Christmas Firsts

So many new Christmas experiences for us this year.  For starters we were not at home with our families, but thank God for technology as we were able to Skype with almost everyone or talk to them on the phone which certainly makes the 4,000 plus miles between us seem less.

Then the most exciting of all, Hannah's first Christmas!  She loved the wrapping almost more than the gifts, which was to be expected, but she really enjoys the few little toys that Santa brought her.

After singing about her every year - I finally got to be the "mama" kissing Santa Klaus underneath the Christmas tree.  We had a great time celebrating this holiday with our new family and are looking forward to creating new traditions and many great memories.

Grandma & Grandpa arrive on Saturday, which will be the greatest present of all.  Makes missing them over the holidays bearable.  We will be celebrating New Years Eve here in Frankfurt, which I am really anxious about because everyone lights off fireworks - so it should be very entertaining.

Happy Holidays!

St. Nicholas Visits!!!

Filled with joyous surprise and childish excitement......that was me when I opened our door Thursday morning (December 6 - St. Nicholas day here in Germany) to find a little red Christmas gift bag on our stoop.  As there were no boots left outside the door, it appeared that St. Nic improvised and left us chocolate Santas, clementines and nuts.

I'm guessing that our secret St. Nicholas was my sweet neighbor or her boyfriend.  It seems that jolly old St. Nic visited her as well and propped some pine bows against her door so the mystery continues.  Honestly, I like not knowing - feels magical that way.  I love surprises!  However, I must know and will certainly be asking my neighbor today.

Such a sweet and thoughtful gesture and the timing could not be more perfect as the holidays season is here and I am feeling that homesick ache for family, friends, familiarity, tradition and good old camaraderie.  It is moments like this that have a settling effect that dull the angst and struggles of living abroad and make life more comfortable.  The basic human need for connection is fulfilled and life continues on in anticipation for the next visitors...Mom & Dad!!!  There are not words for my barely contained excitement for their visit which will be a perfect night cap to this holiday season.

Finally, my next moment of pure joy (as it happens every year) SNOW!!!  Yes, I still find my self jumping up and down a bit with a permanent grin as the fluffy white stuff floats down from the heavens.  This year looks promising for Frankfurt getting snow quite contrary to the depressing doldrums inducing chilly grey days of last year.  If it is going to be cold at least let there be some beautiful snow!

Thank you St. Nicholas!

Have you had any St. Nicholas experiences???  I'd love to hear them.

Learning Curve

Look closely...yes there are SIX packages of salt there!  We've accumulated quite the collection in a little over a year.  Our searches  for the desired or called for crystal size have resulted in quite the collection and they are mostly sea salt - still looking for actual Kosher salt.  I found myself giggling when I realized how much we had the other day and I had to take a picture.

So if you are out looking for salt.....

Körniges Küchensalz = Table Salt
Meersalz = Sea Salt
Kräutersalz = Salt with dried herbs

mit Jod = with iodine

And then there are the mountain salts, some of which is harvested in the Alps and widely available.  One of the common brands is Bad Reichenhall from near Salzberg - if you translate it literally it means Salt Mountain.

We've also experimented with several types of flour as there is no standard "All Purpose" type flour.  The spice drawer is also full of interesting options and duplicates that vary in granule size or were bought because I thought it was something completely different.  One of the many joyous challenges of living the expat life.

Eltville, Germany - Rheingau Region

We spent a lovely and leisurely Saturday in Eltville along the Rhein River - part of the Rheingau Region which is a very popular wine growing region of Germany - mostly Rieslings along with some other whites and a couple reds.  Some very tasty wines, I might add.



Eltville itself is a very charming little town right on the Rhein river.  A very picturesque place as well with all the tiny cobblestone streets, half timber buildings and sleepy cafes...perfect place for a relaxing afternoon.  As I develop my "cruise director" strengths I hope to stumble across pleasant places like this one often.  I have a tendency to pick a place and travel there with little in the way of an itinerary - instead leaving the time between meals open for discovering and experiencing a place.

We found a quaint tiny hidden away restaurant - or at least the backside garden of a larger restaurant from the main street - and plopped ourselves down for lunch and refreshments.  You can not visit the Rheingau without trying the wine nor visit during Pfifferlinge (Chanterelles) mushroom season and not enjoy some classic German dish with pfifferlinge-rahm (cream) sauce.  Therefore, I indulged in the homemade Knödel with Pfifferlinge Rahm-Soße dish with a nice glass of crisp white wine.  Delicious!

Next we ventured to the much talked about and advertised Kloster Eberbach about 6km from Eltville.  The parking lot was nearly full - a very popular place - then as we were buying our tickets to enter the monastery I saw the poster for The Name of the Rose the 1986 film starring Sean Connery then I remembered a friend telling me that they had filmed the movie in a monastery in the Rhein area.  No wonder it is so busy and there is a hotel on the grounds as well.



Kloster Eberback turned out to be pretty amazing and beautiful and huge.  The Cisterian architecture is impressive and dates back to the 12th and 14th century.  At the end we bought a couple bottles of the monastery wine after tasting.


The wine cellar, pictured to the left was a very cool space with candles lit over the barrels.  Unfortunately, you can not walk around too much (this picture was taken through the gate!).




Of course, as the sun was going down and we began our trip back home, I had to stop and snap a picture of the vines.  A perfect little day trip coming to an end as we speed down the autobahn back to Frankfurt.  

Sweet Indulgence

Indulge.  I recently read that people who satisfy their sweet tooth cravings are generally sweeter people.  

Buttermilch Schnitte.  Guten Appetit!

Kaffee & Kuchen (coffee & cake) in the afternoon is a German tradition and thus I am immersing myself in the culture.  As if I need an excuse to entertain my sweet tooth.  

German Birthdays

Birthdays are a big deal here in Germany.  Typically, at least for adults, the birthday girl or boy invites family and friends over/out to celebrate.  If you are invited it is an honor and unless you have previous plans then you definitely need to attend.

Yesterday was our neighbors birthday (she is the nicest woman - we are lucky) and she invited us as soon as we were back from vacation.  I was completely honored as it was just her family and us crazy Americans.  After consulting some of my German friends, I learned that 1) you go if you are invited and 2) a bottle of wine and/or flowers are always appropriate when gift ideas are nonexistent, which is an ailment of mine.

With husband, baby, wine and birthday card in tow we fearlessly headed into an unfamiliar social situation.  So our evening was filled with new experiences, wonderful people, great food and lots of conversation.  Our neighbor and her family were very gracious and uncritical (thank God!) of our lack of German skills.  I also realized that I understand way more German than I thought, although speaking it is a whole different story.  Walking back to our flat I was thinking - WOW! we are lucky to have such a great neighbor and secondly - Damn! I need to learn German already.  Rosetta Stone I am about to be all over you.  No more excuses for missing German conversation group - time to get serious.  Yes, I could live in Frankfurt for three or five years and get around just fine without knowing the language, however, I am not going to be one of those people.

Everyday is full of new lessons, realizations and experiences.

Kinder Medicine

Unfortunately I found out because Hannah has an eye infection, but medications for children are free in Germany.  Maybe free isn't the correct word - the medications do not cost you a penny when you go to the drug store or apothecary (apotheke) with your prescription.  How amazing is that!?  I was surprised as this is quite different than the United States.

One other difference....A big difference.  Nothing is open 24-7 quite the opposite of the US.  So when you need to fill a prescription after 6pm during the week, Saturday night or on Sunday you have to figure out which apotheke is open that day.  Every neighborhood seems to have several apothekes and the one schedule that I found online was incorrect.  So I recommend walking to the nearest and checking out the posted "after hours schedule" - I can not remember the German name for this, but will update later - in order to see which one is open.  There is generally a different one each day and with in walking distance.  Hopefully you will never need this information, but it's very useful if needed.

Learning new things every day!

German Kindergeld

Kindergeld is a benefit offered through the Income Tax Law and is available to children of German residents from birth until the age of 18 in most cases.  There are some circumstances that allow payments until child is 25 years of age.  Applications for kindergeld are filed with the Familienkasse (Family Benefit Office) of the Bundesagentur für Arbeit (Federal Employment Agency).

Resident permit(s) and working permit(s) copies are required to be sent in with the paper work.

The Bundesagentur für Arbeit website is helpful and has some information in English, however much of the info in German as well as the forms (thank goodness for Google translate!). http://www.arbeitsagentur.de/nn_426328/EN/Navigation/Startseite/Startseite.html 

In Frankfurt the office contact information;

Agentur für Arbeit Frankfurt am Main
Fischerfeidstrasse 10-12
60311 Frankfurt am Main

Servicetelefon 01801 54 63 37
Kindergeld (0 69) 2171 28 23

Office Hours: Monday - Wednesday 8-12, Thursday 8-6, Friday 8-12

From what I understand Kindergeld is one of the "social" programs that Germany has to encourage people to procreate - at least that is the view of one of our German friends.  Elterngeld and Mutterschaftshilfe are also a part of the benefits of having a baby in German, if you are eligible.  More on those later.

 

Fasching, German Carnival

Fasching, the German version of Carnival, is celebrated most exuberantly in Cologne, Mainz, and other cities especially in the south western portion of the country.  At first (as Americans) we noticed Halloween costumes for sale in stores all over.  Then after an educational brunch with some German friends we learned about Fasching.

Fasching preparations and planning officially begin on November 11 at 11:11am.  Fasching parties begin in the beginning of January, but the real celebration, festivities, parades and events begin the Thursday before Ash Wednesday.  Events are held for all ages with children's activities and parades, adult parties, and of course the parades.

Last Sunday we attended the parade in Frankfurt and immersed ourselves in our new surroundings, including the yelling of "Hello!" at the parade participants who yelled back.  A very new experience with lots of interesting costumes and traditions.  There were people everywhere.  Great people watching and picture taking!

      

Organic (Bio) Produce Delivery

All the farmers markets in Frankfurt are great, but as my belly grows and near the arrival of the baby I've been searching for ways to make life a little easier especially for the first couple of months after we are home and adjusting.  Grocery shopping is a daily chore here for me and the burden of the chore increases as my energy plummets.

Life saver found!  Paradieschen is an organic (bio) food delivery service in the Frankfurt area and a blessing.  Last week was our first trial delivery and I must say I am thus far pleased with the service.  I even had to Google a couple of the items we received: puntarelle, Roman salad green delicacy and Black Root, which is native to North America and unfortunately not safe for pregnant women to consume.  There was a decent amount of produce and only a couple apples and a few carrots remain.  The weekly delivery "Familie Klein" (small family 2-3 people) will cost around 16 euros.  The invoice comes with recipes printed on the back and an overview of what will arrive the following week.

On top of the standard produce delivery they also have an online market full of organic (bio) products from meat, bread, and cheese to wine, prepared foods, noodles, and body care products.  I have yet to order anything extra, but as I await today's delivery and look through the available products I anticipate that my orders will increase in the future.

Best Tasty Thing Today

Käseplunder...comparable, but much tastier than the Cheese Danish in the USA.  The cheese (Käse) filling is heavenly and there is just the right amount of sugary glaze on the pastry. Last week I tried the  Kirchplunder from another bakery - also delicious, filled with cherries instead of cheese.  I'm turning into a pastry connoisseur and I am not so sure that is a good thing.  


Regardless, today I am grateful for all the quaint little bäckerei & kondetorei that scattered about everywhere I turn.  Kondetorei is like a bakery (bäckerei) but they have more sweet delicacies - either way I'm in heaven : )


Guten Appetit! 

Newspapers & Learning Deutsch

This week began with an ego boost as I successful returned a purchase speaking in 100% German!  Needless to say I was overjoyed and promptly sent a text to my husband along the lines of "Boooyaaa...Sprechen Deutsch!"...yes I actually typed out Boooyaaa!

I'm concocting my own plan for learning German as I will soon be done with my language course and taking care of our new baby - 5 weeks exactly!  So between German films, newspapers, and Rosetta Stone coupled with daily interactions I will continue to improve my Deutsch speaking abilities maybe even become fluent.

So with that in mind I must share today's newspapers...Newspapers must not be hurting as much here.  When Wednesdays roll around we receive three free newspapers - this is just on Wednesday.  Take a glimpse....I am at the point where I can understand the point of most articles, but not everything.

Now onto film!  We were able to find two films that sounded decent at the local Saturn store.  Surprisingly, the store carries hundreds of DVDs - however most are Hollywood.  The whole point of using film to aide in learning a language is that the film is in it's original version with English subtitles and subtitles in the original language.  So you begin by watching the film with English subtitles until you get the film down and then switch to the native subtitles.  I love movies so I am hoping this helps and that our choices are not flops.  So we are looking forward to watching Vier Minuten (Four Minutes) and Kokowääh (the way a German would pronounce the French dish Coq au Vin).  Here's to hoping these are good learning tools!

German Discipline

I learned some things today about what is acceptable & unlawful in the land of sauerkraut & schnitzel....

First, it is against the law to spank a child - not that I am planning on beating my future children, but coming from America this is different and interesting to me.  The children here seem very independent too and I wonder how the two correlate as you might think that a very well behaved child is also a strictly disciplined child.....just something to ponder.

Secondly, kids can run around and scream at the top of their lungs, can kick a ball around until the noise makes you want to rip out your hair, and can climb all over the trains like monkeys.  They can do all of these things with out being scolded and there is nothing anyone can or will do about it because it is believed that 'kids need to be kids'.  Please don't imagine a bunch of children running the streets being annoying and rambunctious - although I have witnessed some very irritating children on the train that made me wonder what the hell was going on.  I agree that kids need to be kids and they need time and space to do so and I find it to be a great that society protects this belief.  On the flip side, there have been one or two times when I've wanted to ask some wild children to settle down, but I guess it would not have mattered anyway.

Maybe I find these differences interesting because I am expecting my own child and I've been reading a lot about raising children.  Food for thought for now!

Wander in the Woods

As a small town girl who loves the outdoors, I must admit that city living is a great experience that unfortunately leaves me a little homesick for the woods and wild.  So I was extremely pleased when I first learned about the German tradition of Familien Sonntagsspaziergang which translates to family walk on Sunday.  Reading about it is one thing, but seeing the woods on a Sunday or holiday is astonishing.

When my in-laws visited back in October we had our first encounter with this concept.  First, it's important to note that in Germany most places are closed on Sundays, with the exception of restaurants and loud noises (i.e. cutting the grass, loud music, etc) are not allowed.  All work is done on Saturdays leaving Sundays strictly for leisure.  I love this custom!

So without map or any real idea where we were headed the four of us piled into the car, punched in a location on the GPS and headed up to the Taunus mountain region to go for a hike.  Since it was a holiday, the number of cars we saw was not that surprising, we found a parking spot and headed up the trail soaking up the sunshine.  After walking the trail about 40 minutes we came to a plateau with a few buildings and lots of people...hmmm...interesting we thought as we approached.  Then as the signs were visible - we realized that these little places were restaurants selling beer, brots, and kuchen (cake).  We felt as though we were in heaven....a nice walk in the woods and stumbling upon food and refreshments, which was perfect as we had not yet had lunch.

After fueling up our bellies we headed back down to the car.  Again not exactly knowing where we were going once in the car, we decided to keep driving up the hill.  The higher we ascended the more cars we saw.  Eventually there were cars along both sides of the road and once we reached the top of the Feldberg (highest mountain in the Taunus at 878 meters) there were literally people and cars covering every open surface making it difficult to maneuver a vehicle.  The number of people was simply jaw dropping.  Back home people generally are just not this active.  Well, that was our first experience of a wander in the woods here.

Last Sunday I woke up with an urge to escape the city, to walk in the dirt not on cobblestones, to see towering trees not endless buildings, and to breath fresh clean air not the exhaust of thousands of cars.  So we went for a wander in the woods, thought we were lost for a bit and then after two hours found our way back to our car.  A perfect day!

Although, I had the need to get out of the city, I must at least say that Frankfurt is very livable city with many huge parks - a handful within walking distance from our flat - and lots of trees for a big city.  The Taunus mountains are only a 30 minute drive away and beautiful with great views of the region.  So far a great place to live and play.          

I love Familien Sonntagsspaziergang!

Driving & Transportation & Parking

When looking for an apartment one of the requirements we included within the search was an included parking spot.  Since my husband Travis has a 45 minute commute and parking is very difficult in the city he wanted a spot that will for sure be there once he makes it through Frankfurt's horrible traffic.  So we have the most intriguing parking set up like I've never seen before.

The haus next to us has an underground parking garage where our parking space is located.  Perfect no worries   or wasted hours spent trying to find a free spot.  First there is a remote activated post that goes done in order for a vehicle to pull into the driveway.  After pulling around to the back side there is a bat cave like entrance to the parking garage.  There are five elevator stalls that each hold four vehicles - small cars.

 Here one of the stalls with the bottom spots empty and below a picture taken while Travis raises the lift so that we can get to our car.  There really isn't that much space between upper and lower levels.  When we ordered our car we had to take measurements to make sure that whatever car we get will fit in the space.  A Porsche was not on his list of available options, but it would have fit perfectly!  We are just thankful to have a parking space - less stress - and a car that runs.

Most of the time the car stays parked except for going to work, on weekend road trips or hiking adventures into the Taunus - generally we use public transportation, which is extremely convenient.  Trips to the grocery store, going out to dinner, or shopping, and pretty much anywhere with in Frankfurt we walk, ride bikes, or take public transit, which I love.  I have a monthly pass for the public transportation within the city of Frankfurt, which is great.  For 75 euros a month, I can ride after 9am and someone can ride with me Monday thru Friday after 7pm for free and on the weekends & holidays for free.  Totally worth it!

I wish public transportation was as wide spread in the US.  I enjoy the freedom of not having to worry about filling up a gas tank, finding parking, or having a car to keep clean.  Not to mention there are millions of road signs in Germany I don't know how people remember what they all mean.  Luckily, some US states have reciprocity with Germany and they you don't have to take tests to get your German license.  Michigan is one of those states with full reciprocity so we don't have to do the written or driven tests in order to get our licenses.  Thank goodness!

     

Knödel Time

My first attempt at making German food....Knödel dinner success......

Knödels are German dumplings made of bread and potatoes with some herbs.  So was dinner especially healthy - not after I poured the mushroom gravy over them!  OK so the dumplings came from a box, but I made the delicious mushroom sauce and tossed in some window sill herbs too.  I really just like saying knödel :)

Not a huge adventure into the land of the unknown, but I did have to translate packing - thank you Google Translate.  Most importantly we enjoyed eating them!

Ingredients...Ingredients...Ingredients

Before moving to Germany we researched what goods and items are hard or impossible to find in this foreign land.  So I prepared properly, at least I thought so.....

Rewind four and half months, I made sure to pack vanilla extract, baking powder, peanut butter, a variety hot sauces, products we particularly like and our whole spice cupboard because it was extensive and I was unsure what I would find here.  Fast forward to October, shipment arrives (YEAH!!!) and with all the goodies it felt like  Christmas, but I forgot the baking soda - always something, right.

How hard can it be to find baking soda, sodium bicarbonate, it is used to clean, bake, brush teeth, get out stains, and so much more.  There are no big boxes of Arm & Hammer baking soda to speak of and my search began about a week ago.  I was not going to be defeated.  Why?  Well, the motivational hormones in my fifth month of pregnancy driving my cravings for homemade cookies and muffins was all the energy I needed.

In Germany baking soda is called Natron and I searched the shelves of the four main grocery stores I shop at and with no success.  Something had to give....I need cookies and any of my old coworkers can attest to this fact.  Finally, a random attempt at a third nearby Rewe grocery store resulted in discovering the treasure, the secret ingredient, something I've always taken for granted back home.

Behold, Kaiser Natron, about 0,69 euro for a mere 50 grams.  No more searching for recipes that excluded the baking soda.  Cookies, muffins, bread, and baked goods are in my future.  I was so elated to finally find the Natron that I also bought a package of cookies to celebrate with on the walk home.  Not nearly as good as homemade.

Needless to say my afternoon then consisted of baking...cookies.  A new recipe from my favorite vegan cook books, How It All Vegan.  So, Spicy Oatmeal Raisin Cookies have been squelching my cookie cravings this week.  These would be great with a bowl of chili (vegetarian that is)...next time!

What's up next....

German Thanksgiving!

  

Prenatal Courses

It's hard enough to move to a new country, but it's another story when you move to a foreign country while you are pregnant.  Thankfully....Germans have babies too!  And surprisingly so do many other expats, many of which speak English.  Therefore, finding a prenatal prep course given in English was not that difficult.

We are very lucky, as one of the courses we found is not even a block from our flat in our great neighborhood filled with kids, trees, and parks.  Familien GesunheitsZentrum, www.fgzn.de, offers several different course, but most importantly for us they offer a prenatal course in English.  At first I was worried that the course would all be about breathing & relaxing during birth and since I know that I must have a Cesarean that would not be helpful for me.  However, when I called the instructor, Gabriele, she reassured me that the course covers more information and so I enrolled us in the seven week course.

The class meets once a week and is very informative.  Gabriele is a wealth of information and such a peaceful soul.  I am so glad that our paths have crossed and to have such a kind person offering you help and guidance during such a transitional time is comforting.  Now we have tons of information on having a baby in Germany and the differences between German practices verses other countries.  The class is populated by couples from all over the world and at different stages in their pregnancies.  A great experience so far!

One of the biggest differences about German healthcare is that generally practitioners are more knowledgeable and accepting of holistic medicines, which is awesome.  Also, for pregnancy & birth, the focus is relaxation not just breathing, although breathing is plays a big role in relaxation.  So far, I like the differences that I've noticed in German health care & insurance.

Now we just have to tour a couple of the hospitals - there are many in Frankfurt - and decide where we want to have the baby.  So much information and so many decisions.  Not to mention, all the necessities that we must purchase before the baby arrives.  There are so many products and options out there it makes my head spin.  So I've decided on a process of elimination to evaluate if we really need something - I just think about carrying it up our five flights of stairs!

   

Learning Deutsch

So here I am living in a foreign country with no knowledge of the language....Well, except "Eine bier, bitte" which can only get one so far.  Frankfurt is such an international city that I could theoretically live here for three years without really having to learn the language.  Actually, I am surprised by how many expats living here do not speak Deutsch or even try to learn.  I can not imagine living here and not speaking Deutsch - there is a whole part of life that you miss out on, at least it seems like you do.  How does one make friends or at least acquaintances and communicate with neighbors who know no English???  Although, it is difficult to make German friends as they are much more private than Americans - more on cultural differences later.

I have been taking Deutsch lessons now for about a month.  Class is twice a week at Deutsch Partner in Kronberg.  Learning the language is not so easy, but so far I'm enjoying the classes.  Now I catch myself listening to passing conversations hoping to pick up words that I might know and when I finally do hear familiar words my internal cheer is explosive.  Slowly, I am picking up words, phrases, and retaining the basics.  I admit that I need to study more...never was great at patiently studying.

The craziest thing about learning a new language so far is the fact that when I can't think of what I want to say I think of the word or response in Spanish.  Why my brain picks up the leftover remnants of high school Spanish is beyond me, but it is interesting and a couple of my class mates do the same with second languages that they know.  Confusing!  

When I am out grocery shopping or at a restaurant I seem to freeze up - all my good intentions of speaking in Deutsch melt away as the person speaking to me talks so fast I feel that I've been swept up into a whirlwind.  Plus, on the occasions that I manage to rattle off my answer in Deutsch they realize I am not German and begin speaking to me in English.  Argh!!!  My trips to the market are getting to be more successful, which is encouraging - especially considering the frequency of trips to the market.  I think my husband had a point, when we talk about new languages being easier for children to learn, he believes it is because they are not afraid to make mistakes - so true.  

So, cheers to making mistakes because I am going to learn this language!    

     

Auf Wiedersehen!

Street Markets Everywhere

Street Markets...one of my favorite things about Germany so far.  There is always a market going on somewhere, except Sundays.  The markets are social gathering places that include venodrs selling wine, hard apple cider (Rauscher), and a Hessen favorite - Apfel Wien (apple wine), which is usually mixed with mineral water or orange Fanta and is quite refreshing in the warmer summer.  Then there are the vendors selling various wurst, currywurst, Frankfurters, and Pommes (french fries).

Pommes mit ketchup & Currywurst mit brot

(French Fries with ketchup & Currywurst with bread)

Yesterday's snack at the Bergerstrasse Market, pommes for me & wurst for my husband.  It's wonderful to see so many people out, shopping for fresh produce, fresh meats, natural honey, olives, teas, candies, bread, homemade egg noodles, etc - not typical in many American cities, although it is growing.  

I must mention that the Saturday markets are packed with people shopping for the weekend because everything, except restaurants are closed on Sundays.  So people are out stocking up for the weekend.  At first it took some getting use too - shopping every few days and stores being closed on Sundays, but I really enjoy both differences now.  Sundays are a true day of rest here...loud noise is not allowed (so no cutting grass, recycling glass, or loud music) and it is a day to be spent with family & friends.  Many Germans go on a family walk on Sundays - more on that later.  I love Sundays!

My friend Amanda was so right...I love the markets!  There is one market two blocks from our flat on Wednesdays and people stay in the park drinking wine, talking with friends, and shopping until almost eight o'clock in the evening.  A great way to spend the evening - unfortunately that wine is out the question for me right now!

More market pictures later this week...