Happy Easter!

Easter is a time to celebrate new life, especially for that in the life of a Christian. Celebrating Christ's resurrection and therefore our redemption completed is a joyous thing. Now, trying to explain this to a 4 year old is very difficult. For anyone to understand this, death, justice, righteousness and the whole purpose of life are concepts that must be understood at their basic definitions. Good grief! Does the question of "why?" never get answered? I don't think it ever really does. But, we enjoyed ourselves and the kids had a lot of fun finding the eggs- 3 times over. Now, off to enjoy some food!

To the Netherlands

The Netherlands is a beautiful, artistic place to go. Their traditional buildings have overlaid woodwork that is much more detailed than the German style of decor. The rolling hills are beautiful in spring, with bright yellow mustard fields and new, early grasses growing in the hayfields. Their food is abundant in traditional fresh meats and the flakiest pastries, dumplings, and bread you will find anywhere on earth. They also offer many exotic flavors, from the days they were explorers and conquerers.

While we were there, we visited the Mondo Verde Gardens, which is a well put together garden of all different places in the world. It is easily an all day visit, and worth the time. We especially loved the tropical house with cool birds and exotic flowers. We also found Dreilandenpunt, which is 3 land's point that joins the countries Belgium, Germany and the Netherlands. They had a labyrinth and a tower you could go up to see the different countries. Although we didn't do that, we got lost in the labyrinth for over 2 hours. They had cool trick fountains that blocked some of the ways. Anyway, so now we've all officially been 3 places at once. Cool, uh?

Neuschwanstein & Hohenschwangau

June 2006

A trip with the family is an interesting thing. Pack a suitcase for four people, add some in-laws and shove it all into an extended van, with some snacks and jet lag, and you have a recipe for a classic family vacation.

Traveling from our house, it is just over a three hour drive to the beautiful Alps, specifically, the bustling mountain town of Fuessen, and the quiet village near it, Schwangau, where the castles are located.
Well, all things considered, especially the fact that, indeed, this is a family vacation, a three hour destination will surely not be acheived in the anticipated three hours. One must consider that jet lag can make even the nicest people a little grumpy, that children who get carsick DO need motion sickness mediction, and it never fails that when the first vacation day finally arrives, everyone's excitement will make them forgetful, and, in our case, edgy. Throw all these things together and stir it around with a beautiful day, the evils of human gas, and corny jokes, and you have an unforgettable journey.
After several hours on the road with lots of pitstops along the way, we finally saw the Alps come into view. And what a beautiful sight! It was my first time seeing the Alps with my own two eyes, and it was magnificent watching the landscape change. What wasn't so great was the crying children and the puking... blek. I've really got to remember to give my kids a doggy bag!
The visit to the castles Neuschwanstein (Ludwig's Cinderella castle) & Hohenschwangau (Ludwig's parents' house), was very nice. Getting there early, and before the high season was a definate plus and we didn't have to wait long in any lines, except for the carriage ride up the mountain.
The view from the castles out over the land and lakes was breathtaking. The water was the most odd color I've ever seen in a lake, apparently due to the minerals in the water. The walk by the Alpsee was wonderful. It somehow took me back to the highly romantised days of kings and queens, knights in shining armour and chivalry. We all know that these things are in actuality over-rated, but still, the time warp was there for me, and I loved it.
The trip overall was a great adventure, and a great bonding experience with family. It is wonderful to enjoy life with one's family, and mine is no exception. In fact, them being there was the highlight of the trip.

Kiddies

Our kids just keep on growing.... sniff sniff.... but we are so proud of them and love watching them grow day by day!

Christmas 2006

Rothenberg ob der Tauber

What can I say about this beautiful, romantic town? It is truly ideal for the traveller who wants to relive medieval past with cobblestone streets, half-timber houses, shops with all things collectable, German, and palate tempting delights. Although you will find many Americans and other visiting nationalities out and about roaming the streets, you will also find Germans dressed in traditional costumes, and maybe you'll be so lucky to come across a medieval festival or a parade, a music fest with traditional instruments... who knows? But what ever you'll find here is definately worth the effort of making the trip, even with kids who get carsick.

Home in Germany

Allerheiligen

This trip was made with my mother-in-law and aunt-in-law in tow with us in November 2006. It was unexpectedly wonderful. The waterfall was beautiful, and you could see for miles from the top. Located in the Black Forest, it was the perfect day trip.

Christmas 2005

New Beginnings

Boy, oh boy! Do I have some catching up to do! Not only is it spring cleaning time for both inside and out, papers and clutter have piled up everywhere, as well as my lack of journaling our fantastic adventures in both Europe and parenthood. I'm hoping that you might be slightly amused as I attempt to achieve both of these goals, with the added daily routines and pathetic efforts towards learning German. Wish me luck!