Germany
Swei frauen mit wein (All the phonetic German we could muster)
27.10.2009 - 02.11.2009
42 °F
Guten Tag Damen and...Gentlemen! We have made a real effort to learn the language here in Germany. We impressed our host in Berlin, Scott, by saying such things as, "Did you wash your hands" and "I am having heart attack."
We arrived in Berlin two days later than we had planned, due to our impromptu trip to Slovakia. We were blessed with a home stay in Berlin from Sean "S'gonna" Naylor's friend, Scott. Scott is a native German who spend some of his formative years in the US and is very much a smart-ass. (Betty-Jeanne, you might be smitten.) He is responsible for writing a blog post about our time in Berlin, but in the meantime a few highlights include, doing Scott's grocery shopping, bowling with Scott, his sister, Laura, and her husband, Travis, and visiting the topography of terror museum about Nazi rule/occupation.
radical teachers in Nazi Germany
Actually, after visiting the topography of terror, we had one of the most exciting conversations of the trip, about the idea of a teacher cooperatively-run school. Fellow educators, do you know of schools like this/do you want to be part of starting one? Let us know because we're putting serious thought into this.
From Berlin, we went to visit Erin's boyfriend's parents, Val and Brad.
Brad Val in Park
Brad Val Erin
What wonderful hosts they have been. Val took us on a lovely walk when we first arrived through the city of Kassel and then we went to a beer garden where we ate pretzel, schnitzel, and potatoes and chatted with the owner.
Puertan Rican American German who runs Wolpertinger
On Halloween Val organized a private tour of Kassel for us which was probably the best tour we've been on. Andrea gave us a great history of the city and was gracious enough to share her family's experiences with WWII. She also showed us around the Wilhelmshohe Park (GORGEOUS!) and got us a sneak peek at part of an old castle.
Andrea Erin Val Brad over Fulda River
Wilhelmshoher Park Pond
Erin and Val Park
Wilhelmshoher Trees
Castle Tree Arch in Kassel
Megan Erin and Andrea our tourguide
700 year old tree
Today, we drove the beamer out to HannMunden, a classic German village in Hesse. Lots of fachwerk houses, babbling brooks, pedestrian streets, and the like. Val told us about her time working on the school board, which really got some wheels turning.
Street in Hannoversch Munden
Brad Erin Val on bridge
Erin Megan door from 1500
Fachwerk houses
Erin Val Megan Hannoversch Munden
It must be said that our time in Kassel was filled with beautiful scenery (yay for fall!) and lots of good food. We had coffee and kuchen everyday and really wonderful breakfasts, dinners, wines, Sects, Proseccos, beers, and "schnapps". Thanks Val and Brad!!!!
Tomorrow we're off to Amsterdam where we will finally meet up with Kathleen (see excited blog comments from previous posts). woot woot!
Posted by erincadden 01.11.2009 13:10 Archived in Germany
Wir haben bereits miss du. Es war großartig, auf Ihren Besuch in unserem Hause in
Deutschland. Kann es kaum erwarten, über den Rest Ihres Abenteuers zu lesen.
06.11.2009 by val and brad