Today is our last day in Wonderland. There haven't been any posts the past few days because we have spent them doing everyday things in an extraordinary place. On Saturday we took a very long hike to a brand new hut. We followed a river the entire time and just enjoyed the mountains around us. On Saturday evening we went to a restaurant in Erwald to watch St. Martin's Fires. Volunteers from different towns light fires in the mountains in different shapes. It is very cool to see because every mountain in the area had a different symbol illuminated on it. It involved a lot of waiting but we passed the time by playing Apples to Apples.
Since Sunday we have had beautiful warm weather. So we took advantage by going to the Farchant pool Sunday afternoon. Germans do pools right, they are no small square pools where the deepest end is only 8 feet. They all have slides and several diving boards. This one had 4 different pools, plus a sand volleyball court. I swam a few laps in the 50 meter pool and as I turned my head for a breath I looked straight up into the German Alps. It was breathtaking, which is a small problem I am more than willing to deal with when trying to swim. Monday Mia and I went to see Neuschwanstein and Hohenschwangua castles. This is an iconic German tourist attraction for good reason, they are beautiful and who doesn't love a royal scandal, secret doorways, and princes? We also hiked up to St. Mary's Bridge, which provided an amazing view of Neuschwanstein and whet our appetite for hiking in the area. There were a ton of para-gliders taking advantage of the clear day. At one point there were 12 in the sky, all gliding over the castles and landing in a nearby field.
Once again I have had an amazing time in Germany, I know it is time to go home but it is so hard to leave! I am ready to see Dunte but not ready to see the flat dusty Lubbock landscape. My dad and I were taking a walk last summer and he said to me, "My worst days bottom out at excellent." I feel like I took advantage of my time here, in the place where everything is excellent or better. There were only a few down days but we still didn't get to do everything I had hoped. I think the lesson is, try to fit a TON into your vacations. Some things will fall through, but what you accomplish is excellent.
Today we are packing and trying to mentally prepare for the travel ahead. As long as it is better than the six days it took us to get here, I will call it improvement. Thank you to those of you who have been reading so far. You might be thinking things would slow down now that we are leaving Germany, but think again my friend. More great adventures are soon to come: my 21st birthday, working, school, wedding planning and other real life adventures are coming soon to a blog near you. I will also try and back track a little and share my pre-blog Germany and Rome adventures.
Dienstag, 28. Juni 2011
Freitag, 24. Juni 2011
A Beer (or two), a Band and a Brother
Last night AJ and I went to see The Jeremy Graham Band at the Edelweiss Hotel. We were just planning to go, have a couple of drinks and enjoy some music. It turned out to be so much fun! We had several drinks, including a 3 liter tower of Helles. The band was amazing, the guitar player was very impressive and the vocals were amazing. It was a really fun mix of country and rock. They covered several popular country songs and had five or six of their own songs. By the end AJ and I were dancing at the front. Afterwards I flirted (innocently) with band members and AJ got to play their guitars. In honor of all the fun I had with AJ last night I thought I would share a short story I wrote about the two of us a while ago. It is called Kinder Eggs, I wrote it for a class freshman year. Enjoy!
Kinder Eggs
**Since this story was written 2 years ago some of the facts are off. AJ is 18, my family will live in Germany for another year, and obviously I won't be visiting my family in 2 weeks since I am here now.**
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| AJ has always enjoyed ruining our pictures with silly faces |
Kinder Eggs
The first thing I remember tasting is a small chocolate egg, more fondly known as kinder eggs. My dad was stationed in Aschaffenburg, Germany as a young army officer and kinder eggs are a bonus that comes with the station.
My brother, AJ, and I would sit in small plastic rocking chairs after lunch and we were each allowed one kinder egg and one “Juice box.” I always had an orange Kapri-Sun. Thinking back now the combination doesn’t sound particularly appetizing.
The eggs were wrapped in foil, and it was very important to not break their fragile bodies prior to eating them. The outside of the egg is smooth milk chocolate and the inside layer is white. I don’t know if it is white chocolate or some other sweet treat. However, I do know that there is no comparable chocolate in the States. Possibly the best part of the whole experience is the yellow plastic capsule inside each egg. Each yellow capsule holds a small toy. These small trinkets were normally wind up animals, or a man with a funny hat. My brother and I would spend hours, or what seemed like hours in my 5 year old mind, assembling these tiny toys (without success). Mom would eventually come and assist us but I remember being fascinated by the German instructions. The written instructions were on one side of the small piece of paper included with the toy. But I focused on following the intricate picture instructions, to no avail.
On the second floor of my parents house now is a small brown display case that hangs on the outside of the bathroom with particularly interesting Kinder egg toys kept over the years. Those toys have been moved five times since their release from the tiny yellow capsules. I see them as a reminder of when AJ and I officially became comrades. We are 3 years apart, and he was barely 2 when we first began our rocking chair-Kinder egg ritual; we have been silently close ever since.
This is not to say that I haven’t preformed my sisterly duty of torturing him on occasion. When our mom would leave us in the car for 5 minutes to run an errand I reveled in the opportunity to tell AJ that the police had taken her away and she was never coming back. His giant blue eyes would tear up and he would scream, until Mom returned, reprimanded me and all was forgotten (until next time).
AJ is now 16 years old and 6’2”, and we are still close. I am in college, and we talk less often then what feels natural. But whenever I go home he stands outside the bathroom late at night when everyone else is in bed and we chat as I wash my face and brush my teeth. This nightly routine has replaced our old afternoon ritual of eating and assembling but it serves the same purpose.
My father has once again received orders to go to Germany. For the next 3 to 5 years Garmisch, Germany will be home to my parents, AJ, Megan, and Will. I will be visiting for two weeks before school starts, and AJ and I will be joined by our younger siblings: Megan and Will in the familiar ritual of sitting and eating our Kinder egg, then assembling and playing with the trinket inside.
Mittwoch, 22. Juni 2011
Lost on the Alpspitze, Fun at Weiskirche, and Zugspitze Tragedy
Lost on the Alpspitze
Yesterday was an amazing clear day in Garmish-Partenkirchen, so I was determined to make the most of it. I'm pretty sure wasting a day without rain in Bavaria is actually a punishable offense. After morning errands and a quick lunch, Will, Mia, Tori, Dixie (the dog) and I all got ready for an easy walk on the Alpspitze. The Alpspitze is the second highest mountain in the area, standing at 2600 meters. We took the cable car up to the top and visited the AlpspiX, which is two walkways that extend off the edge of a cliff and look down the Alpspitze. It is very nerve racking, you find yourself fighting with the nearest tourist, hiker or nun for a piece of the railing. The 42-foot-long X sways when the wind blows and has a grated bottom so you can see straight down about 100 meters. Despite being a little unsettling, the X has an amazing view of Garmish and of the surrounding mountains.
Our plan was to take the Hochalm cable car down and then walk about a kilometer over to the Kreuzeckbahn. I thought the Hochalm was a short walk downhill from the Alpspitze, when really it was right beside the Alpspitze. We were very skeptical as we were walking down the hill, I have done this before and nothing look familiar. We soldiered on, thinking we would run into the Hochalm any second. This hike was pretty steep and rocky, I was nervous about falling with Victoria on my back. I was pretty sure we had gone a different route when we came through a passageway and saw an entire face of the Alpspitze. This huge mountain was towering above us, we could see ridges and caves and there is still some fairly fresh snow.
We were still skeptical of how our hike was going, until we saw a sure fire sign of wrong we were. We turned a corner and saw the Hochalmhutte, the one we were supposed to ride to. It was 3:40 and we still had the kilometer that we were originally planning to walk. We started really moving quick, I was getting tired and sore from carrying Tori but thankfully we made it in time. I am actually glad we got a little lost and took a longer walk, I just wish we had been a little more prepared. We had 1 liter of water and a banana for the 4 of us. This is fine for a 20 minute, 1 K stroll; not so good for the approximately 10 K we did in 2 hours. But alls well that ends well, I really enjoyed the longer walk and am very, very glad we made it in time and didn't have to hike all the way down the mountain.
Fun at Weiskirche
Weiskirch means white church and the lovely literal Germans hit it right on the money. Today we visited this white church on top of a hilly meadow for a quick tourist stop. Mia and I picked up Megan from school, baby in tow, and made the curvy drive through several small Bavarian towns. We arrived and it was pleasantly not crowded. I have visited this church before but the bright colors and extreme decorations were still surprising. Today's visit had an extra special treat: a harpist was preforming when we arrived. She played several songs, and the music resonated through the old church beautifully. After the harpist finished, we looked around at the amazing paintings. There are surprises everywhere. The paintings had a different more mystical feeling than the extremely lifelike ones we saw in Rome.
According to my best touring friend, aka the creator of the back door tourism philosophy Rick Steve's, the Wieskirche is Germany's best Rococo-style church. I just think the colors are pretty. I can't imagine going to an actual service in that church, I would be constantly distracted by all the painted scenes on the ceiling. I think the best part of the day was the fun we had in the car. Tori was well behaved and Mia, Megan and I had fun chatting and laughing about silly things. Baby poop and funny German pronunciation were the hilarious focus.
Zugspitze Tragedy
Well it isn't really a tragedy, just a huge bummer. I really wanted to climb the Zugspitze while I was here this trip. In my mind all the hikes we have been doing so far have been preparation for the Zugspitze. We talked to Martha McSally, who has done a several great things in her life including climbing Mount Kilimanjaro. She has climbed the Zugspitze twice this month and she gave us great instructions and gear. We were ready, we thought we made reservations, but they hut didn't check the online reservations and the phone number wasn't working until the evening. It was really frustrating, but I guess it just isn't in the cards. Maybe that is an adventure for later in life, but as a replacement when my family moves to Colorado we have pledged to climb Pikes Peak.
Yesterday was an amazing clear day in Garmish-Partenkirchen, so I was determined to make the most of it. I'm pretty sure wasting a day without rain in Bavaria is actually a punishable offense. After morning errands and a quick lunch, Will, Mia, Tori, Dixie (the dog) and I all got ready for an easy walk on the Alpspitze. The Alpspitze is the second highest mountain in the area, standing at 2600 meters. We took the cable car up to the top and visited the AlpspiX, which is two walkways that extend off the edge of a cliff and look down the Alpspitze. It is very nerve racking, you find yourself fighting with the nearest tourist, hiker or nun for a piece of the railing. The 42-foot-long X sways when the wind blows and has a grated bottom so you can see straight down about 100 meters. Despite being a little unsettling, the X has an amazing view of Garmish and of the surrounding mountains. 
Our plan was to take the Hochalm cable car down and then walk about a kilometer over to the Kreuzeckbahn. I thought the Hochalm was a short walk downhill from the Alpspitze, when really it was right beside the Alpspitze. We were very skeptical as we were walking down the hill, I have done this before and nothing look familiar. We soldiered on, thinking we would run into the Hochalm any second. This hike was pretty steep and rocky, I was nervous about falling with Victoria on my back. I was pretty sure we had gone a different route when we came through a passageway and saw an entire face of the Alpspitze. This huge mountain was towering above us, we could see ridges and caves and there is still some fairly fresh snow.
We were still skeptical of how our hike was going, until we saw a sure fire sign of wrong we were. We turned a corner and saw the Hochalmhutte, the one we were supposed to ride to. It was 3:40 and we still had the kilometer that we were originally planning to walk. We started really moving quick, I was getting tired and sore from carrying Tori but thankfully we made it in time. I am actually glad we got a little lost and took a longer walk, I just wish we had been a little more prepared. We had 1 liter of water and a banana for the 4 of us. This is fine for a 20 minute, 1 K stroll; not so good for the approximately 10 K we did in 2 hours. But alls well that ends well, I really enjoyed the longer walk and am very, very glad we made it in time and didn't have to hike all the way down the mountain.Fun at Weiskirche
According to my best touring friend, aka the creator of the back door tourism philosophy Rick Steve's, the Wieskirche is Germany's best Rococo-style church. I just think the colors are pretty. I can't imagine going to an actual service in that church, I would be constantly distracted by all the painted scenes on the ceiling. I think the best part of the day was the fun we had in the car. Tori was well behaved and Mia, Megan and I had fun chatting and laughing about silly things. Baby poop and funny German pronunciation were the hilarious focus.
Zugspitze Tragedy
Well it isn't really a tragedy, just a huge bummer. I really wanted to climb the Zugspitze while I was here this trip. In my mind all the hikes we have been doing so far have been preparation for the Zugspitze. We talked to Martha McSally, who has done a several great things in her life including climbing Mount Kilimanjaro. She has climbed the Zugspitze twice this month and she gave us great instructions and gear. We were ready, we thought we made reservations, but they hut didn't check the online reservations and the phone number wasn't working until the evening. It was really frustrating, but I guess it just isn't in the cards. Maybe that is an adventure for later in life, but as a replacement when my family moves to Colorado we have pledged to climb Pikes Peak.
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| Maybe by then Tori will be up to climbing with us. |
Sonntag, 19. Juni 2011
Hollental Hike
Happy Father's Day!
After church this morning Dad, Aj, Will, Mia and I set out for a hike up the Hollental (Hell's Valley in German). We went out overly prepared after watching 127 Hours last night (I carried 3 liters of water). It was a little chilly and sprinkling on and off. The nice thing about the Hollental is, rain or no rain, you leave the gorge soaked.
The hike up was brisk and nice, the beginning of the trail follows the rushing waters melting off the Zugspitze. The water is freezing cold and crystal clear, in the rare spots where the water isn't white with movement you can see straight to the bottom. My brand-spankin new hiking boots tromped over the rocks and through the puddles perfectly.
After about an hour climb up we reached the entrance to the gorge. There is a small fee and you walk through the turn styles, about 20 feet ahead the "rains" begin. Water was pouring off the mountain onto our heads. We had all our gear on and anything not covered was soaking wet. It was slippery and freezing, but we were sweating from climbing up. It kept switching back and forth between walking through caves and walking along the edge of the gorge (thankfully with a cable railing). I loved walking through, the noise of the water drowning out all other sounds, humming the worships songs stuck in my head from church.
We popped out of the gorge into a sunny area where we sat and snacked. From there we could see the tip of the Zugspitze and Alpsitze, the two of the highest mountains in Germany. Sitting down slightly damp really let the cold sink in. Before we started the trek back down we re-layered and needing every jacket we packed. The best part of any German hike is the well deserved beer at a hut along the way. Nothing hits the spots like a Helles und pommes surrounded by exciting locals thrilled to share stories. Today's beer-stop character was the father of our waitress. He said to us, "Speak English to her so she can practice." He continued in perfect English then when he heard I was from Texas, smoothly switched to Spanish. I was so shocked all I could muster was a confused sounding, "Si."It was impressive to say the least.
Our fast pace without too much exertion had us feeling confident and brave, so talk of a Zugspitze climb began. We are exploring our options for this particular adventure, which would be a doosey. The 3000 meter mountain is the highest peak in Germany and not for the faint of heart. With my fancy new boots, I feel I can do anything.
Hiking with my dad was a great way to spend Father's Day. Only 10 days left in Germany, I can't wait to make the most of it.
After church this morning Dad, Aj, Will, Mia and I set out for a hike up the Hollental (Hell's Valley in German). We went out overly prepared after watching 127 Hours last night (I carried 3 liters of water). It was a little chilly and sprinkling on and off. The nice thing about the Hollental is, rain or no rain, you leave the gorge soaked.
The hike up was brisk and nice, the beginning of the trail follows the rushing waters melting off the Zugspitze. The water is freezing cold and crystal clear, in the rare spots where the water isn't white with movement you can see straight to the bottom. My brand-spankin new hiking boots tromped over the rocks and through the puddles perfectly.
After about an hour climb up we reached the entrance to the gorge. There is a small fee and you walk through the turn styles, about 20 feet ahead the "rains" begin. Water was pouring off the mountain onto our heads. We had all our gear on and anything not covered was soaking wet. It was slippery and freezing, but we were sweating from climbing up. It kept switching back and forth between walking through caves and walking along the edge of the gorge (thankfully with a cable railing). I loved walking through, the noise of the water drowning out all other sounds, humming the worships songs stuck in my head from church.
We popped out of the gorge into a sunny area where we sat and snacked. From there we could see the tip of the Zugspitze and Alpsitze, the two of the highest mountains in Germany. Sitting down slightly damp really let the cold sink in. Before we started the trek back down we re-layered and needing every jacket we packed. The best part of any German hike is the well deserved beer at a hut along the way. Nothing hits the spots like a Helles und pommes surrounded by exciting locals thrilled to share stories. Today's beer-stop character was the father of our waitress. He said to us, "Speak English to her so she can practice." He continued in perfect English then when he heard I was from Texas, smoothly switched to Spanish. I was so shocked all I could muster was a confused sounding, "Si."It was impressive to say the least.
Our fast pace without too much exertion had us feeling confident and brave, so talk of a Zugspitze climb began. We are exploring our options for this particular adventure, which would be a doosey. The 3000 meter mountain is the highest peak in Germany and not for the faint of heart. With my fancy new boots, I feel I can do anything.
Hiking with my dad was a great way to spend Father's Day. Only 10 days left in Germany, I can't wait to make the most of it.
Freitag, 17. Juni 2011
Germany so Far
My goal since I got here has been to make sure I make the most of my time in Germany. I have been so blessed to come visit my family in this amazing place 5 times. There is so much to do and I am determined to fit as much as I can into this trip. I will give a quick list and overview of what we have done in the 2 weeks since we have been here.
Flight Disasters
We arrived in Germany six days later than expected, but the airline extended our trip 7 days. A huge thanks to Brittany Gonsalves for letting us stay with her in Dallas.
Hiking
We jumped right into the hiking with a few small trips in the first week and a big climb up the Kramer on our first weekend. The 10 hour round trip was brutal but completely rewarding. I have never sweat so much or been so tired and I would do it again in a heartbeat.
From left: Aj, me, Tim, Mia
Rome
The next week Monday 6th-Friday 10th was spent in Rome, which I will do my best to condense into one post later. It was an amazing four days of baby-free sightseeing, eating, drinking, and being merry.
Biking
Some very nice bike rides have been spaced throughout our visit. The only long one so far has been my dad and I going into Austria on a 21-mile round trip beauty. Up hill most of the way there to an amazing waterfall, then a fast and fun trip back down. Tori has taken a few short bike trips in her infant seat, which she loves. Mia is gaining confidence on the bike, so more on that later also.
Family Fun
Among all these adventures, I am so enjoying the time with my family. The day before the Kramer climb we had a dance party! Mia emerged as the Kinet Dance Central Champion, and we all had a great time.
From left: Aj, Victoria Sears (Aj's girlfriend), Will, Dad, Mom, Me, Mia, Megan
Aj graduated from high school. I have had some great talks with Megan. Yesterday we all went to Kletterwald and worked together on some obstacle courses.
The past two weeks have been full of amazing adventures and we have just a little shy of two weeks left. I can't wait to see what happens.
Flight Disasters
We arrived in Germany six days later than expected, but the airline extended our trip 7 days. A huge thanks to Brittany Gonsalves for letting us stay with her in Dallas.
Hiking
We jumped right into the hiking with a few small trips in the first week and a big climb up the Kramer on our first weekend. The 10 hour round trip was brutal but completely rewarding. I have never sweat so much or been so tired and I would do it again in a heartbeat.
Rome
The next week Monday 6th-Friday 10th was spent in Rome, which I will do my best to condense into one post later. It was an amazing four days of baby-free sightseeing, eating, drinking, and being merry.
Biking
Some very nice bike rides have been spaced throughout our visit. The only long one so far has been my dad and I going into Austria on a 21-mile round trip beauty. Up hill most of the way there to an amazing waterfall, then a fast and fun trip back down. Tori has taken a few short bike trips in her infant seat, which she loves. Mia is gaining confidence on the bike, so more on that later also.
Family Fun
Among all these adventures, I am so enjoying the time with my family. The day before the Kramer climb we had a dance party! Mia emerged as the Kinet Dance Central Champion, and we all had a great time.
From left: Aj, Victoria Sears (Aj's girlfriend), Will, Dad, Mom, Me, Mia, Megan
Aj graduated from high school. I have had some great talks with Megan. Yesterday we all went to Kletterwald and worked together on some obstacle courses.
The past two weeks have been full of amazing adventures and we have just a little shy of two weeks left. I can't wait to see what happens.
Why now?
I have been toying with the idea of starting a blog for several reasons. As a public relations student it is expected and useful, and since I am currently on vacation in Germany I have a few interesting things to share.
I will backtrack a little bit first and share my time in Rome and some stories I have written, feel free to browse. But looking forward I will share what is going on in my life and the lives of my wonderful daughter, Tori, and my fiance, Dunte.
The blog will continue when I return from the wonderland that is Bavaria. In the next year Dunte and I will both graduate, and hopefully find jobs. We will get married, and Tori will conquer many baby obstacles as she grows. There is bound to be some excitement along the way, so stay tuned for the adventure.
**Disclaimer: You should know that I am setting this up in Germany, and the entire page is in German. Expect some confusion and glitches until I return**
I will backtrack a little bit first and share my time in Rome and some stories I have written, feel free to browse. But looking forward I will share what is going on in my life and the lives of my wonderful daughter, Tori, and my fiance, Dunte.
The blog will continue when I return from the wonderland that is Bavaria. In the next year Dunte and I will both graduate, and hopefully find jobs. We will get married, and Tori will conquer many baby obstacles as she grows. There is bound to be some excitement along the way, so stay tuned for the adventure.
**Disclaimer: You should know that I am setting this up in Germany, and the entire page is in German. Expect some confusion and glitches until I return**
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