Author Archives: Kristen

Steppin Up to 7th Grade

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The three kids had their last day of school today and it was quite a celebration. Lindsey and I attended the final Awards Ceremony for the 3rd-6th graders of Hohenfels Elementary. For 2 LONG hours, we listened to the names of every solder who ever volunteered at the school during the past year; it was quite exhausting. You can tell an event has lost it’s sparkle when the majority of audience members are scrolling through texts and posts on their phones. Near the end of the ceremony, Will, along with 12 other 6th graders, was recognized for outstanding academic achievement and he received a letter and certificate signed by President Barack Obama. The principal read the letter out loud and then called the 6th grade students forward to collect their awards. We are so proud of Will and Lindsey suggested we frame his certificate with her presidential coin–a nice piece of memorabilia.

The 6th grade class celebrated their promotion to the 7th grade with a special dance and lunchtime meal the day before “graduation.” Parents decorated The Zone, a large dance hall on post, with glittery stars and paper lanterns to set the festive mood. The students enjoyed a catered meal from our favorite Italian restaurant, Il Cigno in Parsberg, and then boogied for the next hour before school was dismissed. Will asked me and Tim to please eat and run before the dancing began. He was afraid we’d cramp his style. I followed his wishes, after getting a pic of him sharing his moves.

Nothing could be finer than…

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Church at the end of the bridge, Wurzburg

Church at the end of the bridge, Wurzburg

Soccer season is over and we found ourselves with a “free” Saturday. Not ones to sit idly at home for the whole day, we packed a picnic lunch and headed north in the Volvo in search of the Romantic Road. A favorite road trip of many tourists, the Roman Road was a trade route during the Middle Ages and begins in Wurzburg and travels south until reaching the most famous of fairy-tale castles: Neuschwanstein. We started the morning with a stroll along the cobblestone streets of Wurzburg, taking our sweet time on the city bridge which is lined with wine shops. Of course, would couldn’t pass up the opportunity to buy a single glass of wine and continue walking slowly along the bridge as we looked at statues of saints and the Marienburg Fortress across the river.

Following our visit to Wurzburg, we drove a little under an hour to Rothenburg for a walk around the city walls and a bite of dinner. We found cafe tables outside at our favorite Italian restaurant and I enjoyed a Radler (a drink of 1/2 lemonade and 1/2 beer) and tortellini al forno. at 8pm, the girls and I joined the night watchman tour which meets at the Market Sqaure and the boys found a cafe to watch the Euro Cup game. With the summer season in full swing, we enjoyed a late sunset and delightful information from our trusty watchman. This tour is a highlight of a visit to Rothenburg.

This is the life! Enjoying a glass of wine as we stroll along the Mainz Bridge

This is the life! Enjoying a glass of wine as we stroll along the Mainz Bridge


Wurzburg Palace grounds

Wurzburg Palace grounds


Rothenberg Night Watchman entertains crowds every evening

Rothenberg Night Watchman entertains crowds every evening

Garmisch–our backyard playground

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The rugged peaks of the German Alps

The rugged peaks of the German Alps

Military families stationed in Europe have one of the best MWR facilities at their fingertips: Edelweiss lodge and resort in Garmisch Germany. During winter, it’s a skier’s paradise. But come summer, the flowers and fields are alive and ripe for hiking and outdoor fun. Tim conducted a marriage retreat for military families over the weekend and we were able to tag along and enjoy time at the lodge as well as visit downtown Garmish for some window shopping and German food. The weather was a bit hit-or-miss with rain showers mixed with sunshine but it didn’t prevent us from stopping at Pano for a cup of cappucino and a little ice cream from the eis shop across the street.
Downtown Garmisch

Downtown Garmisch

PROM!

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The girls with their dates

The girls with their dates

On Saturday, Lauren and her very best friend Lauren (they go by the nickname: LoLa) pooled their makeup reserves and spent the better part of the afternoon getting ready for prom. Around 5:30pm, Patrick (Lauren R’s date) and Julian (Lauren S’ date) came by the house to present the girls with wrist corsages and a ride to the prom.

But first! Off to the castle for pictures. The Parsburg Castle afforded us a spectacular backdrop for candid shots and the kids looked great in the afternoon sun. The prom was held on a boat on the Danube and the kids were able to take a bus from the high school to the launch site. From 8pm to midnight, they danced and ate their way down the river. When it was over, Patrick’s mom Sonja picked up the 4 for an old-fashioned bonfire at their home. She then delivered LoLa to our home at 2:30am so they could drift off to sleep with smiles on their faces and happy memories in their dreams.

Patrick and Lauren in shock and astonishment

Patrick and Lauren in shock and astonishment

Cruising the Bosphorus

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What a sweet way to travel

What a sweet way to travel

Sunday morning dawned bright and sunny and we knew it was a perfect day for a cruise on the Bosphorus. We ate at the hotel buffet and made it across the bridge by 9:15am. We were trying to get to the IDO boat docks by 9:30am. Even though the boat wasn’t scheduled to leave until 10:30, we had read that on nice days people start to queue up early for the best views and today was no different. About 50 people were already in line so we paid for our tickets (25 lire round trip) and managed to find great seats on the side of the boat looking out at the European side of the city as we departed. These seats proved to be an excellent choice. Palaces, embassies and a castle were on offer as we made the 90 minute trip down the Bosphorus to our docking point: Anadolu Kavagi, which is located on the Asian side of Istanbul. We enjoyed a nice walk up to castle ruins and then ate lunch seaside. On the menu…fresh fish, of course. We had prawns in butter and friend calamari and then concluded the meal with chicken shish kebabs. We were in the little fishing village for about 2 hours before the boat made the return trip back to Istanbul. It was an absolutely delightful way to see the city and catch a quick glimpse of life on the water in Turkey.

The Bosphorus
Street vendors prepare fresh fish daily
An afternoon meal of fresh seafood served riverside
Galata Tower from the boat

Digging the archeological museum of Istanbul

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Egyptian obelisk, Istanbul

Egyptian obelisk, Istanbul

I’ve never been so excited to see old stuff as I was on Saturday morning when we bought tickets to visit the Istanbul Archeological Museum.  Located next door to the Topkapi Palace (and a stone’s throw from Hagia Sophia) the museum is housed in 3 buildings and has a great presentation of artifacts found both within the city and from around surrounding countries.  Information placards were written in both Turkish and English making the need for an audioguide not necessary. But, being deprived of the audioguide for our tour of the Topkapi Palace and Hagia Sophia I begged Tim to let me spend the 5 lira to get one. I just love the hunt for the 3 digit number describing the highlights of the museum.  Among the best on show: the Alexander Sarcophagus (pictured above)  so named not for the body inside but for the depiction of Alexander the Great’s battle scenes on the outside. This item is the museum’s prized possession and dates from the 4th Century BC. Among other great finds: the Kadesh Treaty, the first peace treaty ever recorded made between the Hittites and the Egyptians; and the Code of Hammurabi dating to 1750 BC. To check out what we saw at the museum, click on the box above.