So part of my new job as a stay at home wife and student is to scope places to travel. Sucks doesn't it? Not really as I am getting super excited about traveling to all of these fantastic places. TJ and I have decided to take one long weekend trip a month that is more expensive, and then other "day trip excursions" to places that are close. So far we have our large trips booked through the end of the year, as it is more affordable that way and things book way in advance. We also found a gem of an airline called Ryan Air. It is the european discount carrier that is super cheap if you plan in advance. So if you are coming to visit and want to take excusion trips let us know in advance and we can get you a round trip flight for about 60 EUR/person.
So, where are we going?
October is Munich for the authentic Oktoberfest. We leave tomorrow morning and are taking a three hour train ride. I am very excited as we will sight see one day, and experience the festival the next.
In November we will spend the Thanksgiving holiday in Rome, Italy. This would be the one that I am most excited for as there is so much to see and so much food to eat! I am sure TJ and I will gain plenty of weight on this trip. Don't worry fellow catholics...I will be hitting the Vatican. How could I not with all of those years of catholic school? We leave Thanksgiving morning and are flying to Roma, then returning on Sunday. Obviously in Germany they do not celebrate Thanksgiving, but TJ refuses to work that day no matter what country we live in.
For December we will be spending the Christmas Holiday in Salzburg, Austria. Why Salzburg? Because TJ and I love snowboarding and will hit a few of the surrounding resort areas and also see the historic city during our stay. Christmas in Austria is supposed to be the best!
For January I am looking at Lucern, Switzerland (not just because it sounds a lot like Lucero), or at least somewhere in that country. I'll keep you posted.
The day trip excursions will include some of the older historic cities that are only a few hours away like Strasbourg, France, Rothenberg ob der Tauber, Luxembourg City, Nurnberg, Ludwigsburg, and Tubingen. December will be a busy month as many of these smaller towns have giant Christmas Markets. If you have been to any of these places and know of something I can't miss, please let me know!
As for the update on our "honeymoon trip" to Greece/Turkey or Spain, that will wait until after snowboarding season when it is a little warmer, but I hope to do that in April. It will be about a week long and we have decided to do one location on 2009, and the other 2010 so we both can win! Other places of interest to us are Copenhagen, Prague, Sweden, Ireland, the Netherlands, Paris, Berlin, Belgium, England, and snowboarding in Norway would also be fantastic...but cold. Again, if you have been somewhere that I shouldn't miss, please let me know!
I am sure that everyone is asking themselves, what will little Tut do while we are away? Well some of the day excursions we can take him, and we will drive to Salzburg for Christmas so he can go there (thank God...Christmas without Tut would be unthinkable). For the other trips that are long or we have to fly he will go to a pension in Heidelberg. We are taking him there tonight and I am sure he will love it as he will have space to run and they may match him with another dog to play with if he is being a good boy- it could go either way.
I may not post tomorrow as we will be in Munich, but I will try my best. The word on the street is that it is going to be cold and rainy...figures. TJ told me to look at the bright side as we will be in beer tents on Saturday, thanks, T!
I wish you all the best this weekend...especially my friends Kelly, Carrie, and Rebecca who will be seeing The Kathy Griffin in Iowa City on Saturday. Rebecca, I will be calling for a full report! I am so jealous! People if you haven't seen KG in person...you must go! And Jen, Cox, Emily, and Tesi have the best time at mania. (For those of you who don't know what mania is, it is basically a fitness workshop where you get to see, work out with, and take pictures of fitness celebrities.)
One more shout out to Carrie...have a very Happy Birthday on Saturday! I love and miss you very much!
Auf Wiedersehen
Wednesday, October 1, 2008
New Bikes!
So TJ and I finally got bikes. You may be asking yourself, why do we need bikes when we didn't even have them in the US? Two reasons...function and recreation. And then a third one...because everyone else here does too. Even the children are equipted with bikes from 2 years-old to people well into their golden years. I actually love how they introduce children to bikes. They are tiny two wheeled bikes without pedals, and there is a little plat form at the bottom where they can put their feet. It essentially is a scooter with a seat, but teaches balance. There are no training wheels in Germany as the kids don't need them. Seriously there are bikes EVERYWHERE! And along with the bikes there are giant bike paths connecting every village and every town. It is pretty great. Sure there are trams and buses and a lot of people use them, but it just depends on what you are going to do, and a lot of people will ride their bikes to the tram station and lock them up there.
TJ and I both got mountain bikes rather than trekking bikes (the super old lady Euro looking ones) because we would also like to hit some trails on the weekend and also be able to use them when we get back home. Here is a peak at the Lucero bikes. Notice that they are underneath our stairs and in our apartment. This would be because we do not have a bike rack outside. As soon as I learn German I hope to ask for one to be installed.
I think I am a little more excited than TJ because I can ride mine more frequently and will because I won't have a car. I love my new "Bodyflow" green mountain bike, she is a beauty! Here is a closer look at mine. And no, I haven't named her yet.
I have already put it to good use. It took me less than 24 hours to get on it, ride to the neighboring village, and a become a member of a gym again. It was a glorious day...even though I rode through drizzle to get there! I didn't care because nothing was going to stop me from working out and I sure was not going to go for a run...again! The picture below is my new home away from home, The Pfitzenmeier Fitness Park. It is pretty awesome...and very pink.
Lets talk fitness. This place is huge and pricey as I almost had a heart attack upon doing the conversion from euros to dollars! Brace yourself, Jen...it has four seperate group fitness studios with adequate space, flooring, and equipment. The loud classes are downstairs and the mind and body room is upstairs where it is quiet between the gigantic men's and women's locker rooms/wellness centers. I had a great time and spent almost two hours there (I'm a wee bit sore). The downfall, again Jen brace yourself, no Les Mills classes. At least I don't think so. There is one bright prospect of Bodystep on the schedule, but I have a feeling it is a knock off. Everyone knows I hate a knock off (hello...Y Pump) but I will check it out hopefully tomorrow.
The bottom line, this bike has provided some freedom for me! Watch out Mannheim villages, here I come!
Auf Wiedersehen
TJ and I both got mountain bikes rather than trekking bikes (the super old lady Euro looking ones) because we would also like to hit some trails on the weekend and also be able to use them when we get back home. Here is a peak at the Lucero bikes. Notice that they are underneath our stairs and in our apartment. This would be because we do not have a bike rack outside. As soon as I learn German I hope to ask for one to be installed.
I think I am a little more excited than TJ because I can ride mine more frequently and will because I won't have a car. I love my new "Bodyflow" green mountain bike, she is a beauty! Here is a closer look at mine. And no, I haven't named her yet.
I have already put it to good use. It took me less than 24 hours to get on it, ride to the neighboring village, and a become a member of a gym again. It was a glorious day...even though I rode through drizzle to get there! I didn't care because nothing was going to stop me from working out and I sure was not going to go for a run...again! The picture below is my new home away from home, The Pfitzenmeier Fitness Park. It is pretty awesome...and very pink.
Lets talk fitness. This place is huge and pricey as I almost had a heart attack upon doing the conversion from euros to dollars! Brace yourself, Jen...it has four seperate group fitness studios with adequate space, flooring, and equipment. The loud classes are downstairs and the mind and body room is upstairs where it is quiet between the gigantic men's and women's locker rooms/wellness centers. I had a great time and spent almost two hours there (I'm a wee bit sore). The downfall, again Jen brace yourself, no Les Mills classes. At least I don't think so. There is one bright prospect of Bodystep on the schedule, but I have a feeling it is a knock off. Everyone knows I hate a knock off (hello...Y Pump) but I will check it out hopefully tomorrow.The bottom line, this bike has provided some freedom for me! Watch out Mannheim villages, here I come!
Auf Wiedersehen
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
The Starbucks of Germany
Each day that I taught a 6 am class in the US, my friend Cox and I would venture out to the downtown or five points Starbucks for a morning refuel. I loved my morning routine and still miss it! So Coxie, this one is for you! Allow me to introduce the Starbucks of Germany...The Grimminger...
You can see the signs everywhere...in every village and on every corner. Sure, there are some Starbucks locations...but nothing like this. It is not exactly like the "Bucks" as there is far more of a variety of food than coffee (as you can see below). I am sure the reason for this is partially due to the fact that regular coffee here is amazing, and of course there are cultural differences. Most people get their bread at a bakery instead of the store and get it every day or couple of days.
So what can you get at the Grimminger? Baguettes and coffee, of course, as well as pretzels, pastries, sandwiches, etc. They bake most everything in the back of the store and it smells great!
This particular Grimminger is in the Parade Platz (Shopping Square) in downtown Mannheim, so it is very big with lots of variety. Our village has a much smaller one although it is always very busy! When a go I get a small cup of coffee (kaffee tasse, klein) and add a little cream and sugar. SO GOOD:) It only costs .95 EUR. You can also get a hearty sandwich for about 2 EUR around lunch time. It is a deal! I used to go in the morning before we had a coffee pot. Tut put an end to that as the last time we went as he was pissed that I left him outside (dogs can go everywhere besides the grocery and bakery) tied up and he chewed through his leash. It freaked me out so I don't do that anymore...and I'm down to one leash! Lets just say we got a coffee pot two days later. (The day in between I was a bit grumpy!) In terms of coffee and tea there is more to choose from at the "Bucks", but it is far more expensive and much slower. I look forward to my parent's visit as we can do a morning walk with Tut and stop in my Grimminger to grab a tasse. They would probably appreciate it the most as they love coffee more than anyone on the face of this earth. So Cox, this is my new place...come and visit and we can hit an early morning class at the Pfitzenmeier and bask in the nostalgia of our former routine. Bring Jen with you...we would have so much fun!
You can see the signs everywhere...in every village and on every corner. Sure, there are some Starbucks locations...but nothing like this. It is not exactly like the "Bucks" as there is far more of a variety of food than coffee (as you can see below). I am sure the reason for this is partially due to the fact that regular coffee here is amazing, and of course there are cultural differences. Most people get their bread at a bakery instead of the store and get it every day or couple of days. 
So what can you get at the Grimminger? Baguettes and coffee, of course, as well as pretzels, pastries, sandwiches, etc. They bake most everything in the back of the store and it smells great!
This particular Grimminger is in the Parade Platz (Shopping Square) in downtown Mannheim, so it is very big with lots of variety. Our village has a much smaller one although it is always very busy! When a go I get a small cup of coffee (kaffee tasse, klein) and add a little cream and sugar. SO GOOD:) It only costs .95 EUR. You can also get a hearty sandwich for about 2 EUR around lunch time. It is a deal! I used to go in the morning before we had a coffee pot. Tut put an end to that as the last time we went as he was pissed that I left him outside (dogs can go everywhere besides the grocery and bakery) tied up and he chewed through his leash. It freaked me out so I don't do that anymore...and I'm down to one leash! Lets just say we got a coffee pot two days later. (The day in between I was a bit grumpy!) In terms of coffee and tea there is more to choose from at the "Bucks", but it is far more expensive and much slower. I look forward to my parent's visit as we can do a morning walk with Tut and stop in my Grimminger to grab a tasse. They would probably appreciate it the most as they love coffee more than anyone on the face of this earth. So Cox, this is my new place...come and visit and we can hit an early morning class at the Pfitzenmeier and bask in the nostalgia of our former routine. Bring Jen with you...we would have so much fun!Monday, September 29, 2008
German Sundays
In Germany, Sundays are nearly sacred as the Germans truly hold it as a day of recreation and relaxation. We heard from everyone several times the things that you do not do on Sundays when you live here because it violates the "German Sunday". It is a crime for you to cut the grass on a Sunday. We were told repeatedly that our neighbors would call the police and we would be cited. Some other no-nos are hanging your clothes on the line outside, washing your car, and making home improvements (including using a hammer to put one picture on the wall). All of these things would upset your neighbors on Sunday! The best news is that the workers may not work on the apartment on this day :) In addition, most places are closed and the cities are very quiet. You see a lot of people on bike trails running, biking, and walking their dogs.
TJ and I have decided to take full advantage of this day and it has quickly become my favorite day of the week. Most of the time we will be traveling whether it be far, or a neighboring village like we did yesterday. We woke up yesterday to watch SNL on our sling box as it was just getting over in the US as we were getting up (PS I love you Sling Box). And after laughing hysterically decided to hike a trail in a near by forest that we had seen on the way to Schwetzingen. It was awesome...Tut loved it too as his sniffer was in full swing! Here are a few pictures of the hike...
Part of the forest...
Here is a great photo of the man and, of course Tut, who constantly had his nose to the ground!
We were only there maybe an hour and a half...but this was Tut afterwards. He was so tuckered out! And this is how he spent the rest of his German Sunday.
TJ and I, on the other hand were thrilled to visit Heidelberg (a 20 minute train ride south) for a midevil festival. There were booths, performers, food, and of course beer!
TJ had something amazing, and we have no idea what it was!
We didn't stay at the festival long as we couldn't understand what the performers were saying and the beer was less than desirable. So we walked about Heidelberg...take a look at this beautiful town...
TJ and I have decided to take full advantage of this day and it has quickly become my favorite day of the week. Most of the time we will be traveling whether it be far, or a neighboring village like we did yesterday. We woke up yesterday to watch SNL on our sling box as it was just getting over in the US as we were getting up (PS I love you Sling Box). And after laughing hysterically decided to hike a trail in a near by forest that we had seen on the way to Schwetzingen. It was awesome...Tut loved it too as his sniffer was in full swing! Here are a few pictures of the hike...
Part of the forest...
Here is a great photo of the man and, of course Tut, who constantly had his nose to the ground!
We were only there maybe an hour and a half...but this was Tut afterwards. He was so tuckered out! And this is how he spent the rest of his German Sunday.
TJ and I, on the other hand were thrilled to visit Heidelberg (a 20 minute train ride south) for a midevil festival. There were booths, performers, food, and of course beer! 
TJ had something amazing, and we have no idea what it was! 
We didn't stay at the festival long as we couldn't understand what the performers were saying and the beer was less than desirable. So we walked about Heidelberg...take a look at this beautiful town...This is a very typical street and this one happens to be right in the middle.
This one is for all of you Catholics out there...The Church of the Holy Spirit.
This picture is taken across the river from the festival and right above the main area is the castle. It is one of my favorites as it is preserved authentically. It is a must see if you come to visit!
The town is seperated by the Neckar River and this is taken from the bridge. It was a beautiful day!
This is one side of the city's skyline.
Alot of people will hang out in parks on Sunday. They will have their dogs, books, friends, and food and camp there for the day. TJ and I found a great spot, but we only stayed their for about 45 minutes. TJ took a small nap and I people watched (what an education, by the way).
We love German Sundays! We ended it by having dinner and ice cream in the shopping district and then headed home for the evening. Next week will be much different as we will be coming back from Oktoberfest in Munich. Hopefully the three hour train ride will cure our hang overs...we'll see!
This one is for all of you Catholics out there...The Church of the Holy Spirit.
This picture is taken across the river from the festival and right above the main area is the castle. It is one of my favorites as it is preserved authentically. It is a must see if you come to visit!
The town is seperated by the Neckar River and this is taken from the bridge. It was a beautiful day!
This is one side of the city's skyline. 
Alot of people will hang out in parks on Sunday. They will have their dogs, books, friends, and food and camp there for the day. TJ and I found a great spot, but we only stayed their for about 45 minutes. TJ took a small nap and I people watched (what an education, by the way).
We love German Sundays! We ended it by having dinner and ice cream in the shopping district and then headed home for the evening. Next week will be much different as we will be coming back from Oktoberfest in Munich. Hopefully the three hour train ride will cure our hang overs...we'll see!This week I will be blogging more faithfully as I have a two week break from school. Woo Hoo! Until tomorrow...
Auf Wiedersehen!
Thursday, September 25, 2008
Audi, Benz, and BMW
I have never in my life seen so many expensive cars dominating the road as I have seen here in Germany. And I will have you know that I lived in Scottsdale, Arizona...for nearly three years and there were plenty! I will say that having one of the three luxury vehicles mentioned above generally does not cost as much as having one in the states. Obviously, or TJ wouldn't have just ordered one. Yes, he ordered a car and it supposed to be ready in November...and that is uncommitted. Apparantly everyone has at least one (or almost everyone) as we cannot get one at the dealership and it takes time to manufacture and deliver. Granted I think most of them are made in Stuttgart, which is not far from here.
Why are there so many? Aside form the obvious that they are German cars, it is my observation that people here desire these cars for very different reasons than people in the US. Most of it would have to do with function and energy vs. vanity, social status, and comfort. I will blog in the future about Germans and their energy and environment, but it is true that these vehicles get tons of miles per gallon (or liter over here). The Germans and other Europeans also need higher performing cars as the second you get on the autobahn you must be going at least 100/km per hour and usually more than that. So fast cars are necessary or you will be run over. This I know as our loaner car is a french car that many of the Deere people simply laugh at, and frequently gets passed on the autobahn:)
Lets use the Mercedes Benz as an example...
Not only do people have them in every variety (and there are many more models here that we have never seen in the US) for personal use, people also have them as "work vehicles". The taxi's here are mosty Benz hatchbacks. We got off the tram last weekend and all the cabs were Benzies...and the one we took had leather heated seats! This is sure diferent from the dragon wagons we have in Iowa! Also the buses and vans are also made by Mercedes. If you go to the grocery store most of the cars will be BMW, Audi, or Mercedes, and then you may have a few Volkswagons and a couple french cars. I have even seen one Ford Explorer...but just one.
If you don't believe me on this one, just come over and visit and I will pick up your jaw from the floor as it still amazes me!
One more thing...on a personal and way off subject note!
I want to congratulate my friend Jen on her new position with Les Mills!!!! She is living our dream of working side by side with the best in fitness in the world. Check out the company online at www.lesmills.com. They offer the best fitness programs ever including my favorites of BODYPUMP, BODYSTEP, and RPM! Great job, Jen!
Why are there so many? Aside form the obvious that they are German cars, it is my observation that people here desire these cars for very different reasons than people in the US. Most of it would have to do with function and energy vs. vanity, social status, and comfort. I will blog in the future about Germans and their energy and environment, but it is true that these vehicles get tons of miles per gallon (or liter over here). The Germans and other Europeans also need higher performing cars as the second you get on the autobahn you must be going at least 100/km per hour and usually more than that. So fast cars are necessary or you will be run over. This I know as our loaner car is a french car that many of the Deere people simply laugh at, and frequently gets passed on the autobahn:)
Lets use the Mercedes Benz as an example...
Not only do people have them in every variety (and there are many more models here that we have never seen in the US) for personal use, people also have them as "work vehicles". The taxi's here are mosty Benz hatchbacks. We got off the tram last weekend and all the cabs were Benzies...and the one we took had leather heated seats! This is sure diferent from the dragon wagons we have in Iowa! Also the buses and vans are also made by Mercedes. If you go to the grocery store most of the cars will be BMW, Audi, or Mercedes, and then you may have a few Volkswagons and a couple french cars. I have even seen one Ford Explorer...but just one.
If you don't believe me on this one, just come over and visit and I will pick up your jaw from the floor as it still amazes me!
One more thing...on a personal and way off subject note!
I want to congratulate my friend Jen on her new position with Les Mills!!!! She is living our dream of working side by side with the best in fitness in the world. Check out the company online at www.lesmills.com. They offer the best fitness programs ever including my favorites of BODYPUMP, BODYSTEP, and RPM! Great job, Jen!
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
Gifts from France
TJ had to spend a couple days in France for work and got home last night. Sure, I was a little disappointed that I could not go with him as he went with a number of his colleagues, but let me tell you I certainly won in the gift department! He came home with this lovely assortment of french wine and some others as well as a delicate cheese and fresh baguette. 
I can tell you the baguette was awesome...especially if you are a bread person like me! I will let you know how the cheese is as you have to bake it and the German oven still confuses me. TJ is also extremely thoughtful as he knows my favorite wine is Muscato and he brought me two different kinds to try! (Aunt Terri, I will let you know if the rose is as good as the original). I promise to crack one open as soon as my huge paper for my law class is finished. The countdown is here for my class to end, five days and then a two week break. This rarely happens and I can't wait! We may have a trip in the works to kick off the break so I will keep you posted! I must go now and submerge myself in the legal and ethical ramifications of nepotism.
Auf Wiedersehen
I can tell you the baguette was awesome...especially if you are a bread person like me! I will let you know how the cheese is as you have to bake it and the German oven still confuses me. TJ is also extremely thoughtful as he knows my favorite wine is Muscato and he brought me two different kinds to try! (Aunt Terri, I will let you know if the rose is as good as the original). I promise to crack one open as soon as my huge paper for my law class is finished. The countdown is here for my class to end, five days and then a two week break. This rarely happens and I can't wait! We may have a trip in the works to kick off the break so I will keep you posted! I must go now and submerge myself in the legal and ethical ramifications of nepotism.
Auf Wiedersehen
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
Dirty, Noisy, Smelly Men
I have to vent for a moment please. As many of you may know the apartment building that I live in has four units, 3 finished and 1 to go. Really the three that are finished are clearly not as I have had work men in and out for two weeks. I think the first major problem is with me as I cannot communicate with them entirely, so that is one thing (this includes my landlord who only speaks Turkish and German...not a lick of English). Lets first talk about them in my apartment. I would love for the workers to come in in one shot and do everything in a day or two. This is not what is happening. They will drop in one day and put a mirror up, then two days later mess with the radiators, another two days and someone comes in to finish the kitchen...blah blah and we still aren't done. With each one of those workers comes a fine white dust from the new paving outside on their shoes and then they track it everywhere. I have washed rugs a couple times and have vaccumed and mopped almost daily! It has become more than an annoyance. The workers also create a mess for each job and then do not clean it up.
Lets talk about the noise. It goes from 7:45 to 18:00...all day! For two days I have had a man outside my door drilling through steel. Some days they are sawing tile or paving stones, and other days they are banging, yelling, and welding. It is so noisey here and it is bound to last another month. Tut and I might need ear plugs soon.
Here comes the next problem and the worst one. This is what is truly unfathomable, the odor that accompanies them where ever they go. The odor can be in the building or in my apartment and it has the same potency. It is the kind of body odor that has found its way deep into their clothing and festers there. No amount of detergent can cure this. The current situation right now is the man outside my door working on the railing. His odor has made its way into my house and I have 8 candles burning...I can still smell it! And to make it much, much worse each one of them smokes...chain smokes all day. They are smoking in the hall and in the to be new apartment and of course it finds its way right in here! The two odors together are physically nausiating!
Tut and I have resorted to going out more and longer, but the dirt, noise, and smell are waiting for us when we walk in the door. Wish us luck through this process as we wll need it!
Auf Wiedersehen
Lets talk about the noise. It goes from 7:45 to 18:00...all day! For two days I have had a man outside my door drilling through steel. Some days they are sawing tile or paving stones, and other days they are banging, yelling, and welding. It is so noisey here and it is bound to last another month. Tut and I might need ear plugs soon.
Here comes the next problem and the worst one. This is what is truly unfathomable, the odor that accompanies them where ever they go. The odor can be in the building or in my apartment and it has the same potency. It is the kind of body odor that has found its way deep into their clothing and festers there. No amount of detergent can cure this. The current situation right now is the man outside my door working on the railing. His odor has made its way into my house and I have 8 candles burning...I can still smell it! And to make it much, much worse each one of them smokes...chain smokes all day. They are smoking in the hall and in the to be new apartment and of course it finds its way right in here! The two odors together are physically nausiating!
Tut and I have resorted to going out more and longer, but the dirt, noise, and smell are waiting for us when we walk in the door. Wish us luck through this process as we wll need it!
Auf Wiedersehen
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