides were geared towards younger kids and families. However, there were a few differences from such parks in the USA...
Firstly, as soon as we got in, there was a huge, mechanical figure sitting on the toilet reading the paper and taking care of his business. We thought this was quite strange so it deserved a closer look. A few other people were gathered looking at what was going on as well. Well, I guess it would help to speak the local language as he then shouted a few words in German and "spat" a jet of water out at the crowd. Mindy was standing in exactly the right place to catch it perfectly in her face...I only wish I had the camera rolling!
There were a few rides that were comparable to kids' rides in the USA but then we started to notice that the ride attendants did not really seem to be paying too much attention to the ages and heights of the children who were riding. Also, many of the rides were more "intense" than would be allowed for young kids in the USA. As a result, the girls were able to ride their first ever roller coaster which was actually reasonably fast as well as many other "spinning" rides.
After a few too many spinning rides combined with a couple of bratwursts that I had for lunch, I needed a little break from getting dizzy so we went on a water-barrel "rapids" ride. I thought we did well saying the right German numbers for how old Fiona was as well as how many people were in our group but the guy still yelled at us in German about something we had done wrong I guess. In any case, we jumped on the ride and Mindy especially got soaked.
Later in the day, Naomi had a lolly-pop and was happily enjoying it when all of a sudden she dropped it and started screaming. Apparently, a bumble bee had landed on it and ended up in her mouth stinging her a couple of times. With some ice cream to soothe her mouth and some sympathy she was OK, but it was obviously not a fun time for her.
One of the highlights of the day for the kids was the driving ride where you got to control your own car. Fiona especially really had a blast on this. Naomi enjoyed it but said that the roller coaster was her favourite ride of the day.
One more interesting display...there was a scene showing the Garden of Eden, complete with naked Adam and Eve, each with 1 strategically placed fig leaf for cover. Not that there was anything wrong with this but it seeemed a little strange for a kids theme park.
After this, back to the hotel for Indian food and some rest after what was a good day with the family.
This park was a perfect place to spend a day for kids about this age. The themes and rides were geared towards younger kids and families. However, there were a few differences from such parks in the USA...
Firstly, as soon as we got in, there was a huge, mechanical figure sitting on the toilet reading the paper and taking care of his business. We thought this was quite strange so it deserved a closer look. A few other people were gathered looking at what was going on as well. Well, I guess it would help to speak the local language as he then shouted a few words in German and "spat" a jet of water out at the crowd. Mindy was standing in exactly the right place to catch it perfectly in her face...I only wish I had the camera rolling!
There were a few rides that were comparable to kids' rides in the USA but then we started to notice that the ride attendants did not really seem to be paying too much attention to the ages and heights of the children who were riding. Also, many of the rides were more "intense" than would be allowed for young kids in the USA. As a result, the girls were able to ride their first ever roller coaster which was actually reasonably fast as well as many other "spinning" rides.
After a few too many spinning rides combined with a couple of bratwursts that I had for lunch, I needed a little break from getting dizzy so we went on a water-barrel "rapids" ride. I thought we did well saying the right German numbers for how old Fiona was as well as how many people were in our group but the guy still yelled at us in German about something we had done wrong I guess. In any case, we jumped on the ride and Mindy especially got soaked.
Later in the day, Naomi had a lolly-pop and was happily enjoying it when all of a sudden she dropped it and started screaming. Apparently, a bumble bee had landed on it and ended up in her mouth stinging her a couple of times. With some ice cream to soothe her mouth and some sympathy she was OK, but it was obviously not a fun time for her.
One of the highlights of the day for the kids was the driving ride where you got to control your own car. Fiona especially really had a blast on this. Naomi enjoyed it but said that the roller coaster was her favourite ride of the day.
One more interesting display...there was a scene showing the Garden of Eden, complete with naked Adam and Eve, each with 1 strategically placed fig leaf for cover. Not that there was anything wrong with this but it seeemed a little strange for a kids theme park.
After this, back to the hotel for Indian food and some rest after what was a good day with the family.
A Day On The Rhine
On Saturday we went on a cruise on the Rhine river. The trick was trying to find a cruise of the right length, factoring in kids' attention spans as well as wanting to see enough of the river and surrounds. We decided on a 3.5 hour round trip...probably ended up being about 30 minutes too long for the kids but it was a good choice I think.
We started at the town of Bingen and headed down the river as far as St. Goar. The countryside is essentially cliffs with vineyards; small towns and castles in various states of ruin. Some castles are not much more than abandoned rubble but others are still in use today as residences, restaurants or hotels. Some of the more noteworthy castles were Rheinstein, Reichenstein and the Katz castle. I would highly recommend a day on the Rhine to any prospective Germany visitors out there.
After the cruise we faced the choice of going to see another nearby castle and taking a tour; visiting an art museum or taking two kids who were fading fast back to the hotel. So we went back to the hotel, went to the pool and ate some free pasta in the Executive Lounge. All in all, a good day!
We started at the town of Bingen and headed down the river as far as St. Goar. The countryside is essentially cliffs with vineyards; small towns and castles in various states of ruin. Some castles are not much more than abandoned rubble but others are still in use today as residences, restaurants or hotels. Some of the more noteworthy castles were Rheinstein, Reichenstein and the Katz castle. I would highly recommend a day on the Rhine to any prospective Germany visitors out there.
After the cruise we faced the choice of going to see another nearby castle and taking a tour; visiting an art museum or taking two kids who were fading fast back to the hotel. So we went back to the hotel, went to the pool and ate some free pasta in the Executive Lounge. All in all, a good day!
Friday, July 6, 2007
The last few days
I really haven't done that much the last few days. We went to Toys R Us again. The girls played and I studied my phrase book. It really doesn't matter how much I study the phrases I go blank when I'm trying to say something.
We hung out in the hotel this morning. I could have been expanding my mind by reading a book I brought with me but instead I watched some judge show in German. I had no idea what they were saying but I watched it anyway. It's weird how afternoon t.v. is the same around the world. Apparently you can only watch judge shows, talk shows, and "how to" shows between the hours of 10-1:00.
We did make it outside when the rain cleared. The girls found a muddy puddle and splashed away. Tonight we went to dinner and looked at some shops. There was a shop called "Madonna" so I had to go in and check it out.
Tomorrow we will go on a cruise of the Rhine, at least that is the plan.
We hung out in the hotel this morning. I could have been expanding my mind by reading a book I brought with me but instead I watched some judge show in German. I had no idea what they were saying but I watched it anyway. It's weird how afternoon t.v. is the same around the world. Apparently you can only watch judge shows, talk shows, and "how to" shows between the hours of 10-1:00.
We did make it outside when the rain cleared. The girls found a muddy puddle and splashed away. Tonight we went to dinner and looked at some shops. There was a shop called "Madonna" so I had to go in and check it out.
Tomorrow we will go on a cruise of the Rhine, at least that is the plan.
Tuesday, July 3, 2007
A relaxing day at the zoo
Today I decided to take the girls to the zoo. It is within a 2 mile walking distance but it feels like 4 miles with the girls. I mistakingly assumed that the road to the zoo would be paved. Silly me. To get there we had to walk across a bridge that was over a part of the river where water was gushing under us. The girls did not want to walk across it because the bottom was made up of wood (like a deck) and they could see through the cracks. They piled in the umbrella stroller to get across the bridge. The next part was gravel, puddles and horse poo! It was messy. We finally got to the zoo just in time for the rain to start. We saw some monkeys that looked like they were starving and a playground before running to see the seal feeding. Naomi got pushed out of the way by some kids. I looked to see who was in charge of them but did not see anyone until I told Naomi to go ahead and push them back. I guess their teacher(?) heard me and came over speaking English and told me, "They are not trying to be mean, they can't help it...blah...blah". It seems common for German school teachers to take a group of kids out with a ratio of 1 teacher to 25 kids. I have seen it a couple of times. There will be a hoard of children and one adult seemingly, kind of keeping a slight eye on them. It started to rain soon after Naomi could see again.
I waited a little while to see if the rain let up a little but it didn't. We headed home through the gravel, puddles and horse poo in the rain. I was pretty grumpy by the time I reached the hotel after carrying 30lbs and pushing another 40lbs in a crapy stroller. We headed down to the lounge, normally our place of refuge. We get free pepsi (cost 2,50Euro) there so you can understand why I love it. The girls were spinning and making themselves dizzy and Fiona fell. She screamed and started bleeding. The "helpful" hotel staff gave her a chocolate and then left the room?????? I took her back to the room and tried to make a decision on what to do next. I freaked out a little. The cut wasn't that big of a concern but just not having a car, not knowing where a doctor's office would be, and not being able to contact David just got to me a bit. When I asked the reception about a doctor's clinic she said she thinks there is one two blocks away. It surprised me that she was not that concerned. In the U.S. if a child hurt themselves on hotel property they would be going out of their way to make sure the kid was okay. I'm not saying that's right, I'm just not used to the difference. I took the girls, bleeding and all, to look for the doctor's office. I could not find it so I went into the tourist information office for help. The woman said, "Why isn't she crying then?" I started explaining that it had been a while since it happen, and how she can't see it because it's on her chin. I stopped and finally said, "Why am I explaining this to you??" It seemed ridiculous to me. I mean, I'm not saying it was an emergency, I just wanted to know if she needed a stitch. It just seemed like I could not get anyone to just be nice and help me. I left pissed off and headed back to the pharmacy (who had given me directions a few minutes ago) to get some stuff for her booboo. Somewhere in between all of this I managed to buy an overpriced fleece jacket for Fiona because I had left the hotel without her jacket and she was freezing.
I came back to the hotel and vented my frustration with a big cry. Anyone who has dragged two children anywhere can understand. Imagine dragging them through a frogger game like traffic pattern in which you don't understand where to go. That is kinda how I felt today. I think it was a combination of not being able to communicate mixed with having no one to commiserate with me.
I know I am a big whiner. Her cut is fine. I feel better and tomorrow is another adventure.
I waited a little while to see if the rain let up a little but it didn't. We headed home through the gravel, puddles and horse poo in the rain. I was pretty grumpy by the time I reached the hotel after carrying 30lbs and pushing another 40lbs in a crapy stroller. We headed down to the lounge, normally our place of refuge. We get free pepsi (cost 2,50Euro) there so you can understand why I love it. The girls were spinning and making themselves dizzy and Fiona fell. She screamed and started bleeding. The "helpful" hotel staff gave her a chocolate and then left the room?????? I took her back to the room and tried to make a decision on what to do next. I freaked out a little. The cut wasn't that big of a concern but just not having a car, not knowing where a doctor's office would be, and not being able to contact David just got to me a bit. When I asked the reception about a doctor's clinic she said she thinks there is one two blocks away. It surprised me that she was not that concerned. In the U.S. if a child hurt themselves on hotel property they would be going out of their way to make sure the kid was okay. I'm not saying that's right, I'm just not used to the difference. I took the girls, bleeding and all, to look for the doctor's office. I could not find it so I went into the tourist information office for help. The woman said, "Why isn't she crying then?" I started explaining that it had been a while since it happen, and how she can't see it because it's on her chin. I stopped and finally said, "Why am I explaining this to you??" It seemed ridiculous to me. I mean, I'm not saying it was an emergency, I just wanted to know if she needed a stitch. It just seemed like I could not get anyone to just be nice and help me. I left pissed off and headed back to the pharmacy (who had given me directions a few minutes ago) to get some stuff for her booboo. Somewhere in between all of this I managed to buy an overpriced fleece jacket for Fiona because I had left the hotel without her jacket and she was freezing.
I came back to the hotel and vented my frustration with a big cry. Anyone who has dragged two children anywhere can understand. Imagine dragging them through a frogger game like traffic pattern in which you don't understand where to go. That is kinda how I felt today. I think it was a combination of not being able to communicate mixed with having no one to commiserate with me.
I know I am a big whiner. Her cut is fine. I feel better and tomorrow is another adventure.
Monday, July 2, 2007
Groundhog day
So today we stayed in and did some laundry. Yes, I have been washing our clothes in the tub and hanging them to dry on the upside down ironing board. You all didn't think David would spring for dry cleaning did you? He suggested I put the dirty clothes in the backpack and take the girls to the laundry and wash the clothes there. I can't blame him it costs 5Euro to clean a pair of underwear! My mother-in-law would be proud I had the wash done by 10am, it just takes two days to dry.
We did go to the pool and guess who showed up, the towel changer. He said hello and took off his clothes and put on his towel. He did the changing of the towel at least 3 times. Naomi did see him this time. I noticed she had seen him and started laughing. She started swimming towards me saying, "Mommy I have something to tell you!" She then told me she saw his butt. Lucky for us he did face the other direction (which was a window). She thought it was funny.
We also bumped into some familar people on the elevator tonight - the tourists that were pushing us off the tower yesterday. David had yelled at them saying, "What do you want me to do? I can't go anywhere. She'll just have to wait, she shouldn't have come up the tower then....etc." We were waiting for the elevator and when the doors opened there they were. They pushed right on past us. I think they remembered but it is hard to tell.
We did go to the pool and guess who showed up, the towel changer. He said hello and took off his clothes and put on his towel. He did the changing of the towel at least 3 times. Naomi did see him this time. I noticed she had seen him and started laughing. She started swimming towards me saying, "Mommy I have something to tell you!" She then told me she saw his butt. Lucky for us he did face the other direction (which was a window). She thought it was funny.
We also bumped into some familar people on the elevator tonight - the tourists that were pushing us off the tower yesterday. David had yelled at them saying, "What do you want me to do? I can't go anywhere. She'll just have to wait, she shouldn't have come up the tower then....etc." We were waiting for the elevator and when the doors opened there they were. They pushed right on past us. I think they remembered but it is hard to tell.
Sunday, July 1, 2007
Rothenburg ob der Tauber
Today we ventured east to the town of Rothenburg. I had visited here before and from my memories as well as some recommendations from work friends, it seemed like a good place to go for a day trip.
Upon arriving in the town, we were hoping to find an obvious good parking garage near to the downtown area but driving into the city proved to be very confusing. We ended up driving in places where we were sure no cars should have been allowed (through cobblestone courtyards and narrow streets) but eventually we found a spot to park right near the main square. Throughout the day, tour buses and other cars also were driving on these streets so I guess we were OK.
After looking at a few shops, we went into the main square when on the hour at certain times throughout the day, the main clock will have a display where there is a "re-enactment" of an ancient event when the town mayor drank a huge mug of wine to save Rothenburg which was under seige at the time. Well, it was not worth the 5 minutes we stood around waiting for it. In fact, the cuckoo clocks for sale in the town stores were more impressive. A window opened, a dark figure drank from a glass...and that was it.
However, the day got better after this. A brief stop for lunch then a couple of hours spent walking around the town looking in shops. while making our way away from the main square towards the town walls. Rothenburg is famous for being completely enclosed by stone walls as a defence from medieval times. Mindy was not as keen to climb up there and walk around...apparently she does not share my desire to get on top of high things and look at the view...as would become clear later. The kids had a good time sticking their heads through the holes in the wall and waving to Mindy down below.
Next was a horse drawn carriage ride through the town. The highlight of the ride for Naomi was watching the driver catch the horse poop in a bucket. The carriage dropped us back in the main square and so we (I) decided that it would be a good idea for us to climb up to the tower of the town hall, the highest point in the town. I did not expect to find a lift to the top but must admit to expecting to find a better staircase. As we neared the top, the steps became steeper, narrower and more dangerous. Eventually we got to climb what amounted to a 12 foot ladder to get out on the tower. The view was great and worth the effort but Mindy was too worried about the kids to really enjoy it. She was (understandably) concerned with how we were going to get back down with two small kids, a stroller and video camera bag. The descent was made more difficult by a group of tourists who seemed to want to push past us.
After this, souvenirs for the kids - a princess bag for Naomi and a wooden toy on a spring (that is now stretched out) for Fiona then back to Heidelburg. All in all, a good day and the town was certainly worth spending a day to see.
A little something David left out that I thought was interesting - the toilets. In the women's bathrooms there were no seats, there were only black squares on the rim of the toilet???? I assumed the black squares were where your feet should go, as if you were going to squat on the toilet. I saw a woman doing this in Penn Station once. I don't know? The girls gave it a try and got pee all over the floor. David said the men's room had a seat! What a sexist town - giving the men seats and expecting the women to squat!!
Upon arriving in the town, we were hoping to find an obvious good parking garage near to the downtown area but driving into the city proved to be very confusing. We ended up driving in places where we were sure no cars should have been allowed (through cobblestone courtyards and narrow streets) but eventually we found a spot to park right near the main square. Throughout the day, tour buses and other cars also were driving on these streets so I guess we were OK.
After looking at a few shops, we went into the main square when on the hour at certain times throughout the day, the main clock will have a display where there is a "re-enactment" of an ancient event when the town mayor drank a huge mug of wine to save Rothenburg which was under seige at the time. Well, it was not worth the 5 minutes we stood around waiting for it. In fact, the cuckoo clocks for sale in the town stores were more impressive. A window opened, a dark figure drank from a glass...and that was it.
However, the day got better after this. A brief stop for lunch then a couple of hours spent walking around the town looking in shops. while making our way away from the main square towards the town walls. Rothenburg is famous for being completely enclosed by stone walls as a defence from medieval times. Mindy was not as keen to climb up there and walk around...apparently she does not share my desire to get on top of high things and look at the view...as would become clear later. The kids had a good time sticking their heads through the holes in the wall and waving to Mindy down below.
Next was a horse drawn carriage ride through the town. The highlight of the ride for Naomi was watching the driver catch the horse poop in a bucket. The carriage dropped us back in the main square and so we (I) decided that it would be a good idea for us to climb up to the tower of the town hall, the highest point in the town. I did not expect to find a lift to the top but must admit to expecting to find a better staircase. As we neared the top, the steps became steeper, narrower and more dangerous. Eventually we got to climb what amounted to a 12 foot ladder to get out on the tower. The view was great and worth the effort but Mindy was too worried about the kids to really enjoy it. She was (understandably) concerned with how we were going to get back down with two small kids, a stroller and video camera bag. The descent was made more difficult by a group of tourists who seemed to want to push past us.
After this, souvenirs for the kids - a princess bag for Naomi and a wooden toy on a spring (that is now stretched out) for Fiona then back to Heidelburg. All in all, a good day and the town was certainly worth spending a day to see.
A little something David left out that I thought was interesting - the toilets. In the women's bathrooms there were no seats, there were only black squares on the rim of the toilet???? I assumed the black squares were where your feet should go, as if you were going to squat on the toilet. I saw a woman doing this in Penn Station once. I don't know? The girls gave it a try and got pee all over the floor. David said the men's room had a seat! What a sexist town - giving the men seats and expecting the women to squat!!
Saturday, June 30, 2007
Heidelberg
Today we decided to see the city of Heidelberg. Mindy has done some touring during the day but has been limited by having two kids and no car. In the evenings after work, we have also done a little but really not much more than look at a few shops and grab something for dinner.
The weather today was pretty much what we have had for the whole week - cool and cloudy. Before going up to the castle, we decided to spend some time in the city, hoping that the fog lifted a little and the weather improved. We went into the Altstadt region of the city and spent some time walking along the typical German looking cobblestone streets, looking in shops etc. Naomi and Fiona picked out a couple of German dolls and so they thought it was time well spent.
We then rode the "funicular railway" up to the castle. Heidelberg Castle contains structures built as early as the 13th century and as "recently" as the 17th century. It is certainly the tourist highlight of the city. The views from the castle are great and despite some of the castle being in ruin, the majority of it is in good enough condition to make for an interesting couple of hours.
After this, it was back onto the rail to continue our ride up the mountain. This involved two trains - the modern train to take us some of the way, then a ride on the renovated original railway dating from 1907. This took us up to Konigstuhl, Heidelberg's highest point (550m above sea level). The views from here were spectacular, not only of Heidelberg but the farmland and other towns in the distance. After a few moments of silence, enjoying the scenery, I was shaken back to reality with Mindy forcefully stating that "They said they are cold and hungry...and I agree with them!", so we grabbed something to eat.
The lunch we had was superb. Mindy and I both ordered the Pork Rahmschnitzel...what is not to like about breaded, deep fried pork, smothered in a creamy gravy. This will certainly be consumed again before we leave!
After lunch we visited the Heidelberg Fairy Tale Park (Heidelberger Marchenparadies). Basically a small theme park with various displays telling the stories from old fairy tales. Unfortunately the narration was in German but the visuals were still interesting. In addition, there were jumping castles and other rides that the kids really enjoyed. I would certainly recommend this for anyone travelling here with small kids.
Then, down the mountain and back to the hotel where we saw a few indications that we had achieved another goal of running the kids ragged! Fiona fell off the last ride at the park. Naomi then slipped and was bashed in the head by the mechanical gate leading to the train. Then, back at the hotel, she went to lean against the door of the elevator...just as it opened and so tumbled into the lobby of the hotel. They both crashed asleep relatively quickly allowing me to download and watch the Wallabies beat the All Blacks in the rugby...go you good things!
The weather today was pretty much what we have had for the whole week - cool and cloudy. Before going up to the castle, we decided to spend some time in the city, hoping that the fog lifted a little and the weather improved. We went into the Altstadt region of the city and spent some time walking along the typical German looking cobblestone streets, looking in shops etc. Naomi and Fiona picked out a couple of German dolls and so they thought it was time well spent.
We then rode the "funicular railway" up to the castle. Heidelberg Castle contains structures built as early as the 13th century and as "recently" as the 17th century. It is certainly the tourist highlight of the city. The views from the castle are great and despite some of the castle being in ruin, the majority of it is in good enough condition to make for an interesting couple of hours.
After this, it was back onto the rail to continue our ride up the mountain. This involved two trains - the modern train to take us some of the way, then a ride on the renovated original railway dating from 1907. This took us up to Konigstuhl, Heidelberg's highest point (550m above sea level). The views from here were spectacular, not only of Heidelberg but the farmland and other towns in the distance. After a few moments of silence, enjoying the scenery, I was shaken back to reality with Mindy forcefully stating that "They said they are cold and hungry...and I agree with them!", so we grabbed something to eat.
The lunch we had was superb. Mindy and I both ordered the Pork Rahmschnitzel...what is not to like about breaded, deep fried pork, smothered in a creamy gravy. This will certainly be consumed again before we leave!
After lunch we visited the Heidelberg Fairy Tale Park (Heidelberger Marchenparadies). Basically a small theme park with various displays telling the stories from old fairy tales. Unfortunately the narration was in German but the visuals were still interesting. In addition, there were jumping castles and other rides that the kids really enjoyed. I would certainly recommend this for anyone travelling here with small kids.
Then, down the mountain and back to the hotel where we saw a few indications that we had achieved another goal of running the kids ragged! Fiona fell off the last ride at the park. Naomi then slipped and was bashed in the head by the mechanical gate leading to the train. Then, back at the hotel, she went to lean against the door of the elevator...just as it opened and so tumbled into the lobby of the hotel. They both crashed asleep relatively quickly allowing me to download and watch the Wallabies beat the All Blacks in the rugby...go you good things!
Thursday, June 28, 2007
I'm Rick James, bitch!
I finally got out today. I had planned to venture out two days ago but ended up just waiting for our hotel room to be ready. Yesterday the girls and I went on a small trip to the very German store Toys-R-Us! It was nice for the girls to play a little.
Today we took a big trip into the Altstadt. It is the center of town and where all of the shops are located. I was taking the girls to get some lunch and Naomi said "Let's get on the bus mommy". I thought, why not. I jumped on without buying a ticket - I thought I could buy one once I was on the tram. The driver spoke no English and just let me get off without charging. I guess it was not worth 2 Euro to try to communicate with me.
It was exciting that we actually made it. They have all kinds of cool shops down narrow cobblestone streets. What else would you expect in Europe, I guess. The girls talked me into an outfit and shoes for both of them. I was just looking for a jacket for myself. We also ended up with umbrellas because it started pouring down while we were shopping. We began to find our way back to the hotel and that's when the day got a little frustrating.
I had to buy a ticket this time instead of acting like a hobo (David's words). I swear I was looking for my stop but when I realized that "wagon haute" was not a stop but was displayed at EVERY stop, I was past where I needed to get off. For some stupid reason I thought I would just ride it out until the tram turned around. I decided to ask the teenage boys behind me if they spoke English, thinking they could help me figure out how far I was out of my way. They said they did not speak English but then proceeded to quote The Chappelle Show. I heard them saying "I'm Rick James, bitch!" among other quotes, all in perfect English. They were obviously making fun of me and I was just trying not to cry. Eventually the tram stopped and after purchasing another ticket, I made it back to the hotel.
Tonight we ate dinner at a Chinese restaurant, amusingly named "Ho's Garden". Excellent food but the highlight of the night for David was listening to the Chinese waiter speaking fluent German.
Today we took a big trip into the Altstadt. It is the center of town and where all of the shops are located. I was taking the girls to get some lunch and Naomi said "Let's get on the bus mommy". I thought, why not. I jumped on without buying a ticket - I thought I could buy one once I was on the tram. The driver spoke no English and just let me get off without charging. I guess it was not worth 2 Euro to try to communicate with me.
It was exciting that we actually made it. They have all kinds of cool shops down narrow cobblestone streets. What else would you expect in Europe, I guess. The girls talked me into an outfit and shoes for both of them. I was just looking for a jacket for myself. We also ended up with umbrellas because it started pouring down while we were shopping. We began to find our way back to the hotel and that's when the day got a little frustrating.
I had to buy a ticket this time instead of acting like a hobo (David's words). I swear I was looking for my stop but when I realized that "wagon haute" was not a stop but was displayed at EVERY stop, I was past where I needed to get off. For some stupid reason I thought I would just ride it out until the tram turned around. I decided to ask the teenage boys behind me if they spoke English, thinking they could help me figure out how far I was out of my way. They said they did not speak English but then proceeded to quote The Chappelle Show. I heard them saying "I'm Rick James, bitch!" among other quotes, all in perfect English. They were obviously making fun of me and I was just trying not to cry. Eventually the tram stopped and after purchasing another ticket, I made it back to the hotel.
Tonight we ate dinner at a Chinese restaurant, amusingly named "Ho's Garden". Excellent food but the highlight of the night for David was listening to the Chinese waiter speaking fluent German.
Wednesday, June 27, 2007
It's the little differences...
I visited Europe before, back in 1989. My perspective back then was that of someone with the rich life experience of having lived for 17 years in one house in Newcastle! I am certainly noticing more this time around, strangely enough.
Everything is a little smaller over here – cars, parking spaces and roads (all of these are related I suppose). The serving sizes in the restaurants are a lot smaller than in the USA as well. Elevators are also tiny and very narrow making it more difficult to get past people if your floor is reached first.
Most of the cars are obviously European models, but I have seen some Fords. This really confused me – why would you buy a Ford when the alternative was a decently priced European car? I have since found out that Fords over here are made in Germany and you can get a full featured car for a decent price. In general, the style of cars reminds me a lot of what we saw in South Africa last year, without the vans packed full of day-workers.
Restaurants seem to rarely take credit cards, again a HUGE change from the USA where you almost never need cash. Waitresses will come to your table with the bill wearing a change belt and you can settle everything right there.
Don’t expect free water at a restaurant. Beer is cheaper than coke at times. No free refills (this I was used to from Australia).
Europeans are very environmentally conscious. Smaller cars, a lot of public transport and energy efficient light bulbs in most places. At the SAP offices there is no air conditioning, something that I initially thought was strange…but it is actually quite nice working in the fresh air with the windows open. Very few rooms have their lights on as well. Also, there is no disposable serving ware at all. Coffee cups and all of your lunch plates, utensils etc are provided and washed for you. Reusable cloth towel dispensers instead of paper towels are also provided.
European coffee is great! The SAP office and also the Executive Lounge at the hotel for Mindy have Espresso / Coffee machines which give you a perfect cup in a few seconds. Great stuff!
European fashion is also quite distinctive. I have never been what you would call particularly stylish in any crowd with my collection of concert t-shirts to wear but over here I think I stick out in the crowd even more than usual.
One final thing…I also have learned a lot about being a foreigner. I am sure you have all said something to a foreign person and had them just nod, smile and not say anything back. I now know EXACTLY how that feels. I have found myself doing that on several occasions. I can understand enough German to get by but cannot think quickly enough to reply immediately in a passing conversation. I have found myself knowing that someone has said something nice/polite to me, couldn’t instantly work out what they were saying or how to respond…so just ended up nodding and smiling back, kind of feeling like an idiot but not wanting to look impolite.
Everything is a little smaller over here – cars, parking spaces and roads (all of these are related I suppose). The serving sizes in the restaurants are a lot smaller than in the USA as well. Elevators are also tiny and very narrow making it more difficult to get past people if your floor is reached first.
Most of the cars are obviously European models, but I have seen some Fords. This really confused me – why would you buy a Ford when the alternative was a decently priced European car? I have since found out that Fords over here are made in Germany and you can get a full featured car for a decent price. In general, the style of cars reminds me a lot of what we saw in South Africa last year, without the vans packed full of day-workers.
Restaurants seem to rarely take credit cards, again a HUGE change from the USA where you almost never need cash. Waitresses will come to your table with the bill wearing a change belt and you can settle everything right there.
Don’t expect free water at a restaurant. Beer is cheaper than coke at times. No free refills (this I was used to from Australia).
Europeans are very environmentally conscious. Smaller cars, a lot of public transport and energy efficient light bulbs in most places. At the SAP offices there is no air conditioning, something that I initially thought was strange…but it is actually quite nice working in the fresh air with the windows open. Very few rooms have their lights on as well. Also, there is no disposable serving ware at all. Coffee cups and all of your lunch plates, utensils etc are provided and washed for you. Reusable cloth towel dispensers instead of paper towels are also provided.
European coffee is great! The SAP office and also the Executive Lounge at the hotel for Mindy have Espresso / Coffee machines which give you a perfect cup in a few seconds. Great stuff!
European fashion is also quite distinctive. I have never been what you would call particularly stylish in any crowd with my collection of concert t-shirts to wear but over here I think I stick out in the crowd even more than usual.
One final thing…I also have learned a lot about being a foreigner. I am sure you have all said something to a foreign person and had them just nod, smile and not say anything back. I now know EXACTLY how that feels. I have found myself doing that on several occasions. I can understand enough German to get by but cannot think quickly enough to reply immediately in a passing conversation. I have found myself knowing that someone has said something nice/polite to me, couldn’t instantly work out what they were saying or how to respond…so just ended up nodding and smiling back, kind of feeling like an idiot but not wanting to look impolite.
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