May 27-June 2

Monday May 27

I raced GE to Kindergarten this morning, then hurried home so I could accompany MK to school. Her class left at 9 a.m. on their Klassenfahrt (class trip) to the Jugendherberge Glörsee in Breckerfeld.

Bonn to Breckerfeld.

After seeing her off, I walked home and got my bike to head out for my groceries. HR's friend SÖ came home with her from school to play. Our neighbor invited GE over to play. ME went to dance and then over to her best friend Y's house. Meanwhile I pulled all the clothes out of the older girls' closet and sorted them into piles by size and sort (pants, shorts, short sleeves, long sleeves, dresses/skirts). When MK comes home on Wednesday we'll go through everything of hers and see what still fits, what she likes, what she doesn't like/never wears, or what is too stained/torn. Always feels good to get this done, but I really despise the doing!

In the taxi (through the rain!) to get the bus with her class.

friend S

friend C

Friend K

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Tuesday May 28

After dropping off GE at Kindergarten and picking up my groceries in Bad Godesberg, I went to my friend SL's for coffee. She had been in Spain at her in-laws over the long Pfingsten weekend and then was sick, so we hadn't seen each other since my day "off" in Königswinter 2 weeks ago. Was great to catch up. She showed me pictures of their vacation in Malaga and then presented me with a gift she'd gotten for me there! A beautiful blue and white ceramic mortar and pestle. She'd remembered that I said my kitchen was blue and white at home in VA.

HR brought home another friend from school, A. Until now we've had very good experiences with the kids our children bring home to play with, so I was completely flabbergasted by this little girl's behavior (rude, obnoxious, defiant, worse...). I won't get into much detail, but let's just say she won't be coming again! I picked up GE and one of her friends, a little Polish girl PL, later in the afternoon. The weather was nice so we all walked down to the Eis Cafe' at the Klufterplatz (thinking maybe things might go more smoothly if we were outside in the sun and fresh air) and then to the playground. Multiple unpleasant exchanges with HR's friend later... and then home again. J came home early so he could hold down the fort while I took GE's friend PL home. SHE was a sweetheart! She hardly speaks any German (she just joined the Kindergarten group after Christmas). I wonder if GE empathizes with her because of this or if they just get along regardless. In any case, GE loves to play with her at Kindergarten and has been asking for weeks to play after school. I don't know quite how to explain to them that we're leaving in 2 weeks. The mother seemed so happy that her daughter had a playmate and she speaks even less German than the little girl! She had to call a friend to translate to set up the play-date. When I got home, J had stories to tell about HR's friend too... (Basically, she acted more like a spoiled 2 year old than a 7 year old: back-talked, told me "Du bist gemein!" i.e. "You're a meany!" and threw a tantrum when her mom came to pick her up). Made me thankful for our sweet girls (not that I'm not usually, but after this particular day, I'm especially so).

Wednesday May 29

Did my grocery shopping as usual (in the rain--today's forecast: "Dauerregen" = according to GoogleTranslate, "continuous rain"), then sat in my fav French cafe' for a cup of coffee while I waited for the salon to open. Got my hair cut (or chopped, depending on who you talk to!) and then did a little gift shopping for my Gymnasium school friends that we're visiting on Friday and Saturday. Tomorrow is another bank holiday so the shops will be closed.

HR brought her best friend, E, home to play. Since there's no school tomorrow, she is spending the night. MK came home around lunch time (I took a taxi to get her in the heavy rain since she had luggage to schlepp home). She was glowing! Had a wonderful time on her Klassenfahrt. Lots of team building activities--German school classes stay together for at least 4 years (5th grade through 8th, then 9th through 12th, I think). It's really too bad we're pulling her out now to go back to VA when things are just starting to go more smoothly for her.

MK filled me in on the trip... the last night was a "dance" and all the girls got dressed up. We had gone shopping a few weeks ago for something appropriate and apparently we hit the mark!

Roomies!

All dressed up!

As we unpacked MK's duffel from her trip, we also went through the piles of clothes on her bed, putting some things in a new pile to be kept while moving the rest into the piles for ME or into a bag to give away. Then ME came in and we did the same. I took the stuff she didn't want or that was too small and put that in a laundry basket to sort through later with HR...

After finishing that odious task, I got all my breakable items (espresso cups, china mugs, teapot and it's little warming stove, the mortar and pestle from Spain) and packed them carefully for shipping (double boxed!). The boxes are now stacked up to go to the Post.

After supper I changed into running clothes. No training group tonight, but several of us were signed up to run in the Bonner Nachtlauf, a 10k race (I finished in 1:03:42) to raise money for the city school's sport clubs. It was still raining steadily and fairly cool, though not freezing temps. One of my friend drove so at least we stayed dry until we got there. The race started at 9:15 p.m. near downtown along the Rhein, then into the Rheinaue park, made a big loop through the park and then went back along the Rhein to the finish line. Great fun! Wished I had better running-in-rain gear though.

Thursday May 30

Feiertag! Everything closed. HR's friend's mom picked her up at 10:30 and then it was time to take HR over to another friend's house to play (HR has been racking up the playdates!). After dropping her off, I took the train and bus out to the airport to pick up our rental car for tomorrow and Saturday. When I got back to Friesdorf, I went straight to the house of a mezzo-soprano I'd gotten to know a little last fall. Her son is being baptized on Sunday and she asked if I could sing the soprano part of the trio from Mendelssohn's Elijah ("Lift thine eyes" but with the German text) during the service. We rehearsed for about 30 minutes and then I went home to eat a late lunch. Spent the afternoon cleaning up the apartment--the landlord is showing the apartment tomorrow while we're gone. The big girls helped me straighten up and clean the bathroom, then vacuum the bedrooms. Sorted through the hand-me-downs for HR (without her) and took about 5 bags up to the attic to eventually pack into the suitcases or to take to the donation center next week.

At 5 I picked up HR from SÖ's and then went home to get the rest of the family loaded up. Back in January I had run to Meckenheim with the running group and ate at the Bahnhof Kottenforst. I'd been meaning to take the family there but it's hard to get to without a car (unless you want to walk/run 10.5 km there and back!). Now was the chance to do it! The weather was turning nice (for who knows how long!) so we got a table in the garden. Just the right move: the little girls played on the playground while J and I sat at the table with MK and she told us a little more about what her class did on their Klassenfahrt. I love this restaurant! J commented that it was the sort of place where we'd be the only English speakers/tourists and I said, "Yes, it's a German tourist spot--for Ausflüge!" (day trips/excursions). We ordered and shared some typical Deutsch menu items: the Jausenplatte (bread with a variety of house-made Wursts), the Schnittchen mit Wildschinken und Preiselbeerbirne (bread slice with wild pig ham and a pear with wild cranberry/cowberries compote), and the Reibekuchen mit Apfelmus (potato pancakes with applesauce). A couple of Weizen and we were set. A lovely evening!

Reibekuchen with applesauce on the plate to the left. Schnittchen with Wildschinken and the pear "salad" on the right (there is a slice of thick German bread under all that wild pig ham!)

Sisters!

Enjoying a cup of Heisse Schokolade! Notice the old gent talking in the background? One of the things J noticed was that all the other people at the restaurant were Germans--solid locals. This was not tourist joint but a local hang-out. Our favorite kind of place.

The Brot plate with Blutwurst (the dark one), house-made Leberwurst (the light-colored one on the left) and the house-made Fleischwurst. Yum!

"Hier kehren Jäger aus und ein, Sie sprechen Deutsch und auch Latein. Latein wenn Sie sich was erzählen und Deutsch wenn Lumpen hosen stehlen." Anyone know what the last bit means? We haven't been able to figure it out.

My little girl is getting so grown up! Like my chopped off hair-do?

Friday May 31

Today to Trier... It rained the. whole. time. which made the kids cranky, me impatient, and well, everyone wet. We did bring plenty of umbrellas (even lent 2 to my friend B and her partner K!) and decked GE out in her Matschhosen (although I didn't and should have put her Gummistiefel on too--the puddles and the fountain were just too tempting and her nice suede boots were soaked. Just before we got back to our car at the end of the day, we were standing around the entrance to the parking garage when GE disappeared. When we found her, she was standing in the middle of a HUGE puddle looking down at her feet with a HUGE grin on her face. She looked up and--I can't make this stuff up--said, "I wasn't jumping in it. I was just walking!" As if that was an excuse!).

We met my school friend, B (best friend from my years at Martin Luther Schule in Marburg), and her partner at the edge of town, Trier (the oldest city in all of Germany), then followed them in to a parking garage and walked into the old Markt. From there we took the Bimmelbahn city tour, checking out the city sights: Roman baths, Basilica, old walls, the Dom, and an ancient city gate, the Porta Nigra, from the time of the Roman fortifications. We ate lunch at a Pfannekuche restaurant that is a favorite of theirs and then when the kids were starting to fall apart (their two little ones and ours) we headed back to the parking garage. At that point, they needed to change diapers and breastfeed the tiny one (10 weeks old) plus get the 1.5 year old to fall asleep (she wouldn't sleep in the stroller as they'd hoped) so they went to their car and we headed back to the pedestrian zone to explore until they called us to meet up again.

Trier (GE in her wet weather gear in the foreground)

My friend BM with her husband K (from Nigeria), 1.5 year old daughter, S, and 10 week old son E (her partner is "wearing" him).

looking from the Markt toward the Dom... umbrellas everywhere!

GE and S on the Bimmel-bahn Stadttour (city tour).

My girls loved her big brown eyes!

She was quite taken with the big girls and their tech! ME entertained her with pictures from her camera.

Porta Nigra, the old Roman gate built between 186 and 200 AD!

The Dom.

Roman Baths

  

 

A street artist with his wire figures set out. MK recently had an art project at school that was exactly this! These were really elaborate.

Deciding on their favorites.

Playing in a fountain (cause they weren't wet enough already!).

The ever-entertaining game of "Steal Daddy's Hat".

While they were taking care of their little ones, we went and found a bakery for a soft pretzel snack and then went into the Dom. Everyone lit a candle one last time (probably the last cathedral we'll be in for a while!). The younger two girls were really getting out of hand (why is it that bad weather and an unstructured day leads to crappy behavior?!) so we decided to head back to the car, even if it meant sitting in the garage with everyone just shutting their eyes and breathing for 15 minutes or something. Then while taking a bathroom break just before getting to the car, my phone rang... (Insert: story from above about GE and The Puddle.) Long story short: we decided to meet up quickly to say good-bye and then head home.
The clouds began to disperse and by the time we got to Bonn (2 hour drive) it was sunny and nice. Go figure. Tomorrow is supposed to be better...

Through this door is the "Seamless Robe of Jesus". Read about it. Very cool. Girls were appropriately impressed.

The ornate organ. Wish we could have heard it!

Baroque-stucco work on the ceiling of the west end of the cathedral.

Walking back to the parking garage after saying good-bye, I discovered the gardens behind the Palace which is attached to the Basilica. Rococo style, I think?

Next to the gardens was this awesome playground! Too bad the weather was so bad it even kept the Germans away!

At least the wicked child had the sense to fall asleep on the way home!

Although I do not wish upon her the neck-ache this probably gave her!

Saturday June 1

Marburg! I left around 8.30 a.m. and had smooth sailing all the way. The last time we drove from Bonn to Marburg on our vacation trip 4 years ago, there was so much construction. It's finally paid off--3 lanes in some places and no traffic. It was cloudy and misty, but the weather forecast said it was at least supposed to get drier and stay that way for the day, maybe even a little sun!

The Marburg Schloss in the distance. Nostalgia!

The Wilhelm's Turm on the ridge above where my family used to live. (Don't worry! I took these when I was stopped in traffic.)

The Schloss and parts of the Altstadt visible from downtown.

I met up with my other school friend, IZ, at our old school, the Martin Luther Schule (Gymnasium). Left the rental car there and then rode with her out to her house in Michelbach, a small Dorf outside of Marburg. We enjoyed a late breakfast with her son, R, and partner, T. I got a little house tour and then we headed into Marburg to walk through the Altstadt, pick up some trinkets for the girls, and see some old sights.

With IZ in her garden.

The Martin Luther Schule!

The old Markt in the Altstadt, Saturday morning Markt.

The rooster on top of the clock of the Rathaus flaps his wings at noon.

Stopped for coffee at Cafe' Vetter and sat on the balcony looking down over the city and across to the Wilhelm Turm. My family used to bring guests here--their ice cream and desserts are fabulous too!

Looking down from Cafe' Vetter.

A street musician playing the blues.

We walked back to the car through the Botanical Gardens and caught a glimpse of the Kaiser Wilhelm Turm again.

The spires of the St. Elisabeth Kirche.

 After shopping a bit, we headed out to see her parents who gave us Kaffee und Kuchen.

The meadow to the left is where we used to play together with BM (the friend I visited yesterday in Trier).

The house looks very different than when we were little--over the years her parents have added on and renovated so that it looks like a whole new house!

After that, we drove over the hill to her partner's mother's house where he was working on digging holes to put up a carport for his mother.

IZ and her partner, T.

Then we drove back to their house again and went for a walk through the countryside. The sun was completely hidden again, but at least the rain was staying away (umbrellas along just in case!).

Looking back at Michelbach.

The horses that she rides with a neighbor.

For dinner we went back into Marburg to the Elisabeth Brauerei.

Popped across the street first to peek inside the St. Elisabeth Kirche.

Unfortunately a concert was just getting ready to start so we couldn't go in and I only snapped a few quick picks from the entrance for the sake of nostalgia.

The Bier might be some of the best I've ever had (and I'm not a huge fan of Bier)! They only have one on tap at a time. Right now it's Maibock season, a hoppy Bier that is smooth and yummy!

I ordered the special "Nordseeteller" (North Sea Plate) and a salad.

"North Sea plate with smoked eel, herring, pickled herring, and 'Schillerlocke' (smoked belly flaps of the spiny dogfish) with honey mustard sauce and bread" I thought it was amazing! What is: Schillerlocke. What is: Rollmops.

While we were perusing the menu I realized I could get a bottle of the Maibock to take home. A huge 2 L bottle for J (I never get him anything, so this seemed an appropriate souvenir--we'll keep the bottle!)

IZ holding up my giant bottle of Bier in front of the Brauerei.

Then it was time to say Auf Wiedersehen! A wonderful day full of memories and good conversation. Viele Liebe Grüße, IZ! Alles Gute!