Milan, Italy

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My interest and desire to travel and see Italy go back to my childhood.  We had a mirror hanging in our living room and in the corner was tucked away an old postcard of a navy ship.  This is the ship that took my father to Italy when he was in the Navy.  This little memory made me curious about the country.  That combined with my love of great Italian food made it a must for me to go.
We really want to take a long trip to Rome soon, but just to get our foot in the door, we decided to see what Camp Darby has to offer. 
We left after a half day at work, and made the 7 hour drive to Milan.  To get there, we drove down through the rest of Germany, all the way through Switzerland, and finally into Italy.  We saw some tall mountains and went through lots of tunnels.  once in the city, it did not take us long to figure out that driving in Italy was insane!  As Ben put it, 'It's like Mario Kart in real life!"  The lanes are really striped off- Two lanes? Five lanes?  just depends on how many cars can fit.  Motorcycles passed on both sides, regardless of whether or not traffic is stopped.  Need to run into the store?  Just park right in the road.  People will figure out how to go around.  Red lights?  What does that even mean?  I wish I could videotape this scary part of our adventure for you.  There was a time while driving down the highway when Ben was in the right lane passing a semi that the guy behind him grew so impatient with Ben not getting out of his way that as soon as Ben did, he came over and tried to push us off the road.  When we arrived at the hotel, the owner helped us navigate our car into the hotel driveway, which itself was a nightmare.  There was lots of praying going on during this trip.
Travelling in Europe can be overwhelming.  If you don't plan right, you can run all over the place, leaving you stressed out and exhausted.  Sometimes i get wrapped up in feeling the need to see everything.  Desiring to make this a fun and relaxing trip, I picked a few highlights from each city to check out with the idea of taking our time to enjoy it.
On the first morning we woke up, went town to breakfast, and headed to our 9:00 appointment to view The Last Supper.  Before you can enter the room, you must go through a series of doors in order to de-humidify.  As I entered the room and looked around, I expected to see a framed masterpiece, but instead found the painting on a wall of the church.  It was pretty awesome to stand there and take in such a famous piece of art. 
Next on our list of things to see was the Duomo.  We walked a few blocks, crossed the street, and then all of the sudden this huge cathedral field our sight of vision.  It filled the square, was so white & pure, it was truly magnificent to gaze upon.  Of course we grabbed some gelato to eat as we took in the view.  Once the ice cream was devoured, we waled through the Duomo to look at the inside architecture as well as some painting hanging about. 

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We wended the day at a loWe wended the day at a local park.  The kids watched ducks swim in the pond, through leaves in the air, ran through the trees, and climbed all over the playground.  It was a good way for them to burn some energy before we got into the car to make the last leg of our trip (3 hrs).  cal park.  The kids watched ducks swim in the pond, through leaves in the air, ran through the trees, and climbed all over the playground.  It was a good way for them to burn some energy before we got into the car to make the last leg of our trip (3 hrs).

Strasbourg, France- Always an Adventure

I have been wanting to go to France, even if it was just crossing the border.  Strasbourg is just about a 2 hour drive from us.  I was planning to save this trip for the Christmas season in order to see the Christmas market, but we had a four day weekend with not much to do, so we decided to load up and go. 
We spent the day enjoying the city.  We found the town's main square, where the cathedral is located.  After mass let out we peeked inside the building.  I have heard some people comment on how they get tired of seeing church after church, but I still marvel at them.  The fact that they are so old, rich in history, and just beautiful takes me breath away for a second.  I love wandering around the sanctuary, looking at all the artwork and architecture that so much time and money was spent on.  It makes me feel just a little closer to heaven. 

As our stomachs began to growl and the kids turned fussy, we spotted a cafe serving savory crepes and headed in for a quick lunch.  My crepe was filled with ham and cheese, and was everything I hoped it to be. 
After lunch we jumped onto a boat for a quick tour of the town.  This turned out to be a great way to scope the town out and see where we wanted to head to next.  We spent much of the afternoon pushing strollers through the town which, despite being in France, had quite a German feel to it.  We dawdled along the Rhine past many half-timbered houses and through various shops.
As we headed toward the car to wrap up our day we made one last stop.  We had heard that there was a wine cellar in a hospital basement.  Intrigued, we had to check it out.  It was a little tricky to find, but after stopping and asking for directions we were able to locate it.  It was so cool and such a neat part of history!  The wine cellar in  the hospital basement was founded in 1395.  Today it is the home of a small wine museum featuring more than 40 ancient barrels, a wine press dating from beginning of the 17th century, and a barrel that is still filled with the wine from the year 1472.
This little wine stop concluded our tour of the town.  On our way home, we pulled off the road for a restroom break.  The GPS rerouted us, instead of putting us back on the autobahn it took us through many tiny towns, including one in which the road was blocked due to a fire, winding us  up and down a mountain (down very narrow roads).  This added an extra hour to our drive.  Driving in Germany is always an adventure...

Take care & God bless,
Staci

Trier

One of the places on my list of must-sees is Trier.  Known to be the oldest city in Germany, it is said to have been  founded around 16 BC.  s a beautiful town to visit.  With a river, cathedral, and Roman remains, I knew I was going to fall in love with this city.  This time, I'm going to let the pictures do the talking (okay, maybe a little narration): 




Porta Nigra
2nd century Roman gate

Trier cathedral

Originally built by Constantine the Great, the first Christian Emperor, it is the oldest church in Germany.   
 It houses an array of artworks and a few holy relics including the  Holy Robe of Christ.
 

Hauptmarkt
 Trier’s market square is the city’s true center
The Hauptmarkt is a major junction and a lively, colorful marketplace

Dreikönighaus, House of Three Kings
Built in 1230, the city wall was not yet finished so the inhabitants in every house had to defend themselves.   This house was designed with the door on the second level.  A ladder that could be pulled up was used.

 

The Electoral Palace,  Kurfürstliche Schloss
Today it is the location of various federal agencies

 

Kaiserthermen 
 The imperial Roman baths




St. George's Fountain

The corners are decorated with statues representing the four seasons
and the center is topped by St. George slaying the dragon.

 

Birthday Cake & Pumpkin Pie

Crisp, cool air, an array of colors on the trees, pumpkins everywhere- fall is here!  The thing I most like about autumn is the coziness- darker mornings, snuggling under blankets, warm coffee, oversized sweatshirts.  As each season changes I think to myself, "This has to be my favorite season!"   In Germany there is always something to celebrate.  This time of year pumpkin festivals and wine festivals are happening.

 

Speaking of celebrating, Ben turned 28 this past week.  He didn't want to celebrate it, and with his PT test quickly approaching, he didn't want a cake.  Well, you can't not have cake on your birthday, so I made him a healthy dinner (which was delicious by the way - http://aaronandjillw.blogspot.de/2011/08/italian-chicken.html) followed by a small piece of chocolate cinnamon cake.  We spent the evening at a local nature trail just right outside of our town.  The trail goes through a wooded area and has stations along the way for the kids to do.  I came across the flyer for it several weeks ago but have been unable to find the location.  The other day I drove by the sign for it, so we had to check it out.  It was a good find- we all had fun exploring and enjoying the beauty of nature.

              

With Columbus Day being this Monday, Ben has a four days off of work.  We began the long weekend by taking the kids to a pumpkin farm.  It was supposed to be a 45 minute drive, but we added another 15 minutes due to road construction in a couple of villages, which forced us to take an alternate route.  When we got there we found a large farm nicely decorated with large pumpkins, fresh flowers, and a corn maze.  You could pick your own pumpkin from the field or select one from the large assortment at the little store.  We picked out the perfect pumpkins (Avree and Natalie are going to paint them) and then spent the rest of our time watching the children play- they gathered chestnuts, scattered leaves, and just ran around!
 

        

Happy Fall to All!

Take care & God bless,

Staci

 

 

 

Prague, Czech.

Ever since arriving here we have heard numerous times, "You have to go to Prague. You have to go." Well, we finally did. It was a beautiful city with a castle on a hill. Seriously, it was a heck of a hill to climb.

 

We have some friends that live in Grafenwohr, Dan & Kristine. We always look for an excuse to go see them; this time we went to stay with them to shorten the drive to Prague. We arose early in the morning to get started on our trip in order to make the most of the day. We arrived after a mere 2 1/2 hr drive. We parked, unloaded, and began to wander. We headed first across Charles Bridge. It was a little rainy out, so it wasn't too crowded. We crossed and headed up the hill to the Prague castle. We made it just in time to see the changing of the guards. Upon entering the castle grounds, we peeked into St. Vitus Cathedral. As we continued to wander, we stumbled on a toy museum and went in to check out the old Barbie dolls. We descended the hill, wandered back toward parking, passed the Jewish Cemetery and decided to catch it the following day as our feet ached and the kids were getting weary.


Dinner. It warrants a paragraph to itself. Being tired and not wanting to pay more for parking, we chose to eat at one of the restaurants at the hotel (We stayed at the Hilton). I had traditional Goulash. Being a picky eater, I expected not to like it but was pleasantly surprised. It tasted like a beef stew, minus the veggies. The dish was served with potato dumplings. Ben ate Svickova na smetane  (sliced beef sirloin served in a cream sauce with a garnish of cranberries and bread dumplings). With a beer or glass of red wine, it was the perfect end to a long, rainy day.

We woke way before we wanted to (good morning, Avree). We had a lot still to see. We began this day much like the previous: find parking, hit the bakery. We also made at stop at Starbucks, as much coffee was going to be needed to get us going. We meandered up and down the narrow streets, perusing the souvenir shops filled with key chains, photo frames, crystal figurines and marionettes for sale. We strolled Old Town, gazed at the astronomical clock, tried to visit the Jewish cemetery (closed sat), then headed toward Petrin Hill. We took the funicular up to the top. There is an observation tower which is a small version of Paris's Eiffel Tower. Not feeling up to climbing the winding stairs, we kept going until we came to the mirror labyrinth. We entered, walked through a small maze of mirrors, and ended in a hall of distorting mirrors. Hearing the girls' laughs made it well worth the hike. This ended our trip, we walked back over the bridge and down through town toward the parking garage. It was a quiet drive back.

Although we left Prague, our adventures weren't over! We took our time getting up and going the next morning, and headed toward Pottenstein. It was about a 45 minute drive. We began the day by taking a ride down the rodelbahn. Next, we hiked through teufelshöhle, devil's cave. With time to spare before dinner we decided to rent a paddle boat. We enjoyed a quiet, relaxing ride until we were getting ready to dock and Natalie fell in the water. She says she was trying to catch a duck. A change of clothes and two minutes later, the kids were out and we drove down the street to our restaurant. We dined at Gasthof Schuttersmuhle, better known as Steak-on-a-Stone. They brought us our food on a hot, square stone, and you cook it until your perfection. The food was so good, the weather perfect, it was a great meal (maybe because the kids were asleep the entire time?!).

One more thing to tell about before I close. Have you ever heard about the great autobahn- the road with no speed limit. It sounds really great until you hit construction (frequent) or a stau. Coming back from the Bittman's we hit a stau, which added 3 3/4 hrs to our 4 hour drive. Not fun at all with kiddos in the back seat.

We are thankful for our friends all over the world, and look forward to the next time we get to meet up with the Bittman family.

Take care and God bless you, my friends,

Staci

 

 
 

 

 

 

 

Bastogne, the Battle of the Bulge, and a bit of Hee-Haw

I know this is going to sound cliche, but I am going to say it anyway.  Being here really makes the pages in our history books come to life.  I had a very good teacher in high school who really got me interested in history, and more importantly, helped me to see that it was part of my history.  Being here in Germany and the surrounding countries where some of this took place is both surreal and sobering. 

This past weekend we drove to Bastogne, Belgium.  This is where The Battle of the Bulge took place, the largest and bloodiest battle fought in World War II.  We put this on our list of must-sees after hearing about foxholes left from the war.  Upon further research, the foxholes are most likely from re-enactments, but nonetheless, it was still awesome to stand on the grounds where there once were the foxholes used to protect our troops both from the enemies and also from the harsh weather. 

We had lunch at the Mardasson Monument, shaped like a 5-pointed star.  We then stopped at a donkey farm.  Here a company uses donkey milk to make lotions and soaps, which are good for certain skin conditions, such as eczema.  I didn't try any, but they did smell really good.  Next, we quickly walked through a small museum which has articles from both WWI and WWII for purchase. We spent the rest of the day strolling through the streets eating Belgium chocolates, pastries, and fries.  Did you know that "french fries" actually originated in Belgium?

God Bless,

Staci

Mountians, Monkeys...and a Glass of Milk, Please

You may have noticed we have been traveling a little more.  With Avree finally a little easier to travel with, we are trying to make the most of our time here.  There is still so much to see...
This was my first time in France.  Our destination: Monkey Mountain.  La Montagne des Singes, or "Monkey Mountain," is home to 300 Barbary Macaques from all around the world.  You can see the monkeys in their natural environment doing monkey things: grooming each other, playing around, swinging in the trees, and eating.  I especially enjoyed watching the mommas taking care of their babies.  At the time of our visit there were 16 baby Barbary Macaques.  They were so tiny and cute!  Upon entrance you are given a handful of popcorn to offer to the monkeys as a snack.  As you wander down the path, the monkeys will come and sit on the railing, waiting for a little treat.  Natalie got tickled at them eating out of her palm, and Avree enjoyed watching the movement. 







 



With still a little time to kill, we stumbled upon a gingerbread museum.  We weren't actually sure what there was too see, but it looked like a sweet shop and we wanted to check it out!  The company, Fortwenger, has been making gingerbread since 1768.  The Gingerbread Man took us through an interactive trail where we discovered his history, recipes, traditions, as well as a possibility too see the production in action.  We got there shortly before closing, but if in the area again, we will indeed check it out!  And of course, we got a little snack for the road. 

Suagr & Spice & Everything Nice,
God Bless,
Staci

It's Good to See a Familiar Face

I am a little late on this blog, but I still want to share about our trip with the grandparents.  I want to start off by saying how nice it is to be around family, or just to see any familiar face for that matter.  The hardest part of being in the military, for me, is being away from family.  I grew up in a close-knit family, and it hurts me when I think about my children growing up without their cousins, aunts, uncles, and grandparents.  I know they are experiencing many other great things, but this is the sacrifice.  Skype is wonderful, but it just doesn't cut it.

Anxiously awaiting the arrival

We greeted Ben's parents at the airport in Frankfurt.  The girls and I made a sign to welcome them, which turned out really cute!  We took short trips the first few days so they had a chance to get over the jetlag.  Our first outing was to the Heidelberg castle, which we have been to many times before.  This time though, we paid to take the tour.  It was worth it because the tour guide took us to parts of the castle only accessible via the tour.  We then went to Triberg, a city in the Black Forest region.  We visited a cuckoo clock museum, hiked to the waterfall, and wandered in a few shops.

Triberg, Germany

Our first overnight trip was to Berlin.  Berlin is a city rich in history.  We caught a glimpse of all the frequently visited sites, and then toured an underground bunker left from the war.  Avree was not very cooperative for this part, but I was fascinated by the part that I heard.  Do you know they are still finding and disarming bombs today?

We detoured from our original plans to go to Normandy, and instead explored a little of Austria.  We stayed in Garmisch, Germany a few nights and took Byron & Patti to see Neuschwanstein Castle and Dachau Concentration Camp.  On from there, we drove to Berchtesgaden to check out the Eagle's Nest.  Unless you take the guided tour, there isn't much to see other than a cafe and a magnificent view.

View from our balcony in Salzburg

 We ended the trip with a short stay in Salzburg, Austria, home to Mozart and also the setting for the film "The Sound of music."  It was a lovely city, with a castle overlooking the town on a river. 
A few other cities we visited during their stay were Worms, Mannheim (Lusienpark), and Frankfurt-Hans Airport (Patti lived around here as a child).

We spent many hours in the car, ate more pastries than we should have, took enough photos to fill a scrapbook, and made memories of a lifetime.  It was so great for Natalie and Avree to have this special time with their grandparents.  Although the time went by way too fast, we are so thankful for the opportunity to have traveled  Europe all together.

Picnic at Luisen Park, Mannheim