So it's the first full day of spring...and the first snowstorm of the year over here! And we thought all the flowers springing up everywhere were here to stay! Kind of ironic!
We woke up to about 2 inches of snow and lots of big fluffy white flakes falling this morning. It was really pretty. By the time we both got to work, everything had changed mostly to rain. Around sunset, everything turned back to snow, so we might wake up to another winter wonderland tomorrow.
We're hoping that all the precipitation ends sometime tomorrow so that we'll have a great weekend to wander around town and check out Easter markets and go hiking with friends. Keep your fingers crossed for us!
Happy Spring!
Thursday, March 22, 2007
Monday, March 19, 2007
Karlovy Vary Trip
On Saturday, March 17th, I went on a bus trip with 19 other women to Karlovy Vary (Karlsbad), Czech Republic. The bus got on the road at 6:05 and arrived a little bit after 11. The trip went fast, probably because we were all excited for the trip but also because the ladies who organized it, went all out. They brought a breakfast of muffins, donuts, and a huge basket of fruit as well as mimosas! There were several games: a trivia game, a name that song with lines of lyrics from 80s songs game, and a scavenger hunt to take with us in town. They also provided a delicious lunch of fresh bread, 4 or 5 types of meat, and 5 or 6 types of cheese. It was fabulous!
The town of Karlovy Vary is very quaint. We had a tour guide, Philip, who wasn't the best tour guide ever but pointed out The Grand Hotel Pupp (in the movie Last Holiday as well as Casino Royale); a balcony that Hitler spoke from; where Beethoven, Mozart, and Goethe stayed;as well as a few other spots.
Karlovy Vary is known for its hot springs. Philip pointed out the three large spa houses in the town and explained which one to get water from to cure different ailments such as intestinal, liver or kidney problems. At least one of the springs produces about 2000 liters of water a minute! There is a room in one of the spas where you can see the water shooting up in the air like a geyser. I only tasted a sip of the water from one of the 72 degree celcius springs. It sort of tasted like you put a penny in your mouth...not very quenching! But, ironically almost everyone in town walks around sipping the spring water from a characteristic mug! Maybe it's an acquired taste.
After the tour, we went shopping for the rest of the afternoon. The Czech Republic is known for its crystal. We didn't venture too far off the main street, but had more than enough to choose from! We looked in almost every store, made mental lists and then went back to make our purchases. Let's just say that Kurt's eyes almost popped out of his head when he saw my trunk! I found really cute everyday glasses that have a simple daisy pattern etched on them. I saw these in the first store and thought about them all day before I bought them. I also go a set of red and white wine glasses as well as a really pretty vase. I would definitely like to take Kurt back some time to show him everything I COULD have bought but didn't! =) Maybe I can convince him that we need a chandelier to bring back to the States with us!
Click on the picture to see an album
While the girls were off shopping, Kurt and a few friends got together to play video games on the xbox and watch movies all day. This was the first time in over a month that Kurt got to play on the xbox, so you can imagine how excited he was!
Next up, we're looking forward to going to an Easter Festival next weekend and then to Holland for Tulip Time the week after Easter.
The town of Karlovy Vary is very quaint. We had a tour guide, Philip, who wasn't the best tour guide ever but pointed out The Grand Hotel Pupp (in the movie Last Holiday as well as Casino Royale); a balcony that Hitler spoke from; where Beethoven, Mozart, and Goethe stayed;as well as a few other spots.
Karlovy Vary is known for its hot springs. Philip pointed out the three large spa houses in the town and explained which one to get water from to cure different ailments such as intestinal, liver or kidney problems. At least one of the springs produces about 2000 liters of water a minute! There is a room in one of the spas where you can see the water shooting up in the air like a geyser. I only tasted a sip of the water from one of the 72 degree celcius springs. It sort of tasted like you put a penny in your mouth...not very quenching! But, ironically almost everyone in town walks around sipping the spring water from a characteristic mug! Maybe it's an acquired taste.
After the tour, we went shopping for the rest of the afternoon. The Czech Republic is known for its crystal. We didn't venture too far off the main street, but had more than enough to choose from! We looked in almost every store, made mental lists and then went back to make our purchases. Let's just say that Kurt's eyes almost popped out of his head when he saw my trunk! I found really cute everyday glasses that have a simple daisy pattern etched on them. I saw these in the first store and thought about them all day before I bought them. I also go a set of red and white wine glasses as well as a really pretty vase. I would definitely like to take Kurt back some time to show him everything I COULD have bought but didn't! =) Maybe I can convince him that we need a chandelier to bring back to the States with us!
Click on the picture to see an album
While the girls were off shopping, Kurt and a few friends got together to play video games on the xbox and watch movies all day. This was the first time in over a month that Kurt got to play on the xbox, so you can imagine how excited he was!
Next up, we're looking forward to going to an Easter Festival next weekend and then to Holland for Tulip Time the week after Easter.
Saturday, March 10, 2007
Finally some pictures!
Hallo allerseits! (Hello Everyone!)
Everything is starting to come together and we're finally settling in to a normal work schedule. Although we've found a house, we're not sure when we'll be moving in since it still needs to be cleaned and painted. But we're not too worried since our household goods still haven't arrived; the hotel is better than the floor in an empty house!
We're starting to pick up more German; mostly phrases used in restaurants. And Kurt is getting to be an expert at driving on the autobahn! This past week, Carrie found a mall (rare in Germany) in downtown Darmstadt, and is looking forward to going back!
We're looking forward to walking and hiking on some of the many trails in the area as the days are getting longer and more sunny. We welcomed searching for our sunglasses a few days this week!
We finally got around to uploading pictures and deciding where we'll be storing some online albums to share with you. Click on the picture to look through an album of a few of the pictures we've taken so far.
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| Some first pictures in Germany |
Wednesday, March 7, 2007
Happy Birthday
As many know, I celebrated my 26th this week. Good times. On my birthday Carrie and I enjoyed a quiet night in, but tonight we went out with 11 friends to a local Italian place in Darmstadt called the Altes Schalthaus. It was fantastic!
Things are extremely busy, both at work and getting things ready for our house. We just got a landline and DSL ordered today, so hopefully that goes well. I am driving to the house tomorrow to change the name on the mailbox - exciting! We are still waiting for it to be cleaned and painted, but after that we can move in. There is really no rush, because our household goods are due to arrive until April 2nd. But when we do move in, Carrie is going to buy me a grill for my birthday present.
We still owe some blogs posts with photos about the hotel we are staying in and Carrie's new Jetta. We will get to it soon.
Hope all is well!
Things are extremely busy, both at work and getting things ready for our house. We just got a landline and DSL ordered today, so hopefully that goes well. I am driving to the house tomorrow to change the name on the mailbox - exciting! We are still waiting for it to be cleaned and painted, but after that we can move in. There is really no rush, because our household goods are due to arrive until April 2nd. But when we do move in, Carrie is going to buy me a grill for my birthday present.
We still owe some blogs posts with photos about the hotel we are staying in and Carrie's new Jetta. We will get to it soon.
Hope all is well!
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