Mainz

Steven and I frequent Mainz regularly, but we haven't taken pictures or done the tourist thing there since we moved here. We took his parents (and Abigail) to see the sights. It was an absolutely gorgeous day and we took full advantage of the sun when taking many, many pictures.

Our first stop was the Gutenberg Museum, to see one of the Bibles. Sorry, no pictures allowed of that museum, but trust me, it is well worth the 5 Euros! After the museum, we went to our favorite Italian restaurant, Da Vitos. Oh, the Lambrusco alone is worth going to this place.

After lunch, we walked around downtown, seeing sights like the Gutenberg Statue (which is no where near the Museum), the Dom, Steven's old hangout, which is now a Thai Express, and the Fashing Fountain. Here are a few of our pics:

Rudesheim

Our Trip in Pictures

At the top of the Bromsburg Castle/Wine Museum, looking out over the Rhein.

The beautiful stain-glass on the inside of the Evangelical Church.

My first Rudesheimer Coffee in Rudesheim (lots of booze, little coffee).

Apple Picking

Memere, Declan, Abigail, and I headed out to Mainz-Marienborg, home of the Appel Happel (Happy Apple).
Declan learned all about trees:
*they grow on trees
*they can be red or green
*they are a fruit
*we can eat them
*they start with "A"

I taught Declan how to pick apples. Each time he chose one, he would say "turn" and then "pull." Sometimes he would say "pull hard." Our next lesson was to place the apples in the bag, instead of throwing them.

We spent about half an hour picking apples. It was a wonderful outing for Declan and he learned a lot. Anyone have suggestions for our next "field trip?"

Ice Cream Scoop

My sister Maggie, the writer/college student/world traveler, has recently started her own blog. Read it here.
In an effort to update the picture of her and our younger brother John ....

Isn't that cute? I cannot wait to be closer to them both, and the rest of our family.
Oh, and since we're talking cute, let's add a picture of our other sister and her adorable daughter....

Munich

What trip to Munich is complete with out a beer at the Hofbrauhuas? Delicious German food, festive polka music, and phenomenal beer made for a wonderful evening.

Wednesday morning brought some rain, but we brushed it aside for a view of the Glockenspiel in the Marienplatz. This is the oldest Cukoo clock in Germany and still has moving parts. After the music, we whisked off to the BMW World and Olympic Park. We saw the Olympic Swimming Pool where Mark Spitz won his 1972 medals. After a quick bite at the Munich Hard Rock, we explored some more of the Marienplatz and Pedestrian Zone. We visited the oldest church in Munich, St. Peter's.



Steven's favorite piece: Thursday was spent in the Residenz and Treasurery. Jewels, jewels, jewels! I could not believe the wealth that was housed here. Declan was a champ throughout this museum, which also included a tour of the Residenz, where the royal family would live when in Munich. The tour of the house was astonishing. It's hard to believe that so many decades ago such intricate things were crafted, entirely by hand!

Nuremburg

Day One of our adventure found us in Nuremberg. Home of the Nuremburg Trials, Hitler's Rally Grounds, and the most famous Christmas Market in Germany. We arrived just in time to grab some eggplant cheese and bread from a vendor at the Farmers' Market. Then we explored the HauptMarkt and found a delightful German Restaurant for dinner.

The next morning we were up bright and early and ready to hit the town! Coffees and cake at a local cafe were in order before taking the bus to the Historic Nazi Rally Grounds. What an amazing site! The museum was full of history and pictures showing the Nazi involvement in Germany straight through until the end of the second World War. In the final room of the Museum, video footage from the Nuremburg Trials were playing. As you exited the last room of the museum, you could stand in the middle of the arena that was being built for Nazi Party Rallies. If you stood out on the end of the platform, you were standing in the exact spot that was intended for Hitler during his rallies.

Next up .... Munich

Night Out

Last night Steven and I were lucky enough to get an awesome babysitter and head out to our friend Greg's promotion party. We had an awesome time! Good friends, good beer and good times by all!

Baby Wearing

As many of you know, I am a big fan of wearing my babies. It is just so much easier to have both hands free and be able to cuddle with your chidlren. I've even convinced Steven to do it, although he prefers the pre-constructed Ergo. This morning, while I was watching YouTube videos of back carries for Abigail, Declan was insistent that he had to wear monkey. This was the result: