Steve enjoying our picnic by the Rhine River
Friday, August 27, 2004
Along the Rhine River
When my Dad came back, he only had a day with us. We decided to take him to the Rhine River.
We ended up having a lovely day, with the weather getting more and more beautiful as the day went on.
We started by crossing the river at Mainz, then took the 42 along the north bank of the river. We found a place for a picnic right away and enjoyed some sandwiches while watching the river go by, as well as some kayaks, ducks, and barges.
There was a fest in Rudesheim, but we couldn't find parking so we drove on. We stopped instead in Assmannshausen, strolled through the pretty town, and bought some ice cream bars.
Our next stop was to take the ferry to Burg Pfalzgrafenstein, the shiplike castle in the middle of the river. It was used to demand tolls from boats wanting to go by (like most of the castles). The boys swung on a tire swing tied to a tree while my Dad and I went through the castle.
The drive itself was beautiful, as castle after castle lines the river. Our final step was at Burg Lahneck. We'd been to this castle before with Stephanie and Bruce, but that time we were too late to go inside. This time, my Dad and I took a tour while the rest had a snack at the castle restaurant. When the tour was done, we all had dinner there, on a terrace overlooking the Rhine River with a breathtaking sunset. It made a very lovely day, and we were glad that Dad was there to share it with us.
We ended up having a lovely day, with the weather getting more and more beautiful as the day went on.
We started by crossing the river at Mainz, then took the 42 along the north bank of the river. We found a place for a picnic right away and enjoyed some sandwiches while watching the river go by, as well as some kayaks, ducks, and barges.
There was a fest in Rudesheim, but we couldn't find parking so we drove on. We stopped instead in Assmannshausen, strolled through the pretty town, and bought some ice cream bars.
Our next stop was to take the ferry to Burg Pfalzgrafenstein, the shiplike castle in the middle of the river. It was used to demand tolls from boats wanting to go by (like most of the castles). The boys swung on a tire swing tied to a tree while my Dad and I went through the castle.
The drive itself was beautiful, as castle after castle lines the river. Our final step was at Burg Lahneck. We'd been to this castle before with Stephanie and Bruce, but that time we were too late to go inside. This time, my Dad and I took a tour while the rest had a snack at the castle restaurant. When the tour was done, we all had dinner there, on a terrace overlooking the Rhine River with a breathtaking sunset. It made a very lovely day, and we were glad that Dad was there to share it with us.
Roman Fest
The day after the Medieval Fest in Kaiserslautern, we went to a Roman Fest in Trier. It was probably unfortunate that we went to them only a day apart from each other. It seemed pretty much the same thing, only in Trier the participants were dressed up in Roman costumes instead of medieval ones.
Trier was an old Roman capital in Constantine's day. The "black gate" or "Porta Nigra" is still standing, as well as an old palace and an amphitheatre and the Imperial Baths. We walked around some of these sites and looked in the shops as well as looking at the Roman Fest. At the Fest, Timothy tried using a wooden sword on guys in Roman armor.
They had colored lights up in the underground passages of the Baths, to give it a "Mystical" appearance. It made it rather spooky, and hard to see where you were going, so Timothy urged us to get out of there as fast as possible.
We finished up the day with pizza at Romeo's in Landstuhl.
Trier was an old Roman capital in Constantine's day. The "black gate" or "Porta Nigra" is still standing, as well as an old palace and an amphitheatre and the Imperial Baths. We walked around some of these sites and looked in the shops as well as looking at the Roman Fest. At the Fest, Timothy tried using a wooden sword on guys in Roman armor.
They had colored lights up in the underground passages of the Baths, to give it a "Mystical" appearance. It made it rather spooky, and hard to see where you were going, so Timothy urged us to get out of there as fast as possible.
We finished up the day with pizza at Romeo's in Landstuhl.
Medieval Fest
My Dad was here for a couple of weekends, on his way to and from St. Petersburg for a conference for scientists who disagree with Einstein. (No, he's not a crank. He gave a paper discussing how GPS data doesn't fit the Special Theory of Relativity. He's highly respected among GPS professionals.)
Anyway, the Friday he came, we went to a Medival Fest in Kaiserslautern in the evening. We had Flammkuchen for dinner--a specialty from the nearby Alsace region of France. It's on thin bread like a tortilla, with cheese and onions and bacon and other possible toppings.
I like Medieval Fests in Europe; it seems like an appropriate setting. It's a little scary how enthusiastic the participants are. Most people there were dressed in medieval clothes. The participants camp out on the grounds. You can buy old-fashioned things, and watch a blacksmith or a tournament, and other medieval craftspeople.
It does seem like it would be a fun way for a college student to spend a summer, following medieval fests selling items or doing reenactments.
My boys took a turn throwing axes at a target. Josh's aim wasn't bad, but the ax didn't stick in the target. Timothy was the only one to throw an ax that stuck. I'll post pictures to go with this.
Anyway, the Friday he came, we went to a Medival Fest in Kaiserslautern in the evening. We had Flammkuchen for dinner--a specialty from the nearby Alsace region of France. It's on thin bread like a tortilla, with cheese and onions and bacon and other possible toppings.
I like Medieval Fests in Europe; it seems like an appropriate setting. It's a little scary how enthusiastic the participants are. Most people there were dressed in medieval clothes. The participants camp out on the grounds. You can buy old-fashioned things, and watch a blacksmith or a tournament, and other medieval craftspeople.
It does seem like it would be a fun way for a college student to spend a summer, following medieval fests selling items or doing reenactments.
My boys took a turn throwing axes at a target. Josh's aim wasn't bad, but the ax didn't stick in the target. Timothy was the only one to throw an ax that stuck. I'll post pictures to go with this.
Tuesday, August 24, 2004
Home
I recently read Slipping Into Paradise, by Jeffrey Moussaieff Masson, about how he moved to New Zealand and felt he had come home. That made me mull over what makes a place feel like home.
Even when I was only in college, I refused to say I was "going home" when I went to my parents' house. I decided that I wanted to live in my own home, even if it was "only" a dorm room, thank you very much!
How much more, now that I have a husband and children, is my home where I live with them, rather than some far-off place where I grew up? I have no idea where we will move once we go back to the States, but I do know that I hope it is not a big city like LA, where I grew up. Yes, America has things I am familiar with, and they speak my language (though not in my parents' neighborhood, which is Spanish-speaking), but, for now, my home is in Germany, and I'm very happy here.
I have to admit that my feeling of being at home here goes deeper than making the best of things. It didn't take long for me to fall in love with this place.
Now, I should mention that we have lived in four different places since we moved here. The first place, Leithoefe, is a village of 11 buildings and had 31 inhabitants when we were there. It also has a stunningly gorgeous view. I would sit on my sofa and stare out the window and my soul would be fed.
We were halfway up a hill, overlooking a green valley. On the other side of the valley was another little village and also forests. Inside the valley were green fields. Over the valley, birds soared and played on wind currents, and rainbows shone when a storm blew through. Deer ran across the fields or grazed during the winter. I had never lived anywhere remotely as beautiful.
When we heard that our landlords had another use for our apartment, we were devastated. Since then, each move has gotten us a slightly less beautiful but slightly more convenient place. Even now, five minutes from work, we can take a short walk to get to a hilltop with a lovely (if not spectacular) view.
I do love living in the country, with many conveniences of the city not too far away. Another thing that makes it easy to be at home here is e-mail. We moved here in 1996, about the time most of my best friends got connected. Now I can chat with the people I love most in the world regularly, instead of waiting months for letters. I feel closer than I did when we lived in Illinois!
I also love being in the middle of Europe. We're not far from France, Luxembourg, Czech Republic, Switzerland, Holland, and Belgium. We've had fabulous, but relatively inexpensive vacations to Ireland, England, Scotland, Austria, Paris, Bavaria, Switzerland, France, Italy, and Prague. Our list of places we want to go visit only gets longer, and it's all possible now that we live here and don't have to worry about the price of international flights. I didn't used to have a travel bug, but now I love seeing these places I have read about all my life.
I do like the German language. I didn't grow up speaking the same language as my neighbors, so maybe that's why that part of it doesn't bother me. German is so lovely and logical. They don't seem to have as many different words as we do--they simply put words together. For example, "raccoon" is "Washbear"! When all is said and done, it's awfully close to English. Little words, like "Das ist gut" in English come from the German roots.
And who knew how much fun taking pictures of castles could be? I've always liked taking pictures, but now I have a new hobby--taking pictures of castles. There's something magical about an 800-year-old castle and the fact that it's stood there for so long and has seen so many people come and go. I also like the fascinating shapes left in the ruins and the fact that they almost always have a stunning view up on a hill.
Of course, the extra money in the form of a "cost of living" allowance that my husband is paid doesn't hurt a bit. They want to pay us more to live in Europe? That sounds like a good deal to me!
Another thing I love about being here is that, thanks to the "cost of living" allowance, I got to quit a job I disliked (teaching math) and switch to one that I love (working in the base library), with a year and a half in between getting to stay home with my two-year-old. I now read at least three times as many books per year as I used to. I finished writing my first children's book and have started another. I'm publishing a website, Sonderbooks, that is getting more and more popular.
I should also add that, when we extend for another "tour of duty" here in Europe, the Air Force pays for a trip back to see our families in the States. (They save the cost of moving someone.) No one paid for us to visit family when we lived in Illinois! And our families are surprisingly more eager to come visit us than they were then!
I can't imagine being happier with my life than I am now. What do I like about making my home in Germany? Well, what's not to like?
Even when I was only in college, I refused to say I was "going home" when I went to my parents' house. I decided that I wanted to live in my own home, even if it was "only" a dorm room, thank you very much!
How much more, now that I have a husband and children, is my home where I live with them, rather than some far-off place where I grew up? I have no idea where we will move once we go back to the States, but I do know that I hope it is not a big city like LA, where I grew up. Yes, America has things I am familiar with, and they speak my language (though not in my parents' neighborhood, which is Spanish-speaking), but, for now, my home is in Germany, and I'm very happy here.
I have to admit that my feeling of being at home here goes deeper than making the best of things. It didn't take long for me to fall in love with this place.
Now, I should mention that we have lived in four different places since we moved here. The first place, Leithoefe, is a village of 11 buildings and had 31 inhabitants when we were there. It also has a stunningly gorgeous view. I would sit on my sofa and stare out the window and my soul would be fed.
We were halfway up a hill, overlooking a green valley. On the other side of the valley was another little village and also forests. Inside the valley were green fields. Over the valley, birds soared and played on wind currents, and rainbows shone when a storm blew through. Deer ran across the fields or grazed during the winter. I had never lived anywhere remotely as beautiful.
When we heard that our landlords had another use for our apartment, we were devastated. Since then, each move has gotten us a slightly less beautiful but slightly more convenient place. Even now, five minutes from work, we can take a short walk to get to a hilltop with a lovely (if not spectacular) view.
I do love living in the country, with many conveniences of the city not too far away. Another thing that makes it easy to be at home here is e-mail. We moved here in 1996, about the time most of my best friends got connected. Now I can chat with the people I love most in the world regularly, instead of waiting months for letters. I feel closer than I did when we lived in Illinois!
I also love being in the middle of Europe. We're not far from France, Luxembourg, Czech Republic, Switzerland, Holland, and Belgium. We've had fabulous, but relatively inexpensive vacations to Ireland, England, Scotland, Austria, Paris, Bavaria, Switzerland, France, Italy, and Prague. Our list of places we want to go visit only gets longer, and it's all possible now that we live here and don't have to worry about the price of international flights. I didn't used to have a travel bug, but now I love seeing these places I have read about all my life.
I do like the German language. I didn't grow up speaking the same language as my neighbors, so maybe that's why that part of it doesn't bother me. German is so lovely and logical. They don't seem to have as many different words as we do--they simply put words together. For example, "raccoon" is "Washbear"! When all is said and done, it's awfully close to English. Little words, like "Das ist gut" in English come from the German roots.
And who knew how much fun taking pictures of castles could be? I've always liked taking pictures, but now I have a new hobby--taking pictures of castles. There's something magical about an 800-year-old castle and the fact that it's stood there for so long and has seen so many people come and go. I also like the fascinating shapes left in the ruins and the fact that they almost always have a stunning view up on a hill.
Of course, the extra money in the form of a "cost of living" allowance that my husband is paid doesn't hurt a bit. They want to pay us more to live in Europe? That sounds like a good deal to me!
Another thing I love about being here is that, thanks to the "cost of living" allowance, I got to quit a job I disliked (teaching math) and switch to one that I love (working in the base library), with a year and a half in between getting to stay home with my two-year-old. I now read at least three times as many books per year as I used to. I finished writing my first children's book and have started another. I'm publishing a website, Sonderbooks, that is getting more and more popular.
I should also add that, when we extend for another "tour of duty" here in Europe, the Air Force pays for a trip back to see our families in the States. (They save the cost of moving someone.) No one paid for us to visit family when we lived in Illinois! And our families are surprisingly more eager to come visit us than they were then!
I can't imagine being happier with my life than I am now. What do I like about making my home in Germany? Well, what's not to like?
OTTCO: August 2004
I love Suzanne's August newsletter! Her comments about the Band's tour to France also apply to Steve's same trip. I also have some of the same wishes about Europe and the US.
OTTCO: August 2004
OTTCO: August 2004
Wednesday, August 18, 2004
Sunday, August 08, 2004
Saturday, August 07, 2004
Sonderbooks Home Page: Book Reviews by Sondra Eklund
Sonderbooks Home Page: Book Reviews by Sondra Eklund
I posted another issue of Sonderbooks! I'm testing out the Blog This! link to see how it shows up in my blog.
The books I reviewed this issue include SEVEN BLESSINGS, a nice story about an American in Israel using a matchmaker, and WREN'S QUEST, continuing a great series by Sherwood Smith.
I posted another issue of Sonderbooks! I'm testing out the Blog This! link to see how it shows up in my blog.
The books I reviewed this issue include SEVEN BLESSINGS, a nice story about an American in Israel using a matchmaker, and WREN'S QUEST, continuing a great series by Sherwood Smith.
Living in Germany
When I was back in California at Christmastime, a relative asked me what I liked about living in Germany. I was so surprised by the question--I thought I had more than answered that over the years--that I hardly knew what to say. As I'm starting this blog, I thought it might be nice to begin by talking about why I love living here.
I'm also going to try to keep my postings shorter, more readable in a small amount of time, so I may only begin on that topic.
We moved to Germany at the end of 1996. My husband, Steve, is in the U. S. Air Force Band, and he got transferred as a volunteer to be part of the U. S. Air Forces in Europe Band.
About a year before, I had read an article in "Postive Living" magazine that suggested writing down your dreams. On a whim, I wrote down several. These weren't goals. They weren't things I thought were likely to come true any time soon. They were simply neat things that I would love to have happen. When we moved to Germany, 9 of them came true all at once. How could I not be happy?
The biggest dream was that I got to quit teaching Math. I have a Master's degree in Math, and since I got that, I had been teaching at the college level. First, I taught full-time at Biola University in California, where I also did my undergraduate work. When Steve joined the Air Force, I began teaching part-time at night for Burlington County College in New Jersey. We moved to Illinois in 1991, and within a week I had a job teaching part-time at night for Belleville Area College.
I learned to enjoy teaching somewhat, but it was never something that came naturally to me. I love doing math, but teaching people who don't like it simply isn't as much fun. I'm an introvert, and I don't like facing a classroom full of people I don't know. (After the first night of a class, it only gets better.) I don't like having to prepare lectures--You can't possibly prepare enough to make sure you'll "perform" perfectly. My favorite part was probably sitting at home grading papers, though that's a drag when they don't do well. When is it the teacher's fault and when is it the student's fault? I wanted my students to do well, but you can't make them study.
Anyway, with moving to Germany came something wonderful called COLA--"Cost of Living Allowance." They pay servicemembers in Europe that to make up for the expenses they have in another currency and the extra cost to living overseas. When we moved it was about $150 per month. Now it's more than $750 per month! (It goes up when the dollar goes down; it's tied to the exchange rate.) (We're going to miss it horribly when we go back to America.)
That was just the little bit we needed to enable us to squeak by without me working. There are American colleges here, so I could have found a job teaching, but Steve would be traveling more than ever and I didn't want to have to find babysitting, and I wanted to be home with my then-two-year-old son and maybe, finally, make some progress on my dream of becoming a writer. (I found that teaching math isn't a good side job for trying to be a writer. When I had extra time at home, I spent it preparing lectures and grading papers, which didn't leave much time for writing. Better is a job you can leave at work.)
So, the first dream that Germany fulfilled was the chance, for a year and a half, to be an at-home Mom. Timothy and I thoroughly enjoyed that time!
I'm also going to try to keep my postings shorter, more readable in a small amount of time, so I may only begin on that topic.
We moved to Germany at the end of 1996. My husband, Steve, is in the U. S. Air Force Band, and he got transferred as a volunteer to be part of the U. S. Air Forces in Europe Band.
About a year before, I had read an article in "Postive Living" magazine that suggested writing down your dreams. On a whim, I wrote down several. These weren't goals. They weren't things I thought were likely to come true any time soon. They were simply neat things that I would love to have happen. When we moved to Germany, 9 of them came true all at once. How could I not be happy?
The biggest dream was that I got to quit teaching Math. I have a Master's degree in Math, and since I got that, I had been teaching at the college level. First, I taught full-time at Biola University in California, where I also did my undergraduate work. When Steve joined the Air Force, I began teaching part-time at night for Burlington County College in New Jersey. We moved to Illinois in 1991, and within a week I had a job teaching part-time at night for Belleville Area College.
I learned to enjoy teaching somewhat, but it was never something that came naturally to me. I love doing math, but teaching people who don't like it simply isn't as much fun. I'm an introvert, and I don't like facing a classroom full of people I don't know. (After the first night of a class, it only gets better.) I don't like having to prepare lectures--You can't possibly prepare enough to make sure you'll "perform" perfectly. My favorite part was probably sitting at home grading papers, though that's a drag when they don't do well. When is it the teacher's fault and when is it the student's fault? I wanted my students to do well, but you can't make them study.
Anyway, with moving to Germany came something wonderful called COLA--"Cost of Living Allowance." They pay servicemembers in Europe that to make up for the expenses they have in another currency and the extra cost to living overseas. When we moved it was about $150 per month. Now it's more than $750 per month! (It goes up when the dollar goes down; it's tied to the exchange rate.) (We're going to miss it horribly when we go back to America.)
That was just the little bit we needed to enable us to squeak by without me working. There are American colleges here, so I could have found a job teaching, but Steve would be traveling more than ever and I didn't want to have to find babysitting, and I wanted to be home with my then-two-year-old son and maybe, finally, make some progress on my dream of becoming a writer. (I found that teaching math isn't a good side job for trying to be a writer. When I had extra time at home, I spent it preparing lectures and grading papers, which didn't leave much time for writing. Better is a job you can leave at work.)
So, the first dream that Germany fulfilled was the chance, for a year and a half, to be an at-home Mom. Timothy and I thoroughly enjoyed that time!
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