mom and grandma come to europe.

I had a wonderful week with my mother and grandmother in Europe. I kept them busy the first day they arrived so that they could beat jet lag. We ate a warm lunch with our family in Leutershausen. While it was difficult for my mom and grandma to communicate with the family in town, I think they enjoyed once again seeing where they spent holidays while my grandpa was stationed in Germany. We ate a typical German dinner with Sabine after meeting the boys. On Wednesday, we explored Heidelberg together - Philosophenweg, Hauptstraße, Schloß, Königstuhl... It was nice having visitors because there were places that I still hadn't gone because they seemed too touristy to do on my own. We even made it to the monastery where we enjoyed a beverage with Annika before dinner at the Herzberg household (the picture to the left was taken at the Hofladen). On Thursday, my mom and I were able to take a wonderful walk between rain storms from the house back to the Philosophenweg some 3 miles away. In the afternoon we loaded two cars full of people and went to Schwetzingen. We took a tour of the castle which was in German and did little good for my mom and grandma. Therefore, they received English reading material and Sabine and I did our best at translating. We proceeded into the gardens and spent the rest of the day in the sunshine amongst the flowers of the billion acres of land. Absolutely breathtaking!

On Friday morning we caught a train to Basel where we were greeted by family friends who once lived in the United States. They were absolutely wonderful hosts. They showed us all around Basel on Friday and made a day trip to Strasbourg, France on Saturday. The weekend could be detailed better but I wouldn't do it justice. Sadly, my grandma and mom left on Monday after only a short week but they say three countries. Quite a successful trip according to my standards.

Trier und Luxembourg

Alison and I are trying to fit in as many trips as one can fit into a summer. This past weekend we went to Trier (one of the oldest cities in Germany) and Luxembourg City (the capital of the country). I departed from Heidelberg early on Saturday morning and met Alison while transferring in Kaiserslautern. We arrived in Trier before noon. We spent the day wandering the city, looking at the many Roman ruins that still remain. We ate dinner at an Asian restaurant. While it did taste amazing, Alison and I were both wearing white shirts and our curry soup was a color between lime and lemon. We both made napkin bibs and looked absolutely ridiculous, switching between our spoons, forks and chopsticks, trying not to be incredibly messy. A couple sitting next to us laughed but then when it came for them to eat, the man made a bib napkin too so... We saw an independent Greek film, dubbed in German, at a tiny theater. I can only say that it will not be showing in America.

When Alison and I awoke on Sunday we both looked at each other with concerned expressions; we could hear the rain hitting the window outside. But after having paid the train and hostel, we would only be saving 8.40 Euros by not going to Luxembourg. We thought it would be worth the trek and in fact, it was! The sun ended up emerging shortly after we arrived although it disappeared and gave way to rain by the time we boarded our train home. The weather has been so mysterious the past month. Luxembourg was a beautiful city. We spent the few hours we had roaming the many hills and streets in the city. The best part was walking through catacombs. Apparently there are more than 20 kilometers of passageways within the walls of the city but we only were able to explore 2 kilometers. I suppose they were once useful but I think I would get lost and starve before finding my way back out again, back in the day that is.

Romantic Rhein

Alison and I decided to visit another wonderful part of Germany last weekend. It was last minute with little planning involved but was awesome. On Saturday we met in Bingen, a small town at the southern end of the so called "Romantic Rhein". We explored the city. Its shoreline was part of a beautification project last year and the new park is unbelievable. There is a skatepark, life-size chessboard, cherry trees, apple trees, squash gardens, water playground and more. There were even chairs and lounges throughout the park and they weren't held fast to the ground. After successfully exploring Bingen, we took a ferry across the river to another town called Rüdesheim. It lies at the base of a mountain covered in vineyards. The town itself is small but the backdrop is fabulous. We took a cable car up the mountain to view a famous statue which is much like the Statue of Liberty (in fact, Alison thought it was a version of the Statue of Liberty). Instead of paying for a roundtrip, we only paid for one ride and decided it would be best to wander through the vineyards and find our way back down the hill. With our cameras and a bottle of wine we slowly made our way back to town for dinner before the last ferry back.

On Sunday, we spent much of the day exploring the Romantic Rhein from a boat. There is a service from Binger which makes at all the little towns on the Rhein. We stayed on the boat and took pictures of a few dozen castles; it is amazing how many castles are in Germany. I ended up taking hundreds of pictures over the whole weekend. We hopped off the boat in the afternoon at Koblenz. Nearly the entire city is under construction so while we did wander around, there wasn't too much too do or see. We opted for an ice cream on the Moselle River. The sun was beaming all day and we both were sunburned. The weathermen hadn't predicted sunshine. I didn't even pack sunscreen or sunglasses! We were so worn out that we spent the last hour with our feet in a fountain while we watch children play with the water.

weekend of street festivals

Handschuhsheim. There were many street festivals last fall and as the weather is once again warm, they have started up the new season. Handschuhsheim is a Stadtteil (city part) to the north of Heidelberg. This weekend they held their street festival. Alison, the previous Au Pair, was visiting for the weekend so she and I went on Saturday evening. We walked around and viewed all the normal things, sweet vendors, bratwurst vendors, beer vendors and of course, all the rides for kids. We met some of her old friends for dinner and beers in the remains of the Handschuhsheim castle. It was great fun hanging out with new people but the best part was watching all the drunken adult dance to America oldies. It was entertaining enough that I decided to take some video footage!

Heidelberg. Yesterday was a different kind of street festival in Heidelberg where local organizations had booths to educate the community and raise money for their cause. The main street along the Neckar was closed for the day (which is not that complicated since no one really has anywhere to go on a Sunday in Germany). Alison and I met the Herzbergs for lunch in the field at the monastery. There was a maze of hay that Tom and Max spent most of their time enjoying. They biked the street for the rest of the afternoon while Alison and I walked. We past old fire trucks that were on display, the plans for the new tunnel that is expected to be built starting in 2012, bike vendors with a new model of a bike with an electric engine and much more! It took hours to make our way to the end, over two miles from the house. On our way back, Isabel had her hands full as she was working Moritz's kindergarten table and had an extra kid for the day. She spotted me and I volunteered to walk around with the baby and the kids. We saw some bike riders who had drawn a crowd; they were biking off ramps into the Neckar. It was a nice afternoon. I walked home on my own, as there was no other transport available. It wasn't raining when I started my was pouring when I finally reached home. Needless to say, I was in need of a warm shower!

Prague

The last time I travelled alone was over three years ago when I ventured to Fiji. Even then, I was set up with a tour so I was with a pretty steady group of people. This time, I was totally on my own in Prague. It was wonderful! I was on my own schedule and got to see and do anything and everything that I wanted to do. I checked the bus schedule last Wednesday morning and booked a ticket to leave for Prague on Thursday night. I took a Eurolines bus directly from Heidelberg to Prague. It was both less expensive and less timely than the train. I arrived in Prague early on Friday morning, leaving me two and a half days to explore the city.

Friday. I arrived extremely early in the morning and went for breakfast with some people from my bus. It was difficult to find a place that was open at 7 in the morning. After filling my tummy, I headed for my hostel. The weather was weird. It started to rain as soon as I exited the metro. It continued to rain throughout the rest of the day, about 7 times. Between each shower (or downpour) the sky was blue and sunny. I found some shelter whenever it rained because I hadn't packed an umbrella. Anyway, in the morning, exhausted from not sleeping on the bus coupled with the rain, I decided to sleep on the couch in the lounge of my hostel. After a nap, the sun was back out and I ventured out into the city. I walked to the castle and wondered around for a few hours. It was extremely crowded! I guess it is the main tourist attraction of Prague. It is kept it in really good shape; it doesn't even look that old with all the new paint... I enjoyed the gardens and all the pictures that could be taken of the rest of the town from the hilltop that the castle laid upon. I wandered down the hill and through the Lesser Town where there were lots of touristy shops. I went to the top of the Church of St. Nicholas where I snapped some nice pictures of all of prague. From there I continued over the Charles Bridge, which was really amazing, and back into the Old Town. I saw the clock which was gorgeous but the show on the hour was a little lame. After all this walking I decided to go back to check into the hostel and get settled. Before dinner, I went for a run in one of the parks semi near my hostel which was nice cause i got to see another part of town and a park that I probably wouldn't have seen otherwise. I ate at an indian joint that was vegetarian for dinner. I was tired and returned to my bed to read.

Saturday. I started my day with breakfast at Bohemian Cafe, which was filled with American students who seemed to be studying abroad. It was a nice place to read and enjoy a bagel and of course, coffee (no where near a NY bagel but it was still yummy). I walked through the 'jewish town' and saw the cemetery and the synagogues. I walked down the 'Fifth Avenue' of Prague, lined with Louis Vuitton, Lacoste, Burberry, etc. I just let myself wander, walking the whole day! Eventually, I ended up at the Powder Tower which I decided to climb for more great photos. I saw the eiffel tower (Petrin Tower) and headed for that next. It was a long walk to the tower, and another walk to the summit but totally worth it once I looked out upon Prague. Atop the hill, next to the Petrin Tower, was the house of mirrors. It was fun and I made some silly photos. I walked back into the Old Town and went to Clear Head, a well-known vegetarian restaurant, for dinner. The food was excellent; my favorite was the sun-dried tomato peanut pesto. I was beyond stuffed when I departed and walked the whole way home to help work off some food.

Sunday. I only had half a day to spend in the sunshine of Prague. I first went to Vysehrad, a fortress atop another small hill on the southern side of the Prague with a cathedral, large cemetery, and gardens. It offered even more views of Prague. Despite how many towers and hills I climbed, each view over Prague was truly unique. I didn't spend too much time atop Vysehrad as I wanted to visit the Communism Museum before I had to catch my bus. I had tried to find the museum the day before but had had no luck. Finally, after circling the block once more, I found it in the center of the block. It is as confusing as it sounds. It was well worth the second trip. I don't remembering learning too much about the political history of Czechoslovakia; I found it interesting to read about the details. Communism... Wow. I went for a warm lunch afterwards, as I would be on the bus for what would be dinnertime. I ate at another great vegetarian restaurant. Lonely Planet says that Prague isn't the most vegetarian friendly city in Europe but I think I have to disagree!

Great last minute decision; everyone should visit Prague.

Stateside

I used my frequent flier miles to take another trip home. At first, I did not make any plans in hopes to have a relaxing week. Unfortunately, that did not last long. I was busy but not as busy as during my trip home for the holidays. I was able to catch a Phish concert at Jones Beach, dinner at WD-50, a wedding in MA, Kenny's 25th birthday, and more!

WD-50 is worth noting as it was the best meal I have ever had. While I am a vegetarian, I believe my opinion is credible as many of the dishes were fish; I even ate snail (which apparently is related to seafood although I see them all the time here on the streets of Heidelberg). Jonathan and I both had the tasting menu, which was absolutely perfect as I love to eat lots of little things (aka appetizers) for my meal at restaurants. There were 12 dishes, which seemed to be broken down into 4 appetizers, 4 entrees, and 4 desserts. I could barely fit the final dessert into my stomach but I had to try everything! It is impossible to describe each dish as most of them I could not identify myself; Wylie Dufresne is known to use uncommon elements and techniques in his kitchen. For example, I enjoyed an ice cream bagel with freeze dried smoked salmon. It was incredible food in a vibrant atmosphere. Highly recommended!

Jonathan's cousin, Adrienne, got married last weekend in Concord, MA. The wedding was beautiful; it was held at a nearby country club. The weather was perfect and the ceremony was held in the evening on the porch of the clubhouse. It was the first jewish ceremony that I have every attended and it was everything I had hoped for, including the smashing of the glass (although when I found out that the glass is supposed to represent how fragile love is, it didn't seem like anyone should be smashing it). At the rehearsal dinner, the soon-to-be-bride asked me, "How common is the name 'von Glahn'? I explained that it was not common; in German, it translates to 'from Glahn' meaning my ancestors were once habitants from a place called Glahn. She continued by asking if I knew a Drew von Glahn. Although I had just explained how uncommon the name was, I denied any relation. The next day at the wedding, I was introduced to Drew von Glahn. He asked who my father was and surprised me when he said that he was first cousins with my father. He remembered playing as kids at the old house in Tarrytown... Who knew that I had to go to my boyfriend's family's wedding to meet my own family!

I have safely returned to Heidelberg where Tom is still obsessed with spiders and bees and Max is still obsessed with Hoffenheim : )

London

The last time that I was in London I was with my soccer team which made sight seeing a little limited.  Nearly 8 years have past since then and I cannot remember all the details of the trip.  Therefore, I enjoyed spending three full days in London exploring exactly what I wanted to explore; which was basically everything!  Annika and I arrived to our hostel quite late on Thursday night which made for a relaxing night and fresh start.

On Friday, we went on a free walking tour offered by our hostel which lasted for three hours.  It was fantastic as our tour guide was enthusiastic.  We saw all the main royal sights and got to learn lots of cool little tidbits of info.  For example, someone once paraglide onto the roof of Buckingham Palace.  Afterwards, Annika and I searched for a market that I remembered from my previous trip.  When I thought it was impossible to find, as I only had a vague memory left, we stumbled upon it!  I picked up some souvenirs before we headed to the London Eye.  The views were quite nice but it is a tourist attraction which of course was overly overpriced.  We joined a pub crawl later that evening which went to five different bars.  We figured it was the best and cheapest way to capture the nightlight in London.  I met heaps of Australians and so we had plenty to talk about!

On Saturday, we bought a circle cruise boat ticket which allowed us to visit several tourist attractions along the Thames.  First we hopped off at Shakespeare's Globe.  Unfortunately, there was a play in the theater and there were no tours at the time.  Therefore, we hopped back on and headed to Tower Bridge and the Tower of London.  We spent several hours inside the Tower of London, learning all sorts of things about the incredibly old fortress and of course, we saw the royal jewels.  I do love to learn which made the afternoon incredibly interesting for me.  We spent the evening visiting Piccadilly Circus, Oxford Circus, and roaming SOHO.  We ate sandwiches on-the-go nearly the whole weekend so we decided to enjoy a sit-down dinner.  We roamed a little more before heading back to the hostel to enjoy a nightcap with an Aussie we had met at the bar crawl.

On Sunday, we started the day once again at Shakespeare's Globe.  We were able to go on a tour and see the recreated theater.  I felt like I was a part of the movie "Shakespeare in Love" as it was filmed in the theater.  As I am a fan of Shakespeare, I liked learned about the history of his time.  The theater has only a few additions like lights for the night performance and sprinklers on the thatch roof.  After our tour, we went to Harrod's because I figured I had to at least see the place.  We then through Hyde Park to Kensington Gardens where we took a short break in the shade to relax our feet.  Once we arrived to the other side, we traveled to Madame Tussauds to checkout the wax figures.  There were many celebrities and familiar figures but I enjoyed seeing  many national faces such as the queen and the many princes.  I took a picture with Shrek to prove to the boys that I had met him.  They are going to England in a few weeks time; I hope that they don't go looking for him!  After the museum, we headed back to the hostel to relax and pack before our alarms went off at 3 am!

Dusseldorf

Isabel works at the annual tennis tournament in Dusseldorf for a full week each May, as do her mother and father.  Therefore, no one is left to care for Moritz and Niklas.  Isabel asked Sabine if she could borrow me for the week.  We arrived late on a Thursday evening and work started Friday morning.  In addition to Moritz and Niklas, the cousins were staying at Grandma's as well while their parents went to Barcelona for the weekend.  My mom managed five so I figured I could manage four.  Luckily, there were always two people around.  One usually cared for the baby while the other played with the kids (I spent most of my time playing soccer, inside and out).  It was much easier than expected and all the kids were wonderful.  I took the three kids and the baby to the horse stalls down the road and when I said "Stop!", they all stopped.  It was absolutely perfect.  

The tournament actually started on Sunday, which is when the cousins returned home and when everyone started working.  Moritz and I got to enjoy two matches at the tennis club, America vs. Germany and France vs. Sweden.  I cannot remember ever viewing a tennis match, despite the fact that I have watched many matches on tv.  It was just as exciting and even better under the warm sun!  Moritz is the same age as Max and Tom but much more advanced in the area of sports.  He knew when to clap and when it was out (which can be confusing for singles as the court is set for doubles as well).  He sat still in my lap without complaining.  He much prefers to watch sports than kid programs.  

The next three days I spent at the house with Moritz and Niklas.  We played more soccer, visited the horses, completed puzzles, read books...  It was much like a normal day but with a new set of boys!  I haven't been around a baby in quite some time either which was exciting, especially since Niklas is a perfect baby.  He loves to watch everyone.  He is nearly 6 months old and he just sits and enjoys the company of others.  When there is no one around or if he gets bored, he just needs to be relocated and he is happy once again.  Absolutely perfect!  It was a little dangerous when he wanted to be around Moritz and I whilst we played soccer as Moritz has a hard shot.

On Saturday, Isabel's friend met me in the city and showed me around a bit.  Then she left me to shop for the rest of the afternoon on my own.  Dusseldorf is the shopping capital of Germany.  It has a unique shopping area and it was nice to be in a city once again.  I love Heidelberg but I am a city girl.  On Tuesday night, Isabel's sister invited me over to her apartment for dinner with some of her friends.  She prepared a vegetarian friendly dish in my honor!  After dinner, we watched Germany's Next Top Model.  It was great fun drinking wine in the company of Janina's. friends  They all arrived at separate times and they all commented on how well I spoke German once I introduced myself.  As language acquisition is the main reason that I am in Germany, I was pleased!  Everyone I met was extremely nice!

I took a train back to Heidelberg on Wednesday afternoon as I had to catch a flight to London on Thursday evening.  The tournament continued through Sunday but Moritz went with his cousins to Holland which made it a little more manageable to shuffle Niklas around.  It was a wonderful surprise vacation!

Rothenburg

Jil had the fabulous idea to go and visit Rothenburg, which is usually visited around Christmas for its wonderful markets.  Instead we went on a bright and sunny day in May.  The town was protected during World War II by the Nazis and only a few public buildings and several homes were destroyed.  The town itself dates back to before the turn of the first century, therefore the buildings that remain are quite historical.  We, Jil, her boyfriend Sebastian, and a uni friend, Karoline, spent the day wandering the streets in the sunshine.  First, we enjoyed a round ball-like cookie (Kugeln) which are known to originate in Rothenburg.  Whilst enjoying a refreshment at one of the outdoor cafes in the city square, I noticed a small tower above city hall with about 4 people huddled around the bell.  Jil and I were ambitious enough to climb up to the tower.  It was an amazing climb; the steps started out like any other wooden steps, then they became smaller and smaller until we had to turn our feet sideways.  Eventually, when we made it to the top, we had to crawl out a trap door at the top of a ladder to reach the bell tower.  Full capacity of the area must have been about 6 people.  The views were incredible!  I could follow the grand wall that surrounds the entire town and see where all the knights and Nazis must have stood guard at all the towers.  After we cautiously climbed down the stairs and continued through the town with Seb and Karoline to check out the various towers.  It was unbelievable to imagine how old some of the buildings are.  It was a perfect day which I spent entirely conversing in German!

Paris

Most of Europe considers Good Friday and Easter Monday to be bank holidays.  Therefore, I had a four day holiday weekend.  Jonathan only had a three day holiday weekend but as he attends the French Culinary Institute, he figured spending a few extra days in France was definitely acceptable.  We both arrived Friday morning.  Without us both having cell phones, we had to meet the old fashioned way, pick a place and trust that the other person would show up.  I arrived to the hotel first.  I took the ICE from Germany, which traveled nearly 200 mi/hr.  I have traveled on the ICE before but all tracks in Germany aren’t equipped to handle the speed that the train is designed to travel at.  France also has a fast train and they, on the other hand, have equipped most of their tracks to handle the trains.  Therefore, once we crossed the border, we drastically increased our speed.  It took a total of four hours to travel from Heidelberg to Paris, the same amount of time it took me to travel from New York to Maryland.  Visiting another country is much more fun than visiting another state. 

The weather in Paris was perfect; it was warm and sunny with occasional clouds.  We were able to walk everywhere.  We started out by strolling along the river until we reached Notre Dame.  Everything was in bloom and the trees and flowers surrounding it made it even more beautiful from a distance.  We went inside and watched a few minutes of a service.  We had hoped to climb the stairs to the top of the tower but the line continued from the church down the block.  The weather was too nice the entire weekend to be wasted on waiting.  We walked to Quartier Latin and found a place to each lunch.  It was helpful that Jk has learned many of the French cooking terms.  As a vegetarian, I was a little concerned that I would unknowingly order something full of meat.  After lunch we strolled through the small but busy streets of Quartier Latin.  By the time we arrived back to the hotel, it was time to change and head to dinner.  We went to Le Petit Chaise, which is the oldest restaurant in Paris.  The French onion soup was wonderful as was the rest of the meal.  While we both were full and thoroughly exhausted, we decided it was necessary to see the City of Lights.  We walked to the Louvre, across Pont Neuf, past Museem de Orsay.  We walked and walked and walked until all the lights went out, then we walked some more until we were back at our hotel. 

On Saturday, we started our day with crepes from Cluny Square.  We walked through a park on the Left Bank and watched some men play Bocce Ball.  It seems to be popular, popular enough that everyone had their own balls.  Then we went to the Louvre where we were pleasantly surprised to learn that entrance was free for those between the ages of 18 and 25.  We walked through the Italian and French paintings until we saw the Mona Lisa.  The museum was beyond crowded and extremely noisy so we decided to find a place for a drink.  We stumbled upon a very French bar where we enjoyed French beer.  It started to rain in the late afternoon.  We decided to buy ingredients to make a simple meal and cook in our studio hotel room.

On Sunday, we started our day once again with crepes that we found on our way to the Pantheon.  I was worried that most things would be closed on Easter Sunday but it seemed to make no difference at all.  I’m used to Germany where everything is closed on Sunday, holiday or no holiday.  We went inside the Pantheon to view Foucault’s Pendulum, which was rather remarkable.  We also viewed the crypts.  It is amazing how many well-known people were buried there.  As everything was in French, we couldn’t grasp a full understanding of how the crypts work but it was interesting nonetheless.  I really had wanted to see the Catacombs while we were in Paris so we headed there next.  On our way we walked through Jardin du Luxembourg, which was beautiful, filled with flowers and trees and joggers and sunbathers.  It was no Central Park, but it was a really nice park.  I could picture myself living in Paris and running through the gardens each morning.  When we arrived to the Catacombs, we learned that they were closed (which was not listed online).  Unfortunate but understandable.  We then traveled to the Eiffel Tower which was huge.  The entire base was filled with people waiting on line and once again, we decided not to waste our time.  Instead, we walked to Arc de Triomphe where we were able to make it to the top without waiting on any lines.  It height is the same as the first level of the Eiffel Tower and the views were fantastic.  Six streets intersect at the Arc and to look down each one was amazing.  From there, we walked down Champ de Elysee, which leads to the Louvre.  It certainly looks much closer than it is.  We ate dinner in this area and headed straight home for some much needed sleep.

On Monday, we ate crepes once again.  We walked to the Picasso Museum, which was in a desolate neighborhood.  By the time we arrived we were to hungry to go though the museum.  The Picasso Museum in Barcelona was wonderful so it wasn't a major loss.  In the afternoon, we walked through a park to Musée de l'Orangeries to see Monet's water lilies.  The space was specifically remodeled for these paintings.  It was a wonderful exhibit.  In the evening, we went to dinner at Le Cinq at the Four Season Hotel which was by far the best meal I have ever had in my life.

While I am pretty sure Jk and I could have fun anywhere, I couldn’t have been happier to celebrate our three years together in Paris.

visitor

I had my first visitor last week!  Ben Simonds, a second-cousin once removed, has been studying abroad in London this past semester.  A his classes have ended and his tests aren't until May, he is taking the time to travel Europe.  Although the relationship sounds distant, he is related to me in the same way as my German cousin Annika, just on different sides of the family; my great-great-grandmother is his great-grandmother, just a generation ahead.  Ben arrived early Thursday morning.  Annika and I picked him up and we all went to Koerperwelten (the Bodies Exhibit which is also touring in America now).  The offices for body donations and the hospital for exhibit creations are located in Heidelberg.  Gunther von Hagens is from Heidelberg which makes viewing the exhibit here feel original.  After getting our fill of corpses, Ben and I strolled down Hauptstrasse which is the pedestrian shopping street.  At the end is the path up to the castle so we just kept on walking.  We went to the gardens first which have a fantastic view of both the castle and the city (as you can see in the picture).  We also went into the castle to view the world's biggest wine barrel.  It was built in the 1700s and after the wine caused the wood to decay, they drained it and ceased to use it.  It fills and entire room and you can climb stairs to reach the top.  I saw it the last time I was in Heidelberg but that was in 2001 when I was only 15 years old.  We sat in the sun-filled square infront of the Rathaus (government house) and enjoyed a beer.  Then we walked home to see the boys.  

Ben was great with Max and Tom!  They could of course understand everything he was saying but he could understand none of what they were saying.  They didn't seem to notice but Ben kept looking to me for help.  Luckily with kids that young, you can get by without the need to hold a conversation.  We spend the afternoon playing playing hide-and-seek and enjoying the weather outside.  Sabine prepared a wonderful dinner with lots of appetizers.  As Ben is a business major, he was excited to talk to Nils.  In the morning, we walked several miles along the Philosophenweg which runs on the hill opposite the castle.  It is another nice view of the town and the castle.  It is where my blog picture and any picture of the castle for that matter, is taken.  After a run and a shower, we headed back into town to pick up a few souvenirs before Ben had to catch the train.  I think he made some very German purchases - a beer mug and gummy bears.

It was wonderful to have my first real visitor and to show off Heidelberg.

Happy Birthday!

On March 24th, Max and Tom turned four years old!  The morning was exciting!  They opened presents as the sky began to grow light at 7 o’clock in the morning.  They had a table full of presents, as you can see in the picture.  They got a tunnel and a shed to add to their BRIO train set, tents to add to their Ritter collection, daggers and shields made from wood, a marble train, and much, much more.  Although the presents are for Max and Tom, they are indirectly my presents as I get to play with them as well!  While Max and Tom wanted to stay home and play all morning, they had to go to Kindergarten where they each got a crown for the day.  Tom wore it proudly for the entire morning!

Being twins, Max and Tom had plenty of friends to celebrate their birthday with.  Therefore, they celebrated twice.  The first party took place on their birthday; all friends from Kindergarten were invited to the jump Jump-Inn, an indoor jungle gym.  It could be compared with the playrooms in McDonald’s but much larger and much cleaner.  It was a bit difficult to keep track of them all with the twists and turns but they all seemed to have a good time.  Lots of running and sweating always makes for a good night of sleep.  In the evening, some family friends and Sabine’s mother and sister joined us at our house for dinner.  Max and Tom were happy to be home and playing with all their new toys.  They stayed up extra late, and were beyond tired by the time they got ready for bed.  But you only get to celebrate your fourth birthday once!

The second party took place a week after their birthday; all family friends were invited to the house in the afternoon.  The weather could not have cooperated better.  It was sunny and beyond warm.  After a quick snack of ice cream and strawberries, all the kids were outside playing soccer on the terrace.  Moritz, the four-year-old professional soccer player, was helping everyone get into positions and kick the ball in the proper direction.  It was adorable.  He even let Max score to boost his confidence.  It was a day full of fun in the sun.  The best present of the day was a building kit with a battery-operated drill.  Tom fixed all sorts of things that I didn’t even know needed to be fixed.  The safety goggles are especially cute.  The second to best present of the day was Band-Aids.  Alison, the previous Au Pair, sent heaps of Band-Aids in the box with her gift for the boys.  All of the kids invented injuries so that they could have Spiderman or Barbie or Cars Band-Aids.  There were plenty of opportunities to take great pictures!

Dolomiten

I have just returned from the Dolomites.  It is a region of the Alps in Italy.  I didn't even know that the Alps passed through Italy.  When I think of Italy, I think of Rome, Venice, Florence and Sicily.  Snowboarding in Italy was an unexpected surprise!  It was even more of a surprise to learn that the region spoke German fluently.  Therefore, I found it easier to speak German than English!

We arrived late in the afternoon on a Saturday.  The boys wanted to go swimming so we explored the hotel's outdoor pool.  The temperature of the water was about 90.  It was incredible to be able to swim outdoors and see snow capped mountains in the backdrop.  Our afternoons were the same for the rest of the week with only minor adjustments: swimming, playroom and dinner in the restaurant at the hotel.  The boys got set up with lessons to start the next morning and made sure all their gear was ready for the early start.  On Sunday, we all took the boys to the mountain for 2 hours of lessons.  They only made it through the first hour and then pooped out.  The first day is always difficult.  We went into town in the afternoon to explore.  While Nils and Sabine searched for sunglasses, I took Max and Tom to check out the gondolas.  They were mesmerized and excited to learn that they could ride on them the following afternoon.  On Monday, Sabine stayed with the boys on the bunny hill while they had lessons.  Nils and I began to explore the slopes.  The weather was picture perfect.  Snow everywhere, beautiful mountains, blue skies, abundant sunshine…  We met Sabine and the boys at the restaurant at the top of the gondola for lunch.  They had a great time playing in the snow on the rooftop deck.  I went off to do a little of exploring on my own while the boys napped.  I went down a slope that I thought lead back to my town but was pleasantly surprised when I arrived at a castle in the next town over.  On Tuesday, Nils and I spend several hours completing the Sella Ronda, a pass around and entire mountain.  It was a wonderful accomplishment.  We decided to do it again, but in the opposite direction, on Thursday.  On Wednesday we met the boys after their lessons to go down the slopes together.  They are great!  They just go straight down the mountain and catch speed, just like me!  They managed to go three hours on several days of the week, which was a huge achievement after only one hour on that first day.  Friday was the coldest day of the week.  After only a few runs, Sabine called and asked us to come back to the lower slopes.  Tom was pooped and fell asleep on her lap.  She took him back to the hotel while Nils, Max and I continued skiing.  It was amazing to see how quickly kids can learn.  After only two weeks of skiing, Max and Tom can walk in the ski boots, ride the teller lift alone, and race down the mountain!