Name Dropper

Have I ever told you that I am a name dropper? Well, I am. And, I'm writing this blog post specifically for my mother. She is going to be really jealous that I hung out with...

ELKE this weekend. And, FRAU ANNA. In RAMSTEIN.

We decided that there were a few things that we needed that we are not able to get where we live. Just as an example, a humidifier or vaporizer for our congested son. So, we thought that we would take the opportunity to travel to Ramstein for a little BX shopping trip.

Ramstein is the largest American air base in Europe. And, truly, the whole area is Little America. So, we Americans tend to enjoy a little trip to Ramstein to experience the comforts of home (well, as close as they can get to home). As I know I've said before, when I was growing up my family was stationed there for three years, so in a lot of ways a trip there is like a trip down memory lane.

Typically, a visit to Ramstein includes but is not limited to:

1. Staying at Hotel Anna, formerly the Gruner Woog, where my family stayed in 1988 when we moved to Ramstein and were waiting for our house. I love staying there, because the same woman still runs it (Frau Anna), and she is incredibly wonderful; the breakfast is fantastic and reminds me of my childhood; and the room is only 60 euros for the night. Frau Anna is actually Italian, and as we lived in Italy, that is familiar too. In typical Italian style, we called Anna once we got into town, and she told us to just walk into the hotel and take the key for room 104. She wasn't there. She would just see us at breakfast the next morning. Domani.

2. Driving by the house my family lived in for three years, which is conveniently in the neighborhood across from Hotel Anna.

3. Pointing out all the things that are the same about our village and the things that have changed. At this point, Chris knows what I am about to say, since I have already mentioned these things a million times.

4. Driving by my school and every other building on base, so that I can do the same thing as in number 3.

5. Going to the new BX and eating at Macaroni Grill. It used to be Chili's, but now we have a big choice to make.

So, I decided to add a big activity on a whim. I saw the sign for Elke's Antiques, and knew I just had to stop. Elke's was a family favorite when we lived in Ramstein twenty years ago.

My mother was a big antique shopper. I really don't know how else to describe it other than inspirational. She and her friends were notorious for their shopping skills, and they always took the opportunity to share WIT tips with us young girls (Women In Training). Often, these WIT tips involved important lessons on hiding ENTIRE china sets in my closet so that my dad didn't know we had them. If caught, I knew to say that they belonged to Miss Jane and that we were hiding them for her. I'm really partially kidding. I was actually told this, but I know my mother wouldn't lie to my dad about her purchases. She just hoped he didn't find out about them for a long time.

Probably the piece de resistance was the time my mother bought an antique grandfather clock from Elke's and had it delivered to coincide with our moving van so that she could sneak it into our household goods shipment back to the States before my dad could find out. He messed up the plan by showing up at an inopportune moment, and ordered Elke's to take it back.

But, some of my favorite things of my mother's are from Elke's, and I just wanted to see what they had in their store.

So, when we showed up, we were greeted by Elke, her husband, and her son, Matthias, who appears to be running the show now. I immediately dropped my mom's name, her friend Mary's name (Mary was a really, really big shopper too), and told them the grandfather clock story to jog their memories. They instantly started talking to each other in really fast, excited German. YES! They knew who I was talking about!

We were enveloped into the family that day. Matthias took us into their warehouse to give us a crash course on the business and show us all of their amazing antiques. My husband is actually considering allowing me to purchase something, knowing that we will somehow have to find a way to get it to Geilenkirchen. I had such a blast.

The drive back home today was gorgeous. We had a big snowfall on Saturday throughout Germany, and the trees and fields looked spectacular. It was the most picturesque winter landscape I think I've seen in a long time. We drove through the Mosel region, and the hills and vineyards were just breathtaking covered in snow. Did I have my camera to show you a picture? No, of course not.

But, I did get to see Elke. And, Anna. That was for you, Mom.

It's a Date

The sun is out today! So, I packed up my baby and decided that he and I would have a lunch date today. And, it was a great day!

I have to say, we have had a rough week as far as sleep is concerned. Jackson has had a stuffy nose, which means that we have had a serious lack of rest. But, I was not going to be deterred in going out and enjoying the day.

I told you last week that we went to the Sittard market for the first time. Since it was market day again, I decided to try braving the parking and navigating all alone, just because I'm that daring (and I have a GPS).

Not only did I get to Sittard an entirely new way without my GPS, I found an incredible parking lot. A parking lot surrounded by totally new shops to explore and very close to the market.

Being that it was lunchtime, and Jackson was getting hungry, I headed straight for Bagels and Beans, which is the best bagel and coffee shop ever (and, mind you, I love Starbucks). I had a wonderful lunch, and so did Jackson. Who wouldn't love carrots and apples/blueberries for lunch in all their pureed glory?

I was so proud of myself by the time we left. We had managed not to make a huge mess, Jackson really didn't make a scene, and he had admirers smiling at him the entire time.

I had some time to get some things in the market, and then I headed back to the shopping area near the car. Wow! First of all, I am thrilled to announce that it is officially time to start buying tulips. And, the fact that we live near Holland means that they are starting to emerge everywhere. I was so bummed that I didn't have my camera with me.

We went to a florist shop so that I could admire the tulips, and I ended up buying a pretty winter wreath for our front door, and a Carnival clown. Yes, a Carnival clown. They had a great display, and I am such a sucker for those. I am every marketing and merchandising person's dream consumer.

Well, since I did not have my camera, I took a picture of the beautiful bouquet of flowers that my husband brought home for me last night. I have a great husband who, from the beginning of our relationship, figured out that I melt when he brings me tulips. They are my favorite. So, I got some beautiful white tulips and pink roses last night, just because he loves me. He's the best! Enjoy.

Maastricht

Today we went to a really cool city only a half-hour away from us called Maastricht in the Netherlands. You may recognize it as the city where d'Artagnan in The Three Musketeers lost his life. Oh, you never read it either?

For several months now, I have been annoying the heck out of Chris, because every time I see a sign for Maastricht I say, "Do you know what happened in Maastricht?" I have him trained now. The correct answer involves the signing of the Maastricht Treaty which was a major treaty establishing all the political entities of the European Union. Wow, you might be thinking, who really cares?

Well, my Master's thesis was on European Union security policy and drew heavily on the Maastricht Treaty. As I will never probably use this information professionally, my husband is doomed to listen to my ramblings on this kind of boring academic nonsense. So, I think he was relieved that we finally visited this sacred place.

Anyways, it was a fantastic city on the Maas River. We got a fantastic parking spot, and decided to find a spot for lunch first. We started looking in the picturesque Vrijthof square, but in cafe after cafe and restaurant after restaurant, we started to realize that this was going to be more difficult than we thought. We were not finding a stroller/baby-friendly place to sit.

So, we started walking. I will say that this is not unique to this particular city. I am so envious of people who have children in the United States. How exciting it must be to encounter doors that are automatic, not to mention big enough for a stroller; high chairs; changing tables in the restrooms. Must be nice.

Anyways, our walk took us through an extensive shopping area and over the St. Servatius Bridge, which dates to the year 1289. We found a chocolatier that catered to Ronald Reagan's chocolate needs and another fun candy store that was decked out for Carnival. I bought some colorful marshmallow Carnival clowns for some lucky kids I know. Check out the chocolate Carnival masks:



At a certain point, we really needed to find a spot to park Jackson so we could feed and change him. And, we did something that we would normally never do. We stopped at a McDonald's in the Markt square. Sigh. My thought was that they would have high chairs and changing tables in the bathrooms. It's McDonald's. But, no, I was wrong on both counts. They did actually have space for the stroller, though.

And, get this. This made it worth it. They had STROOPWAFFEL McFLURRIES. For those of you who know and love stroopwaffels like we do: I KNOW!!

So, anyways, I digress. We also found this really amazing baby and children's boutique right on the riverfront. It was so fun! They had so many wonderful things to buy for baby gifts. I found some really great hooded towels with this fun fabric of traditional Dutch scenes. Sounds weird, but really cute. I used to buy people Venetian lace booties for baby gifts, but now I think I have another fun, local European gift for people back home.

And, if that wasn't enough, we found an awesome store called Oil & Vinegar that sold all kinds of great culinary finds from the Mediterranean. There were some beautiful olive wood bowl sets, gorgeous servingware, Italian wines, Italian and Greek food products, and much more. This would be an awesome place to buy gifts for people.

We walked back to Vrijthof to see the big tourist attractions. There are two really beautiful cathedrals, one Catholic (St. Servatius) dating to 1000, and the other a Dutch Reformed Protestant church right next door (St. John) that is 14th century (Protestant since 1600s). Here is a picture. The red bell tower belongs to St. John's, and the cathedral to the right is St. Servatius.



We had a lovely time in Maastricht, and can't wait for a return visit! We would just love to find a good restaurant where you can have a stroller with you.

Weekday Fun

I have had a kind of "I miss Aviano" week. I miss the people, the mountain, the coffee, the food, the shopping, even the base. I don't really miss my house...especially the scorpions. But, I think this is all because it's January and dreary - perfect melancholy weather.

However, I have started getting out there and having fun. I have a couple of new friends who have met up with me each Thursday for the past few weeks to chat over lunch, sew together, or, like yesterday, go to the market.

I had heard nothing but good things about the Sittard market on the Netherlands side of the border. So, we went and walked around. What a great place! It had your typical European market products. I bought some produce, bread, and treats for my nephews.

But, the square is beautiful! The architecture and stores are outstanding. This will be a great hangout place, for sure.

The Dutch people are gearing up for Carnival. So, lots of shops had their traditional Carnival colors in the windows - red, green, and yellow. I think I'll get a couple little things, but I am not into the idea of wearing a costume. All the decorations made me really excited that there is a fun holiday season approaching in the middle of what I usually consider a boring time of year.

Last night was also the International Women of GK meeting, and the theme was Turkish night. Our ladies from Turkey put on a really cool fashion show, highlighting formalwear from a designer who takes inspiration from the Ottoman Empire. There was a lot of great embroidery and fabric. The food was great, too. It made me long for another trip to Turkey. Maybe someday.

It was a great day, and made me realize just how happy I am to be a stay-at-home mom in Germany!

Weekend

On Saturday, we had another Give Parents a Break date. I know what you're thinking - you dating fools, do you ever spend time with your son, or do you farm him out to anyone and everyone on the weekends?

Well, just to give you peace of mind, our date was supposed to last from 10:00 a.m. until 3:00 p.m., but Jackson wasn't having it. We got a call around 1:30 to pick him up, because they couldn't get him to stop crying. However, we did spend a nice few hours exploring the village of Gangelt.

What I loved, first of all, about this past Saturday was the ability to go into stores on a whim without having to get Jack in and out of the car. That was probably the most exciting part of the whole deal. I found a fun little grocery store, where my purchase was a package of cookies for my nephew, Luke, that had a German Cookie Monster on it. Hey, Koekiemonster, can you tell me how to get to Sesamstrasse?

We stopped into an antique shop, Antik Wichert, that I drive by all the time, and always want to check out. We ate at a great restaurant, Haus Hamacher, and checked out the best little cafe, Münchhausen Erzählkaffee. Ultimately, we had a great day, and realized that Gangelt is a fantastic little village right in our area. The restaurant itself was situated in a lake/wildpark area that will be perfect once the spring arrives.

On Sunday, Jackson went happily to childcare while we attended church, and then to a new marriage small group on the movie Fireproof and the study The Love Dare. I was thrilled that he lasted through both of those without making a scene. I guess we're in that phase where he notices Mom and Dad have left him. I, myself, was such a child, and remember going nuts whenever my Mom left me. So, it's justice, I suppose.

Well, Jackson is busy doing his favorite activity (crawling backwards), so I'd better settle in for a nice day with him. And, start planning our next date - maybe next weekend?

Snow Day

Well, no trip to Tongeren this weekend. We have been living in a true winter wonderland for the past week. It has been lovely.

We had snow practically all week, and we had a nice time easing back into our usual routines.

Yesterday, we had a date to go see the movie Avatar, while our new babysitter watched Jackson. We had a fantastic time (although I could do without the preachy political messages throughout the movie). However, the snow really came down yesterday.

And, today, we woke up to an even heavier snowfall. So, we decided to stay in today and do things like make snow ice cream. We took Jackson outside to play a little in it. Here are the boys in our backyard:



I love it!

They Can't All Be Winners

We decided to drive to Cologne on our beautiful sunny Saturday. We got there around noon (it's about an hour from here), and decided to try out a recommended Mexican restaurant that was not in the city center and across the bridge, which would turn out to spell doom for the rest of our day.

The Mexican restaurant was quite good. But, by the time we ate and fed Jackson, dark clouds and snow had started to swirl around the plans we had to see the city. We started driving back over the bridge toward the city center.

However, the whole rest of the city had too. We were headed toward the famous neo-Gothic Cologne cathedral and the parking garage located right beneath it. Ha ha. The bridge, drive, and search for parking took an entire hour before we finally found a space, not in the parking garage underneath the cathdral, but down the street.

Here are some pictures we took while stuck in traffic:



Anyways, by the time we got out of the car, snow was coming down a little harder. It was after 3:00, which meant that all the major sights in the cathedral, like the Shrine of the Magi, were closed for Saturday confession. So, we did what any American tourist would do. We headed to the Starbucks right around the corner.

Here's what the executives at Starbucks should know. Your business should turn a massive quarterly profit during these months based on what we have seen in Germany. When we went to Aachen last week, we headed to Starbucks, only for me to see the massive line and quit immediately. In Cologne, however, the line would not deter me. I needed some Starbucks on that cold day, if only because I could order nonfat milk in my fun-flavored latte. As much as I love European cafes, you really can't get the nonfat milk options.

Once I had my caffeine fix, I was ready for the cathedral - or, what we could see of the cathedral because of our poor timing.

I need to interject here that Olaf, from Barkenhof, told me the other day that he could "see in [my] face that [I am] a coffee drinker." I don't know if he really can or if he was just actually trying to sell me green tea. I wanted to ask him if my haggard face was due to the coffee or maybe that I have a baby. Either way, I need my caffeine.

We were pleased to see that we could still get in the cathedral, even if we couldn't see all the impressive shrines and important artwork. The sheer height of the ceilings and the stained glass windows were just amazing.

We also walked to the Roman-German museum nextdoor, and were able to peek into the window to see a Roman villa mosaic floor that was only discovered because of the massive bombing campaign by the Allies during World War II. We didn't go into the museum during the trip because of the late hour and the second tooth of Jackson's that chose to start poking through his gums right at that moment. Poor guy. He did an excellent job on that trip, only choosing to start screaming right at the end.

We decided that Cologne looks like a winner. Next time, we know exactly what we need to do to park and actually enjoy all the sights. To next time!

Next weekend we have a fun day-trip lined up. It's so exciting, I can't stand it. There is an antiques fair going on in the grand pilgrimmage city of all antique lovers: Tongeren, Belgium. Woohooo!

Happy 2010

Glückliches Neues Jahr (German)! Gelukkig Nieuwjaar (Dutch)! We hope that you have had a great start to 2010. Isn't it crazy that it has been an entire decade since we partied like it was 1999, and were awaiting Y2K at midnight?

We were really surprised by the firework displays on New Year's Eve here. We stayed in for a quiet night, but knew that there would be fireworks around the area. We knew because neighbors were practicing their launches for a few days prior, and it was loud.

But we had no idea just how extensive the displays would be. Every town for miles had quite the show going on. We looked out a window on our second floor and could see them all on the horizon. It was spectacular.

It was also pretty funny, because in the United States there are such regulations involved with fireworks. People can't be within so much distance of the launch site. Here, on the other hand, you can apparently launch full fireworks shows from your backyard. I was imagining that people would just have sparklers and firecrackers at their houses. No, it was really full-blown fireworks. In their yards. In every town on the horizon. So, it was awesome. Just really loud, and just a tad scary.

We had some friends over on New Year's Day for a nice brunch, and it was a great way to welcome in the new year. Happy 2010!