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.
Monday, July 9, 2007
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!!
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