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!