Deutschland and the Frandsens
We had an excellent visit with the Frandsen girls in Germany. We started out nice and easy and ended running our tails off. The first few days were spent adjusting to the time change and just hanging with Leslie and her girls enjoying movies, spa nights, and home cooked meals.
First up, Leslie and I took a German Baking class offered through the air force base near by. It was a lot of fun seeing all their excellent and efficient tools like the torte ring, cake cutter, and cake lifter. Not to mention the delicious desserts Mandarin Orange Cake, Poppy Seed Almond Roll, and Berliners.
Next, we had a few days of shopping we bought some shoes, some chocolate, and Easter decor. They had the cutest Easter/Ouster decorations. My Mom and I had a lot of fun gazing at all the chocolate Easter Bunnies, eggs, and wee trinkets.We also went swimming. The base nearby has an excellent facility. Both McKenna and Ellie surprised us with their bravery. McKenna turned a new leaf that day and began to get her face wet and dunk herself all the way under. While Ellie couldn’t get enough of the little slide she was so excited she would clench her teeth and shake her fists.
[flickrvideo]http://www.flickr.com/photos/17005385@N04/3375410239/[/flickrvideo]
Then our big adventure and truly the the highlight of the trip was a weekend spent in the town of Rothenburg. Rothenburg is a Medieval city with a wall dating back to the 1400’s that surrounds the old town square. It was a beautiful city with so much preserved we were very impressed. We took a Night Watchmen tour there as well and learned some more interesting facts about living in that time and the crazy history of Rothenburg. The next day we visited a Toy Museum and the Christmas Museum where Leslie and I picked up the classic German Christmas candle light windmills.
The next town we visited is Strausburg, France. A town just across the boarder of France that has a good mix of German and French culture. First we hit the Cathedral. It was mind blowing with all the detail both inside and out. Some of the stained glass was dated back to the 1300’s and it was one of the tallest of the Cathedrals built in this era. Strausburg has a historical section of the city called “La Petite France” where we found classic half timbered architecture and a classic European feeling with quaint narrow streets and shops.
We enjoyed a boat tour through the cities canals as well and finished the day off with crepes.
Finally we spent one day enjoying the walkplatz in Kaiserslautern the main town near my sister. They had a farmers market that morning which is always a good thing to check out anywhere you go… The day ended with some sunshine to enjoy once we got home.
So overall it was a fantastic trip. Leslie and her girls were awesome hosts and we really enjoyed the time spent with them I loved watching Ellie play and get to know her cousins they are very special girls. I hope that we helped bring a bit of joy and distraction to them as they pass the time while their Dad is out working so hard. Thank you Leslie, Mark, Bailey, and McKenna! We love you and already miss you so much.
5 comments
That looks like so much fun, Danette! Even better to spend it with your family. I’m glad you had such a great time. The pictures are awesome!
What a great post !! You captured the visit perfectly. We did have a wonderful but to short of time together as usual.
I’ve somewhat recooped but not fully.
Thanks for going with me it was fun to be together just the woman.
I agree with Grandma McKenney, this is a great post. Great picutures and looks to me like Great Times. 🙂
Thanks for taking us with you again on your adventures. I can’t wait to taste the results of the baking class! Like either of you need a class!!
Your pictures were amazing. Thanks for letting me tag along!
Meriam
I love Rothenburg! We drove into the town too late, so we weren’t able to take a night tour. Isn’t the Christmas store amazing? I am so glad you had a great adventure. Welcome back! 🙂