Days 8-10: Landstuhl & Heidelberg

Tag!

Jennifer, here. I was going to simply post the link to my personal blog (jennturnsmeahn.blogspot.com), but since Peter is choosing not to update this time, I'll post my entire update on here directly.....

During the past few days we've gotten to tour two more castles (I should be a princess by now) and caught up with some good family friends, the Sanchez family. Genießen!

On Monday, we went to see Burg Nanstein, which was about a 15 minute walk from Eunice and Andy's place. It was built around the year 1162 under the rule of  Holy Roman Emperor Frederick I, who began its construction as additional defense for the Palatinate.

Tree carving we passed on our way up to the castle.

The next day, Eunice took us on an hour-long drive to Heidelberg. Here we got to see Heidelberg Castle, probably the most beautiful and elaborate of the three castles we've visited thus far. The oldest part of the castle was built before 1214. Since then, there has been a lot of destruction (twice due to lightning bolts) and reconstruction. You can tell the difference between older and newer structures partially by looking at the bricks; older bricks have single holes in them (a tour guide told Eunice that back in the day they used some sort of rope pulley system to lift/stack them). Apparently Hitler used to host parties in this very castle.

Pulled this photo from Google so you can get a feel for its grandiosity.

300+ steps to get to the top.

This was my favorite part of the castle because you can see through the inside, since half of it fell off.

The Old Bridge.

To finish off the day, we headed over to the Sanchez family's house for (a very, very good) dinner. I think it's been... 5 years since we've seen them? They are such a fun and kind family. Seeing them made me miss my parents even more.

That's it for now. Tschüss!

P.S. I started a coaster collection when I first got here and it's slowly starting to accumulate :)

My first post :)

Hey guys, it's Peter!

I can't wait to tell you about the blast I'm having here in Europe. Everything is so different (in a good way) that it sends chills up my spine when I realize I'm 4000 miles away from home! We've recently got back from Brussels, Belgium which was a great experience that I will never forget.

I think I'll just keep it short and give you guys a nice summary of some of the things we've been doing for the past few days; primarily things we did in Belgium.

Just a cool picture of our Boeing 767 at 30000 feet. I love flying!

Pardon my boringness, but I like to enjoy looking at odd things like geography and foliage. The first thing I noticed when we started driving was that the trees in Germany are sooo thin compared to the oak trees and whatnot in Virginia. It's a great reminder of how large and diverse this Earth is.

A scenic urban view of the Brussels skyline from our apartment window.

The Grand Place of Brussels is probably the most recognizable sight in Belgium. You've probably seen a few photos or paintings of this place.

We had some delicious mussels and Belgian fries at a place just outside of our apartment in Brussels.

We visited Ghent which was a 30 minute(ish) train-ride from Brussels. There was a humongous festival that just started when we arrived there. It was so lively!

An awesome castle in Ghent that we got to take a tour of. It's really eerie to imagine how many people died in its torture rooms and dungeons.

Jennifer was feeling a bit adventurous...

It was really calming to walk through the local alleys and enjoy the views.

After a while, we sat down in this building where a singer and a guitarist were playing some great music!

The city became really scenic as the sun set.

Well, that's it for now! Thanks for reading my first post. I will try to make my future posts better and more organized. :)

Day 2: Kusel & Ramstein

Guten tag!

It is currently 11:55PM over here, which means it is 5:55PM in the states. I forgot to mention in my last post that we are 6 hours ahead, which is why my sleeping schedule is so jacked! I think I'm slowly starting to adjust, though.

Today we visited Lichtenberg Castle, which is located near Thallichtenberg in the district of Kusel in Rhineland-Palatinate, about 20 minutes away from Eunice and Andy's home. With a length of 425m, it's the biggest castle ruin in all of Germany. I thought that was pretty sick. Also it was built in 1200 and I'm all about old architecture, so needless to say I was super intrigued. Check it owwwwt.

Eunice and I :)

Pulled this photo off of Google so you can see the castle in its entirety. 

I think this is the best photo I've taken thus far. This is the view from the top of the huge tower (see previous pic). Isn't it breathtaking? I like how the little birdie got in the shot.

Me standing on one of the castle's ledges. I thought I was going to fall/pee myself.

Next we went to Ramstein Air Base to exchange some currency and do a little shopping (my favorite, haha). Since it's a military air base, the only people allowed entry through the security gates are military personnel and their families. Peter and I had to get temporary passes before we could enter.

This place reminded me of the movie The Truman Show (you know, the one where Jim Carrey lives in an artificial world enclosed by a giant bubble and finds out he's actually on a TV show). I guess it's because of the fact that it's isolated and has everything you need -- shopping mall, grocery store, etc. -- in a seemingly compact area (although now that I read Wikipedia, it's a lot bigger than I had assumed). I don't know, maybe I just watch too many movies. Anyhow, everything here in Ramstein is sold at a discounted rate, another one of those bonuses for those who serve and their families.

Exchanged $150 and received 111.45 in euros. You can't really tell in this picture but the bills are different sizes. Their money reminds me of Monopoly money.

Entrance to the mall area.

Entrance to the Commissary, where we got our groceries.

Finally, we headed back home to eat a delicious dinner and to spend some quality time together.

Hilarious coaster that Eunice and Andy have in their kitchen. If you turn your head upside down you can see that it's an optical illusion. Left: "before 6 beers" Right: "after 6 beers" HAHA so true. Beer goggles are forreal, y'all.

Peter and Andy spending some manly time together grilling ribs. They are twins. Actually, triplets, since Andy already has a twin..... oh and his twin's name is Peter. If that's not freaky, I don't know what is. Maybe my brother is his brother's doppelganger.

A glass of Ouzo, a Greek Anise that tastes just like licorice. It is initially clear, but when you mix it with ice, it turns into this milky/cloudy color (as pictured) due to a process called opalescence. Purrrrdy cool, but purdy nasty. Not a fan of licorice.

Andy's ribs + Eunice's flamekuche = Peter happy

Some interesting things I've learned/seen/HEARD today...

1. The reason I write HEARD is because I woke up to a freaking bobcat last night. It greowed (growled + meowed?) so loudly outside of my window. I'm pretty sure everyone else just thinks I'm crazy but I know my bobcats man.

2. Almost everyone here drives either a BMW or Mercedes Benz or another nice European make.

3. The sun doesn't go down until 10PM. This is not a joke. IT'S AMAZING.

4. German houses rarely have air conditioning. At first I was a bit taken back, like hell naw I love my A/C, but the weather is SO nice here that you don't need it. The houses retain cool air very well. In fact, I'm actually kind of cold right now.

5. Germans <3 American music. They play the same teeny bopper crap that we play on the radio.

6. In order to be buried in a cemetery after you die, a family member (or someone that must really love you) has to lease your spot. It's not like in the US where we are laid to rest in one plot forever. They don't pay, you don't stay. This means that you don't see very many old graves here. I'm not sure what they do with the bodies when people stop paying, though....

7. I forgot to mention yesterday that at Speyer Cathedral, there are 8 emperors and kings buried in the basement. Conrad the Second was the first to be put to rest down there. Check out his picture... he's got a pretty gnarly beard.

It is now 1:47AM. Don't know if I'll make it to the gym in the morning bahaha (just kidding, Eunice, please wake me up!)

P.S. We're staying in BELGIUM this weekend!!!!! Yay for waffles, chocolate, and beer :)

Our First Day in Germany

Hallo!!!!

It's 4:17AM here right now, and I'm having trouble going to sleep due to the time change, so I figured now is the perfect time to post about our first day in Germany.

I'm going to chronicle our eventful day mainly in pictures and captions.

Our first picture in Germany!

Right after Eunice picked us up from the airport, she took us to this cute little town called Speyer, which is about an hour away from her home. Look at how adorable this place was!

While in Speyer, we got to visit the Speyer Cathedral. This cathedral is literally a thousand years old and is. UNESCO World Heritage site. So amazing!

One of the only times I'll ever see Latin (my minor in college)....

Engraving done by St. Norbert of Xanten, 1000 years ago.

We didn't realize it until Eunice told us, but Peter can legally drink over here. The drinking age is 16! So, of course we had to buy some beer on our first day!

Eunice ordered me a Radler -- pretty much beer + sprite. It was delicious and refreshing.

Peter had some kind of light beer.

Speyer is apparently well-known for their Annual Pretzel Festival. We got there a little too early so we didn't get to participate in the fest but it was nice to look around.

Next, we went to visit the Landstuhl Regional Medical Center, where Andy works. It is within walking distance from their house, although it's quite a hike (in my standards). I was out of breath and dripping sweat by the time we got there, but it was well worth the amazing view of Landstuhl.

We met up with Andy at the hospital, and all of us walked back home together. Andy took me and Peter to grab dinner from this place just down the street, called Ali Baba Kebab Takeaway. We ordered these giant wraps (I forget what they're called...), sort of a cross between a giant taco + gyro, filled with calf, veggies, and special spices. It was freaking delicious. I didn't even pause to take a picture of it because I was so hungry.

Some interesting things I've learned/seen today...

1. German autobahns: basically highways. There is technically no speed limit (although advisory speed is 130 kph or 81 mph), so cars driving in the left lane are literally flying. You can feel the impact when other cars pass by you, and they drive so fast that they're gone within the blink of an eye, literally.

2. They don't just give out free water like the US does. Apparently water is often times more expensive than beer/wine here, so obviously people are going to opt for alcohol. Also, they don't really drink regular water like we do. They drink carbonated water, so seltzer water essentially.

3. Germans are very efficient, smart, and green. One example I can think of off of the top of my head is their toilets have 2 buttons for flushing; the smaller button is for if you just urinate, and the bigger button is for... larger loads. It saves water.

4. Using public bathrooms is rarely free (unless you're at a restaurant and you're actually eating there). Weird right?

5. This place is all about RELAXATION. It's so unusual to me.... Don't get me wrong, all I do in the states is relax, but it's unusual to see the people AROUND me just enjoying themselves. When we were at the cafe in Speyer, there were so many people (kids, adults, elderly) everywhere just laughing and drinking AT 12:30PM ON A TUESDAY! It seems like no one works here; obviously this isn't the case but it is very apparent that the Europeans have an easygoing lifestyle compared to Americans. Their standard of living is much higher than ours, without a doubt.

6. So. Many. Bikes. (And trails, for bikes.)

7. Rouladen shades: this type of blinds are very common German homes. They are in every window at Eunice's. Made from some kind of metal, it blocks out all sunlight. If you have them closed during the day, you'd never know it was light out.

It is now 4:48AM. I need to go back to sleep before Eunice wakes us up in 5 hours.

Gute nacht! Or should I say guten morgen...