A Trip to Triberg

I'll fill in a bit more of recent events by writing about my day trip to Triberg im Schwarzwald. Triberg boasts the tallest waterfall in Germany, as well as a Black Forest History Museum and tons of woodworking and cuckoo clock shops.

Shurrece and I drove for about 2.5 hours, through clouds and rain for most of the journey. Still, the region was beautiful. As I've stated before, Germany is very green this time of year, and all of the flowers are bright and lively. (Incidentally, this includes my own attempts at balcony gardening, both of which are flourishing!)

When we finally reached Triberg, we knew straight away. Cuckoo clock stores (House of 1,000 Clocks being popular) lined the roads for a few kilometers before the city itself became visible. It is situated in the small valley between several hills, with houses and hotels reaching up into the hillsides, and cleared cattle fields at the summits. We decided that the first order of business was finding food, and so began a walk down the main street. Across from the Rathaus, we found a little restaurant that was housed underground, called Pinnochio Pizzeria. It reminded me of going to CW's in Wooster, or maybe like Wags for those more familiar with Frederick. It was full of old paintings that seemed to be inspired by the Brothers Grimm. We ordered Italian specialties- tortollini and pizza. It was delicious! And of course, we ended our meal with some Schwarzwaelde Kirschtorte- Black Forest Cherry Cake! Also, magnificent.

A quick jaunt up and down main street revealed a combination of tourist-geared shops and everyday establishments, such as a photographer's gallery and a hardware store. We decided to tackle the waterfall path first, so we started up the hill. We took many photos because the trek up the hillside was perfectly picturesque.

It was tough work at some spots, but when we noticed a group of senior citizens coming down the path, we decided that we could absolutely handle the climb! :o) It was worth the effort, because the waterfall was breathtaking. They have bridges crossing the falls at different levels, and from those bridges you can see out across Triberg, and into the hills beyond the town.


We followed a hiking trail that took us along the hillsides, around a lake, and eventually back to the town church. The church is about 350 years old, and featured some magnificent painted woodwork- the front door, the alter, and the organ were all gorgeous. Interesting fact- this area was once part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, so Austrian flags were painted on several surfaces in the church. (I have posted a few photos of this church so you can see the intricate detail in the woodwork.)

Next, we visited a few cuckoo clock stores and woodworking stores. We bought little carved wooden eggs, and mine is hanging from a cabinet handle. It is lovely. The cuckoo clocks are amazing and diverse, but also extraordinarily expensive! Perhaps one day Josh and I will purchase a cuckoo clock, but not any time soon.

Our last visit was to the Black Forest museum, where we saw traditional costumes, heard music played by one-man-bands and carnival crank organs, saw historical clocks and Fasching costumes, walked through a reconstructed "farmer's bedroom" and "clock maker's shop," and saw a large train layout of the region. The museum was quite interesting and I experienced things I did not expect.

We were fairly worn out at this point, so we decided it was time to head back to the Pfalz. Triberg was an excellent choice for a day trip, and thanks to my friend for planning everything so I could just ride along and enjoy!

Christmas come early (and other things)

So, you're probably wondering why Christmas came early. Well, I got an XBox 360 last week! I love it. I can't do everything with it that it can do yet, but I hope that I'll be able to soon. I'm still really happy about it, though, because I've been wanting one so long. If you have an XBox 360, let me know what you're gamer tag is, and I'll send you a message when I get online.

In other news, Becky is leaving for the States soon. She's going to be there for a few weeks, so I'm pretty much going to be by myself for a little bit. I hope she has fun though! She leaves in the middle of my next set on, which kind of stinks, but I really think she needs to go back for a little bit, so she can see some people/relatives that she didn't get to see before she left. I would like to go too, but I can't.

I also have a story to tell. Becky, a couple friends of ours, and I went to downtown K-town to see the carnival. While we were there, I went on a ride that flipped upside down. A lot. And what should happen during the last set of flips, but, of course, my PHONE should fall out of my pocket, where I forgot it was! When it came out, the back came off, and the rest fell, mid-flip, to its DOOM! Fortunately, it wasn't quite the doom I had thought. I went up to the counter, and they went to look for the phone. They came back with it, sans the battery, which is kind of important. So I get home, and try to order another one online, but they don't ship to APO addresses (even though their web-site says they do!) So, I called my Dad, who I thought could get me a replacement battery for my phone. As it turns out, he can (thanks, Dad), when he gets back from Mexico in a week. So I had to hunt down an über-old phone that I'm now happy I didn't get rid of. So, yeah, that's my story.

Last but not least, when Becky comes back from the States, she'll have the supplement check from the IRS. So, hopefully, with a little extra saving, we'll get a new TV when she comes back! Yea, HDTV!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Now, on to the travel portion of my post. Recently, we went to Stuttgart, which was cool, although, kind of an odyssey. We kept getting turned around, and semi-lost, which is fun. Especially with another car following you around (full of friends, not stalkers). But we eventually got everywhere we needed to go, and we ended up staying the night in a hotel there. We walked around downtown with our friends, and saw the castles there, along with the museum in one of them. The next day, Becky and I went to another castle there, which was away from the city proper, which was nice and calm. Before that though, we went to the Mercedes-Benz museum, which was sweet. I got a whole bunch of awesome pics, which are on our picture site, so you should all go see them. After the castle, we started home. And proceeded into yet another odyssey, through the smallest, curviest roads in all of Germany, Thankfully we ended up home all right.

Well I think that's all for now. I'll talk to you all later. Leave some comments.

Day-Trippers

We finally made it out of our state again! ...Only to drive back to our state about ten minutes later. The drive to Trier took us through Saarland, a bordering German state, for just a few moments.

Trier might not be a city you've heard much about in the past, but if you check out our photos you may learn a few new things! Trier lies next to the Mosel river, close to Luxembourg. The Mosel river valley is known as one of the best wine-producing regions in Germany. Two thousand years ago, Trier was a bustling Roman city with some 40,000 inhabitants. It is nowhere near that large today. However, archaeologists have unearthed and recreated much of the incredible Roman architecture. Because of its Roman history, Trier is one of the cities on the World Heritage List.

Beyond the rich historical experience one can have in Trier, something must be said for the region's beauty. It was one of the greenest cities I've ever witnessed. The hills rise up sharply on either side of city and river, covered with trees, goldenrod, and many grape vines. Although we were visiting a busy city with a thriving pedestrian district (hello shopping!), industrial zone, and other typical businesses, it felt as if we were taking a countryside holiday.

One of my favorite moments of the day was when my husband experienced one of my favorite aspects of travel- realizing the depth of the history you are seeing. Wondering who else has set foot in the same location you are currently standing- maybe a Roman Emperor. Maybe even, in some instances, a distant relative. It's an amazing feeling.

Another great part of the day was our quick stop at a Weinstube, where were had some light refreshment. Josh tried German meatloaf, which came with the most delicious potatoes I've ever tasted.

I enjoyed two of three cheeses and the bread on a cheese platter- the third cheese was a local farmer's cheese and I felt bad when I couldn't bring myself to eat it due to the scent. If anyone else has a strong dislike of blue cheese, they may understand my problem.

Once we had seen what we came to see, we headed back toward home for a barbecue with some friends. Josh has a new best friend, I think. She is three and loves him because he brings her cookies from the bakery down the street. I'm getting jealous. :o)

Long time, no blog

Well, sorry it's been so long. We probably won't gain any faithful readers with such sporadic blogging habits, but please stick around for a bit!

We have been quite busy for the last few weeks. Highlights...

-We purchased our bowling balls and shoes. I don't remember if I already wrote about this, so sorry if there is repetition.

-Went to IKEA with Steve and Kara, and drove in a huge 9-passenger van with the back seats removed b/c all moving trucks were rented out for the day. We named the van Maude. The day was beautiful, so we had a lovely drive through the German countryside. At Ikea, we spent a ridiculous amount of money, but we now have a real bed, two new desks, two bookcases, a headboard, and an end table. It was worth the trip and the cost. The work of getting everything to the fourth floor was awful, and it took a long time to put everything together... but still, it was worth it.

-Josh found out that he is not being switched to another squad at this time. Mids are coming up, but we prefer that to... frustration. I'll leave it at that.

-We bought the exercise bike we've been drooling over for a few months, and it is wonderful!

-The trees here seem to be more bright and green than I've ever seen before. Seriously, they practically glow. It's impressive! Also, I've managed to keep four potted herbs alive for about 2.5 months, and so far my orchid has lasted about two weeks. This is really good, for my track record.

-We are going to babysit some friend's kids for the first time tomorrow. I'm pretty excited, and a little bit nervous.

-And lastly, there are only 30 days until I head west for three weeks of fun. :o)

Please let us know what you're up to! We miss hearing from people!

Waiting

Just a few things, as we are quite predictable of late.

Becky bowled a 110 today, her highest score to date. Josh is finishing up a class at the moment, and should be cruising right along toward his Associate's degree in the next few months. Becky and Josh have lost about 25 pounds combined in the past month. Becky is going to do her third 5K on April 25th, Josh sadly cannot participate due to work scheduling. Becky is also going to a job fair later this week, but is feeling kind of down on the whole process after hearing horror stories from friends who are trying to get jobs, or in some cases, friends who have already been hired.

Waiting for things is what we do best these days. Waiting for the car. Waiting to get the dog. Waiting even for mail and packages to arrive. It is getting easier, but it's still a lot of waiting, when you put it all together. :o)

Lastly, SHOUT OUT to our wonderful friends, whom we miss very much! :o(

(We miss you, too, family!!)

Short Updates

Hello all, just a few notes since we haven't written in over a week, I believe.

~ Our car is confirmed as "in transit," which means it's somewhere on the Atlantic, most likely.

~ We may take our trip to Ikea tomorrow, although it's hard to go through with it because the exchange rate is so awful.

~ We are doing another 5K this Saturday! Hopefully we will each improve upon our times.

~ There is only one cardboard box left in our apartment. There are lots of things strewn about the floors, however. This is mostly the case in the red room. The trip to Ikea will fix the problem.

~ Auto insurance is a huge rip-off over here. You have to insure your vehicle for over 2 million EURO. Nuts!

~ Josh improved his qualification score at the latest range, so kudos to him! He also got this (funny-looking) new badge for his uniform because he's been doing his job for a while, or something. Either way, two new things for the uni, sweet. Way to go, babe!

~ I (Becky) am headed back the the states in just a few weeks. I'll be in IL, PA, NJ, MD, and possibly OH. This will be for a good portion of the month of June. Let me know if you are around so I can visit you!

I think that's all for now. Of course I'll put any photos from our second 5K on our page. Who knows, if we get our act together on this set off (Josh's days off) we might even set up our master web page, with links to all of these other pages. It will probably be easier to just remember one page to visit, instead of multiple things. Don't you think?

Bowling, again

An exciting update- the painting is finished! We have only 8 more boxes to unpack!

We went bowling again today, and once again we had a wonderful time. Took a few photos, so we'll post those later. We are talking about buying ourselves some bowling shoes... it would make sense if we do continue to play as often as we'd like.

It has been snowing on and off, quite a lot. Almost every day we get complete ground cover, and then within a few hours it's sunny and the snow melts away. The other day it was literally a thunderstorm, but instead of pouring rain it was pouring snow and hail! There was lighting, thunder, and the snow was coming down faster than I've ever seen before!

Other than getting our apartment together and occasional outings with friends, usually to the grocery store, we're pretty boring people right now. Not enough time in the day to do exciting travel and whatnot. That will change once we have a vehicle, and can go explore on a whim. For now, I guess it's good that we're stuck at home- it ensures that we clean it up and get it organized! I can't wait to be able to bring Maggie over here. Every time I set up an area of the apartment, I think about where her things will go, and how she might use the space. She really is our baby! :o)

Tschüss for now!