Bernkastel-Kues

Last September, when my parents were visiting, we stopped in to visit this perfectly German Mosel River town for their big annual wine festival. We really enjoyed the festival, the Rhineland-Pfalz food, and the wine (well, my family did, I was pregnant at the time). We wandered through the town, past its adorable bear fountain, beautiful half-timbered buildings and shops, watched a parade, and finally encountered a spectacular markt platz.

We fell in love with Bernkastel. So, we had a four-day weekend last weekend, and decided that it was time to revisit Bernkastel, as well as spend quality time along the Mosel. So, we rented an apartment in Bernkastel, which turned out to be a fantastic idea with our growing brood. We were right up from the river, and Bernkastel was a great base. We got there on Thursday, and got to just spend time in the town, browsing through stores. I ended up buying a pretty print of the town square, and found an excellent shop that sells Westerwaelder steinzeug (a new type of German stoneware that I didn't know was a genre I did not own; I am now a fan); a wide variety of traditional German wine glasses; and Mosel wine and liquors. I bought a zwiebeln pot (for onions), a kartoffeln pot (for potatoes), and some gluewein mugs and warmers (adorable). They apparently come from a store called Kleiraba in a town that is only two hours away from me. I must check out this pottery town in the near future.

Bernkastel Markt and its St. George Fountain:


On Friday, we packed up the kids and drove to Trier. We lucked out, because it was the first day of an annual festival, which turned out to be fun and convenient for eating purposes when you have young children. We had fun seeing all the major sights, and really just enjoyed the town. We have been blessed to see important ancient Roman and Greek ruins all over the world. But, the Porta Nigra is still impressive.



Our little Roman statue, on an ancient pillar outside the Trier Roman baths:


Saturday saw us in Cochem on a rainy day. There was a small town wine festival going on, which was great. We wandered the gorgeous old town, and hiked the kids up to the castle (really, it wasn't a difficult hike at all). We were rewarded with a stunning view over the town and the Mosel River. It was worth it, even with a cloudy day. There was a newly married couple celebrating with pictures at the top.



The hike back down was somehow more difficult (as we did have a stroller), but we explored more of the town on the way. We found a wine cellar (dating back from the 1400s, supposedly the oldest in Cochem). Chris was in awe, and told me that the inside was beautiful (I waited outside with the children). We also found a wonderful bakery on the main street that had treats that were as beautiful as they were tasty.

On our final day, we packed up the car and took the scenic route to Burg Eltz before heading home. Oh, this was spectacular! We had a sunny day and the ride closer to Burg Eltz was absolutely breathtaking. The grapevines are at their peak in terms of beauty (in terms of being cut and turned into wine, they still have a couple of months). The hills were just covered in green grapes, and the water just sparkled under the sun. It was truly beautiful. If we return to this area anytime soon, I just want to head to this area and spend the day walking along the river...and stopping by a winery or two. Simply lovely. Unfortunately, we were so in awe that we really didn't stop anywhere to snap a good picture. So, we must return.

Burg Eltz was great. I guess. It really is a beautiful fairytale castle in the woods. Very German. But, much of it is covered in construction at the moment, so we couldn't get good pictures. And, Jackson was very toddler that day, so we started the excellent English tour. But, by room two, I could tell it was time to just end it for the sake of other travelers. The end. So, we might return to try again one day. Fortunately, there is a parking lot close to the castle, where you can also get a shuttle van to and from the castle. So, we didn't waste a ridiculous hike on that outing.

Overall, we loved our lazy trip through the Mosel. Although each of these places is a day trip away, it was nice to just take our time and relax with our young children at these places. It's a part of Germany I love!

Baby Two

Well, it has been a painfully long time since I wrote on here. A LOT has happened during the past year. At the time of my last entry, I was just finding out that I was going to have another baby.

That news was very joyful for us. There was also slight trepidation at the thought of having another baby so close to the first, and in a totally new country. My German doctor, I would come to find out, was very sweet.

During my pregnancy, we took a few really great trips. I will try to go back and remember the details so that I can write about them here. My parents came for a great visit, and we went to a wine festival. They even graciously allowed us to spend most of their visit in Paris while they watched Jackson - our first trip of that sort. We went on a cruise to Spain, Portugal, and Morocco in October, and a nice ski trip to Garmisch in January (Chris really did the skiing). I even got to go on a girls' weekend to Delft one weekend toward the end of January!

Then, a big surprise. During my 30th week of pregnancy, some complications arose. We went very early one morning to our hospital. I was quite sure that they would tell me to go home for bed rest for the rest of my pregnancy. But, they actually told me that they were sending me to the Mönchengladbach hospital about 45 minutes away, because there was a NICU there.

They sent me by ambulance, which was eerie. When I was nine years old, my family had just moved to Germany, and went to an airshow during which three airplanes crashed into crowds of people. The sound I heard all during that night were German ambulance sirens, and the sound has been haunting to me ever since.

Once I got to the hospital, I went through a battery of tests. The nurses finally told me that I would not be leaving that hospital until my baby came. I was stunned. When I asked how long they thought that would be, they told me they didn't know. I could potentially be there for the final ten weeks of my pregnancy, but they didn't think I would last that long.

Ultimately, I was on bed rest in the hospital for a little over a week. Then, my little bundle of joy, Colleen, was born! She weighed 1570 grams, or about 3.5 pounds. She was teeny tiny, and I didn't get to see her until she was 28 hours old.

Her first week was very scary. She had lung issues, and the doctors in the Kinderklinik could not diagnose what was wrong with them. Her tests for all kinds of diseases came back negative (praise God), but that still didn't tell us what was causing the inflammation. She turned the corner, eventually, and I was finally able to hold my baby when she was one week old.

The NICU experience is devastating and stressful in the first place. But, when you toss in language and cultural barriers, it is more so. Colleen was in the hospital for ten agonizing weeks. Ten weeks of driving back and forth every day, and highs and lows. My husband had to go to Afghanistan for a trip during this time, which only contributed to the stress. Fortunately, my incredible mother was able to come for the duration. She was here for three months, and we could never have done this without her. My dad and sister were also able to come visit, and I am grateful for the time we had with all of them.

Colleen came home mid-April, and I am very grateful to the Mönchengladbach staff for the great care. It was different from a stay in an American hospital and there were good and bad differences. I think she could have come home a little sooner than she did. But, I am so appreciative of the love and care shown to the most tiny and fragile of babies.

Our baby is doing really well. She still has a few lingering health issues, but she should outgrow them. I am, strangely, grateful for the opportunity to learn about the preemie world and the ability to have gotten through the experience with patience and strength that only God could give us. We are now fully entrenched in the German healthcare system, which allows us some real opportunities for cultural immersion. The theme of this for me is: Why Does the American Public Want a Socialist Healthcare System??