New Year's Run

My first run of the new year. I also added more pictures to the previous slide show, the order is newest to oldest. Meaning at the end will be Christmas.

Germany 2011 Pt.2

More Germany- Now from Jill's area.

Christmas Run

Spent the day with the Brackett's & Tillman's in Germany. Since I went to the Protestant service with them and then the Catholic service I was in church for about 3hrs today. Got to watch the kids open their presents- Joy liked my present best! 


I love going on my Christmas run, it gives me a chance to think about all my family and friends whom I am not with this Christmas. I also quietly enjoy some time rejoicing in the birth of Jesus- maybe not too quietly since I take my iPod and listen to my favorite Christmas songs.

Christmas Eve

At the Bracketts, with baby Joy!

Switzerland

Had so much fun in Basel today!! I don't have my laptop with me so I can't post the pictures yet. I did take a TON and am super excited to get them up. Tomorrow we are heading into France, YAY.

PS Don't worry Elizabeth, you will be lots of chocolate.  :)

Monica's Neighborhood (& Renata's)

Went for a walk around Monica's neighborhood. She lives in a great part of the city, walking distance to downtown and lots of great shopping. Our next stops will be southern Germany, Switzerland, and France!! Can't wait to hit the road.


UPDATE: Pictures of Renata's neighborhood added (Monica's aunt in southern Germany)

Praha (aka Prague)

The castle was amazing!

New life goal: Become a princess and insist on castle with central heating. (That place was COLD)

Munich

Was exactly the way I imagined it! Right when we got the end of the first block I suddenly felt very "Catholic". Took me a minute to figure out why, there was a great big church with statues all over celebrating Mass right then. In less then 5 min walk we entered two other BEAUTIFUL Catholic Churches. One of them had a tall bell tower we were allowed to climb all the way to the top. The view was magnificent! Ben and I counted at least 8 clock towers from just one vantage point, who knows how many we would have found if we had counted all the way around.

The center of the city square looks just like it does in the movies. I was half expecting, all the way HOPING, to see Jason Bourne go running though center. No such luck, only the regular tourists. There were a lot of tourists, especially considering we were there on a Sunday and not a single store was opened. The only things open were cafes and bars.

We went to the famous beer hall in the center of town. We had pretzels, bread, and cheese... and BEER. (I am the only one who had beer.) It was so much fun with the band playing and everyone crowded in. Have I mentioned yet that I really enjoy the grown up men in Germany. They are full size there! Almost all were taller than I am, it was great.

Dachau

Visited Dachau, the concentration camp, which now stands a memorial to the people who lost their lives there. We were only there for 3hrs but it felt much longer. There are no words to describe the horror that lingers in the air, that's seeped into the earth, and felt within the buildings.

Day 7- Dachau

Altomünster

Went down to Altomünster to visit Dachau and Munich. The drive there and back was fun, it was only about 2.5hrs. Oscar, Monica's GPS devise, took us on a couple of scenic detours but always got us were we wanted to go. I am constantly amazed by the number of Catholic Churches there are around Germany, small, large, simple, or ornate. It is wonderful to ask where the nearest Mass will be held and they point across the street! Almost as frequent as the Churches are the number of hops fields there are- we were apparently traveling through the "Beer Mug" of Germany. (Yes there are lots of pictures of fields, but there are other things too!)

Christmas Eve & Day

Christmas Eve Mass was beautiful! The church was so old and cold but so amazingly beautiful. The service ended they turned out all the lights so only the candles on the trees & alter were lit. Then we sang Silent Night, they sang in German but I quietly sang along in English. I love the Catholic Mass, no matter where I am in the world I can go and understand exactly what is happening.

Weiden

A life size Advent calendar in the center of Weiden at the Christmas Market.

The evening ended with some wonderful German desserts! Ben had the damphnudeln covered in vanilla sauce while I had a waffle with powedered surgar and caramel. (I am still surprised that at the Christmas Markets -all outdoors- they give you real plates, forks, and spoons, very rarely do give you diposable anything)

Nuremberg

We went to Nuremberg where there is the one of largest Christmas Markets (possibly THE largest). One thing I could not get over were all these dolls made of PRUNES and walnuts for heads. Not to mention they were all always looking in the same direction. CREEPY! And they were all over the place. Apparently they are traditional but still ...

I did actually eat the bratwurst with sauerkraut and mustard. It was pretty tasty and was excited to take part in a very traditional German custom. However 30 minutes later I was reminded as to why I am a vegetarian. (Not too fun.)

For the rest of pictures go HERE.

Netzaberg

Monday began with another German breakfast, fresh baked bread is probably one of my favorite things ever. From there we took the autobahn to Monica's very large very nice German house. We stopped by base and went to the nearby Christmas Market. Lots of snow everywhere but I am adjusting to needing at least 5 layers with/on me at all times.

Heidelberg

I arrived in Frankfurt at 5:15 am and was in Heidelberg by 8am. Breakfast was huge wonderful event, breads, meats, cheeses, veggies, jams, and pickles. Monica’s family is so nice and welcoming, Anneliese & Guenter (aunt and uncle). After breakfast we went to the local monastery where they brew their own beer and have a little Christmas market. While there I got to have my first cup of mulled wine, the first of many come- I hope. Then we returned to house and had a traditional German lunch (or dinner as they call it). We had beef rolled around pickles and cheese with mashed potatoes and red cabbage.

After lunch we stopped by Heidelberg Army base where they have a Jesus Land(?). If it wasn’t snowing and so cold we would have gone into it so I can’t tell what Jesus Land is all about. From there we headed to the main Christmas Market.

The Christmas Market was so FABULOUS! So many stalls with tons of fun German things and from around the world. We began with another cup of the wonderful mulled wine (or Glowing Wine), Ben had hot cocoa. There were so many people there despite the snow, making the whole atmosphere festive and exciting. I would describe more but I think the pictures tell a much better story than I could.

My first day ended when my eyes refused to stay open any longer (8pm). Looking forward to tomorrow.