Herbstferien in Germany (Oct. 16-21)

Tuesday, October 16

A stay-at-home day! Did 5 loads of laundry. Set a fan up facing the drying rack in the living room to speed the drying up. Used the attic drying racks too although it was so cold it didn't dry much. So the big girls helped me bring it down later when the living room laundry was dry and we hung it all up again in the apartment.

Those of you who've been reading the blog since the start know that we thought about getting a car. Now it's clear to me that our choice to not get one was the right one: we had our rental car through the whole 2 weeks of vacation and for the 3 days that we were back in Bonn for J's work, I never got my bike out! Granted it was raining and cold, but it had been that way before and I just walked or used the bus. However, it was nice to do my restocking shopping run with a car rather than multiple trips with the rolling cart or on the bicycle in the rain!  I stocked up on non-perishables and such while I had the chance. The girls were happy to be home to relax, read, play, and unwind a bit.

Wednesday, October 17

Used the car to go to a park we'd been wanting to spend more time at--the Waldau. It was a blustery and threatening rain, but we went anyway! The giant playground was a hit again (we'd been there once for a church day out, but didn't stay long that time) and the big girls played in the woods next to the playground where others have stacked sticks and made forts and dug in the pine needles layered on the ground. I texted our neighbor and she came with her two boys and mom for a while as well. We walked through the woods to see the wild pigs and the German deer. It's mating season and the dominant stag was very loud with his calling--the girls thought it was a moose!

Thursday, October 18

J was working furiously to get caught up and prepared for his upcoming presentation at the Max Planck and a conference in the US later this month, so with the weather promising to be really nice, I took the girls on a day trip to Limburg an der Lahn, about an hour's drive away. The Renaissance cathedral there is stunning and the day proved to be picture perfect. We also scored traditional German dresses, a wool coat for J, and a traditional linen dress for me at the Trachtenmode shop I stumbled on in the Aldstadt. Lunch out on the Marktplatz and later crepes with Nutella as we wandered through the Aldstadt. Home again in the afternoon and repacking for our trip to Hamburg...

The Dom spires peeking over the Aldstadt buildings.

The shop where we got the traditional German dresses, etc.

The pizzeria where we ate lunch.

 

The stairs leading up to the Dom from the Marktplatz.

 

The Limburger Dom. The church is well known for it's paintings on the plaster walls and ceilings. Restoration work was finished in 2008, so they are really stunning to see, inside and out!

 

 

Watching the crepes cooking!

 

All decked out!! You can see J in his coat in the background. Should have made him stand up...

Friday, October 19

We were on the road by about 9:20, but didn't arrive in Hamburg until nearly 4 p.m. We ran into traffic from two accidents and construction sites. Around lunch time, we decided to get off the Autobahn and drive cross-country looking for a pretty place to stop to picnic. HR called out all of a sudden: "I just saw a picnic table! There's a picnic table back there!"  Sure enough, when we pulled over and backed up, there was a little shelter with picnic table and a map with paths for wandering the farmland!  There were woods behind the shelter where the kids could play a little and the road was quiet. A nice pause from the crazy rush of the Autobahn.

The weather this weekend was incredible! Almost made up for the horrible weather we had in France.  Warm (70's) and sunny. When we finally got to Hamburg we drove straight to the harbor, found a parking space, and started to wander. A guide book we had borrowed mentioned some ship museums, including "Rickmer Rickmers", a sailing cargo ship dating from the late 1800's that had been requisitioned as a memorial to the lives of sailors who moved all kinds of goods around the world. It's been restored and sits in the harbor for visitors to come aboard and learn about the life of a mariner. After asking at the tourist office, we headed down the harbor landing to check it out. Very cool! The rooms were laid out as if the sailors and captain were getting ready to leave: trunks and personal items in the sailor's quarters, maps and tools in the captains quarters. After spending some time aboard, we went back to walking down the harbor landing, people watching, looking at the food offerings, and watching the harbor tour boats come and go.

For dinner we met up with my first-cousin-once-removed, MM, who came to Hamburg with a college exchange program and then wanted to return to work. She won a Fulbright and has stayed since (although she's having trouble getting her current visa extended so she can remain). I hadn't seen her since she was really little, but we're Facebook friends, so we couldn't pass up a chance to get together and find out more about what she's doing.  She suggested a great restaurant that served traditional German fare, Factory Hasselbrook. Thanks MM for a wonderful evening!

Saturday, October 20

After a good night's sleep at our hotel, we headed to the home of my old friend, TW. He and his wife, S, have 3 children about the same age as our ME, HR, and GE. We ate breakfast together, then headed downtown again to take a harbor tour. After the tour we ate lunch at one of the many harbor landing restaurants. Traditional Matjes for J and a haddock filet for me. The kids were pretty reserved around each other for the most part except for their littlest, L, who hit it off with HR and GE. They made up games, held hands, and giggled together a lot.

A church for sailors!

Speicherstadt (Warehouse city), an island of warehouses that the shipping companies built up to avoid paying the German customs taxes when they brought goods in. The goods would be offloaded into the warehouses directly off the ships using a pulley system. Later they'd be moved by smaller ships up the Elbe river to other parts of Europe.

 

HafenCity (Harbor City) is the newest effort on the part of Hamburg city to create an attractive downtown living quarter. The buildings are all mixed use (living, businesses, parking) and were designed by different architects but following guidelines that would keep the look cohesive. Time will tell if it's worked or not!

The most expensive apartment building in the city!

The Hamburg skyline seen from Harborcity.

 

S and L (age 4)

J with ME

Prost!

J

J (age 10)

J, age 7

After lunch we headed to the east side of town to visit my 3rd cousin, IS. She's married to a German and has lived in Hamburg for a long time. Supper was delicious: grilled bratwurst, chicken, fish and pork steaks, potato salad, cucumber salad, and a wonderful cake courtesy of IS's mom, P, who was visiting (she's from Hesston, KS).  Fun time catching up and getting to know each other again!

with their 4th cousin!

Sunday, October 21

We returned to TW's house in the morning for a little play and social time. At 10:30 we headed to their church. We enjoyed a lively service while the kids went downstairs for the children's programs. Afterwards we followed them to another German restaurant where they served lots of different pork dishes. Then it was time to head home to Bonn! A wonderful weekend together with friends and family topped off with great food and weather. Thanks to everyone who shared it with us!

"Eine Mass" a typical Oktoberfest beer with TW. Prost!