The Magical City of Rothenburg

I know everyone is long past their Turkey leftovers, but here is the last of our Thanksgiving weekend adventures.  We drove about 2 1/2 hours southeast-ish (I've never been that great without the Wasatch mountains for directions)  into Bavaria to a fairy-tale like town of Rothenburg.  It was truly magical, and I want to go back (as soon as the temps go above 60), because it was so cute.  Rothenburg has a Christmas market that we wondered through as well, but it all just added to the darling nature of the town...see how many cute words I can use to describe this place?!

 

These are really pictures and not just postcards.

Yep, cute.

The city sports an amazing Medieval history and with building code stricter than those of Park City, UT it is determined to stay as medieval as it always was.  It is a walled city from the middle ages, but it is the little houses and cobblestone streets that were such a draw.



Outside the city walls.  You can actually walk for several km around the top of the wall.  Next time when the temps actually register on the thermometer we plan on taking the trip.

Tons of CUTE pictures to follow:

I asked him to pose like the statue, this is what I got instead. 

They like the chestnuts here as well, although the lines weren't as long as France.



The Medieval Torture Museum.  Just dropping a few kids off.



Yep, a few more can stay too.

A Local Speciality.  Schneeballen.  A very fun word to say (try saying "knee" with a "Shhh" on the front of the word, followed by "ball" ) that translates into Snow balls.  They are a type of fried sugar cookie with either powdered sugar, cinnamon sugar, chocolate, nuts...and more on them. 

23 varieties of Schneeballen

This is the man who was teaching me how to make them.  He told me that once made they last 6-8 weeks.  Yep, really.  I asked for the recipe and a fresh one.  He gave me the recipe, but I need to find the tongs sometime.

We liked the chocolate, cinnamon sugar, and powdered sugar best.  Davis had a gooey something else, but it was too much.

We all enjoyed trying them, but Davis was done after about 5 bites.  He doesn't think that sugar cookies should be fried.



Metz, France

Cathedral. I think Darin read off some fact about it having the best stainded glass in all of Europe. I certainly think that it does.

We found our first Christmas Market in France.  It was full of mostly food.  It was actually in 4 different locations around the city that we just walked and wondered to, as we followed a really bad map.  It wasn't really what I'd thought a Christmas Market would be.  I was hoping for more little wooden toy booths and cute little trinkets.  You know, things that would make awesome Christmas gifts. Especially since I haven't even started Christmas shopping!  But unless family would like some ghulwein (hot, fruity wine sold everywhere), dried sausages, crepes, or delicious chocolate dipped bananas, it wasn't the market of my dreams.  I did, however, enjoy the festive atmosphere!

Chestnuts roasting on an open fire...yep we had those, but we won't be having them again.  Yucky.  They are big and meaty.  Not delicious.  But, it does make the song better for us.  The French seem to love them because they were lining up all over to buy them.  I'll take the candied almonds from the mall, Thank you.

Chestnut eating

Cute little truck that roasts the nuts.  Oh how I wish they were delicious.

One interesting and surprising fact is that we (Darin) ended up using German as our "bridge" language.  The French that we were dealing with didn't speak English, but could speak some German.  We didn't speak French, but managed to get by with the German that we knew.  Now that was unexpected.  Didn't ever imagine that would be the case, especially with with us lacking in the German language department.  Although that is just me that is lacking, Darin does must better. 



St. Avold, France

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

We decided to feast on Sunday, so Thursday we headed to France.  First stop was the American Cemetary in St. Avold.  It was shocking to see the 10,000 headstones of those who had died so long ago.  As I stood there with my family, I felt that all of my blessings were right before me.  First, my freedoms as an American. I am proud to be an American.   My husband went into a war zone twice and came home.  Second, my family.  A friend from Arizona had just lost her little boy who was the same age as Anya.  A real hard reminder that each day is a blessing, and each child is a gift.  Third, THIS life and experience.  Who would have imagined that I would get to live and travel in Europe with my family?  What a blessing this is.  Fourth, all family.  It is hard to be away from our families that we love and miss so much.  Holiday's always remind us how much we love and miss them.   This was an awesome Thanksgiving Day.  (It was also very cold!)

Factoid from Davis:  This is the second largest American Military Cemetary outside of the US.  Second only to one in the Philippians.

Language Skills

Last night was the first time I remember Davis NOT asking me for any homework help.  Sure if I'm not around he'll ask his father, but skipping me when I am right next to him, a first.  It was German.  He had a question and no faith in my abilities.  Even the children know that my old brain is struggling with the language.  However, as my little old neighbor brought over treats for the kids (they'd raked some leaves)as a thank you, we talked about her husband.  He is sick and not doing well, he probably won't make it long.  My old brain may not know German, but hugs and tears cross all language barriers.  For that I am thankful, because until my brain catches up, that is all I can give my little neighbor.

(Mr. & Mrs. Weber live right next door.  They were never able to have any children.  He has liver cancer and was only diagnosed since we've been here.  He is also the only person anywhere around us who happens to speak some English.  Mrs. Weber is really, really sad.  So am I.)

Prague and Lots of IT

I finally have 2 seconds to post all of the wonderfulness that was Prague, Czech Republic (FYI: if you mistakenly forget and call it Czechoslovakia, Davis will quickly correct you, repeatedly).  We had a long weekend, thanks to Veteran’s Day, and decided that we just couldn’t wait to go somewhere new.  Prague was only a 6 hour drive from our house, but it was the first time that I felt like we were in a foreign country since moving here.  We were in awe at the beautiful buildings that were everywhere, but lots had graffiti all over.  Darin said that it had some of the familiar feelings of Russia.  The Communist influence was very obvious especially in the metro stations.  Darin was also able to use his Russian while we were there as many of the older people spoke Russian.  We bundled up, it was really cold, and took the trams and metros all over the city (which was the little boy’s favorite part).  We were quite a spectacle as we wondered the streets and took family pictures.  You would think that we were the first family to show up with 5 kids.  I was repeatedly asked if they were all mine, and one curious bunch asked if they were all Darin’s.  Lots of people just stared at us.   I thought it was funny, because I just didn’t expect it.  We had a great little apartment by the river where we ended every night watching movies and eating popcorn until we all fall asleep on the couch.  It was a great vacation and a wonderful sightseeing feast.  We only spent a weekend, but saw a lot.  We would have loved to have another day because the Jewish quarter was closed on Saturday, and it was night (4PM) when we saw the castle.  BUT with it only 6 hours away, we may be going back especially when Darin is in need of a “Russia” fix.

Prague Castle and St. Vitus Cathedral

On the balcony of "our" apartment, overlooking the city.



Sitting in the metro station.  We had to go down the steepest escalators ever.  You had to lean back to avoid falling forward.  It was awesome.



The pictures can't do justice to the amazing buildings.  Everyone was a different color.

Wenceslas Square.  Yes, that is the Good King up on the horse.  This was a gathering spot for many Czech's who wanted their freedom.

National museum in the background

This picture is for Brooke.  You can bet she won't take that sucker out :)

Street food, a bunch of big dogs.

Darin tried the local fried cheese sandwich.

Waiting in front of the Astronomical clock.  When it finally chimed, on the hour, the crowd clapped. Darin and I laughed.

Turdel nik (Turtle neck)  Delicious, sweet, yeast dough wrapped around a stick and then cooked over a fire.  Sprinkled with cinnamon sugar and sold in a 6 inch round.  Yummy.

One of many street musicians

St. Charles Bridge

St. Charles bridge with the castle in the backgound.

Far left is our apartment.  We were on the very top floor.