Today was our last day in Germany. I got up on went on a run. I ended up finding a hill and doing 40 hill repeats. (Finding a decent hill was harder than the actual work out ha-ha.) Dad was able to extend our car rental for an extra day so we didn’t have to head into Frankfort today. We went to a food market after eating a little breakfast at the hotel. We got some strawberries, cherries, a pastry, and a pretzel. We looked around at shops and found that the sale prices were 195 Euros. We talked to a guy in a local cuckoo clock shop who told us that that was the millionaire shopping district. He directed us to the “regular people” shopping district. We enjoyed walking around and having nothing to do. Dad searched all morning for a sausage stand and finally was rewarded with one of the best sausages he had ever had. We came back to the hotel and mom and dad napped until I woke them up for dinner.
We went to an amazing Thai restaurant. I had sweet chili chicken, mom had beef with peanut sauce, and dad had curry chicken. It was soooo good. After dinner we walked to a big screen TV to watch the USA vs Ghana game. We left at half time though because a lot of people were smoking.
I had my last gelato today… sniff sniff. I will definitely miss that. We’ve had a great trip but I’m ready to go home. I really miss the kids and my friends. See everyone soon!!!
Sarah
Monday, August 9, 2010
The Netherlands
We woke up to our first Dutch breakfast. It consisted of coffee, orange juice, milk, hard boiled eggs, three different breads, cheese, cold cuts, jam, butter, nutella, and sprinkles for our toast. It was really good. We went to Amsterdam and parked the car. We walked through a beautiful flower market and lots of little shops. There were tons of bicycles. The number of bicycles in The Netherlands matches the population so there are literally bikes everywhere. There were even parking meters for bicycle spots. We had several interesting things to eat. We tried a Dutch apple tart which has a ton of apples piled on a cracker like crust, an cone of what looked like ice-cream but actually tasted like very cold whipped cream or cool whip, and an amazing Dutch pancake. The pancake was similar to a crepe in texture, but was thicker. We had it with sugar and lemon. Amsterdam was similar to Venice in that it is a city of canals, but it has more streets for cars and is more organized. On our way back to the car we walked past Anne Frank’s house. We didn’t go in, but it was interesting to see it.
That afternoon we drove father in The Netherlands, but not quite to the German border. We stopped at a pension. It was absolutely darling. It looked a lot like the houses my sister rents out. We asked them to recommend a restaurant but the owner’s favorite place to eat had burned down a couple days ago. We ended up going into town and looking for a place. It was super crowded with people in orange watching the football game on a big TV in the square. It was really interesting to see. They were definitely spirited. We ate at a little restaurant that was super yummy. I had a Thai salad, a Thai dish, and a really super good desert with waffles and ice-cream. Mom and dad had meat with sauces, french-fries, spicy potatoes, “American appetizer”, and a sample tray of desserts.
Yesterday we arrived came to Germany. We stopped in a little town called Remagen to see the remains of an old bridge that had been conquered by the Americans in WWII and eventually blown up. It was significant because there weren’t a whole lot of bridges crossing the Rhine. We arrived at the base in Wiesbaden which is not far outside of Frankfort. We shared a pasta dinner and fruit. We spent yesterday evening packing up and getting ready to leave.
Today we are going to go to a market and explore Wiesbaden. See everyone soon.
Sarah
That afternoon we drove father in The Netherlands, but not quite to the German border. We stopped at a pension. It was absolutely darling. It looked a lot like the houses my sister rents out. We asked them to recommend a restaurant but the owner’s favorite place to eat had burned down a couple days ago. We ended up going into town and looking for a place. It was super crowded with people in orange watching the football game on a big TV in the square. It was really interesting to see. They were definitely spirited. We ate at a little restaurant that was super yummy. I had a Thai salad, a Thai dish, and a really super good desert with waffles and ice-cream. Mom and dad had meat with sauces, french-fries, spicy potatoes, “American appetizer”, and a sample tray of desserts.
Yesterday we arrived came to Germany. We stopped in a little town called Remagen to see the remains of an old bridge that had been conquered by the Americans in WWII and eventually blown up. It was significant because there weren’t a whole lot of bridges crossing the Rhine. We arrived at the base in Wiesbaden which is not far outside of Frankfort. We shared a pasta dinner and fruit. We spent yesterday evening packing up and getting ready to leave.
Today we are going to go to a market and explore Wiesbaden. See everyone soon.
Sarah
Saturday, June 26, 2010
Last day in Europe.... Last gelato....
Today was our last day in Germany. I got up on went on a run. I ended up finding a hill and doing 40 hill repeats. (Finding a decent hill was harder than the actual work out ha-ha.) Dad was able to extend our car rental for an extra day so we didn’t have to head into Frankfort today. We went to a food market after eating a little breakfast at the hotel. We got some strawberries, cherries, a pastry, and a pretzel. We looked around at shops and found that the sale prices were 195 Euros. We talked to a guy in a local cuckoo clock shop who told us that that was the millionaire shopping district. He directed us to the “regular people” shopping district. We enjoyed walking around and having nothing to do. Dad searched all morning for a sausage stand and finally was rewarded with one of the best sausages he had ever had. We came back to the hotel and mom and dad napped until I woke them up for dinner.
We went to an amazing Thai restaurant. I had sweet chili chicken, mom had beef with peanut sauce, and dad had curry chicken. It was soooo good. After dinner we walked to a big screen TV to watch the USA vs Ghana game. We left at half time though because a lot of people were smoking.
I had my last gelato today… sniff sniff. I will definitely miss that. We’ve had a great trip but I’m ready to go home. I really miss the kids and my friends. See everyone soon!!!
Sarah
We went to an amazing Thai restaurant. I had sweet chili chicken, mom had beef with peanut sauce, and dad had curry chicken. It was soooo good. After dinner we walked to a big screen TV to watch the USA vs Ghana game. We left at half time though because a lot of people were smoking.
I had my last gelato today… sniff sniff. I will definitely miss that. We’ve had a great trip but I’m ready to go home. I really miss the kids and my friends. See everyone soon!!!
Sarah
The Netherlands
We woke up to our first Dutch breakfast. It consisted of coffee, oj, milk, hard boiled eggs, three different breads, cheese, cold cuts, jam, butter, nutella, and sprinkles for our toast. It was really good. We went to Amsterdam and parked the car. We walked through a beautiful flower market and lots of little shops. There were tons of bicycles. The number of bicycles in The Netherlands matches the population so there are literally, bikes everywhere. There were even parking meters for bicycle spots. We had several interesting things to eat. We tried a Dutch apple tart which has a ton of apples piled on a cracker like crust, an cone of what looked like ice-cream but actually tasted like very cold whipped cream or cool whip, and an amazing Dutch pancake. The pancake was similar to a crepe in texture, but was thicker. We had it with sugar and lemon. Amsterdam was similar to Venice in that it is a city of canals, but it has more streets for cars and is more organized. On our way back to the car we walked past Anne Frank’s house. We didn’t go in, but it was interesting to see it.
That afternoon we drove father in The Netherlands, but not quite to the German border. We stopped at a pension. It was absolutely darling. It looked a lot like the houses my sister rents out. We asked them to recommend a restaurant but the owner’s favorite place to eat had burned down a couple days ago. We ended up going into town and looking for a place. It was super crowded with people in orange watching the football game on a big TV in the square. It was really interesting to see. They were definitely spirited. We ate at a little restaurant that was super good. I had a Thai salad, a Thai dish, and a really super good desert with waffles and ice-cream. Mom and dad had meat with sauces, french-fries, spicy potatoes, “American appetizer”, and a sample tray of desserts.
Yesterday we arrived came to Germany. We stopped in a little town called Remagen to see the remains of an old bridge that had been conquered by the Americans in WWII and eventually blown up. It was significant because there weren’t a whole lot of bridges crossing the Rhine. We arrived at the base in Wiesbaden which is not far outside of Frankfort. We shared a pasta dinner and fruit. We spent yesterday evening packing up and getting ready to leave.
Today we are going to go to a market and explore Wiesbaden. See everyone soon.
Sarah
That afternoon we drove father in The Netherlands, but not quite to the German border. We stopped at a pension. It was absolutely darling. It looked a lot like the houses my sister rents out. We asked them to recommend a restaurant but the owner’s favorite place to eat had burned down a couple days ago. We ended up going into town and looking for a place. It was super crowded with people in orange watching the football game on a big TV in the square. It was really interesting to see. They were definitely spirited. We ate at a little restaurant that was super good. I had a Thai salad, a Thai dish, and a really super good desert with waffles and ice-cream. Mom and dad had meat with sauces, french-fries, spicy potatoes, “American appetizer”, and a sample tray of desserts.
Yesterday we arrived came to Germany. We stopped in a little town called Remagen to see the remains of an old bridge that had been conquered by the Americans in WWII and eventually blown up. It was significant because there weren’t a whole lot of bridges crossing the Rhine. We arrived at the base in Wiesbaden which is not far outside of Frankfort. We shared a pasta dinner and fruit. We spent yesterday evening packing up and getting ready to leave.
Today we are going to go to a market and explore Wiesbaden. See everyone soon.
Sarah
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
Remembering those who did not come back
On Monday we went to Normandy. We went all through the visitors’ center and watched a couple short movie/ documentaries. The visitor’s center was very well done and provided excellent information. While it was very interesting, it was very hard as well. It especially hit us when we walked through the cemetery section. There were so many white crosses. Almost every cross had a name on it and we know that with each name there is a family of hurting people. The saddest part was the graves that were marked “Here rests in honored glory a comrade in arms known but to God.”
I ran that evening on Omaha Beach. Omaha beach is the main beach where the US soldiers landed. It was so beautiful and calm that it was hard to image the destruction that went on there. We also went to point Hoc. Point Hoc is one of the few places where the holes haven’t been filled in and nothing has been removed. 225 rangers scaled the cliff to take it from the Germans. They succeeded but only 95 men lived to continue on. Aside from the memorial, it was left exactly as the rangers left it, including the barbed wire. There were huge holes everywhere from the bombs and still many of the bunkers were standing. There were so strong.
We stayed that evening in a little bed and breakfast. By the time we had found a place to stay and had seen everything that we wanted to see all the restaurants were closed. We ate a lovely meal in the McDonalds parking lot haha.
Yesterday we went to a town called Saint Mere Eglise. We saw a church that had a dummy of the paratrooper who had gotten stuck on the steeple of the church during the 2:30 AM D-Day jump. The town was full of German soldiers and he pretended to be dead and eventually was rescued. There was a little walking tour around town all about the paratroopers. We also went to a museum that talked all about life for regular people during WWII. We ate dinner and then stayed at a hotel.
Today we drove through Belgium and into the Netherlands. We stopped in a little town in Belgium just long enough to browse through the local market and buy… what else? Pastries and bread. We also got some hot, fresh chicken that was seasoned with different spices and was very delicious.
We arrived in Haarlem, The Netherlands, just in time for a tour of Corrie Ten Boom’s house. It was very interesting to hear about her. The tour guide was very nice was obviously a christian. The entire story was based around a spiritual element. The guide concluded by talking about how Corrie was available for God and that anybody who is available will be used.
We walked around the town square and I got a Belgium Waffle (I’ve wanted to try one for a long time.) It was delicious.
We found a little pension (B&B) and then went to eat dinner. We had pizza and pasta at a delicious little Italian restaurant. I ran on the beaches of Holland beside a large Dike to keep out the Sea. Mom and Dad walked the same beach while I ran. Tomorrow I think that we are going to head into Amsterdam and sight see. We need to make good time toward Germany today and tomorrow as we have to be back in Frankfort by Friday night.
See you in a week. Sarah
I ran that evening on Omaha Beach. Omaha beach is the main beach where the US soldiers landed. It was so beautiful and calm that it was hard to image the destruction that went on there. We also went to point Hoc. Point Hoc is one of the few places where the holes haven’t been filled in and nothing has been removed. 225 rangers scaled the cliff to take it from the Germans. They succeeded but only 95 men lived to continue on. Aside from the memorial, it was left exactly as the rangers left it, including the barbed wire. There were huge holes everywhere from the bombs and still many of the bunkers were standing. There were so strong.
We stayed that evening in a little bed and breakfast. By the time we had found a place to stay and had seen everything that we wanted to see all the restaurants were closed. We ate a lovely meal in the McDonalds parking lot haha.
Yesterday we went to a town called Saint Mere Eglise. We saw a church that had a dummy of the paratrooper who had gotten stuck on the steeple of the church during the 2:30 AM D-Day jump. The town was full of German soldiers and he pretended to be dead and eventually was rescued. There was a little walking tour around town all about the paratroopers. We also went to a museum that talked all about life for regular people during WWII. We ate dinner and then stayed at a hotel.
Today we drove through Belgium and into the Netherlands. We stopped in a little town in Belgium just long enough to browse through the local market and buy… what else? Pastries and bread. We also got some hot, fresh chicken that was seasoned with different spices and was very delicious.
We arrived in Haarlem, The Netherlands, just in time for a tour of Corrie Ten Boom’s house. It was very interesting to hear about her. The tour guide was very nice was obviously a christian. The entire story was based around a spiritual element. The guide concluded by talking about how Corrie was available for God and that anybody who is available will be used.
We walked around the town square and I got a Belgium Waffle (I’ve wanted to try one for a long time.) It was delicious.
We found a little pension (B&B) and then went to eat dinner. We had pizza and pasta at a delicious little Italian restaurant. I ran on the beaches of Holland beside a large Dike to keep out the Sea. Mom and Dad walked the same beach while I ran. Tomorrow I think that we are going to head into Amsterdam and sight see. We need to make good time toward Germany today and tomorrow as we have to be back in Frankfort by Friday night.
See you in a week. Sarah
Monday, June 21, 2010
Paris!!!
We left Pornichet on Saturday. We had so much fun there :). We drove about three hours to Versailles. Mom and I spent two hours looking at the main Palace of Versailles. We didn't see the whole thing but i enjoyed it. That evening we had dinner with my Dad's cousin Terry and his wife Celeste. We went out for dinner at a very nice restaurant. They have two adorable kids that reminded me so much of the kids back in Kodiak. Camille is 6 and Lucas is 4. We were at the table for probable 4 hours and until almost 12 o’clock. The children were tired but sooooo good. I drew pictures for the little girl and she would tell me what they were in French. She had a book full of Barbie princess stories that she practiced reading to me. Of course it was in French but I understood her because Emily and Ali watch those movies and read those books all the time. Kids don’t change with the country. I had scallops for dinner and crepe suzette. A waiter cooked the crepes right in front of us and lit them on fire. It was fun.
We spent yesterday in Paris. We arrived as someone was pulling out of a free parking spot right by Notre Dame. Perfect timing!! We walked around Notre Dame for a while and listen to the music. There was a service going on, but they still let tourists visit. They had a huge beautiful organ. Next, we walked past the Louvre and down the Champs Elcee. It was really fun. There were fancy shops and restaurants all over the place. Mom had a starbucks… her first one since we left the US.
We went to the Arc de Triumph and then the Eiffel Tower. We walked up to the second floor. It was super fun. We had a great view of Paris and all the places we had just walked. We headed back toward the car and stopped at lots of little shops along the way. We happened upon a section of town that had many little restaurants and shops. It was very busy with the night life of Paris. We ate at a little restaurant and I finally got up my courage and ordered snails. They were actually really good. I was surprised. We had a great day in Paris. Now we are off to Normandy.
Sarah
We spent yesterday in Paris. We arrived as someone was pulling out of a free parking spot right by Notre Dame. Perfect timing!! We walked around Notre Dame for a while and listen to the music. There was a service going on, but they still let tourists visit. They had a huge beautiful organ. Next, we walked past the Louvre and down the Champs Elcee. It was really fun. There were fancy shops and restaurants all over the place. Mom had a starbucks… her first one since we left the US.
We went to the Arc de Triumph and then the Eiffel Tower. We walked up to the second floor. It was super fun. We had a great view of Paris and all the places we had just walked. We headed back toward the car and stopped at lots of little shops along the way. We happened upon a section of town that had many little restaurants and shops. It was very busy with the night life of Paris. We ate at a little restaurant and I finally got up my courage and ordered snails. They were actually really good. I was surprised. We had a great day in Paris. Now we are off to Normandy.
Sarah
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)