Amsterdam

So, this trip was actually back at the beginning of September.  The very beginning.  Like, Labor Day Weekend.  We went with some friends and stayed in a very fun, very family friendly resort in the Southern part of the Netherlands (it was only about a 4 hour drive).  We stayed in a little bungalow (very basic, but also very inexpensive) and had at our disposal a huge indoor water park, a lake with paddle boats and canoes, bowling, tennis, ping pong, mini-golf, restaurants (although the food was REALLY not so good) and lots and lots of playgrounds.  It was a perfect spot for us to spend the weekend.  I was recovering from an illness (I'm fine now) so I was able to relax while Ben played with the kids.  Although the trip was mostly centered around family play time, we did manage to drive up to Amsterdam for a day.  It was wonderful.  I had never been to Amsterdam, and didn't really know what to expect.  I've heard some pretty sketchy things about Amsterdam (the city of pot and prostitution) so I was a little worried about the environment.  Turns out, the red light district is very defined (it's actually a tourist destination), so it is easy to avoid, and if you avoid it, you're pretty much fine.  Amsterdam is really a beautiful city.  I really want to go back - one day was not enough.  The things we were able to see:

The Anne Frank House

                                                                

I didn't take any pictures of the actual house (the outside is not much to look at, and there is no photography allowed inside). This is a statue of Anne the is right around the block from her house.

                                                                  

This is the church around the corner from Anne Frank's house.  I really enjoyed visiting the Anne Frank house.  Having visited Auschwitz as well as the Holocaust Museum in Jerusalem, I've witnessed the horror of the Holocaust on a large scale.  Seeing the Frank family's hideout and reading their letters, as well as quotes from Anne's journal, and imagining trying to keep my children quiet for 2 years, hidden in a tiny space and never letting them outside was touching in a more personal, more intimate way.  I think sometimes we see tragedies unfold in the news and they are so huge, and so horrible that they are literally mind numbing.  I think it is good to see how world events (historical and contemporary) affect individuals because through doing so we develop more empathy and a greater desire to effect change.  On a lighter note, I read Anne Frank's diary when I was in elementary school, and it was exciting to see a place I had imagined as I read.

The Rijksmuseum and the VanGough Museum

                                 

           

Okay, so only the first picture has anything to do with the museums.  (Once again, no photography inside.)  I loved both museums.  A big plus for us was that 80% of the Rijksmuseum was closed for remodeling, so all of their treasures were packed into one wing of the museum.  Had I not been traveling with young children, I would have enjoyed a lengthy ramble through the entire building, however, with kids in tow, the condensed version was perfect.  We saw the Vermeers and the Rembrandts and we did it all in 90 minutes or less!  Between museums, we took a break for lunch and some play time on yet another REALLY unsafe playground.  We went to the VanGough museum after lunch (Ben carried a sleeping N through the entire museum and all the way back to the car) and then headed back to our bungalow.  We had a great day. 

*Oh, and for any music nerds out there - here is a picture of the Royal Concertgebouw.  It is right across the plaza from the museums.  If you look really, really closely, you can see the golden lyre. 

                                         

Things I've Learned

Awhile ago I promised an entry describing things I have learned about Europe and Europeans.  Well, no time like the present!  Keep in mind that this is the second time I've lived in Europe (I lived in Italy for a year when I was 14) and not the first time I've been in Europe as an adult.  (I did a lot of traveling throughout Europe, Russia and the Middle East in college.)  I guess what I'm saying is that I didn't expect to find much that surprised me here.  And, I think that, due to my past travel experiences, the culture shock has been minimal.  However, there has been a certain element of discovery in everything I've seen and done this time around.  Mostly I've just been reminded of things that I had forgotten and struck by the differences between the culture here in Germany and the culture (as I remember it) in Italy.  And, compared to my life in Georgia, everything feels foreign.  (Of course, Georgia felt completely foreign after having lived in Baltimore, so I guess it's all a matter of perspective, which in turn is a matter of experience.) 

Okay, enough with the introspection, and on with my first blogging Top Ten.  I guess I should have some kind of witty title....hmmmm.....how about Top Ten Random Thoughts on New(ish) European Experiences.  Kind of wordy, but it's getting late and will have to do.

10.  Driving stress in Germany is directly proportional to the size of city (which is in turn a function of the number of one way streets and pedestrian areas in said city).  Although German drivers drive FAST, they are polite, they know how to merge, and they use freeway lanes correctly.  This is most definitely not true in Italy.  I'm thinking at this moment of a time when our family (as in my parents, myself and my siblings) followed a ward member to Stake Conference in Milan.  Let's just say, the driver we were following never could choose a lane.  That pretty much defines Italian driving. 

9.  Parking stress in Germany is directly proportional to the size of the car you are driving.  (Okay, that might have something to do with driving stress as well - just ask Ben...)  Today I parked our minivan directly in the center of a parking spot in Heidelberg and had 4 inches between the tires and the lines on each side.  Hooray for small European cars and sliding van doors!!!  Minus these two factors we may well have been stuck inside the van.

8.  Modesty is passé when visiting a German doctor.  Coverups?  What are those?  Just drop your drawers and walk on over!  Now I have to admit, the only doctors I saw in Italy were looking at my ears and throat, so no disrobing was required.  It is likely (probable, really) that the same casual attitude exists in Italian doctors' offices, but not having experienced it first hand, my first appointment with a German doctor was, shall we say, a little shocking.

7.  German beverages aren't always warm.  Now this has been a HUGE surprise.  I haven't had a warm Fanta yet.  On the other hand, I don't think I had a cold Fanta the entire year I was in Italy.  I've wondered if I'm getting served cold drinks because by the time I've ordered my meal, any server of even moderate intelligence has determined that I'm obviously a dumb American and, due to the large number of Americans in the area, is accustomed to our strange drinking habits, OR, if German's just like their drinks cold.  Still not sure on this one.  Maybe there has been a beverage temperature revolution in Europe.  I just don't know.

6.  Playgrounds aren't safe.  Neither are castles, mountain pathways, cathedrals, or sidewalks for that matter.  Given that I was 14 the first time I was in Europe, and a fancy free college student the other times, I didn't really notice playgrounds much.  Or safety precautions in general.  I am, however, understanding more and more why my mom felt stressed as she and my dad hauled the four of us (aged 5-14) through some of the major cities of Europe.  Europeans seem to have this idea that parents should be the ones responsible for their children's safety (revolutionary, I know).  I have no problem with being the one in charge of keeping my children from falling off Il Duomo.  I wouldn't, however, mind a more substantial guardrail to help me in my endeavors.

5.  Everything here takes longer.  I'm sure that this is mostly me at this point.  I'm still not sure where everything is, or where to find the best place to park, or which stores carry which merchandise, so errand running is still not smooth.  But people here just aren't in as big of a hurry to get places. (The one exception to this is when they're driving on the Autobahn, but I think that speed on the autobahn can be attributed to the fact that Germans just like to go fast.  Really, who doesn't? And here, it's allowed!)  Restaurant eating is an experience to be savored, not rushed.  What is the point of a shopping trip if you don't stop for a pastry and a drink when you're done?  Or gelato.  Or a pastry, a drink and gelato.  But I digress.  People here just don't seem as frenzied.  It is nice. 

4. When it comes to fashion, German women look like Americans.  When I go to Globus (a German SuperTarget-like store, but even larger) or to the Reve (a supermarket) the employees assume that I'm German.  Granted, I look more German than Italian, but here I can wear jeans and a t-shirt here and blend in.  This never, ever, ever happened in Italy.  Granted, the blonde hair kind of tipped the Italians off (olive toned complexion, as well as dark hair and eyes definitely would have helped me not feel SO conspicuous), but in Italy just the fact that I wasn't wearing black, gray, leather, fur, gold chains and sunglasses (not necessarily all at once) set me apart.  Italian women wear fur coats to the grocery store.  And they never, ever, ever wear tennis shoes.  It is quite a relief to live in a place that is not quite so obsessed with fashion.  Of course, now I don't have a good excuse to go spend a fortune on clothes....

3.  The same is not true for men.  I think one word sums it all up.  Manpris.  Okay, maybe I'd better explain a little.  When Raphael Nadal blazed on to the tennis scene, one thing the commentators noticed (aside from his incredible game) was his attire - particularly his capri length bottoms.  That's right.  Manpris.  Men here wear capri pants.  My favorite pair so far were sported by a gentleman (with a wife and kids in tow) at a resort we stayed in on our Netherlands trip.  They were the color of lime sherbet and were accompanied by a matching widely striped lime green and pink shirt.  Wow.  When I told Ben that I was going to get him that same outfit for his birthday he wasn't amused. 

2.  There are just as many fat Germans as there are fat Americans.  (Just so you know, these last two observations are a direct result of our stay at het meerdal in the Netherlands.)  Okay, I've always lived under the assumption that Americans were the fattest people on the planet, and I think that statistics prove that we definitely struggle with obesity.  However, we are not alone.  When one considers the foods that are available (particularly the chocolate, the cheese, the yogurt, and oh, did I say the CHOCOLATE?!?!) this really shouldn't be surprising.  What is surprising is that it isn't typical of Europe as a whole - I mean, all these fantastic things are available in Italy and France as well, and I definitely remember feeling large (and this was when at 5'8" I weighed somewhere around 120) in Italy.  I don't know what makes the difference, but I do know that I have eaten way too much chocolate in the last 2 months, and now I'm paying the price.  Back on the elliptical I go.  Drat.

1.  One should never be too shy to wear a speedo or a bikini, or, really, to bother with a bathing suit at all.  I don't know that anything more needs to be said on this subject, except to clarify one point; we haven't seen any nude swimmers yet, and we really hope not to.  We will have to be careful, though.  I hear Wednesday is nude day at the local pool.....

Back to Blogging II

Well, you've all heard about Ben's fantastic weekend in Switzerland, so now I suppose it's only fair that I tell you now about my weekend home with the kids.  Thrilling, right?  Actually, we had a good time.  Not a hiking through the Alps while yodeling kind of good time, but a good time nonetheless.  I wanted to do something exciting and special (it was a four day weekend after all - not to be wasted when one is in Europe) so I decided on a day trip.  Originally my plan was to take the kids to the Heidelberg Zoo with some friends, but the plan morphed into a hiking trip to a couple ruined castles.  The castles were two of the four that were lit up at the fireworks display I described in this link:

We had a group of 6 families from church. I think in all there were 16 children.  The oldest was, maybe, 11.  The second oldest was 10.  The rest of the children were 6 and under.  That's right.  14 children aged 6 and under.  They have these AFN commercials warning people not to travel in large groups so as to not draw attention to ourselves.  Hahahahaha. We were definitely noticeable.  In fact, we even ran into someone from New Jersey who, when told that some of us were from Utah, asked if we were Mormon.  When we replied that yes indeed, not only some, but all of us were Mormon, we got the "Ah ha - one dad, 4 wives and lots of kids" comment.   Of course we quickly responded that NO NO NO that is NOT the case.  Our comments however, were somewhat invalidated by the fact that we were missing 3 of the dads.  (Backpacking.....in Switzerland....)  I told the man that I had one husband, no other wives, and only 2 children.  Unfortunately, my husband was one of the missing ones.  Good times.  Okay, enough jabber - on to pictures.  B had the good camera in Switzerland (for some reason he thought he had better scenery....) so once again I was stuck with the pocket camera.  I think it might be time for a second SLR.  Yup.                 

                    

Okay, in picture number one, how many dads can you count?  The castle on the right is the first castle we reached.  On the way up the trail the kids had a lot of fun climbing on rocks, tree roots, finding bugs, finding sticks and finding hidden treasure for some German child's birthday party.  (We did make them put it back!)

                   

                                         

And now time for some castle shots...

          

Note the steep staircase  - it was really steep, and really rickety.  Let's just say that safety measures here don't quite match up to those in the states...

                    

I can't get a normal smile out of that kid to save my life.  Oh, and does anybody recognize I's elbows?  Finally, some shots of the valley from the top of one of the castles:

   

We truly live in a beautiful place.

Back to Blogging

So, I know it's been a long time since I've posted anything on the blog.  A really long time.  My only excuse it that our lives have been unexpectedly crazy during the last few weeks.  We've had our share of good things (more castles, first day of school, trip to the Netherlands) and some not so good things (Naomi's sore feet, damaged brand new van, sliced the tip of my thumb off).  Oh, and all our household goods (to translate for you non-military folk - our STUFF) finally, finally, FINALLY arrived.  So between trips to the car dealership and the hospital, I've been trying to figure out how to fit our belongings (which fit quite nicely into an 1800 square foot house) into a 1200 square foot apartment.  Quite the challenging task.  And I'm still not done.  Right now the futon is a junk repository, Naomi's books are still in a box (not quite sure where to put them), we haven't hung any pictures (they're currently stacked in the corner of the living room) and we are still using sheets and blankets as curtains.  However, we've made progress, and this apartment is starting to feel like a home.  We'll know we've finally arrived when our kids stop referring to our apartment as "the hotel." 

We have also kept busy escaping the "hotel."  That is why we're here, after all.  And we have seen some beautiful places.  A few weeks ago, B went on a high adventure backpacking trip in Switzerland with the boy scouts.  Poor guy.  I mean, who would want to hike the Alps in Switzerland?  What a rough life.  Anyway, we had a lot of fun joking about the "high adventure" aspects of the trip.  After all, they slept in Alpine huts and youth hostels, had meals prepared for them and took a cog railway and a gondola part way up the mountain.  High adventure?  Are you kidding?  What happened to packing your own food in and out?  Not to mention your waste products?  And how about sleeping on the ground in the rain?   Well, it turns out that the hike was actually quite steep and quite challenging.  As well as being steep, the trail was also very slippery - especially when they were hiking in the rain.  They saw, however, some stunning scenery and had a terrific time.  I can't wait to go back with B and the kids and do some hiking.  I miss mountains.  Anyway, here are some pictures B took on his trip...

Isn't it beautiful?  They were so lucky to have blue skies the first day.  Here are a few more from the first day...

                                                          

 

The building above is where the hikers stayed the first night.  They were sleeping in small beds shoulder to shoulder in the attic.  Apparently the beds they slept in that night were just fine, but the shoulder to shoulder part was not (there was some serious snoring going on) so the quality of sleep wasn't that great.  The second day they climbed to the summit of Shilthorn.  Unfortunately, that was the day it rained, so the view from the top was obstructed by clouds. 

On the final day they did a short hike.  At the end of the hike they came across some local musicians.  And I thought hauling a cello around was a pain.

The Alphorn is really a cool instrument.  If you would like to know how it sounds, do a search on youtube for alphorn - there are a bunch videos of alphorn groups performing. 

While B was off playing Captain VonTrapp, the kids and I had a few of our own adventures.  I think I'm done for tonight, so stay tuned for an account of our harrowing castle hike and yet even another post recounting our trip to the Netherlands.  And if by then I don't feel like I've said enough, you might be lucky enough to get a post on interesting things I've discovered about Europe and Europeans.  Gotta get it in print while it's still fresh!

A Weekend Excursion

This weekend we drove to Shweinfurt to spend the day with my aunt and uncle. We had a wonderful time. It was our first real excursion on our own, and it went off without a hitch. Nuvi (see previous entry) guided us to our destination and home again without any problems, so driving wasn't stressful, the weather was beautiful, the kids were well-behaved, and it was wonderful to spend time with family.

We spent the morning at a truly beautiful park. It has playgrounds, sprinklers to run through, a mini-golf course, a HUGE petting zoo and kilometers of beautiful walking paths through the forest. We spent most of our time looking at, feeding, and petting the animals. What could be better than bunnies nibbling your fingertips or goat saliva coating your palm?

                                        

We spent some time hunting the white stag. Do you think that if we had chased it long enough it would have led us out of Narnia and home to our friends and family?

                                                        

Look - we caught him on film! Do you think our wishes will be granted? In all actuality, this is an albino stag - he really is completely white. He is very, very tame. He walked right up to the fence and let us (and the kids) pet him.

After the park we had lunch (hooray for yummy German bread and cheese!) and rested. I was able to visit with my aunt while my uncle entertained the kids (he is amazingly good with children) and my husband slept. (Someone had to be alert enough to drive us home!) We then headed downtown Schweinfurt. Schweinfurt was one of the most heavily bombed cities in the war. It was targeted because of its 2 ball bearing factories. Unbeknownst to the Allies, Hitler moved the factories out of the town and into the countryside, so, tragically, the city was destroyed and the factories remained intact. As a result, the city is newer than a lot of German cities. It is still a beautiful town, however, and the residents have really made the most of what buildings were left. (For instance, they turned an old stone warehouse into a beautiful library.)

                                            

Note the subject of the sculpture - this is after all Schwein - furt (pig-crossing)!

Our Lovely New Home

Well, we’ve been able to obtain occasional internet access, so I thought I’d go ahead give you all an update on our housing situation. As I mentioned before, we are in a stairwell apartment building. The upside is that the apartment is completely renovated. The downside is that it is a tiny apartment in a stairwell style building. We are on the middle floor. This will be a challenge for us. After 3 years of living on a slab foundation my kids aren’t exactly used to being, well, quiet.

We gave off post living our very best shot. It was not meant to be. It’s unbelievable how strict they are about making everyone live on post. We were only shown 2 apartments and were expected to take one of them. I wouldn’t feel so bitter about the whole thing if I didn’t know that contracted civilians and single soldiers get to live off post….why ON EARTH should a single soldier get a 5 bedroom house on the banks of the Neckar river and NOT ME?!?! In any case, I’m over it now (or really trying to be) and I’m determined to make my apartment not only livable, but beautiful. So, here are some “before” pictures.

Obviously I can’t do much to beautify the actual stairwell, but I do plan to plant some flowers in the entryway. Painting is a definite must, as is curtain installation. We’ll give it our best. Finally, in an effort to be positive, I’m including a picture of my favorite feature in this apartment. Isn’t this the BEST DARN SILVERWARE DRAWER YOU HAVE EVER SEEN??? I thought so.

Further Adventures

Does watching fireworks over a river lined by four castles (2 of which are in ruins) sound like an absolutely fabulous experience? We thought so too….

Last Saturday we drove up (along with several other families from our ward) up to a town called Neckar-Gemund to watch its annual lighting of the castles. We parked alongside a field and plopped ourselves down on a borrowed blanket (ours hadn’t arrived yet) to watch the display. We got there around 7:30 – well before dusk – and spent the evening chatting with friends, eating snacks and watching our kids play in the field. Around 9:45 we noticed lights drifting up from the town below us into the darkening sky. We’re not certain, but we think that they were miniature hot air balloons propelled by candles. As the last balloon (out of maybe 10) was launched, the lighting of the castles began. Each castle was lit with flickering red and orange lights to make it look as if it were on fire. We’re not sure which battle was being reenacted, perhaps it was a siege, or maybe just a bombing. In any case, the result was spectacular. After the lights died down, the fireworks over the river began. Because we were up on the hillside (directly opposite the castles) we were right at eye level with the castles and the fireworks. We all had a great time (although Naomi had her eyes partially covered during the entire fireworks display) and definitely plan to go again next year.

· A note about the pictures – It was a very, very misty evening, so it was difficult to get a clear picture. Also, this experience strengthened our resolve to get a really good telephoto lens, and to never, never, never travel again with only our pocket camera.