On Tuesday we attended Heidelberg's Fasching Parade with our friend Molly and her daughter Lucy. It was very crowded and very long. The parade participants were wild to say the least. We all left the parade covered in confetti, with a bag full of candy and treats, and I left with my nose painted red (long story). Here are a few pictures of the parade, enjoy!
We all have heard of Germany's Oktoberfest, but I had no idea what a big deal "Fasching" was here. Fasching, also known as "the foolish season", the time period before the Lenten season. The official celebration is typically on Tuesday before Ash Wednesday, when many towns hold their parades and celebrations. On Tuesday, many schools will be closed for the day, or at least out early, some businesses will close, and typically very stoic Germans will get really crazy.
I started asking questions about a month ago when I noticed the stores beginning to stock really extravagant costumes, both for children and adults. I asked one of Henry's teachers if I should be getting ready for something (I would hate for Henry to show up unprepared for a party). Miss Beth informed me that Fasching was soon approaching and also assured me his Halloween costume would be appropriate. His Fasching will be tomorrow followed by an early dismissal for the big parade in Heidelberg. Right now we are planning to attend, but it might be a little much for us - let me tell you why.
Yesterday, we attended another Fasching parade in a nearby town. We have friends who live in Malsh, which holds a very large and well attended Fasching parade every year. Our friends live on the street where the floats and parade participants line up, so they had a Fasching party. It was a real treat to be able to see the floats and costumes from their front door and yard rather than having to go downtown to the actual parade route. It was a cold, damp, rainy day so Henry and I hung back at the house while the others headed downtown to join the party on the street. Henry and I were able to see all of the floats close up, listen to the music and most of the people who were dressed up were enthusiastic about posing for pictures with Henry. John joined the others downtown. When they returned from the parade, they had candy, booze, fresh flowers and lots of stories to tell. Evidently, the "treats" thrown out at German parades are a little more extravagant than what they throw out in the States. Floats carried kegs of beer which was served to parade watchers, shots of alcohol were also distributed and the children all left smiling with their bags overflowing with candy. We do not know what to expect tomorrow at Heidelberg parade, but I will keep you posted. Below are a few pictures of the parade yesterday.
It hard to believe a couple of weeks have passed since my last update. We are staying very busy. John and I attended a dinner and auction last weekend and left with a couple of very nice items. The theme was "flea market finds", so there were many interesting items that were found at German flea markets throughout the year. The event was held at the military base which is only about 5 minutes from our house and proceeds from the event went toward scholarships for military children.
Henry's social calendar is also staying full. He has made many friends through school and church. One afternoon we went to a facility called "Happy Faces" with a group of children from church. It is a huge place full of jumping houses, mazes, and jungle gym type equipment that is perfect for a high energy little boy like Henry. We played there for a couple of hours and then both of us were ready for a nap when we got home - I think I ran around as much as he did trying to keep an eye on him.
Last night Henry attended his first "friend" birthday party. A little girl from his school was turning 5 and had a few friends over to celebrate. It may sound like Henry and Lucy (his friend) may not have much in common, she is a 5 year old girl and he is a 3 year old boy, but they both are from Iowa and their moms have become good friends. Lucy and her family are from Iowa City and are in Germany with her Dad's job as well (not JD). It was funny how we met Lucy's Mom, Molly - I was talking to someone about where I was from, I gave my usual response to the question, "the eastern part of Iowa", when Molly (my friend) yelled from across the room "Did someone say they were from Iowa?". We have been friends ever since, not only because she is from Iowa, but also because she and her family are wonderful people and friends. Henry and Lucy both attend the same school international school in Heidelberg. Anyway, back to the party. The theme of the party was "Hello Kitty", which Henry had never heard of, so he kept calling "Hello Kitty" the "Cat Creature" (an episode from Scooby Doo). Again, he was exhausted when it was time to leave and can't wait for the next party.
Today is Valentines Day. Valentines Day is not a popular here as it is in the States. I made cupcakes for John to take to work and for Henry to take to school yesterday and most people asked what the occasion was. Henry did receive a few Valentines, but most view the day as "no big deal". Another JD couple offered to watch Henry for us so John and I could enjoy a Valentines dinner out. Henry always loves spending an evening with Abby and Samantha so we accepted. John and I had not had Mexican food since we left the States, not because there are no Mexican restaurants in Germany, there are a few, but most people say they are not worth trying, so when we heard of a good Mexican restaurant, John and I were ready to go. The restaurant was about an hour south of Heidelberg near an U.S. airbase. The drive was nice and the restaurant ended up being okay - it was good for "German Mexican".
Sunday is Nana's birthday. HAPPY BIRTHDAY NANA!! She and Papa are in Florida visiting Aunt Ruth for a couple of weeks right now, hopefully having a great time and enjoying some warmer weather. My sister said Dubuque got a ton of snow last night, so I am sure they appreciating looking at the sand instead of snow. They will only be home a couple of weeks and then they are coming over here to visit and help with the baby (and John and Henry). Between the baby coming and my parents coming to visit, we are defiantly looking forward to March. We have a tentative delivery date scheduled for March 24th, if everything goes according to plan, so mark your calendars!!
Where does the time go? It seems like life has quickly become routine here in Germany. Henry is in school everyday, John is working, and I am staying busy with various activities as well as providing a taxi for Henry. It is amazing how within a few short months we have managed to fill our calendars with activities and commitments that we never thought we would have in a foreign country. Our church has given us an opportunity to meet many amazing people. Most are military families and are used to moving and meeting new people and getting involved in new situations. I have joined the MOPS (mothers of preschoolers) group at our church and the Heidelberg Spouses Club. We meet a couple of times a month for lunch or we take small day trips to various places. Next month we are having a "diamonds and denim" dinner with our accompaniment of our spouses. John and I are both looking forward to it.
This past Saturday we enjoyed a day trip to Strasbourg, France. Strasbourg had been described to us as the "best of Germany and the best of France" in one town. It is located just across the French boarder, about 16 miles west of the Black Forest, which is only about and hour and a half from our home. Fortunately, the weather has been mild here, so outdoor activities are not out of the question, you just need a jacket and a great pair of walking shoes.
Strasbourg is best known for its several midevil churches, but the most famous is the Notre-Dame Cathedral of Strasbourg which houses a famous astronomical clock. The highest sphere of the church is 142 meters high, which is 466 feet. It was hard to get a picture of the church because of its height, but I did manage to get a couple of shots. There are stairs that go to the top of the steeple that consist of 329 steps. We did not tackle the stairs yesterday, being 8 months pregnant and having a three year old is not a great combination for extensive stair climbing. We plan to return this spring when my parents are here, so we may try it then. Surrounding the church are many quaint shops and restaurants. There are several chocolatiers and bakeries as well as many clothing boutiques and shoe stores.
Strasbourg is located on a river that flows into the Rhine River which hosts many boat tours and cruises. We did not take a boat tour yesterday, but it is definitely on our list next time. Strasbourg is also home to the European Parliament, the Council of Europe, the European Directorate for the Quality of Medicine and many other European institutions. John actually got to visit the European Parliament a couple of months ago which he said was amazing.
Below are a couple of pictures of the church, the clock and the city. As I mentioned earlier, we left the house without a plan, so our next visit will be more thought out and organized.
First, let me say STAY WARM to everyone at home!! My Dad told me about the wicked temperatures sweeping across northern Illinois and Iowa. It is funny to see people here walking around in parkas, boots, scarves and mittens when the temps are in the 30s. If they only knew. We did, however, get about two inches of snow yesterday. It was really pretty and Henry enjoyed it. At his school, they play outside for about 45 minutes daily. Today when I picked him up, his teacher commented on how much he loved the snow - eating the snow!! Like my mother says, he is all boy!
John is out of town this week for the first time since we arrived in Germany. He traveled to South Africa earlier this week and will return home Saturday. We are used to him traveling, but not so far away. I think he was much more nervous about leaving us than we were about being here alone, although I hardly feel alone. Between Henry, JD friends, and talking with family, we manage to stay very busy.
Last Saturday night Henry had a "party". Some friends celebrated their anniversary with a quiet dinner out, so we had the opportunity to watch their girls, Abigail and Samantha. Henry was thrilled to have them over. He introduced them to a whole new world of toys. The girls enjoyed playing with his tractors, farm animals, trains, pirate ship and dinosaurs. Henry was exhausted by the end of the night and ended up requesting to go to be before they left.
We would like to take this opportunity to wish everyone a Happy New Year. Our New Year started out with a bang. We should have been warned when a couple of days before New Year's Eve, the store adds advertised pages and pages of fireworks, and not just sparklers, these fireworks looked big, too big for unlicensed use (that was John's past product liability work talking). Anyway, when the time came (midnight) the sky lit up with fireworks as far as we could see. It was really spectacular - and loud. In addition to the loud bangs and booms, church bells were ringing and people took to the streets partying. When I went to check on Henry, he was sleeping soundly with a blanket pulled over his head. It all lasted about 45 minutes and then we went back to bed. We did watch the ball drop in New York the next morning and celebrated New Year's U.S. central time with friends via phone. Later that afternoon we celebrated the New Year with two other JD families who had stayed in Germany over the holidays. It was a lot of fun and we got to watch the Iowa game, which was a nice reminder of home.
John was off work last week and returns tomorrow. Today is a federal holiday here, so we are enjoying one last day with him home. We have taken the opportunity to catch up on many errands, spend some extra time at the gym, and test out our new VW minivan. Yes, our van finally came in. It is much smaller than vans in the States, but if you saw the streets and parking here, you would understand. It will be nice for traveling and to have extra room when the baby comes.
Lastly, but certainly not least, today is my sister's birthday!!!! Happy Birthday Aunt Sissy!!!! We miss you terribly and wish we were home celebrate with you. Henry says, "Surprise, Happy Birthday!".
We hope everyone had a Merry Christmas. Although ours was very nice, it could not beat being at home with family and friends. As you can tell by the title of this blog entry, we spent the week of Christmas in Rome. We left on the 22nd and returned on the 27th, so we had a busy week of sight seeing, shopping, and enjoying an occasional gelato (Italian ice cream).
Rome with a 3 year old (I know, I cannot believe he is 3 either) requires careful planning as well as a heavy duty stroller. Public transportation in Rome is not great, therefore, if you are not up for walking, you are often required to take a taxi, which is expensive, not to mention a risk since many times you will be taken advantage of. Thankfully, the weather was wonderful, sunny and 60 for the majority of our visit, so we walked what seemed to be several miles a day. Our poor stroller, which is considered an "all terrain" stroller has had it. Rome's cobblestone streets, curbs, and numerous steps took their toll on our once indestructible stroller, but it lasted the trip and kept Henry somewhat comfortable for 6-7 hours a day, including naps and a few meals.
Having a child still in diapers also requires some extra planning, although, finding a bathroom in a hurry for a child would have also presented a challenge. Since attractions such as the Colosseum and the Pantheon do not have "diaper changing stations", one must be creative. We were lucky enough to have packed plenty of diapers and not have them lost with our luggage like one unlucky couple we met outside of the Colosseum did. Because we had been warned by several people and travel publications that Rome was notorious for pick pockets and scam artists, we were really suspicious of everyone who approached us. While outside of the Colosseum, a couple with two young children approached us. They explained they had just arrived in Rome and their luggage was lost, along with all of their diapers. John and I were a bit confused, we had people ask us for spare change, to buy various trinkets, to take guided tours, to buy flowers, even to buy a tripod, but diapers was a new one. Thankfully, I am never without plenty of diapers and was able to give them a few.
During our time in Rome we saw the highlights, including the Pantheon, the Colosseum, the Vatican Museum, St. Peter's Basilica, the Trevi Fountain, the Spanish Steps, and numerous basilicas and sights too numerous to mention. Our favorite by far was the Vatican Museum and St. Peter's Basilica. These attractions are something you truly have to see to believe. Some of my pictures of these sights are a bit blurry and dark, flash photography was not permitted in some areas.
In addition to the various sites, John and I enjoyed observing the Italian lifestyle and culture. Since our hotel was on the outskirts of town, the hotel had a shuttle bus that took us back and forth daily to a plaza in the center of town. While waiting for the shuttle daily, we usually enjoyed a warm drink in a corner coffee shop and observed cultural practices of Italians. The coffee bar was a revolving door of people coming and going while doing a "shot" of espresso in between. Literally, people would come in off the street, order their shot, drink it while standing and leave immediately. Another thing I will never understand is who came up with the rules of parking and driving in Italy. Parking is random at best and people seem to make up the rules of driving as they go. I never thought I would say this, but driving in Germany is much more organized and orderly.
John is going to be off for another week, so we plan to relax and perhaps take a few day trips to neighboring towns and communities that we have not had a chance to visit yet. I am not sure if we will take any more big trips before the baby comes, I am now in my last trimester and can feel myself slowing down a bit. After six days of walking all over Rome, I was glad to get on the airplane home.
Thanks to all who sent us Christmas cards and well wishes, we will be home next year to share the holiday with you. Christmas was not the same without family, friends and snow!! Yes, I said snow. Everyday I talk to my Mom and sister, they tell me more snow is either falling or on the way, although it can be a nuisance, when you are away from it, you do miss it.
Enjoy the pictures, it was difficult to choose which ones to post as I took over 200 photos!
Welcome to the Archer Family Blog!! This blog was created to stay in touch with family and friends when we moved to Germany last year, now that we are moving back home, it will enable us to stay in touch with new friends, as well as old ones!! Cheers!
