They Can't All Be Winners

We decided to drive to Cologne on our beautiful sunny Saturday. We got there around noon (it's about an hour from here), and decided to try out a recommended Mexican restaurant that was not in the city center and across the bridge, which would turn out to spell doom for the rest of our day.

The Mexican restaurant was quite good. But, by the time we ate and fed Jackson, dark clouds and snow had started to swirl around the plans we had to see the city. We started driving back over the bridge toward the city center.

However, the whole rest of the city had too. We were headed toward the famous neo-Gothic Cologne cathedral and the parking garage located right beneath it. Ha ha. The bridge, drive, and search for parking took an entire hour before we finally found a space, not in the parking garage underneath the cathdral, but down the street.

Here are some pictures we took while stuck in traffic:



Anyways, by the time we got out of the car, snow was coming down a little harder. It was after 3:00, which meant that all the major sights in the cathedral, like the Shrine of the Magi, were all closed for Saturday confession. So, we did what any American tourist would do. We headed to the Starbucks right around the corner.

Here's what the executives at Starbucks should know. Your business should turn a massive quarterly profit during these months based on what we have seen in Germany. When we went to Aachen last week, we headed to Starbucks, only for me to see the massive line and quit immediately. In Cologne, however, the line would not deter me. I needed some Starbucks on that cold day, if only because I could order nonfat milk in my fun-flavored latte. As much as I love European cafes, you really can't get the nonfat milk options.

Once I had my caffeine fix, I was ready for the cathedral - or, what we could see of the cathedral because of our poor timing.

I need to interject here that Olaf, from Barkenhof, told me the other day that he could "see in [my] face that [I] am a coffee drinker." I don't know if he really can or if he was just actually trying to sell me green tea. I wanted to ask him if my haggard face was due to the coffee or maybe that I have a baby. Either way, I need my caffeine.

We were pleased to see that we could still get in the cathedral, even if we couldn't see all the impressive shrines and important artwork. The sheer height of the ceilings and the stained glass windows were just amazing.

We also walked to the Roman-German museum nextdoor, and were able to peek into the window to see a Roman villa mosaic floor that was only discovered because of the massive bombing campaign by the Allies during World War II. We didn't go into the museum during the trip because of the late hour and the second tooth of Jackson's that chose to start poking through his gums right at that moment. Poor guy. He did an excellent job on that trip, only choosing to start screaming right at the end.

We decided that Cologne looks like a winner. Next time, we know exactly what we need to do to park and actually enjoy all the sights. To next time!

Next weekend we have a fun day-trip lined up. It's so exciting, I can't stand it. There is an antiques fair going on in the grand pilgrimmage city of all antique lovers: Tongeren, Belgium. Woohooo!

Happy 2010

Glückliches Neues Jahr (German)! Gelukkig Nieuwjaar (Dutch)! We hope that you have had a great start to 2010. Isn't it crazy that it has been an entire decade since we partied like it was 1999, and were awaiting Y2K at midnight?

We were really surprised by the firework displays on New Year's Eve here. We stayed in for a quiet night, but knew that there would be fireworks around the area. We knew because neighbors were practicing their launches for a few days prior, and it was loud.

But we had no idea just how extensive the displays would be. Every town for miles had quite the show going on. We looked out a window on our second floor and could see them all on the horizon. It was spectacular.

It was also pretty funny, because in the United States there are such regulations involved with fireworks. People can't be within so much distance of the launch site. Here, on the other hand, you can apparently launch full fireworks shows from your backyard. I was imagining that people would just have sparklers and firecrackers at their houses. No, it was really full-blown fireworks. In their yards. In every town on the horizon. So, it was awesome. Just really loud, and just a tad scary.

We had some friends over on New Year's Day for a nice brunch, and it was a great way to welcome in the new year. Happy 2010!

Elusive Candles

I have been searching high and low for taper candles. Seriously. I have looked just about anywhere I can think of, and I can't seem to find them! Do candle companies just not make them anymore?

The good side to this is that I went to a beautiful new store yesterday. It's called Barkenhof, and it is a stone's throw from my house. The owners, Olaf and Elke, have a gorgeous German version of a villa, and they operate the store in the downstairs.

Olaf walked us through and gave us quite the education on some of the products - champagnes, oils, dishware, antiques. Cheeses, dates imported all the way from the Negev, delectable figs.

I was interested in the store, primarily because I heard they sold candles. Well, they do, but not the tapered version I would like.

However, getting to spend an hour with Olaf was a treat. Olaf is a self-described cook and nutritionist and he is also a great salesman. By the end of the visit, Chris and I walked out with a bottle of secht (German champagne), an Italian pannetone, cheese, dates, and a bottle of Italian lemon-flavored olive oil. We are throwing a New Year's Day brunch for some friends, so I will be using all of this then.

I am thrilled, though, that this store is so close. They have great teas and things that I will be able to cook with. They also have some great dishes and antiques that I will be interested in later on, I'm sure. The building itself is stunning. Part of the store has a kitchen where Olaf whips up treats for his guests so that you leave with an armful of products. I have my eye on some Italian Modena vinegar the next time I go.

What a great find!

Frohe Weihnachten & Prettige Kerstdagen

Or, Merry Christmas! We hope that you had a great Christmas this year. Ours was very low-key, which was nice.

We did get to go to the Aachen Christmas market on Wednesday, and had a fabulous time. It was my favorite market we attended this year.

It's been a great weekend spending time with Chris and Jackson for Jack's first Christmas. I am really glad we get to have the time together as a family.

I was planning on sending Christmas cards this year. I even ordered them from Snapfish on November 24. However, we still have not received them. So, I will send them out when we finally get them. But, I do hope that you had a wonderful Christmas and 2009.

Frohe Weihnachten (German for Merry Christmas) & Prettige kerstdagen (Dutch) from Germany!

Real German Obsession

I don't know if you would really call this a complaint. But, Germans are OBSESSED with the appearance of their homes. I guess it's more of an admiration. But, it makes me feel stressed out and guilty about the appearance of my own house.

I picture the neighbors next door and across the street making a list of the days that go by where we don't go outside and sweep or mow or pick up miniscule sticks or rake - whatever - and handing this list over to our landlord periodically.

Really, I don't know where on earth they find the time. Since we moved in almost two months ago, I have used my time to put things away, get ready for Christmas, take care of my child, and go out to enjoy Germany. Oh, and do errands. That's it.

Our next-door neighbors, on the other hand, are out as early as 6:00 a.m. taking care of their yard. I'm not kidding. Everyone is out sweeping the sidewalk and clearing the gutters all the time. I try, when I come in from an errand, to take care of something if it seems out of place, but sweeping the sidewalk loses priority to, say, feeding my child, which seems to take up approximately 50 percent of my time.

I'm assuming that the inside of their homes are just as immaculate. Where on earth do they find the time and energy?

I am feeling increasingly guilty after the snow storm we just had yesterday. Even though it snowed, we made time to go to church and still made it to the brunch reservations we had. Priorities. Today, Chris had a day off. We would much rather be at a Christmas market, but instead are cleaning the house.

Chris is off to buy a snow shovel, as we do not have one, and our neighbors shoveled right on up to our part of the sidewalk and stopped. I'm taking it as a hint. They also love to pull our garbage and recycling cans up to the middle of our driveway exactly two seconds after the garbage or recycling men empty them at 7:00 a.m. when I am still drinking coffee and am nowhere near dressed for the day. Honestly, give me a couple minutes!

I think they all hate me for my lack of obsession over the outside of my own house. But, I hope that I am just giving them more self-pride over their own homes. When Chris gets home today from buying the snow shovel, I MIGHT go out and shovel. Or, I might not. I also need to bake cookies for an outing to an orphanage tomorrow and I honestly don't have time to do both. Sheesh.

I might take some of the cookies as a peace offering to our neighbors. Seriously, if I keel over from exhaustion and stress during the next three years, you can blame it on my sense of worthlessness over my housekeeping skills.

Our First Date

Well, Chris and I finally had our first date since Jackson was born. I know, you're probably thinking, "Isn't Jackson five months old?" Yes, it has taken us that long to go out on a date without our son!

I think that if we had stayed in Aviano, I would have felt more comfortable with finding a babysitter so that we could go out. But, we moved. And, I am comfortable saying that I am incredibly overprotective regarding our new search for a babysitter.

So, I heard about Parents' Day Out, which was hosted by the childcare center at JFC Brunssum. I immediately jumped on that opportunity, as adults would be providing the childcare, and not a 12-year-old.

We bravely left Jackson and decided to go back to Valkenburg to check out the other cave Christmas market. This time, I had my ducks in a row. We found excellent parking right in the center of town, which was also right across from the Velvet Caves.

We had a nice time checking out the market, but in the end decided that the Cauberg Cave market we visited before was actually better. But, we made a nice day of it, and spent the rest of our time checking out the beautiful little center of town.

Valkenburg is packed with restaurants, so we chose one that we would ordinarily dismiss because it looked too nice to bring our infant. We relished the fact that we didn't have a stroller and could linger over food.

We also stopped in a nice home decor store, and I found an interesting clock that I decided I needed. So, the day was a success. It was also bitterly cold, although we had some beautiful sun. It has been snowing off and on during the past week, so we had a nice dusting on the ground.

And, I'm pleased to report that Jackson was not screaming or crying when we picked him up.

Battle of the Bulge: 65 Years

This December marks the 65th anniversary of the Battle of the Bulge. Because we are in such close proximity to Belgium, we decided that this year we would make the less than two-hour drive to Bastogne to participate in this year's commemoration. Chris and I are both avid readers of World War II history and fans of the HBO series Band of Brothers.

I was equal parts excited and filled with dread over taking this day trip. I felt so privileged to get to see Bastogne, but I didn't know how it would go with our five-month-old. Fortunately, he did so well!

We got up incredibly early to make the drive. The day started with a walk through the Bastogne countryside. There were four walks to choose from: 8 km, 12 km, 16 km, and 23 km. We chose the 12 kilometer walk.

We bundled up our son in a snowsuit, put him in a backpack carrier, and off we went. Jackson was so great during the entire walk. We walked by a few families whose babies or toddlers were screaming, and I was worried that Jack would soon follow suit. But, he was a happy baby and just looked around or slept the entire time. I was, as usual, concerned about his warmth, but he was fine.

The walk was perfect, although cold and even snowing. It was fitting since the soldiers who were fighting there in 1944 were entrenched in freezing, snowy conditions. We went through some forest areas, and there were so many battle re-enactors throughout the walk. What was really funny, though, was to see all of these young men dressed in American 101st Airborne outfits - who spoke French.

In fact, there was an incredible amount of respect for Americans on display throughout the town for this event. There were American flags everywhere - hung on the side of buildings, flown up flagpoles, draped out of windows. The people of Bastogne are remarkably still humbled and grateful for what our soldiers did for them during World War II.

While I don't believe I've seen the rampant anti-Americanism that people say is present throughout Europe (sure, there are some who don't like us, but not the vast majority as some would have you believe), it was really incredible to see Europeans who absolutely love and embrace us. It made me really proud of our countrymen who sacrificed in Bastogne.

Once the walk was over, we went to a cafe in General McAuliffe square. As we settled in for some lunch, an elderly man in his paratrooper uniform came in. I noticed that he had on his uniform the medal that indicated he had jumped over Normandy. I got really excited that a real hero was in our midst. To make it even better, there was a man in a suit that came up to this man, and since I am an eavesdropper in these situations, I overheard this man introduce himself as a McAuliffe - a descendent of some sort of General McAuliffe. Now I was really excited. I really wanted to get a picture of Jackson with these two men.

However, Chris and I both agreed that we did not want to interrupt their conversation or their lunch. It would be rude, so we wanted to wait for a better time. But, then, Jackson started getting really loud. He's in a phase where I think he really likes the sound of his own (loud) voice. So, we promptly left the cafe.

We watched a parade, and then went to see the annual "Walnut Festival", where dignitaries from Bastogne and, this year, some veterans from the Battle of the Bulge came out onto a hotel balcony to throw walnuts into the crowd. This is to celebrate General McAuliffe's brave response to a German surrender request: "NUTS!"

One of the men on the balcony this year was a feeble veteran who pulled himself out of his wheelchair, wearing his baseball cap marked with the word "Currahee", to gleefully launch these walnuts into the crowd. It was incredible to see, and it just made me think how Americans so need to see this kind of gumption today. With each throw, I could just picture a group of these guys proclaiming to the enemy: We. Will. Not. Surrender.

We had such an amazing time in Bastogne. We have agreed that we want to come back each year that we are here. The town is beautiful and this was one of my favorite experiences that we have had in Europe.

In fact, I would highly recommend doing this to any of you - even if you are in the United States. If you are at all interested in World War II history, have considered taking a trip to Europe, or even just appreciate our veterans, make this journey! It won't be long before there are no more veterans taking part in this annual event.

We got a picture of Jackson with a group of Battle of the Bulge veterans, even though he was fast asleep. We couldn't pass up the opportunity: