Let it Snow, Let it Snow, Let it Snow!

As this view from my desk as I write tells, we are off to a running start at making this the second winter in a row that our corner of Germany has had “the worst winter for snow in 50 years!” That is what our German friends, neighbors and TV weathermen kept telling us as with every snowfall last year. Either we are defying the odds and I start buying lottery tickets by the gross or, the Germans have fantastically short memories. It does make for a festive holiday season and one certainly doesn’t need to dream for a White Christmas!

While the kids tell me that every year I declare our Christmas tree the best ever, this year we truly do have the biggest tree we’ve ever had. This is a good thing as the number of ornaments we have grows steadily with an annual addition for each child and souvenirs of various travels. Thank goodness we waited to get such a tall tree till Ethan had grown as Gary needed his help to reach the top to cut the net wrapping the tree – and even Ethan, who is reporting his height for the first time as “6’- something” (no doubt more to come until that ‘something’ is final!), needed a stool.

As we pass the midway point of our stay in Germany, we are beginning to view our remaining time differently - starting to consider places we’d still like to visit and things we’d still like to do. This will be the last school vacations and long weekends when European adventures are within reach! In fact, as I reflect on the past year, it has been a series of notable “lasts” as well as memorable “firsts.” I am grateful that the “lasts” inevitably come in their season and always lead to exciting “firsts” that take the sting out of time’s forward march.

We had our first high school graduation in early June as Molly completed her primary education career thousands of miles away from where it began (in Cedar Rapids, IA) and light years away from where we would have imagined it at that time. It will no doubt be the last high school graduation for one of our children where champagne is served afterwards for the graduates (thanks to the 16 year old drinking age in Germany!). Molly handled the transition and missed “Senior” memories at Zionsville High School with a great deal of grace and positive attitude and made some unique memories that otherwise wouldn’t have been possible. A graduation celebration dinner with her Oma, aunt, uncle, cousins and some German relatives, looking out over the city lights of Frankfurt and the Taunus mountains is a memory we all hold dear. A graduation trip with a good friend from Zionsville - itinerary and all details planned by Molly- that included Paris and London as well as Frankfurt was another.

Another first for us was sending our first child off to college. An ocean between us for months at a time has been an adjustment, to be sure. But, “eating together” via Skype is a remarkable consolation even if she’s eating lunch while we’re eating dinner! In September we had our first transatlantic family celebration via Skype for Ethan’s 15th birthday. Gary and I are sure grateful for the technology to “see” that Molly is settling in so well at St. Olaf. She gave her siblings their first tour of campus last month when we stopped to pick her up on the way to our annual Door County trip. Gary received his first tour a month before that when he spent the weekend with her on a layover before a business trip.

With the arrival of that all-important birthday, the first words on Ethan’s lips in any discussion about our return to Indiana are centered entirely on how quickly we can get to the BMV for his learner’s permit (you've got to be 18 to learn to drive in Germany so, no hope of learning on the autobahn for him!). Turning 15 also marked the last of his years in braces. While the move to Germany brought added months to the treatment and stories too numerous to mention about the crazy orthodontist here, he characteristically took it all in stride and with good humor.

Audrey, who lost her last baby tooth yesterday, began middle school this fall and has enjoyed her first experiences representing Frankfurt Interntaional School on athletic teams. She made the tennis team this fall, earning “player of the match” recognition once and “most improved player” for the season. Girls ‘basketball season is now just underway. She will pack tonight for the first “away” trip of the basketball season – to Zurich, Switzerland. Now, with both Ethan and Audrey traveling with their respective basketball teams, come January, it will be a first that it is Gary and I who are home by ourselves and the kids who are all away in foreign cities!

With the “graduation” of our youngest from elementary school last June, Mom said goodbye to 12 years of various room-mom and parent volunteer opportunities as the last of those requests came for help with the end-of-year classroom party.

Though summer vacation from school is shorter in Germany, we made the absolute most of the time we had. Welcoming Zionsville friends and sharing a part of their European adventure in Paris, Munich and the German wine country on the Rhine River is a very special memory. For Molly, Ethan and the other teenagers in the group, a first para-gliding experience over the Neuschwanstein Castle was a highlight.

Family togetherness has been the theme of our time over here. We have planned more family adventures than would be the norm and are so pleased that the kids seem to truly enjoy one another – at least most of the time! We spent a fun five weeks on “home leave” this summer, participating in all our familiar summer activities – lots of tennis, swimming, and time with friends. That family togetherness was put to a true test as the five of us shared a small two-bedroom rental apartment, for the first and, hopefully, the last time!

Our transatlantic frequent flyer miles were responsible for a highlight of the travel year – one week in Banff National Park in Alberta, Canada. Long at the top of my list of vacation destinations, it did not disappoint. First glacier climbing experience, first family canoeing and the first and absolutely the last time we accept a Lincoln Town Car as an “upgrade” from a car rental company running low on inventory during peak vacation season!

Happy Holidays!

Saints, Scholars and Homer Simpson

Despite what you might guess from this quintessential souvenir of Ireland (can you believe it rolls a sheep, leprechaun and pot of gold all into one?), Ireland is known as the "land of saints and scholars." I'm sure this is true, after spending only four days there. But, I am equally sure that neither are involved in running RyanAir! The good thing that can be said of RyanAir is that they have transformed airfare competition in Europe much like Southwest Airlines did in America many years ago. Aside from ticket prices that are cheaper than the taxes and fees layered on, the only other good thing I can think to say is that the airplanes will take you to Ireland..

Where are the Saints and Scholars When You Need Them?

Unfortunately, RyanAir has taken the worst of Southwest's early business model and made it worse while Southwest has taken the best of their model and made it better! While Southwest has improved the efficiency, civility and manageability of their "no-assigned seats" boarding process by implementing an orderly numbering process based on when you check-in and, they remain now the only US airline that does NOT charge for checked baggage, RyanAir has taken the contrary approach. You pay as much for your suitcase to fly in cargo as you do for your own ticket.

The improvement to the chaotic boarding process is to sell "priority boarding" upgrades and then begin boarding the plane 30 minutes prior to scheduled boarding so that those with priority boarding, who don't happen to be at the gate a half hour before the posted boarding time have just donated their money to the RyanAir coffers for no reason (yes, I speak from experience!). And, whilst boarding, they pipe in over the PA system a speeded up version of Franz Liszt (the famous piano player who plays with uncommon speed and skill) to generate a sort of musical chairs - hurry or you'll get no seat at all - atmosphere made all the more chaotic by boarding the plane through both the front and the back doors.

Another observation, which admittedly may be coincidence, but... we have flown RyanAir three times in four years and to locations in three different countries. Each time, we have experienced what are the most turblulent and dicey landings in all our experience. Turbulent enough that each time, the passengers have broken into spontaneous applause as we landed safely. Coincidence?

Homer Simpson is My Co-Pilot

We landed at Kerry airport after 10:00 at night and were glad that the airport makes our old Cedar Rapids, Iowa airport look huge! After a long wait we got our rental car and headed out into the dark, wet night, driving on the left side of the road in our manual transmission Skoda with 95,000 kilometers on the odometer! Thankfully, Gary has some experience with this from travels in England, Australia and New Zealand. Nevertheless, it is an odd experience each time - not least for the person sitting in the left-side passenger seat who periodically feels she should be pressing the clutch pedal!

But, we had the "luck of the Irish" with us as Homer Simpson joined us on his maiden trip as our co-pilot! After re-programming our TomTom with a US map for my trip to Minnesota and then back again to the European map, Homer was added into the mix. Homer is always there when you need him! Not only is he smarter than one might have thought - being able to navigate the wilds of the County Kerry peninsulas even in the dark (most of the time), he was very good at providing comic entertainment with his voiced instructions. What could feel better than being told to "hold your head up high, you are a genius" for arriving at our destination - especially under the circumstances?

I mentioned in an earlier post that we had hoped to stumble upon what is probably the world's most remote chocolate factory and Homer was actually of no help in that endeavor, but we enjoyed truly spectacular scenery along the way in any case. And, that was the real point of the trip to the County Kerry anyway! The first day, we explored the Dingle peninsula along winding and windy roads and cliffs. We were particularly careful walking along these cliffs, but the view made it very tempting to get close enough to peer over!

We were able to explore a sampling of the abundant castles, tower houses and abandoned abbeys. We took a 15 minute ride in a boat to reach this abandoned abbey which included a small chapel with a Celtic cross over 1,000 years old that had been retrieved from the sea - probably having been tossed into the sea during an ancient Viking raid. These Irish outposts suffered a number of Viking raids during their early history.

We are now traveling with just two kids and, the dynamics have shifted - while Ethan and Audrey are rediscovering they can be good buddies, Ethan's previous protector role has changed slightly as this photo, snapped of what has become their more typical relationship, shows.

A Test of Bravery?

We spent the evening at a pub enjoying traditional Irish music and dancing. It was a somewhat touristy affair but I enjoy Irish music and dancing in almost any setting! We were seated next to another American couple living in Germany. He is a First Sargeant in the US Army and was going to deploy for his third year-long tour in Afghanistan. He unknowingly gave Gary a great compliment on his "bravery:" This First Sargeant told us about his role as the leader of troops who clear mines and IEDs , treating it relatively casually as "all in a day's work." Later in the conversation, he responded in horror at the fact that we were driving a rental car in Ireland. He told Gary that he would be scared to death to drive. Quite a high bar for "scary" coming from a man who is about to spend his third year in Afghanistan clearing IEDs! It goes to show the level of training and competence the Army develops in the men and women who serve, that he would be more confident in that role than driving on the left side of the road. We wish our friend for the evening God's Speed. We will keep all of them in our prayers and only hope that the coming year brings nothing more scary than driving on the left side of the road for them.

Here's just a hint about why driving can be a bit nerve-wracking in Ireland. It seems impossible to believe, but they are more cavalier about speeds than the Germans. At least the Germans limit their recklessness to the smooth, well-maintained Autobahns. In Ireland, with the exception of the immediate approach to Dublin, the national roads are all about 1 1/2 lanes wide, have no shoulders -in fact, berms are built right up to the side of the road, leaving about a 6" distance between the berm and your car - they are winding more often than they are straight and, the speed limit is always 100 kilometers per hour (about 65 mph). This pair of signs above say it all perfectly!

The next morning included a trip to Trinity College to see the Book of Kells and a walking tour around the historic downtown Dublin. Mostly, we scoped out what we still want to see and do on a future trip. In addition to visiting Skellig Michael, which stormy weather and rough seas prevented while staying at Kilarney in County Kerry, at the top of the list in Dublin is this newly opened museum (if you can't read the sign - it is for the Leprechaun Museum!).

Thankfully, the best and least expensive flight back from Dublin was on Ireland's other airline, Aerlingus. As you can see, Audrey was anticipating (and was rewarded with) a much better experience!

Chocolate and Other Adventures

All Roads Lead to Chocolate...


We are, of course, surrounded by chocolate over here. And, it seems, everywhere we travel. I don't think it is a subconscious homing instinct leading us to chocolate, I think it is just pervasive here!

One recent morning I walked into the grocery store as is my usual routine after dropping the kids at school, daily grocery shopping being the routine because, as you no doubt recall from my previous posts, our fridge can hold about a day's worth of food and some staples. Anyway, I was met with a life-size Milka cow! Milka is a popular chocolate brand and this purple cow was not only life size but was shaking its head and winking at me! Bear in mind that grocery stores are quite small here and not prone to many "in-store advertising" displays - but, this display looked to me to be sized for a Super Target or other American-sized grocery, not my little, stock one or two varieties, grocery store! You can see the photographic evidence, taken on my cell phone, that I was not hallucinating.



Last week was Fall Break and we took two long-weekend trips so that Gary could still fit in nearly a full week of work in between. The first weekend, we headed up to Berlin. Berlin is our favorite city in Germany, primarily because it is chock full of interesting history and has become the most cosmopolitan city in the country since the wall came down in 1989 but, also not least because it has a one-of-a-kind Ritter Sport store called "Chocoworld."

Now, we did see the sights of Berlin as the kids hadn't been here since 2003 when we stayed a month during a sabbatical Gary spent at a German think-tank. They were too small then to do much more than the zoo and lots of city playgrounds. We took a four hour walking tour of Berlin which was a great way to see the sights while learning much of the WWII and more recent history of the city. We ended at the Brandenburg Gate which was the site that evening of a big outdoor party celebrating the 20th anniversary of the Reunification of Germany.


But, I imagine what the kids may remember most was Chocoworld! And, what's not to love? Many of you are familiar with Ritter Sport bars as the most popular flavors are available at Trader Joe's grocery stores and Targets everywhere. Chocoworld is the one place in the world where you can not only buy all the standard and seasonal flavors but, you can make your own custom bars. Picture an assembly station like any frozen yogurt or make-your-own sundae ice cream bar - about a dozen different choices of "add-ins." Mini-marshmellows, gummy bears, jelly beans, red pepper, chilis, toffee chips, roasted almonds - you get the idea.


Lest anyone think we ate our way through Berlin, there were other things that made an impression on us. One of the more memorable memorials we saw was actually underground. On a square in the center of Humboldt University campus, there is a plexiglass window looking beneath the square to a room walled with empty white bookcases - floor to ceiling. This marks the spot of the first Nazi book burning where 20,000 books were burned. The bookshelves represent the space that 20,000 volumes would fill -- an excellent way to visualize just how many books that is. The place is marked with a quote of a German poet, Heinrich Heine who died in 1856, not knowing just how prophetic his poem, which included this line, would be: "Where they burn books, at the end they will also burn people."

Audrey was particularly taken with the Checkpoint Charlie museum which, though amatuerishly displayed (due to the actual amateur nature of the effort - a labor of commitment and love but not much money by eastern Bloc immigrants since 1961!) is a remarkable testament to the wildly creative and sometimes successful efforts made by East Germans determined to escape the tyranny of the Stasi (the East German Secret Police) and East German life: musicians smuggling their girlfriends through the checkpoints hidden in speakers (not possible in today's era of micro-sized speakers!), people hidden in VW beetles under the trunk floor or even inside the front seat, modified so that the escapee replaces most the cushion material. Even escapes using primitive, home-built hot air balloons and underwater escapes with scuba gear made from everyday materials available in hardware stores. The desperation motivating these people was brought home by seeing the actual modified cars and scuba gear there on display.

...Except When They Don't!

Our second long weekend was spent in County Kerry and Dublin Ireland. I will write more on that soon. One day deserves mention here. We spent a day driving the beautiful "Ring of Kerry" which is on one of the three peninsulas that make up the most western edge of Europe. This is very wild, rugged country and the roads are wide enough for two cars only if one drives with left wheels in the ditch while passing each other! Few directional signs and, as we learned, this is a location that even the GPS system does not know well.


We were not only viewing the scenary but on the trail of what we thought would be an interesting stop -- the Skellig Chocolate Company, the most westerly European chocolate factory, noted for gourmet chocolate. We couldn't imagine why a chocolate factory would be located in this remote, although beautiful, location. Well, we never found it! Between maps and the GPS, we still must have taken a wrong road - hard to believe as there are few roads in this area. But, we had to admit defeat although the scenary - even on a cloudy day- made up for the disappointment! We do know the place exists as we found some Skellig chocolate for sale in a town in the more populous area of the peninsula. It is probably the only way the sell enough chocloate to survive -- that and their website: http://www.skelligschocolate.com/ . This will no doubt be the one and only time during our stay over here that chocolate has eluded us!

Adventures in Virtual Reality

Gary and I are regularly confronted in many ways by the difference in view point between those born in the 1960's and those born in the 1990's! Specifically, what our kids take for granted, we could never have imagined at the time they were born. Now that Molly is off at college in Minnesota, our family dinners and birthday celebrations have taken on a new look. Here is our recent family celebration of Ethan's birthday. As you can see, Molly joined us for dinner (which conveniently happens to be lunch-time in Minnesota) as she does now on a weekly basis!

We are adapting easily to this techno-change in our lives because it is so nice to have more than just a phone call to keep in touch. There is something so much more gratifying to seeing each other's faces as we talk. And - it's free! Who knew that video-chatting across the ocean could be so easy and free to boot?! Seems the one person in the family who did is our youngest, Audrey. She has used video-chatting since we moved to stay in touch with one of her best friends back in Indiana, Lindsey.


Never forget that it is often a 10 or 11 year-old who has the most to teach you!

Eulogy for Summer

Marking the End of Summer
Summer is over not only because Labor Day just passed but because all the kids are now finally back in school. At our house, summer ended twice this year. The first ending was when Ethan and Audrey returned to school in mid-August after a short and fast summer. They went to school through the end of June so it really was short - about four weeks shorter than we're used to.

I just returned from Minnesota, delivering Molly to St. Olaf for her first year of college. Classes start on Thursday. Molly had an unusually long summer this year because as a senior, she finished classes at FIS in mid-May, graduated the first weekend of June and chose a college that has an unusually late Fall start. So, she had over 14 weeks of summer.


Despite the fact we will all miss her like crazy, I had a fun time taking her back to my old stomping grounds in Northfield, MN and seeing life on the other side of the river - at St. Olaf. In my four years at Carleton, I think I actually was on the St. Olaf campus just once. I was sad that a dear friend and old roommate from Carleton could not join us at the last minute. It would have been even more fun to re-explore Northfield with her.

St. Olaf was as pretty a campus as we remembered from our visit two years ago and Molly hit the jackpot with a very nice and compatible roommate and, it seems, a great floor of freshmen girls.

I left with one burning question -- it seems that freshman are now universally called "First Years" by colleges and universites. Though, many of the kids still call themselves freshmen. Is this a new politically correct change that I missed? Or, is it the pervasive influence of Harry Potter - using the British schooling term?

What a Great Summer it Was!
Despite the fact that our family summer was constrained by the younger kids' school schedule, we packed in a great bit of fun in our short 7 weeks. It all began with a month of visitors - perfect! We had Gary's mom and brother with family visit for two weeks for Molly's graduation. Oma stayed with us the whole time and Barry, Jackie and their boys did some touring - Berlin, France and London. We followed them throughout their journey via their posts and pictures on Facebook!

Gary and the girls took Oma down to Munich, her hometown. She was able to show the girls the apartment she grew up in, visit with a lifetime friend from kindergarten and with a cousin that she has kept up with. Great fun for everyone. And, they managed a stop at Gary's favorite biergarten from his student days in Munich as well!

Molly had a good friend from Zionsville visit for a week. I accompanied them to Paris, though I didn't see much of them during the day as they explored Molly's favorite Paris sites and spent a 16-hour day in London courtesy of the Chunnel train.

We met up with our good friends the Hubers from Zionsville on our last day in Paris. We got to spend a day together in Paris, exploring chocolate and pastry shops, soaking up history on a history walk coincidentally led by a Hoosier now living in Paris (it really is a small world..) and then spend the Germany part of their summer vacation with them. The kids loved showing them our Germany home and town! We feel so lucky that the ocean's distance has not put distance in the best of friendships.


Frankfurt itself does not offer the best of Germany to visitors. So, after exploring the nearby wine country and spending a day to catch our breath, we were off to Munich with the Hubers. On the day of our excursion to Neuschwanstein Castle, the weather couldn't have been more picture perfect. So, added to the mountain hike up to the castle (gorgeous) was a paragliding experience for the teenagers in our group.

A 40 minute tandem-glide off the top of the Tegelberg is something they will remember for a long time! Via their paragliders, the kids were able to add one more country to their itinerary as they glided over the Austrian border before landing. The younger girls did a bike ride around nearby Swan Lake.


Just as memorable for everyone was the five weeks we spent in Indiana. We stayed in a short-term apartment and did the usual summer activities - many hours of tennis clinics and swimming at Azionaqua. Most enjoyable were the opportunities to catch up with friends and family.

Molly had a part-time internship in Communications at St. Vincent Hospital so got a great experience seeing one possibility of what an English major might do after college. They graciously arranged for her to visit and interview people outside of St. Vincent as well so she met a columnist at the Indianapolis Star and some people at an advertising agency who also staff a philanthropic organization that brings creative writing opportunities to middle schools in the Indianapolis Public Schools - something that really captured Molly's interest.



Gary was able to join us for a week working at Lilly's Indy headquarters and then a weeklong vacation in the Canadian Rockies. Thank goodness for frequent flyer awards. The flight to Calgary from Chicago would have cost twice as much as a transatlantic ticket and has been one of the reasons we haven't gone to this "top 3" destination on my travel wish list before. What a fantastic place. We spent most of our time at the Lake Louise Chateau. It lived up to every one of my long-held expectations.

We canoed, did a three hour glacier hike, regular hikes, gondola rides to the top peaks and LOTS of plain ol' relaxing. The relaxing was something we sorely needed - we love the opportunities to see the cities of Europe while we're here but cannot honestly say that those travels feature much relaxing!


Oh, and, of course, I didn't forget to pick up my tacky souvenir in Canada. Mountie Moose came home with us to join the distinguished collection on the shelf in the living room!

August is Construction Month

We are back in Germany after a wonderful summer of visits here from friends and family and visits to Indy to see friends and family (more on that soon). We arrived last year at almost exactly this same time of year. Last year, it was jackhammers and construction workers downstairs in the house. This year, it is dump trucks, steam shovels and construction crews stationed three feet outside the kitchen, bathroom and bedroom windows as well as the front door. In terms of noise, smells (diesel fuel from idling dump trucks as well as smoke from the ever-present workers' cigarettes) and intrusion on privacy, they all may as well be inside the house with me!

I think, but cannot be sure until it happens, that they are tearing up the road to re-surface it. Time will tell. In the meantime, my pantomimed "conversation" (my German construction terms vocabulary is not up to snuff!) with the dump truck driver convinced me, correctly, as today has proven, to park my car up the road a ways. Of course, everyone else is doing the same. And, all of the neighborhood streets are so narrow that most of the usual parking availability is temporarily "verboten" as the construction workers try to insure that their equipment can pass through. So, we will be hiking with the grocery crate to and from the car for several blocks for a while. Good thing I have a young, strapping teenage boy at my disposal!

The photos give some idea of the activty. What is lost is just how much it feels they are actually IN the house. And, of course, the sound effects of large asphalt chunks being dropped into the dump truck, the scent of diesel fuel from idling dump trucks wafting into the kitchen (no, closing the windows when it is 90 degrees and no air conditioning to be had, is not an option!), the faces peering into your windows simply because there is little place else to look when your standing two feet from the house, and the honking horn to signal the dump truck to move a few feet forward will all have to be conjured up in your imagination. I'm thinking of starting a breakfast drive-thru... perhaps I can make a few Euros!

It remains to be seen how the weekly trash pick up (already a mean feat for the trash truck to fit down the street - and I feel I should offer him a cup of coffee out the kitchen window, too!) and the bi-weekly "yellow sack" pick up will work.

Yellow sack pick up, for the uninitiated, is the pick up of most (sorting which is which requires a 3-month apprecenticeship!) recyclable packing materials that is all accumulated first in a recycle bin in the utility room and then, bi-weekly, is ever so carefully transferred to a very large and thin plastic sack (yes, it is a distinctive yellow color) to be taken to the curb. The yellow sacks are government-issued from the city hall. The plastic is so thin that despite careful transferring, some errant yogurt container, tin can lid or other packaging item slices through the side of the bag causing yet another transfer process - even more carefully this time - to a fresh yellow sack!

Some time, when there is nothing else of much interest to write about, I will write my dissertation on recycling in Germany for all of you -- I have done the research for the Ph.D. required to be successfully environmentally conscious here - I just haven't written the dissertation yet! Gads do I miss the four foot tall recycle bin on wheels and the mixed recycling policy in Zionsville... virtually all non-food waste all went in the bin and every two weeks we wheeled it to the curb for pick-up...

And, lest I get lonely once the street work is done, I am assured of a fresh round of workers to be scheduled to repair the roof in the sun room. Yesterday, we had a 15-minute thunderstorm and downpour. I thought the sound of running water was a bit too loud, even for a torrential rainstorm. Sure enough, a walk by the sunroom cleared up the mystery. The new leak in the previously water-tight roof was pouring water in at a rate to fill a bucket in less than five minutes! Fortunately, it was splashing in about a foot away from the uphostered furniture.


At least the sun is shining today.

We're Not in Kansas, That's For Sure!

May and June have been and continue to be busy months – all to the good with the exception of the German health care reform debate that is consuming Gary’s time during the work week. While it is a true delight to be here, be able to travel to so many wonderful places and when not traveling, live in what looks like a picture postcard village, we are still regularly reminded that despite our growing language ability, our increasing confidence in every-day life and our overall comfort level in living here, we are still “strangers in a strange land.” There are some things that still surprise (and, yes, annoy) us.

Sorry. We’re Closed.
A few weeks ago, we drove to Paris for the French Open. The story that wasn’t told in the recent post about that trip happened on the way home. On the way home, we stopped for a bathroom stop just after crossing into Germany. While we had about a quarter tank of gas and might have filled up the car, we decided to wait till the next gas station because where we stopped was not a station we had a gas card for. Along the autobahn, there are regular pull-offs for gas and we had stopped at one just near the American military base, Ramstein, on the way to France. There are “always” gas stations on both sides of the autobahn whenever we see gas stations.

Except when there's not. Our car monitors the gas supply by both a fuel gage and estimated kilometers. When we set off from our rest stop, we had over 125 kilometers yet to drive on our gas supply. And, we were not in the wilderness, this was the major autobahn to Frankfurt and Mainz – a big metropolitan area, which was no more than 150 kilometers away. But, we found that the gas station we stopped at near Ramstein was the ONE stop on the autobahn not mirrored on the other side of the road. No gas station.

At 15 kilometers remaining, we programmed our Navi to take us to the closest gas station –on or off the autobahn. Great news, there was one just 5 km away – we took the exit and headed there. Ahhh… but, it was a Sunday evening and it was in a small town. It was closed. That’s okay, we figured, there was another gas station listed just 7 km away. We set off again. This time, Navi miscalculated the estimated distance. When we coasted into that darkened gas station, Navi reported to us that we had “null” (0) kilometers left to travel on our gas supply. And, the gas station was closed.

By now, the kids had woken up and the time was 10:45pm. Thank goodness for a husband who speaks fluent, Bavarian-accented German. Faced with the prospect of sleeping in the car, we called the Poliezi to see about getting some help. The help they offered – knowing that we had already driven a few kilometers past “Empty,” was to give us the address of a “24-hour” gas station nearby. Fortunately they also gave us the phone number. Gary called to explain our situation. He was told that no, it is not a 24-hour station but instead, it closes in 7 minutes, at 11:00pm. He told them where we were and that we would head there immediately, hoping we had enough gas fumes to make it – could they please watch for us?

Off we went, the station was estimated to be about 5 km away. Of course, it was winding, hilly, narrow streets through a small town in the countryside and we were white-knuckled the whole time wondering if the car would sputter to a stop. We rolled into the station at 11:01pm – I know precisely because Navi gets the time from a cell tower. The lights were already turned off but, I could see a man standing at the pumps. Great! They had waited for us!

No. Believe it or not, it was a man standing at the pump, gas nozzle in hand, who had been thwarted in his effort to fill his car. He told Gary that as he stood there about to pump the gas, the owner had turned off the lights and the pumps. The store was locked. Completely dumbfounded that an owner of a gas station, in a small town, who knew that a family was headed their direction on an empty tank of gas, no more than 5 -10 minutes away would not wait at least a few minutes to see if they arrived – especially with a paying customer (who, for all she knew, could have been us trying to fill a bone-dry tank) trying to pump gas that would have filled those minutes at a profit, we were momentarily at a loss.

But, seeing a light on in the back of the store, we hit redial on Gary's phone. A woman answered. She acknowledged that her husband had told her about the call but, he had just left. Gary convinced her to come to the door. She arrived with the explanation that no, she would not turn on the pumps again for us because she had turned off the credit card machine. (There are no pay-at-the-pump gas stations in Germany).

Between us we had 40 Euros in our wallets. We offered to pay cash and she begrudgingly turned on her pumps. Just how bad a day must someone have had to so nonchalantly close their store at the stroke of 11:00pm when they know a family a few minutes away will be stranded overnight without gas? Or, just how ingrained in a society is it that individuals’ problems are “someone else’s” to help with ?

Now, I know that in some places in America, this may have happened as well. But, I like to think that most small-town gas station owners would have stayed open a few minutes longer for such an emergency. And, in many a small town, I suspect we would have even gotten an offer to bring gas to us – an opportunity to be helpful as well as earn a great tip for an enterprising gas station owner.

As I’ve mentioned before – there is almost always some kernel of truth that originates the broad categorizations of a people. It is interesting to note that the most frequent stereotype I hear from Germans about Americans is that they can immediately pick out an American because “they are so friendly.” One can’t disagree about that here in a country where it is expected that the NEW neighbors bring cookies or cake to the rest of the neighbors to introduce themselves!

We’re from the Government and We’re Here to Help!
If you live in Germany, you are relieved of even basic home maintenance routines. The government has it all well in hand. A few months ago, a workman in a City of Konigstein uniform knocked at the door. He was here, unannounced, to read and replace our water meter. He communicated to me that it was the scheduled time for this house to have a new water meter installed. Hmmm… the existing one was working just fine but, they replace them every three years and it was time - and, "No worries, the bill will go the landlord." I let him in and signed the papers.

Last week, I received a notice in the mailbox that the “chimney cleaner” would be here at 8:30 the next morning. Gary’s mom was here visiting – that’s how I knew it said the “chimney cleaner!” Well, I assumed it was someone who would be passing through the neighborhood to offer his services --- it happens periodically with knife sharpeners and apple sellers, why not chimney sweepers? We don’t have a fireplace so I didn’t think any more about it.

The next morning, Molly called me while I was at the grocery store and told me someone was here cleaning the furnace in the cellar. He spoke English very well and was very polite. He was wondering though about all the soot in the cellar around the boiler (see January post re: furnace mishap, not fully repaired regarding soot exhaust as landlord unwilling to make minor repairs).

The workman explained to me that he worked for a company contracted by the Hessen state government. It was the scheduled day for our annual furnace inspection and exhaust pipe cleaning. He created more soot mess by opening the pipes that lead out of the house and breaking the hatch door on the pipe in the process. More phone calls to bosses and the landlord, trips to the hardware store and return visits to repair the door. Now, we have more soot but very clean furnace exhaust pipes!

Oh, and I was assured “not to worry, the landlord will get the bill.” In a place where the government even schedules your furnace maintenance, can enter your home at any time to count and tax the number of televisions and radios you have (including radios in your car) and replaces your water meter on schedule, its no wonder that over the years, people become accustomed to assuming and counting on the fact that “someone else” will do things, solve problems, take care of you, etc.

Sorry, I’d rather be responsible to schedule my own furnace maintenance and help out my neighbor or fellow man when they are in need. Just my libertarian tendencies showing, I guess.


Living in Harmony – Consideration is the Key
This is the headline of an article in a newcomers publication I receive. It really should be titled “living in harmony – following the rules is the key.” I am simply reprinting the article here without comment as none is needed!

Quiet Time: is from 8pm to 7am during the week, and all day on Sundays and holidays. This rule covers general house and garden equipment (lawn-mowers, basketball playing) that make up to a certain amount of noise. The state of Hessen used to have more rigorous quiet time between 1pm and 3 pm but that was repealed several years ago for middle-range noise.

Washing your Car: Generally not allowed because the chemicals in the soap seep into the groundwater. Still, you can get away with it if you use dish soap as long as none of your neighbors complain.

Barbeques: You are allowed to grill twice a month for homes with gardens (yards) and once a month for apartment dwellers. What is important is that the smoke and smell do not bother your neighbors. Let your neighbors know in advance so that they can close their windows. Some rental contracts don’t allow grilling at all.

Parties: You are not allowed to make noise outside after 10pm. Noise may never be “excessive.” You may have bigger parties up to four times a year.


World Cup
I don’t know how much attention the Soccer World Cup is getting in the US. It is the reason for living over here! The once-every-four-years event is worthy of suspending classes in school to watch Germany play on TV. Soccer is not that exciting a TV spectator game. And, once one team has scored two goals, the outcome is virtually assured, any suspense eliminated. I guess it’s a matter of opinion though. The country has gone World Cup mad!

The way you can tell the Germans are over the top is this: two weeks ago, German flags began appearing everywhere. Hanging out of windows, flying on car windows, worn as clothing and capes, and printed on everything from napkins and paper plates to the infamous vuvuzelas (loud, buzzing horns), given away with every six pack of beer. I hadn’t really given much thought before to the fact that you almost never see a German flag flying – anywhere. Displays of nationalism or patriotism are not typical here at all. The unwritten rule to avoid overt displays of patriotism is perhaps their interpretation of a lesson of history they were made to learn well of their past nationalistic fervor gone so seriously awry in World War II. Even public buildings do not display the country's flag.

Those conventions have been suspended – the unwritten rules ignored! Don't be alarmed, it is just for one month. . .

Le joli mois de Mai

We spent a lot of time in France with two trips during May and it truly was “merry!” What better way to pass the abundance of school-holiday weekends that occur in May? One of the nicest things about Germany is it is a neighbor of France. And, southern France, in particular, is hard to beat. It tells you something good about a place when it is very hard to find a tacky souvenir, despite my now well-honed radar for such items!

Four days in Provence were easily filled with a wide variety of activities and a stay in a wonderful B & B (TripAdvisor.com is the best "travel agent" around!). The proprietress is a good reminder of what a small world it is – she is an American citizen, born in Belgium, married to a Frenchman she met while both worked in the oil industry in Houston, TX for many years. Now, they run the B & B and their daughter, when finished with high school at the International School two kilometers up the road, plans to attend Vet school in the UK.

So, a quick travelogue to pitch Provence as the “ultimate” travel destination. Of course, the food and wine are the obvious easy sell. But who knew how much else there is there:

Roman Ruins (living here, one quickly discovers the Romans were EVERYWHERE! There is a ruins, partially reconstructed, of a significant Roman fort just 15 minutes from our house). The Pont du Nord is the best preserved aqueduct from the ancient Roman Empire and the new museum is very well done.

St. Remy is the home of more Roman excavations, also very well presented and partially restored, at Glanum. The kids really enjoy exploring these things. The partial restoration really goes a long way to aiding the imagination to conjure up what once was…. Climbing on partially restored Temples that aren’t “off limits” also helps!

A short walk from Glanum , and one is transported 19 centuries forward to Van Gogh’s time spent in the asylum next door! This was also a very well done small museum. Van Gogh’s hospital room is preserved. One can look out the window and see the views, very much as they were, that inspired his most prolific period of painting. A well presented biography of his life is enhanced by an equally well presented history of the treatment of mental illness. While treatment for bi-polar, which he most certainly was, seems a bit barbaric by our standards today, it was clearly treated with compassion and the best they knew at the time – at least at this sanitarium.

The facility is still used as a treatment facility for mentally ill patients as well as a nursing home. The art for display and sale in the art gallery is evidence that the art therapy program offered now to the psychiatric patients is very well run! Perhaps Van Gogh’s experience there and his great talent despite his psychiatric troubles left a gift to the understanding of mental illness and its treatments as well as a cultural gift to the world.

French cars. Okay, there is not a lot to say about them that is positive. The stereotype, often repeated here, is that Germans lavish their money and time on their cars and houses while the French spend their money and time on wine and food. Stereotypes are often grounded in truth! There is no doubt that cars are not a priority in France. That said, they have come up with some cars over the years that preserve well for quaint auto club experiences. We were “followed” on our stops in St. Remy by just such a club of avid “mini car” owners… This picture with Audrey in front of a car gives you the scale – Audrey is now just under 5 feet tall.

Proving again the stereotype of the French people’s priority on food – here they take the German product, Nutella, and make it bigger and better: Audrey spotted this Nutella jar as big as your head!

The next day, we jump back to the 14th century and visit the Pope’s Palace in Avignon. We were lucky enough to arrive the weekend that included a Rose Festival throughout the grounds of the Palace. While none of us would probably seek out a flower show for its own sake, this was a beautiful surprise. Though, it's hard to say whether Ethan or Molly enjoyed the roses more... : ) And, the history of the two (and even,briefly, three!) Popes was very interesting.

Of course, one can’t go to Provence and not go to the Market. Molly declared these to be the best strawberries she’s ever eaten!

On to Paris and the French Open
Two weekends later we hopped in the car and went to the French Open on opening weekend. It was grand fun to be there in person despite the insufferable heat and crowds. The heat abated after we left and it got downright chilly and rainy as anyone who watched the final rounds on TV could see. Nevertheless, we enjoyed two days watching very good tennis and working on our suntans!

Gary and I celebrated our 21st anniversary this month and, always thinking ahead, Gary made reservations back in March for a celebratory dinner at the Jules Verne restaurant atop the Eiffel Tower (one is lucky to get reservations even calling two months in advance). The kids were thrilled to stay in the hotel and order Room Service – so, we all had what we thought was the best dinner ever! The food at Jules Verne was evidence of the chef’s reputation as one of the best in Paris. And, the express, no-waiting elevator to the top was a treat as well as the view, of course. We were there over three hours for dinner and so were able to enjoy the dusk and sunset. Fantastic. Our 20th was lost in the shuffle of the move last year but,we made up for that in spades this year!

An aside here for another major difference between the French and the Germans... as we arrived that night, the place was swarming with police and barricades. It became clear whyas we left. There was a skater's half-pipe built that stretched up to the first platform of the Eiffel Tower that was being guarded until it's use a few days later. It was built in preparation for a death-defying effort to break a world record for the longest free-fall. He was to jump from that first floor of the tower and land on the half-pipe to finish his "skate." That is a 41 foot free-fall! I can't even begin to count the number of rules and laws that would break in Germany!!

We thought that our trip to Roland Garros for the French Open was purely a “contemporary” trip. Turns out, it may have been an historic one as well. There is serious talk of the tournament moving to new quarters near Versailles. Though the legendary history of Roland Garros would be missed, it is true that the grounds are too small for the tournament. Perhaps the threat of leaving will pressure the Parisian government to allow them to acquire adjacent land and expand on the current site. Time will tell….

More coming soon – we have a busy travel schedule in June as well because of a welcome influx of family and friends who are visiting. Stay tuned.

Then, on the 4th of July, the kids and I will make the most long-awaited trip of the year – our home leave to Indy for five weeks of summer. Adding on a week of family vacation to the Canadian Rockies, courtesy of all our frequent flyer miles, and it is should be a great summer. Despite all the wonderful places to see in this world, it is still wherever one calls “home” that reigns in our hearts.

Molly's Graduation

We interrupt the usual postings of travels and daily experiences and observations to bring you coverage of this once-in-a-lifetime event -- Molly's high school graduation.

Those of you with about 15 minutes of time and with a connection to Molly's growing up might enjoy this video. It came about through the inspiration and iMovie skills of her younger sister, Audrey - with only a small amount of help from the rest of us.

I close with the eternal refrain of all parents when these important milestones arrive: "where did the time go?!"

Springtime in Konigstein!

There are many signs of spring here in Kongstein and Germany, generally. Some of them are welcome and some are not-so-welcome. The blue skies, flowers blooming and sunshine are, after 6 months of gray skies and cold weather, very welcome. The spring tennis season for Ethan is very welcome. The longer days, giving us daylight until almost 9:00 pm, are very welcome.

Spring Fashion Don’ts
Less welcome is the return of certain Euro men’s fashions. Spring means that the “manpris” and man-scarves come back out of hiding. Manpris are exactly what you suspect – Capri pants for men and boys – and they all wear them, from age 8 – 80! I ask you, wouldn’t some nice cargo shorts be just as comfortable and better looking?!

Then, there’s the man scarves… I know, I know, Ashton Krutcher and Brad Pitt have both been seen sporting this new “summer scarves” trend. But, that doesn’t make it right! Over here, it is quite common and isn’t necessarily even a fashion statement. It is a more practical measure to avoid “neck drafts” in air-conditioned offices and restaurants. Chilly drafts on the neck are something the Germans worry quite a bit about. Personally, I can’t think when I have suffered from some nice cool air on my neck on a hot summer day. But, I guess there is always something to worry about, if you’re looking for something.

Spring college decisions
May 1st was the universal deadline for college decisions for America’s high school seniors. I suspect lots of families breathed a sigh of relief as we did once the decision was made. Molly had a number of good options but finally settled on St. Olaf College in Northfield, Minnesota. Some of you may know that I spent four very good years in Northfield some time back (no need to count the years here..) . Though I was at the college across the river from St. Olaf (Carleton College), I heartily endorse Molly’s choice. And, it will be fun to spend the Labor Day weekends there again. A point of history: several members of the Jesse James Gang met their demise after he and his gang robbed the First National Bank of Northfield in 1876. Every September sees the drama re-enacted during Northfield’s Defeat of Jesse James’ Days – attending is a new and returning student tradition each year.

Bee Season – Inside and Out!
Spring also kicks off the official “bee season.” This, unfortunately, coincides with the sit-at-cafes and eat-meals-outdoors seasons, which are excellent European traditions. Audrey has officially dubbed this the “don’t order diet Sprite when we eat outdoors” season! Diet Sprite attracts the bees! While the kids may go a bit overboard worrying about the bees buzzing around our outdoor dinner tables, they truly do become pesky – fishing drowned bees out of a perfectly good glass of beer or wine just takes away some of the enjoyment. We’ve learned that the best use of the beer coaster is to cover your drink and thus keep the bees from temptation! There’s always a solution.

The house is another problem all together. Windows in Germany are not produced with or sold with screens. The solution is do-it-yourself window screens. I have not yet seen a house with screens on the windows, they simply don’t exist here. So, the same way I have learned to conform with German routines and behaviors (conformity is a widely held value here - second only to rule following), I’ve watched the neighbors’ window habits and see that they open their windows in the early morning to “air out” their house, pillows, rugs, anything else they want to set or hang on the window sill until the morning warms up and the bees, flies and other bugs become active. Then, they seem to seal their windows up tight! I can’t stand closed windows on a beautiful Spring day. So, my penance for this luxury became hunting down a minimum of 5 -6 bumblebees per day to either eradicate or coax back out the window.

Ignore them, you ask? They are at least the size of small hummingbirds and are, thus, very loud and distracting.

So, after a blissful six month hiatus from the D-I-Y store, I was off to Hornbach to seek a solution to the bees and bugs. Lo and behold, an entire department dedicated to window screening had sprung up since my last visit in the fall. So, this pesky problem must be an irritation to at least some Germans too! I had the choice to spend 40 Euro ($53) per window to build a screen on an aluminum frame, measured and cut-to-fit by me and then held in place by brackets (also installed by me) on the window sill. Hmmm…. sounds like a recipe for spending a lot of money, buying new tools and having really ugly brackets on the window sills to hold in place screens that may or may not turn out to fit properly.

I opted instead for the cheaper, simpler version: a kit composed of Velcro and mosquito netting. Though slightly ridiculous in appearance and remarkably simple in concept, it seems to work. So, only 75 euro later (instead of 500 euro) and after a day and a half of labor, we now live in a bee-proof house with fresh air night and day. The neighbors are either jealous or appalled at my lack of conformity to the neighborhood's window "rules!"

Spring Festivities
Spring is full of fun celebrations, too. May 1st is a holiday in Germany, much like our Labor Day. Konigstein had a festival and the stores were even open in the village! You know it is a significant holiday if the stores are allowed to be open – it is normally illegal for any store to open on Sunday. (This means that forgotten groceries are either done without or, you head to the grocery store at the airport – only train stations and airports are allowed to have grocery hours - do not ask why.) The only other refuge for the ill-prepared, poor-planning hausfrau is the gas station "quik mart." Gas stations actually turn out to be a great place to buy good bakery items - superb fresh rolls and very good croissants, warm out of their ovens. Who would have guessed? They also have staples like ice cream, beer and butter but not much else. I know this will come as a surprise, but Sunday is a popular night to eat out here (and not just for the Geipels!).

Of course, just four days later, there is Cinqo de Mayo day, better known in our household as Audrey’s birthday. While the holiday doesn't get any mention over here other than on the US Armed Forces radio station, May 5 does bring lots of attention for Audrey and she relishes every minute. This is not Audrey with her birthday present – but, she did enjoy “trying out” this car at the May Day Festival a few days before!

Mother’s Day also comes in Spring. Lucky me – thanks to my thoughful kids who were wisely determined to "Europeanize" my kitchen in ways other than just having doll-size appliances, we now can make awesome crepes that turn out perfect every time AND yummy cappuccinos that turn out perfect every time. It is not absolutely true that women should not receive gifts that have plugs!