A very good friend from Iowa brought Spring with her in early April and we had two glorious weeks of sunshine, warm temperatures and lots of sightseeing. She was game for exploring Frankfurt, the Rheingau wine country and a long weekend in Bavaria. Gary and Audrey joined us in Nurnberg and we drove on to Berchtesgaden and the Konigsee in the Alps near the Austrian border. We enjoyed a boat ride on the Konigsee and saw several places that Gary’s dad painted as a young man (he and Gary’s grandfather were both very talented artists) – the photos make clear why he was inspired to paint these settings! How fun to see the actual locations of paintings so familiar to me.
On to Lake Chiemsee to tour a palace built by “crazy King Ludwig” as a replica of Versailles. The palace is on an island in the middle of the lake so we enjoyed yet another boat ride. He didn’t finish building before his mysterious death but, the main wing of the place shows that the resemblance is clear! One could do a “King Ludwig” tour of Bavaria and not go wrong – the Neuschwanstein castle, Herrenschloss on the Chiemsee and three others sprinkled through the most beautiful parts of Bavaria. The full tour will have to wait for a future trip…
In contrast to touring the opulent living of King Ludwig, we learned what it would be like to work the salt mines. Of course, for us, it was unrealistically fun – to ride the trains into the mine and slide down the two story wooden slides from one level to the next. You can see we were issued special overalls to avoid any splinters to the bum!
We Never Tire of Berlin
Perhaps we have explored Berlin more than any other place in Germany - but, we enjoy it every time. And, not just because of the Ritter Sport store with the make-your-own-chocolate-bar bar though Berlin is the one and only place you can do this. When my brother, Dean, and Jannae visited on their way home from Paris, it was as good an excuse as any for another trip to Berlin. And, as usual, we found new things to do in addition to the Brandenburg Gate, Holocaust Memorial and Ritter Sport Shop - dinner at the top of the Reichstag was definitely a great idea. We also enjoyed the Pergamon Museum with its re-constructed ancient Pergamon Altar and other ruins beautifully displayed. 
Gary has made it regular tradition to do weekend trips with just one child at a time. Recently, it was Audrey’s turn. They had a great time visiting another palace and Rothenberg. Audrey is always game for just about anything and – just as importantly – she never forgets to bring home souvenirs for the rest of us. After an entertaining and memorable tour by the “night watchman” and exploring the ramparts and churches of Rothenberg, she scoped out the very best bakery to bring home “Schneeballen” pastries for Ethan and me. Roman Ruins at Xanten
Over the past year, Gary and I have been enjoying several courses on Ancient Roman history from The Teaching Company (brief commerical interruption: fantastic courses by renowned university professors in 30 minute lecture format on CDs ). The Roman empire reached well into Germany and we have explored a number of ruins – some very close to home and some further away. Last weekend we took a spur of the moment overnight trip to Xanten – home of the best preserved and partially restored Roman city in Germany. 
The city baths – which could accommodate up to 1,000 citizens at once – are well excavated and covered by a huge steel and glass structure to keep out the elements and preserve the fragile ruins. An excellent audio/video tour kept us both entertained and feeling smarter than we were when we arrived! Our reliance on Trip Advisor paid off yet again. We found a beautiful bed and breakfast on a farm that raises horses. And, not just any horses – polo ponies bred specially to be non-allergenic. After dinner, we watched for quite a while as one of the horses was re-introduced to the paddock after being away for a few months for breeding. The others were not so sure they wanted to welcome him home! Beautiful horses. And, I’m quite sure it was a vast understatement by the inn’s hostess when she whispered to us that: “I think they are quite expensive.” Yep, I suspect it is a niche market, catering to polo players with allergies here in Europe!
An early morning thunderstorm more dramatic than anything the midwest can offer cleared out by breakfast but, left its impact. The park and museum were operating with no computers as they all went "kaput!" Handwritten tickets were no trouble but, when it came to paying for lunch with an EC card (like a debit card), there was trouble. The solution: they offered Gary a bike, in dubious repair and with a warning that the chain my come off, and sent him down the road a kilometer to the nearest Geldautomat to withdraw cash. In the meantime, the kids and I had gone to explore the ampitheater and could not imagine what was taking him so long to pay the lunch bill. He returned with the bike in one piece and we all were treated to free ice-cream, courtesy of the manager, for his trouble!And, now, a new backyard!
We woke up Sunday morning in Xanten not only to thunder and lightening, but also to learn that a low-ball offer we made on a lot in Zionsville was accepted without even a counter-offer! So, we now have a new, nicely wooded backyard to go home to when the time comes. Of course, we will need to build the house first… The fun will begin in earnest this summer during the time in July when the kids and I are on home leave. I can put my considerable experience with home repairs of the last two years to good use as I look forward to this next chapter of our lives: The Geipels Build a Home! Thank goodness the adventures will continue!Stay tuned…
