December 31-January 6

Monday, December 31st

LAUNDRY. And lots of it. A week of skiing makes things quite smelly! I'm trying to get J's and MK's stuff finished first so they can pack... They fly back tomorrow, J to Florence Italy to complete his fellowship at the EUI and MK back to Virginia for the second half of her senior year of high school.

Mid afternoon our friends from Bonn arrived: YH and her brother IH and mom, VH. YH is our ME's best friend from 4th grade in Bonn. They can pretty much pick up from where they left off--the best kind of friend!

I kept dinner simple and the girls helped a lot: Raclette supper. We all stayed up until midnight playing video games, reading books, putting together a jig-saw puzzle (present from them to GE) and enjoying some of the Russian treats they brought for us (honey cake, some kind of cookie, and chocolate pralines). At midnight, the kids and J went outside and set off firecrackers in the street. Silvester (New Year's Eve) in Germany is celebrated with fireworks. I expected the little kind you can set off in your driveway on the 4th of July, but apparently around here, that's not cutting it! It seemed like fireworks were going off from every street corner, people's balconies, and the tops of buildings!

Sorry... oddly captured and sometimes blurry photos, compliments of an arm in a sling and trying to shoot left handed or, literally, from my hip with my weak arm.

This wonderwoman, VH! She has overcome so much. Poised, smart, caring. Thankful for her family's friendship.

ME with her bestie from school in Bonn (2012-2013).

Happy New Year!

Present for GE (which I finished on a snowy afternoon)

Tuesday, January 1st, 2019

J left early to catch his flight back to Florence, Italy. He'll be at the European University Institute until the end of the month for his fellowship. At 11 we met up with IH and VH who had gone to a motel for the night. We had brunch in our neighborhood bakery, then they went downtown with ME while the other girls and I went back to the apartment. MK finished packing, ate leftovers for lunch and then she and I took the S-Bahn to the airport again. We had supper together in the airport and then I stood in line with her to check in for her flight. The tears flowed as it was time to say good-bye. Thankful that she could join us for the Christmas break. I'm so proud of that young woman. She has grown into this independent, smart, funny, and confident person. It's so apparent when she does things like flying across the Atlantic by herself--she even had to get a taxi and hotel room in Dublin because her connecting flight had a 12-hour layover. Hug her for me when you see her next!

While I was at the airport, I bought a Monatskarte for the MVV public transit system since it's looking like I'll be needing to take the Bus/Bahn a lot more until my shoulder heals. It's transferable, so when HR goes to cello lessons on the weekend, she can use it. And anytime I'm traveling with my children, they ride free. So, all around worth it...

J sent this snapshot of the valley where he is living in Italy. Beautiful!

Group photo outside the Ihle after our brunch.

Saying good-bye at the airport.

Wednesday, January 2nd

The rest of this week we'll be trying to get back into "normal" mode. The little girls went with me to run errands in the morning. HR got a haircut (just to her shoulders). Lots of walking with the shopping cart, right arm in my sling! After lunch we went to the movies: Aquaman (auf Deutsch).

Thursday, January 3rd

GE went with me for a walk in the Isar river park. I've slowed down (no running!) with my shoulder injury, but I'll be darned if I let too many days pass before I get myself moving again.

After lunch I took the bus and S-Bahn out to the airport (again!) to pick up J's cousin, RLG, who is visiting for a few days. She lives in Paris where she attends the American University, Paris and lives with her parents (her mom is J's first cousin, so she is the girls' 2nd cousin). We had a quiet evening in, just enjoying each others' company. Finally took the last of the ski week laundry off the drying rack... of course, it's already time to do another round!

Friday, January 4th

It's snowing! Supposed to continue most of the weekend. I went for groceries early, then GE and I picked up her friend SH for a play date at our house. HR, ME, and RLG went into downtown to go shopping. ME needed some birthday gifts for 2 school friends--she's going to their party tonight. I worked on the blog. We braved the cold and snow to take the bus downtown for dinner at the Hofbräuhaus in the Altstadt. It was packed! We had to circle through the restaurant for a while to find a table opening (it's all self-seating, sort of Oktoberfest tent-style). The band struck up the usual tunes. All-around a good time!

GE walking with her school friend, SH

Shaky left-handed selfie in the Hofbräuhaus restaurant.

Saturday, January 5th

We had a lovely late morning breakfast (fresh Semmeln for the girls) and then bundled up and took the Bus and Tram to the west side of town to the Nyphemburg Schloss. We got combo tickets to see the palace and the Marstallmuseum where the royal carriages and porcelain collection are displayed. After the museums, we had Kaffee und Kuchen at Café Bar Limulus and then headed home.

Went for a solitary walk along the Isar. Snow and more coming down.

Bundled up. :)

Riding a Tram for the first time!

RLG

Wintry palace gardens

Royal portraits of the ladies

This woman, Maria Leopoldine of Austria-Este, is an interesting character! (click on link or read the bit in the next photo)

One of the central features of the Nymphenburg Schloss is the large room called the Gallery of Beauties. Commissioned by Ludwig I of Bavaria, these portraits are of women (and girls!) from all walks of life from the shoemaker's daughter to royalty. Ludwig handpicked most of the models--sometimes from random encounters on the street. I think his concept of acceptable/standard female beauty hasn't changed much over the years, am I right? They still all look like Greek Goddesses...

The Gallery of Beauties (with a couple of my Beauties!)

Looking out a window from the Marstallmuseum

Carriage collection of the Marstallmuseum

Fun imagining the rides in these sleighs--especially with the current weather! Would have been perfect. The little kid-sized ones that would have been pulled by servants were especially interesting to imagine.

Good Lord, the opulence!

Gala-Coupé (Dress Chariot) of King Maximillian II

Gala-Chaise der Königin Therese of Bayern

 

Another view from a window in the Porcelain section of the museum.

Riding equipment from the Karl Albrecht period

 

That snowball is not for throwing...

ME strolling. The paths were all packed snow. People were building snowmen and throwing snowballs in the grassy lawns in between. Fathers pulled their toddlers on sleds... Snow doesn't keep people at home here!

Did I mention the little girls had hot chocolate with whipped cream too? (We had brunch before we left and then this; dinner at home--made sure there were lots of veggies!)

I don't eat flour or sugar, so "Kaffee und Kuchen" is just a good cup o'Joe for me. "Crême" version--coffee machines here leave a nice froth on top even when there's no milk in it.

ME's Kirschtorte (foreground), HR's Tiramisu, HR's Apfelstrudel

Crossing the bridge to the Tram stop, I paused to capture this shot of the palace in the distance. I'm looking forward to coming back in the spring with either one of my sisters or my in-laws when the gardens are coming to life. Still stunning in the wintry weather.

Sunday, January 6th

So much snow! We stayed in, played games, worked on a puzzle, and watched TV. The girls went to bed early, school bags packed, and hair washed... School starts again tomorrow.