New Addition!

Well, I'm finally getting back to my blog and I just have to post some pictures of our family's newest miracle: Madeleine Noel. She's one week old today, and she is just perfect. I'm so excited about being an aunt & I can't wait to give her her first Christmas gifts from me! I got to spend 3 hours with her and my sister when she was just 3 days old. She slept on my chest, I got to feed her and even change a diaper. I could have stayed with her for the rest of the day! My sister is a wonderful mom so far and I know she will continue to grow into this new role. She seems completely content with Maddy and I just love seeing her so happy and fulfilled.

LOOK AT THAT FACE!! WHAT'S NOT TO LOVE???
(This pic was taken the day she went home from the hospital.)














On a little bit less joyful note, I was disappointed to learn that I am leaving on Jan 1st for my next assignment. I thought I was leaving on Jan 3rd, so this news threw me a bit. However, I have recovered and am grateful that I have had the entire month of December at home and will be able to celebrate Christmas with my family and New Year's Eve with Kevin.

Neuschwanstein & Munich

I took two day trips this week. On Tuesday (we were off for Veteran's Day), I drove 3 1/2 hours each way to see the most photographed castle in Germany - Neuschwanstein. It's also the castle that the Sleeping Beauty castle at Disney World is modeled after. It was quite nice. We hiked up to Marien Bruke (Mary's Bridge) for a better view of the castle and a nice soundtrack of the small waterfall below. The view from the bridge is definitely one of the best views of the castle. Unfortunately, this side of the castle is currently undergoing a 2 million Euro renovation, and is covered with construction.

I took a picture from the window of the castle. Imagine having this view from the window of your home!

On Saturday, we took a 2 hour train ride into Munich. Munich is so busy - so many people! There was plenty to see, but I thought the two highlights were the Maienplatz (Mary's Square) and the Hofbrauhaus, one of Munich's oldest breweries.

Mary's Square is so named, because there's a gold statue of the Virgin Mary at it's center. On the Square is Munich's Neurathaus (New Town Hall), which houses the famous chiming clock - figures come out and dance around when the clock chimes.

The Hofbrauhaus serves a beer recipe that has been brewed since the 1300's, so of course I had to have some, even though I'm not a beer drinker. This is the most famous beer cellar in the world.

Regensburg & The Danube

Today, I went to Regensburg, a town on the Danube River, about 30 miles from where I’m staying and working. There have been inhabitants in this city since the 1st Century! Incredible!

I checked out the Stone Bridge, which was built in the 12th Century, and is considered a marvel of Medieval architecture.

The Cathedral of St. Peter was built in the 13th Century and is another amazing structure. I am constantly amazed at the incredible stained glass in these cathedrals, and all of the carving and intricate detail just keeps me in awe. It was interesting that when I walked into this cathedral, it smelled old. I guess one of the things that is exciting to me about this Medieval architecture is that I’ve been reading World Without End, Ken Follet’s more recent follow up to his Pillars of the Earth. Well, for those of you who haven’t read them, the first book is about the building of the cathedral at Kingsbridge, England in the early Middle Ages. The second is about the building of the bridge in the same location a couple hundred years later. It’s so exciting for me to be able to picture these structures, to be able to better visualize what I’m reading because I have seen them. Anyway, this is one area of Germany that has not been destroyed by war since Napoleon, so much of it’s Medieval charm is still evident.

I was excited that the sun was out and skies were clear today. This is only the second time since I’ve been here that it hasn’t been overcast and foggy all day. When I talk to people who live here about it, they say, “That’s November weather.” I guess this is what I have to look forward to. Although I do hope it snows while I’m here, I’m a bit nervous about driving this stick shift car on the curvy, two-lane roads through the mountains. Snow could put a damper on my travel plans!

Traveling Woes...

Well, today has been quite a day. Four of us missed our train this morning, because they changed the track that it was coming on and we didn’t know it. Funny thing is that we were standing on the platform but waiting for the train on the opposite side. So, the train stopped right next to us and then took off and we never knew it. We ended up taking a later train. After I traveled 2½ hours on this train, I had to drag my 4 bags down a flight of stairs and an escalator and onto the subway, for a 20 minute ride to the local airport, where I met the co-worker who will be orienting me for the next two days. I picked up my rental car, which happens to look exactly the same as the car that I had last time I was in Germany – a silver Ford station wagon. There is one difference though. This one has a standard transmission. I had a minor internal freak out when I learned that getting an automatic wasn’t an option, as I haven’t driven a standard in years. But my dad was right. It is like riding a bike. We’ll see what happens in the ice/snow. The town where I’ll be working is an hour drive from the airport. This means that I had a full day of traveling today, arrived at my hotel around 3pm, finally had lunch/dinner and then took a nap. I feel like I dragged that luggage so many places today! But, I feel good about it. Empowered, like I can do anything or get anywhere. I didn't even have to ask anyone about how to get to/on the subway and get myself to the airport today!

I start work tomorrow! The current consultant told me that she has stayed quite busy and has not done much fun stuff on the weekends because she's been tired from working. I’m excited about an assignment where I will feel a bit more useful, so I’m glad about this, but I am hoping to have at least one good weekend trip. I'd like to make it to Munich and maybe to Prague.

Frankfurt

After 7 hours of orientation yesterday, I took a nap and then went to dinner with some of the other consultants, who will be going to various locations. We took the train into downtown Frankfurt and ate at a traditional German restaurant called Adolphe Wagner. The food was so delicious! They were out of the day’s special, Goulash & a salad, which sounded wonderful to me, so I went with good ol’ wiener schnitzel, fried potatoes and salad. It was very good, maybe the best I’ve had. The hotel concierge made the reservation for us and it was definitely worth the train ride and walk. After getting off of the train, we walked about ½ mile, including walking the bridge over the Main River, to the restaurant. It was a cool evening, so the weather was perfect for such a stroll. Plus, I felt a bit better about the dinner I ate, since we did walk a bit. The hostess at the restaurant told us that they had been booked for weeks, so I’m glad we got to experience the place. When we sat down, the waiter offered us a pitcher of apple wine. It was so good! It tasted like a cross between a dry wine and beer.


I'm posting a picture I took at the restaurant. I think this guy at the bar thought I was taking his picture!

Now it’s almost 7am, and I’m preparing to catch an 8am train to Nuremberg this morning. I’m excited about taking the train. I didn’t venture into the train system the last time I was here, because the idea of doing so intimidated me. Well, this time I have no choice. That’s how the company decided to get me down to where I’m going. Hopefully, I will have the courage to take the train to other places once I’m a bit more settled.

I will spend the night in Nuremberg, because I can’t get an ID to get onto the base until Monday. So, I guess I won’t be really settled for a couple more days. On the bright side, I do think that getting out last night and taking that walk has helped to counter the jet lag. I’m feeling pretty good!

Trick or Treat

Well, I made it to Frankfurt, and I’m happy to report that I feel GREAT! This trip was very different from the last one. The 8½ hour flight seemed to go by much more quickly. Of course, the plane wasn’t full and there were no crying babies this time. Also, the donut-shaped neck pillow is incredible. I recommend investing in one of these if you’re taking a long trip where you have to sleep sitting up. That thing definitely helped me sleep comfortably.

While on the plane, I began to read the new book that I bought just for this trip, Ken Follett’s World Without End. I’ve been waiting for it to come out in paperback and so when I saw it, I knew it was the perfect book for this 30 day assignment. It’s a 1000 page book, and I’m already almost 100 pages in. It’s so good. To any readers out there who are looking for a good book: I recommend its prequel, The Pillars of the Earth. I’ll probably be recommending World Without End when I’m finished too.

The first thing I did when I got to the hotel was – get this – go to the gym. That’s right! After about 8 weeks of no exercise, I actually got myself there today. A friend had told me that she finds that getting to the gym as soon as possible helps to reset her internal clock. Other friends told me to just stay awake until 9-10pm (Germany time) to get myself on the different time schedule. I sort of took their advice. I did take a 3 hour nap after the gym, but made myself get up and will stay up till 9 or 10. All I have to say is that I feel so much better right now than I did last time upon arriving here. I think it’s a combination of being able to sleep on the plane and getting the workout. Anyway, after 40 minutes on the elliptical machine, I got on the floor to do some crunches, but while resting after that first set, I almost fell asleep, so I decided crunches were not in the plan for me today. Maybe tomorrow…

Speaking of tomorrow – That’s when my 8 hour orientation happens. I’m not really looking forward to it. What the heck are they going to tell us in 8 hours?? I do know that they are serving breakfast and lunch, so I will be grateful, because the cost of food at this hotel is outrageous. Speaking of food & this hotel: I don’t know how I missed this the last time, but they have a coffee shop in the lobby! Maybe it was closed the last time I was here, or maybe I was just so out of it from the flight that I didn’t see it. Anyway, I was pleased to be able to sit in the lobby with a well-made cappuccino (They do cappuccinos right in Europe!!) and enjoy the ½ hour of free internet that the hotel provides to guests every day. (This is new since the last time I was here too.) I am such a junkie, though. A half hour of internet access flew by for me.

I’m beginning to get more excited about this assignment. I think that a big part of my problem was that I was not looking forward to the jet lag. Last time, I had it for the whole first week I was here and then I was sick while I was here and when I got home. I'm hoping that doesn't happen again. I'll keep you posted.

Monday Mayhem

Today, I stood in line at the court house for 4 1/2 hours, so that I could vote early. Can you believe it? I still cannot believe it took that long! I am so glad that's over. I guess that was a small price to pay to exercise my right to vote.


As you probably guessed, I voted early because I will be in Germany on 11/4. I leave on Thursday - 2 1/2 short days from now. I'm a little bit more excited that I was last week, especially since I found out where I will be going. I'll be in Hohenfels for 30 days. Hohenfels is in the eastern part of the country, 1 1/2 hours north of Munich. I'm excited about going to a different part of Germany. I also learned that I'll be staying in the hotel on the Army base where I'll be working. A little bit disappointed about that, but I'm sure it will have it's benefits too.



On a different note, we had a great time at Fara's shower on Saturday. So many wonderful friends and family members drove a distance to show up and gift Fara! I was pleased with the party. I have to post at least one picture but will spare you and not post all 75 that were taken. The darling gifts have only caused me to feel more excited about my soon-to-be-born niece or nephew. The baby is due just 2 days after I get back from Germany. I'm hoping he or she doesn't decide to enter this world early. I'm sure Fara would disagree with me on that ;)

And, since this is my blog, I had to post the pic of Fara holding up the bear I brought the baby from Luxembourg (notice the Luxembourg flag on it's scarf).

Counting Down... Again!

Well, I've begun another count down. This time, I'm counting the days until I leave to go back to Germany. 12 days. I'm not sure what's gotten into me, but I'm not terribly excited about leaving this time. In fact, I'm kind of wishing I were going to an assignment someplace closer. I'm not looking forward to the jet lag or adjusting to the time change. Of course, I haven't received my Task Order yet, so I'm wondering if they're going to pull me at the last minute. I don't think I would mind, except for the lack of pay :-)

Anyway, also counting down to Fara's shower date - 7 more days. Then , I guess we'll start counting down to delivery. I can't wait to be an aunt! I wonder if I'll ever want to leave for an assignment again...

Fara, Mom & Me

12 OCT 08: Doesn't Fara look precious at 7 1/2 months?

Picnic & Beignets

I had a great time with Carmen and the girls yesterday. We took a picnic lunch and ate in Jackson Square, walked around the Square a bit and went to Cafe Du Monde for beignets. We couldn't have asked for a more beautiful day!

Navy Ball

I had the privelege of going with Kevin to the Navy's Birthday Ball on Saturday night. the event was fun, but I only took one not-so-good picture during the entire evening. I have to post it anyway, because Kevin looks handsome even though I'm blurry. Maybe we can get a couple more pictures from another guy who took a few as well...

Homeward Bound

I've fallen behind a bit on my blogging. I didn't do anything exciting during the past weekend, because I was sick with some virus the kids were spreading around! I'm feeling much better now and am really looking forward to going home in 3 short days. We welcomed the new consultants today and will be busy orienting them tomorrow. Off to Frankfurt on Thursday and then headed to New Orleans on Friday!!

Belgium

It's Sunday evening and I've just returned from a weekend in Brussels. I had a good time, but my countdown has definitely begun. I go home in 12 days! I've had a great time exploring some of Europe, but I'm definitely ready to head back to NOLA, my home and to see friends & family.

I've posted a few pictures from "Europe's Capitol City", as they call it - the land of beer, chocolate (and, as I learned...), tapestries and lace. I saw some beautiful tapestries! Good thing I have to think about how I'm getting this stuff home - that has stopped me from buying many things. I've posted some pictures of Brussels' Grand Place, the city's major square. The cobblestone streets are enchanting. The square is lined with houses from the 17th century, which are ornately decorated - I could not take my eyes off of them! You could gaze for hours at the detail on those buildings!

Another picture that I'm posting is of a small statue of a boy peeing. There are several stories about this little boy but no one seems to know the real reason why he gets to be immortalized in this way. What is known is that the original statue dates back to at least the 1400's. The statue that's there now is a replica. Anyway, this statue is a very popular tourist attraction and there are souveniers everywherewith this little peeing boy on them. Those items all just seemed crude to me, cut I guess people go for them because they are everywhere, as are chocolate shops. I enjoyed this little extra. Most of them will give you a sample, so I just wandered in and out of several of them, sampling along the way!

Riquewihr & Bernkastel-Kues

Until today, you’ve probably never heard of these two towns. You probably didn’t even realize they were the names of towns. Those are the places where I spent this weekend. Yesterday, I drove through the vineyards of the Alsace Region of France to visit the picturesque town of Riquewihr. It was a delightful little village, but it rained most of the day and my day was somewhat uneventful. I did a lot of driving, since Riquewihr is 2½ hours from my hotel, so I had planned to take it easy today, finish the novel I’ve been reading and maybe visit Kusel, a small town near by which was having a festival this weekend.

I headed down to the hotel lobby for breakfast and ran into two co-workers who told me that they were leaving in 15 minutes to go to the Weinfest der Mittelmosel (wine festival of the middle Mosel) in Bernkastel-Kues, which is about an hour drive from our hotel and is in the middle of the Mosel wine region in Germany (on the Mosel River). I almost didn’t go, but decided “you only live once” and opted to check out the wine festival with them. I am so glad that I did! The town was delightful, and the festival seemed to be a big deal, judging by the number of people in attendance. The town is surrounded by vineyards, which produce mostly Riesling wines. There was a parade that lasted 2+ hours and which was dedicated to celebrating wine, numerous booths selling wine and bratwurst (you can expect this EVERYWHERE), and many of the stores in the town were open. Throughout the day, small bands walked around playing their tunes and stopping in front of one of the weinstubes (wine bars) or biergartens (beer gardens) to play for the crowd and then receive free drinks. Good food, good wine, good music and a festive atmosphere. When the end of the day came, none of us wanted to leave.

On another note, I heard from my renter on Friday and he told me that he was back at the house and that it looks good. He said that it looks like the only damage is one board down on the fence line! I’m so excited about this news, especially since it’s the first news I’ve gotten about my house since Gustav hit. Of course, power is still out and I’m sure I have a stinky frig, but I have some great friends who offered to clean it out for me! Now, let’s brace ourselves for the possibility of Ike…

Gustav & The Rhine River

Today, I took a drive along part of the Rhine River. Very pretty. I had to get out of this apartment partly to get my mind off of Gustav and worries that I would lose a second home to a hurricane. I returned to what seems to be some pleasant news: He downgraded to a Cat. 2 and doesn't seem to be doing a whole lot of damage. Of course, we're not out of the woods yet, but I'm hopeful.

The Rhine is a very pretty body of water lined with multiple vineyards and dotted with some charming German towns. Unfortunately, I'm too tired to write about my day or post pictures right now. I may do that later.

Echternach, Luxembourg

The Luxembourg Wine Route is just beautiful. That’s the drive that I took today. The Mosel River is on the border between Germany and Luxembourg, and on the Luxembourg side, there is just vineyard after vineyard. It was a beautiful day today, with weather in the 70’s and not a cloud in the sky, which made the dive that much more enjoyable. I chose not to stop at a vineyard today, but after driving through this breathtaking country, I stopped in a small town called Echternach – what a quaint place and apparently (according to Wikipedia anyway) it’s the oldest town in Luxembourg, dating back to 698. There is a lovely church there too, but I didn’t go inside because there was a wedding about to happen. Echternach’s culture seems to combine the French and the German, but unlike the places that I’ve visited in both countries, the people I encountered spoke little English, and I left feeling like an obnoxious American who needs to learn some languages. Otherwise, I enjoyed Echternach thoroughly and may make it back there. I’ve posted a couple of pictures, even though pictures just can’t do justice to the amazing landscapes that I saw in Luxembourg.

Luzern, Switzerland

I took a day trip with the USO to Luzern, Switzerland yesterday. I had to meet the bus at a location that is about a 45 minute drive from where I’m staying at 4am. As the alarm clock chimed at 2am yesterday morning, I began to wonder why I ever thought that signing up for this trip was a good idea. Well, now I know. As a result of my visit to Luzern, I have absolutely fallen in love with Switzerland!

The city of Luzern was founded in the 700’s, when a group of monks started a monastery there. The medieval influence is everywhere in this city’s buildings and bridges. I absolutely loved the old water tower and covered bridge, the city wall with its clock tower and the elaborately decorated Jesuit church that we visited.

The day started with a bus ride across the border to Switzerland. When we arrived in Luzern, our group was greeted by a tour guide who rode with us to Bertel Thorvaldsen’s famous carving of a dying lion. The monument was created to commemorate the loss of hundreds of Swiss soldiers who were massacred in 1792 while guarding the French Royal Family during the French Revolution. The carving was dedicated in 1821. The tour guide told us that this carving was the first time the lion was used to depict bravery and courage as a human characteristic.

We then went on a 1 hour walking tour of the city, and saw the Chapel Bridge, which was originally constructed in 1333. Much of the current bridge was reconstructed after a 1993 fire, but some of the original paintings from the 17th century remain inside. This is a beautiful, covered bridge with flowers decorating the entire length of it. The bridge originally connected the part of town on the other side of the river to the Jesuit church that sits on the lower side. The inside of this church was incredibly ornate and decorated with many windows and light colors, which was a departure from the traditional way of constructing churches in the 17th century and meant to represent the soul’s entrance to Paradise.

After the walking tour, we boarded a boat for a 1 hour ride on Lake Luzern. Even though it was an overcast (and eventually rainy) day, I was impressed by the beauty and majesty of these mountains, and enjoyed watching the many sailboats, which were taking advantage of the wind. Touring on this boat below those imposing mountains was definitely one of the highlights of the trip!

We were then on our own for 4½ hours. After a nice lunch with a woman who I met on the bus, I took advantage of the remaining time to go view the towers along the old city wall. Although my thighs are sore today from climbing many steep steps, I would not skip that part of the adventure if I had it to do all over. These pictures are of part of the rampart walls that were built in 1386, and the wall is still almost entirely intact! I climbed up two of the towers, one of which contains the oldest city clock. The tour guide told us that because of it’s status, it has the privilege of chiming one minute before all of the other clocks in the city.

Another thing that I learned from the tour guide is the Switzerland contains the two cities that are ranked as having the highest standards of living in the world – Zurick and Geneva. I think I could detect this influence in Luzern. Everyone I saw there was dressed well. It didn’t matter how young or old and whether physically challenged or not, everyone was dressed fashionably and the quality of their clothing and bodily upkeep was easily observed. This high standard of living was also evident when shopping. Even though 1 Swiss Franc is currently equal to .91 US Dollars, the prices on merchandise were quite high.

If you read this far and haven’t already detected my enthusiasm for Switzerland, let me tell you: I enjoyed every minute of my day in Luzern and did not want to leave. It was worth every penny spent, every minute of sleep lost and every ounce of energy expended!

Bonjour!

I spent this past weekend in Paris! Prior to planning the trip, I was given advice and warnings by numerous people, who I told about my plan, but the one consistent thing that they told me was that it takes 4 hours to get there. I’m not sure if they all know something that Linda (the person I traveled with) and I haven’t learned, but it took us 6 1/2 hours to get there and 5½ to get back. Okay, so we ran into serious traffic, rain and had to detour b/c of construction on the way there, and we probably wasted about 1/2 hour stopping on the way back, but I still don't think you could make it in 4 hrs. Anyway, the drive through the French countryside was so pretty, which caused me to become more and more excited, so I didn’t even care that it took so much longer than we had planned to get there. Driving through those mountains allowed us views that looked like paintings.

Because we arrived in Paris so late, we were not able to take in any sights on Friday evening. However, I was up early Saturday morning and ready to hit the streets! We decided to have breakfast at a café, and my salmon crepe was delicious! After breakfast, we headed to Notre Dame Cathedral, since it was only a short walk from where we had eaten. What a gorgeous place! The stained glass is beautiful and the intricate designs on the cathedral itself are breathtaking. Because we wanted to fit as much into this trip as possible, Linda and I opted not to wait the 1½ hours it would have taken to get in to climb to the 2nd story to see the gargoyles.

We then decided that to see as much as possible of Paris, we should take a bus tour. We got on to an open-air bus and were able to see various sites this way. The opera house is a lovely building and the Louvre is huge. I would have loved to have seen the inside of both, but time did not allow. The height of both the Arch de Triomphe and the Eiffel Tower were awe-inspiring. Finally, on Saturday evening, Linda and I enjoyed a quaint little French restaurant called Le Cosi, pronounced “cozy”, and it was just that. You could easily have a conversation with your neighbors, as they were seated so close, and the entire restaurant was quite small. Linda and I agreed that we enjoyed the best meal we’ve had since arriving in Europe 2 weeks ago.

I wasn’t sure what to expect from Paris, aside from the sites that we’ve all heard so much about. What I didn’t expect was to feel so at home there. It reminded me of the French Quarter so much more than I would have imagined – the architecture and narrow streets, the fact that I recognized so many words (Lafayette, St. Germain, St. Bernard – a street name in Paris) and that I was able to pronounce the French words that I read quite easily. I’ve always known that the French Quarter was settled by Frenchmen, but I guess I didn’t realize that there are still so many similarities. Paris is also a very tourist-oriented city, and that was somewhat disappointing. It makes sense, but I guess I just haven’t ever thought about this fact. As the day went on, it became so crowded that I didn’t even want to be out there. I’m glad I was able to get to Paris, but I’m not sure I want to return.

On a positive note, the food was great. There are pastries and coffee on every corner. Since I’m such a “foodie”, I definitely enjoyed that. Also, parking on the street in Paris in August is FREE! Learning that little tidbit was a nice “Welcome to Paris”!

Idar-Oberstein

Visited the German town of Idar-Oberstein today. What a quaint downtown area! There are numerous cafes and places to sit and have a coffee, ice cream or meal, and there were people out everywhere. Today, there was some kind of jewelry market happening on the main street - with tents everywhere selling handmade jewelry. The town has a several hundred year history of mining and gem cutting, and there are many jewelery stores there, testifying to that fact.

Upon arrival, Linda and I decided to grab a bite to eat from a local, outdoor vendor. We had the most delicious pea soup, brattwurst (pork) and mettwurst (beef). The man working in the booth was so friendly and spoke great English. He convinced me to try the pea soup, even though I don't like peas. Since he was so friendly, we asked him to take our picture eating our first brattwurst since arriving in Germany, and he did. He told us that the building in front of which we were sitting was the oldest one in town (from the 1400's), that he had grown up there and that his brother now owns the restaurant that is there. Meeting him was a fun way to start our day.

Felsenkirche, the church we visited at Idar-Oberstein,

was built into a natural niche in the rocks back in 1484. The church sits high above the rest of the town, and is a symbol of the city. You can see the church in the center of the picture to the right.

Finally, we spent 2+ hours in a grocery store, which is much larger than any store here in Baumholder. The upstairs reminded me of a Wal-Mart, but without all of the advertising. The products are just there, not really displayed for marketing the way that things are in America. Anyway, it was tough shopping in a place where you have to dicipher so many things. It gave me a new appreciation for what people who immigrate go through when they go to the U.S. and what those with other kinds of limitations experience. All in all, the people were very patient with us and most spoke at least some English, so that we could communicate with them.

On Crossing "The Pond", Ice Cream & Tupperware

What a whirlwind the past two days have been! As I sat on the plane in North Carolina, waiting for the mechanics to fix multiple problems with the plane that was going to carry me across the Atlantic for the very first time, I began to contemplate my upcoming overseas adventure . I experienced a stream of emotions including hope, nervous, excited and amazed. Amazed that I would be spending two months in another country. Amazed at the fact that I will not be the same after this experience. Amazed at the possibilities for adventure.

Well, I’ve been in Germany for 36 hours - in Baumholder for the past 7 hours - and already I’ve had a great time. After dinner with some co-workers, we headed over to an ice cream shop. I had been warned that the shop does not allow you to stay and eat your ice cream at a table if you get it in a cone (it's even printed on the menu!). You can only eat at the tables if you order your ice cream in a dish. Of course, we all ordered cones AND sat at a table - see picture for proof - such rebels (ha-ha!).

Since it doesn’t get dark until 10pm and the town is incredibly safe and quiet, we decided to walk around the local pond after the ice cream. As we walked, the previous consultants began to give us their top ten list of reasons to like Baumholder. The first item on their list was that it gives you an authentic German expeirence. During this conversation, we passed a bar. A woman who had just left the bar was walking on the opposite side of the street. She heard us talking, stopped us and asked if we speak German. None of us do and we told her so, but she asked us to wait for a minute while she went to retrieve her friend who does speak English. He followed her out and translated for her, and she invited us to a Tupperware party tomorrow evening at that local bar. The man told us that if we came, we’d get a free drink. Not sure if that was an "authentic german experience" or if we'll make it to that party, but I got a funny story out of it.

My mom arrived in Jacksonville on Friday! After I picked her up, we headed out to St. Simons. I kept forgetting it was the 4th of July, and we found that many of the restaurants that we'd chosen as places we'd like to go were closed! At the one we finally found that was open, the cashier told us that they were closing in an hour, and when we complained that everyone was closed, she said, "We're on island time", and smiled. We chose not to head down to the beach, because it was so crowded and we couldn't find a parking spot.

Yesterday, we took a trolley tour of Savannah. Even though it rained for most of our open-trolley tour, it was fun. We were able to hear many of the Savannah facts and see sights that I have not encountered during my 8 weeks here. I'm posting a picture of the oldest Catholic church in Georgia. I was able to get a great shot of this lovely building!

Although we didn't make it to The Lady & Sons (Paula Dean's restaurtant), we did visit her little store that's attached to the restaurant. Paula happened to be milling about and was kind enough to stop and take a picture with me! (Just kidding - that's a cardboard cut out, in case it's not obvious).

Today, we're headed to Hilton Head Island, even though rain is forcast. And tomorrow we'll drive home! I'm so looking forward to tomorrow!!

Georgia's Coast

I just returned from a day trip, with one of my co-workers, to Jekyll Island and St. Simons Islands. Having seen them all, I can now officially make my decision about which of Georgia's islands I like the best. Trouble is: I think it's a tie. St. Simons is great. It's a wonderfully laid back beach community, with great little shops and lots of charm. Hilton Head is a wonderful place too. Hilton Head is bigger and has more to do, and it seems to draw a more sophisticated crowd than any of the others. It also has more sophisticated shops and restaurants. I do know that I was not really impressed with Jekyll. It is a great beach, but it was just smaller and not as pretty as St. Simons.

With all of that said, I was glad that we got to witness 4 sea turtles being released back into their natural habitat after rehabilitation at the Georgia Sea Turtle Center on Jekyll Island. We then headed up to St Simons Island, and saw the lighthouse, which was also fun. I just love visiting lighthouses! We didn't climb this one, because we were just tired from the heat.

It was such a humid day that we couldn't stand to remain outside. After being out for a total of 3-4 hours, we were beat! Today may have been the most humid day since I've been here. I guess I'm being prepared to return to NOLA!

Speaking of going home: I get home in 9 days! I am anxious to get back home for a short time, to my house and to spend time with YOU: my family & friends! See ya soon!

Contemplating...

I finished a novel I've been reading today. It's called Color of the Sea by John Hamamura. Finishing this book has me feeling contempletive today - pondering honor and integrity and the following question: How do we preserve our purity and wholeness in a world so desecrated by human madness and cruelty? This is the question that challenged the Japanese boy who is the main character in the book.

Of course, my simple answer to this question is to just trust God. But, isn't that a trite and simplistic answer? I think that knowing what it means practically can be so much deeper and more meaningful. The boy in the book was a Buddist. He was so intensely spiritual and aware of his inner self and committed to growth. Those of you who know me know that I'm not advocating Buddism. I just think that these are areas that we neglect so often...

Anyway, I could not put this book down! I loved it and higly recommend it.

Tell me, what are you reading right now? I'd love to dig in to some other great stuff. I'd also love to know your ideas about answers to the question that challenged the Japanese boy.

Rain! Rain! Go Away...

Madeline and I headed out to Tybee Island for a little beach time yesterday before hitting the Latin festival that was going on in downtown Savannah. Unfortunately, our beach time was cut short by some really dark clouds, which turned into rain as soon as we got in the car. We headed downtown and ended up parking near Paula Dean's restaurant, Lady & Sons. Unfortunately, at 4:00 they were already booked for the evening, so we were not able to eat there.

We walked down to River Street to hit the fiesta, but it continued to rain, so we found ourselves at a wonderful restaurant called Vic's On the River. I had Wild Georgia Shrimp over Stone Ground Grits with andouille sausage and tasso ham gravy. YUM, YUM, YUM!!! It was so good! Also, this is the second restaurant that we've been to that served us biscuits with orange marmalade... a southern thing, I guess. The marmalade has been scrumptous both times.

A neat fact about the building that houses Vic's: Workers, who were renovating the building in 1901, uncovered a map that was drawn on the wall. It is a map that was hand drawn by Union soldiers detailing General Sherman's march from Tennessee through Georgia. The building was used by General Sherman's troops during the Civil War. A small portion of the map remains on the wall under glass in the restaurant. Pretty neat to stand in front of that map and imagine the scene that might have taken place there over 100 years ago!

After the rain stopped, we checked out Fiesta Latina. I was sorry we had just eaten, because there were so many great smells coming from their food tents. I guess we missed the dance troupes with their colorful dress, but the music was fun and the people who were dancing seemed so passionate! I really enjoyed watching them!