We are currently on an foreign assignments for our companies in the Frankfurt, Germany area. This is a chance to see and experience Europe. This web page is a way to share our adventures with our family, friends, and any internet travelers.

October 3, 1998
Ed and I went to Inglehiem for a wine festival. We went with a girl, Lisa who he knew from work, her boyfriend, and another couple. The festival was more than a wine tasting but was part art and craft show, part bake sale, part carnival, and part flea market. It started on the main street. There were booths lined up on both sides of the street. These booths that sold assorted goods like baskets, pottery, homemade jams, fruit, and jewelry. I bought a hand-knitted wool sweater at one of them There were food stands that served sausages, lamb sandwiches, and pizza. There was stand that served Indian food. My favorite food find was Kartoffenpuffers. They were delicous potato pancakes served with apple mousse (that what Lisa called it). There were sweets everywhere. There were assorted candies and bake goods. There a couple of stands that sold a sack of assorted waffle and marshmallow crème creations for 5DM ($2.80). There was some wine booths. We had an interesting red wine called Glühwein. It is a spicy red wine that is served hot in a mug. It was good that day since it was a little chilly. Stores were open and had sidewalk sales; even the neigborhood sex store had some of its wares on the street.

The street led to the heart of the festival that was held in the town’s castle courtyard. There were tents that house the different vineyards. We went to tent that according to the Lisa ha the “good stuff”. We stake a table and started to drink. Ed drank red wines and I drank the white. Also in the courtyard were carnival rides and more food stands where I got strawberries covered with dark chocolate.

October 10, 1998
Ed and I drove to the Black Forest. We could see why the Black Forest was named as such. The mountains were covered thick with trees. There is no way the rays of the sun could touch the forest floor. While driving we spotted four castles. The castles were perched on the mountains and one of them overlooked a lake. The road did have some curves in it. I do not how many times I heard Ed say “shiiitt” while taking the curve.

There was a purpose for this trip. We went to a shop called The House of 1000 Clocks, well O.K. two shops.. well there are three but the other one was located in town. There were so many cuckoo clocks. There were assorted sizes, from palm size to over three feet tall. We did some Christmas shopping. We got my Mom another cuckoo clock. This would be her third cuckoo clock from Germany. She does like clocks. This one is interesting. After the clock cuckoos, it places a song and has the little people come and dance, at the same time, two German men are lifting their mugs of beer and a pig rotating on a spick. (Most people know this but my Mom owns a potbelly pig with an attitude problem.) We bought two packs of sample wines. Each packet contains a small bottle of cherry, blueberry, and blackberry wine.

We went to store across the street, which was their grandfather clock store. There were so many Grandfather clocks and they were beautiful. It made my Grandfather clock back in the States look like a cheap piece of trash. This place was cool. A person can pick out a Grandfather clock then has the option to change the clock face, pendulm, weights, and certain decals on the case. So,we bought one. This is our souvenir from Germany. (Note to Ida: you will fall in love with this clock.Hint: It has one of your favorite themes) It will be delivered in late November at our apartment. Hopefully, some of you will see it in Germany. If not, you will have to see it when we move into our house to the States after this assignment.

There were some rainy and cold weekends in November so we did not do any day trips. We saw Michigan play twice ( Penn State and Ohio State). I got a little homesick when I was watching the Penn State game….. seeing views of Michigan Stadium and Ann Arbor. Especially when Michigan scored on end zone where we have our seats.

We have been to Frankfurt twice or I should say got lost in Frankfurt twice. We explored the pedstretion walkway with its many stores. Frankfurt has a couple of bookshops that sells reading material in English so we got some magazines. There is also a movie theater that shows movies in English. We saw “Small Soldiers” and “What about Mary” there. Here are some interesting items about movie theaters in Germany. Alcohol is sold there. You can buy a bottle of beer, wine cooler, or a can of Jack and coke. Also sugar and cinnamon are put on the popcorn instead of salt. You have to requested for salt for your popcorn.

We started going to Christmas Markets. These markets are held outside with booths that sell assorted things like Christmas ornaments, wooden toys, jewelry, candles, and pottery. There is plenty to eat and drink. The big drink in these markets is gluwein – heated spiced wine. The gluwein is served in souvenir cups. Sometimes, it is not enough you are drinking wine but there are booth that offer to put a shot of alcohol like rum or vodka in it. There is plenty of food, the markets has the normal German fare of sausages and kartoffelpuffers. There are stands full of assorted gingerbread. There a least one stand that made crepes to order – with a choice of filling ranging from chocolate and bananas to tomatoes and cheese.

Here are some of the highlights of the Christmas markets we visited:

Friday, November 26 – Wiesbaden
This is our town’s Christmas market. It is in two parts. There are booths on the pedestrian walkway with the stores. We strolled through the market with a cup of gluwein. We popped in a couple of stores for somethings we needed. It is definitely a slower pace than in the States for Christmas shopping.

There was a food booth that was different. It offered pasta with tomato or cheese and broccoli sauce, two kinds of sautéed mushrooms, and two other dishes (we do not what they were). We already ate when we found it but since this market is walking distance to our place, we will try it eventually.

The part of the market was in a plaza in front one of the churches. There was a big Christmas tree with lights in the middle. There was a small carrousel for kids. There was a booth that sold wooden toys including assorted tops. If you were talented (according to the booth guy) you spin a top on its handle. He even demonstrated it.

Saturday, November 27 – Heidelburg
This city has one of German’s oldest university. There was around 80 booths at the University Platz and around 30 booths at the Market Platz in front of the Town Hall. The one at the University Platz had a big carrousel.

There was small children market. It had some booths that sold toys and sweets. There was a petting zoo, which consisted of one donkey. There was a small train set up around a statue. Ed purchased some roasted chestnuts there. Yeah, the stuff we sung about for years. He pops one in his mouth and said “Hey, these are pretty good”. A few seconds later, he said “I wonder if you are supposed to eat theses without the shells”. He peeled the shell off of one and ate it. “Hey, it does taste better without the shell.”

The castle ruin overlooked the children’s market. It is the biggest castle ruin in Germany. We are planning to visit it in the spring.

We are planning to visit Frankfurt Christmas market this Saturday. It supposed to be one of the biggest but also one of busiest.

P.S. Ed and I got our German driver licenses last Tuesday. According to Ed’s license, he is Dr. Edward Ference. That right, I married a doctor.

We have not been traveling much since Christmas because of weather and Ed's knee injury (the classic slip and fall). We finally went on daytrip for the weekend of my birthday.

Sunday February 7, 1999
We went to Bad Homburg to see the Homburg Schloss (Castle). The original castle was built in 13th century but only the white castle tower that stands in the courtyard remains. The castle that stands today was built in the15th century. It went through many owners but it became the summerhouse of Kaiser William II. We took the guided tour inside the castle. The floors were made of parquet so we had to put these oversize slippers over our shoes. It hard to walk in the slippers; we had to slide in them to move. I was joking to Ed that we were basically cross-country skiing in the castle.

Interesting aspects of the castle:
Many rooms have carved decorations on the ceilings. In one room, we thought it was carved decorations on the ceiling but the guide told it was painted. It is a technique called shadow painting. We did not believe him until he turned a lamp on that pointed the light upwards and then you could tell it was a flat ceiling.

The Kaiser had a telephone put in the castle. The line only went to Berlin and a person would have to shout over the phone if there was any wind.

The dining room table could seat over 30 people. The library was bigger than my high school's library. There was a throne room but it was built in 1967 from two smaller rooms and can be rented out for events.

It was really cold that day so we did not walk around the grounds that include a very big pond (or a small lake). Bad Homberg is supposed to have a beautiful city park, also. There is a restored Roman camp about four miles away. We will go back when the weather is better. Bad Homberg is about 11 km north of Frankfurt so it is not a far drive.

Friday, February 19 - Sunday, February 21
Ed went on a boy's outing in Amsterdam for a weekend with Mike and Russ and some other guy. We met Mike and Russ at Lear's Christmas party. They are design contractors and are from the Detroit area. Russ is single and owns a fishing charter in Michigan and Mexico. Mike is married and we are going on four-city vacation with him and his wife. The guys share an apartment in a town close to Wiesbaden. We have gone out a couple of times with Mike and Russ. Since this was Ed's trip, it is his tale to tell so that all I have to say about that trip.

Ed, Mike, and I went to London for a three-day weekend.

Thursday, February 25
We flew out Thursday evening. It is only an hour flight to London from Frankfurt. We found from cabdriver that pubs close at 11:00 p.m. but clubs are allowed to stay open longer (until 4:00 a.m.). We check-in at our hotel. The rooms were small - I think they were closets. After dropping off the luggage and refreshing up, we headed to the nearest pub. It was called the St. George Tavern it had the dark wood and cool warm beer. I drank a bottle of something called Hooch. We ask the bartender for a recommendation for an after hours club. He said to go to a club called the Roadhouse in the West End. We took a cab to the West End when the pub closed. We rode past Buckingham Palace. When we rode past Big Ben, we exclaimed "Kids, Big Ben, Parliament!" (See National Lampoon's European Vacation). Actually, everytime we rode past it - "Big Ben, Parliament!". We got to the East End and went looking for a place that was open. We saw a place called "Bad Bob" but unfortunately it was closing for the night but we did find the Roadhouse.

The Roadhouse had an American theme to it. There was a motorcycle in the middle of a circular bar. There old signs posted around including a neon sign with the word DRUGS from a pharmacy over the dance floor. There was a live band can to talk to anyone, anytime. We ended up talking with some British soldiers and I even danced with one. I guess I broke his heart when told him that I was married.

Friday, February 26
Ed and I went to the changing of guard at Buckingham Palace. There was a big crowd there. It takes an hour for the whole ceremony. There were horses and even a band. One of songs played was the theme from the movie Superman.

After that we took a bus tour of the city. It was a double decker. We sat on the second level that was open. It took about two hours. We rode past the Tower of London, Ben Ben, Parliament, Westminster Abby, St. Paul, and Cleopatra Needle. We rode over the London Bridge and Tower Bridge. The weather was nice when we started but towards the end it was getting cold. We were so cold at the end; it took hours to get defrosted.

We met up with Mike and went to Piccadilly Circus. It has the big neon signs like in New York. We went to Tower Records. It was three stories with a basement. There was even a band playing the basement. We got some CDs (they are expensive in Germany).

Mike met a girl name Chris during fashing (German Mari Gras) who lived the area. She met us the hotel. We started at St. George (our bar!). She introduce me to Metz, a schnapps based bottle drink. We had a couple of rounds then we went to eat at Shakespeare. Everyone except for me had the fish and chips. Ed said it taste like the ones at the church fish fry.

She took us to a part of town called the Storage. We went to a nightclub called the Aquarium, it boasted it had a pool downstairs but the pool was closed. It was a dive with a lot of smoke. It had three screens, one showed assorted still pictures (once awhile it would show a topless girl) and the other screens were showing videos of Carnival in Brazil. There were go-go dancers. The dancers were two bare chested guys wearing tight white jeans and two girls, one had a western theme with a fringed bra and short fringed skirt and the other one was in outfit that look like a 1950s 2 piece bathing suit and a fuzzy vest. The club played mostly corny disco music.

Saturday, February 27
Ed and I were going to see Westminster Abby but when we got there it was closed for day of prayer. We did walk over the London Bridge. (falling down, falling down...) We went to the Tower of London. We took the tour of Tower - who died where, how, and where they were buried. After the tour, we saw the Crown Jewels, which are stored there. Even though the Tower was best known as being a prison, it was the first Royal resident. We walked around in the castle there. It housed assorted weaponry and suits of armor including an ax used for the beheadings. After that cheerful experience, we went shopping. We went to Oxford Street and did some power shopping.

We met Mike at St. George and went to Piccadilly Circus. We went to Planet Hollywood (not my idea!) and left because - well it was lame. Went next door to a mall, and bought more CDs and some videos. We were looking around the mall and took this long escalator up to the fourth level. It was the Sega Experience - it had floors of every video game invented. It had a haunted house, virtual reality, and a demon drop. You had to walk through every level in order to back to the ground floor. We decided to go back to St. George to end our last night here.

St. George had a rugby game on TV, so we watched, talk, and drank. We met some students from Vanderbilt who were taking a semester in England. One of guy explains the rules of rugby to us. We socialized until the pub closed.

We took the flight out on Sunday. Ed and I are coming back to London - there is still so much to see and do.

More information about the city..
London Tourism

Heard that you guys miss the last snowstorm. During the last storm, I kept telling Ed, "See, we could be home for that" when he was in his "how I hate Germany" moods. If anyone can not tell, Ed is homesick. I think he will be better in the spring/summer.

Saturday, March 13
We have been having sunny weather all week with it being in high 40's and mid 50's. This Saturday was not exception. We decided to go across the Rhine River to the city of Mainz. We have been to Mainz before but for a group activity at an Irish bar. We wanted to see the city in the daylight. The city is two thousand years old. The city's claim to fame is it's native son Johannes Gutenberg who invented a method for producing movable type making printing information more widespread. There is even a museum honoring him.

We decided to take the S-Bahn to the city. The Bahnhof station is about a 30-minute walk from our house. There are machines in the station that dispense tickets. You select your destination and type of ticket. The amount shows up and you deposit the money and the ticket is printed. There is no one on the train that checks for tickets - it based on an honor system. But if on a rare instance that someone does - you can be in real trouble if you do not have a ticket. The ride to Mainz took about 10 minutes.

We walk around the altstadt ("Old City") part of Mainz. It has narrow cobble streets line with small shops, many of the shop that it's wares outside so we end up shopping at little. There was a church on the street in between two shops. The inside of it was beautiful. The ceilings were painted with biblical figures. There were stain glass windows and a decorated pipe organ. There was gold leafing and ornamentation on the walls and altar.

We stop at Greek/Turkish restaurant that had outside tables and ate lunch. I had picked a pita with beef (the menu was in German so that what I translated) and Turkish style potato salad. The pita had a beef spread that reminded me of sloppy joes. The potato salad had tomatoes and basil leaves, it was O.K. Ed went with a safe choice of a lamb and rice.

We to the main market place. It just had its Farmer market so only a few stands were left. The Dom (Cathedral) over shadows the market. It was started in 975 and was built over several centuries so has mixtures of styles. The inside was totally different from the church we saw in the old town. It was big. The interior was in stone. It has 100 feet ceilings. The side altars were as big or bigger than main altars in regular churches. Ed touch a pillar and was he was amazed at the thought someone else centuries ago could have been touching the same pillar. We finished our visit to Mainz by walking along the Rhine River.

Wednesday, March 17 - St. Patrick Day
We took the train to Mainz to the Irish pub. The pub is down in the cellar of a building. It has a vaulted ceiling. It has the dark wood bar and except for the light on the small stage - the only light came from the candles on the table. We met Mike there at about 5:30 p.m. and the place was dead. Soon, some of his soccer buddies showed up. Mike wanted to really get in the spirit. He had a girl at work spray his hair green even though it was hard to tell since he had dark brown hair. He had one of his soccer buddies paint the Irish flag his face. The Irish flag is simple, green, white, and orange. The guy painted Mike face white, orange, and green (he was sober). So instead of the Irish flag, he had the Honduras flag on his face. Mike wanted people in our group to have green hair and painted faces - we were like "no, no, no." Some of them caved in but some people were getting their hair attack by the green spray. I was one of victims. So once your hair was green, you gave in and had a small Irish flag painted on you face. Russ showed up with his sister who was visiting. She is in the Secret Service and was assigned to the White House as one of Clinton's guards. She have met Nelson Mandela, Rosa Parks, and even Aerosmith. She said she did not recognized Aerosmith at first because they were in suits and were short. The pub had a singer who was funny. He sang some Irish tunes and rock n roll songs. The pub ended up being packed. People were in line to get in. It was wall to wall people. We did leave and catch a cab home. The pub that night did not any specific time it was going to close. Basically as long there was people was there and there was still alcohol, it was not going to close. I do not know when it closed. Well, another St Paddy was celebrated.

Four cities in 11 days, we must have been nuts. Ed borrowed a station wagon from another ex-pat. We were going with Mike and his wife Tracy. Ed and I had never met Tracy so this was going to be interesting.

Thursday, March 25
Mike took the train to met Tracy at the airport. We pick them at the airport and start the six hour trip to Prague. The trip was uneventful. We got into the city and I played navigator with the map to hotel that the travel agent provided. We sort of saw the hotel. It is hard to explain but we could not get to the street that ran in front of it. Ed walk to the hotel to be given directions. He got them but we were park on a one-way street and of course not the way we wanted. It seemed simple. We could not find a street that went back to the hotel. Next thing we knew we were going on a highway, so Ed got off the first possible exit. It was a miracle, it directed us to a street that took back to hotel. We took the street from the directions and Ed past the hotel. Of course, we were on a one-way street and the same predicament, trying to find a street to get back. We hoping the next street will lead us to a street that would take us back. We were in one-way hell. Then....... we got flagged by the police to pull over. They ask us for the car's registration and Ed's driver license. When they OKed it, Mike piped "Hey, can you help us, we're lost". One who spoke English gave us directions. We tried to follow but it did not work out. We were going towards the highway again so Ed went on highway again and got off at the first exit which lead us back to hotel. We finally got to hotel. We checked in and rest a bit. Ed and I were looking at our tourist books to figure where to go to eat. Ed figure that Tracy after traveling 15 hours (9 on plane, 6 on road) would want to take it easy that night. We found a place called Red Hot and Blues. A jazz restaurant that served Creole, Cajun and Tex Mex. food. It was a nice place. The band was decent and the food was good.

Friday, March 26
Ed noticed last night some stores closed early on Saturday so today was shopping day. Now you may be asking what do you shop for in Prague. Glass, specially Bohemia, 24% lead crystal, is famous. This is the stuff you would pay a arm and leg for at Hudson and you can get better for cheaper in Prague. We look at some little shops on the way to the square. We were on one street and a truck was backing up, nearly taking Mike and me out so we duck into this small shop to get away. It was a pewter place, it had figures, door knockers, but it was the chess sets that got our attention. There were medieval, Egyptian, football, and other themes for the chess pieces. The workmanship was very good. Ed did end up buying one with a cherry wood board the next day. He paid $175. This is for pewter and hand-painted pieces.

We made it the square. The Easter market was in full swing. Plastic eggs were hung in the trees as decoration. There were assorted stands selling glassware, leather goods, and crafts. We started buying here. One of the interesting thing was bought by Ed. It was a beer holster. Yes, you did read that correctly, a beer holster. Where the guns would be at, you can put two bottles of beer and there were holders for 4 cans on the belt. That's my husband.

There were two beautiful churches on the square. I still can get over the workmanship in these churches in Europe. We stop for lunch at a café on square. We sat outside since it was a beautiful sunny day (low 70's).

We did some more shopping. We had so many bags between the four of us. There was some awesome stuff for any kind of taste. You would think you are done shopping but then something would catch your eye.

We dropped the stuff off at the hotel room and rested for a bit (hey shopping does take something out of you). We went back to Hot Red and Blues. It was suppose to be a starting point but we end up staying until close.

Mike, the night before, bought 15 bottles of 9% beer to take back for friends. It did not make sense to Ed to buy beer without tasting it. So Mike order a bottle of the beer tonight. It is a dark beer and Mike does not like dark beer in general. But he tried it and Ed also tried but was not in a dark beer drinking mood and wanted to stick with his pils. So there was a almost full bottle of beer sitting there with no one in group that was going to drink it. We notice this guy had already had two that evening had went to the bathroom and an empty bottle sitting there next to his glass. Ed took the full bottle of beer and switched with the empty one. Our waitress saw this and we explain the situation and ask if she would help us. The guy came back to his seat and the waitress went to him pretending to ask if he wanted to another drink. She lift up the bottle and stated "Oh, I guess you do not need another drink". The guy was a first puzzle but poured the beer into his glass and drank it. Mike and Ed - the beer fairy godfathers.

Sunday, March 27
This was our site seeing day. We hired a guide for a walking tour of Prague. She would show some points of interest and tell us some history. We walk to the St. Charles bridge. This is a pedestrian only bridge. Artist are lined up along the bridge selling their painting and jewelry. We were staying in what is called the 'old town' and when you take the bridge you end up the 'small town'. A interesting point is that the 'small town' is older than the 'old town'.

The guide told us that Mozart lived in Prague and written some of his music there. Many churches hold concerts featuring Mozart. There are people dressed in period clothing handing out flyers advertising these concerts. The funny thing was when Mozart died, he was buried in poor mass plot in Vienna.

We walk up the Prague castle. It was like a small city. Besides the palace, there was a cathedral, houses for soldiers, artists, and member of the court. We first went through the cathedral with its big glass stain windows and crypts. There was a crypt that made of sterling silver. The palace was interesting - the 16th century palace was built on top of the 12th century palace which was built on the 11th century palace. The 11th century part was not open to the public but we did tour the other two parts of the palace. The Thirty Year started here when a few Prostant noblemen threw two Catholic noblemens out of the palace window. The nobleman lived because they rolled down the enbankment into the moat. The moat as most moats of the time was used as a sewer.

We were walking back from the castle when we notice a cop car going very fast and there was a road block on a street. We were curious then we heard people chanting. We went down a street towards the noise then we found our answer.... there was a Yugoslavian demonstration at the German embassy. We watched for a bit but then they started to moved..... towards us. We went down on a street and then end up in front of the U.S. embassy which the crowd was going to. The guide said they were probably going to St. Charles bridge which was our way back so we duck into a bar and a few drinks. We walked back to the St. Charles bridge. Our guide suggested we go to a restaurant to go to on the river. It was called the Corona. It was a decent restaurant. We had some drinks and eat there and played euchre. Later on in the evening it turned into a night club with salsa dancing.

Sunday, March 28
It was travel day for us. It was about a three hour drive to Vienna. It was a sunny day but as we drove to Vienna it got cloudy and cool. Finding the hotel was tricky but we only past it only once. We check in and rested. We were hungry and Mike wanted to go a Irish pub to have some stew. The hotel show him on a map but he forgot the map in his room. We could not find it so we went to a Greek place. After dinner, we walked walk around the city. It was a nice city but it had the same architecture as in Germany. We then ran into another Yugo demonstration - are these people following us?

We ended up in an Australian pub. There was normal fare on the menu as in steaks and hamburgers but there was also ostrich, kangaroo, and fried grasshoppers. We decided to play euchre but the playing cards were back at the hotel. Mike and Ed went back to the hotel to get the cards. While at the hotel, Ed ask for directions to the Irish pub and he end up losing the map that night. We stayed at the Australian pub until close.

Monday, March 29 We decided to take the limousine tour of Vienna. The limo was a Mercedes sedan. There was a lot of "Mozart wrote this symphony in this building." Apparently, he moved a lot. There are many palaces in the city and we went to one. It was beautiful. The highlight was the ballroom with the painted ceilings and gold leafing.

We went back to the hotel. Mike and Tracy rested and Ed and I walk around a bit. I had a torte at a hotel café. This torte was consider a 'state secret' of the hotel and was suppose to be famous. It was moist and the frosting was decadent and there was some fruit (I think it was orange) in the torte but I could not tell exactly what it was. Vienna is famous for its tortes and desserts.

We finally found the Irish pub and Mike had his stew. It was a nice pub. We met two guys, an Englishman and college student from Chicago studying in Vienna for a semester. We all stayed until we were kicked out after closing.

Tuesday, March 30 Gee, it seems we just got here... wait we just did. Another travel day, going on a five hours trek to Venice. Ed drove out of the city and then it was mine turn to drive. I drove through the Austrian and Italian alps. There were sharp curves and a lot of tunnels. The view was scenic but I could not admired too much since some parts of the autobahn had unlimited speed even with the curves. There was some ski resorts on top of some of the mountains and quaint villages at the base.

We got to outside of Venice and Ed started to look at the map. He stated it would be tricky to get to the hotel because it look like we had to take a ferry to Venice. We got to the ferry port and got a surprise. No cars were allowed on island where our hotel was at. With of all the stuff we bought, there was no way we could carry that and our luggage. We had to leave our purchases in the car. Luckily, the car had a tarp that covers the back. Mike and Ed took the car to parking structure while Tracy and I stayed with the luggage. I was looking at parking structure and wonder if the boys would be smart and back-up the car into a corner of the structure. I noticed there were spots like that open. The boys came back and I ask them. Ed said no but that was a great idea. Mike wanted to do it tomorrow. Well, Ed figured it would be better to be safe than sorry and moved the car. We got on the ferry and finally to our hotel. We went on a search for something to eat. Most places close at 10:00 p.m. We found a place at 9:45. We ate some Italian food and Ed and I shared a small bottle of Chianti. Mike and Tracey went back to the hotel. Ed and I walk around St. Marcos square. There were some artist selling their painting and we look at them. It was almost a full moon so it was romantic.

Wednesday, March 31 Ed and I were up and ready before Mike and Tracy so we visited some shops. I bought some cool necklaces. They were strands of small Murano glass beads. It would be worn twisted or untwisted. We bought a vase (next day we bought a matching one) at this shop. It was signed by the artist, but we found same vase, unsigned (a copy I guess) for half the price on at a stand. We meet up with Mike and Tracy. We looked at the shops in Venice. There are many glass, jewelry, leather, and clothing shops. We got to the Rialto bridge. We split off and decided to met at the San Marco square for lunch. The Rialto bridge is famous in Venice. It has actual shops on the bridge and has amazing craftsmanship. There was stands lined up when you cross the bridge. Ed found one that sold chess sets. He bought two sets of chess pieces. We met Tracy and Mike at an outside café on St. Marco square. The square has this big church (Basilica di Sam Marco) with mosaics adorn the outside. There was always a line to go up to the balcony of church. The was also a bell tower kidding corner from the church and you could go on top of that but there was always a line. One of big things to do in the square is feeding the pigeons. You would see people, old and young doing this.

We went to the border of the island by the main body of water. We had lunch at a restaurant with outside seating. There a view of artists at work and the water with assorted boats going across it. There amazing churches around the water. There was some more walking around and a bit of shopping. We back to the hotel and took a nap.

We went to the same restaurant from last night. We walk around a bit but back to the hotel and played euchre in the sitting area. There is no real nightlife in Venice. Most of the workers do not live in Venice so they have to catch the last ferry to go home. There are a only couple of bars and cafes open until 2:00 a.m.

Thursday, April 1
This was day we were take the gondolas. It was romantic and a nice way of seeing Venice. We walk around and decided to have lunch at one of restaurants along the main canal by the Rialto bridge. We stopped at the first one. We had a table by the canal. Mike, Tracy, and Ed were drinking this beer from Denmark. After two they were buzzing and do not understand why until they look at the label -- 7.7% alcohol. There was this shop next door that had this cool chess set. It had bronze pieces covered with 24 carat gold and silver on a onyx board. Each chess piece was signed by the artist. There was so much detail to these pieces. Ed and Mike were ohh and ahh over it. Ed keep talking about buying it and then decided he was not.

We shop for a bit. Ed, Tracy, and Mike went back to restaurant by the Rialto bridge and I explore Venice more. I came back to the restaurant and Ed was talking about the chess set. We went to the shop to look at it. It was beautiful so he bought it.

We had dinner at restaurant two doors down from the one we had lunch at. We got a table by the canal. It specialty was seafood. Ed had the mix grill with lobster, shellfish, and white fish. He said it was best seafood he had. Mike and him decided to have a lobster each for dessert. We met a mom and her college age daughter from England who sat at the table next to us. This was our last night in Venice.

Friday, April 2
Ed and I were up before Mike and Tracy. We walk around the city a little. Ed wanted to check to see everything was in order to shipped the chess set to our apartment in Germany. We all finally checkout and took a taxi boat to the car and the car was not broken into. We had a six hour trip to Munich.

Ed drove through the Alps. This on a different autobahn and we saw some castles, fortresses, and monasteries in the Alps. It was cool.

Saturday, April 3
We went to lunch at beer hall - every big beer hall, it had multiple rooms. It served traditional Barvia food. Afterwards, the guys went to a local soccer match which was held at the Olympic stadium (where 1972 Olympic were held). The girls went shopping. Well, I did not shop since the stores in Munich are the same in Wiesbaden but Tracy wanted to get some shoes. Since it was Saturday, the shops close at 4:00 p.m. We walk to the English Gardens, a park designed by an American in 1800's. We were walking through and by the Greek Monopteros which was known for having nude sunbathers. Sure enough there was a naked man walking around. We went to the beer garden which is by the Chinese Pagoda. I tried a drink (I forgot what it was called), it was basically lemonade and beer served in a liter glass. I really did not taste the lemonade. We waited there for the guys. The guys show up and had a couple of liter beers - it the only size they came in. We then walk to the Hofbrauhaus. It is a famous institution in Munich. It started as a cheap place for the poor to drink so they will not revolt against the royalty. It serves beer only in liters. It is famous for its roasted chicken and it was good. There was band that played German music - it was not polka but close.

Sunday, April 4, 1999
We got up early so we could get Tracey back to the airport in Frankfurt. This ended our trip. Our Easter dinner was pizza and salad.

More information about the cities..
Prague
Vienna
Venice

I just loved Paris. The architecture is amazing. Even though it was expensive, I would definitely recommend visiting it. I could see why people make it one of their travel destinations and even go back multiple times. I can not begin to describe this city. There is so much to see. I do not know how times I said "Wow!". I had the some of best desserts and really good wine.

There has been stories told about how the Parisians are rude but we did not run into that case. Everyone was nice and helpful. I guess if you do not act an obnoxious, self-centered tourist, you will not get rude behavior.

Wednesday, April 29
Ed got up at 7:00 a.m. to listen to last of half of third period of the Red Wings game. Funny, most people in Michigan who were watching the game would be heading to bed, Ed was getting ready to go to work.

I met Ed at his work at 3:00 p.m. so we could catch the 5:00 flight to Paris. The flight is about 50 minutes. We went to our hotel that was located in the Opera section. The lobby had tall ceilings, arches, and marble pillars. It reminds me of a lobby of a theater then of a hotel. We checked in and freshen up in our room. We went a brasserie that was close by for dinner. We had some wine back at the hotel bar.

Thursday, April 30
We were up and out of the hotel before 10:30 a.m. We started our trek to the Louvre since most of bus tours start there. We passed the Opera house on the way there. It was big. Actually, it has a small lake underneath it, that inspired the phantom’s hiding place in Phantom of the Opera. The Louvre is impressive. It started out as a place so the architecture was very ornate. In the middle of the courtyard is a big glass pyramid with two smaller pyramids. The big one is the lobby of museum. Ed overheard a tourist saying that was a mall underneath the courtyard of the Louvre. We did not verify this. We caught a bus tour. It was same concept of the one we took in London. It does the tour of the town and stops at different point of the tour. A person can get off and see the sites in the area and hop on another bus to continue the tour. The buses ran about every 25 minutes. We bought a two-day pass. We took to tour and got off at the Norte Dame. Unfortunately, they were doing restoration work so the bottom half of the front was draped in cloth. We went inside the church. It was tall and has beautiful stain glass windows. There were candles burning on both sides of the church. There was a little garden that started on the side of the church and extends to the back.

Underneath the courtyard of Norte Dame is Crypte Archeologique. It has the foundations and cellars of Gallo-Roman houses and the church that was there before Norte Dame. It gave a little history of Paris.

We went to a café across the river to have lunch outside. I decided to be a little adventurous and try a lunch crepe (or how they translated - salty pancake). The crepe was filled with tuna fish, tomatoes, and dressing. It was O.K.

We waited for the next bus on the tour. We took the tour until it got to the Opera section where our hotel was. We went back to the hotel and rested. I did want every woman wants to do in Paris - shop. There are many clothing stores around our hotel so we did not have to go far.

For dinner we went to a restaurant that caught Ed's attention. It had a stand outside with oysters. There were guys there shucking them for the customers inside. Ed orders a mini platter. It had assorted oysters, mussels, shrimp, two types of snails, and mystery creatures (reminds me of an alien pod thing). I did try a snail - tasted kinda like a mushroom that you would get on a pizza.

Friday, May 30
We took the bus tour to the Eiffel tower. I walk the steps (360 of them) to the first level. Ed took the elevator. The view was great. There is a restaurant called Altitude 95 that is on the first level as well as a post office. I walked up the second level (another 340 steps) and Ed took the elevator. There is restaurant there called Jules Verne - it suppose to a good restaurant but one would need reservations. There was a line for going to the third level. It only be reach by elevator. We decided against it since it was hazy that day so we could only see so far. On a clear day, you can see a little over 40 miles from the top. We had lunch at Altitude 95. We went to a wine shop that was located down the street from the Eiffel tower. Ed bought six bottles and put them in his backpack.

Ed wanted to see the Dome Church where Napoleon was buried. It did not make sense to walk back to Eiffel Tower bus stop so we walk until the next stop. We did find the next stop….in front the Dome Church. You can see the church from the Eiffel tower. Besides, Napolne, his brother and famous military people are buried there. There were elaborate tombs for these guys. We hoped back on the bus and took back to Opera section. We dropped of the wine at our room. We did some more shopping - Ed got another six bottles of wine and I got more clothes.

Saturday, May 1
Guess what this day is! The ones who were there six years should know - our wedding anniversary. Six years and people are surprised that I have not killed Ed since there has been so many opportunities. This day is also Labor Day for Germany, Italy, Portugal, Spain, and France. The stores, museums, and even a number of restaurants were closed. Luckily we knew this so we plan accordingly. There were others who found out the day of and were not so happy.

We walked to the Louvre. It was closed but we walked around the courtyard and then went to its gardens. There were assorted statues and pools. The garden lead to the Place de la Concorde where 3,200 old Luxor obelisk stands and also where Marie Antoinette misplaced her head along with 1,118 other people who did the same thing. We walked in park that runs along Champs-Elysees. The flowers were in bloom and the wind carried their sweet smell. We had lunch at a outside café. We walked to the Arc de Triomphe. I see pictures of it all the time but I did not realize how much detail there was. There is a small museum in it and also you can go top of it. It suppose to be quite a view but it was closed.

We walked back to the hotel to get ready for dinner. We were going to a formal restaurant. We have been meaning to do this on our wedding anniversary for years but never got around doing it until now. The food was good even Ed's pigeon (yes, that is right, pigeon). Even though we like the meal, part of the meal did not like us because we got sick in the middle of the night. Ed guessed it was the mushrooms on our salads.

Sunday, May 2
We got up and did not want to see, smell, or even think about food. We check out and caught our plane back to Frankfurt. We had twelve bottles of wine so the question was - should we declare it to customs. We did not even have to think it about since there was no one at customs. These bottles adds to our fledging wine collection. Ex-pats who live in Europe comes back with cases of wine - we heard of people going home with 200, 400, and even 1,000 bottles of wine.

I have a funny story to tell, well it was not funny when it happened but I can laugh about it now. I took the film from our Paris trip to a local store. When I got back to our apartment building, I realized I left my keys in the apartment. Ed was at a business dinner and I was locked of the building. It seems simple - go to a phone booth and call Ed on his cell phone and get him home. The phone booth next to our apartment building only took phone cards. So I walked to another down the street - it also only took phone cards. As you may realize, I do not have a phone card. I walk down the pedestrian walkway where there were two phone booths - one only took the card but other one took coins. There was a chick on the phone. So I waited for her, and waited and waited. I walked the down the pedstations walkway hoping to find another coin phone but no such luck. So I went back to coin phone and that %@& bitch was still on the phone. So I waited but she was gabbing away. I went down a street and did find another coin phone. Of course it was in use but the guy completed his call quickly. So finally I can call Ed. I dialed what I thought was Ed's number but I got message it was not a valid number. I tried different variations but no luck. I walk back to the apartment, hoping Ed was home. If he was not - I would have to wait for him to come home or take a taxi to where the dinner was. Both did not sound appealing. I got to the apartment building and Ed was not home but the building door was open. I check, if by some strange chance, the apartment door was not shut all the way. Of course, it was shut tightly. I noticed that the landlord's office down stairs had a light on so I rang the doorbell. The landlord was there and I told him what happen. He went to check if there was a spare key. He pulled the container for our apartment and it was empty. He mentioned he might have to call his secretary. He checked another container that had many keys in it. He grabs one and said this might be the key. So we went the apartment and - thank God - it worked. I was in my apartment safe and sound. Oh, by the way, Ed end up coming home at around 4:30 a.m. so it was good that I did not have to wait for him.

More information about the city..
Paris

Last Thursday (May 13) was a holiday in Germany so Ed and I had it off. It was a religious day - ok you little Christians can you guess.. no?….. it was Ascension Day….which is ….oh, come on you should know this… the day Christ went back to Heaven.

Our original plan was to take Friday and maybe even Monday off and go to Rome. Unfortunately, there some new reporting guidelines and Ed still does not have any help so he could not take those days off and have his stuff in on time. So, we had to scrap the plans for Rome.

Since it was a holiday in Germany, the stores were closed. We end up doing laundry and watching TV. The killer was, we had the Today show on and one of the anchors was in Rome. Let's twist that knife. Actually we listen to Drew and Mike on the WRIF through the Internet so that was kinda cool.

We decided to take a daytrip on Saturday. We went Heidelberg. We went there last year for the Christmas market. It is a college town. Its university is the oldest in Germany. The old part of town has the pedestrian walkway with assorted stores from the normal chain stores to specialty shops. There were the tourist shops and stands that sold thing such as steins, hats, and T-shirts. There were Irish and British shops that sold wares from those countries. There was a Christmas store that sold wooden ornaments and musical jewelry boxes.

We went to a church in town called Heiliggeist Kirche (Church of the Holy Ghost). The outside was dark and foreboding but the inside was the opposite. It was light and airy. The walls were white with burnt orange accents. The one side of church had plain glass windows that bought in the sunlight and other side had stain glass windows. There were some paintings on the ceiling but not much. It was not ornate as other churches that we had seen.

The big attraction in the city is the castle. It is the biggest castle ruin in Germany. It was first destroyed during the Thirty-Year War and it was re-built. About hundred years later, the French came in and destroyed as well as the city. Only two buildings were left standing in the town, the church and a hotel. The final blow for the castle was a lighting bolt that set it on fire.

Part of the castle that was not completed destroyed was restored. There is a hall, which can be rent out. The castle has a nice chapel so couples get married there and have their reception in the hall. Erin, an EDS TDY (“temporary assignment”) from Colorado, lived in Heidelberg when her Dad was station there. (There is an Army base there). Her high school had their junior and senior proms there. That had to be cool.

There is the 'Great Vat' or 'Grosses Faß'. It is a barrel that hold about 222,000 liters of wine. The town folks paid their taxes in wine so their payment was poured in the barrel. It was probably was a nasty brew because it was a mixture of red,rose, and white wine and most likely was not the best stuff. (Would you give the government your good wine? Hell,no! Give them the cheap stuff.) The wine was taped by a lead pipe so there was lead poisoning.

Even though it is a ruin, the castle is still beautiful. It has statues on the buildings. One face of a building has past rulers. Another face of a building has assorted statues based on biblical and mythological stories.

We went to a Greek restaurant for dinner and lunch so we a little hungry. The Greek food here is different from stuff in the States. The Greek salad has no beets or lettuce. The gyros are made from pork than lamb and most of time not served on pita bread. They do not set the cheese on fire as in Greek town. We ordered the combo platter that had sorted Greek prepared meat, which include liver. I not had liver since it was forced fed to me in my childhood. I am an adult now and with the knowledge that certain foods can taste good if prepared differently. For example, I hate eating cook spinach with vinegar but like it raw in salads. So I was going to be open-minded and tried this liver. I did and I still hate it…hate it hate it.

We were gong to call it day. We walk back to the parking structure and it was closed. It closed at 6:00 p.m. and it was 8:00 p.m. We were first stunned and then we tried to figure what to do. Luckily, there was a German family who was in the same boat as we were. They already called the police who would call the owner of structure to come. We would have to pay a extra - 30 DM (less than $20) but was better than taking a train home and the next day drive an hour again to get the car. Everything came out ok.

Ed and I had a three-day weekend so we went to Amsterdam. Amsterdam has two faces. One is of a quaint town with canals lined with the charming architecture and bicycles. The other side has the debauchery of sex and drugs. We saw them both.

Amsterdam is only a three and a half-hour drive. But we had a late start on Friday so we ran into some traffic and missed a turn off so we got to our hotel late. So we check-in and crash.

Saturday, May 22
We walk to the Dam. It is a big square with the town hall and Madam Tussauds. We had breakfast at an outside café. I order a pancake and I got a single pancake. It was big pancake that covered the plate served with sweet syrup and power sugar. There was bagpipe player in full Scottish uniform playing in the square.

I wanted to see Anne Frank's House. I read the book in high school and saw the movie. I thought it would be cool to see the place where she hid for two years and wrote about in her dairy. We got there and there was a long, long, long line to get in. Over half million people visit it every year and looks like half were there that day. We did not want to stay in a line. We took a walking tour from our tourist book. The book pointed out architecture points of interest. There was a market on one of the streets. It was merchants with stands who sold things such as clothing, jewelry, cheeses, meat, fruit, fish, and fresh pasta.

We wander around the city. It was a nice sunny day even though days before it forecast to be rainy. We even had rainy day plans of visiting museums. There is a Van Gogh museum and also one that show the works of the Dutch masters. But as I said it was a sunny day and it would be a shame to spend it inside.

There are "coffee houses" through out the city. These coffeehouses sell marijuana. The places have menus that listed the different kinds (according to our tourist book). Now, one would think marijuana is legal but it is not. It is illegal but the police ignore the personal use of it. Actually I read in our tourist book that there is a marijuana museum but there can be gaps in the displays since the police raid it at times. There are stores that sell marijuana seeds, accessories, and other things. I went to one of the stores to check it out. It sold mushrooms (no, not the ones you get on pizza) and herbs hat do different things from producing a relaxation state to improving the sex drive which can be smoked or drink it like tea. It also sold pop laced with marijuana (actually I see these kinds of pop in gas stations in Germany) and hemp gummy bears. Just in case anybody is wondering… no, Ed and I did not smoke any Mary Jane. I have about the same amount of ambition to smoke the stuff as I would to try raw monkey brains. And I do not care what kinds of sauces it comes with; I do not want to try raw monkey brains. But one does get a big dose of second hand smoke when walking by a coffeehouse.

We had a late lunch/early dinner at O'Reillys, an Irish pub. We sat outside eat and drank and people watch. We saw a lot of people on bicycles. We even saw two guys making out on a horse drawn carriage.

We got back to hotel and rested. We were going to the red light district tonight. The main drag is along a canal. There street is doted sex shows, coffee houses, sex shops, and windows with the hookers. The window is actually a room with glass door that has a curtain. When the curtain is drawn, the prostitute is available and when it is closed the girl is busy. The room is lit by a red light but gave out a more of a hot pink glow. There were assorted types of girls - Asians, blacks, whites … and different body types from petite things to big mamas. We walk up and down the strip. We saw a sex show at place called Casa Rosso. There was penetration but no money shot. It was set up like movie theater. The stage had a revolving platform so the action was seen at all angles. There were six different shows. Three were the guy and girl getting it on with different themes (Conan thing with swords, James Bond, and nurse/patient). One show was a strip tease. Two of shows involve participation from members of audience. Ed and I were both asked but only one of us actually was on stage.

The sex shops sold everything and then some. There were magazines for every fetish - such as anal sex, fist fucking, sex with animals, old lady sex, and girls with dicks. I was trying so hard to not laugh out loud.

Sunday, May 23
We took the boat tour of canals. It is a nice way of seeing Amsterdam. There is a housing shortage in Amsterdam so we saw a lot of houseboats during the tour. Since it was Sunday, the major stores were closed. (We are use to this since we live in Germany). To our surprise, there were small stores that were open. Leather is actually inexpensive here. I got a three-quarter dress leather for $35. Ed got a bomber made of lamb skin with a zipped out lining for under $200. He was looking last year for leather like that, before we left for Germany, but had no luck.

That night we tried Indonesian food. Indonesia was a Dutch colony so there were many such restaurants around. We got the rijsttafe. It is for two people and basically give samples of meat and vegetable dishes. We got pork, beef, chicken dishes, and lamb kabobs in different sauces. It came with boiled eggs in a hot peanut sauces, pickled cucumbers, beans and corn in a sauce, and a salad with cucumbers, leeks, green beans, and peanut paste. It was served with a big bowl of rice and a bowl of crushed peanuts to put over the meats.

Ed was to take me to Rembrandt Square where there are assorted bars but we up in the opposite direction. Even if we made to the square, a lot of the bars after 10:00 p.m. only let in locals. So walk in the direction of our hotel and went to a bar called Teasers. The waitresses were wearing uniforms that were skimpier than the Hooter girls. The waitresses for a price did table dances (the clothes stay on). They also did body shoots. They would take a lemon slice and wipe across the tops of the breast and chest. Salt was shaken on the wet areas. The guy would lick the salt (and take their time), did the shot of tequila, and suck the lemon in the waitress mouth. Ed has been to this place in his last visit in February (the boys'weekend). He had a Teaser shot. It is the same as the body shot except the girl does the shot but does not sallow it instead she gives the guy the shot from her mouth. Ed saw variations of the body shot - putting the shot glass in the cleavage or between the legs.

We left the next day for home. We saw a couple of castles in Germany and windmills in the Netherlands in our drive to and from Amsterdam.

More information about the city..
Amersterdam
O'Reillys Pub
Casa Rosso

After a week of rainy weather, it cleared up in time for the weekend. We decided to take the Rhine Cruise. We invited another ex-pat, Ted and his wife Amanda and their little two-year-old girl Emma. We went to Rudesheim which one of ports of the cruise. First, we had lunch at an outside café with a view of the Rhine River. We went on KD line. It had a top deck with most of it under a canopy with a small bar that sold (beside beer, wine, and soft drinks) ice cream, chocolate muffins, donuts, and sandwiches. The end of the top deck was uncovered with a small slide and pool for kids.

The Rhine River is famous for its castles. The Rhine River was used for shipping goods but it was dangerous. Roads were built on both sides. Well, castles started to pop up and were charging tolls. The French did not like the idea of paying tolls so in the 17th century they went up the river and destroyed most of castles. The castles today are ruins or were restored.

If you have access to the Internet, you can see most of these castles..go to Germany for Visitors (click on Index to Features, then Feature I-R, then Rhine Castle Photo Tour) otherwise have to wait of us to come home and see our pictures. Actually this is a pretty site about Germany.

The cruise ended at Koblenz. We had dinner at a Greek restaurant and ask a waitress where the train station was. She said right, another right, and straight-ahead. Well, it was not but we did find it. We bought our tickets and looked at the schedule for next train to Bingen. Unfortunately I look at the arrival schedule and we were on the wrong track. When we realized the mistake, we rush to the right track (this is with a sleeping kid in a stroller). We got to the train with less than a minute to spare.

We got to a stop in Bingen. We looked at a map to see where the ferry was for Rudesheim and it was at the next stop. We rushed back to train and got back on. The train was stopped for about ten minutes so it would have been no big rush. The train finally moved and we got off the next stop. We walked to the ferry and found out the last one left twenty minutes ago. There was sign (in German of course) about something being 1000 meters away. We started to walk in that direction, when Amanda noticed the boat going to the dock. Ted sprinted in front of us and before the guy closed the gate, he asked if he was going back to Rudeheim. Luckily, that’s where they dock for the night so we paid the ferry fee and went back to Rudesheim. We walked back to the car and we kept commenting on how lucky we have been on this trip. It was pretty full day for us.

I went to my first baby shower on Monday. An American ex-pat, Colleen, got pregnant while here and is going to have the baby here. One of Germans was going to throw a baby shower. Germans do not have baby showers. Gifts are given at time of birth and at the christening. It is consider bad luck to give gifts before the birth. Colleen had to help with her own baby shower since the German hostess did not have a clue. So there was the silly games, food, and the presents. I had to give Colleen a Yodel bear (some of you know what I am talking about). Some the baby stuff was cool. OK, I will stop talking about baby stuff since a number of you (mostly men) are now rolling their eyes.

The rainy weather is back again. I have to carry an umbrella all the time. It would be sunny one minute then out of nowhere, it rains. Rain, rain, go away…. go far away.

After taking the Rhine Cruise, we did not do much of anything. Even though the weather was nice but I unfortunately sprained my ankle while working out. It is my first serious workout injury but I wish it would happen during the gloomy cold months instead of the limited summer ones. I had to take three days off of work to do the whole R.I.C.E thing.The weekends amounted to going to the movies and having people over.

This past weekend since my ankle was better, we decided to go to Trier. Trier has the most Roman ruins north of Italian Alps so it is German's oldest city. I figure since we did not get to Rome this year; this is the closest thing.

Saturday, July 31
It was about 1 hr 45-minute drive. The first ruin we saw was the Imperial Baths. They were the largest baths in the Roman Empire but were never completed. Part of the two-story wall with the arches of the building stood. It was built with two different color bricks, one grayish white and the other clay red. There were underground passageways that were fun to explore.

The next ruin we saw was the Amphitheater. It could hold over 20,000 spectators. There were rooms long the arena that probably held the animals and/or people for the events for that day. There was an underground rooms but much was not left. The seats were gone (actually they were moved so vines could be planted).

We walked to the gardens. There was a garden with assorted flowers lined with statues and next to it was a rectangle pool also lined with statues. The Palace of the Electors was there. It was pink with gold and marble decorations. To tell the truth I was more fascinated by the foundute across from the castle. It small steams of water shooting from moving spouts. Attached to the palace was some government building and Palastaula, the only surviving part of Constantine’s great imperial palace. It was the throne room, built around 310 AD now it is a Protestant church.

We saw Port Nigra, one finest Roman relics in the world. This is concerned the symbol of Trier. No mortar was used instead iron clamps were used to join the stone blocks. It started as a fortified gate in second century AD, then become a church in 1040 and then restored to it original appearance in 1804 by Napoleon when Trier was a part of France. It turned black due to pollution so thus the name (Black Gate). There are four levels in the building. Two of the levels had decorative cravings in the stone blocks. It did give a nice view of the city.

We had a late lunch/dinner at an outside café by Port Nigra. We were people watched. I can not believe how many women I saw wearing mini skirts and platforms or high heels. We could not make sense of the guys we saw who were wearing knee high socks with sandals. Yuck!

Sunday, August 1
We went to the Beer Festival in Mainz. We went a berry festival there in June. Germany loves having festivals. The festival boasted of 400 different kinds of beer. It was a small festival compare to the ones we have been to before. The festival was along the Rhine River. There were stands set up the brewery that sold their beer. There were also stands that sold assorted bottled beers from around the world. Ed bought a Labatt's Blue from one of those stands. There were stands that sold the standard festival food: fries, kartoffelpuffers, different sausages, candy, etc… Beside the normal fare there was a stand that sold Indian food and one for spareribs. Luckily, other drinks were sold like pop, wine, and mixed drinks, as most of you know - I don't like beer. But I did drink a half glass of beer from Rolinck, it was not bad ..or beer. Ed tried some new beers. We sat at table by the water. We talk and watch the boats go by. It was a relaxing afternoon.

We had a wine festival in our town for over a week. For two Saturdays, we went to the fest with Ted and Amanda. There were so many wine booths that we could not sample all of them without causing major damage to our health. Each booth represented a vineyard in the region. Most of wine at the booths was white. The booths were along the pedestrian walkway and in the market square. The first Saturday (August 14) Ed was first drinking wine but quickly wanted to change to beer. The Rathaus'(town hall) bar had a booth set up selling its beer. It brews it's own beer. Most the town halls have a bar in the basement . We grab a table next to the Rathaus. Ed and Ted drank beer while Amanda and me drank assorted wine. There were the normal food booths: pasta, bratwurst, crepes, etc… There was also live music. The first Saturday, there was a fashion show that included body painting. There was a guy and girl done up in blue paints, both topless. Amanda and Ted brought their two-year-old daughter Emma with them; she usually slept half of the time. She is a sound sleeper.

One the second Saturday, Ed bought Emma a Minnie Mouse and Winnie the Pooh balloons. We were walking home and Ed was carrying the balloons. A German lady pointed at Winnie and said 'Oh, Pooh Bear'.

Amanda said to Ed 'She is not talking about the balloon but you Ed.'
Ed said ' I don't care, she kinda cute, she can spread honey on me. Hell, she can bring in the aardvark.'
Amanda and I both asked 'Aardvark??'
Ed replied 'Well, isn't that what Piglet is?'
'No, Piglet is a pig', Amanda stated while we all laughed.
'What do think Tigger is?' I asked.
'Gay' Ed retorted.
'What about Eyor?'
'He is what he looks like. A jackass that is orifice for everyone.'
'What about Christopher Robin?'
'He is the dominatrix of the group. Pooh do this. Pooh do that.'

Sunday, August 22
There was Burgfest (Castle Fest) in Königstein. Ted, Amanda, and Emma join us. We got to the Castle ruin so Ted and Amanda could check it out. We were early so no one was set up. We back into town and got lunch. There was a small parade with people in medieval costume: knights, royalty, and peasants. There were three bands: two were marching band and one was German Oomph(sp?) band. There was group that was hauling a keg of beer and of course drinking during the parade. They were the most vocal.

We went back to the castle. The festival had started. There was a children program setup in one of courtyards but we did not go since Emma fell asleep. There were the usual beer and food booths. There were some booths that sold some crafts. The big thing in this festival was the bars. There were rooms in the castle that were individual bars. Each was different. There was even an Irish pub. A couple had grills going and some had assorted cakes and coffee. It was fun but I was expecting something more medieval like the Renaissance fair in Michigan. I found out from an ex-pat that we ran into that there was a festival like that. It was held in May. The big courtyard was set up a jousting area. A lot of people (as in families) that would come dressed in costume. They served food that was like the stuff in medieval times. There were demonstrations of assorted things including a guy who made a knight suit. I was bummed that I missed it. Oh, well. I had settle for drinking wine on a nice August day.

Yesterday, Ed’s work had a social thing at this restaurant. The specialty of the house is the steak. You get your salad then they served your steak. It is served raw on a hot lava stone. You cook your steak at the table. It cooked very quickly. It was pretty cool.

Back to the top

Saturday, September 12
Here we thought that since it was September that it would start be cooler but instead we have been having days with the temperatures in the mid 80's. At this time last year we had to wear coats.

We decided to go to Cologne for the day. It was an hour and half drive. Cologne is Germany's fourth largest city. It is suppose be multi-cultural as Frankfurt but friendlier. We started our tour at the double tower Dom. It is largest cathedral in German. We determine that one could fit S.S. Peter and Paul Church and it's school into this church. (S.S. Peter and Paul is a church in Detroit where Ed and I got married. Ed went to grade school there.) There are four side altars and a separate room for baptizing babies. Behind the high altar, is the Reliquary of the Three Kings, a 12th century goldsmiths’ art that alleged to contain the bones of Magi. The church has these enormous medieval stained-glass windows. Tourists can walk the 500 steps up the south tower to get a view of the city. Since it was hot that day, I was not up to that challenge.

We wonder around the city a little. We saw the Rathhaus (town hall). There were assorted statues on the facade. We went into the old market square. It was lined with shops, cafes, and pubs. The pubs and cafes had outside seating. We went to Gross St. Martin Church. It had torso and legs part of a crucifix. It looks like it was about eight feet tall. The description of it was in German so we do not know much about it. We walk to the Rhine River. There was a nice breeze. We watch the boats and the people. We decided to go back to the old market square and go to the Irish pub we saw for a couple of drinks.

Next to the Irish pub was a Danish ice cream place. In the front window was a guy making the waffle cones for the ice cream. It did smell good and on a hot day, an ice cream is always good. The cones contain the choice of ice cream, homemade whipped cream, sauce (chocolate or caramel), and a frozen chocolate covered marshmallow.

After our break, we went walk to the Roman tower. On the way, we saw that someone was trying to build something. There was a big hole to start the foundation but one side of the hole; we saw a Roman structure with columns. It is a "problem" in Cologne. One starts to dig and can run across a Roman ruin.

We found the Roman tower. It was part of the city wall in Roman times. There were semi-circle brick patterns on it. We could have walk further to see remains of medieval wall and gates. Of course, looking at the map the parts of wall and gates were spaced far apart. With the sun beating down on us and the temperature in the 80's, we decided to call it a day.

Sunday, September 12
Ted, Amanda, Emma, Ed, and I went to Satzvey Castle for a medieval tournament. There were medieval markets in the courtyards and around the castle. The market had stalls selling jewelry, medieval garments, crafts, etc... (If you have been to the Michigan Renaissance Festival - about the same things sold were at this market.) There were a number of people dressed in medieval garments. There were shows: puppets, tightrope, juggling, and a witch casting spells. There was this big show but we could not follow it since it was in German. There was a part where a guy was on the roof of the castle that pretended to shoot an arrow and kill someone. The actors shot arrows at him and he pretend that one hit and he fell. That was cool.

There was a show that had men fighting with assorted swords and axes. They were in a circle. One man would come in the middle and throw a challenge to another in the circle. Drummers accompanied them.

It looked like people spent the night here. There were medieval tents that had beds and there were tables set up by the tents. This castle is in the middle of nowhere. It is about 45 minutes from downtown Cologne and we did not see a decent town on our way in.

The tournament started at four o'clock. First the knights were showing off their skills. They certainly like to play with fire. The first game had the knight had to knock of helmets that were on fire, weave through moving sandbags, past two men with swords, and cut apple from a dummy. The second game was similar to the first one but two of the sandbags were replaced with burning rings and they were to put a spear through the dummy. The third game from what I gather the object was to set the other team's burlap cloth that was handing on wooded structure on fire first. The men were given wooded sticks with some of them on fire. They were fighting with them. The game ended when, well, one of the cloths was set on fire. The last game was like a relay race. The knights had to race their horses with the lance to the end of field, race back, and give the joust to the next knight. The catch to this race was there a line of blazing flames of fire in the path. The man and horse had to go through it and back. The jousting tournament started after that final game. It was like the Renaissance festival. One gets knock off and then they fight with the swords until one is left standing. The tournament ended with a free for all with the all knights and soldiers fighting with swords.

More information about..
Satzvey Castle

We are from the suburbs of Detroit,Michigan where we have lived most of our lives. Both of us graduated from the University of Michigan-Dearborn. We were members of a co-ed business fratnerity Alpha Kappa Psi back in college and of course that is how we met. The closest thing to having kids is our two dogs,Killian and Bailey, who are staying with relatives back in Michigan.

Ed : He is the Divional Controller for Lear's GM Europe Division. He is an avid eurche player and has discovered online eurche so he has played with people around the world. Enjoys golfing and has played in many outings back in Michigan. Has deveoped an interest in wines, especially since living in Europe,and has been increasing his knowledge. He is fond of Italian and Spanish wines. He is a life-long fan of the Red Wings and University of Michigan football.

Betty : She is an Information Analyst for EDS and is working on the Year 2000 Project for Deutsche Bank. She is also the creator of this web page. The traveling in Europe has fed into her photography habit. Back in Michigan, she started to do hand-coloring of pictures. She has also taken drawing and pastel chalk classes to develop her creative side. She follows University of Michigan football and especially enjoys attending the home games.

Our second home in Michigan

Wiesbaden with the population of about 270,000 is located at the foothills of the Taunus Montains along the Rhine River. The city was first mention by C. Plinius Secundus, a Roman historian, in the first century when it was called Aquae Mattiacorum. The city was given its chater in 1241. It was the capital of the principality of the Dukes of Nassau-Usingen in 1744. Since 1945, Wiesbaden has been the capital of the state of Hesse in Germany.

It started to become a spa town in the 1850. The wealthy and powerful has come to spend time in its healing waters of the many spas. It now has most millionaires living here than any other German city. The sophisticated allure of city attracts many to the night life offered by the casino, the theater, restaurants, bars, and clubs.

Wiesbaden is a place for many international trade fairs and congresses, as well as being the location of the world's most distinguished companies. It has become an important commercial and business center. Fifty-four square kilometers of wooded land, parks, and green areas makes Wiesbaden a city with most greenery in Germany

Market Church

State Theater




The pictures are from giftflight.com

World's Biggest Cuckoo Clock

Kurpark

Hotel Nassauer Hof

Russian Church