Rewind to Paris...

I guess you could say that I am a little behind when it comes to the blog...by about 2 and a half months. Things have been a little busy, but after a full day if organizing photos through the last few months, I am ready to play catch up and finish this blog and publish it.

In mid-March my parents came over to Germany and we all took a vacation to Paris and onto Normandy, France. It was a great trip albeit a tiny bit freezing, especially in Paris. The first thing TJ and I usually do is take a city tour to aquaint us with the city so we feel better navigating it ourselves, and that is exactly what we did with a cruise down the Seine River. But to get to the boat we had to hoof it a little to Pont Neuf (Point Nine) to grab our boat. TJ got this great first picture of the Schaefer Family (minus 1) in Paris.



To get to the boat we walked along the Seine and took in some really great views on all sides. It was not the most beautiful day as it was cold and rainy, but the city was still pretty!

The cruise was interesting as many of the sites are right on the river. In fact, on the cruise is where we got our first sight of the Iron Lady. She is a beauty until you make the journey up into the Eiffel, then it becomes less beautiful. She is the most beautiful at night for sure.

The cruise was a bit chilly, but we spent the better part of it taking in the views outside on the front of the boat. I should recommend bringing a blanket if the weather is questionable as they don't provide them for you like the rest of Europe when its cold!

We also wandered about the city coming upon many sites without even trying. TJ and I found ourselves trekking down the popular Champs Elysees more than once searching for cafes, pubs, and shops. Here is a peek at the Champs...

At the end of the Champs is the Arc de Triomphe...it happens to be my favorite site in Paris and I am not sure why. I love the names chistled into it and that it stands for all the soldiers that fought for France. We actually got to see some sort of changing of the guard by chance and it was pretty cool. It is the center of a giant round-a-bout that is extremely busy and a little scary to get to.

From the top of the Arc you can see across to the Eiffel Tower. She is really pretty from a far and even prettier at night. I personally would have skipped going to the top had I known how crazy it was.

Of course you have to wait in line and that is after you move through a sea of people trying to sell you tourist items. Clearly, pick pockets everywhere and you had to keep your eyes open. Actually TJ and I kept our eyes on my white haired American father as he was maybe the easiest target. I was proud of him for being proactive in telling them no and to go away. Maybe the funniest thing was that he kept saying "no" in German, and we kept reminding him that he was in France!
After the long wait and several uncomfortable rides later we arrived at the top with some spectacular views of the city.

We decided to then walk part of the way down to the lower deck where I took the cutest picture of my parents!

There was a point when I felt compelled to hurl some really bratty and extremely disrespectful French teens off the top of the tower, but realized that I might have to then remain in France. I believe (in my own opinion) that making the long journey to the top takes away from the Tower's allure. It is beautiful and romantic from afar, and pure hell on earth inside.

The Notre Dame Cathedral was right by our hotel and only a five minute walk, so we saw it a bunch of times but only went inside once. TJ had not been feeling well, so my parents and I went in on Sunday where they were ushering tourists though while mass was going on (which was a little odd). It was really pretty, but still a typical European Cathedral in the gothic style. My parents really enjoyed it, and that might be what I most enjoyed about the cathedral!

Here is a look at the mass...complete with incense.

And my super cute Dad lighting some candles for family members passed.

We also went to the Louvre, and just outside of it is a mini Brandenburg Gate like you would find in Berlin. There is a long story regarding the Germans, the French, and the Brandenburg Gate that might explain some of the animosity between the two...you should google it.

The Louvre is completely amazing and clearly the warmest site we saw all trip. The entrance is a glass atrium that takes you underneath the former fortress of Phillip II that now houses an uncountable number of works of art.

Inside are some very famous paintings...its most popular might be the Mona Lisa.

And it also houses many ancient artifacts...like ancient Egyptian sculptures of animals. This one sort of looks like Tut Anthony...

It also has preserved apartments, rooms, and furniture of famous rulers...like Napolean's.

Paris at night is beautiful...the sites are lit up and showcased! The Arc is amazing and you can see it all the way from the other end of the Champs.

My favorite evening site is easily the Eiffel Tower! She is a beauty lit with her evening lights and then she even gets prettier!

On the hour she sparkles! It is nearly impossible to get a good photo of the sparkles, but we tried for you!

Paris had great food, sites, and fun to offer. We had the best meal at a place called "The Smoking Dog" when translated. It was super fun and really good, especially if you like seafood! I really enjoyed an English pub one block off the Champs near the Arc, called "Winston's". If I ever decided to go back, I would make sure to go there. We had a great time those five days and had an even better time as we moved on to Normandy. More on that later!

Auf Wiedersehen!

House Update

It has been brought to my attention that I have been neglecting my readers in the past weeks, so for this I am sorry but I have been just a little busy. We closed on the 26th of Marc and had the ceiling guys in on the 27th...they sort of finished on the 31st. When the guys were finished and I entered my kitchen I completely lost it as there was a ton of popcorn mixed with a good amount of dried drywall mud stuck to my beautiful hardwood floors and when they walked on it it scratched all over. I was devastated as the kitchen was originally to be the least amount of work for us with just a coat of paint and new appliances. Then a friend of ours came over to tell us that ceilings weren't even right as they hadn't gotten some of the popcorn all the way off. We were a little upset, thus the job is being disputed. So we got off to a not so good of a start.
Since then we have been painting, cleaning, changing switches and recepticals (and their covers), got new carpet, had some trees hauled out, hung some lights, put in recessed lighting...and the list goes on. And get this...we aren't even completely done with any room yet! And that is why I haven't posted any pictures, because I want to post befores and afters because it will be like night and day. The kitchen should be done by Friday and maybe the great room will be done before that, we see. The bedrooms are nearly finished, but we had to take all the doors off the hinges because we wanted to change the hardware and paint them white...so maybe that can be done by weeks end too. Who knows! It feels like we may never be done! More later...

Popcorn Ceiling Removal Sucks!

We have started the house update and I promise to never again buy a home that has popcorn ceilings as it is a huge mess! We hired it out with the help of our amazing friend, Kenny, and it is still a gross mess. I thank God we are not living in there through this as every time I step inside I come out covered in white powder. Oh well, the end is in sight as the contractor told Kenny he would be done by end of day tomorrow. Then I come in and clean like I have never cleaned before, and then paint almost every square inch of that place including all the trim and the ceilings. I am going to be a very busy girl! Wish me luck...I'm gonna need it!
Until the next time...

New and Expensive

Its official, we have moved back to the States and little by little things are getting back to the way they used to be. The difference is that everything seems to be new and very expensive. I simply went to get a cell phone yesterday and could not believe how I could spend that much in 15 minutes just to get my plan started! In addition, we close on the house today, and we love its bones, but first up is the cosmetic renovation that begins tomorrow morning with the removal of popcorn ceilings and doesn't stop there as we have things scheduled through the 5th of April. This clearly equals a large out of pocket cost right away. That, coupled with TJ and I having to purchase cars and new appliances makes for an expensive welcome home.
Things that aren't new or expensive include returning to my favorite home Augusta, Georgia and being greeted by 75 degree weather yesterday! I swear the weather here is perfect! The locals have said its to be cold (high 60's) for the next few days...gotta love it! Some differences I have noticed right away from Germany are the abundance of cops out driving around and the the extreme friendliness of complete strangers. Cops don't patrol the streets of Germany, but the cameras do...it was so strange to see them out in full force last night when I went to pick up TJ from work. It is kind of funny how we have a larger police presence and also more crime than Germany. Also, I have mentioned before that the Germans are private people and can come across as unfriendly because they don't make conversation with anyone or greet others as they walk down the street. Here, everyone talks to everybody and I am trying to figure out if it was always this way or simply a regional cultural difference unique to the warm south. I would never talk to the hotel staff in great detail in Europe, but I have been here a day and a half and I think I have spoken to and know all the hotel staff. Funny, isn't it?
I still have unfinished European blogging business as I haven't chronicled our France trip yet. I haven't forgotten, rather the timing and now logistics are creating the roadblock. Once we receive our home PC in the air shipment I will get right on that...but who knows when that will be!
Until the next time...

Trier

We made a quick day trip to Trier, Germany yesterday, which happens to be the area that my Dad's ancestors hail from. I had been there before, but only for a wedding, so I never got the chance to take it all in. We spent most of our time in the old city, as it is the oldest city in Germany...and very catholic too. Here is a look at an old street from the Black Gate, which is an old Roman ruin called Porta Nigra.




And my Dad inside that ruin...

I can't tell you how many churches we went into, but there were a lot! This one is called St. Paulin. It was ridiculous!

Aside from the huge catholic thing, there was also a huge Roman influence with much of its history including Constantine and his mother St. Helena. If you didn't spot Mary and Jesus, you were sure to spot something Roman! Like this ruin first constructed by Constantine as the Imperial Baths.

Trier is nestled in the vined wine hills near Luxembourg and is quite a nice surprise. You certainly wouldn't believe its history! It was really nice for my Dad to go and visit his ancestoral homeland and see where his roots began...and for me too!

Tomorrow we make our way on the first leg of our France trip to Paris, we will then return in about a week after we return from Normandy. Don't worry, I will kep you posted on all the highlights!

Auf Wiedersehen!

Weekend Update

We got back from Switzerland on Saturday evening to find TJ getting ready for a festival, so my Dad and I went to check it out. It was freezing! So freezing that our friend Konrad slipped on some ice and broke his ankle! It was an awful break, and it happened just as they arrived. My Dad and I went independently to the Shriesheim festival- it was the "Festival of the Grape". Inside the tent they were serving wine, and outside they had beer and other fun treats. Here is a picture inside the tent...


Then Sunday, I took my Dad and Tutter to the top of the Heiligenberg to see Thingstaette and St. Michaels' Monestary ruins. It was also cold and very snowy up there, but there were tons of people sledding through the trails. This is a winter shot of the monestary ruins.



Later Sunday evening, we took my folks out for dinner at the Bierkrug (German cuisine), but first we made a stop at the Dubliner to toast my Dad's Uncle Earl that passed this week. We toasted Irish beer to a fine Irish gentleman. May he rest in peace.

We spent a few hours at dinner and introduced my parent's to some traditional pork dishes. It was really fun and everyone seemed to have a nice time.

The next day I took my parents to Heidelberg. My Dad had never been there before so we did a bunch of sightseeing while my Mom shopped. It was a cold, but very nice day as the sun was out. I can't figure out this weather- it is far too cold for Germany!

Auf Wiedersehen!

Interlaken, Switzerland

My parents and I spent took an overnight trip to Interlaken, Switzerland on Friday as it is only a few hours south of here. It is really pretty as the town sits between two lakes and is surrounded by the Alps. The above picture was taken from my balcony at our hotel a few kilometers above Interlaken in Wilderswil at sunset. You can sort of see the tips of the mountains have turned pink with the setting sun. The picture below is also from my hotel room, however, it is a view of the Thunersee (Lake Thun) in the distance amongst the Alps. Although the picture does not do it justice as the haze of impending snow is showing more than the view.



We had a really good German dinner and then enjoyed some after dinner wine before retiring for the evening. The next morning we woke to snow, and a decent amount of it too. We were to go to the top of the Jungfrau, but being that you couldn't see anything we decided to shop in Interlaken for the morning and then head back to Seckenheim to try to make it to wine festival that evening. This is what we woke up to...

And my parents in Interlaken, shopping and taking in the views.

It was a short, but sweet trip! And we did make it back in time for the very cold Schriesheim Festival. More tomorrow as we are headed out for schnitzel tonight!

Auf Wiedersehen!