Germany!

First week of school is finished and today I felt like it was high time that I finished our travels off on the blog.  It's time to write about the most amazing trip: Germany.

For many of you, you know that I am half German, so this trip was a long time coming.  I have always treasured my heritage so this was the most exciting trip of all.

We begin where we left off, in Iceland.  We took a flight to Germany and I DID NOT GET A STAMP IN MY PASSPORT PROVING I WENT TO GERMANY 'CAUSE APPARENTLY ICELAND IS THE EU.  I was so upset about it, but Paul promised next time :).

We flew into Berlin, got on the train, which was amazingly easy, and found our apartment that we were staying in.  Then we sped off to the Berlin Wall memorial.

The Berlin Wall was so interesting and we could not believe that it was still up until 1989.  I was 3!  We were blown away by the fact that a division of Germany starting back after the war lasted until we were alive.  We learned so much about how people died trying to get past the wall.  It was a sobering fact for us.

Then we walked to the Reichstag.

I know I dominate these photos...Paul knows when I must be the star :)

Germany!

 Then we galavanted off to the Brandenburg Tor, the famous gate.

Taking in the beautiful city

We were in Germany during the World Cup, and since Germany is insane over soccer, they have streets closed off for just games and have huge megatron TVs to show the games.  It was crazy to see main thoroughfares closed off because of soccer.  

The next day, we took a fast train from Berlin down to Coburg.  Coburg is the city where my mother grew up in southern Germany.  Guys, I cannot begin to describe my excitement and joy at being in the city I have heard of all my life.  And it didn't disappoint.

I have cousins (my grandma's nephews) who still live in the area and we stayed with one of them, Peter, and his wife Rita.  They were excellent hosts who showed us the town.  It was all amazing and I cannot adequately put into words everything, so here are pictures:

Veste Coburg, the city's citadel

Saint Mortiz, the city's symbol

Every Christmas ever since I was a child, my family had Lebkuchen and Schmetzchen.  I knew they came from Germany and from Coburg specifically, but little did I know that my cousin had been sending them to my grandparents ALL THOSE YEARS!  What an awesome nephew!

One of the oldest houses in Germany.  It's half timbered and has wooden pegs.  It was built around 1200s?  Something close.  It's old.

Walking around with my cousins.  Again, Paul knows when I'm the star of a photo series.

We went to the church that my grandparents married in and where my mother was confirmed.  It was undergoing renovations so we couldn't go in, but next time, we will be there!

Church

Prince Albert statue in the city square.  The city was very walkable and lovely, of course.  Prince Albert, Queen Victoria's consort, was from Coburg, so there is a lot of stuff about the two here.

My two cousins, Peter and Hubbie.  Hubbie is in the orange shirt causing trouble by waving a bratwurst in my face.  

Note about the bratwursts: apparently all the wood grills that cooked the bratwurst used to burn little pine cones as the fuel.  But the EU made the Coburgers stop JUST 2 weeks before we got there.  Such ill timing as everyone says they tasted better with pinecones.  Who cares about public health?!  Pine cones are better!

11 AM Ice cream

Biergarten

My Mommy's house!  On the 2nd level was where my mom and her family lived (really close to the town's center)

My mom's preschool

Mom: The nuns were really mean there.  They used to make me sit behind the puppet house.

I guess my childhood could never be as a bad as that :)

Starting the walk to Veste

Beautiful Veste

Getting into the citadel

Mean looking gate

House inside

View from Veste

Armory.  It was intense!  

Cool looking sleds

After Veste, we walked to the Schloss Erdenburg (Castle).  This is from the Hall of Giants, where Prince Albert and Queen Victoria first met

We were only able to spend a couple of days in Coburg, but they were wonderfully eventful.  These pictures are of Peter and Rita's home and garden.  Lovely.

Thank you Peter and Rita for the lovely stay!

Then, it was on to Diebach, where one of my best friends, Laura, lived.  Her husband is deployed (lots of love!) so it was a great time to visit, or at least, that is what we shall say.  I also got the third part of our triumvirate, Becca, to join in and made it an awesome couple of days!

We spent the day in Rothenberg and it was lovely.  It was pretty touristy, so it was like Germany on steroids.  But it was lovely and great to spend time with friends.

About to go in

On the wall

Paul knows what he's doing...

Pretty ivy

Yes, I bought that dirndel...'cause we needed to add more to my collection

And this one...

City center

All of us

THERE'S PAUL!!

Getting some delicious apple juice

Pretty ladies

Gardens

We needed some new pics!

Pretty Laura and her hat

They're so patient with my need to be photogenic

I have missed them so.

It was great spending time with family and friends, but sometimes, you need to be alone with yourself...and I guess Paul was there too :)  Just joking!

Paul and I then went on to the very tippy south of Germany to visit the hallmark picture of Neuschwanstein Castle, the epitome of castles.

Yeah, it's pretty.

We spent all one day just traveling around the area and seeing the area.  I must admit, it was a beautiful place.

Waterfall

It was so blue and lovely.

'Cause Ludwig (the king who built Neuschwanstein) fashioned himself as a Swan King.

That lake was CLEAR!

After such a restful and fun little trip to the Alps, we went off to Munich.

Here we are at the Marienplatz.  It had a large glokenspiel, but we didn't see it chime :(.  NEXT TIME!

The Englisher Garten in Munich was amazing and huge.

Paul made his usual friend.  Only this time, that squirrel really was the cutest thing ever.  

They surf!  It was so cool to see surfers on a little river wave, but I guess it is so constant that it safe to do.  Pretty amazing.

There's Paul!  What a wonderful photographer and so patient with me.  Couldn't ask for a better husband.

'Cause look how fat this guy is.  Love it.

Well, that was the end of our trip!  We had so much fun and had the best time visiting loved ones.  I only wish I was able to come home and share this special moment with my grandpa.  But, I think he probably was there with us, so I don't feel like he missed too much.  

Now, we are back in Atlanta.  We have a house, I have a job, Paul starts his job next week.  Things are finally settling down for us...for now.  I can never truly say that our lives have ever been settled or calm, but I like it that way.  I love adventuring with my bear and I'm so happy about our life together.  Not sure how often I will post to this blog now, but keep in tune.  You never know when something major is going to happen in our lives.  Until then, thank you for the love and support through the last couple of years.  And...

Prost!

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