Davenports und Deutschland

Fall in Wiesbaden

2009-08-10T11:42:00.002+02:00

It is such a change to truly have four seasons, after so many years in the South. We love the Fall here; leaves changing and loads of piles of leaves to kick through! Here are a few of the boys enjoying one of our Fall days, along with Jackson the wonderdog.

Pumpkin Patch

2009-08-10T11:36:00.004+02:00

One Saturday in October, we ventured out to a nearby town, Wallau, to check out a pumpkin patch. It turned out to be a farm, with much more than pumpkins! It was actually a pumpkin fest, with all sorts of neat food items including freshly made apple cider! Kids had a blast playing in the hay, too. Justin is here with a friend of his and Michael's, Audrey Evans, who is rather nattily attired as Tinkerbell.

Hispanic Heritage Month program

2009-08-10T11:31:00.002+02:00

Justin's class, along with many others, put on quite a show for Hispanic Heritage Month. The 2nd graders sang a song called "El Sapo" which is about a frog. Justin really enjoys Spanish class, and is a good singer and dancer so he had a blast.

Venice by evening and night

2009-08-10T10:51:00.002+02:00

Enjoyed the day to the fullest; stayed until well after dark this time. The boat ride down the Grand Canal was at just the right time; night was falling and the views were beautiful!! We did some last minute souvenir shopping near the Rialto - kids all got a gondolier shirt, which they had to wear right away. Aren't they cute holding our new tapestry bags?

San Marco and shopping

2009-08-10T10:50:00.002+02:00

We approached the Piazza via a different route today; allowed for some awesome exterior shots of the Basilica. Also saw more grand shopping!

Doge's Palace and Bridge of Sighs

2009-08-10T10:48:00.002+02:00

Spent a good bit of the day touring here; unfortunately no pics inside. :( We did enjoy the prison area, as did the kids! Glad we took some pics from inside; with the construction outside the Bridge of Sighs was pretty much a bust. Oh well - some tourist traps are just that -

More views

2009-08-10T10:46:00.002+02:00

Kids liked this trip alot; they were able to walk and we didn't have to be as mindful of cars, etc. We got into the city sort of early so many things were just 'waking up.' It was really a pretty time to be there.

New bridge

2009-08-10T10:44:00.004+02:00

Headed back the next day for more; took the train in once again, after a short delay due to a road race in Pordenone (thought about you, marathon crackheads!:) ) We headed to explore the new pedestrian bridge over the Grand Canal, which had only been open a short time. It is very unusual, as you can see - very modern design, with glass on top and wood below. It is actually very controversial; Venetians are split on whether they like it or not.

A coffee on the Piazza San Marco, and a ride on the Grand Canal

2009-08-10T10:41:00.003+02:00

This is our coffee and Coke stop; something you have to do but it sure doesn't look like much for about $20, huh? All of the other photos were taken from the vaporetto (water bus) as we cruised back towards the train station. Venice really is a strikingly beautiful city, in both big and small ways.

Venice from above

2009-08-10T10:29:00.002+02:00

We braved the line and the ride in the elevator to head for the top of the Campanile in St. Mark's Square - wow, what a view. Definitely worth the hassle - it was amazing to see all of Venice spread out in front of you. We enjoyed seeing the Grand Canal, all the other islands and even the causeway we came in on via the train. It was cool to see how small everyone looked in the crowded square below, near the aforementioned lion-topped columns! While we were atop the Campanile, the bells rang! WOW was it loud! But another true tourist experience...how many people can say they've done that?!

Pigeons in Piazza San Marco

2009-08-10T10:28:00.003+02:00

Ah yes...a time-honored tourist tradition. We bought some bird food, to attract the flying rats. The boys were all about it, until the birds got close to them! ha ha. We were able to help each boy though and it was a beautiful day for it, warm and sunny but not too hot.

St. Mark's

2009-08-10T10:14:00.003+02:00

Basilica San Marco, as it is called in Italian, was once one of the most important churches in all of Christianity. Mark is buried beneath the altar here. The outside is amazing; truly fascinating in its detail. The building with the clock on it is across from St. Marks; the lion is the symbol of the city of Venice so you see it on everything, including atop the two columns where you approach the square from the sea.

Gondolas

2009-08-10T10:10:00.002+02:00

This famous sight in Venice is practically everywhere! The kids were lucky enough to get a close up; guess the gondolier was in the little boys' room! ha ha. More likely he was off having a smoke or an espresso!

Venice shopping and eating

2009-08-10T10:06:00.002+02:00

Masks are everywhere in Venice; we saw some beautiful window displays and even some familiar friends! We also had lunch; love how the boys chose pasta! Even Natalie went native with a slice of pizza. Not sure what is up with the goofy look on Justin's face, though.

Venice walk

2009-08-10T09:50:00.003+02:00

Watching the kids check out Venice was a blast....M seemed to really be taken by the 'water' roads. We stopped for a pastry as we walked, as well as to 'represent' for Jim's Guitars! Great fun for the kids; they love the idea and are quick to help every time. The architecture is amazing; every building has so much detail.

La Bella Venezia

2009-08-10T09:40:00.002+02:00

Venice did not disappoint....what a stunning city! Took the train in and that was a pretty cool adventure, too. After scoring some free parking behind the train station, we headed off for about an hr's ride. Once we approached the city across a causeway, it was pretty exciting for all of us! The train station is right on the Grand Canal, so you literally walk right out onto the water. I don't think the kids really grasped that the streets are more like rivers until they saw it.

Bella Venezia!

2009-08-10T09:23:00.002+02:00

In early October, Dawn and her kids, Chris and I and our boys headed south to Venice for Columbus Day. The trip was interesting, to say the least.....we stopped in Garmisch to spend the night to break up the trip. Once we headed out from there is when things got interesting. Suffice to say, don't believe everything you hear from the GPS....We had a drive OVER some mountains, by a beautiful lake, with a pitstop for Natalie due to the windy road! (Check out the pic of the GPS routing!) After navigating some tiny roads in our huge car we made it to Aviano and our home for the next few nights.

O'fest images

2008-11-17T21:32:00.002+01:00

There is so much to see and experience in the beer tent. Funny hats are the norm; mine was downright tame compared to many. Check out the guy standing on the table behind Jim - those guys were from Holland and they'd never been to Ofest before. I am not sure he even knew what the point of standing on the table was; he just saw a bunch of other drunks doing it so decided to join in. Crazy.

Our friends Buck and Kathy Buchanan and their kids joined all of us for this trip; here are some pics of them as well. The guys had a great time together, as did the kids! There is a shot of all of them with our waitress - she looks like she is about to punch one of them out! ha ha.

Munchen Oktoberfest 2008

2008-11-17T21:26:00.003+01:00

Here we are, at the world-famous Ofest. We hit the train early from Oberau, and managed to score a table for 13 without a reservation, in the largest and most popular beer tent, the Hofbrau tent. This is the one that if you pass out during an evening session, they just drag you out the back onto a hillside so that someone else can have your seat!

Here is our gang of 13, safely seated in our corner. Notice the decorations? That greenery looking stuff is actually hops, that are used in making beer!! The pretzels really are as big as your head (as tested on Michael's!) and the food is huge but amazing. We were all stunned at how they keep up with the demand and still make it all taste good. In typical fashion, after a bit, Michael got bored and, you guessed it, fell asleep! I guess we are going to make a photo album of him sleeping his way across the great sights of Europe....

Kreuzech lunch

2008-11-17T21:23:00.002+01:00

Here are some other pics from lunch up top. It was a beautiful day; the gentleman who waited on us at the restaurant was so nice! He even gave Oma and Opa pins for their German hats! The boys enjoyed feeding these sheep, too.

Bavaria with the family

2008-10-07T16:57:00.003+02:00

Had a good time down in Garmisch with the family; they were able to come over and enjoy Fall and the Oktoberfest with us.

In these photos, we are all taking in the sights from atop the Kreuzech. It was a GREAT lunch, with a great view!

Mainzer Winefest

2008-10-07T16:54:00.002+02:00

As in past years, we made sure to hit the Mainz wine fest! It is held in a beautiful park, near the Rhein River.

You can tell we are experienced wine-festers - note the perma - grins.

Kreuzberg, part 2

2008-10-07T16:52:00.004+02:00

We had to wait for the motorcycle dudes, so we had a beer and ate some lunch. It was a beautiful day up there!

Once we had gotten all that we needed, we had a crazy number of bottles! Here are some pics of the bikers, the beer and the sunny day!

Kreuzberg Monastery

2008-10-07T16:49:00.005+02:00

After many stories and much hype, we finally made it to Kreuzberg for the infamous monk beer. We took a Saturday and drove up, to fill our jugs and also check the place out. Once the word got out that we were going, people came out of the woodwork with jugs to be filled! We decided to take the kids' wagon just to get the stuff up the hill. ha ha.

First Day of Second Grade

2008-08-29T11:17:00.003+02:00

Justin was happy and excited to start as a 2nd grader at Hainerberg Elementary School. His new teacher, Mrs. Knauf, was very welcoming and happy to have him in her class. He was quick to go right in, sit down and begin getting ready. He was definitely not for us hanging around....ha ha.

Michael and I took a quick pic, and got out of there. Chris was off delivering an airplane somewhere so he missed all the excitement.

You can tell Jacob, Justin's friend, isn't quite as excited about going back to school. ha ha. Those were taken in front of our house.

Wiesbaden Weinfest

2008-08-29T11:00:00.003+02:00

The Annual Rheingau Weinwoche, or local wine fest, is one of our favorite haunts in the summer. It is a huge thing; wineries from all over the area bring their best to the marktplatz and set up booths. Tasting is the order of the day; 2 Euro/glass allows you to find what you like without buying a whole bottle first. There is of course tons of food, live music - fun to be had by all. We headed out with the cast of crazies to be sure we experienced this year's version. We have gone every year we've been here but this is the first set of pics! ha ha.

You can see we did a credible job of tasting it all - in that last pic, we have almost as many empty bottles as we have people sitting at our table.....ha ha. It was a lot of fun, though - and a typical 'only in Germany' activity. Ich Liebe Deutschland!!

$10 personal tour

2008-08-29T09:58:00.003+02:00

We enjoyed several tours this summer with the Youth Services program. Tours are offered for the middle school aged kids to different cities, most often for a cost of $10. We signed up whenever we could, and we able to make a couple without getting bumped by kids! ha ha. On the Heidelberg tour we were the only ones to sign up, so our neighbors and I had a personal tour. That's right - an entire tour bus just for us. It was pretty cool! We saw a lot of things I had seen before in Heidelberg but it was a nice day and we learned some new things, too.

First stop was the zoo - the day was overcast and cool and we arrived early, so we practically had the place to ourselves. Then we headed for the pedestrian zone, castle, and world-famous bridge over the Neckar. It was a nice day; we enjoyed it and you can't beat the cost.

Haus museum

2008-08-29T09:56:00.003+02:00

On the former East German side, there is a museum about the border area, the attempts to cross, etc. It looked really interesting - they have even designed the building so the paved tracks ran right through! The exhibits seemed interesting and varied but all of them were in German - disappointing!

We got a chance to touch the Berlin Wall - there is a piece outside this museum. It is hard to think about what that represents as smiling happy tourists take photos. Again, surreal.

Border Area

2008-08-29T09:55:00.003+02:00

We took a walk in the former border area - very interesting to see all the fencing, tank traps, etc as well as the exhibits on the dogs that were used to patrol the area. The kids played with the doghouse, and check out Michael. Obviously he's never considered any dog anything other than a pet. ha ha.

You could actually see the paved border road, too - heading off into the distance. It was very surreal.

Fulda - Guard Towers and US Soldiers

2008-08-29T09:50:00.004+02:00

Here are few views from and of the guard tower. The US compound was really interesting and has been kept as it was then. The German government owns and manages the whole area, but there are video stations throughout with info about what it was like to be stationed there. These stations are written and voiced by the US Soldiers who were stationed there.

It is interesting to see; in this pic, Chris and I have our toes on the 'red line,' the furthest point tanks could advance without provocation. I like this pic of the boys, too - they are within sight of what once was one of the most heavily fortified borders in the world. The last pic of the tower I took from the red line - so you can see what a small, confined area it is.

These pics of the kids with these signs really say a lot to me - to think that our families are touring, and kids are playing, in what was once such a volatile area. The parallels to the DMZ in Korea were striking - all of the adults who went on the trip have visited there as well.

The Fulda Gap

2008-08-29T09:45:00.003+02:00

We ventured forth to check out Check Point Alpha, one of the sights of the Cold War close to home. The Fulda Gap is where the Americans believed the attack from the Communists would come in an attempt to overwhelm West Germany and drive into Western Europe, so for many years of the Cold War, this area was manned by US forces. Beginning with the Constabulary right after WWII and up to the 90s, US Soldiers guarded this border between East and West. It is strange to think how much has changed in such a short time.

These are some views of the infamous Fulda Gap, and the area. It really is beautiful.

Stuttgart Zoo

2008-08-29T09:43:00.006+02:00

Our last stop of the day was the Zoo. It was really huge; a nice zoo! Boys enjoyed seeing all the animals, and the wide open spaces. Our favorite was probably the bats, although man did they stink!!! Here are a few of the animals we saw - it was getting late in the day and many of them were going in for the night.

Mercedes Museum

2008-08-29T09:42:00.002+02:00

This was a really neat experience - the building is very unique, shaped like a bee hive with ramps all the way down on the inside. Your journey begins with the audio guides and a ride in the pod elevators to the top floor. Then, you begin your walk down.

Stuttgart - Cannstatter Volksfest

2008-08-29T09:41:00.002+02:00

The main event for them is coming up quick! They were building these massive tents, and advertising already for the fest. Anybody ready to come on over??

Stuttgart pit stop

2008-08-29T09:40:00.002+02:00

We took a quick pit stop, and had a snack or so. Jim, here's yours, man! We got one just for you. ha ha.

Kids did another stealthy introduction of Jim's Guitars - here in the Schloss area, and again in the pedestrian zone. Hope you get some calls or business from these!

Stuttgart - part 2

2008-08-29T09:39:00.002+02:00

After nearly collapsing at the top of the tower due to exhaustion, we headed down to the area of the Schloss. There was a neat exhibit of friendship bears from countries around the world - the kids really liked looking at all of them.

Back to Stuttgart

2008-08-29T09:37:00.002+02:00

In early August, we ventured out with friends and neighbors on a Youth Services trip to Stuttgart. Our journey began with a bus ride to the center of the pedestrian area, and a climb to the top of the tower in the train station. Great fun! Thanks, Joe for the idea of walking up to the top - Groan! The one pic came out kind of strange - no, Chris didn't pee his pants walking....ha ha.

Koln Cathedral

2008-08-29T09:36:00.002+02:00

The cathedral is massive; easily the major landmark in this area. In fact - the reason it survived WWII is that the pilots used it as a guide when bombing in the area! It is a very heavily touristed area; the inside of the building is amazing.

Koln - part two

2008-08-29T09:35:00.004+02:00

We got a chance to eat lunch on our own, and GPSed our way to the Hard Rock. We stopped along the way to stealthily add a sticker for Jim's Guitars near the cathedral.

Koln, July 08

2008-08-29T09:33:00.002+02:00

After returning to Germany from our stateside vacation, we headed out with some neighbors and friends to check out one of Germany's biggest, and oldest, cities - Koln, or Cologne in English. It was a neat day; we traveled by train and enjoyed one of the nicest views in Europe along the Rhein River. The castles on the Rhein didn't disappoint; it is a gorgeous ride and the weather was cooperative. We arrived in Koln around lunchtime and set about a city walking tour to see some of the sights.

Teacups and Dumbo

2008-08-29T09:05:00.002+02:00

We rode rides and rode rides, enjoying our last day in the park. Magic Kingdom has all our faves - spinning teacups, shooting aliens and flying elephants. We just let the kids do their thing; they must have ridden Goofy's Barnstormer roller coaster 8 or 10 times!

Monorail Drivers!

2008-08-29T09:03:00.003+02:00

Justin's favorite ride has always been the monorail; we were finally successful on this trip at getting him a seat up in the front with the driver! He and Michael rode up front all the way to the Magic Kingdom! Once we arrived, the driver gave them each monorail drivers' licenses! Very cool - your first car is a monorail!

We also took in the sights in Magic Kingdom for another day; it is a beautiful park.

Typhoon Lagoon

2008-08-29T08:59:00.003+02:00

Our second day at the Disney waterparks was a lot of fun, too! It was the Saturday of 4th of July weekend, so it was quite crowded, even though we did the early entry again. We had a good time here, too - didn't like the kids area as well as BB though. It was nice - they have some neat things at this park but the design isn't as well done as BB either - lots of hot pavement, and not as much shade. We had a good day here too - spent most of the day enjoying the sun and rides.

4th of July

2008-08-29T08:57:00.003+02:00

We had a nice but untraditional 4th. Justin had been fighting a strange virus or something and we ended up spending the middle of the day at an urgent care center! They got him fixed up; gave him some medicine and we were quickly back to having fun! We headed across the street to the Polynesian to watch the fireworks. It was great fun; we had the perfect seats, too!

Blizzard Beach

2008-08-29T08:54:00.002+02:00

Our first foray into the water parks at Disney was a smashing success! BB is so much fun - we did the early opening, as a way to hopefully get the lay of the land and enjoy some of the rides before there were big lines. It was a masterful plan - we rode and rode and rode before many other people even got into the park. It was really nice for Michael, as he could ride some of the 'bigger kid' rides without too much hassle, since he could get a bit of help from the lifeguards. The park is beautiful; well-designed and easy to enjoy.

Animal Kingdom

2008-08-29T08:52:00.003+02:00

There was a big storm coming as we headed over to AK; it started to rain right as we got into the park. No matter; we all put on the ponchos and headed out anyway. The rain didn't last long; there were NO lines for anything either. It took longer to walk in to the safaris than to get on a vehicle! The boys liked seeing the animals, and also liked riding the Kali River rapids! It was a fun ride, and more so because they didn't get wet in their ponchos.

Pool tourism, and Shades of Green wildlife

2008-08-29T08:49:00.003+02:00

We headed over to check out the Polynesian's pool that afternoon (shh, don't tell!) We all loved the volcano pool; it was a treat for both boys to be able to swim in the big pool, as this one has a 'zero entrance' where you walk in like at the beach. Chris and I also scored the BEST table - right between the pool entrance and the pool bar. Nice!

We also spent some time checking out the resort - since Shades is between two golf courses, there is tons of wildlife out there! We were surprised each morning with the visit of the flock of turkeys, and Michael also found this pair of cranes out back one afternoon.

Epcot, Nemo and the Pirate Cruise!

2008-08-29T08:45:00.003+02:00

We hit Epcot the following day; it was a banner day as Michael was finally big enough for Soarin! We rode and rode - as we walked up to the fastpass machine, a very nice man gave us 4 fastpasses; we got some with our tickets, too and were able to ride twice in less than an hour. Sweet! We hit the newly revised aquarium for the Nemo ride - a big improvement and both boys love Finding Nemo!

The next day was our wedding anniversary; the boys got to celebrate by going on a Pirate cruise by themselves! They seemed so thrilled to be doing their own thing - you can tell the cruise is a big deal; hats, lunch and treasure, too. They both loved it. Meanwhile, Chris and I took off for a nice breakfast at the Kona cafe - pineapple pancakes with macadamia nut butter, and a pot of 100% Kona coffee, with no one rushing you to leave! ha ha.

Day two - Buzz, Woody, new Toy Story ride!

2008-08-29T08:42:00.004+02:00

Disney Studios, and the new Toy Story ride, were our priority on day two. The boys loved getting to see their heroes in person, and we all had a great time. The new ride was awesome!!! It took all day to get to our fastpass time but it was a great ride - like a virtual midway game, where you go through different shooting galleries and the objects even virtually fly out at you. Both boys loved it - we went back a few days later just to ride this ride. We also took in Star Tours, and both boys are now devoted Star Wars fans. ha ha.

Walt Disney World, here we go!

2008-08-29T08:33:00.003+02:00

June 0f 08 took me to Orlando on business; what a great excuse for a Disney vacation! We all love Disney so it was a no-brainer to combine business with pleasure. I slaved away at my convention for a week and the boys all joined me on Thursday night, after a long, delayed trip from Germany. After saying sayonara to the conference, and the deluxe conference hotel, we were off to Shades of Green and into the parks! Here are a few pics - have to get some mouse ears right away, (first ride: Pirates!) and of course have to touch the slipper for all of those who we wish could be with us.

Presents and Cake!

2008-08-15T10:47:00.002+02:00

Michael loved his party; he got lots of neat gifts! His 'cake' was actually cupcakes; much easier and less messy than a big cake. He got 4 different pirate candles, and we sang to him as he blew them out. Ice cream was available, too. It was a lot of fun for all of us.

A Pirate Turns Four

2008-08-15T10:44:00.002+02:00

After getting the last clue from Dawn, the pirates headed out to get their treasure bags from me. Then it was off to the 'galley' for pirate ships (hot dog boats!) chips and juice boxes. From looking at these pictures, you'd never know the kid's birthday was in JUNE, huh? Notice they are all wearing coats, sweaters, etc as are we?

Michael's Pirate Birthday Party

2008-08-15T10:40:00.003+02:00

Michael's 4th birthday party was a blast. We started out with everyone getting into their pirate garb upon arrival. Chris and Joe Ryan tied the kids' bandannas on, and with eye patches in place they headed out on a pirate treasure hunt. A picture scavenger hunt, we enlisted our neighbors and friends to help out - Tracey's nephew Jared asked the kids to tell him what pirates say - "Arrr!" they said and it was off to the next stop. Carrie McNelly asked them to sing the pirate song, to which they all replied "Yo Ho, Yo Ho, a pirate's life for me!" Onward they went, to show Dawn Slieter their pirate dance.

First Grade Picnic, part two

2008-08-15T10:37:00.002+02:00

The first graders were also able to use the 'big playground,' which they usually aren't allowed to. It was a fun day for all of them.

First Grade picnic!

2008-08-15T09:58:00.003+02:00

Justin's class, along with the other 4 classes, held a huge picnic and outdoor fun day towards the end of school. There were hula hoops, bubbles, a big parachute and other fun things. It was a beautiful day as well, allowing Justin and his friend Tristan to hang out together.

Aufwiedersehen, Austria

2008-05-31T11:21:00.001+02:00

We headed home via the train on Sunday morning; it was a nice ride and Michael even took a nap! As you can see, we were literally in the end of the train! Made for some cool pics, and it was nice to have some extra space to ourselves. We arrived home around 7 p.m. tired but happy.

Nighttime in Salzburg, and an Austrian cemetary

2008-05-31T11:17:00.002+02:00

We walked back to the hotel after our beer garden time - check out these beautiful pics! We awoke in the morning hoping to check out a few more sights before heading back to Germany. This is the cemetary that Mozart's parents are buried in; it was really neat in a creepy sort of way. The hotel we stayed in (Renaissance) was really nice; check out the boys in the big bed with the down comforters.

The Augustiner Brauerei and Monastery

2008-05-31T11:08:00.002+02:00

When researching the trip, I read about a place to eat and Dawn and I decided it would be a good choice. Since John had been doing 'girlie' type stuff (SOM tour, then a concert) I figured we owed him a fun meal. So we headed off to find this brewery/monastery. It was an adventure - we walked along, in the shade next to the beautiful green water in the river, eventually making our way to the building we believed to be the location. There is a doorway (not very large) and one tiny sign, but it isn't on the main road. I was a bit hesitant - it said in the guidebook that this place seated 1000 people. Anyway, we forged ahead, into a small hallway - at the end of the hallway was a door. We opened it, continued in another small hallway and came to this huge staircase. We took a photo of John - he is posing sort of crazily so we could photo-shop in Chris, Joe and the other man-crazies later. ha ha. Anyway, we head down the stairs - mind you, it is quiet and there isn't another soul around. I am about to decide that we are going to come out in the middle of a chapel service when we see the food booths. We have arrived - the place is like a giant beer hall, with food booths in the hallway - everything from schnitzel to fish smoked on a stick, to pastries were available. We continued forward and found the stairway to the outdoor beer garden - Sah - WEET! We quickly found a table, sent the kids to the playground and were off to score some dinner. Check out the pic - that was the kids' and I's meal - we shared 2 dinner plates between us and still had food left - all of this, including the beer was less than 20 Euro. We also ran into Dr. Lamar; it was fun to get to catch up and visit with her! The weather was perfect, the atmosphere fun but laid back; the beer was cold and the kids were occupied. Predictably, we sat here quite a while...............

...with the sound of Music!

2008-05-31T11:01:00.002+02:00

We really enjoyed exploring in Mirabell Gardens, famous in the SOM! The kids sang "Doe, a Deer" here, and there are a number of scenes that were filmed here. It is a beautiful park - the weather was absolutely fabulous so it was easy to enjoy! Plus, this was the venue for the concert we came to see - the UCA Wind Ensemble, as part of their European tour, performed here and also in Vienna. We really enjoyed hearing the concert - it was surreal seeing them in Europe. When Chris and I were in wind ensemble back in the day, this is what we dreamed of our group being and doing - strange to be witnessing it!

Altstadt Salzburg

2008-05-31T10:56:00.002+02:00

We made our way through the town, checking out the Bishop's residence, St. Michael's church and Salzburg Cathedral. It is a really neat town with a lot to see; much more than we had time for! We checked out the market area, bought some souvenirs (we are such good tourists!) and then made our way towards the Mirabell Gardens.

Salzkammergut and Mozart

2008-05-31T10:53:00.002+02:00

Our tour also took us out into the Lake District - stunningly beautiful! We stopped for an Apple Strudel at this restaurant - with a view like that, who cares about the food? After that, we went back into town and were dropped off in the Altstadt. We fed the kids a nutritious meal (we all had ice cream!) and then were off sightseeing. Check out that statue of Mozart- he is sort of a patron saint in this city; was born here and lived until the age of 17 here.

The Hills are Alive....

2008-05-31T10:48:00.002+02:00

We also visited the Heilbrunn Palace, where the gazebo from "16 going on 17" was filmed. (That is the boys, taking it in with some other tourists!) In addition to the main house, there is what is called the "month castle" up on a hill behind it - allegedly built in only thirty days - so the King could take his mistress there.) It was a gorgeous area; couldn't resist singing "the hills are alive..." ha ha. Yes, cheesy!

SOM sights

2008-05-31T10:16:00.002+02:00

We went from the Altstadt (Old City) to the palace where the SOM kids fell into the lake from the boat - it is a private residence, and like many of the castles in the area, owned by an American. It was hard to resist taking photos - the area is like a giant postcard.

City Tour

2008-05-31T09:54:00.002+02:00

The next day, we were off on the Sound of Music tour! It was cheesy, yes - but also pretty neat. It is a good value; you get the SOM sights as well as a city tour and information. We booked in advance; very cool that we had our own van! (That is the boys with Natalie and Jacob Slieter)First we saw the old city, including the halls for the Salzburg Festival, held annually in August (if you remember, this is where the Von Trapp Family Singers were going to sing when they escaped from the Nazis.) We also saw Maria's convent, the old buildings built into the mountainside, and the Roman horse bath.

Salzburg, Austria

2008-05-31T09:45:00.002+02:00

Hoping to catch a concert, the boys and I set off over Mothers' Day weekend for Salzburg, Austria with our neighbors, John and Dawn Slieter and their kids. It was a beautiful sunny day as we trekked down the hill to the train station. We were excited with our travel find: only 300 Euro for all 7 of us on the high speed train! It was a nice ride - zipping through Bavaria, with its lovely scenery. The trip took about 5 hrs and we were in Salzburg.

Snails, and Shopping in Spain

2008-05-15T12:01:00.003+02:00

Spain had so many fascinating things we don't see in Germany .... boys loved checking out the snails all over the resort. We captured this one on film. (Check out their jackets; you can see how cold it was!) After the rain-soaked tour, we opted for a trip to a shopping mall on another rainy day. It turned out great! The mall was huge and INDOORS. the kids had a fine time attempting new jobs as mannequins, too! ha ha. We had a nice time, and even figured out the bus system.

Chiclana Train Tour

2008-05-15T11:56:00.002+02:00

The weather hadn't been very cooperative; we decided to take a tour into the town of Chiclana. Although it was overcast, we figured we'd take the chance. Wrong answer! We barely got out of the resort area and it started to rain. Eventually it was a true rainstorm, and we were trapped on the back of the tram! The tour was interesting, though. Oh well - make the best of everything, right? The driver of the train was so nice - he let the kids sit up front and they had a blast ringing the bell. Check out the trees in these pics - you can see how windy it was.

Costa de la Luz

2008-05-15T11:51:00.002+02:00

Boys and I went for a walk, to check out the surrounding area. The resort area isn't built up like many in the US or other parts of Europe. It is mostly undeveloped land surrounding the hotels. We enjoyed hiking up to this Army bunker, and also taking a look at the native flowers and plants. And watering them. ha ha.

Sunny beach

2008-05-15T11:06:00.002+02:00

The following day, we decided to check out the beach. It was a great afternoon, lazy and fun. We were all just enjoyed soaking up the sun. Everyone was sitting on towels, and we thought we were well back from the waves! Famous last words - at one point, a huge wave soaked us, the towels, and everything. It was a mess - but I've never seen us scramble so fast. ha ha. Kids had a great time with the waves and sand. The beach was very shallow for a long way out so although the waves were big they weren't as dangerous as they look. It got sort of cloudy later, and Buck and John decided to try out the indoor hot tub. We nicknamed this photo "Spanish Stew." Could they have fit any more kids, toys or people in there?

Caves, part 2

2008-05-15T11:02:00.002+02:00

It was really neat to see the living areas, etc. This one was for British Air Force females - the only women in the rock! Interesting that their area was the only one with a lock during WWII! We also went to an overlook and saw the runway, including this interesting graffiti. The pic of the airplane is from the unit that actually lived in the rock before flying to Africa for Operation Torch.

Gibraltar's WWII Caves

2008-05-15T10:58:00.002+02:00

The next stop on the tour was the cave system inside the rock. Very interesting - didn't realize so many historical events were connected to Gibraltar! The tour was fascinating - we all had to don the hard hats as protection against falling rocks (they kept us from getting wet, too!) and we all looked pretty cool in them. ha ha. The caves are limestone, and the natural formations are much like the caves we see in the States.

Gibraltar's Barbary Apes

2008-05-15T10:53:00.002+02:00

We had all read about the Barbary monkeys that inhabit the rock - I think I was expecting a zoo or something. Not! They roam free and are actually pretty sociable. There is a superstition that says Great Britain will leave Gibraltar when the monkeys do - not sure if the British believe that, but when their military occupied Gibraltar, they actually took care of the monkeys in their Naval hospital! There was a room in the hospital JUST FOR the monkeys, should they need hospital type care. Typical military medicine, huh? ha ha. We got pretty close to the monkeys, especially Buck, who is now known as the Monkey King. That is Bailey and Chelsea, making like monkeys in the other shot.

Gibraltar, part 3

2008-05-15T10:41:00.002+02:00

The bus tour took us first to Europa Point, the southernmost point on the rock. Very interesting, as it is only about 7 miles to Africa! We took some photos, and enjoyed viewing the sunken ship right off the coast. As the guide put it, "the Greek captain of the ship is now walking the Greek unemployment line." Apparently he didn't want to yield to someone bigger. ha ha. The view as we headed up the rock was spectacular, too.

Gibraltar, part 2

2008-05-15T10:25:00.003+02:00

We stopped for lunch at the Casemate Square before heading out on the bus tour of the rock. Yes, the British Pound is the currency here. The Euro is accepted but my Lord the prices! 25 Euro for a lunch at Burger King - at $37, that has to rate as one of the most expensive meals ever.

Merrye Olde Gibraltar

2008-05-15T10:21:00.003+02:00

The following day, we all took a tour to visit Gibraltar. Yes, the rock of. It is actually a British Crown colony, hooked onto Spain. The bus tour down was fun - remember to always bring Natalie's special medicine though! ha ha. This bull in the picture advertises a Sherry company. There are loads of them, all over hilltops in the Frontera. Interesting that you can see how dark it was when we left! There is a nice view of the rock as we came into view. The border is wild - actually had to show your passport - twice! - to get onto the rock. Once there, our first tour was a boat ride to see the

dolphins. Apparently, the Bay of Gibraltar is filled with a lot of them. I wouldn't know - we didn't see a one! The boat ride, and the waves, did manage to get a few of us wet, and took down 3 of the 16! ha ha.

Spain, part tres

2008-05-15T10:18:00.004+02:00

The resort is in Chiclana de la Frontera, and right on a very long, very wide beach. After dinner (check out the table for 16!) J and I checked out the beach area and watched the sunset. Very nice!

Spain, part dos

2008-05-15T10:14:00.003+02:00

The resort was really nice; the weather was perfect when we arrived! About 80* and lots of sunshine! Kids loved the welcome cocktails (really just punch) and we were soon off to explore the resort area. I was really only hoping for one thing with the room - that we could see the ocean. Wish granted!

Spring Break in Sunny Spain

2008-05-15T09:29:00.002+02:00

We try to plan a big trip for Spring break, since by then most everyone is really tired of the German winter. This year, we set out with a group of friends for the Costa de la Luz (Coast of Light) on the Atlantic coast of Spain. Very interesting ride down - we did the pkg tour so flight, hotel - all inclusive resort. The kids got inflatable beach balls from the airline - not sure why they are wearing them on their heads. The view of the Spanish countryside was beautiful - so green! We arrived at Jerez without incident, to a great sunny and warm day. Claimed the luggage, and aboard the buses and we were off to the resort.

Easter at the Keukenhof

2008-03-27T11:28:00.004+01:00

For Easter weekend, we decided to try out the Keukenhof Gardens, up in Holland. Spring flowers seemed like a great idea; little did we know the weather wasn't going to be cooperative! Here are a few shots of the tulips, the boys and the SNOW. Yes, I am not exaggerating - it was like a frickin' blizzard out there! Couldn't believe it!

Cast of Crazies and the Ostereiermarkt

2008-02-24T16:49:00.002+01:00

We normally take our 'adventures' with a group of friends I like to call the Cast of Crazies. The Ryans, Buchanans, Slieters and DuPrees are all in our unit and we are all essentially neighbors. You can be sure it will never be dull with this bunch...ha ha. Here we are, all riding the train into Frankfurt to visit the Easter Egg market. The other pics are from a display of gnomes we saw in a store window - I always thought of them as happy, friendly little people - not sure what is up with these!

Skiing, part drei

2008-02-24T16:46:00.002+01:00

Up top, the kids loved being able to play in the snow. It was really neat; Germans bring their kids along and just find ways to entertain them. We took a sled for Michael, and they both enjoyed taking a ride in it. We also built a snowman!

Skiing, part zwei

2008-02-24T16:42:00.002+01:00

The weather was absolutely fabulous for day 2! It was beautiful and sunny as we headed up top - these pics show Samantha and Joe Ryan, riding up in the ski gondola, along with the beautiful snow on the trees. The ski areas are really picture-perfect, as was the view from the gondola!

Skiing over Presidents' Day in Garmisch

2008-02-24T16:34:00.002+01:00

We made plans early in '08 to spend the Presidents' Day weekend skiing. What a large undertaking, as none of us had ever skiied before. We stayed at a German Gasthaus and not at the American hotel this time, but still had a blast. We spent our first day in ski lessons (well, everyone but Michael - he went to daycare!) and then we all went up on the mountain on day 2. Justin caught on very quickly; Sherri and Chris, not as fast but we were still functional by the end of the lessons. Sherri had the distinction of making the first fall of the day during ski lessons. Nice. These pics show the boys eating breakfast and then checking out the snow.

Faschnacht, part zwei

2008-02-24T16:30:00.003+01:00

The customary thing to shout, to get them to throw you stuff is "Helau!" More photos, of Germans in costume. It really is a lot of fun; the normally-all-serious Germans really go all out on some of their costumes. These are just a sampling; notice the nurses have some lovely liquor IV bags.

Faschnacht

2008-02-24T16:19:00.002+01:00

Germans are big celebraters - any excuse for a party seems to be good! In this area (Mainz especially) they are known for their huge Faschnacht celebrations. Faschnacht (called Fasching in Bavaria) is similar to Carnevale or Mardi Gras; a celebration 'blowout' held before the beginning of the somber Lent season. We are big Mardi Gras fans, after the years in LA and several trips to Mobile's MG, but what struck us is the average age of the partiers here! Even more, uh, 'seasoned' folks really get into it. They really do the costume thing, too - and you get a lot of attention (and plenty of free refreshments) if you are in costume. We actually were participants in the Mainz-Kastel parade, walking the entire route in costumes! The kids got a chance to truly be a part of a German tradition, and they were both a big hit with the locals. (That's Joe and Tracey Ryan, our neighbors/one set of the Cast of Crazies, with us.) We went to watch the Wiesbaden parade, again in costume. It was a lot of fun.

Groundhog Job Shadow Day, Feb 08

2008-02-24T16:09:00.002+01:00

Justin was finally old enough this year to participate in Job Shadow Day. He was thrilled to be going to work with Chris. Our neighbor, Jacob Slieter, was also going to shadow his Dad, but since John's workplace wasn't able to participate, Jacob went to work with Chris, too. Due to the mission requirements, the boys were only able to stay a few hours but plan to go back and do 1/2 day with Chris, and then the remainder of the day with John Slieter. In these photos, they are pre-flighting the aircraft, checking out the cockpit of the RC and also test-driving the seats in the white plane.

Halloween 2007

2007-11-02T10:28:00.000+01:00

It was a dark and cloudy night.....Halloween 2007 was a fun time for all. The boys decided to be Cars from the Disney movie. It turned out to be a great choice, as it was very cold! We headed out with a gaggle of kids from the neighborhood, to trick or treat! Boys had a great time, and we didn't see one other kid with their costumes on! Michael's class at school also let them wear their costumes - the picture is of M with Mr. Joel, one of the four teachers for his preschool class.

the Last Frankenstein Castle Run

2007-11-02T10:18:00.000+01:00

Each year, the military community in Darmstadt has hosted a run from Cambrai-Fritsch casern to Frankenstein's Castle. Darmstadt will be closing next summer, so this year was the last one. The unit has done the run for several years, but this year, one of the other spouses and I decided to tackle it, too. It is 8 miles - doesn't sound like long and isn't really too bad until the last two miles or so, which are straight UP to the castle! Of course, being a walker - some things are predictable. That you'll be one of the last to finish. And that there will be no water left at the water stations. We got to the finish line and one of the guys mentioned the bananas. My response: 'there was food?' Oh well - a good time was had by all, other than we nearly froze to death at the top waiting on the awards ceremony! Chris' Bn Commander won the thing - in about 45 minutes. Yeah.

Heineken Experience

2007-11-02T09:08:00.000+01:00

Our last morning, we headed off to visit the Heineken Experience, based out of the original Heineken brewery bldg. They don't make beer there anymore, but the exhibit was fascinating. I didn't know that this was, and still is, a family business. There were rides and exhibits and tons of interesting stuff - we even got a chance to 'drive' a beer delivery wagon (horse drawn!) through the streets of Amsterdam! It was a fun experience - and no, that's not beer in the boys' cup - it's a Dutch soft drink. ha ha. And yes, free beer was included - 3 per adult! What a way to start your morning.

Amsterdam, part IV

2007-11-02T08:59:00.000+01:00

There are certainly lots of sights to see in Amsterdam. We enjoyed shopping near the Dam, the main square in the downtown area. TONS of people out; and a major Dutch dept store was having their once a year sale - we went in there and it was a madhouse. ha ha. There was a beautiful floral display on the Dam itself. The picture with all the pigeons in it is of the Royal Palace, which is right on Dam Square. We also visited a flea market, and attempted to see the Red Light district and coffee house district. We did see the coffee houses, where they have a cannabis menu along with the food menu! It is very much in the open but the drug scene isn't what you expect - it is there if you want it but you have to be looking for that specifically. It isn't in your face. We had walked almost to the red light district when Michael had to go to the bathroom. So, there ya go - foiled by a 3 yr old. ha ha. We did manage to make it to the flower market though! We also saw lots of houseboats - that is a way to afford living here, as apts and houses are so expensive, especially the canal houses. There are so many houseboats, the city has suspended issuing any more permits. Check out this parking garage near the train station - it's for BIKES. Yep, there are that many bicycles - you can see them in every picture nearly! And that doesn't even show how many we were nearly run down by........The large red building used to be a church. At one time, the Dutch were changing their thoughts on religion but instead of tearing down the beautiful churches, they kept them and turned them into office buildings, or other things. Interesting.

Amsterdam, part III

2007-11-02T08:53:00.000+01:00

Day two started early with a huge breakfast buffet at the hotel. Nice to actually have eggs and pancakes in a European hotel - usually it's just cheeses, meat and bread but this one actually made eggs to order, pancakes (regular and the yummy little Dutch ones), waffles and had pastries, breakfast meats, cereal and a host of other things. We set off to get tickets on the canal bus tour - these are the 'hop on, hop off' boats. We really enjoyed that - there are 3 separate tour lines you can go on and you can use the boats as much as you like for 24 hrs. Great deal - the kids love boats! We saw tons of sights and the city is very interesting from that perspective.

Amsterdam, part II

2007-11-02T08:47:00.000+01:00

This is such a pretty city, and especially with all of the beautiful fall colors everywhere. We spent the afternoon wandering amongst the canals, and also visited the Anne Frank house. That was a bit of a challenge - it is a tiny place and it was interesting to answer Justin's question - 'why did they have to hide?' As the sun went down, we headed back to the hotel and made our plans for an early start to day Two.

Amsterdam via train

2007-11-02T08:39:00.001+01:00

We decided to check out Amsterdam for Columbus Day, and got a great deal on a train fare. It seemed logical, to avoid all of the snarls of driving in a new city (especially one where 40% of the population rides a bicycle!) as well as the $50/day parking fees by just taking the train. We headed off down the hill, everyone pulling their 'case' (as Michael calls it) to the Hauptbahnhof. We boarded the train and with only a few hiccups due to a train strike, were soon at the airport station and on our way on the high speed ICE train! Gotta love some first class travel; yes, we had this entire compartment to ourselves! In about 3 hrs, we arrived in Amsterdam. It is a very cool city; the train station is very centrally located. When you exit the station, the city sort of spreads out like a fan in front of you. We stopped at the TI to get a map (very cool - it comes out of a vending machine. The map is folded up into a small box that looks like a box of condoms......ha ha.) After getting our tram cards, we were on our way to the hotel area, and were soon sightseeing the beautiful sights along the canals.

First Day of School!!

2007-11-02T08:32:00.000+01:00

Very exciting, as the neighborhood went back to school in late August. Justin was joined this year by several new little boys, all in the first grade just like him. Michael also got to go to 'big boy school,' taking on the Part Day preschool. He loves to go to the big center at the airfield, where he has 4 teachers and their class even has a rabbit! I don't know who he likes best, the teachers or Sandy the bunny!

VBS and visiting a friend

2007-08-25T11:37:00.001+02:00

Justin attended VBS again this year; both boys loved the theme of Avalanche Ranch! We visited a friend down in the KMC area too - here are some pics of the boys with their daughter, and of them playing at the playground near her house.

Triberg - cuckoo clocks and Black Forest Cake

2007-08-25T11:23:00.000+02:00

Our last stop was at the House of Black Forest Clocks. It is a neat family-owned business; they even have this life-sized figures cuckoo clock outside the store. Yes, of course we bought one...ha ha. We also had some Schwarzwalder Kirschtorte at this local gasthaus, right across from the cuckoo clock store. It is a wonderful chocolate cake, with layers of whipped cream and cherries - boys and I shared a piece before the bus headed back home.

Triberg shopping

2007-08-25T11:14:00.000+02:00

There were a lot of places to shop in Triberg - you can buy a lot of custom woodwork, etc. as well as traditional German souvenirs like trachten (German traditional clothing,) beer steins, and other items. The boys liked checking out the town but gave the thumbs-down to trachten. ha ha.

Triberg, part zwei

2007-08-25T11:00:00.000+02:00

One of the places we visited in Triberg was Germany's highest waterfall. The area around it is a park, with lots of hiking trails through the beautiful valley. They allegedly have a lot of squirrels here, and even sell peanuts to feed to them. There are all sorts of signs, statues, etc but you guessed it - we never saw a single one! It was fun hiking up to the waterfall and then back down again.

Triberg in the Schwarzwald

2007-08-25T10:53:00.000+02:00

The boys and I braved a USO tour by ourselves this summer to Triberg, a city in the Black Forest. The area is extremely beautiful; the town is known for wood carving and cuckoo clocks. Here are a few photos of the area around the town, and the three of us eating breakfast at a German gasthaus.

Time for presents!

2007-06-22T11:02:00.000+02:00

After finishing the cake, we opened our presents! Michael got some cool stuff, and loved looking into the bags and sharing with his friends. After the party, Justin, Michael and I attempted to take some pics of all 3 of us - it was a bit tough to get everyone in the photo and looking the right way. Here are a few of our attempts.