January 22-28

Tuesday January 22

Took GE to Kindergarten with the bus again. We continue to have below freezing temps throughout the day (it is *bitter*) and snow on and off. The streets are a mess and in many places the sidewalks are even worse! The city only clears the main thoroughfares (i.e. bus routes and emergency vehicle routes) and the side streets have snow and slush that is just mashed down and turns into ice! MK has been walking to school. We both had bike accidents due to the ice (luckily for both of us the bikes went down but we managed to hop off and stumble away without injury) and have wisely stopped riding them. I'll be so happy when it warms up a bit, but the rest of this week is supposed to be more of the same (although not as much snow fall). One family member is not sorry about the snow or the bus arrangement: GE can't walk more than a few feet without tromping through a pile of snow, swiping snow off a car or ledge as she walks by, picking up chunks from along the side of the street, or throwing herself down on an open spot to make a snow angel. Takes us twice as long to get to the bus stop as it should! The morning routine now includes pulling on snowpants, snow boots, ski mittens, an extra scarf, and warm hat with ear flaps. The Kindergarten kids still go out to play every day, so you can imagine the chaos in the entryway with all the kids' cubbies overflowing with snowpants, scarves, hats, gloves, and winter coats! GE has gotten quite good at taking much of the gear on and off since she has to do a lot of it herself at Kindergarten.

After dropping off GE, I made a quick grocery stop and then came home to enjoy an hour of coffee and tea with my friend, SL. After she left, I changed into running clothes (multiple layers in this weather!) and tried my new shoes out with a short, easy 30 min run. Foot seemed to be OK, just a slight pulling sensation which didn't get worse as I went on.

Brussels sprouts have been at the Biohof and so I got a bag today and made roasted sprouts as well as a coleslaw from chopped raw sprouts. Yummy! Some of the local grocery stores have Treupunkte (value points in the form of stickers) that you collect and stick in a collection book and then redeem for various items. The Pennymarkt has been selling really wonderful German-made cooking knives (you can collect a whole set). I started collecting the stickers and redeemed enough for 3 of the knives (a big chefs knife, a long knife, and a paring knife). I love cooking with a good knife! I missed mine from home... until now. I'll be taking these home with me! Chopping veggies is a breeze...

Chopping the Brussels Sprouts for the coleslaw.

Roasted sprouts--they're my chips! Just wash, cut tips off, cut in half, spread in single layer face up, drizzle with a little Olive Oil, sprinkle with onion powder, garlic powder, salt, pepper, and cumin, add a couple T. of water to the pan, and roast at 375 for 10-20 minutes depending on how toasty you like them! My little convection oven works great for this and I'll eat the whole pan by myself (thankfully, I'm the only one who likes them this way!)

The coleslaw is dairy-free: dressing made from fresh lemon juice, nutritional yeast, olive oil, salt and pepper. Add chopped walnuts to the chopped sprouts, mix well... Tastes even better the next day!

The next day I added some sliced avocado and more lemon juice. Even better!

Wednesday January 23

Met our neighbors at the Rheinaue this afternoon for sledding! MK didn't want to go (I don't blame her--it's sooo cold!) and had her German tutoring to go to anyway, so I took ME, HR, and GE with me on the bus. We borrowed 2 sleds from ME's school friend (who happens to live conveniently close to the bus stop we needed to use) and we had the one disc sled I'd gotten for HR's sledding day with her class. R and T brought their traditional wooden sledge, another disc, and another Po-Teller. HR and ME immediately grabbed a sled and raced down the hill. GE said, "Me too!" I said (typical cautious Mom), "It's really steep! Don't you want to wait and go with ME or do you want me to go down with you?" "NO." So I helped her sit cross-legged on the disc and let her loose. The disc turned round so she was headed backwards and I could see her face. What an expression! Not sure if it was surprise or terror--probably a mixture of both! But when she came to a stop, she picked up her disc and tromped right back up the hill (this time she wanted me to come too...). R and T came prepared with hot chocolate in a thermos and we each had some snacks along, so we took breaks between rides down the hill. We all took turns going down on the various styles of sleds (I had a big plastic shopping bag which worked quite well too!). HR's favorite was the Po-Teller. She tore up the hill with that thing and since it's so small, she could hurry back up the hill for more fun. We stayed for about 1.5 hours until it was starting to get dark and my toes were frozen! Then bus home again. J met us at the bus stop since GE was falling apart (hungry, cold and tired thing).

The whiteness of the snow makes it impossible to tell how steep this was, the small figure to the right in the photo is a good ways down the hill, if that helps with perspective.

Neighbor-friends, T with the red sled and his mom, R beside HR.

Baby O in the stroller behind HR.

 

GE and T trek up the hill again with their discs in tow. I no longer have a child that needs me to carry the sled back up the hill! What a remarkable milestone.

 

Wipe out! The snow was packed from the last 10 days of many, many sleds and feet. Apparently this hill (actually a long ridge, popular for sledding because the base is a wide open meadow with no trees to run into and the ridge has varying grades of steepness so everyone can enjoy themselves) is the most popular spot for sledding at this end of the park. On the weekends it was so full one had to be very careful going down or coming up that you didn't collide with another sled. The weather has also caused there to be mashed down snow, then a layer of melt that turned to ice, then more packed snow on top of that. Ideal sledding conditions but not so great for walking back up!

 

R with baby O

ME trying out the Po-Teller.

T holding the sled for GE while she gets ready for take-off.

I made a quick supper, left J to settle the kids for bed, and headed to Laufen Training. HW, the trainer, is introducing us to a new Crossfit workout that we can do at home between training meetings to prepare for the 1/2 marathon in April. Some of the group have registered for the full marathon this year (having done the 1/2 last year). After the Crossfit workout, we also did a 1/2 hour run. Foot still OK! The new shoes are awesome.

Thursday January 24

This afternoon HR's classmate's mom picked her up at 1 and took her home to play. I picked her up at 6:30. They had a great time (no spats to report). MK said the sidewalks were free of ice again, so I took my bike to pick her up and then HR sat on my bike seat while I pushed the bike home (her friend lives near MK's school and it's just far enough for me to walk easily but a little too far for little HR legs). I loved hearing HR's stories about what they had done and what they had eaten (some Turkish treats, apparently). Wish she was as adventurous an eater for me at home!

Tried another new recipe today. I'd been interested in trying to make my own version of a veggie burger after the one I had last weekend at Frittebud. This one is with chickpeas and was super easy and super yummy! Will be making them for myself again for sure, although the vote is still out with the girls...

I'd fed the others before I left to pick up HR, so when we got home, it was time for bed! I read to the girls and tucked them in, then went to choir. J went to a Doktorant Seminar at the Uni.

Friday January 25

MK went to her dance class in the afternoon. ME and HR went to our other neighbors' house to play with R until it was time to go to the church for children's choir practice. I baked some cranberry bread and some chocolate cookies for Sunday afternoon when we're having some friends for Kaffee und Kuchen. Tomorrow I'll make my favorite chocolate mayonnaise cake too. Cleaned, cooked, read, went for a run, took GE to and from Kindergarten (finally used the bike again but rode on the main streets rather than the back way I usually take since that is still icy). A good week.

Saturday January 26

Wow, awesome day! Got up and dressed for my running group (undershirt, short sleeve shirt, long sleeve shirt, long-sleeve running jacket, another wind-breaker over that, hat, gloves, 2 pairs of socks!). It is bitterly cold so instead of a long run outside, we started inside with another new Crossfit training then went for a shorter run. (Note: turns out today was the coldest day on record for this winter!)

I spent the rest of the morning baking more treats for tomorrow afternoon when our friends LC and RR are coming for Kaffee und Kuchen. The girls helped clean the apartment and then played and played.

At 6:30 the babysitter arrived and J and I headed into Bonn on the U-bahn to meet up with VM and CN for dinner at La Chata. We ordered a variety of cold and warm tapas, shared a bottle of red wine, and some Spanish beer. Words do not adequately describe what a wonderful time we had! I think we could talk with them for days and never get bored!

We settled the bill, but we weren't finished visiting. The hostess suggested we go to the Irish pub around the corner. CN knew it and we all thought it was a great idea. At some point the waitress there reminded us that after 12:30 there was smoking allowed inside and we all thought, "12:30?!" Sure enough, it was well after midnight. We stayed another 1/2 hour and then J and I left to see if we could still get the U-bahn back to Friesdorf. We couldn't, so we grabbed a taxi from the Hauptbahnhof and were home by about 1:30.  VM and CN invited us to spend Karnevalsamstag with them in Köln (one of Germany's premier places for traditional Karneval partying with costumes and craziness), so we'll head up there in a couple of weeks for another night of carousing (for anyone that knows me well, you know that this is very atypical behavior! But good friends make the time fly and we can't pass up the opportunity to experience this particular holiday with great friends.)


Sunday January 27

Good intentions by the wayside... slept in instead of church, then made a chicken soup for lunch. Afterwards, straightened up and prepared a nice table for Kaffee und Kuchen with our friends, LC and RR. They came mid afternoon with their two kids (MK and ME's ages). I made a citrus glaze to dress up the cranberry bread and sprinkled powdered sugar onto the chocolate mayonnaise cake. There were no leftovers! We had a lovely time visiting and then a quiet evening after they left. Tomorrow begins another week of school and work...

Monday January 28

The weather changed dramatically overnight. Yesterday was rainy and a little warmer. Today felt like spring. Most of the snow is gone and I could walk and ride the bike without hat and gloves! The sun was out and so after taking GE to Kindergarten and picking up a few groceries, I went for a run.

In the afternoon, ME went to dance, MK to her German tutor, and I dropped the little girls off at the neighbor's while I went to a parent-teacher conference with HR's teacher. She had great things to say about our HR. Namely, she is speaking almost entirely in German and even when she doesn't know how to say something, she tries to say it in German first and only when her teacher can't understand her German, does she say it in English! She is also writing in German and the teacher can read it! Wow. Still many mistakes, of course, but the other kids are making similar ones. She makes a few language related spelling mistakes (for example, she still spells die "de" and und is "ond"). She needs to work on paying attention--it's clear that it's no longer that she doesn't understand but that she isn't listening when the teacher is giving instructions! That's our little dreamer! HR rolled her eyes ("I know, I know, Mom.") when I talked to her about it later.

Realized after I hit "publish" that I forgot to tell one last story: HR came out after bedtime and in a shuttering voice asked how I would go about pulling out her loose tooth. It's been bothering her (hanging by a thread and sticking out at a funny angle, but every mention of pulling it sent her into hysterics) but she hasn't been brave enough to yank on it. I said I'd take a tissue and pinch her tooth with my fingers and if it was ready it would just pop out. If it wasn't ready, then I'd let it go and we could try another time. Daddy offered to hold her tight on his lap and she squeezed her eyes shut and opened her mouth. I quick grabbed her tooth with the tissue, gripped it a bit with my fingernails and out it popped. A few quick tears (more from fear than pain) and then she was giggling and happy. Must remember to tell the tooth-fairy to fly over here tonight...

January 14-21

Monday January 14

No school for the middle girls--teacher work day. ME had her friend overnight from Sunday afternoon until after lunch on Monday. Lots of playing and giggling. I took GE to Kindergarten and MK went to her school, so the middle girls had the place to themselves (J was at home while I took GE to KG and got groceries). After lunch HR's friend E came over to play. There were forts in the living room, slides off the armchair, and a general good time.

ME was supposed to go to dance with YK but YK's mom had made some appointments for her and forgotten she had said she would accompany ME to dance. Since I had the little girls at home and MK was at her German tutor I couldn't take her either, so a sad ME came home again. I'll have to communicate a little better with YK's mom so I can make other arrangements to get ME to dance if there's a conflict.

Tuesday January 15

It's freezing cold this week--not supposed to climb up past -1 Celcius until Friday. Plus snow! We awoke to a fresh 1/2 inch and more coming down. It's snowed on and off all day.

I took GE to KG on the bike and then rode to my friend, SL's house to meet up for a run in the Rheinaue. We ran all the way to the Kennedybrücke and back to her place, nearly 12 km total--through snow and along the Rhein most of the way. Great run except that my right foot started bothering me at the end. I hope it's nothing serious! I know I need to get new shoes soon and it felt like a strain from keeping my balance on the sometimes slippery sidewalks while running through the snow. I'm icing and taking some anti-inflammatories and will have to see how it goes. Would hate to have to find a foot doctor while we're here...

Other ME news: her class is learning how to play Chess and studying the pieces and the rules as part of their German studies (love how they incorporate learning a game into learning German grammar and vocabulary!). Students are allowed to bring chess sets in from home and play with each other during free study periods during the day. ME has been asking if we could get her a set too, so today we chose one online and ordered it from Amazon.de. She's so excited. I have to admit, I'll be surprised if the excitement lasts but she says she's beaten some of the other kids in her class and since Chess is supposed to be a brain stimulating, strategy, "smart" game, I couldn't resist her request for her own set. I told her she'll have to teach me to play too!

Wednesday January 16

MK went to her German tutoring as usual. There was more snow! I took GE to Kindergarten on bus because the roads were such a mess. Then did my shopping in Bad Godesberg. All the walking made my foot start to hurt again (pretty sure now that it's a mild tendonitis and needs rest and ice--hard to do when there's shopping to do and I can't ride my bike!)

ME was invited to go sledding with YK after school. They took the bus to Bad Godesberg and then walked over to a popular sledding spot. It was busy with lots of kids. She had a grand time and came home with pink cheeks. Meanwhile I took the little girls to the neighbors to play in the snow for a while. Then we came inside for some tea and more play. So thankful for these neighbors, opening their home and garden to us and being so generous.

J had a meeting with the Doctorant students in the evening. These are the PhD candidates who get together every other week to present their projects and get feed back. Very stimulating discussions and all in German. They usually go out to eat somewhere afterwards too. So, since he was missing dinner and I wanted to get off my foot, I ordered a pizza from downstairs and the girls and I had a quiet evening.

Thursday January 17

Our neighbor's daughter, R, came over to play after school. The girls got along wonderfully. Still nursing my right foot. Still snowy and cold! I've been using the bus to get around, taking GE to Kindergarten and picking her up. ME's chess set arrived. She likes to practice by playing herself and saying "the white won!"

Friday January 18

After the kids were all set off to school and Kindergarten, I hurried home and straightened up before our new neighbor came over for tea. They moved in just a few weeks before Christmas and have two small children. The husband is French and she's of Indian background but grew up in French. They speak perfect English and are working on their German. They've lived in Bonn for about 4 years but in another neighborhood. As it turns out, she works for the Fairtrade company that one of our other Friesdorf friends used to work with (he was her boss before he moved to another company). Small world! We had a nice time visiting and will try to get our girls together to play (her daughter is GE's age).

MK went to her dance class after school. Later in the evening, we got a babysitter and had a date night! Our friends from Köln were coming to Bonn because his band was playing at a Kneipe (bar) in the Altstadt. We caught the U-bahn downtown shortly after 6 and went to Frittebud for dinner. I had their homemade veggie burger and J had the Currywurst and we split the Spezial Pommes (special french fries--and they were indeed special: topped with chopped onions, curry sauce, and a garlic sauce!). Not exactly health food but I was happy to have vegan/vegetarian options. While we were waiting for our food, our friend CN showed up with his band members to get their supper. After supper we went to hear the band play at the basement bar, Stachel. The band is called "God Bless the Monkey Astronaut" (sort of a 90's alternative rock sound). CN's wife, VM, was there with a couple other friends and we sat together to talk (or yell, as it were, since we had our ears stuffed with kleenex as the music was quite loud) and listen and drink Kölsch beer. A great time!

Saturday January 19

GE: "Danke Mamma, für helping you!" (after being told it was her turn to come help with making pancakes in the kitchen).

Enjoyed a lazy morning. No running group since we're taking a week break before starting the official marathon/half-marathon training. Slept late then after breakfast took the big girls with me into Bad Godesberg to shop for Karneval (Fasching) costumes. MK chose a pirate costume and ME a Native Indian. I bought a mardi gras style mask for myself that I'll probably pair with a dressy dress as if I'm headed to a masquerade ball or something. I'll have to dream something up for J. The little girls are princesses, of course. They played in their dresses all afternoon.

In the afternoon I mixed up my trusty chocolate mayonnaise cake and took it over to the neighbor's oven to bake. Looking forward to visiting with my German "aunt" (my mother was an exchange student for a year in Germany between high school and college and has stayed in contact with them since) tomorrow afternoon!

Sunday January 20

More snow! I got up early and shortly after 8 walked through the fresh snow (and it was still coming down) to the bakery (there is just one open on Sundays from 8-11; usually open from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m.) for some fresh bread and Brötchen. My mom's German "sister," HB, is coming for a visit this afternoon, assuming the snow doesn't deter her. We went to church, walking through the snow. Decided at the last moment to put GE in her snow pants and snow mittens and was glad I did--she can't resist lying down and making snow angels and would have been a cold wet little girl by the time we got to church! The sanctuary was cold and the tile floor wet, so I was doubly glad for GE's snow pants when she knelt down on the floor to color during the service--I'd just left her in her snow pants!

HB arrived about 1 p.m. (it took her about 1/2 hour longer than usual because of the snow, but the Autobahn was clear.) We enjoyed a Raclette meal together and the chocolate cake I'd baked on Saturday with some fresh coffee and tea.

Clockwise starting at the top: corn w/red peppers and peas, steamed salmon, plate of salamis and turkey, cutting board with Prosciutto and Blutwurst, mini pickles, pickled onions, and mushrooms in the center.

Salad, boiled potatoes, fresh bread, and in the far right corner of the table is the cheese plate: Raclette cheese, Gouda, and Babybel.

Wonderful time visiting and reminiscing. She filled me in on the comings and going of the extended family who we'll be visiting in March. After she left, I cleaned up the kitchen and made our traditional Sunday evening popcorn supper--which has now been adapted to include some typical Abendbrot food as well.

Monday January 21

It snowed again over night! But temps were a little warmer during the day so the streets are messy now but hopefully tomorrow will be passable with the bike again. I miss riding my bike for my errands! Waiting for a bus is not terrible but I feel tied to someone else's timetable rather than my own!

Met my running trainer (HW) at Runners Point in Bonn center this morning. I was in need of new running shoes (I think part of my injury last week was running in shoes that didn't have much give anymore--the insoles are pretty hard at this point). My foot is feeling much better, thankfully, so I was able to run on their machine where they take a video of you running barefoot and evaluate your form and recommend a type of shoe. I'm luckily a "neutral" foot which means I can buy/wear most standard running shoes (i.e. I don't have any strange pronations or flat/high arches). I do tend to run more on the front of my foot than the heel, but not terribly and it's actually easier on my shoes in the long run (I don't wear the heels off my shoes like J does!).  So, as I am typically wishy-washy and can't make up my mind, I took my trainer's recommendation and went with a standard Brooks running shoe. I  did get a 1/2 size larger than my old shoes since I've learned that for running one should wear shoes that are a little bigger to allow your foot to expand when you hit the ground. I'm wearing them around the house this afternoon and tomorrow will go for a short run to break them in and see how my foot feels.Wednesday the running group starts meeting again.

January 7-13

Monday January 7

Today was back to the usual routine! Kids off to school, haul GE on the bike to Kindergarten, then a little grocery shopping. Nothing exciting or new... ME went to her Irish Step dance class again after school. MK's German tutor is still on vacation so she will resume those lessons next week.

Tuesday January 8

Same old, same old... :) I'm enjoying the rhythm of the days again. It's cloudy and misty but not terribly cold. The days have a certain calming boring-ness again. I don't mind.

Wednesday January 9

MK is plowing through the Madeleine L'Engle books that I loved at this age. She's finished some of the stand alone novellas (And Both Were Young, Camilla), and is not chowing down on the Austin's series. I think she's already on the 3rd one. Thank goodness for my Kindle! When she finishes one, she just asks if she can order the next.

Went to my running group again and our trainer put us through a new strength circuit he'd created. He timed us individually and in a month or so we'll do it again and see if our times improve. We had to take the outline home so we can repeat it there. Homework! Also found out that we'll be going for a long run on Saturday and we should plan to be gone for 3 hours! Wonder what he has in store...

Thursday January 10

GE stayed home. She keeps complaining of her ear hurting but she has no fever and no other cold symptoms. I wonder if there is still fluid and pressure the cold she had while we were in Switzerland. She's happy to put the little microwavable heating pad on her ear for a few minutes and then is off and running again. In any case, she seemed happy to have a "down" day with me. J stayed with her for an hour in the a.m. so I could run to the store.

Went to choir practice in the evening and as it was the first rehearsal of the month, folks stayed afterwards for their "Gemütlichkeit" time (wine, snacks, chatting). I always love these evenings. It has definitely been a large part of what has helped us feel more integrated into the church community since on Sunday mornings people don't always hang around to chat.

Friday January 11

 Noticed this morning that it's starting to be light again at 8 a.m.! Woohoo, the days are getting longer. I'm ready for more light. I've been lighting gobs (current count: 10) of candles around the living room, kitchen and dining room during the morning and evening hours when it's dark so early.

Not quite the same, but I realized after we took down the Christmas candles and tree lights, that it was too depressing without some more warm, natural light! My little teapot stove is going pretty much all day too!

Mid-afternoon I took GE and HR over to the house of one of HR's classmates to play. The classmate, FA, has a little sister who is GE's age and her mom is in my running group. HR and I had made Rice Krispie Treats from a kit a friend from church had sent us and we took some along to share. Enjoyed a little social time and of course, helped the girls start to get know each other a bit better. As usual, they didn't hit their stride until just before it was time to go. So, we'll just have to do it again soon.

At 6 our babysitter arrived so that J and I could have a date night. I'd been eying a particular Afghan restaurant, Zafran, in Bad Godesberg. So, we rode our bikes there and got a table. The food was served buffet style so we got to try several different dishes. Favorites were the lentil soup and the spiced (but not hot) spinach dish. We'll definitely be returning! The food was amazing!

Saturday January 12

At 9 a.m. I met up with the running group. It's cold! Not supposed to be above freezing for several days, but the sky was clear and the sun was up. We all dressed with layers, gloves, and hats or earmuffs. HW, the trainer, led us through one of the back streets and up into the woods near our house. Then we did a long snaking route through the Kottenforst woods to Meckenheim where we took a break at the Waldgaststätte Bahnhof Kottenforst for warm drinks, hot soup and bread. Then we took a more direct way back. In total: 22,78 km in about 2.5 hours (not counting the break)! That's nearly the distance I'll run in April for the 1/2 marathon (23 km) in Bonn, so feeling pretty confident about that race now.

GE still complaining about her ear and she was cranky so we both took a nap in the afternoon. In the evening, we were invited to ME's friend, YK's house for some Russian tee and cake (this is the friend that ME goes to the Irish Step class with). Enjoyed a couple hours of visiting with YK's parents who are from Siberia. The father works for the Deutsche Telekom and was offered a transfer position in Bonn about 4 years ago. So ME's friend has been in the German school system since she entered 1st grade. Her older brother goes to Gymnasium and is also now fluent in German, Russian, and speaks very good English. The father works in English and the mother speaks pretty decent German and understands English, so we used a sometimes confusing combination of English and German to converse! I'd already had a chance to visit several times with the mother, VK, while we waited for the girls to finish with their Irish Step Dance class, but it was fun to hear about their cultural adjustments and make some observations/comparisons to our experience. We left around 9 and ME stayed to spend the night.

Sunday January 13

Slept late and skipped church (1. GE still cranky and complaining of her ear but no fever or other symptoms and it comes and goes, 2. I'm wiped from that run yesterday!, 3. no Kinderbetreuung (child care or children's service) ). ME came home after lunch. It's gloriously sunny and still bitterly cold, but I bundled up the little girls and took them out on the sidewalk for some scootering/biking while the sun was at its peak. Had to bribe them inside with hot chocolate when I started getting cold myself!  Around 3:30 ME's friend JH came over and they made another batch of Rice Krispie Treats together with the last of the kit. Tomorrow the elementary school is closed for a teacher work day, so JH is spending the night. I got some children's Ibuprofen from our neighbor for GE and hope she sleeps a little better tonight.

December 26-January 5

Wednesday December 26

We recovered from Christmas! Took MM to the train station early a.m. Then came home and rallied the troops to head into Bonn for the 2nd Christmas Day mass at the Bonn Münster church. I sang with the CityProjekt Chor, performing Mozart's Messe in C-moll which was interspersed with the traditional Catholic service. J sat with the girls and managed to keep them from climbing the pews but gave up trying to get GE from sitting on the prayer knee rests!
Afterwards, we at lunch at a restaurant in the pedestrian zone. On the way home ME stopped at her friends house and asked if she could come over to play & spend the night, so we added another girl to the troop!

Thursday December 27

After lunch ME's friend went home and I took the girls into Bonn to get ski goggles! Then a quiet evening and started my packing list.

Friday December 28

Cleaned house, packed. Got everything into 2 giant suitcases! Plus one bag of food stuff, a small cooler, the backpack and shopping Korb. Everyone to bed early...

Saturday December 29

On the road by 6. Hit a lot of traffic--many with ski racks! But had gorgeous weather. Watched the sun rise then stopped for our packed breakfast. Packed a lunch too, so we stopped only to eat, potty, and get gas.

Arrived in Lauterbrunnen around 2 p.m. to find nearly every parking lot full! Our landlord had said we could park near the church but that was full, so the hunt was on. A kind gentleman suggested a lot by a campground on the outskirts of town but that had a free shuttle. Bingo! Parked there, then as we waited for the shuttle saw them turn the sign at the entrance to "Besetzt" (full)! Whew! Got our train tickets for the cograil up the mountain, loaded up and began the ascent. Sun still shining on the peaks.

Waiting for the shuttle to the train station.

MK spotted this waterfall on the opposite valley wall. Probably fell a good 1/2 mile down!

Heading up in the cograil...

First views off the balcony of our vacation rental. Later figured out that the big peak towards the left is the Jungfrau! https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jungfrau

Looking back from the balcony into the master bedroom.

The peaks directly on the opposite side of the valley from the apartment.

Sunset!!

From the Wengen station we called a " taxi" to take us and luggage to the apartment.

After putting the bags in the apartment and taking a quick tour, we promptly turned around and walked back into town:
Visitors tax paid, CHECK.
Week's ski passes purchased, CHECK.
Skis, boots, helmets, poles sized and fitted, CHECK.
Storage spots reserved and gear stored for tomorrow, CHECK.
Signed up J, GE, and HR for ski classes, CHECK.
Groceries for the evening and next day, CHECK.
Walk back to the apartment for dinner. Whew!
Biggest draw back: a good 15 minute walk from the apt to the bunny slopes. 200 metres to another lift but one can only ski back here via an intermediate slope so it's not an option for the kids. The big girls are managing but the little ones get pretty tuckered out!

Everyone to bed early!

Sunday December 30

Out the door a little before 9. Ski lesson groups gathered at 9:30 so I helped the little girls get geared up and then to their class meeting point. The big girls got themselves ready and I hurried to get myself ready. J made it out on his own too. The two big girls and I got on the gondola lift up to Männlichen where there was a long blue trail down to another lift. Didn't realize that the bunny slopes where the ski classes were are also open for others and would have been a good warm up place for the big girls too. But as it turned out they pulled together and despite some scary spots (crossing steeper intermediate slopes in order to continue on the blue trail) they made it all the way down! Then the big lift back up and it was already time to head down to meet the little girls.

After lunch the two little girls crashed for naps (both have colds so were particulaly wiped). J had stayed longer on the bunny slopes to get some practice in so I waited at the apartment until he was back then headed back to ski some more on my own. Couldn't convince the big girls to come out again and decided not to push it. The morning had been quite adventure enough for one day! I had a nice couple of runs, finding my pace where I wasn't thinking so hard about the next turn but just sort of feeling the slope and the snow. Still kept to the blue slopes until I'm a little more sure of myself. Pretty awesome. Oh and did I mention the view? The main ski area is on the back side of the ridge above Lauterbrunnen and Wengen. The gondola from Wengen goes up to Männlichen from which point you look up to the Eiger, Mönch and Jungfrau peaks. Looking down in the opposite direction one can see the valley leading back to Interlacken. There are long waterfalls falling down the opposite side of the valley (Mürren). From Wengen we have the option of taking the cograil further up to Kleine Scheidegg or the gondola to Männlichen. There is another cluster of bunny slopes at Kleine Schleidegg so we will likely try that later this week. Weather is supposed to be clear again tomorrw but then some snow overnight and during the day Tues-Weds. New Years Day there are no lessons but the slopes and lifts are all open. Lifts close at 4:30 since there are no lights on the slopes, but that seems to be enough!

When I finished I stopped at the store for some more groceries. This time went to the one with free delivery and purchased enough to qualify for the service. When I got home ME was gone! She'd changed her mind and decided to try the bunny slopes on her own! Way to go, brave girl. She didn't get to do much since the slopes were closing but we cheered her for her gumption. Tomorrow I'll set MK and ME up on the three bunny slopes near the gondola and the ski classes then head back up to Männlichen on my own. We'll tackle that blue slope together again after they've practiced and gained more confidence. J is sorting out his own best learning/practicing strategies. Learning to ski when you're 6'2 and middle-aged is no easy task! He's taken his usual forward-or-nowhere attitude and is discussing game strategy (i.e. ski technique and ski school instructor's idiocies)!

Monday December 31

GE woke up with the stomach bug. So I stayed behind while J took HR to her class and went to his. ME and MK skied on their own at the practice slopes. When MK came home for lunch I went out and hit the slopes. Accidentally went down a red slope when I got off a different lift than I had used before. Discovered it wasn't too hard, so when I reached the end of that slope I took another red trail to a midpoint where I could pick up another gondola back to Männlichen. Great run! The big difference (aside from the astounding mountain peaks) in skiing here vs. somewhere in VA or WV is the ratio of time spent on a slope to the amount of time spent in line or on a lift. At home in VA you can ski a slope in a few minutes and stand in line for 10, ride the lift for another 5 and then ski down again in less than the time it took to get to the top! Here I ski for at least 20 minutes from the top to the lift and am back up in 10-15 minutes. More time skiing, less time waiting/riding. There are also many more options with splits off the main slopes through the woods and crisscrossing slopes with varying difficulties and technical challenges. Hardly needed to ski the same slopes more than once or twice since there were so many options!

Picked up some groceries on the way home in the afternoon. GE recovered quickly and was able to keep food down by afternoon. It was New's Eve but we didn't do anything special. In fact we were so tired we all went to bed and slept through the "Rutsch" (slide) into the NewYear! Woke to hear a lot of fireworks going off at midnight but then rolled over and went back to sleep.

New Year's Day (Tuesday)

The slopes were empty! Everyone else was sleeping off their hangovers! Clouds moved in. Snow in the forecast for tonight. There were no group classes so we all took the gondola up to Männlichen and ME and I skied the blue 6 and the easy red extension I had discovered the day before. J stayed with the little girls on the baby bunny slopes and MK practiced on the plate-lift bunny slope. At lunch I took the little girls back and J stayed to ski a bit more.

Wednesday January 2

Everyone healthy and in class again. Fresh snow too! J's class was headed up the cograil so after dropping off the little girls, MK and ME and I hopped on the same train and got off at the same stop. We took the same blue slope as J's class but did a section in the  middle with a T-lift several times before continuing down into Wengen (this slope skies right into town and comes out next to the ski school slopes). Great run through the woods with a few challenging spots but not too overwhelming. MK and ME agreed to take the little girls home and I went back up with J to ski the same stretch again! He wanted to solidify his new skills. I was able to pass on some more tips from my own experience and he did a great job--only a few falls and generally staying in control. Woohoo!

Looking up the hill from the apartment's front door.

Locked and loaded for skiing in the fresh snow!

The creek we crossed going to and from town.

Looking down into the main part of Wengen on the walk into town.

Looking up from Wengen to the Männlichen gondola station (little tiny black box with the pole sticking up). While riding up/down you can sometimes spot the mountain chamois (Gaemse in German) grazing on the steep slope below. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rupicapra_rupicapra

The gondola lift to Männlichen. There were two so that one was always leaving and one coming. 70 people would be allowed onto the platform and then squashed sardine-style into the car for the trip up. The ride down was never crowded.

  
Thursday January 3

Little girls back to ski school, J too. His class took the train to Kleine Scheidegg this time and skiied a long blue slope down the back side of the ridge toward Grindelwald. MK and ME and I took the cograil to the same stop as Weds but took a different slope down into the valley to catch another chair lift up to the Eigernordwand then a technical blue slope (easy but with more techical difficulties, i.e. steeper hills but still smooth and wide) down to another lift which took us up to Kleine Scheidegg. From there we skiied the upper part of the same blue we had skiied on Weds, eventually coming out in Wengen again. Big girls are getting more confident and faster so the whole thing only took us as long as what we had done the day before! Everyone said it was the best skiing day so far. After lunch I took the train up to Kleine Scheidegg again but this time with my camera! (Too afraid of damaging my camera to bring it along skiing--I do wipe out every once in a while!) Too bad the clouds had rolled in again! The peaks had been stunning in the morning. Oh well.

The cograil to Kleine Scheidegg.

Wengen train station.

Riding the cograil up to Kleine Scheidegg.

Part of the blue slope leading back into Wengen. We all skied this at least once or twice. You can just make out the Jungfrau in the fog at the top of the picture.

Looking back down at Wengen and the Lauterbrunnental in the background.

More of the blue slope (36) from Kleine Scheidegg down to Wengen.

The train stop at Kleine Scheidegg. From here one can take another cograil up to the Jungfraujoch "Top of Europe" or a cograil down the other side of the ridge towards Grindelwald. Too bad the clouds and snow had moved in since earlier this morning there were stunning views of the Eiger, Mönch, and Jungfrau peaks where now it's all white!

We made reservations for Raclette at a restaurant in town for dinner. The kids didn't think they were going to like it because the cheese was so stinky but when it came, they said it was really delicious! Traditional sides with the cheese: pickled onions, marinated cherry tomatoes, pickles, and boiled potatoes. How do combinations like that get started?! Topped the meal off with "Chocolat Fondant". Just one so we all had about 4 little bites. Yum!

Friday December 4

Wow, last day! HR and GE had a race at the end of their class time. J, MK, ME, and I took the gondola up to Männlichen and had time for two runs: ME and I skied the blue 6 that we had done before. MK and J stayed at the plate-lift bunny slope and perfected their turns. When ME and I got back to the top, MK joined us for another run down the 6. Then it was time to head down to see HR and GE in their races. HR got first place and a gold medal! GE got third and a bronze! What fun souvenirs for them. They were pretty tickled. HR's teacher said she thought HR could handle a blue slope so J took everyone else home and HR and I took the cograil to Kleine Scheidegg to take the long blue down to Wengen. Unfortunately the clouds had brought some rain and warmer temps so the snow got worse as we got closer to town. Plus HR was pretty wigged by a couple of the steeper slopes even though I let her ski those between my legs, so we stopped at one of the train stops part of the way down and took the train the rest of the way to town. She was pretty happy about ending her week on a real slope though! We returned all the rental gear and then went "home" to clean out the fridge for supper... Doing the wash here (there's a dryer!) so we can head home tomorrow with suitcases full of clean clothes. Feeling very thankful for this experience. J is thrilled with his new skill and the girls loved the skiing and I got to fulfill a dream of returning to ski in Switzerland some day. Win for all! :)

Last day!

The Jungfrau in the morning light.

GE getting ready.. set..

GO!

 

Finish line!

HR making a grumpy face. She's up next!

Go HR! No help from the teacher for this girl!

Finish line!

Awards "ceremony". GE gets her medal.

HR gets first place!

Check out that grin!

MK coming down (teal and brown coat on the right).

MK

MK finishing the slope. (GE in the purple coat in the foreground.)

Looking up the valley towards the Jungfrau (center, hidden in the clouds).

Looking up from Wengen at the Männlichen ridge. Gondola cables visible on the left.

ME at the top of the plate-lift slope in the center of Wengen.

ME coming down! (teal and brown coat)

Proud of her medals! One for completing the beginner level and one for winning the race.

Saturday December 5

We packed up, cleaned up, and were out of the apartment at 10. Ordered a "taxi" to take our things back to the train station and got the train to Lauterbrunnen. I raided the grocery store one last time and used nearly all of my Swiss Franc coins up for food for the drive home. Retrieved the car without a hitch and were soon on the road. We stopped around noon for a picnic along the Thunersee before passing into Germany again.  Much less traffic in this direction, so we made decent time. The kids slept a lot and were generally pretty chipper about the drive back.

Last shot of the Jungfrau from the train station in Wengen.

Waiting for the train back to Lauterbrunnen.

Sunday December 6

Slept late, then started to unpack. After lunch I took the rental car back to the airport. The girls were happy to be home--playing elaborate games and make-believe with each other with very few spats (always a good sign). School starts again tomorrow, so everyone went to bed at 8. GE fell asleep before I'd finished the chapter I was reading aloud! Tomorrow she'll go to Kindergarten again and I'll get back in my daily shopping routine...