tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-62111463856233103992024-02-07T22:28:47.348+01:00The Wurst YearsAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10707714659880079791noreply@blogger.comBlogger61125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6211146385623310399.post-55791780620876674572013-12-25T10:32:00.001+01:002013-12-25T10:32:21.301+01:00Morroco, Portugal, The Canaries and SpainOne thing us Corry's have a hard time with every year since we've lived in Germany is the weather. It's nasty. As I write this, my family in California is going through a cold snap. Colder than it is here right now, in fact. It's not necessarily the cold that I have a hard time with, but the lack of sunlight. This area of Germany is the darkest part of the country. Last winter was our darkest in a long time. I added up the total hours of actual sunlight last winter and it totaled 8 days of sunlight over the entire season combined. That usually means that the sun was able to peek out just a few minutes, or an hour or two if we were lucky, a few times a week if that. During this time, we are just not at our emotional best. Most people in this area will admit that January and February time is "hibernation" time. Many of us stay inside and when folks interact with each other, we are all just a little grumpier. I remember when we first arrived here in Germany. It was November and we were riding the shuttle from our plane to baggage claim at the Frankfurt airport. A German man commented, "It's really a shame that you arrived this time of year". Little did we know how right he was!<br />
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<a href="http://www.sparkpeople.com/resource/wellness_articles.asp?id=341" target="_blank">Besides all of the precautions one needs to take to avoid weather depression</a>, this year we decided to do something a little more about it. We took advantage of a deal that Norwegian Cruise Line had put together. For the fall season, kids sailed free. Many cruise lines have these deals going on. I believe (the infamous) Costa Cruise Line is a company that has great deals. So, this Thanksgiving (and Hanukkah) we extended the sunshine a bit and cruised down south where the weather is still a little warmer. It was a 9 day cruise that departed from Barcelona and had port visits in Morocco, the Canary Islands, a Portuguese Island, and Malaga, Spain. <br />
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<u><b>It makes "cents" to shop around and do a little homework.</b></u><b> </b>We spent 1 day in Barcelona before departing. Most folks would assume that we took a Ryanair flight but it turns out that most of the time, the Ryanair flight schedules tend to be out of sync with our cruise schedule in Spain. So, instead we took another discount flight (<a href="http://www.iberia.com/de?gclid=CI2w3MabyLsCFc1V3godqFAA4A" target="_blank">Iberia</a>). This flight had more generous rules when it came to baggage weights and sizes. Also, we were leaving from Frankfurt International to Barcelona International. The drive up to Frankfurt sucked because of traffic but because it was the International airport, there were tons of discount parking areas for us to use. We used <a href="https://www.autohotel.org/index.php?lang=en" target="_blank">Tourcare</a>. We were very happy with this company. For 56 Euro, they provided shuttle service to the airport and for almost 2 weeks of covered parking, this was MUCH cheaper than paying the airport rate. <br />
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<u><b>Like our Summer Mediterranean cruise, the ship departed from Barcelona,
Spain.</b></u><b> </b>I really, really love Barcelona. It reminds us so much of our adopted hometown of San Diego. I will do a shameless plug right
now and beg the Navy to offer my husband a job in Spain! We went with
another family on this cruise. The mother (my good friend) knows
Spanish well. All of us know Spanish well enough to read most menu
items, order, and find out how much things cost. It felt really good to
know the language. A small tip to getting around with a family. If taking public transportation, check with the metro or train information area (AKA an actual person), or check online before visiting the city to see if there is a family ticket or something more economical to purchase. For the Barcelona metro, we purchased a T-10 ticket for each member of our family. This covered 10 round trips. This was much cheaper than buying a new ticket for each destination. We were even able to use this same ticket when we returned from our cruise and needed to get to our return flight. We had seen most of the popular places in Barcelona already but something new we were able to enjoy was the <a href="http://www.boqueria.info/index.php?lang=en" target="_blank">Boqueria Market.</a> If one would like to experience the sites smells and tastes of Northern Africa and Europe blended together, this is it! For a foodie like myself, this was truly a treat to see. Go there for breakfast they have a fabulous variety of fresh fruit juices and smoothies. <br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh00WOaIZ904zRKZoAsb_JgkBxwo4lUWVS874wMDvCwWvglrrt2V1xanEeNvBlosGw7p_1MUc4LFViIJ-JKzU4f8jqBLG9_7ps3jJAKzG72z4u0d24nbplEf-Vcy8sXT2qQ0wilGYQTOywE/s1600/_MG_2741.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh00WOaIZ904zRKZoAsb_JgkBxwo4lUWVS874wMDvCwWvglrrt2V1xanEeNvBlosGw7p_1MUc4LFViIJ-JKzU4f8jqBLG9_7ps3jJAKzG72z4u0d24nbplEf-Vcy8sXT2qQ0wilGYQTOywE/s400/_MG_2741.jpg" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Boqueria Market, Barcelona</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<u><b>Our first stop was Morocco.</b></u> I have to say ultimately, I was not impressed with this destination. We thought we had read up and done our homework but it was still not that fantastic. I'd like to think I'm a pretty positive person. This was probably the worst city I've visited while living in Europe. It's really, really cool to say that we've been to Africa. That's about it. I have nothing really to recommend here. If we did it over again, we would have probably skipped a tour of any kind and just walked to one of the local nearby markets for an hour or so. <br />
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<u><b>Following Morocco was a day at Sea and then Funchal, Portugal on Madeira.</b></u> We love Portugal. Portugal is completely laid back. The Portuguese are completely welcoming and warm. My favorite is the pottery and linens. The absolute most fantastic thing about cruising with a family is being able to utilize the ship's Kids Club. This means mom and dad get to go to port while the kids enjoy the ship--they really would rather be on the ship! The kids club is really a ton of fun. They meet all kinds of other kids and sometimes create great friendships. One major bummer was that NCL only offered care for children two years and older. So our friends didn't have care for their just-under 2 year old. We love their toddler; but just wish there was a babysitter or some kind of option for them to get some grown up time together. <br />
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<u><b>Then it was on to Arrecife....uh oh! Rough day at sea threw a wrench in our plans and we ended up going to Santa Cruz.</b></u> This was a much larger and busier island than Madeira. Great part about the Canaries, just about everyone speaks Spanish here! We only had several hours to spend here so unfortunately we could really only enjoy the shopping area and a light snack. If we had more time, we might have taken the children to see <a href="http://www.loroparque.com/" target="_blank">Loro Park</a>. Of course recently... we just watched <a href="http://blackfishmovie.com/" target="_blank">Blackfish</a>. If we had seen this movie before going on our cruise we might not have gone to see the Orcas.<br />
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After another day at sea, we were back to mainland Europe. <u><b>Our final and my favorite stop was Malaga, Spain.</b></u><b> </b>Malaga is simply a beautiful city. The home of <a href="http://www.museopicassomalaga.org/index.cfm" target="_blank">Pablo Picasso</a> and many other famous artists, this clean and elegant city was a joy to visit. So much of the city still has it's Moorish influence. The streets and shops were extremely clean. Well worth the visit and if Mike and I could, we'd go back to spend more time there. There was a fantastic juice, smoothie and coffee bar we stopped at on our stroll through the main strip. <a href="https://www.facebook.com/elultimomono.jc" target="_blank">El Ultimo Mono Juice & Coffee</a>. For anyone out there looking to get a little travel detox healthiness in you, this was the place. Fantastic blends of fruits and greens YUM! Mike was also the awesome husband that he is and purchased some beautiful earrings for me at<a href="http://www.etsy.com/shop/pebblesandchance" target="_blank"> Pebbles & Chance</a>. Click on their name for a link to their Etsy page. These are completely unique and handmade. Camilla & Abi Cherry are sisters that make the items. As one of the sisters told Mike, "We are very busy" I don't doubt it!<br />
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Overall, this was a great cruise. I can't ever say that I've had a horrible cruise. Although there are naysayers out there who may comment things like, 'On a cruise you just can't get the real authentic feel of a place' or, 'your just a tourist' this is true to some extent. But honestly with young children and traveling, spending time in destinations and experience everywhere "like a local" is just hard to accomplish as a young family. Not impossible but difficult. We are on a limited budget and have limited time. For us, going on cruises is an economical and timely way of getting a taste of everything on our bucket list while we are here in Europe. It gives our children a chance to enjoy the traveling and hopefully have fond stress free memories of our destinations as well. Children are children they like their creature comforts. Have a semi regular place to lay their heads in the evening and knowing that they can enjoy some familiar foods is nice and creates less stress on everyone. <br />
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<u><b>A couple little complaints for NCL</b>.</u> We would have really appreciated getting some basic information on our destination days. A small leaflet included a map and a few restaurant and shopping recommendations slipped into our Daily Freestyle newsletter would have been extremely helpful. Also, available babysitting for children under the age of 2 would have been fantastic! The small lectures on the destinations was not very helpful either. Although, I appreciated a brief history of the location we were going to, information on transportation, tipping, where to shop, where to eat and general navigation of a port should be the priority of these talks. The food on the Norwegian Spirit was not the best. We were previously on the Norwegian Epic and experienced a much better dining experience. That being said the staff was excellent as always and everything was clean and well maintained. The Kids Club was so much fun for our boys and they loved being able to perform in the circus for their parents and cruise patrons. Stay tuned for pictures! If our readers are in the market for a good cruise, Norwegian really should be at the top of the list. <br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10707714659880079791noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6211146385623310399.post-35881844396903818222013-11-19T22:35:00.001+01:002013-11-19T22:39:11.335+01:00Praha<i>To view all photos from our Prague holiday, <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/82939556@N00/sets/72157637851913725/" target="_blank">click here</a>.</i><br />
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Not sure if anyone has noticed... but we haven't posted in a while. There a lot of things going on in our lives right now and in a lot of ways, Europe or, Germany was not what we thought it was going to be. We really thought we were going to be traveling all the time. Seeing a new site every weekend... that kind of thing. Then reality hit us like a smack to the---well, you get my drift. Although it hasn't been what we thought, we have been really blessed to see what we've seen. Don't want to come out sounding like a downer. <br />
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The hardest thing for us to swallow is the price tag. Stuff is expensive here. Not everything, I really think everyday stuff isn't too bad. There are a lot of folks who might disagree with me but I really think once one gets the hang of things, they can find things on the cheap. I think I've blogged about this before but I may need to add a tip or two in there. The "expensive" part is the traveling part. Getting around isn't as budget friendly as we thought it would be. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipGYMCyyOhjPwLtZrG8ivEB3EZmLDoTj1MgBGBQLa8gLLGPoXcK55w-nxhdze8PAlQFZdME2yenXQvp4HONt7DUrMOcqyL7yvTMZFXWv5LNePVHVHSVsC0EA7MPShUVr-BDjE-Omd0SJPL/s1600/_MG_2589.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipGYMCyyOhjPwLtZrG8ivEB3EZmLDoTj1MgBGBQLa8gLLGPoXcK55w-nxhdze8PAlQFZdME2yenXQvp4HONt7DUrMOcqyL7yvTMZFXWv5LNePVHVHSVsC0EA7MPShUVr-BDjE-Omd0SJPL/s320/_MG_2589.jpg" width="320" /></a>Recently, we visited a city that was friendly on the wallet and a fabulous place to experience: Prague, or as the locals call it, Praha. <br />
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I'll preface this by writing that I really hope I don't offend anyone out there. Please gather comfort in the thought that I am being honest and naive in my writings. Slowly but surely I hope the reader can understand that I am learning as I go. <br />
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I have to be honest, I wasn't really all that thrilled about the idea of visiting Prague. Even with all of our friends raving about how wonderful it was. Prague is in the Czech Republic. <b>Eastern Europe... when I think of Eastern Europe </b>things like Heavy Metal (which I actually enjoy but it can be dark and scary), the movies "Dracula" & "Black Hawk Down" spring into my brain. Rest assured, Prague couldn't be further from this stereotype. <br />
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<b>Our family decided to drive. </b>From where we live (in the Kaiserslautern area) it took us a little over 5 hours to get there. At about an hour before the border, we decided we should stop for some dinner... there was literally nowhere on the A6 (stretch of autobahn) to stop. A word to the wise, if it's close to meal time and you've got kidlets, be sure to stop around or before Nuremberg for a bite. There are rest stops but no eateries for about an hour past this point. Once we crossed over the Czech border, about 20 minutes in, there was a Shell Gas station and McDonalds...yes, we eat at Mickey D's when we are traveling. Get over it. We have kids. <br />
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We arrived in Prague in the evening. <b>We stayed at the <a href="http://www.amigo-hotel.cz/?lang=en" target="_blank">Hotel Amigo</a>. </b> This was a great place. The price we paid for 3 nights in a suite (3 bedrooms and 1 bathroom) is equivalent to what we would have paid for 2 nights in a basic hotel in a major city in the States. The suite was clean and included breakfast (fresh fruit, veggies, Muesli, bread, scrambled eggs, bacon, etc.). Hotel Amigo was located very close to the city center. Easy for us to catch the metro to wherever we wanted to go. Again, this place was very reasonable. Parking ended up being 19 Euro a day, but even at that price the overall room cost was cheap. Not too different than many other hotel prices for parking in a city. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7lhbVdrzJLrVrzPGYCOO2xyHXHzzylyGUxgOPE8qk-4pEyIkN9aJRe3tQz5WAnGPRBj6AE8U9rkgk7s21fXU6B0RwEJmdWhY1mdSgbIaBiOecb0JVtFsnNfK6cKl8DZnebMgiUXbxAgYr/s1600/_MG_2545.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7lhbVdrzJLrVrzPGYCOO2xyHXHzzylyGUxgOPE8qk-4pEyIkN9aJRe3tQz5WAnGPRBj6AE8U9rkgk7s21fXU6B0RwEJmdWhY1mdSgbIaBiOecb0JVtFsnNfK6cKl8DZnebMgiUXbxAgYr/s320/_MG_2545.jpg" width="320" /></a><b>Our first day </b>was spent in the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Josefov" target="_blank">Jewish Quarter</a>. This was fascinating. Prague has an incredibly rich Jewish history dating back to the 13th century. Also, the oldest intact synagogue in Europe is located here. Even if you're not Jewish, this is a historic gem. An absolute must see. Like any tourist, I absolutely had to get my <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Golem" target="_blank">Golem</a>.<br />
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We were able to get weekend tickets at the Metro information booth. I believe for 3 days it was around 15 Euros a ticket. <b>Using the metro, which by the way, is very easy to navigate, </b>we headed to a mall where there was plenty of places to eat. Also, there were a ton of little stands selling street food. <b>Czech street food and drink</b> during the winter consists of hot wine (honey wine and black currant YUM!) dark beer, sausages, roasted ham (also assorted plates of mixed ham with potatoes), fresh fried potato chips, potato pancakes with saurkraut (they were about the size of my head!) crepes, and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trdeln%C3%ADk" target="_blank">trdelník.</a><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNPa3CWTmszHrraZbK-jE0E3CjFZrSxVI3KaHy9aVTRB21Wrag3rab45rL71kaVwEodYNgyezSeyEDzDudq0u2ie6FEn0XnQtTo1aIlfNBFPrZouwCKAu4w4wHepDgZURUS2lqHD6Ep1Zj/s1600/_MG_2630.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNPa3CWTmszHrraZbK-jE0E3CjFZrSxVI3KaHy9aVTRB21Wrag3rab45rL71kaVwEodYNgyezSeyEDzDudq0u2ie6FEn0XnQtTo1aIlfNBFPrZouwCKAu4w4wHepDgZURUS2lqHD6Ep1Zj/s320/_MG_2630.jpg" width="212" /></a>By our second day, all we needed to see was the <b>astronomical clock</b>. This is the 3rd oldest astronical clock in the world and the oldest one that is still working. Over 600 years old. You know what they called "America" back then? Nothing! Because Columbus hadn't even found it yet! Joshua really got a kick out of this. In fact we all did. This was truly a treasure to experience. Be sure to watch it go off at the top of the hour.<br />
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We ended up having a little more time than we thought we would have so we took a detour to the <b>Bone Church or, more appropriately the <a href="http://www.outsideprague.com/kutna_hora/bone_church.html" target="_blank">Sedlec Ossuary</a></b>. We were so glad that we did the drive, about an hour outside of Prague in Kutna Hora. This small chapel was built in the 1200's. The abbot of the monastery took a trip to the holy land and returned with dirt that he sprinkled on the property. Because of this, it became a popular place to be buried. Sadly, because of the plague and brutal war, the chapel was burdened with too many burials. There are several stories as to why the bones became a visible part of the church, but somewhere over 40,000 people are part of this church. After seeing the church, we did a little shopping and lunch where we dined at a local restaurant and drank local wine and beer. Czech beer is fabulous! Their wines are sweet and wonderful as well. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWXWIRAk3djtPCvTO84ongwCnH1LxPDsUkHZhVcbrfmRuNamPgBtmDTwIQAClwfSrkDLa5KIpuDnd5IWUvuKj3c2eIfAN9_jh4g_xTF3XkyGUU_bi0a8OHxMAawc65J1e9aHWsyYW4tax_/s1600/_MG_2695.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWXWIRAk3djtPCvTO84ongwCnH1LxPDsUkHZhVcbrfmRuNamPgBtmDTwIQAClwfSrkDLa5KIpuDnd5IWUvuKj3c2eIfAN9_jh4g_xTF3XkyGUU_bi0a8OHxMAawc65J1e9aHWsyYW4tax_/s200/_MG_2695.jpg" width="200" /></a>3 nights was a perfect amount to have a relaxing tour of the city and outskirts. We didn't feel too rushed. Of course, if we wanted to push it hard we would have been able to see much more, but really, these were the most important things we wanted to do and we wanted to have a laid back kind of time. <br />
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<b>The Czech people are incredibly welcoming and warm.</b> The art and music culture thrives here. Like most northern European places the majority of folks know English so it's easy to communicate. We felt incredibly safe and comfortable while touring. There are tons of things to do and shop! Prices are reasonable and the food & drink is divine! A must see if touring in the area. <br />
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For more info check out<a href="http://www.ricksteves.com/tvr/pragczechrse207_scr.htm" target="_blank"> Rick Steves' </a>site. Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10707714659880079791noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6211146385623310399.post-6287623987570293912013-08-18T21:13:00.000+02:002013-08-18T21:13:05.522+02:00Bad Sobernheim Barefoot Path<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUX77zc1WXAqKYvnTTX9s_gD3a2QxF9XGvv5uTkzbDe_3J6S61Qvleu0sGXvf3Y3SeKjFzxRsFddMecGq2CaiE_Ipb93H2YacAE7nZt_VcsULSQUBqsfoFtpKXPK0YrwN1uIOZ_fEkWNak/s1600/_MG_2018.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUX77zc1WXAqKYvnTTX9s_gD3a2QxF9XGvv5uTkzbDe_3J6S61Qvleu0sGXvf3Y3SeKjFzxRsFddMecGq2CaiE_Ipb93H2YacAE7nZt_VcsULSQUBqsfoFtpKXPK0YrwN1uIOZ_fEkWNak/s200/_MG_2018.jpg" width="132" /></a>A year or so ago, Nicki and Josh took a trip up to Bad Sobernheim to hike the <a href="http://www.barfusspark.info/en/park.htm" target="_blank">Barefoot Path</a>. Joshua had so much fun, he couldn't wait to go back. Nicki... not so much. So over the following months, Joshua periodically asked if I could take him up there again. Today was the day; and it was just Joshua and me - a little father/son hang out time.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhw1ofR0Q5GamcJariWzyDZSH8riYyDIz1OkJ2o4t-Knlr7OYVHWQ_S_0rLs1YghdDBgKg07anZ4Q3o4nNcw7lcaoeqecOqpz0F3s9CipqCmseNiFTl4vbjHEFFN9tEVQKexJcVDr4Ekbxe/s1600/_MG_2032.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhw1ofR0Q5GamcJariWzyDZSH8riYyDIz1OkJ2o4t-Knlr7OYVHWQ_S_0rLs1YghdDBgKg07anZ4Q3o4nNcw7lcaoeqecOqpz0F3s9CipqCmseNiFTl4vbjHEFFN9tEVQKexJcVDr4Ekbxe/s200/_MG_2032.jpg" width="133" /></a>Bad Sobernheim is located along the Nahe River, about an hour and a half from Kaiserslautern. The park, as you can read in the above link, is one of many that has popped up in Europe over the last decade or two, for the enjoyment of people who would like to walk without shoes in a natural environment. The concept isn't entirely foreign to me. While living in San Diego, if I wasn't at work, I was either in flip flops or barefoot.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNqfLl9RtAKIX7KVJJBAVR38QnUV-S2gxeiQ0ID4MCLD12bAkGVo64AWZFtRw1RqEmmm9LF0ARFGMDJvwYjsxT2mo1Zcvp6xCKbCBPx5FrWPkgEHE8vDyAd4zd3RDpRASESXiqmh90PGDC/s1600/_MG_2043.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNqfLl9RtAKIX7KVJJBAVR38QnUV-S2gxeiQ0ID4MCLD12bAkGVo64AWZFtRw1RqEmmm9LF0ARFGMDJvwYjsxT2mo1Zcvp6xCKbCBPx5FrWPkgEHE8vDyAd4zd3RDpRASESXiqmh90PGDC/s200/_MG_2043.jpg" width="133" /></a>The trip up to Bad Sobernheim is scenic! The town is nowhere near an autobahn, so we weaved our way through fields, hills, and riversides to get there. Even saw a deer crossing the road in one spot. Upon arrival, we got a little lost. My GPS was set for the bahnhofstrasse (train station street) and I must have missed the signs for the park that were mentioned in other people's websites. Rain was also pouring pretty hard at this point, so I wasn't a happy camper. We stopped at the train station parking lot and found a town map. Between that and calling Nicki for some further guidance, we were able to reset the GPS to get closer to the park entrance. In case you're interested, the address below will get you on the correct street heading towards the park, just keep going straight on the street from there and you'll dead end at the parking lot.<br />
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GPS Address for Bad Sobernheim Barefoot Park:<br />
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M<span class="st">ünchwiesen 44</span><br />
<span class="st">55566 Bad Sobernheim</span><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyJ8wkprA2kE7jSQnhXHe3VQs8eYadx9tBoFC570DjQAQYHSzOZjd0x2fDs6T3Inu402NuMM7QRD9PhV5M7qZQzJqdn7SDnhNa3GGZX2KVeqHaxgWuBSj9xWsdomVezgzXfCUR55xq7f-t/s1600/_MG_2118.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyJ8wkprA2kE7jSQnhXHe3VQs8eYadx9tBoFC570DjQAQYHSzOZjd0x2fDs6T3Inu402NuMM7QRD9PhV5M7qZQzJqdn7SDnhNa3GGZX2KVeqHaxgWuBSj9xWsdomVezgzXfCUR55xq7f-t/s200/_MG_2118.jpg" width="133" /></a><span class="st"><br /></span>
<span class="st">When we arrived, the rain fell for a few more minutes before tapering off. We purchased tickets, which were </span><span class="st"><span class="st">€</span>3,50 for adults and </span><span class="st">€2,00 for children (3-17 y.o.). The hike is about 3.5 km (2.2 miles) and is an absolutely fun and enjoyable journey. </span><br />
<span class="st"><br /></span>
<span class="st">I had a great time just hanging out with Joshua, walking, talking and joking around. Next time, we may bring Sam along so he can experience it too (he loved the photos we took...), but it was nice to have some one-on-one time just with Joshua. </span><br />
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If you're interested in the complete set of photos, <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/82939556@N00/sets/72157635122833653/" target="_blank">click here</a>. Disclaimer: If you don't like to see pictures of feet, don't click through. There's lots of feet... and filthy ones at that!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10707714659880079791noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6211146385623310399.post-69639348363440524482013-04-16T14:08:00.001+02:002013-08-26T08:42:05.951+02:00AlnaturaWhat happens when you're a little more hard core health food nut then what your average grocer can provide? It's a little tough to answer this question when living abroad...but possible. <br />
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There are a couple things that I haven't been able to find at the Commissary on post or at the local grocer. I found Nutritional Yeast at the Landstuhl Reformhaus but I wanted to look for some other things too and do a little price comparison shopping. I was intrigued (well, maybe more like "green with envy and drooling") when a friend posted that she was able to get Rinder Schinken (Cured Beef similar to Spanish Cured Ham) at the natural food's store Alnatura. Also, sometimes the commissary just is out of the healthy stuff. (I tend to be a conspiracy theorist about this subject)<br />
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I had heard the buzz about this store from others but finally decided to take a drive there myself and check it out. This morning I set out armed with my year 2006 GPS. Well, after an hour of the GPS and me trying to find the place, I gave up (temporarily). Sammy had had it and I had to get him to school. It was such a thorn in my side that I couldn't find it. I just had to try again. I gave up my workout time (Such a sacrifice!) and headed out again. This time, I had Google maps directions as well. So, because of construction and the fact that downtown Kaiserslautern is an evil place (I don't know if the road construction will ever stop).....I got lost still. I was so turned around and side tracked that I got flashed! AG! Speeding ticket to arrive in a month or two in the mail. Despite all of the cosmic vibes trying to bring me down, I found it! <br />
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For people looking for a little more variety or, who are very conscious of what they are eating (for allergies or other health reasons), this place is for you. For people who want to really save money....eh, not so much. The food, tea, coffee, lotions and potions here are almost all if not all organic, free trade, and or cruelty free. I spotted Baluga, Red and Yellow Lentils beside the regular ones. They have red Quinoa, chia seeds, soy, almond, rice, and hazelnut milk, all the nut butters one could imagine and yes, my beloved my Rinder Schinken! They now have tiny beef sausages as well. For a kosher gal living in a world of pork this is heaven! Rinder Schinken is lovely on it's own or, wrapped around some melon. <br />
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<a href="https://maps.google.com/maps?oe=utf-8&client=firefox-a&ie=UTF-8&q=Alnatura+Kaiserslautern&fb=1&gl=us&hq=Alnatura&hnear=0x479612b9168c0e31:0xa686b1e52337cb89,Kaiserslautern,+Germany&cid=0,0,7303873206867537245&ei=Ij9tUd3YGY7Eswa6yYGwDA&ved=0CLwBEPwSMAA" target="_blank">If you'd like a link to where Alnatura Kaiserslautern is located click here</a><br />
<a href="http://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&sl=de&u=http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rinderschinken&prev=/search%3Fq%3DWhat%2Bis%2BRinder%2BSchinken%253F%26hl%3Den%26biw%3D1440%26bih%3D750&sa=X&ei=QzttUbKAHMjYsgaHlIHwDQ&ved=0CDcQ7gEwAA" target="_blank"><br /></a>
<a href="http://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&sl=de&u=http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rinderschinken&prev=/search%3Fq%3DWhat%2Bis%2BRinder%2BSchinken%253F%26hl%3Den%26biw%3D1440%26bih%3D750&sa=X&ei=QzttUbKAHMjYsgaHlIHwDQ&ved=0CDcQ7gEwAA" target="_blank">More about Rinder Schinken? Click here</a>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10707714659880079791noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6211146385623310399.post-68254192940527634242012-11-26T16:30:00.001+01:002012-12-05T19:54:48.101+01:00Adventures in Crunch LandMaybe it's that I'm getting older or, cheaper.....I'm not quite sure
what's bringing this all on but I find myself becoming more and more like a
cruncher. A California tree huggin' granola cruncher to be exact. Okay, not so
much granola these days....I prefer oatmeal, but I'll digress.<br />
<br />
Along with finding my Reine soda today, I also came across my favorite Kappus soap, discoverd yet another type of store, and learned a little tidbit of information along the way.<br />
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Other than the fact that Kappus Honig Glyzerin Seife smells just like honey, it's very mild on the skin and for 3 bars it's about 1.50 Euro. I couldn't find much information on this product except on the shopping.com site:<br />
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<a href="https://encrypted-tbn2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQfCs1k_wvBSh8gB58eO_sUXL2in2BWD7mJz4I21CnNNIHPv58hIQ" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" class="rg_hi uh_hi" data-height="275" data-width="183" height="275" id="rg_hi" src="https://encrypted-tbn2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQfCs1k_wvBSh8gB58eO_sUXL2in2BWD7mJz4I21CnNNIHPv58hIQ" style="height: 275px; width: 183px;" width="183" /></a></div>
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<div style="text-align: left;">
<i>'This 3 pack of soap is made of a mild formulation of honey that is
highly beneficial for skin. They are 100 % biodegradable and are made
with 72 % organic vegetable based oils. The natural fatty acids and
organic oils used will keep your skin luxuriously moisturized. Kappus
also mills their soaps 6 times to ensure a longer lasting bar of soap.
Kappus glycerin soap is non aggressive and hypoallergenic to most types
of skin, and they are not tested on animals. Axel Kraft International
Honey Soap'
</i><br />
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I really, really love bar soap. I use scrubby gloves in the shower with
my bar soap and it's my favorite way to go. The added benefit is that
it's better for the environment. Liquid soap requires more packaging
and doesn't last as long as the good old fashioned bar. I still use
liquid in the kitchen (it's a little more sanitary) and the guest
bathroom for the kids (it encourages them to wash for some reason and,
it's the guest bathroom sanitary reason....) Kappus brand has been doing
the soap thing for a long time here in Germany. I really enjoy trying
their soap. I've never tried their lotion yet but it was recommended for
eczema from a French soap vender (where I buy my donkey milk
soap....you heard right, donkey milk. It's all the rage here in Europe)
when I was shopping so, I'm guessing it's probably good. </div>
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<div style="text-align: left;">
Something else that I've been contemplating is creating my own sanitizing spray. Like a natural Lysol. To do this I need essential oils. Because of my short attention span, I sometime just like to go to a store and find it instead of ordering it on the internet. So, I took my first steps into the local <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reformhaus" target="_blank">Reformhaus.</a> I was able to come out with the Rosemary oil that I needed. The lady at the small shop down in town was helpful and I'm looking forward to going back to explore a little more. Another adventure that I'm looking into is finding <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tallow" target="_blank">Tallow.</a></div>
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<div style="text-align: left;">
The Commissary has stopped selling washing soda. I use this to make my
laundry detergent. Unfortunately, I couldn't for a couple of months
because I had no clue where to find it other than at an American store.
My online friend informed me that she found some at Globus. I went to
Globus looking and couldn't find it. Just recently after doing some
research online, I decided to go again. Armed with a little more
information this time, I went again. The Germans call this Wasche Soda
or Reine Soda. From what I understand, it can be picked up in just
about any laundry isle at the store. The bag I picked up was 500 grams
which seems to me to be about 4 cups. It seemed as though the commissary
may be running short on Borax....this may become another hurdle to blog
about but for now, I am safe. </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<a href="http://media.healthmonthly.co.uk/big/herbacin-wuta-kamille.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Herbacin Wuta Kamille and Glycerine Hand Cream " border="0" height="198" id="image_7125" src="http://media.healthmonthly.co.uk/big/herbacin-wuta-kamille.jpg" width="200" /></a> </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Another tidbit of information that I've found out recently is <a href="http://www.umm.edu/altmed/articles/german-chamomile-000232.htm" target="_blank">German Chamomile</a>.
Apparently, it can be used for all different ailments but the one I'm
planning to try it on is eczema for Joshua. Some studies have shown
German Chamomile Lotion does an equal or superior job to hydro cortisone
cream. </div>
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10707714659880079791noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6211146385623310399.post-55633013159724473602012-08-29T14:33:00.001+02:002012-08-29T20:34:30.510+02:00Line Drying & Tricks of the Trade<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYUzSHQ3eP5LuYLzIym67aIuq-FvYZ7MuygXN_3UFjhxHvsQWAQN2Gkc6hqZ0fkidRzeYNl4uQOJfbw_qhoRVd5oNCDnxep5BhZpQQcq6MKu_1p7ceMJslerqF27BHxC4M3qKqxO-Dadha/s1600/washing_machine_cartoon_thumb.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="279" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYUzSHQ3eP5LuYLzIym67aIuq-FvYZ7MuygXN_3UFjhxHvsQWAQN2Gkc6hqZ0fkidRzeYNl4uQOJfbw_qhoRVd5oNCDnxep5BhZpQQcq6MKu_1p7ceMJslerqF27BHxC4M3qKqxO-Dadha/s320/washing_machine_cartoon_thumb.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
Technically, I'm now going on my 6th year of not using a clothes dryer (very much) for those out there in cyberworld who have gone all the way, I commend you. When I first moved to Japan, I thought the house looked so....well, "3rd
world" with all the clothes hanging out. It the states, that just would
not be okay. In fact, some Home Owners Associations have rules about having clothes hanging
out to dry for fear it will lower property values. Living off base in Japan got me started with line drying. The dryer we had there was well, pretty pathetic. If we had the dryer and the microwave going at the same time, a circuit would break in the house. It literally took 3-4 hours to dry a load. I was sooooo done with it. So, I bought a rod and clips and got going. I found out my clothes were drying faster outside then they were inside and I wasn't heating up the whole house with the dryer going. At first the stiffness of the clothes bugged me but really, I started to like that feeling after a while. I also loved that when I went home to California to visit, I could literally smell the Yokosuska seaside on my clothing when I opened my suitcase. And yes, I line dried my skivvies even when I was at risk from the <a href="http://www.japanfortheuninvited.com/articles/panty-thieves.html" target="_blank">panty thief. </a><br />
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Then we moved back home and I kept up my line drying fetish. My husband thought I was a little odd. We bought an "old fashioned" hanger to post up in the back yard. (Although, I did miss the Japanese style of line drying. They dry their clothing on rods and not on lines. <a href="https://nagaijin.files.wordpress.com/2006/10/img_336.JPG" target="_blank">Click here to see an example.</a> The Japanese also have all kinds of knick-knacks for drying odd items like stuffed animals or shoes. ) The American washing machines don't wring out the water as well leaving much wetter clothing to dry. In the dry hot Summers of California that wasn't much of an issue but still, American washers don't seem to be set up to encourage line drying. I still did it though! Well, mostly.<br />
<br />
I confess, I've always had a clothes dryer in my home but I find I'm using it less and less. Just recently, I read a lament about learning how to cope with line drying. I've been there.....there was a period where I HATED it. But, I encourage everyone out there who is new to the whole line drying world: Take heart. It's like Stockholm syndrome. You get used to it....and you even start to like it. Here are a few tips I've learned throughout the years along with some reasons why line drying is a good thing.<br />
<br />
PROS:<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>It's better for the environment (duh, I think this should go without saying but hey, I'm gonna put it out there) Just knowing that a circuit would break every time I had the dryer and the microwave on was enough to tell me....yeah, I'm using A LOT of power in my house. </li>
<li>My clothes last longer. I found that the colors stay brighter and the elastic doesn't wear out as much in your pants or undies. (rubber elastic going through super hot dryer....means broken elastic)</li>
<li>It keeps the house cooler during the Summer</li>
<li>It keeps the power bill down </li>
<li>Sometimes it really does dry faster</li>
<li>I can smell sunshine on my sheets....for serious. Despite what the package says, mountain fresh "scent" is not the same as actual mountain fresh smell. </li>
</ul>
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TIPS:<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li><span style="color: #e69138;"><b><u>Sunshine really is natures bleach. </u></b> </span>Now, I'm not saying anyone in this house has yellow sweat stains....but if they did, this gets it out. Also, if you want blinding white sheets, hang them out in the sun! Not even bleach gets them this white. Ever been to a flea market and see the clothes that have been hung out in the sun for too long and they are all faded? Well, that's what sun does to whites with stains. The Ancient Pompeians did it and so can you! (They also thought Camel urine was the most fabulous liquid to wash clothes in....but, the sunshine thing seemed to stick)</li>
<li>Again, refer to the first tip...<span style="color: #6fa8dc;"><b>.<span style="color: #e69138;"><u>sun can fade your clothing</u>.</span></b></span> So, to prevent this, turn brights inside out if they are drying outside in the sun. For folks out there who are fortunate enough to have a covered patio, then just hang them there. </li>
<li><span style="color: #e69138;"><b><u>Hang all shirts on hangers.</u></b></span> Purchase a cheap clothing rod on wheels for this or, hang them on the balcony rails. When they are dry, just take them from that area and hang them in the closet.....no folding or placing on hangers neccessary. </li>
<li><span style="color: #e69138;"> <b><u>Use inexpensive spring loaded curtain rods placed in door ways to use for drying. </u></b></span>In most homes they can be place there without any interference of "door operations".....they are also temporary and can be removed without scuffing up the walls or paint. </li>
<li><span style="color: #e69138;"><b><u>During the winter, I place my hanging rod near the dryer.</u></b> </span> Clothes dry faster this way.</li>
<li><span style="color: #e69138;"><b><u>Don't want to iron? </u></b></span>The German dryer fries my clothes. My pants shrank majorly and lets face it, high waters can't be fixed. If you don't want shrinkage (MEANING: CLOTHES! READERS, GET YOUR MINDS OUT OF THE GUTTER!) place clothing in the dryer for 10-20 minutes then take them out and hang them. They will "steam" dry. This will cause them to dry quicker and not wrinkle.</li>
<li><span style="color: #e69138;"><b><u>Most German stores also carry mini lines that hook on to the heaters in the house.</u></b> </span> This is fantastic for winter because the clothes dry pretty darn well this way. It's just another one of those space savers.</li>
<li>If you find yourself without a clothes dryer, <span style="color: #e69138;"><b><u>use fabric softener for your towels.</u></b></span> It's not the same as fluffy soft towels but it helps. Seriously, I knew military house wives that gave bottles of Downy as gifts to their Japanese friends. I think a small bottle off base was like 800 Yen. (About $10) it was a highly prized "luxury". :) </li>
<li><span style="color: #e69138;"><b><u>If you're lucky enough to have a bathroom with heated tiles....during the winter, this is the absolute best place to dry clothes.</u></b></span></li>
<li><span style="color: #e69138;">For pants, hangers with clips seem to do it best for me.</span> I use something I got in Japan that I've a little overzealous about and it works great. <a href="http://www.mgthomeware.com/index.php?main_page=popup_image&pID=147&zenid=eb54c076f4b829563c75cc1e4f4c7ef8" target="_blank">Here's what mine looks like.</a></li>
<li><span style="color: #e69138;"><b><u>Once the washing machine is done, get those clothes out on the line! </u></b></span>Because European water has no chlorine in it, things get that musty nasty smell really quick. For this same reason, the toilets get nasty quick too. Get a little hangy thing that clips to the side of the toilet and "cleans & freshens" when it's flushed. American foreigners may notice that their sinks may just get stinky.....vinegar and baking soda or, lemon and baking soda work for this. Every once in a while, it helps with the funk. There are also cleaners available for your washing machine. Sometimes, German washing machines end up stinking after time. It's a good idea to run a clean cycle through or, having baking soda on hand or borax run with laundry detergent keeps it at bay. A German friend of mine says she user uber hot water with bleach on her white towels every once in a while to kill the smell.</li>
<li><span style="color: #e69138;"><b><u>Purchase local clothing. </u></b></span> Most European clothing is better designed for line drying. Knit tops sometimes are lighter or, have a little more polyester in them to dry quicker and with less wrinkles. Despite the synthetic cloths bad reputation, polyester is fabulous for keep stains at bay too. <br /><br /><br />Lastly, I'll include a couple more fun links to webpages that might be more informative or just plane fun to read:</li>
</ul>
<a href="http://thewanderweg.blogspot.de/2012/08/scratchy-towels-ironing-and-time.html" target="_blank">An American house wife</a> sharing her experiences of laundry in a foreign land. Along with some other real interesting stuff.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.google.de/imgres?start=107&um=1&hl=en&client=firefox-a&sa=N&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&biw=1680&bih=874&tbm=isch&tbnid=f3x0SzCD4grYvM:&imgrefurl=http://expat-mom.com/2012/04/02/laundry-is-a-battlefield-%25E2%2580%2593-an-all-spun-out-american-using-german-technology/&imgurl=http://expat-mom.com/wp-content/gallery/laundry/dsc_0133.jpg&w=929&h=622&ei=AAk-UMbPFaWC4gS94oCoCg&zoom=1&iact=rc&dur=354&sig=115175624208121887507&page=4&tbnh=155&tbnw=196&ndsp=39&ved=1t:429,r:3,s:107,i:132&tx=145&ty=83" target="_blank">More information about German washing machines and laundry</a><br />
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<a href="http://global.rakuten.com/en/" target="_blank">Missing Japanese stuff? This is a site that will ship to you! Especially cool laundry hangers. </a><br />
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Our <a href="http://japanyears.blogspot.de/2007/07/hanging-clothes-out.html" target="_blank">Japan Blog</a> also has a laundry entry which is very similar to this one.....creepy.<br />
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<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TRej3i1ukcU" target="_blank">Housewife in Japan. </a>This is a goofy video about laundry in Japan. The one thing that I disagree with her on is the hot water thing. Hot water is available but, the machine hose just needs to be hooked up to a hot water faucet. If your home doesn't have one....then, yes you can only access cold water for your machine. <br />
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<a href="http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xljarm_ted-talk-hans-rosling-and-the-magic-washing-machine_lifestyle" target="_blank">Hans Rosling</a> does a fabulous TED talk on the washing machine and the strides we've made and how lucky we really are. <br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10707714659880079791noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6211146385623310399.post-83381228323492910732012-08-28T13:31:00.001+02:002012-08-28T13:31:32.364+02:00Keepin' Cool<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjtMjMmI7bAN7fZkzrxULIuszLDq7ZZDbdZcSU6km61TTcDxvxLf8yr4irS5azScopXoC6liSwlKV391o2niETgqsvAbtDidl9X8ehA4Z7ox2TMbcI8ux9RrEShqsllsbQ9wFqg9gBn4Sv/s1600/overheatedsun.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="190" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjtMjMmI7bAN7fZkzrxULIuszLDq7ZZDbdZcSU6km61TTcDxvxLf8yr4irS5azScopXoC6liSwlKV391o2niETgqsvAbtDidl9X8ehA4Z7ox2TMbcI8ux9RrEShqsllsbQ9wFqg9gBn4Sv/s200/overheatedsun.gif" width="200" /></a></div>
Most if not all German households do not have a central heating and air conditioning system. If there is a house with one, I have yet to witness it. Most modern homes are constructed of concrete. This has it's pros and cons. A major "pro" is that it's great insulation. With double pained windows and concrete walls it keeps the sounds and "environment" out and the "indoors" in. For most of the year this works splendidly. I equate German summers as mild. Similar to Central California early spring or late fall. Meaning cool mornings and warm afternoons and cool evenings. So, to keep it comfy in the Summer we open the windows in the morning close up during the afternoon and then open up in the evening. <br /><br />The trouble or "con" really starts during that one super hot humid week or two during the year and there really is no relief. Which brings me to another trouble with German homes.....NO FLIPPING SCREENS! I don't mind bugs I most truly do not....except for fruit flies and they are abundant during the Summer. Also, regular flies are a nuisance but I can usually swat them outside (and yes, I am one of those crazy granola crunchers who puts out the bugs and doesn't kill them). Screens are sold at the local home depot store. A screen door for one of my balcony window/doors would cost 69 Euro. WTH?! For all 4 of those doors it would cost close to $400 and that doesn't even include the regular windows. This along with built in closets and bathroom shelving gets checked off as 'things that are just automatically included in a rental property at home'. A good thing to invest in is fans. The cheapest I've found them is about 20 Euro. (I'm talking about a good sized standing fan. Now again, ceiling fans or <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Whole-house_fan" target="_blank">whole house fans </a>don't seem to exist here). The fans I have seems to keep the fruit flies and gnats disoriented enough to not pester me. Something with moving air detours them I've found. Portable AC units are available, I believe the price tag on those was about 400 Euro. But, for anyone who needs this it might be worth it. <a href="http://ramstein.bookoo.com/" target="_blank">Also second hand is always an option. </a><br /><br />Another way to keep cool and this seems to be what most Germans do is to go to a local lake or pool. There is usually a public indoor pool in most areas. <a href="http://www.freizeitbad-azur.de/freizeitbad_azur/de/Funktionen/Home/" target="_blank">Azur</a>, <a href="http://www.waschmuehle.de/" target="_blank">Waschmühle</a>, and <a href="http://www.monte-mare.de/de/kaiserslautern.html" target="_blank">Monte Mare</a> or some that came up from my Google search. In our area there are many many local lakes as well. The closest one to us is in Kindsbach. It's a old old man made lake (There are not many if any natural ponds or lakes in German forests most are man made and in olden days, were stocked with fish) <a href="http://www.badegewaesser.rlp.de/servlet/is/1163/" target="_blank">Barenlochweiher </a>is a small lake with a wading area for smaller tots, a Cafe, restrooms, and playground and it's free to enjoy. <br />Another place that I've just heard of is <a href="http://www.cubo-sauna.de/" target="_blank">CUBO</a>. This I've heard is a fantastic natural pool (no chlorine or saline just plants are used to filter it) there is also an indoor spa. <a href="http://www.kaiserslauternamerican.com/artman2/publish/News_7/The_CUBO_experience_printer.shtml" target="_blank">Click here for a link in English. </a>Something I've mentioned in the past but will again here is <a href="http://www.gartenschau-kl.de/service/aktuelles" target="_blank">Gartenschau</a>. For families this is really a fun place. There is a creek that runs through the park area along with a water play area. This is fantastic for parents like me don't necessarily want to "bless" everyone with an appearance in their mom bathing suit. This park is great and for a little over 40 Euro families can purchase a season pass. <br /><br />So, keep the faith newbies. When the thermostat reaches a hefty 98-100 degrees with humidity in the "hell" rating, go swimming and for heavens sake, don't cook!<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10707714659880079791noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6211146385623310399.post-36405792629905213042012-07-27T21:41:00.001+02:002012-07-27T21:41:59.947+02:00Going BarefootReaders may have noticed that we haven't posted in a very long time. Our family members back home have smelled the stench of dreariness.....It's true. After our cruise (which we still haven't posted about) it's been kinda down hill. The weather in Germany this Summer has been especially awful. In fact we talked to someone who said it hasn't been this bad since a Summer back in 1987 that he can remember. It has been rainy and cold. Most days the high temps have been in the mid to upper 50's and the sun is hidden behind clouds with the drizzle of rain ever present.<br />
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I had a lot planned for our family. I was going to try and make sure Samuel was able to go to preschool every other day.
With this schedule, I would be able to hang out with the big boy and do
big boy stuff. The key word here is ACTIVE big boy stuff.
Unfortunately, I haven't been able to get Samuel into his regularly
scheduled "school" (which is another frustrating story all together)
and, the weather hasn't been conducive to outdoor ACTIVE type stuff.
I've been stuck with the kids most days inside. Joshua has been reading
or workbooking or gaming.<br />
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So, here's where a person might want to stop thinking about punching me in the face (ie:<i>'You little twit, you're in Europe quit whining!'</i>) I'm turning my bitch-fest car around right now, I promise. The sun came out finally! The last 2 days, have reached the high 80's and we've been taking advantage. I've been doing the minimum house work that I need to be doing and going outside. We've been spending some time at <a href="http://www.gartenschau-kl.de/service/aktuelles" target="_blank">Gartenschau</a>. I bought the family pass this year again and, going to the nearby <a href="http://www.badegewaesser.rlp.de/servlet/is/1163/" target="_blank">Kindsbach lake</a> is on the list as well. I was able to get a last minute slot for Samuel at his school and Joshua and I took a "big boy" road trip to the bare foot park.<br />
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Just recently, I read an article on this park and it reminded me that I needed to go. What a concept right? A park that people pay money to walk around in bare foot?! Despite my amazement, this place was crawling with people. Joshua didn't know what to expect and I was anxious to see his reaction. The park is basically a trail that loops around to form about a 3 kilometer obstacle course for our feet. The beginning part was loud and boisterous. People where chatting and laughing. Then the second "course" came. We walked through very squishy knee high mud. Apparently this mud is very good for the skin. The reactions from everyone were very fun to observe. Some people laughed and squealed with delight, one preschooler screamed in terror and discontent. I didn't like it. The beginning was okay but by the middle of it, I was more than ready to get out! Maybe it was the idea of not seeing what I was walking in that threw me for a loop. I'm not sure. For Josh, this was his favorite part. He loved the soft, slimy, squishy feeling. After the mud part of the course we went on to other textures. The whole time, people actually started to get more quiet. It seemed like most folks didn't want to divide their attention from the feeling on their feet. I fell right in line with the crowd. <br />
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Even though, I took my older son, I think with some assistance, preschool children can definitely participate in this fun. The place was fairly easy to find with my GPS. When I got to the center of town, I just had to be sure and keep and eye out for the signs. If someone has a whole day, I'm sure there are several places to do some wine tasting out there and I believe there may be some baths or spas available as well. One could really get lost in the Google world when it comes to the health benefits of going barefoot or, the barefoot concept. However, below are several links to articles I found very helpful for <i>this</i> trip: <br />
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<a href="http://www.stripes.com/travel/bad-sobernheim-kick-off-your-shoes-to-enjoy-barefoot-trail-1.150204" target="_blank">Bad Sobernheim: Kick off Your Shoes to Enjoy Barefoot Trail</a> <i>(Click on the picture in the article for a slideshow. This article also includes ticket prices and park schedule)</i><br /><a href="http://www.bad-sobernheim.de/" target="_blank">Bad Sobernheim City Webpage</a><br /><a href="http://www.barfusspark.info/en/park.htm" target="_blank">Information on Barefoot Parks throughout Europe</a> <i>(This includes a listing of other parks throughout Europe and a free Design Guide for those garden architects out there!)</i><br />And, of course, a Wiki Link: <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barefoot" target="_blank">Barfoot-Wikipedia</a><br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10707714659880079791noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6211146385623310399.post-3191144332229690202012-05-28T06:46:00.002+02:002012-05-28T06:46:25.621+02:00Luxembourg American Cemetery Camp Out<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiY3uPfpjRhT1D85KLIdu44trfNnjtlvz0nwf-GwScxhIcPwW5J0lmJz4x-y3dH-MaphlbXR9VM582aZG1KDrNLnySp4MK5RVezwqx5xExjmso9HL8RE7zrXUQkWH5cPl0gs8fGLJ9C0WqO/s1600/_MG_9199.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiY3uPfpjRhT1D85KLIdu44trfNnjtlvz0nwf-GwScxhIcPwW5J0lmJz4x-y3dH-MaphlbXR9VM582aZG1KDrNLnySp4MK5RVezwqx5xExjmso9HL8RE7zrXUQkWH5cPl0gs8fGLJ9C0WqO/s320/_MG_9199.jpg" width="320" /></a>What better way to celebrate Memorial Day weekend than to camp out in the Luxembourg American Cemetery and Memorial? Josh's Cub Scout Pack does this as an annual event, and this year was our first year to join in. What a blast! <br />
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We arrived on Friday evening, set up camp, and enjoyed some quiet time around the campfire while the boys played in the woods. It was Sam's first time camping, and he really took to it rather quickly. Probably helped that he was surrounded by older boys the whole weekend... always someone there to look up to.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcMBDZlt_NkeWARXGIKAvxBt7uV0GmT7Zjz19MyfvG5aHnYzip4BZlBdKKaflrPxL2SHRkycQGHBh6QWkA10iIY7RrtzOBlFX0Mi4ztDJbS1MP8PGgTRzJy_InouYJdvHpV2mVh4ujO5a3/s1600/_MG_8902.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcMBDZlt_NkeWARXGIKAvxBt7uV0GmT7Zjz19MyfvG5aHnYzip4BZlBdKKaflrPxL2SHRkycQGHBh6QWkA10iIY7RrtzOBlFX0Mi4ztDJbS1MP8PGgTRzJy_InouYJdvHpV2mVh4ujO5a3/s320/_MG_8902.jpg" width="213" /></a>On Saturday morning, Josh's pack conducted the flag raising ceremony. Then, the boys cleaned the grave stones, set flags and a single rose at each, and prepared for the Memorial Day ceremony at the cemetery. The ceremony was a wonderful tribute to the 5076 fallen soldiers who rest eternally young at the cemetery; and to the relationship that has been formed between the people of Luxembourg and America, as a result of our presence and assistance there during WWII. Lieutenant General Mark Hertling, Commander of U.S. Army Europe, spoke and presented a wreath; as did a host of other people representing the U.S. and Luxembourg. The Air Force, out of Spangdahlem AFB, performed a fly over in "Missing Man" formation. We witnessed a 21 gun salute. <br />
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In the afternoon, the Cub Scouts held the "Bridging" ceremony, when the boys move up in rank. Josh moved with his den from the Bears to the Webelos. After the ceremony, they lowered the flags at the cemetery and we returned to the campsite to relax, enjoy skits, and have fun.<br />
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Sunday, the boys raised the flags again, while I packed up our campsite. When all was ready, we did our final Cub Scout "Leave No Trace" walk through and headed out.<br />
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Pictures are on Flickr, <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/82939556@N00/sets/72157629928393282/" target="_blank">here</a>.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10707714659880079791noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6211146385623310399.post-43482749276308158662012-04-16T21:25:00.000+02:002013-04-10T18:54:59.093+02:00Easterworld (AKA: Holland)<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiIflIoC76k3iHfLFxITPcp_kVZJQ_0ru5VnqOn1B4WfngvtwqREBGY8mMSc5wvlk3dsqwsPzILBL4rBNKb6fH9vs4S0uAlDOYe52D48wZsx_Rz7uKzEZjn6dsmS_BwYtH_42yM3rkfzX8/s1600/_MG_8123.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiIflIoC76k3iHfLFxITPcp_kVZJQ_0ru5VnqOn1B4WfngvtwqREBGY8mMSc5wvlk3dsqwsPzILBL4rBNKb6fH9vs4S0uAlDOYe52D48wZsx_Rz7uKzEZjn6dsmS_BwYtH_42yM3rkfzX8/s320/_MG_8123.jpg" width="213" /></a>Click <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/82939556@N00/sets/72157632259195932/" target="_blank">here</a> to see all of our pictures from this vacation. <br />
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During Joshua's Spring Break, we took a family trip up to Holland. We were in desperate need of some vacation action.<br />
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The question was, where to go? One of the things on my personal bucket list was seeing the tulips in full bloom at Keukenhof. Keukenhof is a town that has one of the most extensive tulip gardens in the world. After I found out where this town was, and considering it's proximity to Amsterdam, we decided to go there too. That's "Amster-darn" for the kids!<br />
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Our family is on a budget and Amsterdam is not cheap by any stretch of the imagination. Hotels for families here in Europe are pricey just about everywhere. After several vacations we realized that most rooms are available for a family of 3. Anything more than that and another room has to be purchased. We could have looked for an apartment to rent in Amsterdam. However, we found a hotel that fit our budget. <a href="http://www.hotels.nl/schiphol/valk/?recache=1pictures/pictures/pictures/pictures/">The Hotel Schiphol A4 Van Der Valk</a> at first glance seems far away from the action, however it's considered an Amsterdam Airport Hotel. For couples, this is a great deal but many young single people might prefer staying in the city center. However... it is a great option for families. Parking is free for guests and the hotel provides a free shuttle to and from the airport. The train station at the airport was a great starting point for getting to Amsterdam Central station, which is only a 3-stop ride.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTdjK1NkS89lMNIbQDG5zxJvl-nXLyuLnUwaHOr6gmhcVgP5JyFoVfWtqsdC-B-E2aneQdKyVP6w5snkXoBBUXuEGfn5vB60HP1Ndhermc3SXle33bd36K8LCfUb6-uIBG-XvQX3TXDFHw/s1600/_MG_8338.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTdjK1NkS89lMNIbQDG5zxJvl-nXLyuLnUwaHOr6gmhcVgP5JyFoVfWtqsdC-B-E2aneQdKyVP6w5snkXoBBUXuEGfn5vB60HP1Ndhermc3SXle33bd36K8LCfUb6-uIBG-XvQX3TXDFHw/s320/_MG_8338.jpg" width="213" /></a>The hotel rooms here are very spacious. The equivalent of two king-sized beds are located in the room; along with a couch, coffee table, TV, and desk. The entryway was separate and could be closed off from the living space, and included the bathroom, separate toilet room (or WC), and closet space. I always love it when hotels do this. Essentially, this means we can shut the door to the entryway and the bathroom; so we can take showers, use the toilet... whatever, without disturbing sleepers! The bathroom was large with two sinks, soap, shampoo, lotion, and shower gel available. Unfortunately there was no fridge in the room.<br />
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This statement leads me into a little side note - I'll reiterate that Amsterdam is not cheap! The breakfast available at the hotel is not included in the price of the room and was priced at a hefty 20 euro per person. I highly recommend bringing a large selection of snacks and breakfast food. This seems to very much be the "European Family Style". It was nice to have the snacks and breakfast food with us. I think we spent 100-150 Euro for food the first 2 days. If we didn't have breakfast already packed, tack on 60-100 more Euro to that price tag... YIKES! (Going by the exchange rate that would have been about $200-$300, total). Things I packed were pop-tarts, fruit snacks, nuts, juice boxes, bottled water, grapes, apples, single serve milk and a few hard boiled eggs. Something else worth packed next time for a trip like this is maybe a jar of peanut butter and jelly with a loaf of bread. I know that some of the things I packed weren't stellar in the health department, but hey, it's vacation... and, I wanted to pack stuff that my kids would actually eat and be excited about... they only get pop tarts for vacations! Don't judge!!! :)<br />
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Drive time from our place was about 4.5-5 hours without traffic. The drive was easy and scenic. Upon arrival in The Netherlands, I just could not believe how much it looked like some scene off of an Easter card. Old fashioned wind mills, wild daffodils, open fields with hopping bunnies, waddling geese and yes, even frolicking baby lambs. It is now deemed the end all, be all Easterworld. I don't think anything can compare.<br />
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We changed our initial plans at the last minute to leave early from our house. We had taken a quick glance online and realized that the Anne Frank House was sold out on all days; except for our day of our arrival. So, upon arrival at our hotel, we promptly cleaned up and went to downtown Amsterdam to take our tour. Before touring the house, it's important to take a look at the webpage, especially if planning to visit with young children. It was not recommended we bring small children and we initially planned to tour separately, so that one of us was always with Samuel, our youngest. However, with most times already sold out, we really didn't have a choice - it was either all or none. Before going to see the Ann Frank House, I read a couple of age appropriate books to Joshua about WWII and the Holocaust. I think it helped him understand more about what we were going to see. Although it was really crowded, we were happy we went.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPSA2evz_07kddkoGOpHY07c4kctBhW7ZSlJIpfdCFfOmDQ_0Foq_tRct2hJWqeB_GENLMNpM5wMWyWHteZIJeV0km3bD-pbvrnPx_2fIIxqZqeu0YxbnuXNOWxjfJc1Ox14Doq4FnAxrS/s1600/_MG_8076.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPSA2evz_07kddkoGOpHY07c4kctBhW7ZSlJIpfdCFfOmDQ_0Foq_tRct2hJWqeB_GENLMNpM5wMWyWHteZIJeV0km3bD-pbvrnPx_2fIIxqZqeu0YxbnuXNOWxjfJc1Ox14Doq4FnAxrS/s320/_MG_8076.jpg" width="320" /></a>For those planning to visit the Anne Frank House in the future, I can't urge you enough to purchase tickets online in advance. Later on our trip, we stopped at a tourist information location to inquire about Vincent Van Gogh Museum tickets. A man came in a little frantic asking if he could purchase tickets for the Anne Frank House. The lady at the information booth said that they were sold out until the 16th of April. So, he could get tickets in 3 days. That would have been pretty heart wrenching for me... for many tourist though, they are coming from other countries. There may have been no hope for this poor man. So, book those tickets online, people! Another consideration, the line at the Anne Frank House ticket window is generally at least an hour long wait, so booking online saves time and allows you entry without waiting.<br />
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After the tour, we stepped outside for some photos, when I noticed a young couple enjoying a Passover picnic matzo dinner. They were a couple of backpackers from Israel. They were generous enough to share their matzo with us... or, shall I say, Sam. He was the one who charmed the socks off of them. They were headed back home the next day so they were happy to lighten their load of matzo. Sam enjoyed feeding the ducks with it!<br />
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We enjoyed a pizza dinner ourselves at one of the many restaurants in the town square. I have to confess that I didn't stick to the all-matzo diet. It was pretty difficult to do while on vacation. Before vacation, I really did try. I even cleaned out my whole pantry and fridge! I hope I'm forgiven and that next year will be the year I stick to it!<br />
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After the 5 hour drive, tour of Anne Frank house, and more public transportation than we had dealt with in a long time (all the while through the rain)... it was time to go back to the hotel and sleep.<br />
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<a href="http://www.keukenhof.nl/en/">The next day was spent at Keukenhof.</a> Keukenhof is about 25 minutes from our hotel, or about a 40 minute drive from Amsterdam. This park has one of the most extensive tulip gardens in the world. It is rather hard to put into words just how pretty it was; even pictures probably don't suffice. We truly lucked out as this was the only day on our vacation that it didn't rain. It was such a refreshing break from the city of Amsterdam. Very wheelchair and stroller friendly. Although it was busy, it didn't feel crowded and we were able to get a lot of photo opportunities. Along with tulips, there were ponds, small water ways, a Japanese garden, windmill, boat rides, bike rentals, small farm animals for kids to pet, and several playgrounds. If I were to do it over again, we were have packed a lunch (A small plate of Dutch mini pancakes were 7 Euro... ouch. Some of the best pancakes I ever had... but still!). Food prices were comparable to Disneyland prices! I also would have booked the boat ride first. The boat ride takes tourists around a large plot of land that is filled with tulips. Truly breathtaking. However, by the time we reached the area, it was a 2 hour wait until the next available tour. Our family was just bushed... so, we didn't wait it out. We had driven to the gardens. When we finished our time in Keukenhof in the early evening, we returned to enjoy the hotel pool before dinner time.<br />
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On the third day, we went back to Amsterdam. We took the <a href="http://www.canal.nl/">Canal Bus</a> through the city to the Vincent <a href="http://www.vangoghmuseum.nl/vgm/index.jsp">Van Gogh museum</a>. A note for families, we were able to purchase tickets at the information building across the street and bypass the long line outside. It saved us about an hour of waiting. The Van Gogh museum was interesting and well laid out, but was not one of the better options for our children of 8 and 3 years. We were allowed to bring the stroller in with us, which was helpful, but still difficult with limited access to elevators. (I think Mike is putting this very nicely....however, a note to people who can take stairs: TAKE THEM. Don't cut off people who are handicapped and have strollers to hoard elevator space. It's incredibly rude. I think we waiting for 15 minutes and after being cut off twice, we decided to just carry the stroller down the stairs. It would be a good idea for the museum to have an attendant by each elevator entrance delegating and playing "moral police").<br />
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The <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canals_of_Amsterdam">canals through Amsterdam</a> are spectacular. Several date back to the 17th century and are now listed on the UNESCO World Heritage Site list. The Canal Bus tickets that we purchased were "Hop on, Hop off" tickets, meaning that we could ride for 24 hours unlimited. The Canal Bus offers various routes through the city's canals, and was a great alternative to walking through the small, but densely populated (and busy traffic filled) city. At the very least, it provided a perspective of this unique city that we would have missed by walking alone, or by taking a taxi cab. It's important to note that these canal buses have tables it's a good idea to bring a snack/lunch and a couple pocket games for the kids if families decide to take the long tour around the whole city. Also, if it's raining, the boat itself is covered so we stayed dry!<br />
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The rest of the day was spent enjoying the large park by the museum, followed by another Canal Bus back to the central station, where we embarked on the train back to the airport, to catch the shuttle back to the hotel (yes... in one journey we rode a boat, a train, and a shuttle bus). We enjoyed our second dinner across from the hotel at a small strip mall. Located there were several eateries: a cafeteria style restaurant, Burger King, KFC, Asian Restaurant and Grill place. Again, nothing fancy but for a family on a budget this was perfect.<br />
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For some readers, there may be questions...<br />
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Yes, Amsterdam has a lot to offer families, and;<br />
No, it doesn't need to involve smoking anything funny, and;<br />
No, it doesn't need to involve the Red Light District.<br />
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The people of Amsterdam are incredibly nice and EVERYONE that we ran into spoke English. Amsterdam is a wonderful city, rich with cultural charm.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10707714659880079791noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6211146385623310399.post-6783319656641172262012-04-04T08:31:00.006+02:002012-04-04T15:52:18.639+02:00Climate, Wildlife, Pests and Other Things<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjITnryyLKjncAUSKIy7ZWXVGjGtZ4fLPI7PbBkfaryjqNeQ87Z6G_-kzyk0GOeiO1SpZNOWnk_zcqMyxbklWOvYkF5zq5VvhrppFA2aATT72oRrcLcxeUjepjYed1BwEfIdbaRwfFoBYvL/s1600/es-136937-snow-angel.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjITnryyLKjncAUSKIy7ZWXVGjGtZ4fLPI7PbBkfaryjqNeQ87Z6G_-kzyk0GOeiO1SpZNOWnk_zcqMyxbklWOvYkF5zq5VvhrppFA2aATT72oRrcLcxeUjepjYed1BwEfIdbaRwfFoBYvL/s320/es-136937-snow-angel.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5727541845483941442" border="0" /></a><br />Just recently I was getting some information together for a German neighbor and friend of mine who is moving for the first time to the US. She's visited but, this will be her first time moving completely away to another country. Away from her family and friends. For me, this brought back memories of my first move OCONUS. As I boarded that plane and said goodbye to my family I was crying for sure. The finality of it all just hit me at that moment. It was scarey and sad. While a part of me was screaming, 'Don't get on that plane' another part of me was saying, 'Suck it up, you're gonna be OK' and I was......... but I had always wished I had someone near by to explain to me some of the "ins and outs" of my new home.<br /><br />In the information I got together I put in some information about the local wildlife and pests for her area. This made me think....."Hey silly, you should really blog about German wildlife and pests!" so, here I go.<br /><br />Our area of Germany is considered "foothills" or, at least that's what it feels like around here. "Foothills" is right before travelers hit mountains. There is still farmland but also lots of forest as well. This means that we have some forest critters to contend with. One of the more regular pests is ticks. If readers have pets that go outside regularly or adventurous children, they need to be checked when they come inside. Especially during the Summer. It's advisable to be sure and have children take baths when they come in from playing. Especially check around the bottom of the legs, behind the ears, and any other "crevices". For adults, hairy regions of the the body are important to check. For animals, it seems ticks love to latch on around the neck and head. However, give them a good rubdown everywhere. Most tick bites are painless therefore can go unnoticed. The local pet stores have an array of collars and other treatments available to fight ticks. <a href="http://www.toytowngermany.com/lofi/index.php/t585.html">For more information about ticks in Germany this thread can help!</a><br /><br />Another precaution to take is against spiders. Although I haven't seen any poisonous spiders yet, (Knock on wood) venomous spiders in this region can be a threat. The majority of venomous/poisonous spiders here in Germany are the same as ours in the states. Most common is the Black Widow and the Brown Recluse. Both of these types of spiders can be dangerous but the Black Widow is not aggressive and the Brown Recluse usually lives up to it's name. When "discovered" black widows will most likely try to flee or run away. Brown Recluse will act aggressively if it's discovered. During the seasons take care to pack away garden gloves and shoes and take caution around wood piles or other outdoor things that have been sitting for a while. <a href="http://sites.google.com/site/venomousdangerous/spiders/europe-s-most-venomous-spiders">For more information about German Spiders click here.</a><br /><br />There are several poisonous snakes in Europe. Most of them are the viper variety. These include the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vipera_berus">Common Adder</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vipera_ammodytes">Long Nosed Adder</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gloydius_halys">Pallas Viper,</a> and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vipera_ursinii">Ursini's Viper</a>. All of the names I've listed also have wiki links attached to them. However, for a "cliff notes" version, <a href="http://www.wilderness-survival.net/snakes-6.php">click on this link. </a><br /><br />There are many many wild birds and predatory birds located here as well. I very much recommend having a bird house and a couple of feeders out. It's nice to have the birds singing during the Spring time. The colors and markings on these small birds is beautiful. Every time spring comes, all I can think about is Disney's Snow White singing with the birds. A precaution to move your window shades (ruladins) up and down periodically. If a shade is left untouched for a while it creates a perfect habitat for a nesting bird. If one wants to get up close and <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivc_hZNwxOUtDiWeQbxSF-fplt1J-uRc6BbeEyeaFe_F07qiXAZ2KjZ3kysty1hikZTBkZgQ9NO4GYEckkWQGiN_IZyXQq5FByTTSQxhkGcR_49WKBPKS8ps27MO3c4yXatjavWAA38nzt/s1600/Beech_Marten.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivc_hZNwxOUtDiWeQbxSF-fplt1J-uRc6BbeEyeaFe_F07qiXAZ2KjZ3kysty1hikZTBkZgQ9NO4GYEckkWQGiN_IZyXQq5FByTTSQxhkGcR_49WKBPKS8ps27MO3c4yXatjavWAA38nzt/s320/Beech_Marten.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5727542537888221426" border="0" /></a>personal with predatory birds and local wildlife, there is a wild animal park in this area call <a href="http://www.wildpark.potzberg.de/">Waldpark in Potzberg</a>. This park also has non-local wild life like Bison and wolves but it's a fun day trip.<br /><br />One more pest that is rare but, deserves some recognition. There is a type of German Weasel called a Steinmarder or Beech Marten in English. This species will nest in the car in the evening. (Since it's a nice warm spot to sleep) It will leave in the early morning hours so, not to fear. However, if the car is used for commuting to work and back one should be aware. If they go back and forth between to "male territories", this animal can cause considerable damage under the hood. The best precaution to take is to place chicken wire on the driveway. This creature does not enjoy walking on it and it will prevent them from making your car their little territory. There is however, another theory from Wikipedia that gives another explanation as to why these creatures enjoy destroying cars:<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">'Since the mid 1970s, the beech marten has been known to occasionally cause damage to </span><a style="font-style: italic;" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Car" title="Car" class="mw-redirect">cars</a><span style="font-style: italic;">. Cars attacked by martens typically have cut tubes and cables. A beech marten can slice through the cables of a </span><a style="font-style: italic;" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Starter_motor" title="Starter motor" class="mw-redirect">starter motor</a><span style="font-style: italic;"> with just one bite. The reason for this is not fully known, as the damaged items are not eaten. There is however a seasonal peak in marten attacks on cars in spring, when young martens explore their surroundings more often and have yet to learn which items in their habitat are edible or not.</span><sup style="font-style: italic;" id="cite_ref-25" class="reference"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beech_marten#cite_note-25"><span>[</span>26<span>]</span></a></sup><span style="font-style: italic;"> The fishoil, often contained in the cables of cars of Japanese origin, may contribute to this.'</span><br /><br /><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beech_marten">For more on this little creature, click here.</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.listofcountriesoftheworld.com/gm-animals.html">Also, for more information on wildlife in Germany click here.</a><br /><br />On to the next subject! For German standards, the climate here is fairly mild. However, for me it took a lot of getting used to. My first winter here, it felt like the sunshine just forgot about Germany. We are far north which means we don't get a lot of light during the winter. The sun starts going down at around 3:00-4:00 in the afternoon. If we were lucky enough to have the sun come out from the clouds, we would literally drop everything bundle up and go outside. Snowfall here is usually minimal. There are strange years like of late where snowfall is generous. Just 2 years ago, the store ran out of salt for the roads. The Summers are very mild. It gets warm here for about a week. I would use the word "hot" cautiously as, it hits the 90's maybe. The reason why a lot of folks find it very hot is because there is no air conditioning. The majority of household don't have screens either. Most Summers we will have lots of flies, gnats, and sometimes the occasional bee or wasp will find their way in. It's important to keep things very clean during the Summer. If there is so much as a cut open onion on the counter top the gnats will attack! For some who are highly sensitive to heat and bugs there are portable AC units that are sold on Ramstein Yardsales or, out in town. Also, screens are sold out in town as well. There is a good amount of rain year round. Coming from California I was amazed that the farmland didn't have irrigation systems.....they don't need to. It just rains enough. According to some charts the driest time of year is April & September.<br /><br />Well, there's my report for the day. I hope I helped. If anyone out there has anything to add, please let me know and I can include it in the post. Happy Trails!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10707714659880079791noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6211146385623310399.post-33056046142054095682012-03-17T19:50:00.002+01:002012-03-17T20:03:17.883+01:00German Dishwasher<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTKwq2Nxt32J_IjMf5zM-YOXTFF939yo9CH4Hg9NYaSkieG73MWgycMKZRpQ1HkkNz-GrUo2QQ61AiJ6z7W6qrdHcdUFOL7OALNGKay8_6s386D8tSw2W05zySu4hrZYb4z3x6uA50ix-m/s1600/spezial_salz.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 262px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTKwq2Nxt32J_IjMf5zM-YOXTFF939yo9CH4Hg9NYaSkieG73MWgycMKZRpQ1HkkNz-GrUo2QQ61AiJ6z7W6qrdHcdUFOL7OALNGKay8_6s386D8tSw2W05zySu4hrZYb4z3x6uA50ix-m/s320/spezial_salz.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5720943480384920546" border="0" /></a><br />It's very exciting that our home has a dishwasher. In Japan we didn't have one and it was a bummer! I know there are mixed opinions out there but honestly, I really really enjoy having a dishwasher. There isn't too much difference between a stateside dishwasher and a German dishwasher except for a few things. Here in Germany, we have hard water. Because of this, the machines have a special area to put in <a href="http://www.somat.de/produkte/somat-salz/">Spezial-Salz</a>. Spezial-Salz can be picked up at the commissary or, out in town. Even though my link shows a Somat brand, any brand will do fine. This product look a little bit like rock salt. There is a spout in our dishwasher that unscrews and the whole box of Salz is poured in. It's inexpensive and makes a world of difference when it comes to the cleanliness of the dishes. It doesn't last long though. I've found that the "jet dry" doesn't last long either here in the machines.<br /><br />Our machine also has an area that detaches to reveal a removable filter. This filter gets dirty so, clean it out every couple of days depending on how many loads of dishes are done a day. I will usually use a toothbrush and scrub it under the facet. <br /><br />I've also start making my own dishwasher detergent. 1 cup of washing soda and 1 cup of Borax. I shake it up and and have powder detergent. The only down side is that it's leaving some soap scum in the machine. Other than that, it does a pretty good job, all natural and it's cheap.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10707714659880079791noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6211146385623310399.post-80605930158779126272012-03-14T13:15:00.005+01:002012-03-14T19:31:29.489+01:00Childcare<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtbPoJLWt_O2T78o2pSl6Yyq_HvrJ-j0aEAbgofn72gdMLyjj8HdAvY8nJjBMMyZ5DMBIKSgIbxbWNJnTdkRUfX3-dEkeJ67_srVTWdYSn4x2CzJkmHvCs9eNPGipkDGhj9jKXV-2Ti16C/s1600/38808.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 212px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtbPoJLWt_O2T78o2pSl6Yyq_HvrJ-j0aEAbgofn72gdMLyjj8HdAvY8nJjBMMyZ5DMBIKSgIbxbWNJnTdkRUfX3-dEkeJ67_srVTWdYSn4x2CzJkmHvCs9eNPGipkDGhj9jKXV-2Ti16C/s320/38808.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5719754380375933634" border="0" /></a>As a Mom, I know that having time on my own is important. I'm not lucky enough to have my mother living in the same town, so I have to depend on resources outside the family to care for my precious treasures. If you are PCSing and in the same boat, I hope you find this post helpful!<br /><br />The first and best place to start would be your sponsor or employer first. They may prove to be the most valuable resource of information in your hunt for a good childcare provider.<br /><br />Here in the Ramstein, Landstuhl, Kaiserslautern area, there are many CDC (Child Development Centers) for children of all ages. The service is available to Military and Civil Servants. CDC centers are run very much like daycares in America. In many instances, they have to answer to a much higher standard of care than privately run Stateside facilities. However, like just about everything overseas, space is limited. A person's family and professional situation determines how "high priority" that person is on the waiting list. I'm low priority because I don't work or go to school. Other factors affect positioning on the wait list, such as having two working parents, parents seeking higher education, a single parent situation, or dual military personnel. I recommend seeking out and contacting the facility that is closest to your future work/home. Army and Air Force CDC facilities are completely separate operations and need to be contacted in this manner.<br /><br />Many parents moving to Germany are eager to get there children into a local school. Like me, I really felt it would be exciting and educational for my son to go to the local kindergarten here. I came in with grandiose ideas about completely melding into the culture. This hasn't been my experience. Unfortunately in this area it's very difficult to get a child into host nation school. The facilities are funded by the German government. The rule is, a person needs "kindergeld" to send their child to these schools. From what I understand, "kindergeld" is a type of voucher given to German Citizens (AKA: tax payers). Since, as foreigners, we don't pay into the system, we don't get the benefits. It's heartbreaking but, at the same time, completely makes sense.<br /><br />Right now, because of the high concentration of non-Germans in this area, the local kindergartens here are fairly strict on this policy. It's always a good idea to check it out though. If there is a family out there in a smaller more distant village, they may be able to get a spot. I highly recommend doing the research despite my discouraging review. German kindergartens are good quality care at a low cost.<br /><br />Another option to try is a religious kindergarten. Many larger villages will have a Protestant and/or Catholic kindergarten available. This could require some paperwork through the village bureaucracy. From what I understand someone has to become a "friend" of the Church, but it can be done.<br /><br />There are a handful of private "international" schools in the area. These are more costly but are run similar to how an American preschool is run. The first place to find out more information on these places would be to look in the online <a href="http://finditguide.de/index.php">Find-it guide</a>. If you have enough time and have a fairly good sponsor... ask them to send a hard copy to you in the mail. They can pick up a copy at the closest USO office.<br /><br />A small note, I've found that as a general rule here in Germany, when trying to find out information on anything, I get a better reply over the phone. I've sent many, many unanswered emails during my search. It can feel intimidating to some and I, myself, am very bad when it comes to this... but, pick up the phone and call!<br /><br />If German kindergarten is not an option for you, another route would be placing an ad or contacting a nanny agency. On<a href="http://ramstein.bookoo.com/"> Ramstein Yardsales</a>, Many people advertise services, or place ads, for child care. Ramstein Yardsales is the most economical way to find a nanny. I do caution to use common sense when using this site. This webpage is similar to eBay or Craigslist... buyer beware! I've never had a bad experience using these sites but it's important that I state this warning. Online agencies will cost much more money (A friend of mine was quoted 1500 to 5000 English pounds a month for a live in nanny). However, the benefit here of course, is that they are fully screened.<br /><br />It seems when all else fails, word of mouth tends to be the order of the day. When it comes to childcare, there are limited options and a lot of people looking. (I don't know any Mother who freely gives up her babysitter's information.) If you know that you're going to need child care for small children upon arrival, I highly recommend aggressively seeking out your options. Try to keep in mind that the options may feel more limited compared to your homeland. For many people apprehensive about moving to a foreign land, this may feel like just one more overwhelming hurdle. "Don't give up" should be the constant mantra. The fantastic thing about coming overseas with the military environment is that "you are not alone" .Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10707714659880079791noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6211146385623310399.post-24763870162137691562012-03-11T15:43:00.004+01:002012-03-14T07:21:09.360+01:00Is It a Question of Faith?For many Americans living OCONUS, this is their first time. I remember my first time moving overseas. I was so nervous about moving to an entirely different country that I didn't research our move very much. I ended up thinking we were going to spend our time packed into some 500 square foot apartment with no resources. When we arrived overseas, (at that time, Yokosuka Japan) I really wished that I had done my homework. I started Googling for information about my new host country only to find a lot of dead ends. This got me motivated to help others who might have similar questions. Along with other mothers, I started a "mom" group and blogged about the "ins and outs" of living in Yokosuka (A link to this blog can be found here: <a href="http://japanyears.blogspot.com/">http://japanyears.blogspot.com/</a>) . Not only did I include where to visit and "sight see" but also, where to shop for cheap food on the go, what services were available on and off base, etc.<br /><br />When we found out that we were moving to Germany, I started to try and do research. I had a lot of trouble initially. Many of my online questions were met with "Oh, yeah, we have that here you'll find it when you get here." I found the "feel" here was very different too. Not bad, just different. So, I've started to try and do the same thing here that I did in Yokosuka. Our goal on this blog is to show our experiences and, along the way, help others in our situation.<br /><br />One thing I've been very happy to discover is that there is an actual Rabbi Chaplain stationed at Ramstein AFB. Rabbi Gary Davidson holds Friday night Shabbat services at the Ramstein Southside Chapel. Services are at 7:00PM and a dairy/vegetarian kosher "nosh" always follows the service. For the most part, this is a "reform" style service. It's also very family friendly. Readers of our blog know that we have a 3 year old and 8 year old. There is a play room close to the Jewish Chapel room. The play room isn't close enough to leave my 3 year old all by himself, but anything less than a padded room that is locked & sound proof is not appropriate to leave my 3 year old unattended! Congregants are called upon to do readings as well (In English. Don't worry Hebrew skills will not be tested.....unless this is desired...). It's a small group and there is usually a new face every time we go. The atmosphere is open and welcoming. The Jewish Chapel is also shared/adjoined with the Muslim Chapel. There are also all types that attend Shabbat services. Families, single soldiers/airmen, Jew curious, and non-Jews, so don't feel anxious!<br /><br />Just recently, we celebrated Purim. Our family and a few others dressed up. There were about 50 people that attended. (Even the base Commander and his wife!). It was truly a lot of fun and for me, has been a really fulfilling part of my experience here in Germany.<br /><br />Rabbi Davidson also currently leads a Judaism 101 course and a Children's class once a month. Sometimes these classes are moved or postponed. If anyone would like further information, I highly recommend stopping by the chapel or coming to services.<br /><br />As far as the Christian religions are concerned, there are a lot of choices. Not only can one find their choice of Sunday services at Ramstein, Vogelweh, Pulaski, and Landstuhl but there is also a Church located in every village (In this area of Germany many times there is a Catholic and Protestant church). There is daily Catholic mass held at the Landstuhl chapel. Ramstein's Catholic Community also has Sunday school classes. Below are links to the information I found for the local military chapels. Some of the information may be outdated. I highly recommend stopping in or calling to find out the most current information. No matter what chaplain I've run into, I've always had a positive experience and they will usually go above and beyond to be of service to anyone seeking out faith & community.<br /><a href="http://www.ramstein.af.mil/library/factsheets/factsheet_print.asp?fsID=17536&page=1"><br />Ramstein Southside and Northside Chapel Schedul</a><a href="http://www.ramstein.af.mil/library/factsheets/factsheet_print.asp?fsID=17536&page=1">e </a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.kaiserslauternamerican.com/article.php?i=2757">Other Military Chapels and local Churches </a>(This information is dated 2005. Again, be sure to call or stop by a chapel for current information!)Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10707714659880079791noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6211146385623310399.post-55700078842846489102012-02-19T15:00:00.003+01:002012-02-19T15:16:58.653+01:00German OvensThe majority of ovens here have 2 knobs. One is for the temperature (which is measured in Celsius) the other is the "type" of heat you need. Most American ovens (unless they are super ultra modern) don't have these settings. For those locals who are confused a quick google search should produce some results. This link is to a British explanation for these settings. It doesn't cover all of the settings that we have but, I thought this would help: <a href="http://www.google.de/imgres?imgurl=http://www.tumbledryers.org.uk/NewsImages/1394-1.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.tumbledryers.org.uk/NewsProductCats.asp%3FNewsID%3D1394&usg=__QxL6e4gIywGi3qdLnZibun5CE8Y=&h=340&w=349&sz=17&hl=de&start=0&zoom=1&tbnid=s5C1xZy6w2tYhM:&tbnh=158&tbnw=154&ei=3v9AT_y7HI3O4QSR75WHCA&prev=/search%3Fq%3DGermany%2BOven%2BSettings%26um%3D1%26hl%3Dde%26client%3Dfirefox-a%26sa%3DN%26rls%3Dorg.mozilla:en-US:official%26biw%3D1680%26bih%3D898%26tbm%3Disch&um=1&itbs=1&iact=hc&vpx=625&vpy=190&dur=605&hovh=222&hovw=227&tx=80&ty=128&sig=107118823035427944640&page=1&ndsp=30&ved=0CFAQrQMwAw">German Oven Settings</a><br /><br />Our family is huge fans of frozen pizza. (Mainly because we are natoriously cheap and don't want to pay to eat out or get delivery) Apparently, the Germans are too because frozen pizzas take up about 2 rows of freezer space at the market. They even have tuna pizza......for some of the readers this might sound nasty but it's good. I swear! The pizzas that are sold are smaller than the average American frozen pizza but they run 2-3 Euro ($2.50-$4.00) per box depending on what brand it is. The majority of German frozen pizzas that I've tried have been great. The crust is crispy and thin. For folks who love to have frozen pizza at home, it's a must to explore the "off post" options. There is actually a setting on the German oven that theoretically will let us cook several pizzas at a time. We haven't tried this yet but I think next pizza night, we may experiment.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10707714659880079791noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6211146385623310399.post-11755377617106752402012-02-11T16:59:00.004+01:002012-02-12T12:40:20.967+01:00Fish?Yesterday, the <a href="http://www.bofrost.com/">Bofrost </a>man paid me a visit... again. I actually like what they are selling, but they always seem to come at the wrong time. I thanked him but told him that I would have to sit down and translate everything and make my list and he'd have to come back next time for an order. He dropped off their new spring catalog so that should be of help to me.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.bofrost.com/">Bofrost</a> is similar to the American company <a href="http://www.schwans.com/default.aspx?kwid=searchGGGL48229-pcrid-8495413470&dmg=3320">Schwans</a>. They are a frozen foods delivery service. I used them for Christmas when Mike's parents came to visit and although they are a little more expensive than going to the grocery store, their stuff is pretty good and it's delivered, which in the painfully cold weather can be nice.<br /><br />This afternoon, I decided to be more proactive and translate some things in the catalog. My family is craving fish something fierce, so this is where I started. I found out that this will be helpful to have when I'm out in town as well; and also thought it might be helpful to the other English speaking types in the neighborhood:<br /><br /><a href="https://www.google.com/search?hl=en&client=firefox-a&hs=Oab&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&q=wild+caught+fish+in+Germany&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.r_cp.,cf.osb&biw=1073&bih=623&um=1&ie=UTF-8&tbm=isch&source=og&sa=N&tab=wi&ei=S5c2T9SRM8fWtAbyrPzgDA#um=1&hl=en&client=firefox-a&hs=GvG&rls=org.mozilla:en-US%3Aofficial&tbm=isch&sa=1&q=Rotbarschfilet-+Redfish+or+Rockfish+Filet&pbx=1&oq=Rotbarschfilet-+Redfish+or+Rockfish+Filet&aq=f&aqi=&aql=&gs_sm=3&gs_upl=160224l160224l0l161398l1l1l0l0l0l0l363l363l3-1l1l0&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.r_cp.,cf.osb&fp=abc75d7eb171812b&biw=1073&bih=623">Rotbarschfilet- Redfish or Rockfish Filet</a><br /><br /><a href="https://www.google.com/search?um=1&hl=en&client=firefox-a&hs=pzG&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&noj=1&tbm=isch&sa=X&ei=apg2T5LfMYXptQa0ob2sDA&ved=0CEEQvwUoAQ&q=Kabeljaufilet-+Cod+Fillet&spell=1&biw=1073&bih=623">Kabeljaufilet- Cod Filet</a><br /><br /><a href="https://www.google.com/search?um=1&hl=en&client=firefox-a&hs=ogb&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&noj=1&tbm=isch&sa=X&ei=0pg2T_zyOoLasgbn3vTXDA&ved=0CEAQBSgA&q=Nordsee+Schollenfilet-+Halibut+Filet&spell=1&biw=1073&bih=623">Nordsee Schollenfilets- Halibut Filet</a> (This took some research!)<br /><br /><a href="https://www.google.com/search?um=1&hl=en&client=firefox-a&hs=6Mw&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&noj=1&tbm=isch&sa=X&ei=D5k2T8uKH4bStAaIp9iOCQ&ved=0CEAQBSgA&q=Schellfisch+Fillet-+Haddock&spell=1&biw=1073&bih=623">Schellfischfilet- Haddock</a><br /><br /><span style="display: block;" id="formatbar_Buttons"><span onmouseover="ButtonHoverOn(this);" onmouseout="ButtonHoverOff(this);" onmouseup="" onmousedown="CheckFormatting(event);FormatbarButton('richeditorframe', this, 8);ButtonMouseDown(this);" class="" style="display: block;" id="formatbar_CreateLink" title="Link"><img src="http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gif" alt="Link" class="gl_link" border="0" /></span></span><a href="https://www.google.com/search?um=1&hl=en&client=firefox-a&hs=D3G&rls=org.mozilla%3Aen-US%3Aofficial&noj=1&biw=1073&bih=623&tbm=isch&sa=1&q=Seelachsfilet&oq=Seelachsfilet&aq=f&aqi=&aql=&gs_sm=3&gs_upl=5500l5500l0l5737l1l1l0l0l0l0l0l0ll0l0">Seelachsfilet- Pollock or, Codfish Filet</a><br /><br /><a href="https://www.google.com/search?um=1&hl=en&client=firefox-a&hs=D3G&rls=org.mozilla%3Aen-US%3Aofficial&noj=1&biw=1073&bih=623&tbm=isch&sa=1&q=Talapia-&oq=Talapia-&aq=f&aqi=g-sC10&aql=&gs_sm=3&gs_upl=3699l3699l0l4985l1l1l0l0l0l0l399l399l3-1l1l0">Talapia-</a> um, yeah, it's the same<br /><br /><a href="https://www.google.com/search?um=1&hl=en&client=firefox-a&hs=bPw&rls=org.mozilla%3Aen-US%3Aofficial&noj=1&biw=1073&bih=623&tbm=isch&sa=1&q=Lachsfilet&oq=Lachsfilet&aq=f&aqi=g1g-S5g-sS1g-S1&aql=&gs_sm=3&gs_upl=35296l35296l0l37097l1l1l0l0l0l0l388l388l3-1l1l0">Lachsfilet</a>- Salmon Most fishy folks can spot this one but I thought I'd include it. If your wondering if it's smoked or regular I believe in German it would say "<span id="result_box" class="short_text" lang="de"><span class="hps">Geräucherter Lachs"</span></span><br /><br /><a href="https://www.google.com/search?um=1&hl=en&client=firefox-a&hs=GQw&rls=org.mozilla%3Aen-US%3Aofficial&noj=1&biw=1073&bih=623&tbm=isch&sa=1&q=Pangasiusfilet&oq=Pangasiusfilet&aq=f&aqi=g1g-S7&aql=&gs_sm=3&gs_upl=24535l24535l0l25467l1l1l0l0l0l0l390l390l3-1l1l0">Pangasiusfilet</a>- Pangasius Fillet. This is a type of shark/catfish. Also called, Vietnamese River Cobbler, Basa Fish and White Catfish, Tra, Gray Sole (The information I received on the net about this fish was not very good. I advise researching before buying)<br /><br />PS: Click on the name to see a picture of what the fish looks like.<br /><br />I tried to research health regulations in Germany regarding food but came up with a blank. If anyone has more information on this, please send me a link or type it below. I'd love to be better informed.<br /><br />I do know that if you see a little blue fish label on the package it means Certified Sustainable Fisheries. The fish is farmed but apparently under environmentally responsible farms. I'd very much like to know if there is a label for "wild caught".<br /><br />For folks who don't know, there is a green "bio" label on anything that is organic. This is the EU or German label for organic food.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10707714659880079791noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6211146385623310399.post-79207707431820407892011-12-11T12:40:00.007+01:002011-12-11T13:50:14.640+01:00Sam's Playhouse Loft Bed<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEif0r05riMyBR4nqynokiJGXzhhgYCHsdUg5up7Ak7kL1r6c3e5vdm8J_15Ufr488Q8K7o1ZUS_4he2DudCumj4wYKTAiPzJzMm25F_emesCRw75Fy9ZWBtfzJHoYEqHktVmi480I0AiwsH/s1600/_MG_7580.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEif0r05riMyBR4nqynokiJGXzhhgYCHsdUg5up7Ak7kL1r6c3e5vdm8J_15Ufr488Q8K7o1ZUS_4he2DudCumj4wYKTAiPzJzMm25F_emesCRw75Fy9ZWBtfzJHoYEqHktVmi480I0AiwsH/s320/_MG_7580.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5684849125651433650" border="0" /></a>For Sam's 3rd birthday, we gifted him a homemade playhouse loft bed. I started building it in July 2011, but as is typical, life generally got in the way and the bed took a long time to build. The bed was "complete" by early October (ahead of his birthday), but I purposely did not attach the ladder until this weekend.<br /><br />First, thanks go to <a href="http://ana-white.com/">Ana White and her incredible website</a>. Ana is a pretty incredible person - she's an at-home mom who likes nice things, but is frugal. So she started making furniture at home so that she could have nice things, similar to what you'd find in Pottery Barn and the like, but at a fraction of the cost. And over the years she's put her plans & specs online for others to use. Her website has a bunch of plans that she (and now other contributors) have shared. The design that I used is the <a href="http://ana-white.com/2010/09/playhouse-loft-bed">Playhouse Loft Bed</a>.<br /><br />I had two main hurdles in making this bed:<br /><br />1. I'm in Europe<br />2. Ladder / Stairs Options<br /><br />Being in Europe has many advantages and opportunities. But for any red-blooded American educated with the US customary system of measurements, the metric system can be daunting and downright frustrating when working with lumber. The Playhouse Loft Bed plans are written to include 1x2s, 1x3s and 1x4s, and other such US units. In German stores, the closest equivalents I could find were 18x43mm (1x2 equiv), 18x70mm (1x3 equiv), and 18x95mm (1x4 equiv). However, the equivalents are not true equivalents, so I had to take the board thickness into account when using Ana's plans.<br /><br />The other problem I ran into being in Germany is the cost. Lumber is ridiculously expensive here, as compared to what we could have gotten in the States. And it had an impact on what I was willing and able to make. The Playhouse Loft Bed plans on Ana's site include a supplemental design for building really cool "storage stairs", which looked safer than the purely vertical ladder on Ana's original plans. But when I took the cost of German supplies into account, the storage stairs would likely have cost me about $300 US, and that was in addition to the cost of the bed materials. No thanks!<br /><br />Since I didn't trust Sam's abilities, at 3 years old, to consistently and safely climb up and down a vertical ladder, I decided to deviate from Ana's plans and build a diagonal ladder - reasonably inexpensive and moderately safe. The big challenge there was not having easy to read and understand plans on hand. Fortunately for me, Joshua (our eldest) has a bunk bed, so I was able to use his ladder as a reference when designing Sam's. Using some basic geometry, I figured out that Josh's ladder extends about 27 degrees vertically off the side of his bed (about 63 degrees from horizontal). With that knowledge, and knowing the height of Sam's bed, I was able to calculate rough dimensions I'd need to build the ladder.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOm8YTV9r2v0OaTLxn0N6sHM8b5mzEe6Th3sa3thVMS8SNUS3p-bRKe6K7xkC5_VpaneJ7a27OvaEAUmUdoQjYY5oYRQDT-yHQBuclCAEoyqwAtyXsYaaRLEr-gdBMt4zNBtTHKWkwFemK/s1600/scan0001.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 258px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOm8YTV9r2v0OaTLxn0N6sHM8b5mzEe6Th3sa3thVMS8SNUS3p-bRKe6K7xkC5_VpaneJ7a27OvaEAUmUdoQjYY5oYRQDT-yHQBuclCAEoyqwAtyXsYaaRLEr-gdBMt4zNBtTHKWkwFemK/s320/scan0001.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5684849397544277186" border="0" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Original Ladder Design (by Mike)</span><br /></div><br />As it turns out, the dimensions of the ladder sides were dead-on. I initially estimated about 12 inch ladder rungs (steps), but eventually decided to build them out to roughly 15 inches, which added room for Sam's growing feet, and it helped make the ladder a little closer to the actual width of the bed's opening between the rails at the top. And although my initial plans were to have 4 evenly spaced steps, I ended up putting five on there, with the bottom step as close to the top of the ladder as reasonable since there's still a decent sized step up from there to the top of the mattress.<br /><br />All in all, I'm very happy with the results. Sam climbs up and down like a champ. He's actually taking his first nap on top now, as I type this blog post. Although he liked sleeping under the bed (in the house) on a futon mattress these past couple of months, I'm sure he's much happier up top, sleeping "way up high" like his big brother does on the bunk bed.<br /><br />I kept a photo diary of the work as I was building. <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/82939556@N00/sets/72157628370428511/">Click here</a> to see history in the making.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10707714659880079791noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6211146385623310399.post-57777552107243804202011-11-06T19:03:00.005+01:002011-11-07T08:25:03.474+01:00Kids Clothing in Germany & Maybe Just a Little Too Much of my OpinionAs an American, I don't know if I'll ever get through Sundays here in Germany.....nothing is open. However, my friend just told me that closer to Christmas, some stores will have special opening hours for shopping on Sundays. However, it's only in the German papers....so, I'll have to keep an eye out to see what I can find out.<br /><br />I'm still struggling a bit to find good quality reasonably priced clothing for the kids in the area. I have discovered a couple of places since I've been here. Most of them can be discovered by most Americans as well but, I thought I would throw it out there for anyone preparing for a move to Germany.<br /><br />I highly, highly, recommend those who are moving to the area in or around Christmas time, to purchase snow gear for their children before departing the states. If there's no room in the suitcases, find out the FPO/APO address, and mail it so that it can be ready for the kids upon arrival. Baby stroller bunting as well! JJ Cole brand are nice and they now have water resistant bunting. Although snow gear can be found in the area, it's much more expensive.<br /><br />Most of the time, I still purchase my boy's clothing online and have it mailed to us. I haven't had too much trouble getting packages here in a timely manner.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.hm.com/de/?gclid=CJOPgL_RoqwCFcKDDgodazh-_w">H & M Clothing</a> is the gold standard when shopping for the kids. It's fairly priced (For German stores) and it will withstand washes. H & M is located in Kaiserslautern which is about a 20 minute drive from Landtuhl. The train can be taken there as well. Also in Kaiserslautern in the same shopping district is <a href="http://www.soliver.de/on/demandware.store/Sites-soliverDE-Site/default/Home-Show?&adword=Google/Brand/search/s%20oliver&quid=523228293S925770T&gkid=43-f-byvire--Oenaq--404a255a532">S. Oliver</a> and <a href="http://www.esprit.de/?LKZ=NL&camp=DE_IC_GG_SB_40_001">Esprit</a>. These companies both have adorable stuff but are ridiculously expensive. 20 Euro ($27) for a toddler shirt? No thanks! Keep an eye out though, Both S. Oliver and Esprit have point card systems and sales. I learned quickly that drying things in my little European dryer absolutely fries my clothes and they continually become shorter and shorter. Most of the time I still stick with line drying everything.<br /><br />I count myself very fortunate in that I can shop at the commissary and exchange. The exchange seems to be lacking in boys fashion (and girls from what I hear) it still seems pricier than what I can find in the states on my own. If one is lucky though, one can find clothing for their kids there. Jeans are usually not a problem. The rule always is though, if I see them, I buy them right then in there. This goes for just about anything I see at the exchange and want. Otherwise, they will be gone. In Landstuhl there is a shop called <a href="http://www.ernstings-family.de/shop/servlet/efWillkommen?storeId=10001&catalogId=10002&langId=-3&cm_mmc=1000-_-AddWords-_-11043-_-SEM&execid=15000">Ernsting's Family</a>. This is a chain store that offers an assortment of children's clothing and women's clothing as well. The prices are cheaper than H & M but, I've found the quality can sometimes be lacking. If something is needed in a pinch, it's worth it. Their outfits are pretty darn cute. My problems have always been the buttons to the adjustable waste falling off and the snaps not snapping on the shirts after several washes. Within Landstuhl there is also <a href="http://www.charles-voegele.de/home?ad=2918028343_15642621223&kw=Phrase_2918028343_v%C3%B6gele+shop">Charles Vogele Shop</a> and <a href="http://www.takko-fashion.com/de_de/fashion/trends.html">Takko</a>. Both have good prices but again with my experience the quality was lacking too.<br /><br />Despite the quality complaints the fitted look on boys clothing here is appreciated. It just looks a little "sharper" to me compared to the baggier pants. I really like Children's place denim though. Same fit at Euro style but, much cheaper.<br /><br />Besides price, I do really look for where these clothes are being made and under what conditions. <br />Not trying to be preachy....Ok, maybe just a little (here it comes) but I urge parents and consumers in general to try and buy local products. Meaning, things that were manufactured in the USA. I've decided to really work on this and make this a mission. I try and purchase products that were manufactured in the USA, Europe, or other countries that adhere to laws and standards for humane treatment of employees and respect for the environment. I can't always do it...for example Joshua's winter jacket. I tried to find something warm enough that was manufactured in the USA or Europe but, I just couldn't bring myself to pay nearly $200 for a boys jacket. I realize it's not always possible for people to do this. Sometimes it's just too expensive, but sometimes it's not or, sometimes the price difference is so minimal it doesn't really matter (For instance, pencils at Target; <a href="http://www.generalpencil.com/gpc_products_schoolpencils.html">USA pencils made from sustainable wood (Cedar).</a> A 24 pack for $1.00 vs. 24 pack for $0.30 made in China....I think we can all afford to pay a $1.00). <br /><br />Also, look and see what's in the product and how it was manufactured. Here in Germany it's clearly marked if the <a href="http://www.organiccotton.org/oc/Where-to-buy/where-to-buy.php">cotton fabric is organic</a>, if it was produced through <a href="http://www.buyfair.org/fileadmin/template/projects/buyfair/files/buyfair_guide_final_www.pdf">fair trade</a> and if any alternative energy was used during the manufacturing (ie: made using 20% solar/wind energy) America is starting to label it's products as well. I've also realized that my kid does not need a new backpack every year for school. We've bought him a red backpack that has a classic look and we sew patches on it of where he's been (I know, very grunge right?). Also, he's had his lunch pail now for 5 years. I'm planning on getting him a <a href="http://www.lunchboxes.com/lunchbox.html">classic metal pale </a>that he can decorate on his own and will last him for years to come. It's nearly impossible to find anything that is manufactured locally these days. I try to buy thrift store when I can or get second hand clothing (It saves money and I'm not investing my money into China or some other country that doesn't promote healthy working conditions or adheres to environmental standards) There are not many thrift and consignment stores here in this area of Germany (There are some in the Kaiserslautern shopping area and I just spotted one here in Landstuhl I'm planning on checking them out soon). They do have flea markets though. Just about all the major military bases in this area also have thrift stores. They are also all on facebook. Unfortunately the season is just about over with for flea markets. Come spring though, I'll be prepared.<br /><br />Don't worry, I'm not a judgy-mcjudgerson......if I ever meet any of my readers or, my family, I usually don't preach to their face or debate with them or lecture them. Honestly, I can't stand it when people do it to me. For the most part it doesn't help and it makes me more abrasive and closed off to the cause they are trying to make me aware of. Blogging is my outlet. I get to send out my opinion through cyber space and not push it on the people around me. My hope is that it educates folks and sparks a little fire inside of them. It also saves me from loosing friends!<br /><br />Be a conscious consumer and make the right choices when it's possible! Our buying power is strong. Americans are the world biggest consumers.....what we buy says a lot about who we are and what we will stand for. <br /><br />Side note: <a href="http://www.corpwatch.org/article.php?id=12754%22">Also looking into the whole chocolate thing</a>.<br /><br />OK, I've said my 2 cents and now I'm sticking a cork in it. Happy shopping!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10707714659880079791noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6211146385623310399.post-87554656701689891072011-10-26T16:08:00.003+02:002011-10-30T13:17:49.776+01:00Everyday Life<span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(153, 153, 153);">A small note....the post below is similar to this one....however, Mike thought it relevant because some of the things were different....so, enjoy!</span><br /><br /><br />As Summer has come to an end, the holidays have been ramping up fast. We have just been so busy we can't even see straight. Joshua has school, homework, guitar, soccer, and Cub Scouts. Things will feel normal again once soccer season ends but needless to say we have just about no time for anything else. Last night was a "nothing" night and Mike and I literally did nothing. We could have carved the pumpkins but we just didn't have it in us. Mike's wrist has been killing him and he's got to get in to see the doctor.<br /><br />The fabulous thing about our tour here in Germany is that there are many of the conveniences of America right here in our neighborhood. Friday is pizza night. I was making my own pizza. My mother gave me her pizza stones and I've been hooked on home made pizza ever since. There's something about a fresh crispy crust! Well, since our tour into the busy parenting life, making my own pizza is just not as enjoyable... I don't have the flippin' time! Thankfully, we have delivery! Yes, I can call one of two places in my area and order pizza. Something that is virtually impossible living in Japan (unless you know Japanese very well and like squid ink pizza :) <a href="http://www.heimservice-napoli.de/">Napoli </a>and <a href="http://taormina-landstuhl.com/">Taormina</a> both deliver. They are pricier than the states but on a busy night it's worth it! I've done Napoli because it's easier (I can just order online) but I heard Taormina is really good. Just about every time we order at Napoli we also get a free bottle of wine. They also give out points.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihbzxFdI0oC4pIaiLkyU8c1-YWio_czng2hxlxVRA1ZWva_5j70TX3-UMtSmqm_IYjwlKueQnkGmfGIUMChwDG82jMjnsdwjR27NsAPQVH1Slpi3wHaMFHdbWPSAvU3PjFDbVJOwfjjoPk/s1600/Cub_Scout_Characters.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 269px; height: 253px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihbzxFdI0oC4pIaiLkyU8c1-YWio_czng2hxlxVRA1ZWva_5j70TX3-UMtSmqm_IYjwlKueQnkGmfGIUMChwDG82jMjnsdwjR27NsAPQVH1Slpi3wHaMFHdbWPSAvU3PjFDbVJOwfjjoPk/s320/Cub_Scout_Characters.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5669257717276502210" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Recently we also went to a Hockey game with Joshua's Cub Scout den. I can't say enough good things about the Scouts. This is Joshua's first year. Even though he's started late and had to catch up, his den has been completely supportive. The activities and field trips they plan have been great. Mike has mostly been taking him to everything because all the events seem to fall when Samuel needs a nap or should be in bed. However, we've all been able to attend the recent <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raingutter_regatta">Rain Gutter Regatta</a> and hockey game. Joshua earned first place in his den for the Rain Gutter Regatta; we were so proud. The Hockey game was in Zweibrücken about a 30 minute drive from our area. In Zweibrücken. there is an ice rink where one of the boys practices his figure skating and his dad is on a rec hockey team. Anyone PCSing here that is interested in keeping up ice sports, this is most likely the <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNqZNT0gA9hz8gG2EqeAxynrjbqEN464Wj43YkyZhxgcxHIFPTb7Q8MwRxrXVEdFZGQT4qOEK_x58sa2l4xi8f0HaaJ5NjmrjAbIKGS3e4pM_vBy_k3Yy4qEW4ea4110SrCZwk-kWwymzo/s1600/logo-zweibrucken.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 287px; height: 46px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNqZNT0gA9hz8gG2EqeAxynrjbqEN464Wj43YkyZhxgcxHIFPTb7Q8MwRxrXVEdFZGQT4qOEK_x58sa2l4xi8f0HaaJ5NjmrjAbIKGS3e4pM_vBy_k3Yy4qEW4ea4110SrCZwk-kWwymzo/s320/logo-zweibrucken.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5669257294591884530" border="0" /></a>place to do it. Across from the rink is outlet stores. This being Sunday evening, I couldn't check them out but, it's something that really caught my attention. Here is a link to anyone interested in checking it out and filling me in if I don't blog about it soon: <a href="http://www.thestyleoutlets.de/en">The Style Outlets</a>. The hockey game was a lot of fun. Loud and cold sums it up. The last time I had been to a hockey game was in San Diego watching the Gulls play. Here they are the <a href="http://www.ehc-zweibruecken.de/">Zweibrücken Hornets</a>. Click on the link and the schedule can be found on their webpage. Adults are 6 Euro and Kids are 5 Euro. We sta<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjud1RHNoE_7kaaCjQ40_cIly2FHRHC0NbZlkRXpGuZjBPSe75XCJzJkjDedBBgzV2pmJAwpmPxog-BUg8K3Iwt9krG1pQhdQYYRGXle1C8Wbn1mGjss-JvMAPUyxAIB1fsbAEqW3UYXX6G/s1600/zweibruecken_hornets.gif"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 145px; height: 145px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjud1RHNoE_7kaaCjQ40_cIly2FHRHC0NbZlkRXpGuZjBPSe75XCJzJkjDedBBgzV2pmJAwpmPxog-BUg8K3Iwt9krG1pQhdQYYRGXle1C8Wbn1mGjss-JvMAPUyxAIB1fsbAEqW3UYXX6G/s320/zweibruecken_hornets.gif" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5669256580240407106" border="0" /></a>yed for 3 periods and then took off. We knew it was time to go when Sam was laying on the sticky popcorn laden floor and knocking over drinks. The 3 year old was OK though and we didn't feel awkward or anxious about our kid behaving because it was a loud rowdy place anyways. Parking was easy too. A good family outing for sure. Just bundle up! It's cold inside!<br /><br />Cleaning is my thin<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGQ1NNwA4-l9f3Ti2NOzEry9RubI7UChgSTNzegF-mmYK_T90LULhpu_MdDB0w-TMMfCN4xM0l5fVMB4NUP4NDr9fmX5jPaXblfsm9G-jgbe9kZxq-4S1RkiHez4-K8JTiQh-OER3eOoo-/s1600/frosch-neutral-reiniger-14-183234.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 178px; height: 178px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGQ1NNwA4-l9f3Ti2NOzEry9RubI7UChgSTNzegF-mmYK_T90LULhpu_MdDB0w-TMMfCN4xM0l5fVMB4NUP4NDr9fmX5jPaXblfsm9G-jgbe9kZxq-4S1RkiHez4-K8JTiQh-OER3eOoo-/s320/frosch-neutral-reiniger-14-183234.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5669255357349348594" border="0" /></a>g these days. Especially because I know that I'll be hosting the neighborhood Thanksgiving. Our neighbors will cook one turkey, and Mike and I are planning on doing our traditional deep fried bird. We started this in Japan when we didn't have an oven big enough for a turkey. Mike went out and bought a deep fryer and propane tank. We deep fried our first bird and haven't looked back since. It's the absolute best way! But, I am hosting and it should be interesting because well, I don't have much furniture or anything for that matter. I am completely depending on my neighbors who are much more abundant on this type of garage inventory. The one thing I can be sure of though is that our house is clean! Lately I've fallen in love with a German cleaning brand called <a href="http://www.frosch.de/">Frosch</a>. It was the smell that first snagged me in but now I appreciate the message of the brand as well. Environmentally friendly and natural. I've always kinda been a treehugger with my cleaning agents when I can (I'm also cheap). My main cleaning ingredients are vinegar, baking soda and lemon juice. However, I really miss that chemical induced "clean" smell t<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgE2Sk-Vv2CteSWyGDZNJ5qw2lQB8onHdHjUFhdoi8bLBstdxyjja1VgGTkP8yqJ2VETnuX-8aORtf2sKvYgsSPbxwBw5YzlSGxQ3KHvGa6bedTf9MaBnmcpeyTmBKdK7O3XhNT_D_-oNFi/s1600/Ariel_logo_Neu.jpg"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 157px; height: 157px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgE2Sk-Vv2CteSWyGDZNJ5qw2lQB8onHdHjUFhdoi8bLBstdxyjja1VgGTkP8yqJ2VETnuX-8aORtf2sKvYgsSPbxwBw5YzlSGxQ3KHvGa6bedTf9MaBnmcpeyTmBKdK7O3XhNT_D_-oNFi/s320/Ariel_logo_Neu.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5669255922024000610" border="0" /></a>hat major brands provide... this is where Frosch has helped me. Also, <a href="http://www.ariel.co.uk/Default.aspx">Ariel </a>brand detergent has been my favorite... again for the smell but I'm going to try and move towards a more environmentally friendly brand there if I can as well.<br /><br />Also, in preparation for company I am trying to cover my naked floors. Now when I was planning on moving here, I read that I should stock up on carpets before the move. I decided against it. I didn't know what size of a house we would have. I figured I could just by them here. That's #287 things I regret that I didn't do before moving here! Note to anyone out there planning to move here. BUY RUGS!! I can't stress it enough. The prices here are atrocious. For one large "cheap" carpet here it will cost you the same as a Pottery Barn rug... ladies, you know what I'm talking about! Rugs here are stupid expensive. I've been looking for good quality inexpensive rugs here and I'm at a loss. Ikea and Poco Domain are the inexpensive household goods. I might try Ikea again but Poco for rugs is not really my first choice. I'd love to buy some online... if only Pottery Barn would ship rugs here (Always with the Pottery Barn right?). But alas, most rugs will not ship through FPO/APO. So, I've been also hitting up <a href="http://ramsteinyardsales.com/">Ramstein yard sales. </a> I've had to be vigilant and patient but I've found some good deals there. I got two "oatmeal" type rugs for $35 and another semi nice 5x7 one for $50 (I had to bargain down that one from $100) Because I've got faux wood laminate and tile the echo in my 4 floor home is awesome and not the good kind of awesome. So, I've also been surfing Ramstein yard sales for plants. Another really inexpensive way to buffer the sound bounce.<br /><br />Last night I took Joshua to get a hair cut... he was seriously in need. Mop top was an understatement. My favorite place to go for haircuts in Landstuhl hospital. The old school guy in there really does a great job. Unfortunately it was past 5:00 and I wasn't sure they would be open. So, I headed to Ramstein. I like Ramstein because of everything that's available there... I hate it because it's packed with people all the time and it's HUGE. We were headed to Ramstein when I hear on the radio that traffic was at a standstill because of an accident. I was close enough to the autobahn entrance headed towards Mannheim so I zipped onto the autobahn and headed to Vogelweh. I had no idea where a place was for him to get a hair cut. So, I went into the Moms shop. (AKA video rental shop) He told me to go to the shop right outside of the gate. The woman who owns the place used to have a place on base but didn't put in a low enough bid when they were opening up the new salon... so, she decided to open up right outside of the gate. <a href="http://finditguide.de/listing.php?lid=2949&type=1">Hollywood Beauty and Barbershop/ Day Spa </a>was a nice place to go. They did a good job for Joshua and I was happy with them. The wait was not long at all in fact, I walked in and they took me. (Unlike Ramstein... arg) And, at 8.50 Euro the price was right. I'd definitely go back there.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10707714659880079791noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6211146385623310399.post-7921853514480310062011-10-01T16:48:00.004+02:002011-10-29T19:03:33.378+02:00Just an UpdateOur family has been very busy the past few weeks. Ever since school started, it has been a whirlwind of activities. Joshua is enjoying his new school year and also has Cub Scouts, soccer and guitar lessons. Cub Scouts was something new this year. Ever since he had his birthday, he is fascinated by pocket knives. Mike and I really want to be able to get him a Swiss Army knife from Switzerland. I was also worried about a boy his age carrying around a knife!!! That's what kicked off the idea of Cub Scouts. The Cub Scouts teach about proper knife usage and drill into the boys' heads the safety rules. At Joshua's age, the boys are eligible to carry a knife. However, like us, most parents in the den are choosing to hold off on that one! Every week, he has Cub Scout homework. This includes push-ups, sit-ups, soft ball throw and long jump. He also must memorize the Cub Scout motto and learn the proper salute.<br /><br />Soccer has been a joy. Joshua has a good time out there and the team has a good spirit for sure. Guitar lessons have proven to be a real asset to Joshua. His teacher is teaching him how to read sheet music (notes) tune his guitar and rhythm. This will definitely help him with his fine motor skills. Joshua has a bicycle obstacle course coming up for Scouts as well. This has motivated him to fine tune is biking skills. Everyday after school he hops on his bike for training. The other day, he took a curb to quickly and skinned his knee something fierce. Screaming and with blood running down his leg, I carried him up to the bathtub to "hose" him off with the shower head. The scrape was pretty bad and there were several shards of gravel that I had to wash out. I was a little worried and knocked on my friend's door to have her take a look. She said there was no need for stitches and even if there was it was too ragged of a scrape to actually stitch up. Assessing myself later, I realized that I hadn't really watched him as he went out and he was wearing shorts and Birkenstocks out to go bike riding. The very next day I went out and got him knee, elbow and wrist pads. I also updated my first aid kit that I noticed was expired.<br /><br />An exciting event just happened recently. In second grade, Joshua had an assignment to write a letter to a member of the Obama family. Joshua chose to write the dog, Bo. Just recently, we received a letter back from the White House. Mrs. Obama wrote back to Joshua!!! The letterhead had the presidential seal and was hand signed by the First Lady herself. Enclosed was also a small picture of Bo with fun facts about him on the back. We are very proud for him and I'm working on getting this framed so he can hold onto it for a very long time.<br /><br />All of these activities have kept us all very busy. Samuel's birthday is coming and Mike has been working very hard on a playhouse loft bed for him. We are all very excited but Mike especially has really enjoyed his first wood project. We are looking to make it fully equipped with a working door bell & magnetic wall.<br /><br />Several weeks ago we were able to meet my very dear friend Nathalie in France to enjoy some time with her. She's currently living in Korea with her family however, she is French and was here to see her sister who just had her first baby. I'm so thankful to Nathalie's family for sharing the time that they had with her. Her Father lives about 3 hours from us in the country. He actually joked and said that there are more cows in his town than people. This was truly a great experience for our family. We had a late lunch; authentically French in just about every way. It was outdoors at a long table. Her father grilled wild boar (which he hunts himself), sausages, and pig intestine. It sounds totally gross but was just about the best thing on the platter. After the 1st course there was cheese... lots of cheese. About 12 different types. Bread and salad were served with the cheese, followed up by coffee and dessert. Made special was a Mirabelle pie/tart. Mirabelle are like a small yellow plum but are specific to this region of France. The kids were able to play together while the grownups ate and enjoyed wine and---what else? Champagne!<br /><br />When we left Nathalie's father had us pick apples from his tree (which was so loaded with apples that he had sticks holding up the branches) also he gave us a jar of Mirabelle jam and walnuts. Needless to say, his generosity is much appreciated and I'm planning on making something to send him. A side note that made me laugh: Her father has buckets of fallen apples at the bottom of the tree. He leaves them there for the boars to eat. He sits outside early in the morning with his rifle and waits.....<br /><br />Last night was our first time ordering pizza delivery. We ordered from Napoli down in town. We ordered Salami, Hawaiian style, and veggie for me, with a liter of Coke. The total was about 24 Euro so about $33. The sizing of the pizza is smaller than the States, so the medium and 2 family size pizzas looked like a small/personal size and 2 mediums. It was no bargain but hey we are in Europe. Just about nothing is cheap! It was good pizza. Mike said the Salami and cheese tasted like something from Italy. After looking at the webpage it looks like one of the guys that works there also drives the gelato truck through out neighborhood. Big plus to have a delivery service that I can actually order from without knowing German!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10707714659880079791noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6211146385623310399.post-14064696585851577532011-09-06T08:01:00.011+02:002011-09-09T08:43:39.786+02:002 Castles and a Waffle please!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfzY-0AmKkyuEwmO4eqUYNIYwWeW-KX4yDxiNHMQ2StMd5TGi5Ym6tLOp019jfUhQv80tH2UWUy0cMfvCONH8UdBVkBA2pLltcEDu91hQkPzDtO0KI8brW1tPrTy32UeablYyPsdBxV7p1/s1600/_MG_6504.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 214px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfzY-0AmKkyuEwmO4eqUYNIYwWeW-KX4yDxiNHMQ2StMd5TGi5Ym6tLOp019jfUhQv80tH2UWUy0cMfvCONH8UdBVkBA2pLltcEDu91hQkPzDtO0KI8brW1tPrTy32UeablYyPsdBxV7p1/s320/_MG_6504.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5650245349164018130" border="0" /></a>For my birthday everyone kept saying, "I hope you do something fun!" and "What are you doing today?" Well, my actual birthday was pretty uneventful, although really nice too. Joshua was in school and I met up with a good friend of mine, with Samuel, and we enjoyed the <a href="http://www.gartenschau-kl.de/service/aktuelles">"Dyno Park" </a>together (Otherwise known as the<a href="http://www.gartenschau-kl.de/service/aktuelles"> Kaiserslautern Gartenschau</a>). This is a park in Kaiserslautern with indoor and outdoor garden exhibits, several playgrounds, a water play area, a small creek that runs through the park, a skate park, mini golf, and large dinosaurs throughout the pathway. Mike and I got a family season pass and it was totally worth it. For 35 Euro, a family of 4 can have a season pass to the place. I believe the regular price is around 15 Euro, so if we were to go 3-4 times we would more than make up for the cost. The season pass also gives families entry into the <a href="http://www.japanischergarten.de/">Japan</a><a href="http://www.japanischergarten.de/">ese Garden</a>. We haven't had a chance to check that one out. We've been told it's not very kid friendly, so we are waiting on a time where the kids are off doing something else. Right now, the Gartenschau has pumpkin exhibits portraying famous fairytales.<br /><br />Mike got me something that had been on my wishlist for years... a <a href="http://www.williams-sonoma.com/products/oval-stoneware-bread-basket/?pkey=e%7Coval%2Bstoneware%2Bbread%2Bbasket%7C1%7Cbest%7C0%7C1%7C24%7C%7C1&cm_src=PRODUCTSEARCH%7C%7CNoFacet-_-NoFacet-_-NoMerchRules-_-">stoneware breadbasket</a>. It helps keep bread warm out of the oven. Also, a very very nice card. This Birthday weekend proved to be a blast.<br /><br />It started off right at a neighborhood BBQ. Our house basically looks like apartment buildings on the outside. On the inside however, it's pretty impressive. The great thing about it looking like an apartment is that we are able to block off the driveways and enjoy a BBQ. The kids just brought out their favorite bike or scooter and had a great time until it just got too dark. Mike, being the wonderful husband that he is, made me a cake and had everyone sing happy birthday. He also had the admiration of every woman in the neighborhood.<br /><br />We woke up and headed to a local castle in our area. Affectionately referred to in our household as "the Kusel Castle" but know by others as Burg<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burg_Lichtenberg_%28Palatinate%29"> Lichtenberg </a>Castle. <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBl2G-tYxH_DBEo_9kBkqY38vynnMu-reKXdVFkERitDse0-MLCIPSLd-dZxv_8KEcUvhuvbuXVGOL9To8Wf6UFXKxGThbYQtwbpTTI_hyi0LxAYS9mnqft2yPIgC2Jji4VdTgbtJKbqjd/s1600/_MG_6520.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 214px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBl2G-tYxH_DBEo_9kBkqY38vynnMu-reKXdVFkERitDse0-MLCIPSLd-dZxv_8KEcUvhuvbuXVGOL9To8Wf6UFXKxGThbYQtwbpTTI_hyi0LxAYS9mnqft2yPIgC2Jji4VdTgbtJKbqjd/s320/_MG_6520.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5650245535857109394" border="0" /></a>It's a beautiful castle that, for it's age, is still very well intact. There were about 4 weddings going on that day. At the Castle there is a restaurant, cafe, and museum. We didn't sample the food but we did enjoy the museum. The first floor was more interesting for the kids as it had a lot of taxidermy animals on display. The weather couldn't have been better and it was great to go out and enjoy it. We got home and had a lazy rest of our Saturday.<br /><br />Sunday rolled around and it was proving to be a lazy one as well. I had just recently gotten a new publication of<a href="http://www.3d-zeitschrift.de/p/1l6dnWKcxAZPR/BlickwinKL_US__Magazin.html?k"> BlickwinKL</a>. This magazine comes in our mail and is "the magazine for the American Community" or, at least that's what they say. It's an extremely helpful publication (albeit a little Christian leaning, but helpful nonetheless). The <a href="http://www.3d-zeitschrift.de/p/1l6dnWKcxAZPR/BlickwinKL_US__Magazin.html?k">Blickwin </a>usually has 5 articles and countless advertisements and calendars filled with events for the next 2 months. For anyone living in our region, I highly recommend going to their webpage and signing up for delivery if it isn't already being delivered. Near the back of the magazine was an article on the new Burg Nanstein Restaurant;<a href="http://www.burgschaenke-nanstein.de/"> Burschanke Nanstein</a>. For readers who have been here a while, they will say there has always been a restaurant at the castle. However, just recently ownership was taken over by Paul Schmitt. Mr. Schmitt is a prominent guy in these parts and along with some bakeries also owns a lot of property in our neighborhood (including our building). He's trained as a German pastry chef. We walked down to the castle and enjoyed Chicken Stew with <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sp%C3%A4tzle">Spatzle</a>. Joshua had <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schnitzel">Turkey Schnitzle</a> and both boys enjoyed Pommes, or French Fries. The view is beautiful up there. They have ample outdoor and indoor seating as well. During the winter I can imagine enjoying a big beer by the fireside. The outdoor seating had the quintessential HUGE umbrellas that most German outdoor seating has. The restaurant also provides small blankets and bowls of water for a patron's favorite 4-legged canine friends. The kids got the wiggles but they were able to play in the surrounding area without bugging anyone. This gave Mike and me a chance to just enjoy the afternoon. The article in the <a href="http://www.3d-zeitschrift.de/p/1l6dnWKcxAZPR/BlickwinKL_US__Magazin.html?k">Blickwin</a> mentioned that many times there is wild game on the menu. I didn't see anything but I'm looking forward to going back and looking again for it. This place has special openings for big parties and also has a buffet for New Years. Since it's literally about a 5-10 minute walk from our house, this could be one of our haunts from now on.<br /><br />On our way back home, I noticed that chestnuts were falling from the tree by the playground. I was pretty surprised since they shouldn't be ready for another month or so. It looked like just recently the tree had been cut/cleaned up. It made me wonder if it made the nuts go into hyper growth mode. At any rate, it got me pretty excited and I dragged Joshua out to gather chestnuts. I had never really done this before and for anyone who knows what a chestnut looks like, knows that the process can look daunting. The nut looks like a little porcupine. I wondered how one could safely gather them without poking their fingertips. However, after several Google searches, I could not find anything on it. There was a ton of information on how to roast them just not how to safely gather them. From what I gathered, most of them just fall out of their protective spikes. I did wear gloves and this protected me from the pokes. Most of them were already out of their spikes. We took home probably about 1000 grams (2 pounds) or so of nuts. My initial thought had been correct. The nuts had gone into hyper growth. It seems as though they were small and difficult to get out of their shell. I was able to roast about 200 grams and I also used another 200 grams to make <a href="http://www.notquitenigella.com/2008/06/06/roasted-chestnut-puree/">Chestnut puree</a>. Come to find out, this stuff can be very she she la la (another technical term would be fancy schmancy pants). Known to the French as Puree De Marrons, it can sell for 8 Euro a "tin" or as us Americans say a "can". It's used as a spread for bread or croissants, topper for ice cream, or ingredients in other recipes. I came across a cheesecake recipe that I'm very interested in trying.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKquWr7KmpgbRmSKK3tPADmGjqW0eyWPc6OLnqZIOtGUBFETBGAZ5NflWeU9epFgZbJKRdq0CKCGyetQIuTdEe2_DFV_nmMcVfoEhwznnSwhkhzjEx3MZH6n95jTQuxt4XAZv6b1XaNl7-/s1600/_MG_6609.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 214px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKquWr7KmpgbRmSKK3tPADmGjqW0eyWPc6OLnqZIOtGUBFETBGAZ5NflWeU9epFgZbJKRdq0CKCGyetQIuTdEe2_DFV_nmMcVfoEhwznnSwhkhzjEx3MZH6n95jTQuxt4XAZv6b1XaNl7-/s320/_MG_6609.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5650245708769988770" border="0" /></a>Monday was Labor Day, an American holiday, so we took advantage of the day off by driving to Brussels, Belgium. Now, just about NOTHING is open on a Monday in Brussels. When I say nothing I mean all the museums and attractions. We made sure to check the schedules of places before we cemented out plans. It's about a 3.5 hour drive from where we live. We dragged ourselves out of the house at around 9:00, stopped at the ATM and for gas, and we were gone. Our first stop was the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grand_Place">Grand Place</a> - it was just as magnificent as the pictures. They were just cleaning up after a festival of some sort in the square, but to look at all the buildings was truly a treat. The detail of the sculptures with the gold paint accents was magnificent. The wind was strong that day and we were hungry for lunch. Joshua made a great suggestion for pizza and we stopped at one of the many restaurants near the square. Brussels apparently is famous for it's seafood options (Mussels and other shell fish). There were many many restaurants to choose from. I recommend doing a little research beforehand though; because of the variety and cost there is a high chance that one might experience a "dud" restaurant. We didn't do any research on eating, so we went with a safer option... pizza. Our dining experience was comfortable. As we ate we heard French, German and English being spoken. We sat outside for the view and ambiance. Unfortunately the clouds came out and the rain fallowed. The whole staff scrambled to get their patrons inside. Needless to say it was an adventure. Thankfully, the rain didn't last, like many of the rain storms here. When the sun peaked out again, we walked several blocks to <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manneken_Pis">Manneken Pis </a>to get the quintessential photo. Next to the fountain, there are lots and lots of chocolate and waffle stores. I don't care who you are... if you're going to Belgium, you gotta get a waffle! Joshua and I went into a shop and ordered a Belgian waffle with whipped cream, strawberries and chocolate syrup on top. I mean, if I'm gonna have a waffle... I'm gonna have a waffle! A little funny side note, the vender, who was a teenage girl, almost burned the waffles and in a perfect French accent exclaimed "Sh*t!" I smiled and said, "I suppose that word is universal" the poor girl was so embarrassed and apologized over and over again. I had to repeatedly tell her, " it's OK". Joshua, Samuel and I shared this treat and it was very decadent to say the least. Belgian waffles seem to be sweeter than American breakfast waffles. I'd really love a recipe. Mike was able to stop in and get a sampler of 6 trappist beers that are available in Belgium. Since we were so close, we also went to see the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jeanneke_Pis">Jeanneke Pis</a> . Now, the link that I just inputted is to Wikipedia that doesn't even have a photo! Poor Jeanneke. I suppose that women's lib hasn't fully infiltrated wiki. I think it is a cute little tribute to the more famous Mannekin Pis.<br /><br />After the enjoyment of waffles and a full visual display of children going potty, we headed to our car and on to our next destination; The<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atomium"> Atomium</a>. It was only about 5 kilometers from the Grand Place but because of the traffic, it took us about an hour to get there. Let's hear it for rush hour! Mike had a picture of himself at the Atomium. I thought it was kinda cool after I heard the story about it but I was unprepared for the actual size of it. It was huge! Next to the Atomium, there is also a park with miniatures of European sites. On warmer days, there is also a water park and a good sized playground. Today we were short on time so we took the elevator up the structure and enjoyed the view.<br /><br />We got on the road around 6:30, expecting to have a 3.5 hour drive home. However we are rookies when it com<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZKiDYClF78muKLAUmF2Vse3LsKpkXVFucaz6dBlPFWFVXfAwG6BEPysGcexRq0uGP3rZVVFGk2r-Vso3fUIgn3f6rBP0sU2O34bGPZJ0_EX1aWdA-nuO89_ha39cxth1yFjG5qRSetS7R/s1600/_MG_6622.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 214px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZKiDYClF78muKLAUmF2Vse3LsKpkXVFucaz6dBlPFWFVXfAwG6BEPysGcexRq0uGP3rZVVFGk2r-Vso3fUIgn3f6rBP0sU2O34bGPZJ0_EX1aWdA-nuO89_ha39cxth1yFjG5qRSetS7R/s320/_MG_6622.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5650245797748924194" border="0" /></a>es to the autobahn and historically we are magnets for traffic jams. This was a doosy of a STAU! I think it took us 2.5 hours to move 5-10 kilometers. The cause was a pile-up with a big rig involved. The stinker of traffic jams in foreign countries is that no traffic information is available to us on the radio (Because of our lack of Flemish, German, or French speaking or understanding skills). So, if we are stuck, we are stuck. Many times people turn off their cars and wait for hours. Our only hope of knowing what happened is if a fellow driver knows English and can tell us what happened and how long it will be. We didn't get home until after 11:00PM. As we drove by the pile up, we said a quick prayer for the people involved and throughout it all we said to ourselves that we weren't going to let this ruin our day. Which it didn't; it was still spectacular.<br /><br />Our family did do the touristy stuff of Belgium. Nothing too phenomenal from a hardened travelers stand point. But, lets face it we are tourists!!!....and, we have a family so we are gonna do the touristy stuff and doggone it, it was really a blast!<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">*Most of the words or places have links. Click on the link for a better explanation. If there's something in here that may need a little more explaining or if there are questions about certain places... let us know! We can try and help. Plus, it will help other travelers with kids figure out the ins and outs of traveling in Europe with a family or, on their own. Like we did in our blog about Japan, we are providing our family & friends a window into our lives but also trying to help others in our position so, any other suggestions help us a lot!</span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10707714659880079791noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6211146385623310399.post-42551195337472564192011-08-23T13:49:00.003+02:002011-08-24T06:31:59.016+02:008 Years BabyToday is supposed to provide record-breaking heat for this time of the year. In fact, there is a heat advisory out. It's the perfect day to be icing a cake in no A/C! I'm making a <a href="http://www.omnomicon.com/rainbowcake">rainbow cake</a>... totally awesome! The link is not the exact recipe that I used, but the effect is the same (I didn't have gel color for the batter and I didn't use diet cake recipe... barf). For his party, he's got Dad making a Garfield cake.
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<br />This is beside the point, though. Today is Joshua's REAL birthday. He'll be having his party this weekend, but for today, he is all ours! Eight years old today and already acting like an 18 year old. He woke up late, walked down the stairs to see me in my pajamas belting out happy birthday while brushing my teeth. I was promptly met with rolling of the eyes and, "Mom, maybe you should wait until your done brushing your teeth?!" So I waited, put the toothbrush down and sang again. Thankfully for him my breath was minty fresh when I gave him a smack on the cheek. That's right, I'm gonna take kisses and hugs while I can still get them. Samuel wasn't up yet, so we took a moment to go through his baby book and talk about one of the most important days of our lives... when he came into our world.
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<br />7 has been great and 8 promises to be a big year as well. His room just says it all. It is the culmination of everything "Boy". Legos, K'nex, and comic books are the order of the day. He's got sports trophies, air show posters, and maps up on his wall. The most important quintessential boy decoration: glow in the dark stars and planets! What a fun age. He's got a real sense of humor about him and a loving giving personality. What more could I ask for?
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<br />He's off swimming with one of his friends today. No need staying with mom. :( Such is the life. Lasagna for dinner (It's Garfield's favorite).
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10707714659880079791noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6211146385623310399.post-83141445765587588022011-08-10T19:49:00.007+02:002011-08-10T21:16:47.605+02:00Refocus!It's been a while... hasn't it? Our family, since the beginning of summer, has been on a whirlwind adventure.
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<br />My littlest sister came to spend a week with us. Her high school French class organized a small group and she spent 2 weeks in France and Spain. My sister spent most of her time in the south of France and very much enjoyed the Basque region. At 15 years old, I can only imagine what a life changing trip this was for her. She also just could not stop talking about Paris during her time with us. It really made me smile to know how much she enjoyed <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRhyphenhypheno2zqdd0uQILJJQgTwEQ396xLimt2IRITzDN9M33ui-zZfoTWTQ3OlIo3OkNaNLbkNbqChiM39cAEK_WA-5zFtM_L6uB0VB5h5zHn2egia99aB1HLblGD9Ef1VHBVKo5XnxV4DqXD2_/s1600/Neuschwanstein_Castle_Germany_10.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRhyphenhypheno2zqdd0uQILJJQgTwEQ396xLimt2IRITzDN9M33ui-zZfoTWTQ3OlIo3OkNaNLbkNbqChiM39cAEK_WA-5zFtM_L6uB0VB5h5zHn2egia99aB1HLblGD9Ef1VHBVKo5XnxV4DqXD2_/s320/Neuschwanstein_Castle_Germany_10.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5639302966929365538" border="0" /></a>her time. After her France and Spain trip, the school group went home while my sister came to see us. We were able to take a road trip to Neuschwanstein castle, Dachau, and Legoland.
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<br />Once her week was up with us, the boys and I packed up and took the same plane back to California with her. Upon arrival to Frankfurt airport and after hours of waiting we were told that our flight was canceled. After a crazy crazy evening of walking around the airport with a herd of 500 other travelers, we were taken to a hotel near the airport, spent the night and boarded our flight the next day. 12 hours in the air and we made it safe and mostly intact! My mother was there at San Fransisco to pick us up and we vegged out for the next day or two to get used to the time difference. The weather was another shocker. Coming for 50 degrees to 101 degrees can be tough. Actually, it felt pretty darn good... for the first few days.
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<br />During my time in Sacramento, I was able to spend some much needed time with family and friends. My girlfriend and her husband just opened a local restaurant in my old neighborhood and I cannot say enough great things about it. Truly truly an American dream story. I missed the grand opening of the <a href="http://www.pocketbistro.net/Menu.aspx">Pocket Bistro</a>. We moved to Germany right before it. I was so sad not to be able to be there. Jade is one of my closest friends. Our friendship has endured since second grade. She was my maid of honor. She's accomplished in her own right and manages her mother's office supply business. Her husband, Edmund has been in the restaurant business for 20 years. He decided to leave his job as a chef at Ruth Chris and open up his own restaurant. This was truly a dream of theirs. Many folks have this dream but few have enough guts to go for the glory. They have. The food is very good. I always knew Edmund could do steak and chicken but during this last visit, I found out that he and his team in the kitchen are phenomenal. The drinks are fantastic. This is really one of the only "full" bars in the Pocket/Greenhaven area. The neighborhood really needed this. The walls are decorated by paintings done by a local artist and they already have many regulars. One woman at the bar said that she has dreams about the ceviche! In short, I can not say enough good things about it all. They own a small business in the neighborhood where they live and their kids attend school. This is truly something to smile about. Even if I didn't know them and they were so close to my heart. Especially in these economic times.
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<br />After 2 weeks in California, the boys and I flew to Virginia to meet up with Mike and visit with his family. We had a layover in Minneapolis. We had a good 3 hours so the boys and I ate lunch at... where else?? Mickey D's. As I ordered ice cream, I heard someone shout "Nicki" behind me. I ignored it. It was a woman's voice and I was with my boys so I figured they weren't referring to me... then I heard it again. I turned around and who should be behind me but my neighbors from Germany! They too had a layover in Minneapolis at the same time but were on their way home after spending time with family in the Midwest. What a one in a million chance! I don't think the initial shock of seeing one another went away entirely. Our conversation was short and we were on our way.
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<br />Our stay in Virginia was fun but felt rushed, short, and limited. There simply wasn't enough time to do all of what we wanted to do and see everyone who we wanted to see. The trip was built around Mike's very good friend who was FINALLY getting married. Mike was in the wedding and it was gorgeous. Mike's other very close friend was in the wedding as well and sang two songs at the ceremony. He sang Con te Partiro and Ave Maria and it was, as always, a beautiful performance. <a href="http://www.navyband.navy.mil/belinkie_michael.shtml">Mike</a> sings for the <a href="http://www.navyband.navy.mil/sea_chanters.shtml">Sea Chanters in DC </a>so, predictably, it was going to be perfection. I believe for Con te Partiro there wasn't a dry eye. He was also the best man for (my) Mike. I only wish we had him sing for us. I'm no expert but he was the closest thing to Andrea Bocelli that I had ever heard. Maybe at our vow renewal?
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<br />What could go better with a wedding than a Baptism... 2 sacraments in 2 days? Impossible you say? Not in our family! Mike's family pulled a few strings and we were able to have Samuel finally Baptized at St. Bridget's, Mike's old Church where he went to school and grew up in. Despite it being a rushed event, it was special. We were able to have the G0dparents in attendance, and some close friends. Samuel was his "spirited self" and kicked and screamed through the whole thing. Mike B., our "best man" and Sea Chanter took a video on his iPhone... all 17 minutes of screaming and flailing. I'm looking forward to getting a copy for sure.
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<br />10 days literally screamed by us and we were on our way "home" to Germany. No sooner had we arrived then I felt we had to hit the ground running. I'm starting to get Joshua ready for school and just today I had a Red Cross Orientation. I am looking to volunteer a bit during my time here. Our first winter was a tough one for me. I spent a lot of time feeling down. This Summer I decided to take preemptive action and find things to keep me busy. Volunteering with the Red Cross will help me look outside of myself a little bit. I'm in the air about what direction I should take. I have a feeling though, my heart is sending me to the moral side. Helping with our wounded warriors seems like it would be a truly rewarding experience for my spirit and something I could really only do while I'm here. To be able to really be there and play a small part for our soldiers, sailors, and airmen I think is too much of a blessing not to receive. So, wish us all luck as Autumn sets in. We are gonna need it as our calendars fill up!
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<br /><span style="text-decoration: underline;"></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10707714659880079791noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6211146385623310399.post-83394640069513533692011-07-23T17:56:00.001+02:002011-07-23T17:58:50.026+02:00<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnKopXrJbXTzfkyX8mGjkmwcyUTlJs14nnXKxmDaEYNm3aO2lnp6s1tFZa9WJW7mPYHncD8Wro_H5iZ-HzTsUm28sCYivRdMVRJwsYBCATzXZYNNnzy_8xLbzhDrgFs_pD3bdWN4kD6JNA/s1600/_MG_6155.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnKopXrJbXTzfkyX8mGjkmwcyUTlJs14nnXKxmDaEYNm3aO2lnp6s1tFZa9WJW7mPYHncD8Wro_H5iZ-HzTsUm28sCYivRdMVRJwsYBCATzXZYNNnzy_8xLbzhDrgFs_pD3bdWN4kD6JNA/s320/_MG_6155.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5632577575506112882" /></a>Look what's hanging above my neighborhood this afternoon. After a summer of cold and rain, that's an impressive sight.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10707714659880079791noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6211146385623310399.post-78424962510001112382011-07-10T20:29:00.002+02:002011-07-10T20:43:25.220+02:00USA! USA! USA!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt99Zsm1sms5RW3flpmF69Lp2v59bsnQzgF6ftFdeXG2_Gw85VPmeM8cSOlTzt1Zoow8M25X61AFh9z9-EZcvqh5fawgaEfZavk-oXKRuAy45SR0b25mWQKY3QKc-7nImhAsR1wldiOJQ4/s1600/soc_us_brazil4_576.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 180px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt99Zsm1sms5RW3flpmF69Lp2v59bsnQzgF6ftFdeXG2_Gw85VPmeM8cSOlTzt1Zoow8M25X61AFh9z9-EZcvqh5fawgaEfZavk-oXKRuAy45SR0b25mWQKY3QKc-7nImhAsR1wldiOJQ4/s320/soc_us_brazil4_576.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5627792837603174786" /></a>With credit to ESPN for the photo, I want to commend our USA Women's Soccer team for their triumphant comeback victory over Brazil. The US played a good portion of the game with only 10 players, due to a red card. Despite that, they made it out of regulation with a 1-1 tie, after a horrible call that gave Brazil two tries at a penalty kick... the first try was blocked, but the ref decided to give them a second try inexplicably. The second try went in and equalized the game at 1-1. <br /><br />In overtime, Brazil quickly went up 2-1 over our shorthanded ladies. With about a minute left in OT, one of the Brazilians went down in an apparent injury. She wasted about 4 minutes of the game, then the stretchers came out and began carrying her off the field. Then as soon as she was off the field, she jumped off the stretcher and ran back in, and the ref only gave her a yellow card for wasting the time, instead of letting the US women punch her in the gut a few times. Finally, they announced that there'd be only 3 minutes of injury "extra" time added to the game. In the final minute of injury time, the US scored!!! (Tying the match at 2-2).<br /><br />Next up, penalty kick phase. Our goalie blocked Brazil's third PK attempt, and we scored on all five of ours, winning the game. <br /><br />Best. Comeback. Ever.<br /><br />p.s. - in case you're wondering how this relates to Germany, the World Cup is being hosted here. The game was in Dresden.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10707714659880079791noreply@blogger.com1