Familie Besucht Deutschland

Our second set of visitors have come and gone.  We had a great time showing my in-laws around Germany this past week.  We were able to fit in a few day trips & enjoy lots of quality time playing Apples to Apples, spoiling our puppy (who has been by my side, none-stop for the last 48 hours) and binge-watching Netflix together.

 



Forcing them to adjust to the time-zone, we woke up first thing Saturday morning and headed to Bad Dürkheim, a quick stop on our way to Heidelberg.  We stopped on our way out of town and introduced them to the wonders that are German baked goods.  To say it was love at first taste would, I believe, be a very accurate statement.  My brother-in-law asked us if they shipped to the States. 

 

Exploring the beautiful town of Bad Dürkheim.

 

We hit the ground running.  We took my in-laws to a small traditional German restaurant for lunch.  This particular restaurant offered menus only in German.  Daniel and I worked to translate what we could & helped everyone decide what they wanted to order, including reminding them that you needed to ask for STILL water if you didn't want bubbles in your water.  We proceeded to use our developing German vocabulary to place everyone's orders.

 

Not even 45 minutes past Bad Dürkheim. The flea market was huge and boasted a wide variety of items at low price points, just the way I like them rkheim, we arrived in Heidelberg, Germany.  We carefully parked our barrowed mini-van (side note: driving a mini-van around Germany - an adventure in and of itself) in a packing garage and trekked up to the castle.

 



Selfie-stick for the win

 

 

The girls in front of Heidelberg Castle.

Brothers.

 

 

 

Siblings.  Brothers will be brothers.

 

"Castle Illumination"  

 

 

Since the illumination couldn't start until it was dark & it doesn't get dark here till after 10:00 PM, you can imagine how ready to get home we all were - especially those who had traveled across an ocean and a time zone change the day before.

 

 -------------------------------

 On our way to Luxembourg we detoured through Trier - "The Oldest City in Germany"

 

 

Porta Nigra

 

 

Introducing the in-laws to our favorite tour guide & good friend, Rick Steeves.

 

 

 

Exploring the Roman Baths.

 

 

Just outside the city walls is the Roman Amphitheater.

 



 

 

You can't even imagine just how many "Gladiator" quotes made it into the day.

 

The Cathedral

 

 

 

Driving another 30ish minutes we crossed the border into Luxembourg. We didn't take time to explore the city, but instead headed straight for the American Military Cemetery & Memorial.

 

 

The final resting place of General George Patton.

May the love, devotion & sacrifice of the fallen never be forgotten. 

 

 

 

...Stay posted for our overnight adventure to Rothenburg & our cruise on the Rheine.

Langtons & Lobergs in Poland

Before moving to Germany, I'm not sure Poland was necessarily on my radar of places to visit in Europe.  However, when you find flights as cheap as we did & you're geographically this close, you really have no excuse.  So go we did.  Over the Fourth of July holiday weekend Daniel & I flew to Krakow, Poland with our friends, the Lobergs.   

 

 

 

Like many of our trips, this trip began with a self-guided walking tour, courtesy of our friend Risk Steves. After starting the walk next to the Barbican & what remains of the city wall, we walked through the Florian Gate and right onto Florianska Street - a makeshift art gallery, where starving students hawk the works they're painted at the nearby Academy of Fine Arts.

 

 

 

 

 

St. Mary's Church

 

 

 



 

 

Cloth Hall - functioning market, once the place where cloth-sellers had their market stalls.

 

 

 

 

Inside Cloth Hall.

 

After some shopping, we decided it was time to think about putting some food in our bellies. After consulting Rick, we couldn't resist going into a highly recommended local Pub for some Fish n' Chips.  I know it wasn't London, but man did it look good. . . .Don't judge me, I may have ordered chicken nuggets.  My generous husband shared a few bites with me.  Yum.

 

 

No time to mess around.  Picking up where we left off we headed to the Town Hall Tower.

 

The Town Hall Tower is all that remains of the Town Hall building from the 14th century. Also pictured, the "gigantic head" . . .   no really, that's what it's called.

 

 

 

Climbing up the Town Hall Tower.  

 

 

 

I know it doesn't make since, but literally the BEST Mexican food we've had since moving to Germany.  Seriously so good and cheap like you wouldn't believe.  Drinks, appetizers & HUGE entrees for less than €20 TOTAL for two people.  

 

--------------  DAY 2  -------------- 

 

Auschwitz Concentration Camp.  A tragedy like this should never be forgot.  Before WWII, this camp was a base for the Polish army.  When Hitler occupied Poland, he took over these barracks and turned it into a concentration camp.

 

 

 "Arbeit Macht Frei" translated, "Work Sets You Free"

 

Walking into the camp was its own kind of humbling experience.  Walking through the "blocks", looking at the 1,000's of items collected when the camp was liberated was more than powerful, more than moving, more than impactful.  An average of 14,000 prisoners were kept at this camp at one time (Birkenau could hold up to 100,000).

 

 

 

 

  

 

 

 

Between Blocks 10 and 11, the wall at the far end is where the Nazis shot several thousand political prisoners  leaders of the camp resistance, and religious leaders.  Our tour guide pointed out that all of the windows surrounding the courtyard were covered, so that nobody could witness the executions.   Today this wall serves as a memorial and is known as the "Wall of Death".

 

 

 Leaving Auschwitz, we took a short bus ride to Birkenau where our guide met us & continued the tour.  In 1941 the Nazis realized that Auschwitz camp was too small to meet their needs, so they build a second camp in some nearby farm fields.  At its highest, the camp help about 100,000 people.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The ruins of two of the crematorium. There were four total crematoria at Birkenau.  

 

 

 

A powerful history that should never be forgotten.