Germany, The Land of Good Hair

Tschüss

2011-03-01T16:45:00.003+01:00

After a period filled with somewhat epic disasters (the loss of important documentation; being unable to escort Dan onto certain bases due to my lowly contractor status; the rising cost of adequate accommodations and so forth), we are back on our feet and ready to continue our journey. The household goods have been packed and are ready to ship, the vehicle has been turned in, and Dan and I are currently awaiting our opportunity to depart Germany and make our way to Greece, where we will board the cruise ship and begin our ultimate departure from Europe.

Our last days here have proven to be quite eventful: earlier this week we made it to Paris, where I was surprised by the extreme "beige-ness" of the city buildings, though they were otherwise quite ornate (the trip went well, and we returned to Germany in higher spirits than when we left); yesterday we spent the night in a pension situated in Enkenbach, the town next to Mehlingen - this morning, during breakfast, we were treated to bread, ham, cheese, and the innkeeper's life story (which turned out to be almost unbearably heart-wrenching).
Overall, we have spent the majority of our "free" time in the library, tying up loose ends, or cruising around town searching for places to eat, sleep, and access the internet (which, generally speaking, has not been as depressing as it might sound).

This will be our last post from Germany. Due to the hectic pace of our schedule, we have decided to end our blog here and focus exclusively on our upcoming travels.* Living and traveling overseas has been quite an adventure for us, and we hope - through our rambling posts, pictures, and videos - that you've been able to share a bit of the experience as well. Thank you for reading, and we wish you all the very best.

Tschüss!

A Quick Recap: Thank You for Watching!

Lynette And Dan Take on Germany Slideshow: Lynette’s trip from Europe to 17 cities London, Paris, Amsterdam, Munich, Vienna, Brussels, Luxembourg, Cologne, Innsbruck, Lucerne, Heidelberg, Trier, Leuven, Feldkirch, Vaduz, St. Wendel and Wissembourg was created by TripAdvisor. See another United Kingdom slideshow. Create your own stunning slideshow with our free photo slideshow maker.

*Experiencing withdrawal symptoms? Not to worry, our new wedding blog is coming soon! Available at: http://www.weddingwire.com/catlin (check periodically for updates)

Countdowns

2011-02-15T04:19:00.003+01:00

We visited the vehicle shipment company today and made arrangements to drop Poet off on the 25th; overall, everything is going as planned and happening very quickly, though not as quickly as we would like in some cases.
We finally found a shipping company for our household goods (after numerous attempts), but are still waiting for the small pile of belongings in the corner of the living room to be packed and taken away (we managed to sell quite a bit of stuff through Ramstein Yard Sales; some of our later experiences did not go as smoothly as the first, but we have lightened our shipment considerably).

Dan and I are both looking forward to going home and resuming a "normal" lifestyle: I, of course, am also looking forward to our wedding and all the planning that entails (unfortunately, he does not share my level of excitement at the moment).

UPCOMING TRIPS

We are closely monitoring various news reports in case the Egyptian portion of our cruise is adversely affected. According to the cruise company, they are aware of the situation and will make a decision (to continue as planned, schedule a detour, or issue refunds) at a later date.
Dan and I have also committed to an overnight tour in Paris, to coincide with our last week in Germany and subsequent departure to Venice. We were considering a trip to Prague in the near future, but will wait and see how the rest of this week goes (only 4 working days left!).

THE MOST ROMANTIC FEAST EVER:

A small glimpse of how we spent our first Valentine's evening as an engaged couple:

♥ XXL Meat Lover Pizza and Red Wine ♥

Happy Valentine's Day!

The Proposal

2011-01-31T18:01:00.000+01:00

Dan and I are engaged!

He proposed last Wednesday evening; a week earlier, he casually suggested we go out to dinner at some point in the future. I agreed, and we decided to go on either Tuesday or Wednesday. We chose Wednesday, obviously.
He was in the bathroom shaving beforehand, with the reasoning being that he would be "among civilized people" for the first time in a while - we hadn't left the apartment (except to run errands) in over a week.
Seeing his trimmed beard prompted me to don classier attire, and I also put a bit of effort - just a bit - into subduing my unruly hair; as I stepped out of the bathroom and into the hallway I noticed that Dan was also dressed nicely.
We went downstairs, got into the car and headed to the restaurant (earlier in the week he had given me the choice of either Spanish or Italian; I chose Italian). It was sprinkling as we pulled into the parking lot, and as I walked up to the front door of the ornate building I remarked that I was glad we were dressed somewhat formally.

THE PLACE

Dan opened the door for me, then led us into Dino's, bypassing the first few dining rooms and heading straight for the back of the restaurant. We ended up at a small table tucked neatly into the corner, where we glanced through the menu and placed our drink orders (water for me, wine for him).

THE PROPOSAL

After comparing entree choices, we made our selections and I leaned back, ready to relax and wait for our meals. Dan reached over and took one of my hands in both of his, then began telling me how special I was, and how he wanted to spend the rest of our lives together (since our four year anniversary was approaching, I assumed this was his annual glad-to-be-with-you speech; I honestly had no idea what was coming!). Not understanding why he was so nervous, I attempted to lighten the mood by throwing in a joke or two. After a bit of this back-and-forth wordplay, he suddenly tossed a small box onto the table and spit out his all-important question: "Will you marry me?"

THE AFTERMATH

I was so stunned that I didn't say anything for a long moment. A waitress appeared out of nowhere, hovering near our seats, and Dan quickly hid the ring under the table while I looked away. After she left, he looked at me and produced the ring again, while I laughed and finally answered his question: "Of course!"

Our food appeared after a while (pasta and salmon for me, pork medallions in mushroom sauce for him) and we ate dinner and conversed; I was so excited that I honestly can't remember much of what we talked about. For dessert we were served tiramisu and one shot of espresso each (which ultimately led to us being awake until the evening after).
As we walked out of the front doors of the restaurant a few hours later, I looked up and noticed that it had begun to snow. I pointed this out to Dan, and he looked down at me and smiled.
It was absolutely perfect.

My ring!

BONUS:

Since our engagement, I have talked non-stop about my dream wedding; subsequently, Dan has forbidden any mention of our upcoming nuptials (at least for the time being). Of course I defied this command, with disastrous consequences:

Crabby Cabbies and More

2011-01-25T04:41:00.002+01:00

We all had a very nice time in London, despite the seemingly bitter title of this post. We did (almost) everything we set out to do, and had a fantastic time doing it:

THE SHOW: WICKED

Heidi and I at the Apollo Victoria theatre

The show, of course, was absolutely delightful. We had a fabulous time, although Dan claimed to have nodded off at some point in the first act; Heidi agreed that the show had a prominent "girl-power" theme and would not appeal to the average guy.

THE FOOD: INDIAN

We decided to stop for a bite to eat before seeing Wicked: Dan was in the mood for Indian food, and Heidi and I took that suggestion and ran with it. We found a small Indian restaurant directly across the street from the theatre; the sign said it was closed, but according to our watches it should have been open already, so Dan went ahead and tugged on the door handle.
The host came to the door and informed us that the restaurant was, in fact, not open (it was then that we discovered our failure to reset our watches), but he let us in anyway. We sat at a table chatting for a while until the host returned and presented us with the following offer: he would bring out various dishes for us to try (what he described as 'the best of the best authentic Indian cuisine'); a feast of lamb and chicken and rice and curry. We took him up on his offer, and did not regret it. The food was absolutely delicious!

Indian food

I was a bit nervous when he laid the bill on the table, but that was (almost) the best part of all: our meal was pretty cheap (unless I managed to erase the actual cost from my mind), plus we got complimentary chocolate mint squares.

THE HOTEL ROOM: TINY

I knew that our lodging would not be the best; after all, Dan and I were aiming for convenient and affordable (keyword: cheap). A few days after I made our reservation Dan approached me, a worried expression on his face. 'Did you read any of the reviews on this hotel?' he asked. I told him I hadn't, and wasn't sure if I wanted to know what he had discovered.
I spoke with Heidi later- she hadn't yet reserved her room, at that point- and we decided that the hotel would be considered suitable as long as it met one very important condition: no bedbugs.
All in all, it wasn't that bad:


Entrance to our (tiny) room

The rest of our room

THE ESSENTIALS: TOURISTY FUN

We started out early the day after the show: we began by heading over to the Tower of London. Before arriving at our desired location- led by Dan and Heidi's collection of maps and travel pamphlets- we found ourselves at a Merchant Navy memorial; I read an inscription on one of the plaques which honored the Sailors who have "no grave but the sea."
We stood around for a while before heading across the street to see the Tower. It was much more involved than I orignally thought, and we spent a significant amount of time there, searching for torture chambers and execution sites, and finished our tour with an on-site lunch of fish and chips (questionable ketchup included).

Later in the day, we took the tube to check out the Parliament buildings and Big Ben; as soon as we stepped onto the sidewalk I glanced up and saw the huge clock towering above us and the massive London Eye across the street. We took a couple of pictures and eventually wandered over towards Westminster Abbey, then argued in a highly civilized manner over which route would take us most quickly to Buckingham Palace. Before heading that way, however, we decided to take a detour to Trafalgar Square, where Dan took pictures of various statues while Heidi and I went to a cafe to purchase coffee and brownies (due to the dining-in surcharge, we took our goodies out to the curb and consumed them there).

After passing a Changing of the Guards ceremony involving horses (which we couldn't see clearly due to a inconveniently placed guard shack), we headed to the palace, crossing what we believed to be Hyde Park and arriving at the gates the same time as nightfall. We did manage to get a good view of the building, and snapped a few photos to commemorate the experience.
As we traveled back to the underground station (our shoes muddy from crossing through the grass instead of staying on the sidewalk), Dan mentioned how easily it would be for us to drop by the King's Cross station (the site of the infamous Platform 9 3/4, as all worthy Harry Potter fans know) and take a few pictures there as well. Of course, Heidi and I took the bait. Unfortunately, we were not aware of the Platform 9 3/4 monument set up on the wall outside, and instead bravely wrestled our way inside of the station to take photos:

In "disguise" at Platform 9

The "real" Platform 9 3/4 (per Wikipedia)

THE CABBIES: CRABBY

London cabbies have a system: they line up and collect customers in the strictest order. Therefore, a cabbie may wait approximately half an hour or more in line before getting an opportunity to find someone in need of a ride.
This was the case when Heidi and I were making our way back to the hotel; we were returning from a short shopping excursion while Dan visited the British museum (we parted ways earlier that morning after devouring an "authentic British breakfast" of eggs, bacon, toast, and beans in a very adorable diner; we were to meet him later at the hotel). After a bit of walking my knee began to act up (both of them, unfortunately, which resulted in excrutiating pain), and Heidi insisted we take a cab for the remainder of the trip (a 5-10 minute walk, admittedly). I didn't argue, and we made our way to the front of the line of cabs, only to be crabbily rebuffed by the cabbie with the explanation given above.
So we walked away and sat on the curb, and after a five minute rest continued on our way.

THE WEATHER: SUNNY (OVERALL)
Amazingly enough, it was sunny for most of our trip, which was a good thing, since Dan lost his hat at some point during our various bus/tube rides.

Showtime in London

2011-01-13T04:09:00.001+01:00

Dan, Heidi and I have purchased the following: 3 day, 2 night hotel reservations in London, accompanied by three Dinner Class (a.k.a. "cheapest admission possible") theatre tickets for an evening performance of Wicked. We are incredibly excited and cannot wait to see the sights and experience everything (well, as much as we can) the area has to offer.

Wicked poster, courtesy of londontheatredirect.com

Of course, immediately after booking the flights and reserving the hotel rooms, I was informed that my work schedule had changed; Heidi and I were both scheduled to work the morning of our return (our flight, however, would not arrive in Germany until later that afternoon). We were faced with the choice to either reschedule our plans or swap shifts with other co-workers.
Considering the fact that Dan and I are leaving soon, and we were extremely reluctant to give up our coveted airline/hotel rates, we decided to stick with the original dates and (successfully) plead with our peers.

WEATHER UPDATE

Surprisingly, the weather has been relatively warm for the past week or so. Some people have even reported leaving their windows and doors open for extended periods of time (we haven't; temperatures of mid-60 and lower do not equate "warmth," in my opinion). I have to admit, though, my walks to and from the car have been rather pleasant.

FARE THEE WELL, VOLVO (AND AAFES!)

Alas, Dan no longer has the wonderful vehicle that has taken us on numerous adventures (Belgium and the Netherlands, to name a few); it was given to a junk dealer after a sudden indisposition and several unsuccessful attempts to sell or negotiate with a local mechanic. We shall certainly miss our dearly departed friend.

On a happier note, yesterday marked Dan's last day of compulsory subjection to AAFES policies. He is looking forward to a few days of rest and relaxation before undertaking the next task: planning the remainder of our trips in the local area (and slightly beyond).

SOLD!

2011-01-05T18:13:00.000+01:00

PHASE I

About a week ago, Dan and I sat down and made a list of items we would like to sell on Ramstein Yard Sales, in order to raise a bit of money for our upcoming trip and keep our shipping expenses relatively low. We decided to list nine items first - with full-color pictures - ranging from a black clutch I had lying around, to Dan's Volvo. There was some initial interest, particularly for a rolling storage unit (originally priced at $15; ours listed for $5), but not many people were willing to venture far beyond the Ramstein base (approximately 15 minutes away). Most potential buyers were determined to have the items delivered to a spot more convenient for them:

Subject: 2 Wooden Chairs

Potential Buyer (PB): I would like to buy these chairs. 2 of mine broke and look a lot like this!

ME: You will need to come to Mehlingen to view/pick up. Please let me know if you are interested. Thanks!

PB: Isn't that pretty far away?

ME: It's about 15-20 minutes away from the Ramstein east gate.

PB: That's what I thought...

It wasn't long before we finally became frustrated with the entire ordeal, and Dan exclaimed, "Screw 'em! We're trying to sell stuff, not run a charity organization here!" I kept that in mind while dealing with our other prospective buyers, though their constant nagging eventually began to irk me beyond belief.

A few minutes ago, however, our first buyer appeared to pick up a pair of bar stools, priced at $10/each. Ka-ching!

PHASE II

Although Dan has already informed his employer of his impending resignation, I have yet to complete this task. I wonder if informing the scheduling department of my last day, before notifying my actual employer, qualifies as a professional no-no?

Sushi and Resolutions

2010-12-31T15:42:00.000+01:00

SUSHI

The fireworks have been going off sporadically since Christmas Eve, but we expect to hear them quite often throughout the course of our sushi dinner tonight with Heidi. We didn't really plan much else, since Dan and I have to work tomorrow morning.
We arranged the meal a few weeks ago, to be followed by a nap at home, then being woken up by the alarm a few minutes before the Big Moment to celebrate, if only for a short period of time. It should be nice.
Also, Dan and I will be awake again during the East Coast New Year a few hours later...

RESOLUTIONS

I remembered posting a pretty accurate 'Resolutions' entry on my MySpace blog (June 26th, 2006 - June 5th, 2009, to include a few shipboard entries beginning May 22nd, 2005) a few years back, before permanently leaving the site over a year ago. I actually logged onto my account to retrieve the entry and compare it to my goals for the upcoming year; of course, I ended up spending a few hours re-reading the numerous posts written by my younger self.

It was refreshing to go back in time and reawaken memories that had lain dormant for years: I was amazed at the sheer honesty, emotion, and hope displayed in those old reflections, and instantly succumbed to the youthful voice of one contemplating life after college and the military:

I've been thinking about what I want to do when I get out (again) and I'm really excited about moving away, like to the west coast. But I also want to go North. I was originally going to go to New York, but now I'm thinking....Washington? Maybe. Colorado? Perhaps. Arizona? Too many Mexicans.
In April ('09) I'm taking a trip to Washington, to look around and see how I like it. Maybe I can go to carpentry school and make shelves. They have a very extensive logging community there. The town I plan on visiting consists of just over three thousand people. How many carpenters can there be in a place that small? Hmmm....
- A Writer's Education/Life/Dreams/Hopes/Aspirations..., March 15, 2008 6:58PM

I was doing all the mathematical calculations and everything concerning my future earnings, aka "how much I'll need to earn in order to survive in the 'real' world", and holy cow! My mortgage is like a big chunk of money! But other than that, it's not too bad. My car will be paid off two months after I am released (haha), and as long as I get a pretty decent job it should all be good. I guess I can always use the money I'm saving on car payments to cover my gas bill. And really, who needs health insurance?!??
- Just Tired (I Ramble)., June 6, 2008 4:05AM

THE END (UPDATE)

Last night Dan and I stayed up late hashing out the details for our Grand European Tour in March. The date is rapidly approaching, but we still managed to find some pretty good deals, and will be making those arrangements very soon.

Daniel's 1st White Christmas

2010-12-25T16:15:00.000+01:00

Unfortunately, Heidi couldn't make it to our Christmas Eve bake-a-thon (her Jeep began skidding in the snow on the way over, so she wisely turned back), but I went ahead and proceeded to make the finest batch of crispy cracker-cookies ever produced on this planet:

Christmas Cookies with Coquito

As stated above, it began snowing early Christmas Eve morning; by the time Dan had left for work at noon, the roads were quickly beginning to disappear. It wasn't snowing when we awoke this morning, but there was still plenty of snow on the ground:

As seen through the kitchen window

More snow

And more!

We had a quick breakfast, unwrapped our gifts (thanks, everyone!) watched a few movies (A Charlie Brown Christmas; How the Grinch Stole Christmas!), had some brunch (eggs and potatoes), and will soon be settling down to watch plenty more Christmasy films as the day unwinds.
Thankfully, the day has gone exactly as planned; I had the opportunity this morning to Skype with my family, so that was an added bonus. Hopefully everyone back home is having as good a time as we are here in Germany.
If not, maybe this will help brighten your day:

CHRISTMAS POEM 2010

Twas the morning of Christmas, and all through our home
Not a cookie was eaten; they were hard as a dome!
The paper stockings were hung with tape and no wire,
Next to the fireplace, we hope they don't catch fire.

We snuggled onto the couch, ready to view
Yet another Christmas movie....woohoo!
Dan with his beer, and I with my rum,
Sipping more and more, and then some.

When from outside the window there arose such a stench
We flew to the window, Dan with his wrench,
I opened the window without missing a beat,
And saw once again the farm down the street.

The farmers milked, the cows mooed their sorrow,
We shrugged our shoulders and wished them a better tomorrow.
The houses below were covered in snow,
And it was bitterly cold, so we turned to go.

The window was shut, as was every door,
The sofa beckoned to us once more.
Though we were anxious to watch 'Frosty' anew
We knew there was much more to do.

On the floor we sat, beneath the twinkling tree
Yes, oh yes, there was so much to see!
Gifts piled high on top of the skirt
That I bought a month ago, cheap as dirt.

I reached through the branches to pull out a gift,
And Dan flew into motion, ever so swift.
He tore into the wrapping, eager and happy,
As I watched from afar, no longer nappy.

And so we unwrapped, one after another:
Some movies for me, and a game from Dan's mother,
An espresso machine for him, much to his delight,
And lots and lots of candy...ahh, such a sight!

A piano, like the one from Big, was unrolled and played,
I listened to the tunes- so loud and clear!- that it made.
A Scrabble game was found, perfect for our travels,
A great way to continue defeating Dan in our battles.

I nibbled on the frosted crackers- I mean cookies-
As Dan rose to prepare the grand midday feast
Of eggs, fried potatoes and coquito, of course
That stuff will make you as strong as a horse!

We ate with much gusto, while listening to Mariah Carey
Sing her tunes in the manner of a Christmas fairy.
The songs lasted longer than our small meal did
And we left the table to make our holiday movie bid.

No more 'Frosty' today, he had been overplayed
The Grinch was in the running, and the decision soon made.
I glanced up at the angel as the film was set up
She twinkled brightly and pointedly regarded my empty cup.

I arose and refilled the glass, pleasing the spirit,
Dan turned towards me and we both stood near it.
We glanced at the treetop, so high off the ground
And opened our ears to a merry Christmas sound.

The snow fell outside, amidst children's laughter
We gazed out the window, knowing that hereafter
Our day would be filled with ever more movies
And maybe, if lucky, a couple of smoothies!

-LC

Dedicated to Kristi, with much Love

MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE!

Fröhliche Weihnachten!

2010-12-24T00:00:00.000+01:00

CHRISTMAS UPDATES

Christmas Eve:

Dan has to work, but Heidi will be coming over with plenty of dough, frosting, sprinkles, and alcohol, in preparation of our cookie baking marathon. The following videos will be merrily viewed during these festivities, since Dan has refused to watch them with me (he insists that doing so will go against all laws of manhood):

-Frosty the Snowman and Frosty Returns
-Mr. Magoo's Christmas Carol
-Original Television Christmas Classics Sing-A-Long*
-Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, and
-Santa Claus is Comin' to Town

*Admittedly, the Original Television Christmas Classics Sing-a-Long isn't technically a movie, but I'm still excited to watch it.

Christmas Day:

Most of my packages arrived in time, though I am still waiting for a few (namely, a couple of Christmas albums and a movie). These delays won't have much of an effect on our holiday plans, however: we will be staying in on Christmas Day, watching the "suitable" holiday films, sipping the remainder of the coquito and, perhaps, a bit of glühwein (we tried some at the Christmas market in Innsbruck; it's a bit like spiked hot apple cider), and lounging around the apartment doing absolutely nothing.

All in all, we're both looking forward to a nice, relaxing holiday... Hope everyone else has a good one as well!

Chicken Day Madness (and other stuff)

2010-12-11T19:17:00.000+01:00

BELATED THANKSGIVING SUMMARY

The Menu:

1 Chicken
Cheesy Broccoli Rice
Green Bean Casserole
Dressing
Mashed Potatoes w/ gravy
Buttered Corn
Jellied Cranberry Sauce
Pumpkin Pie w/ whipped cream (not eaten)

Thanksgiving centerpieces

Heidi arrived at the prearranged time (3pm, though Dan and I had agreed to postpone the dinner, and I forgot to let her know); we were still in the process of preparing the food (Dan) and getting dressed (me) when she buzzed. All was well, however; while the goodies were baking we listened to some Christmas music and indulged in a few glasses of wine and - my new favorite mixture - Caribbean-style Capri Sun with a shot of peach Schnapps.

Once the food was served, it was discovered that my rice dish was not entirely edible, but I didn't mind too much (after having consumed a couple of glasses of the Capri Sun mix beforehand, I was too busy concentrating on successfully getting the food in the vicinity of my mouth).
After the meal we retired to the sofa, eager to finally conclude our Harry Potter marathon (to be discussed later). While Dan and Heidi were busy searching her ipod for the final film on our agenda (The Half-Blood Prince, that is), I settled into our papasan chair, only to be awoken four hours later by the sound of Dan escorting our guest to the door.

CHRISTMAS UPDATE

The apartment is decorated (95% homemade decor, with some cheats), the tree is up, and the movies and music have long been ordered via Amazon. All we have left to do is buy some eggnog, make coquito and bake some cookies, and invest in a batch of candy canes, to be distributed as I see fit.


Our beautiful Christmas tree

AUSTRIAN "SKI" TRIP

Our trip to Innsbruck last week, which was to feature skiing and other winter activities, did not go exactly as planned: in other words, there was no skiing involved. (The older gentleman at the tourism booth shook his head and gave us a "why, you silly Americans" grin when we asked why the resort shuttles were not running - apparently, the ski season has not officially started yet.)
We did, however, get to visit the Christmas market in the area, which was very nice:

Austrian Christmas market

Also, while on the bus back to Innsbruck, we came across a snowboard-toting nun. Pretty awesome!

Amsterdam(n), What Fun!

2010-11-17T05:19:00.000+01:00

Dan, Heidi and I left for Amsterdam at 6:30 in the morning (I was working night shift; Heidi met me at the office, Dan picked us up there). We hit the road after a nice breakfast of pastries and coffee/orange juice, and I quickly settled down with the pillow and blanket Dan had brought along. It didn't take long for me to fall asleep, and about four hours later I awoke as we were navigating the streets of Amsterdam, searching for a park-and-ride lot to leave the car in (at a cost of six euro a day, as opposed to the 34 euro a day fee imposed deeper within the city) and board the train that would take us nearer to our destination.

After purchasing a 48-hour tram pass and finding our hotel (thanks in part to a friendly Dutch gentleman, who spoke impeccable English) we headed over to the Anne Frank house, which was a block away. The museum was, predictably, sober yet inspiring, and we spent a while touring the annex and peering into the handwritten diaries, which were kept under a protective screen of glass.
I found the Anne Frank house to be much more interesting than the Van Gogh museum, which we visited later during our trip, but that may have been because I am not a particularly big fan of art museums.

Afterwards, we walked around for a bit. I noticed that many of the homes did not have any curtains; from the window of our hotel room I could see right into the rooms of the house next to us (first floor: dining area, second floor: living space, third floor: bedroom).
When we got hungry, we found a nice little restaurant that served various pancake dishes. We each ordered a meal (mine was a thin pancake filled with ham and cheese), and agreed the food was tasty but extremely greasy and, in my opinion, a bit salty. In other words, a perfect drunken snack. Unfortunately, we were completely sober at the time.

As we were walking to the tram stop, making our eventual way towards the Red Light district, we were introduced, in a roundabout way, to Elvis the dog. He strode ahead of us for a while on the wide sidewalk before being called back to a pottery shop by his owner, an older woman.

Elvis the Dog

THE DAM SQUARE

We eventually ended up in a clearing not far from the Red Light district, called the Dam Square. It was surrounded by fabulous structures (the Royal Palace, the Nieuwe Kerk, and the National Monument, to name a few) and featured performers such as: aspiring musicians, including a guitarist singing covers of various songs and also promoting his CD and YouTube page; a "wizard" and ax-wielding Freddy Krueger impersonator; and what I assumed were local celebrities involved in a television shoot, which I happened to be featured in when they panned the camera over the audience.

ADVENTURES IN THE RED LIGHT DISTRICT

We couldn't take pictures upon entering the district, but it was not as risque as I had anticipated (RLD-related book recommendation: A Widow for One Year, by John Irving). We saw the red lights as soon as we approached the area; they were in the windows of various shops, as well as some of the streetlamps. The two sides of the street were divided by a canal, and on each side of the road were the windows in which the girls advertised themselves (they wore bikinis and sat around casually).
Of course there were several "theme" shops and bars, but there were also numerous policemen on every corner. In fact, the first thing I noticed was a gaggle of police officers standing at the corner of one of the streets, watching intently as we all passed by.

The lights in the District


Windows for advertising one's goodies


A memento of our adventures in the District (!)

INTERESTING...

I was amazed at the amount of English that we heard during our stay, and the fluency with which it was spoken. Even at local institutions (at a bar or coffeehouse, for example), we heard English used more frequently than Dutch, a common language that everyone could understand. In our case, there was absolutely no communication barrier.

UPCOMING EVENTS

Dan and I recently made the final arrangements for our anniversary/departure-from-Europe cruise to Egypt and Greece! The ship will leave from Venice, and includes port calls to Greece and Egypt (of course) and Croatia. Needless to say, we are very excited!

Part III: Escape from Leuven

2010-11-12T20:39:00.000+01:00

We woke up bright and early the next day, determined to retrieve the car and be on our swift way to the Black Forest. After a somewhat rushed breakfast of pastries, coffee, water and pizza (a slice each for Paul and I), we arrived at the severely cramped parking garage and encountered our first obstacle of the day: the parking ticket, which Dan had sworn was in the car, was nowhere to be found. At that point, our vehicle had been enclosed for nearly 72 hours, and we were anxious to learn what the cost of this latest misfortune would be.
Luck proved to be on our side, thankfully: the young attendant in the office was understanding, and Dan was presented with a replacement ticket reflecting the appropriate amount of hours, instead of the maximum fine that was expected and feared. We drove merrily out of the garage, and on towards the Black Forest.

ARE WE THERE YET?

The drive to the Black Forest from Leuven was, according to Jamie, supposed to last approximately three hours. As we drove into Luxembourg and towards France, however, we began to regret entrusting the gadget with the monumental responsibility of selecting our route. Gas was running low, and in order to take advantage of American prices we would have to return to German soil (a savings of nearly $50, thanks to our Esso gas card). Also, the French are notorious for their frequent tolls, which we encountered numerous times during our brief excursion into the country.
Unfortunately, we did have to stop for gas once before returning to Germany, and this, coupled with the tolls, frustrated Dan to no end. He insisted on disabling the GPS and returning to Germany, immediately. I brought out our maps and selected a favorable back-up route while Raul, Kathy and Kristi worked on pacifying Dan.

We had decided to continue on through France and were joyfully anticipating the cuckoo clocks and other wonders which awaited us in the Black Forest, until Jamie belatedly informed us of a missed exit, after which Dan unleashed a stream of highly justified curses. We turned, reset the GPS (which was no longer worthy of a name), and relied on our map-reading skills to set us back on course.
By that time it was mid-afternoon, we were hungry, and the somber decision was made to bypass the Black Forest completely and continue on to a small German town nearby: Sankt Wendel. We arrived relatively quickly, and window-shopped, took photographs, and were generally touristy for a while before settling down and searching for a place to eat. After an enjoyable meal of flammkuchen, schnitzel, wings, fries and spaghetti, we headed back to the parking garage (anxious to return before the 7pm closing time, which was duly noted and strictly adhered to).
It was at this point that Dan handed me the keys to the car, and I got the opportunity to subject our guests to an authentic autobahn experience, one I'm not sure they fully appreciated. Amid the screams from the backseat and retching from the front, I got the car and its occupants safely home, where we settled down for the night.

THE END, PLUS SOME

Our experiences in Munich, Vienna, and Dachau (Highlights: eating at the Hofbräuhaus, visiting the Hofburg Imperial Apartments, and paying tribute at the concentration camp) were relatively tame compared to the beginning of our saga. But they were just as monumental, and we were deeply saddened upon parting ways with Kathy, Kristi and Paul.
We miss you guys!

At the Hofbräuhaus in Munich

Part II: The Morning After

2010-10-30T23:17:00.001+02:00

I don't remember what time Dan and Paul returned to the hotel after their third round of late-night frolicking; I don't think I was fully conscious. It wasn't long, however, before a sound I've never heard before (and doubt I will ever hear again) caused me to stir: it was a high-pitched mixture of laughter, groans, and hiccuping.
I looked beside me to find Dan on his side, staring at the wall and emitting the strange noises. Kristi and Kathy were on the bed across from us, looking over and laughing openly, while Paul lay on the floor, attempting to tell us again of their grand adventures before passing out.
I gave Dan a hearty shake and he eventually calmed down; at some point during the night I awoke again and, concerned by the lack of movement, reached over and placed one hand upon his chest. I felt a bit of fluttering beneath my palm.
Satisfied, I rolled over again and fell back asleep.

The next morning, Kristi, Kathy and I awoke relatively early; Dan had not moved, and Paul was still slumbering on the floor. We offered him my empty spot on the bed, and he accepted it gratefully. This situation was, apparently, much more comfortable:

Dan and Paul

We had to coax the boys out of bed an hour or so later in order to get dressed and check out of the hotel before noon. Our plan was to return to the parking garage after breakfast, collect the car, and begin our drive back to Mehlingen. Over an afternoon meal of Subway sandwiches (much to Kristi's chagrin) it was decided that the day ahead would be devoted to rest and quiet recreation.

As we walked down the street, glancing through the windows of the stores (all closed, since it was a Sunday), someone in the group suggested how hilariously unfortunate it would be if the parking garage, like the stores, was closed for the weekend.
We all laughed at this.

Of course, no one was laughing when we reached the shuttered doors of the garage and came face-to-face with the sign informing us that the building was indeed closed on Sundays.
We stood around for a while, contemplating our options. It was finally decided that we would take a day trip to Brussels, perhaps spend the night and return the next day, then continue on to the Black Forest, the next destination on our itinerary.
We sighed, reshuffled our belongings, and walked towards the train station.

IN BRUSSELS

An hour or so later we were searching the streets of Brussels for a hotel to spend the night in. The first one we tried, mere steps from the station, seemed more than a bit too extravagant. The guys went inside to check it out, while Kristi, Kathy and I investigated what appeared to be an art exhibit nearby.

The hotel was, as suspected, not suitable, and we headed back to the train station in an attempt to access the wireless connection there, but that was a no-go. Back to the streets we went.
A few hotels later we came upon the knowledge that a transportation strike would take effect the following day (beginning at 10pm that evening), and that if we wished to return to Leuven we would have to do so that night.

And so we spent the day shopping at street markets and meandering about town before heading back to the train station. The "art exhibit" was now mobile, and being carried through the streets by people in red shirts:

The red shirt march

We stopped to watch what appeared to be a protest, then went on our way once again.
Inside the station, Kathy pointed out a few teenage boys skateboarding across from the ticket booths. As we stood in line, there was a commotion not far from us; a woman cried out, and a man began screaming.
Kathy and Kristi told us that something had happened to the woman on the stairwell, but they couldn't understand what it was.
We hurried towards our train, and Dan took a moment to explain the cause of the man's anger: apparently, one of the skateboarders had hit the woman, then run away.

OH, HELLO AGAIN!

We arrived back in Leuven later that night, and began yet another search for someplace to rest our weary heads. The hotels closest to the station (also not far from the garage) were either too expensive or full, and so we ended up at the hotel we had just left that morning.
The woman on duty (she looked vaguely familiar) informed us that cheaper rates were available online, though she could not legally offer them to us. Kristi asked if we could use the hotel's wireless connection to access the hotel's site, which was allowed.
And so we ended up back in the Mercure Hotel, next to the Domus, for the second night in a row.

A Statement of Innocence

2010-10-30T21:05:00.000+02:00

Dan has insisted that he be allowed to share his version of events regarding our Domus adventure:

***IN HIS OWN WORDS***

Thanks to their beer, chocolate, and the (fictional) character of Hercule Poirot, Belgium holds a special place in my heart. Of course when I came to Germany, and realized how close to Belgium we were, I was excited. Here I could fulfill a minor dream to drink fine Belgian beers on their native soil, and try other varities which are scarce in the U.S. I imagined myself sipping them slowly, savoring every honeyed drop, enhancing the taste with roast pork or perhaps mussels. All the while I would take in my surroundings, the centuries-old architecture, the play of Dutch and French on my ears, the thick foot traffic of a European city. A romantic dream, one would say, but not difficult to attain. As you may already have heard, things didn't quite go as planned (not that there's anything wrong with that.)

So upon arrival in the medieval city of Leuven, which contains one the oldest universities in Europe (ca. 1425), we pile into the local brewery/restaurant Domus for eats and drinks. Anticipating a night of drinking, I ordered just a currywurst and fries, anxious to get my first sip of an authentic Belgian ale. Paul* orders the first of countless Domus Pilsner beers, Lynette the first of countless Batidas de Coco, and Kristi and Kathy the Domus Pilsner as well. I had only planned two solid ales and a fruity lambic beer for dessert (fruity in more than one sense, apparently). After a couple rounds, though, Paul makes the fateful suggestion: "Come on, you're on vacation, and we're paying. Have another drink!" He had a point. I can't deny that a side of me really wanted to get irrevocably shit-faced, especially on such good beer. But then straw broke the camel's back.

The beers I ended up drinking were as follows:

Westmalle Tripel 9.0 %
Judas 8.5 %
Mort Subite Xtreme Framboise 4.5 %
Domus Tripel 8.5 %
Duvel 8.5 %
Hoegaarden 5.0 %
at least two Stella Artois 5.5 %

A typical American beer is just under 5% alcohol by volume. Under normal circumstances drinking just two beers gives me a buzz, a third makes me tipsy, and by four beers I am certifiably drunk. Well, considering I had the equivalent of ten to twelve beers in half the time, you can imagine I was tighter than a snare drum.

At some point Paul and I lost awareness of our actions as Lynette, Kathy, and Kristi looked on in horror. It's not pretty when alcohol puts the brain in a chokehold. There was endless searching after a cigar, which included relentlessly harassing the staff, and eventually the manager. They told us there were old ones upstairs, but they were evasive, and I think they were making fun of us. There was lots of loud, sometimes obscene catcalling in English, a language the Belgians speak and understand well. An example: To think that I, who strive so hard to avoid being a nuisance in my host country, stood up in a drunken stupor, and loudly and obscenely offered my encouragement to a perfect stranger, busy romancing a girl, to quote, "Hit that shit!" Oh, the shame. Ugly Americans? Undoubtedly.

The night, however, improved. Paul and I went in search of the holy Cigar, leaving the considerably relieved ladies in peace to somehow repair, through polite and quiet conversation, the image of Americans abroad. Meanwhile we both acquired and smoked rather decent cigars, and found another bar more suited to our current chemical state. The bar was as big as a hallway, and packed with local students. The music was loud and electronic. Paul, being a very friendly and easy-going guy, made us some Belgian friends at the bar. We enjoyed who knows how many glasses of Hoegaarden and Stella Artois (which is brewed just meters away in town), and somehow maintained civilized conversations. I talked to a flight attendant, a student, and a girl who had lived in New York and tried to make it as an actress. They were all very nice (bought us beers, too), fluent in English, and very, very proud of Belgium. Or at least the Dutch part of Belgium, since the Dutch and French Belgians don't like each other very much. I have to add, however, that I was so destroyed at this point that I remember it as something like a dream. I couldn't feel my face, and yet the words flowed from my mouth.

In the end, although we got roaring drunk, and made an admittedly hilarious spectacle of ourselves, we had fun, and I mark the experience as a highlight of the trip. The waitstaff of Domus might have shook their heads and muttered about the crassness of Americans, but they laughed. They have funny stories to tell, and so do we. And neither Paul nor myself got into a fight, or arrested, or contracted alcohol poisoning. It was harmless fun.

-Dan

Adventures in Leuven

2010-10-23T17:21:00.001+02:00

We woke up at 10am, had breakfast (yogurt, bread and Nutella, jam, laughing cow cheese, coffee cake and coffee- it was Dan's first time making it for anyone other than himself- they said it was fine), got dressed (with Paul wearing an extra jacket of Dan's), and ended up leaving the apartment at around one in the afternoon.

It turns out that my car isn't as roomy as I thought: on the way back from the train station the day earlier, the backseat of Dan's Volvo was praised for its comfort; Poet's backseat, on the other hand, was much smaller than anticipated.
There was nothing spectacular about the drive to Leuven; we stopped at a rest area, used the bathroom, and recieved four 50 euro cent vouchers- they were spent on a pack of gum which we all shared throughout the trip.
Once we reached the town, however, the drive to the hotel took a while. This has become an increasingly common occurence, due to traffic issues and errors with our non-beloved GPS, Jamie. After a half hour or so of driving past one-way streets, we decided to park at a garage a short distance from the hotel and walk the rest of the way.

THE DOMUS

We all agreed that our Belgian experience should consist of beer drinking and some sight seeing, but we (Kristi, Kathy, and I) did not anticipate the men's overall capacity for beer and general debauchery.

The bar we spent most of our first night in- chosen specifically by Dan for its close proximity to our hotel.

Upon arriving in town, we checked into the hotel, then began walking and searching for a place to eat and have a drink. We didn't want to begin the night's merriment right away, so we did a bit of sightseeing, took some pictures, and eventually ended up in front of the Domus. And so our adventures began.

HERBIE AND THE CIGAR

Hermann (aka "Herbie": 'Just like our old fish,' Paul told him. "What-ever!" was Herbie's reply) was our waiter; he was a bald, unsmiling man at first, until Paul made it his mission to wear him down.
We took our seats, found some menus, and immediately ordered a round of drinks. The men decided upon the most potent beers, while I had a batida de coco (the first of many, all of which were delicious) and Kristi and Kathy ordered some beer as well, though they would not end up consuming the same quantities as the men.

We ordered plenty of drinks, and some food as well. Everyone was getting a bit experimental with their beverages; at one point Herbie laid a raspberry lambic beer in front of Dan, and said, "Women drink this." I finished that beer for him. It was pretty good.

As the night wore on, the men got more and more excited, and began having the time of their lives. "We're on vacation," Paul kept repeating as they downed beer after beer and Kristi began hiding her face in shame.
We had the unfortunate luck of having sat ourselves right in front of the bartenders' station; by the end of the night, our table was unofficially known as "Entertainment Central," and we were surrounded by highly amused bartenders, waiters, and patrons alike.
Dan became obsessed with the idea of obtaining another Cuban cigar, and he and Paul decided to make this their mission for the night. They began to question Herbie and another waiter, Tim, a young man Paul met outside during a smoke break. One of the managers of the bar soon became involved (she told Paul that the cigars they had upstairs were old, and could not be sold, though he assured the entire wait staff that this was not an issue), and soon our table was receiving tips on where to find usable cigars- away from the Domus, of course.

Sometime during the evening (I have to admit, after my 8th batida de coco I awoke to find my head somehow wedged in between the booth and Kristi's backside- after that I slept with my arms on the table, forehead resting on top of them) Dan and Paul ventured out on their cigar-seeking adventure and returned to the bar hyper-active and smelling strongly of smoke. They spoke of their adventures at the 'happening' bar down the street, and of how they were planning on returning there to visit their new friends.
Also, they told us, the Domus closes at 2am, while the other bar closed "whenever," according to one of the patrons.

Of course, we (Kristi, Kathy, and I) were not keen on the idea of going to another bar with the drunk guys, after being somewhat sobered by their behavior at the Domus. We told them to go on to the next bar without us, which they did, but only after congratulating Tim, who they had been watching hawkishly from our table while he chatted with a young lady at the bar (he had changed out of his uniform a while before). They praised his 'player skills' while the young woman watched, wide-eyed and fascinated.
Paul also took a moment time to pay the tab before he left, by standing in the middle of the restaurant, whipping out his credit card, and presenting it grandly to Herbie.

Kristi, Kathy, and I sat around for a while after they left, then decided to head back to the hotel sometime around one in the morning. We thanked Herbie and left a nice tip; then, as we scampered quietly towards the door, we heard laughter and the following shouts coming from the bar: "Cigar! Cigar! Hey, I want a cigar!"

Day One: The Jacket

2010-10-22T22:38:00.001+02:00

The hosting duties began at approximately 9:30pm last Friday - our guests arrived on the train from Paris into K-town, and we met them at the station. They didn't have many bags; we stood around for a while chatting before heading back towards the car. It was at this moment that Paul* realized he had left his jacket on board. "I thought it was a bit chilly," he told us as we watched the train speed away.
Fortunately, Paul is known for his exceptional friend-making skills, and he quickly managed to flag down a janitor who kindly escorted us to the Polizei station a block away. Eventually the jacket was found on the train, and arrangements were made to have it returned to our location within the hour. Satisfied with these results, Dan and I decided to take our visitors to the apartment where we were planning on laying out a traditional German supper, to include: various rolls of bread, slices of herb-encrusted salami, ham, salmon, mini-sausages (with cheese in them, yum), Gouda cheese, butterkaese cheese, Maasdammer cheese, and brie, as well as Laughing Cow cream cheese (my new favorite) and some cow-tongue meat, which nobody ate.

Later, as the ladies and I sat and gossiped, Dan and Paul traveled back to the train station to pick up the misplaced jacket; they returned a while later with nothing. Apparently the item was unable to make its transfer at the designated time. The men were instructed to pick the jacket up, in Mannheim, within one week - they decided to pick it up on our way to Munich.
So we all continued talking, finished our supper, discussed our plans for the next day (an overnight trip to Leuven, Belgium), and finally went to sleep at 2am.

* Name changed upon offender's request

In the Heide

2010-10-01T20:56:00.000+02:00

Dan and I went for a walk through the Heide last week; he took me to see some of the places he most enjoys visiting. He is really very passionate about walking outdoors, and loves the fresh air and natural atmosphere - admittedly, none of it was very interesting to me, since the flowers were all gone; thick sand and fallen branches were the only things to catch my eye.
I was reminded of the approach to St. Pete Beach: walking up the hill from the parking lot, over the sand, and towards the water.
Of course, there was nothing beyond the hill in the Heide.

Highlight: View of the Autobahn from the Heide

After a while Dan decided to change course, and he drove us to a different section of the Heide, farther along the road. It was much more 'forest-y' and I found it absolutely amazing:

HALLOWEEN PLANS

10/30: We are planning on visiting Castle Frankenstein and partaking in the annual Halloween Festival, which, to the best of my knowledge, includes a tour of the "haunted" castle. Our schedules may be difficult to work around (we both have to get up early the next day), but we still plan on going, despite that.
A co-worker of mine mentioned recently that the trip may not be worth it (she said it wasn't last year, when she went), but that will be something we can figure out for ourselves.

COUNTDOWN TO GUESTS:

2 weeks until their arrival. Can't wait!

Parking and Holidays in Deutschland

2010-09-11T00:54:00.001+02:00

THINGS I WON'T MISS: PARKING

While driving home last week, I noticed a gaggle of cars parked near the Heide (the local nature preserve), which is just off the road entering our village. It was not too late, just before 4pm, and since the rate of joblessness around here is supposedly pretty high I didn't think much about the large number of people gathered in one spot in the middle of a workday. What I did think about, however, were the amount of cars piled along the sides of the road.
The Heide does not have a large parking area; therefore, numerous vehicles were parked in the adjacent lot, on the sides of the road immediately outside of it, and on the sidewalks in the village. As a result, I had to repeatedly swerve to avoid cars parked throughout the neighborhood.

Some Background Info: Almost immediately after arriving in the country, I realized that Germans are rather fond of parking in the road. Several months ago, Dan and I were sitting at a table in a German Burger King (which featured a relatively large, fully functional parking lot) when I observed the following scenario:

- Woman drives towards Burger King
- Woman disregards parking lot, parks on side of road
- Woman exits vehicle and walks in restaurant, orders coffee
- Cars swerve to avoid parked vehicle in road
- Woman sits and sips coffee
- Woman leaves and reenters vehicle
- Woman drives off
*Diagram below (not drawn to scale)

HOLIDAYS

I've been researching German medical facilities online, since the waiting list to get an appointment on-base is ridiculously long for non- military, retirees, or military spouses. I was close to making a decision when I suddenly decided to check the 'Office Holidays' tab on one site in particular:

German Holidays (Spring/Winter '09)

Easter: April 6 - 17, May 1
Ascension Day: May 21 - 22
Pentecost Monday: June 1
Corpus Christi: June 11 - 12
Summer: July 13 - 24
Fall: October 12 - 23
Christmas: December 21 - January 1

The following statement was, inevitably, present: "Please note - Dates may be subject to changes." Of course.

NEED SOME ENTERTAINMENT?

If you are in the mood to read/view something new, check out my Amazon-backed store, "Lynette's Media Outlet" (on the right, under "Check This Out"). It is stocked with books and movies recommended by me and, eventually, Dan, and will be updated semi-regularly ....maybe.

Plums, Cigars, and... A Horse

2010-09-09T17:37:00.003+02:00

Last week Dan and I drove to Köln - the idea was to visit the (enormous) cathedral there, and then head a bit farther west to Aachen, and Charlemagne's final resting place in the Aachen Cathedral. We didn't get to fully experience either of the sites, however, since we (well, mainly I) discovered that we (again: I) are beginning to suffer from extreme "cathedral fatigue."
So the plans changed slightly, and we traveled to the small town of Sankt Goer, along the Rhein River, and then on to Bacharach, where we had lunch and climbed towards the Burg Stahleck (Stahleck Castle) before heading down again to catch our train back to Sankt Goer and our car (we didn't make it all the way to the castle, unfortunately).

PLUMS AND CIGARS

While in Köln we decided to sample some of the regional cuisine - the seasonal plum kuchen (plum cake), specifically. It didn't appear too appetizing on display in the cafe, and the swarm of bees hovering over the slices weren't much of an incentive to "dig in," but we did.

Example of a Plum Kuchen

While I have become particularly fond of European pastries, I can safely say that the plum kuchen will not be topping my list of favorites anytime soon.

Also, while still in Köln, Dan purchased and later smoked his first Cuban cigar:

He says it may also be his last, but I think the presence of the video camera may have negatively impacted his decision.

WHOA

Dan is constantly discussing and/or sampling food with his co-workers; a while ago, he came home and told me that he had spotted a bag of bread and what he assumed were regular sausages on the table during his lunch break. After being assured that the food was of the communal variety, he helped himself and prepared a sandwich. He noted that the meat was 'simply delicious,' and one of the best things he had ever tasted.
Later he was informed that the meat he had eaten hours earlier was formerly a thriving, galloping, and generally content horse.

PLANS

Wine festival in Bad Dürkheim this weekend? Perhaps.

The Problem with Locked Doors

2010-08-21T23:50:00.003+02:00

I came home on Friday and noticed that Dan's car was parked in it's usual spot- that was a pleasant surprise, since I wasn't expecting him to be home until later. His bookbag and a few other belongings were placed at the top of the stairs, right in front of our doorway.
'Oh, he's getting ready to leave,' I thought to myself.
I opened the door and walked inside, expecting to find Dan at his desk, or standing in the kitchen. He wasn't in either of those places, so I spent the next 5-10 minutes searching the apartment and balconies for him. Then I noticed his wallet and keys on the countertop.

What in the world had happened? I immediately called his phone.

***IN HIS OWN WORDS***

I have a funny story. I was on my way to work, I had everything I needed: phone, lunch, wallet, keys... wait, where are my keys? Yeah, that's the question I asked after I had already closed the door. And the doors here lock immediately. So I couldn't get back inside, I couldn't leave to go to work, I had to make due outside the house for hours on end. It was 7:00 (am) then and Lynette could be home anywhere from 3:00 to 7:00 (pm). So, at least eight hours, and --holy God-- up to twelve. All this without toilet facilities, refrigeration, computer or television.

So I did the first obvious thing. Call Lynette's office. But wait! The number doesn't work? The German-accented voice on the phone informs me that this number doesn't exist. Wunderbar! I'm definitely out of luck now. I call in to work, and naturally they have a good laugh. So I spent the whole day out in the wilderness, away from the comforts of our modern age.

What did I do? I walked. A lot. I estimate, and this is no exaggeration, that I logged a total of six hours walking. My poor legs were liquified when I was liberated from my torment; And I also got sunburned, I kid you not! Here in Germany, where the temperature did not exceed 75 degrees all day. I walked everywhere. I went to the Heide, a nature preserve just outside of town, and spent two hours walking all over it. This is actually the highlight, the silver lining in an otherwise miserable day. It's a beautiful place, and in a future post I'll have to demonstrate that fact with pictures.

The rest of the day involved wandering around Mehlingen (the people must have thought I was a weirdo), and an ill-advised walk to the next town over, where I thought I'd catch a train to Kaiserslautern. I missed the train, and the next one wasn't for an hour, and Lynette could've been home by then. I went home. One hour to walk there. One hour to walk back. I also slept outside our front door on the landing. Surprisingly comfortable, but still lacking dignity. Well, you do what you have to do, right?

Lynette finally made it home around 4:30. I was happy, she was sympathetic. I drank half a bottle of wine that night and just collapsed.

-Dan

*** ***

OH MON DIEU!

In other news...we are planning a trip to Paris next week. Can't wait!

Trier: The Sequel

2010-08-16T21:47:00.000+02:00

The first time Dan and I went to Trier, it was snowing; yesterday, it was raining, but the day turned out pretty well, despite the weather. We (Dan, Heidi, and I) put on our raincoats and ponchos and spent the day shopping at merchants' stalls and watching reenactments of Roman battles and Gladiator fights (the latter was actually a play, which we did not see all of; the combination of rain and not understanding the language drove us away).

The Gladiator play was held in the ruins of the Roman amphitheater - there were numerous signs posted forbidding the use of cameras (which were being used anyway), so we didn't get any footage of that event.
Fortunately, however, we (or rather, Dan) did take plenty of video of the Roman-German battle, reenacted at the Roman baths.

DISCLAIMER: EXTREME CORNINESS AHEAD. PROCEED AT YOUR OWN RISK.

Tasty Food and Whatnot

2010-08-13T21:03:00.011+02:00

A DAY IN THE LIFE (OUR EATING HABITS)

Last week I began craving bread and cheese (specifically, cheddar) again. So Dan brought home a block of cheddar and a pack of his disgusting, beloved cheese, which I thought I had successfully banned from the apartment.

He also brought home two small peaches that he had been telling me about, ones that are grown on the same mountain slope as the grapes of a specific wine (pictured below). I didn't get to eat the peach (I wasn't in the mood, so Dan ate mine instead), but I did hear that they are extremely tasty.

YUM YUM HEALTHY GOODNESS

Wine and Little Peach

Bread and Cheddar

NOT SO MUCH

Gross, Moldy Cheese

Alcohol

Deliciousness

FYI: UPCOMING EVENTS

This weekend we are heading back to Trier (the Roman ruins); there is going to be a parade and reenactments (to include a Gladiator fight in the amphitheater, plus a battle or two) throughout the area.

Luxembourg Recap

2010-08-06T22:55:00.000+02:00

We took a trip to Luxembourg earlier this week; Dan planned an excursion full of cathedrals (the Notre Dame Cathedral in Luxembourg), fortresses (Luxembourg casemates and Burg Nanstein in Landstuhl, Germany), palaces (Grand Ducal Palace), and the Luxembourg American Cemetery and Memorial. It was all very interesting and beautiful.

The drive took approximately 90 minutes, and it was very interesting as well:

(Approaching a tunnel)

DAN: Man, this looks like the entrance to hell or something.
ME: (Thinking) Hades is a place, not a person, right?
DAN: What?
ME: Hades? It's a place?
DAN: Haiti?
ME: Hades? Hades. H-A-D-E-S.
DAN: Haiti? What?
ME: Hades! The place! Hades! Hades!
DAN: What?
ME: Hades! H-A-D-E-S! HADES!!
DAN: Haiti? Oh, H-A-D-E-S? (Not thinking) Hay-dez? What are you talking about?
ME: Omigod, Dan...
DAN: Why are you asking me about Haiti? Of course it's a place.
ME: Dan!
DAN: Haiti?
ME: Omigosh...
DAN: Huh?
ME: Hades! H-A-D-E-S. Hades, Dan! Hades!
DAN: Oh, HADES! Ha, ha.
ME: Oh man, you suck!

The Usual Suspects

2010-07-31T23:56:00.000+02:00

I like to drive fast. Dan doesn't (well, not on par with my standards, usually); so when a ticket arrived in his mailbox a few weeks ago, I was generally surprised, and more than a little amused:

Dan's Ticket Photo

Unfortunately, I wasn't laughing for long.

My Ticket Photo

The tickets were only 15€ each (the standard warning fee), but I think the embarrassment of having the photographs mailed to our supervisors and passed around various offices (in my case, at least) is a perfect demonstration of the penalty the Polizei would have undoubtedly preferred to impose.

Above all Else

2010-07-25T14:17:00.009+02:00

Dan and I are buckling down and beginning to make lists for the places we would most like to see...we originally planned to leave in September, but have postponed our departure to sometime next year, possibly March.

There are definitely things I will not miss about this place - the straightforward ("rude," in my opinion) manner of the Germans, for example - but I will miss certain things: the autobahn, the bakeries (Dan will be having serious bread withdrawals), and possibly the snow (but not being in the snow).
And there is one thing I will, without a doubt, be yearning for once we are home:

Creamy, Delicious Greek-Style Yogurt

I'd never heard of this until a co-worker mentioned it a few months ago; now that we've tasted the difference, Dan and I find it very difficult to eat regular yogurt (he still buys it sometimes, when he can't find the above in-stock).
It does taste a bit familiar, though...hopefully we can find something similar in Florida?