Garmisch with the Koch's

After we returned from England we had a short week of work/school.  Thankfully it was our last week of basketball.  We now get a month off before baseball and soccer start.  Before we had left for England our friends the Koch's called and wondered if we would want to meet in Garmisch since they had a 4 day weekend. We were a bit tired from the trip to London but couldn't pass up a chance to see them since they won't be home for 3 more years.  So Friday we packed up the car again and drove down after work.

That night we checked in, let the kids change into their swim suits and went straight to the pool.  We at pizza poolside and then the adults hung out in one room while the kids watched movies in the other.

Saturday morning we got up and had a big breakfast at the buffet and then hiked the Partnach gorge.  We hiked in back in October but the winter hike was really cool, with ice formations hanging all along the rock cliffs of the gorge.  After our hike we ate lunch in downtown Garmisch at a German restaurant.

Horse and carriage to the gorge

The kids were tired from staying up late on Friday night so we went back to the hotel for a little downtime.  Dan and I went to the grocery store and his eyes got huge as he looked at the prices compared to Switzerland and quickly grabbed a cart and started throwing boxes of Cheez-Its and Tums into the cart.  He went easy after he remembered that we had walked to the store and probably didn't have enough room in his car for tons of groceries.  At least he got the essentials.

That night we ate dinner at the resort and then let the kids swim and watch movies again.

Sunday morning we got up and had the breakfast buffet again and let the kids have one more dip in the pool.  The Koch's were off to see Neuschwanstein on their way home and then stay a night in St. Galen and we headed home after grabbing a picnic lunch at the Commissary.  Another great weekend in Deutschland.

London, England

After a short week of work/school and basketball we hit the road Wednesday night bound for England.  We took Ryan Air again so it meant a 4 hour drive to Frankfurt to catch our plane, which actually left Thursday morning at 6am.  We ate dinner in the car, got to the hotel around 9 pm and then got up a little before 5 to catch the shuttle to the airport.  The flight was uneventful and we arrived at the Stansted airport at 6:30am (England is an hour behind us), and then jumped on a train for a 45 min ride to London.  We got to our hotel at around 8:30am I guess and dropped off our bags and marched off toward our first tourist site - the Tower of London, which was only a few blocks away.

The Tower of London is located right on the Thames next to the Tower Bridge and has been used for the past 1000 years as a prison, armory, castle, Royal mint, and currently is the home for the Crown Jewels.  Our guidebook recommended that to avoid the crowds we should head straight to the jewels upon arrival.  The jewels were quite impressive, a lot of diamonds (a couple of the crowns had more than 2,000 diamonds each) and most notably the two largest diamonds in the world - the Great Star of Africa and the Lesser Star of Africa, coming in at 545 and 317 carats respectively.  Looking at them I wondered who in Africa they stole those from.

Outside the Tower of London

"The safest place in London" - The Jewel House

After admiring the jewels we went back to the front gate to pick up a tour by a Yeoman Warder, more commonly known as a Beefeater.  These men are veteran non-commissioned officers of the British armed services who have served 22 years and have earned the Long Service and Good Conduct Medal.  They are the guardians of the Tower of London, provide security for honored guests, and also give tours of the castle.  They also live on the premises.  Our guide was great and ended with a question and answer session during which Lydia and Haaken fell asleep.

Beefeater

After the tour we had lunch in the cafe on-site and then walked through the White Tower, which was the keep of the palace and now houses some great displays of previous kings' suits of armor, weapons, and instruments of torture.

Haaken in the White Tower

We all were tired and had a big night ahead of us, so we went back to the hotel for a rest.  Haaken was particularly out of control and really not listening - unfortunately we realized later this was due to the fact that he had a cold and couldn't hear us because his ears were so clogged.  Everyone napped for an hour or two and then we got dressed for dinner and the Lion King at the Lyceum Theater.  We had dinner at a Thai restaurant just down the street from the theater and then sat in the very last row in the highest balcony, which actually were pretty decent seats.  The kids loved the show, especially Haaken, who stood the entire time.

Pre-show Dinner

Waiting for the show to start

Tower Bridge

Friday we slept in a bit and then I took the kids for breakfast in the hotel while Carissa got ready.  We walked back to the Tower of London where we picked up a Hop-on Hop-off bus tour on a red double decker bus.  We rode it for probably 30 minutes and got off at Big Ben and Parliament.  It's a little known fact that Big Ben is actually the bell inside the tower, which you can't see, not the clock or the tower itself.  I had downloaded a walking tour audio guide to all of our iPods so we walked and listened to those until we got to Westminster Abbey.  The coronations of every British and English monarch since 1066 has been held there and it is also the final resting place for most of them along with many other famous aristocrats, writers (Chaucer,Shakespeare), scientists (Newton, Darwin), and other national figures.  Elise and Lydia got a kids worksheet that helped them explore and learn about the Abbey on their own while Carissa and I listened to the audioguide.  We stayed there for a couple hours I think.  At one point when I was off with Haaken, the girls were invited into an area not open to the public by a worker, and got to see where the Queen sits during church services which they thought was pretty cool.

Big Ben and Parliament

Westminster Abbey

Afterwards we continued my downloaded walking tour down Whitehall which is lined with many important government buildings, including the Prime Minister's residence.  As we walked by the gate to the residence a car was being admitted out of which Kevin Spacey emerged.  He's a lot taller than I thought.

We ate a pizza lunch a block off of Trafalgar Square and then visited the National Gallery so Elise could see some paintings by Monet (Water Lillies) and Van Gogh (Sunflowers).  The kids were pretty bushed by now so we got back on the bus and took it back to the Tower of London.  I went to the grocery store and we had dinner in the room and all went to bed early.

Trafalgar Square

 Saturday we rode the bus to Picadilly Circus and hung out there a while and then got back on and rode for another hour past Marble Arch and Buckingham Palace before getting off at St. Paul's Cathedral.  Carissa and I agreed that it is our favorite church so far, mainly due to the incredible glass mosaics covering the ceilings.  We wandered the floor and then climbed to the top of the dome for some good views of London.

On top of St. Paul's

London Skyline

Glass Mosaic

Next we hustled over to the Natural History Museum and made it with about 30 minutes to spare to see the dinosaur exhibit we had read about.  Haaken got a kick out of it which was the point - too bad we didn't have more time - the poor kid has been dragged around to so much stuff he really has no interest in.  That night we ate dinner at a place called Giraffe that our neighbor recommended.

Sunday was our last day, and we considered going out to Windsor, but decided to keep it a little more low key and went to the British Museum instead.  The museum had kid packets to help them explore -  I followed the girls and Carissa went with Haaken.  Surprisingly he had a great time.  We ate a late lunch at an Indian restaurant.  That night we had booked a room back out in Stansted near the airport so we packed up our stuff and took the train back out of London.  Monday we had another early morning flight and a 4 hour drive and ended up getting home around 2:30 pm.

British Museum Tour

Grinding Out 3 Weeks

Not much to report on about the past 3 weeks.  We haven't gone anywhere or done anything notable.  Each week has played out pretty much as follows:

Monday: Work/School, Dinner, Basketball, Bed
Tuesday: Work/School, Dinner, Basketball, Bed
Wednesday: Work/School, Dinner, Basketball, Bed
Thursday: Work/School, Dinner, Basketball, Bed
Friday: Work/School, Dinner, Movie, Bed
Saturday: Relax/Play at the House, Lunch, One of the kids attend a birthday party, Errands, Dinner, Bed
Sunday: Skip Church, Lunch, Kids Sunday School while Parents go to coffee shop and discuss rest of time in Germany/Job situations back home, Dinner, Bed

There have been a couple slight variations - a going away dinner for people from Carissa's work, I stayed up until 4:30 in the morning watching the Pack win the Super Bowl, Jack came over for dessert last night - but that's pretty much it.  I got my resume updated and spoke with a recruiter and Carissa had a phone conversation regarding a job opportunity at home.  Nothing imminent on the horizon though.  The weather has been mixed - seems like we'll have a couple days in the 40s, then it will get cold and snow for 1 or 2 days, then back to the 40s.  Looks like skiing the Alps again isn't going to happen which is too bad.  I'll have a much more interesting blog next week as this Wednesday we leave for a 4 day trip to London.

Lausanne, Switzerland

The weekend after Bamberg we had planned on going to London (Carissa had a four day weekend) but due to Elise's week long sickness we scrapped that idea for fear that the rest of the family would be bedridden.  Luckily no one else got sick, but we were struggling with where to go until our good friends the Koch's invited us to visit them in Switzerland.  Considering they had just moved there from the Minnesota only 10 days earlier we were a little hesitant, but Dan insisted so we decided to go.  At that point Carissa had informed the clinic that she would work Friday (she originally had it off), but ended up getting out a little bit early and we hit the road about 2.  It was a long drive, but the weather was great and we arrived in Lutry around 9pm.

We all were very excited to see friends from home and the minute we got in the door the kids were off to play with Sophie (7) and Abbey (4).  We let them play for about an hour and then the adults stayed up chatting late into the night.

The next morning we got up and made a big breakfast while the kids played some more.  Afterwards, we walked down to downtown Lutry, which is the little town (about 10 minutes from Lausanne) where the Koch's reside.  Lutry (and Lausanne) are located on the north shore of Lake Geneva.  I'm not sure I've been anywhere as beautfiul in my life.  Lutry is a quaint little town with cobblestone streets, cool shops and a beautiful lakefront marina.  Looking south to the opposite shore is France and the Alps rising straight out of the water.  We lucked out on the weather, it felt about 50 and was sunny, and the kids had a great time playing at a little park adjacent to the 10 km paved lakefront walking/biking path that runs from Lausanne to Montreaux.  Dan bought the kids some crepes and I got to witness his newly acquired impressive French language skills.  The Lausanne area is in the French speaking part of Switzerland (the German area is 30 minutes away), and according to Dan, although most people speak English and most likely German (which he studied in college) they will only speak French.  Dan also said they find it more offensive if you speak German which is interesting.

View from the patio

 Breakfast

Fast Friends

Lutry

Lutry lake front

The Next American Idols?

After the snack we walked back to the house, ate some lunch, and then drove to Lausanne.  We parked on the lake front and then walked along the shore to a bustling plaza with another marina, jungle gym, carousel, and a food stand.  The kids went for a ride on the carousel and then took a spin on a circular swing, after which we took the metro into downtown Lausanne.  It's a little know fact that Lausanne (pop 130,000) is the smallest city in the world with a rapid transit system.  Lausanne is built on a steep hill, which adds to the beauty of the city, sort of like a Swiss San Francisco, albeit on a smaller scale.  We visited the Lausanne Cathedral, which according to the brochure, is the most beautiful gothic building in Switzerland.  The cathedral was a bit higher up the hill so we took in some great views.

Lausanne lake front

Carousel Rides

Views from the Cathedral

We walked back down and through the town and got a coffee and some snacks for the kids and then took the metro back to the lakefront.  At this point the sun had set and we drove home where the Koch's prepared a lovely meal.  That night Dan started a fire and Carissa and I kept up Dan and Cindy late again in an attempt to satiate our appetite for adult conversation with friends.

The next morning we had breakfast and packed a picnic lunch before we set out for Montreaux and the Chateau de Chillon.  The Chateau de Chillon is a castle right on the shore of Lake Geneva and was built around 1100 to control the passage between Northern and Southern Europe.  With the ticket we got a great little self tour brochure which we used while we were there.  To this point I think it's the best castle / tour we have been to due to the access of virtually every room and the location.  Most of the rooms were set up to represent how they were used back in Medieval times.  Following the castle we had a picnic in a little courtyard just outside.

Inside the Chateau de Chillon

View from our picnic spot

Visiting Montreaux was next on the list.  Montreaux is know for it's annual Jazz festival, which unfortunately isn't held until July.  We parked and then strolled along the lake front and enjoyed the nice weather.  After an hour or so we drove back to Lutry (picked up coffee on the way) and let the kids play at the park for a bit. The Koch's provided another fabulous meal and great company and the kids finished the night with a movie.

Park along the Montreaux waterfront

Back in Lutry

Dinner time

The next morning Cindy, Sophie and Abbey had work/school and we had a long drive ahead of us, so we were up and ready to go pretty early.  Before we left we drove back to Lausanne to take in the grounds of the Olympic Museum.  Lausanne is home to the International Olympic Committee which is responsible for planning the Summer and Winter games.  The grounds were beautiful and at the top near the entrance of the museum there were a couple outdoor exhibits showing the World and Olympic records for the high jump, pole vault and shotput.  To see these in person was kind of mind boggling - I'd love to visit the museum but unfortunately it was closed.  We're hoping we will be invited back before we leave (the Koch's will be there for 3 years) so maybe we can see it then.  I think Lausanne may be my favorite city in Europe so far.

 World Record High Jump

Bamberg, Germany

We spent the first weekend in January recovering from our crazy Christmas break.  We didn't even go out New Year's Eve, even though it was the 650th anniversary of Grafenwoehr, and there was a party in the main square.  We ate appetizers for supper and Carissa and I made it to midnight, mostly because every house in our neighborhood lit up the sky with fireworks.  We tried to wake up the kids, but all three were dead to the world.

New Year's Dinner

The next week the kids went back to school, save Elise who got a second round of the flu.  She missed the entire week, which was a first for her - she hadn't ever missed a school day due to sickness.  Thursday night she was actually feeling better, but we kept her home just to make sure and prevent her from spreading her sickness to her classmates.  

Friday was a movie night, and by Saturday morning we had a bit of cabin fever so we decided to take short trip to explore a small nearby town that we heard was cool - Bamberg.  It's about an hour away on the river Regnitz and is another city that was not damaged by bombing in WWII.  Apparently there was an artillery factory near the city, which meant planes couldn't get close enough to bomb it.

We arrived in town about 1 o'clock, and checked into our hotel, a Best Western.  Carissa had negotiated a really cheap rate over the phone and were expecting something similar to a US Best Western, but this place was brand new and very nice.  We dropped off our bags and headed out on the town.

The first stop was the main town square, which was bustling with people due to the warm weather that had rolled across Bavaria the previous week.  After about a month of almost constant snow and cold temps, the first week in January brought temperatures in the low 40s and rain everyday.  Most of the snow had melted as a result and that Saturday was very mild if overcast day.  After the main square we walked toward the Old Rathaus, which was built right on top of the Regnitz.  Past the Rathaus was Cathedral hill and the Bamberger Dom.  We walked through the church, which seemed to be huge considering the relatively small size of the town, and then back down the hill where we stopped in a little restaurant for some drinks and appetizers.  Bamberg is known for it's breweries (there used to be 27 I think, now there are 8) and also known for their signature beer, Rauchbier (smoked beer).  The restaurant was, in fact, also a little brewery and so of course I ordered a Rauchbier.  A very peculiar beer - it literally smells and tastes like campfire smoke is infused in the beer.  

Bamberg Main Square 

Old Rathaus 

The Regnitz

Bamberger Dom

We spent another hour or so wandering our way back to the hotel, let the kids rest a bit in the room and then went out to find some dinner.  We tried to eat at four different places (one was closed, the others were full), almost bought dinner at the grocery store, but ended up at a restaurant directly across the street from the hotel.  A good meal, if a little pricey, but we were getting desperate.

Sunday morning we got up and ate the complimentary breakfast, which we expected to be similar to our previous hotels - cheese and salami slices, rolls and coffee / tea.  Instead what we found was a lovely spread of food including champagne, espresso, cappuccino, eggs, sausage, bacon and a huge assortment of pastries, cereals, yogurts, meats, cheeses, and juices.  We were quoted $100 for the night, but after seeing this wondered if we had heard it wrong.  A breakfast like this would probably run 40 euro minimum so it made no sense.  We told the kids to eat up because it might be their only meal of the day!  Turns out the price we got was correct.  As a result, we may visit Bamberg again just for the breakfast.  

Amazing Breakfast

We thought about doing a bus tour of the city, but the kids really wanted to get home for Sunday school (imagine that) so ended up going to the Naturkunde-Museum Bamberg instead.  It's a great little Natural History museum - entirely in German, but still very interesting.  We walked through all the exhibits, watched a short movie on the environment and rising population growth and spent a lot of time in their expansive collection of animal specimens.  The collection dates back to 1791 and includes an incredible variety of animals, from beetles and butterflies, to reptiles, birds and even larger animals - a male lion and an adult orangutan.  The kids got a little souvenir from the gift shop and then we drove home to Graf.

Cool rocks

Dead Animals