Thurs Sept 3/09
Woke up at 6:35am…actually Pat told me that I was snoring really loudly last night and she didn’t sleep at all. SORRY PAT! I can’t help it sometimes… Anyway, we decided that we would do a free day tour at 10:30am. We got ready for breakfast which was from 7-9am. I met Margaret and Pat in the breakfast room.
After eating breakfast, we checked out early as we are leaving tomorrow at 5:30am. Our train leaves at 6:08am for Munich. We bought another transit pass and headed out. Today was a crazy weather day. It was cool outside, but once we had been walking for 10 mins or so, it started to periodically pour. Pat decided to buy an umbrella. Margaret and I had hoodies on, so we decided to hold off on getting umbrellas. Soon it began to really pour, so we got on a bus. We didn’t realize that it was the wrong one and didn’t even stop near where we were going! We all kept an eye out for a station sign and finally got off at another station. We took the S line back to our regular stop Zoolischgarten (sp?) and headed to the DUNKIN’ DONUTS where the free tours would start.
Once there, our group was picked up by Katie and we went back on the trains to go to Friedricsen (sp?) Station. Their company offered two tours today – Sachsenhausen (Concentration Camp) or FREE walking tour. All of the tours began at Brandenburg Gate and we ended up with Paul as our guide. He’s an Aussie who has been living in Berlin for two and a half years. We covered the history of Berlin, Brandenburg Gate, the hotel, the embassies, the chancellor…,
Of interest: Fredrick the Great, the monument with the woman holding her dying child – handfuls of dirt from different battlefields, the end of the Berlin Wall, East & West Germany, Holocaust Memorial (which was quite an experience…you really feel swallowed up walking around the uneven blocks and uneven ground), Nazi building, Checkpoint Charlie, Hitler’s Bunker (which is now the site of a parking lot in front of a building that used to be the S.S. housing)…
-A Former Wonder of the World: Ishtar Gate-
At the end of our tour we went to the Pergamon Museum that housed the Ishtar Gate which was part of the Walls of Babylon. There was some really interesting stuff there. The wall is SUPERHUGE and I’m always amazed at how well the museums preserve their artifacts. We did an English audio guide tour and it was very busy that day. We continued to take pictures of surrounding buildings and sites as we left.
-Dinner-
For our last dinner in Berlin, we went to a pub/restaurant. Margaret and I ordered smoked pork with sauerkraut (sp?) and potato dumplings. Pat ordered the goulash. The portions were MEGAHUGE! We couldn’t finish it all! We all ordered Berliner Kindl to drink…we had to have one last beer in Berlin.
After that, we went to a supermarket to buy some snacks for the train. We walked Margaret back to the hotel and Pat and I went back out with my netbook. We wanted to use the internet, so we parked ourselves at a restaurant called GOODLIFE, a Thai restaurant which advertised they had wireless, for dessert & Strongbow. Unfortunately it didn’t work so we ended up just drinking and eating fried bananas with ice cream. Headed back to the hotel to briefly sleep before leaving for our train.
Saturday, September 12, 2009
Wednesday, September 9, 2009
Sam Explores Germany & Switzerland Pt 6
Wed Sept 2/09
-An Education-
Woke up at 7:35am…headed out to Sachsenhausen Memorial (Concentration Camp). We decided that it was important to do this trip, even though we’d be very depressed afterwards. I won’t go into details, but I will mention some interesting points…
*At Sachsenhausen, the most feared tower was Tower A, which housed a machine gun that killed many people who tried to escape or break the rules. When the camp was liberated there was a large monument built as a symbol of liberation/victory against Tower A.
*There were 18 Jewish resistance members who made a pact to die fighting and with honour. They made a plan and said goodbye to each other. Then they attacked the S.S. guards of the camp, yelling something along the lines of “shoot us, you bastards”. They had a big fist fight with the S.S. (who were surprised that this was happening) and once the fight ended they were imprisoned temporarily in an area, but were not killed as punishment. It is thought that perhaps the S.S. guards were ashamed at something like this happening, so these resistance fighters were then shipped to Auschwitz to work in labour camps. Some of these men survived the Holocaust at the end of WWII.
*This quote was on the wall of the examination area: “And I know one thing more – that the Europe of the future cannot exist without commemorating all those, regardless of their nationality, who were killed at the time with complete contempt and hate, who were tortured to death, starved, gassed, incinerated and hanged...” –Andrzej Szczypiorski (Prisoner of the Sachsenhausen Concentration Camp, 1995)
There were many other things that I wrote down in my notebook and I only took 4 pictures – one of the gate which said “Arbeit Macht Frei” (translation roughly means: work will set you free), two pictures of the monument of freedom and the quote above. I must admit that there were some places at the Sachsenhausen Memorial, I couldn’t really handle. I have read a lot about the Holocaust and WWII and after travelling and touring Germany, there are no words to convey what an education this is. The people of Germany have really opened their doors for people to educate themselves on what has happened and that is all I will say on this topic. There are countless memorials and each of them has left a big impact on me.
I must also say that sadly some people need more education…people who take pictures behind the bars of the gate like they are prisoners, people who sit on the memorials (and sometimes enjoy a snack/lunch while they sit there), which mark graves filled with ashes despite the fact that rocks are piled on the surfaces to remember and honour those who died. Mind you, most are horrified when the guides or other people tell them what they are sitting on…maybe a more obvious sign that indicated DO NOT SIT HERE might be needed, but there must be a reason why they haven’t done it already. OK, enough with my long-winded thoughts…on to the rest of the day.
-A LIGHTER AFTERNOON-
We decided that after we left Sachsenhausen, we should enjoy a lighter afternoon. The boat tour we had initially planned to go on, however, we had missed. Our tour at the memorial had taken a few hours longer than we had expected. Nonetheless, we headed back downtown to shop and look around. We were really hungry by then and Margaret and I had curry wurst We tried to find the area where boat tours could be booked, but we ended walking around in circles …
We gave up that idea and then were trying to find the Tourist Information Office and let me tell you, it took forever. Each of the maps we had, had different information and directions. We were all getting tired and cranky. Finally, we found it!! It was in something like a square and there was a circle of “buddy bears” there. Each of the bears represented a country in the European Union, so we took pictures of them and I took a bit of video too.
We went inside the Tourist Information Office and asked about the boat tours. After talking to the person there, we discovered that there was still time for us to take a boat tour in the evening. So we booked a 1 hour tour and headed to the main station where it began. Unfortunately it wasn’t so obvious where to go, so we went to the TIO there and were given some bad customer service from the lady there. Not only did she decide to have a chat with her co-worker and block the desk with flyers, but when she finally talked to us, she matter-of-factly told us, it is at the other end where the water was. Well when we followed her instructions, she forgot to mention that we had to cross the bridge over to the other side, walk for 5 minutes and then go down the steps to where the boat was. We were a little pissed off at that, but we calmed down once we were on the boat.
-BOAT TOUR…in need of subtitles-
Since none of us were that keen on using audio guides, we ended up enjoying the boat tour in German. We took random pictures of things we did not recognize, but it was quite nice and relaxing. Margaret and I both had a beer as well. We wandered around for a bit before we headed back to the hotel. Margaret was tired and not that hungry, so Pat and I went to the pizzeria and had yummy pizza. I don’t exactly remember what I ate, but it was delicious and had zucchini in it as well. These pizzas could be shared between two people, but since the guy didn’t understand us we ended up with one each…oh well. We finished the night off at the other restaurant again. We had delicious panna cotta!! Then we called it a night…
So that’s the end of this journal. Thanks for reaching the end <3
-Sam ^__^
-An Education-
Woke up at 7:35am…headed out to Sachsenhausen Memorial (Concentration Camp). We decided that it was important to do this trip, even though we’d be very depressed afterwards. I won’t go into details, but I will mention some interesting points…
*At Sachsenhausen, the most feared tower was Tower A, which housed a machine gun that killed many people who tried to escape or break the rules. When the camp was liberated there was a large monument built as a symbol of liberation/victory against Tower A.
*There were 18 Jewish resistance members who made a pact to die fighting and with honour. They made a plan and said goodbye to each other. Then they attacked the S.S. guards of the camp, yelling something along the lines of “shoot us, you bastards”. They had a big fist fight with the S.S. (who were surprised that this was happening) and once the fight ended they were imprisoned temporarily in an area, but were not killed as punishment. It is thought that perhaps the S.S. guards were ashamed at something like this happening, so these resistance fighters were then shipped to Auschwitz to work in labour camps. Some of these men survived the Holocaust at the end of WWII.
*This quote was on the wall of the examination area: “And I know one thing more – that the Europe of the future cannot exist without commemorating all those, regardless of their nationality, who were killed at the time with complete contempt and hate, who were tortured to death, starved, gassed, incinerated and hanged...” –Andrzej Szczypiorski (Prisoner of the Sachsenhausen Concentration Camp, 1995)
There were many other things that I wrote down in my notebook and I only took 4 pictures – one of the gate which said “Arbeit Macht Frei” (translation roughly means: work will set you free), two pictures of the monument of freedom and the quote above. I must admit that there were some places at the Sachsenhausen Memorial, I couldn’t really handle. I have read a lot about the Holocaust and WWII and after travelling and touring Germany, there are no words to convey what an education this is. The people of Germany have really opened their doors for people to educate themselves on what has happened and that is all I will say on this topic. There are countless memorials and each of them has left a big impact on me.
I must also say that sadly some people need more education…people who take pictures behind the bars of the gate like they are prisoners, people who sit on the memorials (and sometimes enjoy a snack/lunch while they sit there), which mark graves filled with ashes despite the fact that rocks are piled on the surfaces to remember and honour those who died. Mind you, most are horrified when the guides or other people tell them what they are sitting on…maybe a more obvious sign that indicated DO NOT SIT HERE might be needed, but there must be a reason why they haven’t done it already. OK, enough with my long-winded thoughts…on to the rest of the day.
-A LIGHTER AFTERNOON-
We decided that after we left Sachsenhausen, we should enjoy a lighter afternoon. The boat tour we had initially planned to go on, however, we had missed. Our tour at the memorial had taken a few hours longer than we had expected. Nonetheless, we headed back downtown to shop and look around. We were really hungry by then and Margaret and I had curry wurst We tried to find the area where boat tours could be booked, but we ended walking around in circles …
We gave up that idea and then were trying to find the Tourist Information Office and let me tell you, it took forever. Each of the maps we had, had different information and directions. We were all getting tired and cranky. Finally, we found it!! It was in something like a square and there was a circle of “buddy bears” there. Each of the bears represented a country in the European Union, so we took pictures of them and I took a bit of video too.
We went inside the Tourist Information Office and asked about the boat tours. After talking to the person there, we discovered that there was still time for us to take a boat tour in the evening. So we booked a 1 hour tour and headed to the main station where it began. Unfortunately it wasn’t so obvious where to go, so we went to the TIO there and were given some bad customer service from the lady there. Not only did she decide to have a chat with her co-worker and block the desk with flyers, but when she finally talked to us, she matter-of-factly told us, it is at the other end where the water was. Well when we followed her instructions, she forgot to mention that we had to cross the bridge over to the other side, walk for 5 minutes and then go down the steps to where the boat was. We were a little pissed off at that, but we calmed down once we were on the boat.
-BOAT TOUR…in need of subtitles-
Since none of us were that keen on using audio guides, we ended up enjoying the boat tour in German. We took random pictures of things we did not recognize, but it was quite nice and relaxing. Margaret and I both had a beer as well. We wandered around for a bit before we headed back to the hotel. Margaret was tired and not that hungry, so Pat and I went to the pizzeria and had yummy pizza. I don’t exactly remember what I ate, but it was delicious and had zucchini in it as well. These pizzas could be shared between two people, but since the guy didn’t understand us we ended up with one each…oh well. We finished the night off at the other restaurant again. We had delicious panna cotta!! Then we called it a night…
So that’s the end of this journal. Thanks for reaching the end <3
-Sam ^__^
Monday, September 7, 2009
Sam Explores Germany & Switzerland Pt 5
Tues Sept 1/09
-VIDEO CAM CONVOs & TICKET BOOKING-
Woke up at around 9amish and went online to see if I could catch Chris since I knew she was working late and would most likely stay a bit. I was right, she was awake and we were able to talk a little bit using our web cams. My dad was awake too and though I could see them and not hear them, we would just type out our conversations and make faces at each other. Chris then proceeded in carrying her laptop around waking up everyone to tell them I was talking to her via the computer. Through her web cam, I saw my mom sleeping and being woken up rather abruptly ahaha, but she was so tired. Josie groggily waved and Chris and I continued to talk. Nina woke up early as well to get her hair done for the wedding photoshoot. She came by and waved at Chris on her way out. I left a few times when I went to take a shower and then when Harry called me down for breakfast.
After breakfast, Harry brought me to his study to look at train schedules and tickets. Both he and Dave strongly advised me to buy my train tickets in advance to save money. At the same time, Pat was trying to contact me. Chris told me to check my gmail and I saw that the gmail chat was on and Pat was talking to me. They needed to know what time I was arriving because the owner of Hotel Bregenz usually left earlier in the day and he was going to wait until I arrived. At the same time, Dave was looking up train tickets while I was talking to both Chris and Pat. He found a really good deal on tickets from Berlin to Munich for the three of us. I got the okay from Pat and Margaret to purchase the tickets. Dave got us seats in a 6 seat car on the train. They also looked up train prices for Munich to Zurich and printed them for me. I will run them by Pat and Margaret asap so that we don’t miss the deals. One of them for sure was 117 euros for three people.
-LAST-MINUTE HEROES & SAYING GOODBYE-
Jos came online for a few minutes and I think, was able to talk to Dave. I was doing too many things at once to know what they were saying. Chris also brought the cats to the screen a couple of times. Those guys are growing fast.
We got ready to leave and went to the bank to deposit money from the wedding. While we walked Harry told me about the town and brought me into one of the churches there. Nina had already returned just before we had left for the bank and was ironing Dave’s shirt. They apologized that they would not be able to drive me to Essen, but Harry would drive me to the Coesfeld station. I really appreciated how much they looked after me and made sure I was okay. I said goodbye and then we took a picture. Me in travel clothes, Dave in his TTC shirt and Nina in her wedding dress hahahaa!
-OFF TO THE STATION-
Harry told me to relax for a bit, since we had some time. I sat outside in their yard with some orange juice and then I made some sandwiches for the train. Harry sliced the meat for me and set me up with things to fill my sandwiches with. He also gave me a large bottle of water. We went to the station, but the dumb ticket machine didn’t like my credit card, so he ended up putting it on his card. Harry said that if I missed my train he would just drive me to the other station, no problem. He’s so nice. Luckily the machine worked for him, and so I paid him right away and he helped me bring my luggage to the platform as he explained to me what to do when I transferred at Dortmundt (sp?). He carried my luggage on to the train and the door closed. Luckily he was able to open it again and I gave him a hug and thanked him for all his help.
I kept all my things close by to me, since the train wasn’t extremely packed. The transfer went well and wasn’t too complicated. I looked at the schedule to find what platform I should be on, like Harry showed me, but I double-checked with someone to make sure I was getting on the right train. I also took a picture of the schedule just so I would know what stops would be coming up.
I found a seat with a table and plug and asked the man on the other side if I could use it. Unfortunately, I could not use the internet. I watched a few clips of shows I had downloaded and tried to work on these journals. I finally arrived at Berlin HBF. I took a taxi and although the driver was nice enough, he started the car before I had even closed the door! Yikes. I gave him the address and map, but he said he didn’t need it and was using his GPS.
-REUNION-
When I got to Hotel Bregenz, a man was just going in, so he told me to go to the 4th floor. When I got up there, the hotel owner was waiting for me. He explained things to me and then was going to tell me about the room when Pat came in. They had been napping. I surveyed the room, which was pretty nice. The washroom was exceptionally clean. I rested for a bit before we headed out to find dinner. We ended up at a quaint Italian restaurant which had good food and superawesome panacotta. Nina, you got me so addicted to panacotta!! After dinner, we walked along Kurfurstdamm (sp?) just to see what was there and also to check how to walk to the Zoolichster station (sp?). We walked back and then went back to the hotel, which had no lobby lights whatsoever. We decided that whenever we returned from our day’s activities we would go up the elevator. It was too darn dark/scary to go up the stairs at night. We also used the internet but had to pay with coins, since they didn’t have wireless at the hotel and we were too tired to go to a café. I msged Dave to let him know that I arrived safely and changed my status on facebook so my family would know I was in Berlin. To be honest, we’ve been so on-the-go, I haven’t been able to properly do these journals, but hopefully I will do my trip justice with them.
Night!
-Sam ^___^
-VIDEO CAM CONVOs & TICKET BOOKING-
Woke up at around 9amish and went online to see if I could catch Chris since I knew she was working late and would most likely stay a bit. I was right, she was awake and we were able to talk a little bit using our web cams. My dad was awake too and though I could see them and not hear them, we would just type out our conversations and make faces at each other. Chris then proceeded in carrying her laptop around waking up everyone to tell them I was talking to her via the computer. Through her web cam, I saw my mom sleeping and being woken up rather abruptly ahaha, but she was so tired. Josie groggily waved and Chris and I continued to talk. Nina woke up early as well to get her hair done for the wedding photoshoot. She came by and waved at Chris on her way out. I left a few times when I went to take a shower and then when Harry called me down for breakfast.
After breakfast, Harry brought me to his study to look at train schedules and tickets. Both he and Dave strongly advised me to buy my train tickets in advance to save money. At the same time, Pat was trying to contact me. Chris told me to check my gmail and I saw that the gmail chat was on and Pat was talking to me. They needed to know what time I was arriving because the owner of Hotel Bregenz usually left earlier in the day and he was going to wait until I arrived. At the same time, Dave was looking up train tickets while I was talking to both Chris and Pat. He found a really good deal on tickets from Berlin to Munich for the three of us. I got the okay from Pat and Margaret to purchase the tickets. Dave got us seats in a 6 seat car on the train. They also looked up train prices for Munich to Zurich and printed them for me. I will run them by Pat and Margaret asap so that we don’t miss the deals. One of them for sure was 117 euros for three people.
-LAST-MINUTE HEROES & SAYING GOODBYE-
Jos came online for a few minutes and I think, was able to talk to Dave. I was doing too many things at once to know what they were saying. Chris also brought the cats to the screen a couple of times. Those guys are growing fast.
We got ready to leave and went to the bank to deposit money from the wedding. While we walked Harry told me about the town and brought me into one of the churches there. Nina had already returned just before we had left for the bank and was ironing Dave’s shirt. They apologized that they would not be able to drive me to Essen, but Harry would drive me to the Coesfeld station. I really appreciated how much they looked after me and made sure I was okay. I said goodbye and then we took a picture. Me in travel clothes, Dave in his TTC shirt and Nina in her wedding dress hahahaa!
-OFF TO THE STATION-
Harry told me to relax for a bit, since we had some time. I sat outside in their yard with some orange juice and then I made some sandwiches for the train. Harry sliced the meat for me and set me up with things to fill my sandwiches with. He also gave me a large bottle of water. We went to the station, but the dumb ticket machine didn’t like my credit card, so he ended up putting it on his card. Harry said that if I missed my train he would just drive me to the other station, no problem. He’s so nice. Luckily the machine worked for him, and so I paid him right away and he helped me bring my luggage to the platform as he explained to me what to do when I transferred at Dortmundt (sp?). He carried my luggage on to the train and the door closed. Luckily he was able to open it again and I gave him a hug and thanked him for all his help.
I kept all my things close by to me, since the train wasn’t extremely packed. The transfer went well and wasn’t too complicated. I looked at the schedule to find what platform I should be on, like Harry showed me, but I double-checked with someone to make sure I was getting on the right train. I also took a picture of the schedule just so I would know what stops would be coming up.
I found a seat with a table and plug and asked the man on the other side if I could use it. Unfortunately, I could not use the internet. I watched a few clips of shows I had downloaded and tried to work on these journals. I finally arrived at Berlin HBF. I took a taxi and although the driver was nice enough, he started the car before I had even closed the door! Yikes. I gave him the address and map, but he said he didn’t need it and was using his GPS.
-REUNION-
When I got to Hotel Bregenz, a man was just going in, so he told me to go to the 4th floor. When I got up there, the hotel owner was waiting for me. He explained things to me and then was going to tell me about the room when Pat came in. They had been napping. I surveyed the room, which was pretty nice. The washroom was exceptionally clean. I rested for a bit before we headed out to find dinner. We ended up at a quaint Italian restaurant which had good food and superawesome panacotta. Nina, you got me so addicted to panacotta!! After dinner, we walked along Kurfurstdamm (sp?) just to see what was there and also to check how to walk to the Zoolichster station (sp?). We walked back and then went back to the hotel, which had no lobby lights whatsoever. We decided that whenever we returned from our day’s activities we would go up the elevator. It was too darn dark/scary to go up the stairs at night. We also used the internet but had to pay with coins, since they didn’t have wireless at the hotel and we were too tired to go to a café. I msged Dave to let him know that I arrived safely and changed my status on facebook so my family would know I was in Berlin. To be honest, we’ve been so on-the-go, I haven’t been able to properly do these journals, but hopefully I will do my trip justice with them.
Night!
-Sam ^___^
Sam Explores Germany & Switzerland Pt 4
Mon Aug 31/09
-GUTEN MORGEN-
Slept until 9:3am. I had brekkie with Nina, Dave and her parents. It consisted of buns, cheese, meats, jam, sweet buns and French nougats. We also drank (kaffee) coffee, orange juice and water. Breakfast was delicious and I especially liked the French nougats, as the ones I’ve had previously have been hard to chew and not that tasty.
-FAREWELL COTTAGE-
We headed back to the cottage to collect my luggage and clean up. Nina kept telling me to sit down and relax, because I kept offering to help clean up things. Haha too bad I’m not like that at home hehehe. I LOVE YOU, MOM! While we were there Harry, Nina and I went to feed the horses more apples. I took some video of them and Nina took a picture of me with Anna. We returned to the cottage and Dave was in the yard reading the Globe & Mail section I had brought from the plane.
When we got back to the house, we unpacked the stuff and they told me that we'd be staying overnight with Nina's parents again. I was happy to hear it as I felt comfortable there. Nina and Dave opened their wedding gifts wich were very interesting and creative. Harry also gave me a Berlin book and a bag of the French nougats that I really enjoyed. It was a nice surprise!
-WHEN IS A PEPPERONI A PEPPERONI?-
Harry, (Nina's father) and I walked downtown to see if we could order Chinese food. As we walked down, he pointed things of interest to me. Unfortunately, it was closed, so when we got back to the house, they ordered pizza and Turkish kebabs in a pita wrap. While we ate, Dave explained to me that they called green peppers "pepperoni" and hot peppers "chilli". I found that really interesting. We relaxed as they finished opening their presents and then headed over to Dave's parents.
-DINNER WITH THE RAHENBROCKS-
Dave and Nina dropped by a neighbour's house to thank him for his wedding gift and then when we got to Dave's parent's place, they had another neighbour to see. I gave Dave's parents an Ontario wine jelly and some Laura Secord lollipops. I wish I had more to give them. They were really nice to me.
Dave's mother invited me to their back yard to talk and sit in the sun. I must confess the sun was hot that day and I found myself sweating, so I asked her if I could sit in the shaded part. We talked about many things including travelling and the teaching profession. I enjoyed the nice talk and we were soon joined by Dave's father and their closest friends (Tobi's parents). We talked about Canadian and German politics and other topics as well.
When Dave and Nina returned we had various sandwiches, sundried tomatoes, olives, crackers, cheese and drinks. I sampled different beers, including Dave's favourite, Kostriker and another one called Jever. We had champagne and enjoyed the night. It was very relaxing and their yard is very nice. Soon we had to leave, so I said goodbye to them and we went back to Nina's parents' house. They were still awake. I said goodbye to her mom, since she had to work and I would not see her. Harry told me that he wasn't working tomorrow and that he, Dave and I would have breakfast together. Nina had to get her hair done early, so she would already be gone when we would be eating. I tried to work on my journals before I fell asleep...but as you know I can be quite longwinded in these...mostly because I want to remember every detail.
By the way, another reason why Dave and Nina are awesome, is because they always turn around and translate for me. They are so considerate. I already told them that I appreciate them translating, but I also like just listening to people speak German even though I can't understand. I find it is easier for me to look at the word than hear it. When they sang the wedding hymns in German, I just listened and looked at the words to see how they pronounced it. I am starting to have an interest in learning it.
Tomorrow I leave for Berlin!! Hope you made it to the end!
-Sam ^__^
-GUTEN MORGEN-
Slept until 9:3am. I had brekkie with Nina, Dave and her parents. It consisted of buns, cheese, meats, jam, sweet buns and French nougats. We also drank (kaffee) coffee, orange juice and water. Breakfast was delicious and I especially liked the French nougats, as the ones I’ve had previously have been hard to chew and not that tasty.
-FAREWELL COTTAGE-
We headed back to the cottage to collect my luggage and clean up. Nina kept telling me to sit down and relax, because I kept offering to help clean up things. Haha too bad I’m not like that at home hehehe. I LOVE YOU, MOM! While we were there Harry, Nina and I went to feed the horses more apples. I took some video of them and Nina took a picture of me with Anna. We returned to the cottage and Dave was in the yard reading the Globe & Mail section I had brought from the plane.
When we got back to the house, we unpacked the stuff and they told me that we'd be staying overnight with Nina's parents again. I was happy to hear it as I felt comfortable there. Nina and Dave opened their wedding gifts wich were very interesting and creative. Harry also gave me a Berlin book and a bag of the French nougats that I really enjoyed. It was a nice surprise!
-WHEN IS A PEPPERONI A PEPPERONI?-
Harry, (Nina's father) and I walked downtown to see if we could order Chinese food. As we walked down, he pointed things of interest to me. Unfortunately, it was closed, so when we got back to the house, they ordered pizza and Turkish kebabs in a pita wrap. While we ate, Dave explained to me that they called green peppers "pepperoni" and hot peppers "chilli". I found that really interesting. We relaxed as they finished opening their presents and then headed over to Dave's parents.
-DINNER WITH THE RAHENBROCKS-
Dave and Nina dropped by a neighbour's house to thank him for his wedding gift and then when we got to Dave's parent's place, they had another neighbour to see. I gave Dave's parents an Ontario wine jelly and some Laura Secord lollipops. I wish I had more to give them. They were really nice to me.
Dave's mother invited me to their back yard to talk and sit in the sun. I must confess the sun was hot that day and I found myself sweating, so I asked her if I could sit in the shaded part. We talked about many things including travelling and the teaching profession. I enjoyed the nice talk and we were soon joined by Dave's father and their closest friends (Tobi's parents). We talked about Canadian and German politics and other topics as well.
When Dave and Nina returned we had various sandwiches, sundried tomatoes, olives, crackers, cheese and drinks. I sampled different beers, including Dave's favourite, Kostriker and another one called Jever. We had champagne and enjoyed the night. It was very relaxing and their yard is very nice. Soon we had to leave, so I said goodbye to them and we went back to Nina's parents' house. They were still awake. I said goodbye to her mom, since she had to work and I would not see her. Harry told me that he wasn't working tomorrow and that he, Dave and I would have breakfast together. Nina had to get her hair done early, so she would already be gone when we would be eating. I tried to work on my journals before I fell asleep...but as you know I can be quite longwinded in these...mostly because I want to remember every detail.
By the way, another reason why Dave and Nina are awesome, is because they always turn around and translate for me. They are so considerate. I already told them that I appreciate them translating, but I also like just listening to people speak German even though I can't understand. I find it is easier for me to look at the word than hear it. When they sang the wedding hymns in German, I just listened and looked at the words to see how they pronounced it. I am starting to have an interest in learning it.
Tomorrow I leave for Berlin!! Hope you made it to the end!
-Sam ^__^
Sam Explores Germany & Switzerland Pt 3
Sun. Aug 30/09
-MS. FORGETFUL-
I asked Sergey to knock on my door when he was leaving, as I was worried I would miss the breakfast in the morning. I fumbled around my bag and realized that I had not re-packed my pjs into my knapsack. I was pretty frustrated with myself. I forced myself to change into outdoor clothes so that when Sergey woke me up, I didn't shock him! I also wrote on my hand to ask him for the directions for the hotel where they were having the breakfast. I fell asleep around 5amish and Sergey knocked on my door at 7 something. I decided to just get ready to leave and realized I had forgotten to ask him for the directions even though I had written it on my hand.
While I pondered my stupidity, I walked back to the castle to turn in both our sets of keys. It was a nice walk and the air was crisp. Then I walked back the way I semi-remembered us driving. Luckily for me, as soon as I turned the corner at the end, I recognized the way back to the hotel. I was in front of the hotel at 9:15amish and breakfast wasn't until 10:30am. I sat outside and waited. I saw Dave's uncle taking a morning walk and the hotel owner let me sit inside while I waited. I listened to music and waited. Eventually everyone came downstairs. Tobi and Diana walked by and said good morning...haha my first thought was actually..."crap, how do I say good morning again in German?" then I realized that they had said in English! I laughed a bit and said good morning back. I was barely functional on two hours of sleep.
It was nice to see most of the guests again as we sat down together for breakfast. I sat with Matt and Cynthia and they were going to be picked up by one of the colleagues to be driven to Nina & Dave's apartment in Frankfurt. After breakfast I rode in the car with Nina, her father and mother. We went to pick up their belongings at the castle and take down the signs at the parking lot. Nina's dad is a professor at the university and he was very knowledgable of the grounds so he drove around to the best places to take pictures.
-BILLEBECK-
I talked to Nina's parents as she slept in the car. They decided it would be nice to pick up some cake and desserts in Billebeck. Nina's dad pointed out the monastery and took me into the sandstone-built church, which was very lovely. We chose a few slices of cake and then headed back to their home. The cakes were delicious and one of them had gooseberries, which I really enjoyed. Nina's parents are great! They didn't know the translation for it in English right away and so they asked around to find out. I really like them. They told me to feel at home like I was one of their kids. I really hope to see them again.
-DAVE'S PARENTS' PLACE-
Once we arrived at their beautiful home, we all took naps. We were all pretty exhausted. When I woke up, I found Dave downstairs. We chatted about stuff and caught up. I'm really glad that I was able to see and spend time with them. Nina woke up shortly after that. The plan was to drop by Dave's parents and on the way, they would buy Curry Wurst for me to try. Curry Wurst is very interesting and you all must try it when you visit. I took a picture of it so you can see :)
Dave's parents' place is beautiful as well. Miriam and Adam were there too and we got to see pictures of Dave when he was a kid. Adam also told us about being a blood plasma donor. Just hearing about it makes me want to donate blood even more. He's done it more than 50 times already! I had a really nice time meeting both families. It is quite obvious that they are all close and love each other dearly. It made me miss my family a bit too. When we left Miriam and Adam said goodbye since I would not see them before they left for Australia. I will be seeing Dave's parents again tomorrow as they have invited us for dinner.
-I ALMOST WORE THE BOXERS!-
Haha remember my pajama predicament? Well I asked Dave and Nina if I could borrow a t-shirt and Dave said they could lend me a shirt and boxers hahaa. In the end, Nina's mom lent me a nightgown :D I slept in Nina's brother's room. It was very comfortable and I had a really good night of sleep.
Please forward to those I missed. Do you guys actually have time to read all of this? I should just post it on my blog and send you the link, eh?
-Sam ^__^
p.s. I forgot to mention that at the end of Dave and Nina's wedding, people could give donations which would be given to a charity. Yes, I forget a lot of things, don't I?
-MS. FORGETFUL-
I asked Sergey to knock on my door when he was leaving, as I was worried I would miss the breakfast in the morning. I fumbled around my bag and realized that I had not re-packed my pjs into my knapsack. I was pretty frustrated with myself. I forced myself to change into outdoor clothes so that when Sergey woke me up, I didn't shock him! I also wrote on my hand to ask him for the directions for the hotel where they were having the breakfast. I fell asleep around 5amish and Sergey knocked on my door at 7 something. I decided to just get ready to leave and realized I had forgotten to ask him for the directions even though I had written it on my hand.
While I pondered my stupidity, I walked back to the castle to turn in both our sets of keys. It was a nice walk and the air was crisp. Then I walked back the way I semi-remembered us driving. Luckily for me, as soon as I turned the corner at the end, I recognized the way back to the hotel. I was in front of the hotel at 9:15amish and breakfast wasn't until 10:30am. I sat outside and waited. I saw Dave's uncle taking a morning walk and the hotel owner let me sit inside while I waited. I listened to music and waited. Eventually everyone came downstairs. Tobi and Diana walked by and said good morning...haha my first thought was actually..."crap, how do I say good morning again in German?" then I realized that they had said in English! I laughed a bit and said good morning back. I was barely functional on two hours of sleep.
It was nice to see most of the guests again as we sat down together for breakfast. I sat with Matt and Cynthia and they were going to be picked up by one of the colleagues to be driven to Nina & Dave's apartment in Frankfurt. After breakfast I rode in the car with Nina, her father and mother. We went to pick up their belongings at the castle and take down the signs at the parking lot. Nina's dad is a professor at the university and he was very knowledgable of the grounds so he drove around to the best places to take pictures.
-BILLEBECK-
I talked to Nina's parents as she slept in the car. They decided it would be nice to pick up some cake and desserts in Billebeck. Nina's dad pointed out the monastery and took me into the sandstone-built church, which was very lovely. We chose a few slices of cake and then headed back to their home. The cakes were delicious and one of them had gooseberries, which I really enjoyed. Nina's parents are great! They didn't know the translation for it in English right away and so they asked around to find out. I really like them. They told me to feel at home like I was one of their kids. I really hope to see them again.
-DAVE'S PARENTS' PLACE-
Once we arrived at their beautiful home, we all took naps. We were all pretty exhausted. When I woke up, I found Dave downstairs. We chatted about stuff and caught up. I'm really glad that I was able to see and spend time with them. Nina woke up shortly after that. The plan was to drop by Dave's parents and on the way, they would buy Curry Wurst for me to try. Curry Wurst is very interesting and you all must try it when you visit. I took a picture of it so you can see :)
Dave's parents' place is beautiful as well. Miriam and Adam were there too and we got to see pictures of Dave when he was a kid. Adam also told us about being a blood plasma donor. Just hearing about it makes me want to donate blood even more. He's done it more than 50 times already! I had a really nice time meeting both families. It is quite obvious that they are all close and love each other dearly. It made me miss my family a bit too. When we left Miriam and Adam said goodbye since I would not see them before they left for Australia. I will be seeing Dave's parents again tomorrow as they have invited us for dinner.
-I ALMOST WORE THE BOXERS!-
Haha remember my pajama predicament? Well I asked Dave and Nina if I could borrow a t-shirt and Dave said they could lend me a shirt and boxers hahaa. In the end, Nina's mom lent me a nightgown :D I slept in Nina's brother's room. It was very comfortable and I had a really good night of sleep.
Please forward to those I missed. Do you guys actually have time to read all of this? I should just post it on my blog and send you the link, eh?
-Sam ^__^
p.s. I forgot to mention that at the end of Dave and Nina's wedding, people could give donations which would be given to a charity. Yes, I forget a lot of things, don't I?
Sam Explores Germany & Switzerland Pt 2
Dear Familia and Mes Amies,
Sorry my journals are long, but you're used to it right? There are probably a number of grammatical and spelling mistakes, but I just like to type it and send it. I hope you are all well and how is the weather in Canada right now?
Sat. August 29/09
-DREAM COTTAGE-
I realize now that I wrote this heading in the previous email but did not actually right about it. Nina's parents own a cottage in Buren. It is absolutely beautiful and relaxing there. There is a lovely backyard and it is very cozy. I took pictures of it. I would like to find something equivalent to it in Toronto when I have money and when I'm not still travelling like a maniac!
-GOING TO THE CHAPEL-
For those of you who didn't already know why I came to Germany, it isn't because I'm going down the aisle hahaha. Today was Nina and Dave's big day! Dave the Canadian and Kris left early for the photoshoots. The rest of us were picked up by Miriam, Dave the German's sister. I woke up around 9:30amish and got dressed for the wedding although I might have time later to dress up at the dorm. Miriam picked us up and along the way, we talked about Australia as she is currently living there.
We dropped by Dave's parents place and then were driven to the castle grounds. The wedding would be taking place in a church and the reception was on the castle grounds. Nina's father works in the University and was able to arrange to have the room reserved. They were still prepping for the reception when we arrived. We left the reception area to go to the castle. Nina and Dave were taking their pictures there. They both looked so great! You will be able to see it in the pictures. Kris was also taking photos and I talked to Tobi and Diana. Soon after we headed off to the church.
Sergey and I were in the car with Dave's parents. They are very friendly and nice. When we arrived many people were outside with the bride and groom. It was very refreshing to experience a German wedding. People sat in the pews and there was a flat part behind each pew where the the wedding programs and a package of tissue were placed. There were also hooks to hang things on.
- NINA & DAVE'S LOVELY WEDDING-
Some interesting differences were:
* the wedding party consisted only of the Bride, Groom, Maid of Honour and Best Man (or Wurst Man, as Dave said hahaha).
* the Maid of Honour and Best Man sat in the 2nd pew while the families sat in the first pews on their respective sides.
* Nina & Dave sat on a wooden bench/pew facing forward (at least, that's what I think I saw)
* there was a Catholic Priest and a Protestant Priest to do the ceremony
* the "you may now kiss the bride" was not said, but we managed to get them to kiss a few times during the reception
* after the ceremony, there was a big banner that said, "DAVID+NINA" in a big heart. After receiving congratulations from their family & friends, they cut out the heart together - each with a pair of scissors. Once the heart was cut out, Dave picked Nina up and carried her through the heart hole in the banner, like when a groom carries the bride through the doorway. It was a really nice thing to see. If I ever get married, I would like to do something like this.
- CASTLE P-A-R-T-Y-
We returned to the castle grounds. Sergey and I brought our things to the rooms that had been booked for us. We paid 17 euros each, which was great! We quickly dropped our stuff off and then headed to the reception. We were quite close and not even 5 minutes away. When we arrived we saw that Kris was taking the photos of the guests. Each couple would hold a gold painted heart in front of their heads like a picture frame. Later on the pictures were printed on photo paper and taped into a big black guest book for people to sign. Dave was running errands in the BMW and was loving it. Dave told me that they had scored this sweet ride, due to another customer not being satisfied with that model when they had requested another. SCORE!
The hors d'oeuvres (sp?) were quite tasty and I was always happy when the lady came by to offer them. I was quite hungry. We also had flutes of champagne and orange juice. Sergey wanted to go back to the dorm to check on his iphone which was charging. He had filmed the entire wedding and it had zapped the power. I was really amazed that he kept his arms up for so long. Anyway, Dave offered to drive us in the BMW ahahah and off we went on our joyride. I took some photos in it too!
-SPEECHES & A MODEL-
The reception hall/room was lovely! Nina and Dave did their speeches and introduced the tables. We were at the Kensington Market table. It was the Canadian table with Sergey, Cynthia, Matt, myself, Jing, My Le, Anise and Jennifer - the latter four know Dave from work and are based in London. I got along with them very well and we had great conversation. The two fathers of the newlyweds did speeches. Nina's dad said it in German and Dave's dad translated in English. Rike, the Maid of Honor, did her speech and Dave's friends went up as well to do a song/skit.
You did read that in this section, I talk about the model right? Well it isn't the model you're thinking! Dave's friends created a model of Canada for him and it was really quite creative. I took photos of it. Dave and Nina are hoping to move to Toronto, Canada and are waiting for their papers to be processed. Dave loves Canada and even more Canadian than me! His cell phone ringer is our national anthem! His friends and family told me that he always talks about Canada and all it's great points. We are all waiting for them to join us!
-FANTASTIC FOOD-
The food was very impressive and very good! I took pictures of all of it, surprise surprise! I will have to ask Nina for a menu so I may properly tell you what we ate. The starters were excellent, my favourites being - the avocado-like mayonaise with shrimp, prosciutto wrapped cantaloupe and a deep fried/battered prawn. There was German wedding soup which had homemade noodles and steamed egg in a beef broth. The main course was a buffet with roast beef, chicken stuffed with sausage, noodles, mixed steam vegetables, roasted potatoes, mushrooms with something, steamed fish and rice. The desserts were mango sorbet, chocolate mouse, a raspberry dessert and I think tiramisu. The cake though, was amazing, as it had fruit caviar on top. I don't really know how to describe it, and I didn't take a picture as it was dark. I think I will dream about it as I dream about delicious food I've eaten around the world.
Ahhh the lovely Nina has just passed me the menu...
Gaumenkitzel - Amuse-guele
Klare Hochzeitssuppe - German Wedding Soup
BUFFET of
Saltimbocca von Poularde - Spring Chicken Saltimbocca
Rinderbraten - Roast Beef
Doradenfilet auf Mediterrane Art - Mediterranean style Gilthead Fillet
Hausgemachte Nudeln - Home-made noodles
Gewurzkartoffeln - Roasted herb potatoes
Gerauchester Reis - Smoked Rice
Potpourri vom Sommergemuse - Summer Vegetable Potpourri
Funf susse verfuhrungen - five sweet temptations
-JUST DANCE-
Oh yes, I did go there Lady Gaga. We danced the night away in English, in German, it didn't matter what the song was. We were having a blast. Oh and one of my favourite parts was when they played Take That's "Re-light My Fire"...AHHAHA. Miriam and I sang while we danced, though she knew every lyric! They also played Take on Me so I thought of Jos and Rob singing it karaoke style. They also played The Greatest Love of All. Cynthia and I took breaks outside in between dances since we were starting to sweat. The stars were beautiful!
I also ran into Diana who told me to come over to their table to say hi. I told her I was shy and later on that night, she surprised me at our table. She said since I didn't go to their table, she came to ours. I also met Verena, who is Dave's childhood friend. She is currently living in Zurich and told me to contact her while I'm there and perhaps we can do dinner or a mountain tour together.
-DRINK THE NIGHT AWAY-
And so we did. We drank the night away. I was drinking white and red wine and then I think the last half hour or so, the drinks just kept coming. We were doing a few shots including an Italian drink they call "grappr" and then beers. People were getting quite happy and cheerful. That last half hour did me in. I kept giving people water and drinking some myself haha. Every time my hand was empty it was replaced by another drink.
-THE LAST SONGS-
Those of us who passed the 4am mark formed a big circle around Nina and Dave. A plate filled with tea lights was placed in the middle in the shape of a heart. We all held hands and sang the last songs which were an encore of The Greatest Love of All and New York New York and a few others. In the end, I have many good memories hahaha and thankfully Sergey waited for me and lent me his arm as we walked back to the dorms. I wasn't totally done in, but I was a bit past tipsy.
Now SuperSober,
Sam ^__^
p.s. I find that I probably should have taken many more pictures, but the ones I should have taken most of all was one with the bride AND groom as well as a big Canadian picture. Poopooo...
Sorry my journals are long, but you're used to it right? There are probably a number of grammatical and spelling mistakes, but I just like to type it and send it. I hope you are all well and how is the weather in Canada right now?
Sat. August 29/09
-DREAM COTTAGE-
I realize now that I wrote this heading in the previous email but did not actually right about it. Nina's parents own a cottage in Buren. It is absolutely beautiful and relaxing there. There is a lovely backyard and it is very cozy. I took pictures of it. I would like to find something equivalent to it in Toronto when I have money and when I'm not still travelling like a maniac!
-GOING TO THE CHAPEL-
For those of you who didn't already know why I came to Germany, it isn't because I'm going down the aisle hahaha. Today was Nina and Dave's big day! Dave the Canadian and Kris left early for the photoshoots. The rest of us were picked up by Miriam, Dave the German's sister. I woke up around 9:30amish and got dressed for the wedding although I might have time later to dress up at the dorm. Miriam picked us up and along the way, we talked about Australia as she is currently living there.
We dropped by Dave's parents place and then were driven to the castle grounds. The wedding would be taking place in a church and the reception was on the castle grounds. Nina's father works in the University and was able to arrange to have the room reserved. They were still prepping for the reception when we arrived. We left the reception area to go to the castle. Nina and Dave were taking their pictures there. They both looked so great! You will be able to see it in the pictures. Kris was also taking photos and I talked to Tobi and Diana. Soon after we headed off to the church.
Sergey and I were in the car with Dave's parents. They are very friendly and nice. When we arrived many people were outside with the bride and groom. It was very refreshing to experience a German wedding. People sat in the pews and there was a flat part behind each pew where the the wedding programs and a package of tissue were placed. There were also hooks to hang things on.
- NINA & DAVE'S LOVELY WEDDING-
Some interesting differences were:
* the wedding party consisted only of the Bride, Groom, Maid of Honour and Best Man (or Wurst Man, as Dave said hahaha).
* the Maid of Honour and Best Man sat in the 2nd pew while the families sat in the first pews on their respective sides.
* Nina & Dave sat on a wooden bench/pew facing forward (at least, that's what I think I saw)
* there was a Catholic Priest and a Protestant Priest to do the ceremony
* the "you may now kiss the bride" was not said, but we managed to get them to kiss a few times during the reception
* after the ceremony, there was a big banner that said, "DAVID+NINA" in a big heart. After receiving congratulations from their family & friends, they cut out the heart together - each with a pair of scissors. Once the heart was cut out, Dave picked Nina up and carried her through the heart hole in the banner, like when a groom carries the bride through the doorway. It was a really nice thing to see. If I ever get married, I would like to do something like this.
- CASTLE P-A-R-T-Y-
We returned to the castle grounds. Sergey and I brought our things to the rooms that had been booked for us. We paid 17 euros each, which was great! We quickly dropped our stuff off and then headed to the reception. We were quite close and not even 5 minutes away. When we arrived we saw that Kris was taking the photos of the guests. Each couple would hold a gold painted heart in front of their heads like a picture frame. Later on the pictures were printed on photo paper and taped into a big black guest book for people to sign. Dave was running errands in the BMW and was loving it. Dave told me that they had scored this sweet ride, due to another customer not being satisfied with that model when they had requested another. SCORE!
The hors d'oeuvres (sp?) were quite tasty and I was always happy when the lady came by to offer them. I was quite hungry. We also had flutes of champagne and orange juice. Sergey wanted to go back to the dorm to check on his iphone which was charging. He had filmed the entire wedding and it had zapped the power. I was really amazed that he kept his arms up for so long. Anyway, Dave offered to drive us in the BMW ahahah and off we went on our joyride. I took some photos in it too!
-SPEECHES & A MODEL-
The reception hall/room was lovely! Nina and Dave did their speeches and introduced the tables. We were at the Kensington Market table. It was the Canadian table with Sergey, Cynthia, Matt, myself, Jing, My Le, Anise and Jennifer - the latter four know Dave from work and are based in London. I got along with them very well and we had great conversation. The two fathers of the newlyweds did speeches. Nina's dad said it in German and Dave's dad translated in English. Rike, the Maid of Honor, did her speech and Dave's friends went up as well to do a song/skit.
You did read that in this section, I talk about the model right? Well it isn't the model you're thinking! Dave's friends created a model of Canada for him and it was really quite creative. I took photos of it. Dave and Nina are hoping to move to Toronto, Canada and are waiting for their papers to be processed. Dave loves Canada and even more Canadian than me! His cell phone ringer is our national anthem! His friends and family told me that he always talks about Canada and all it's great points. We are all waiting for them to join us!
-FANTASTIC FOOD-
The food was very impressive and very good! I took pictures of all of it, surprise surprise! I will have to ask Nina for a menu so I may properly tell you what we ate. The starters were excellent, my favourites being - the avocado-like mayonaise with shrimp, prosciutto wrapped cantaloupe and a deep fried/battered prawn. There was German wedding soup which had homemade noodles and steamed egg in a beef broth. The main course was a buffet with roast beef, chicken stuffed with sausage, noodles, mixed steam vegetables, roasted potatoes, mushrooms with something, steamed fish and rice. The desserts were mango sorbet, chocolate mouse, a raspberry dessert and I think tiramisu. The cake though, was amazing, as it had fruit caviar on top. I don't really know how to describe it, and I didn't take a picture as it was dark. I think I will dream about it as I dream about delicious food I've eaten around the world.
Ahhh the lovely Nina has just passed me the menu...
Gaumenkitzel - Amuse-guele
Klare Hochzeitssuppe - German Wedding Soup
BUFFET of
Saltimbocca von Poularde - Spring Chicken Saltimbocca
Rinderbraten - Roast Beef
Doradenfilet auf Mediterrane Art - Mediterranean style Gilthead Fillet
Hausgemachte Nudeln - Home-made noodles
Gewurzkartoffeln - Roasted herb potatoes
Gerauchester Reis - Smoked Rice
Potpourri vom Sommergemuse - Summer Vegetable Potpourri
Funf susse verfuhrungen - five sweet temptations
-JUST DANCE-
Oh yes, I did go there Lady Gaga. We danced the night away in English, in German, it didn't matter what the song was. We were having a blast. Oh and one of my favourite parts was when they played Take That's "Re-light My Fire"...AHHAHA. Miriam and I sang while we danced, though she knew every lyric! They also played Take on Me so I thought of Jos and Rob singing it karaoke style. They also played The Greatest Love of All. Cynthia and I took breaks outside in between dances since we were starting to sweat. The stars were beautiful!
I also ran into Diana who told me to come over to their table to say hi. I told her I was shy and later on that night, she surprised me at our table. She said since I didn't go to their table, she came to ours. I also met Verena, who is Dave's childhood friend. She is currently living in Zurich and told me to contact her while I'm there and perhaps we can do dinner or a mountain tour together.
-DRINK THE NIGHT AWAY-
And so we did. We drank the night away. I was drinking white and red wine and then I think the last half hour or so, the drinks just kept coming. We were doing a few shots including an Italian drink they call "grappr" and then beers. People were getting quite happy and cheerful. That last half hour did me in. I kept giving people water and drinking some myself haha. Every time my hand was empty it was replaced by another drink.
-THE LAST SONGS-
Those of us who passed the 4am mark formed a big circle around Nina and Dave. A plate filled with tea lights was placed in the middle in the shape of a heart. We all held hands and sang the last songs which were an encore of The Greatest Love of All and New York New York and a few others. In the end, I have many good memories hahaha and thankfully Sergey waited for me and lent me his arm as we walked back to the dorms. I wasn't totally done in, but I was a bit past tipsy.
Now SuperSober,
Sam ^__^
p.s. I find that I probably should have taken many more pictures, but the ones I should have taken most of all was one with the bride AND groom as well as a big Canadian picture. Poopooo...
Sam Explores Germany & Switzerland Pt 1
Thurs. Aug 27/09 - Fri. Aug 28/09
-FLIGHT & PLAN-
I must confess that this has been my most disorganized trip to date. Due to a few semi freak-outs my family was a bit worried about me forgetting important things. Thanks to my last minute heroes who bought my lunch, helped with laundry, lent me a battery charger, reminded me of what I forgot, gave me an extra angel and came home to see me off.
I have only taken a small luggage with me. I tried to pack "light" but I'm not shopping for clothes, so I needed to bring enough thin clothes that can be layered.
Just to let you know where I'll be, here is the plan:
Fri Aug 28 - Buhren, Germany / Sat Aug 29 - Schloss Nordkirchen (Nordkirchen Castle), Sun Aug 30 - Coesfeld, Germany / Mon Aug 31 - Buhren, Germany / Tues Sept 1 - Buhren / Berlin / Wed Sept 2 - 4 Berlin / Fri Sept 4 - 7 Munich / Mon Sept 7 - 14 Zurich (doing some day trips)
I will be attending Dave & Nina's wedding on the 29th and staying with their family prior & after the wedding until the 1st when I go to meet Pat & Margaret in Berlin. Let's cross our fingers that I find those two in Berlin! I'm "trying" not to spend a lot haha. We'll be doing day trips & such so it's more of an experience trip than a shopping one.
Checking in was slow as Lufthansa only had one person doing it at first. Glad I came early! Did an ice wine martini taste test. It was really yummy. We were grounded for an hour in Toronto, as the winds were favourable and if we left on time, we'd get to Dusseldorf before 6am and they have a landing curfew - planes can't land before 6am. Boo to that...oh well...
After I collected my baggage, I exited and waited for the Daves. Then it dawned (sp?) on me that I didn’t know exactly where I was supposed to meet them. I didn’t have a phone and I didn’t have their cell phone numbers. I tried to use the payphone to call them, but I couldn’t understand what the operator was telling me. I ended up going to the Information desk. The lady there was Filipino and she requested that an announcement be made for Dave to meet me at the Information Desk. When they didn’t come, I decided to check upstairs. Without any luck, I came back down and looked back at the place where I first exited. I saw someone who looked like Dave the Canadian and he walked out the door. I yelled his name, but he didn’t hear me, so I rushed over. Luckily, it was them. Yay! They helped me with my luggage and we headed to the car. The soundtrack in the car was extremely random and entertaining and included the song, “The Good Ol’ Hockey Game.” (I think that’s the title…)
-DREAM COTTAGE-
-The Scenic Route: All the Pretty Horses-
Nina gave me a tour of the cottage and the surrounding property. We collected apples for her horse, Anna and carried the pail full to where the horses were. We called out to Anna, who used to be Nina’s jumping horse when she competed. Anna came over and so did the rest of the horses who happily emptied our pail. After that Nina and I walked to the town and then back to the cottage.
-The Sandman Calls and the Canadians Take Over-
I was supposed to go with Nina and Kris to Coesfield (sp?) to shop a bit, but while I was waiting to leave I sat at the dinner table and *blinked* I fell asleep for a moment. I knew right away that going with them would mean I might fall asleep while walking around or waiting. I bailed and Nina and Kris totally understood. So much for me not being affected by the time change… I went upstairs at 2pm and was gone as soon as my face hit the pillow. I didn’t even hear my alarm, but woke up on my own at around 3:45pm.
Dave the Canadian was here and we chatted for a bit while I continued to work with the wedding ribbons for the cars. I got to see the wedding msgs from the Canadians and soon the rest of the people arrived. Nina wasn’t able to get her nails done, Dave the German picked up Cynthia and Matt and Dave’s sisters, Miriam and Janina arrived with their boyfriends, Adam and Thomas. They are all very nice people.
We all sat down to eat the barbequed sausage, pork belly, salad and vegetables. We all talked about languages and traditions. Nina’s father came by and Sergei arrived with Dave the German’s parents. Then we sat in the living room and watched the video. Nina and Dave were laughing a lot. David Hasselhoff, Nina’s childhood crush made an appearance in it.
-The Quick & the Sports Mode-
We just checked out the amazing BMW that Dave has rented for his wedding. That is one sweet ride! Many great features like two split view maps, DVD player, awesome wind shield wipers, not to mention the sports mode and the cruise mode. We took it for a spin…so AWESOME! I am tempted to rent a convertible for a day and ask a friend to drive it around just for the heck of it hahaha. I took a bunch of photos and I really enjoyed it. We decided not to stay up too late as we had the wedding the next day and the dj was booked until 5AM!!!! Yes, you read it right guys! They really know how to PARTY here! I stayed awake for a bit writing some of the journal. There are probably things that I missed, but I don't have much time to write!
-FLIGHT & PLAN-
I must confess that this has been my most disorganized trip to date. Due to a few semi freak-outs my family was a bit worried about me forgetting important things. Thanks to my last minute heroes who bought my lunch, helped with laundry, lent me a battery charger, reminded me of what I forgot, gave me an extra angel and came home to see me off.
I have only taken a small luggage with me. I tried to pack "light" but I'm not shopping for clothes, so I needed to bring enough thin clothes that can be layered.
Just to let you know where I'll be, here is the plan:
Fri Aug 28 - Buhren, Germany / Sat Aug 29 - Schloss Nordkirchen (Nordkirchen Castle), Sun Aug 30 - Coesfeld, Germany / Mon Aug 31 - Buhren, Germany / Tues Sept 1 - Buhren / Berlin / Wed Sept 2 - 4 Berlin / Fri Sept 4 - 7 Munich / Mon Sept 7 - 14 Zurich (doing some day trips)
I will be attending Dave & Nina's wedding on the 29th and staying with their family prior & after the wedding until the 1st when I go to meet Pat & Margaret in Berlin. Let's cross our fingers that I find those two in Berlin! I'm "trying" not to spend a lot haha. We'll be doing day trips & such so it's more of an experience trip than a shopping one.
Checking in was slow as Lufthansa only had one person doing it at first. Glad I came early! Did an ice wine martini taste test. It was really yummy. We were grounded for an hour in Toronto, as the winds were favourable and if we left on time, we'd get to Dusseldorf before 6am and they have a landing curfew - planes can't land before 6am. Boo to that...oh well...
After I collected my baggage, I exited and waited for the Daves. Then it dawned (sp?) on me that I didn’t know exactly where I was supposed to meet them. I didn’t have a phone and I didn’t have their cell phone numbers. I tried to use the payphone to call them, but I couldn’t understand what the operator was telling me. I ended up going to the Information desk. The lady there was Filipino and she requested that an announcement be made for Dave to meet me at the Information Desk. When they didn’t come, I decided to check upstairs. Without any luck, I came back down and looked back at the place where I first exited. I saw someone who looked like Dave the Canadian and he walked out the door. I yelled his name, but he didn’t hear me, so I rushed over. Luckily, it was them. Yay! They helped me with my luggage and we headed to the car. The soundtrack in the car was extremely random and entertaining and included the song, “The Good Ol’ Hockey Game.” (I think that’s the title…)
-DREAM COTTAGE-
-The Scenic Route: All the Pretty Horses-
Nina gave me a tour of the cottage and the surrounding property. We collected apples for her horse, Anna and carried the pail full to where the horses were. We called out to Anna, who used to be Nina’s jumping horse when she competed. Anna came over and so did the rest of the horses who happily emptied our pail. After that Nina and I walked to the town and then back to the cottage.
-The Sandman Calls and the Canadians Take Over-
I was supposed to go with Nina and Kris to Coesfield (sp?) to shop a bit, but while I was waiting to leave I sat at the dinner table and *blinked* I fell asleep for a moment. I knew right away that going with them would mean I might fall asleep while walking around or waiting. I bailed and Nina and Kris totally understood. So much for me not being affected by the time change… I went upstairs at 2pm and was gone as soon as my face hit the pillow. I didn’t even hear my alarm, but woke up on my own at around 3:45pm.
Dave the Canadian was here and we chatted for a bit while I continued to work with the wedding ribbons for the cars. I got to see the wedding msgs from the Canadians and soon the rest of the people arrived. Nina wasn’t able to get her nails done, Dave the German picked up Cynthia and Matt and Dave’s sisters, Miriam and Janina arrived with their boyfriends, Adam and Thomas. They are all very nice people.
We all sat down to eat the barbequed sausage, pork belly, salad and vegetables. We all talked about languages and traditions. Nina’s father came by and Sergei arrived with Dave the German’s parents. Then we sat in the living room and watched the video. Nina and Dave were laughing a lot. David Hasselhoff, Nina’s childhood crush made an appearance in it.
-The Quick & the Sports Mode-
We just checked out the amazing BMW that Dave has rented for his wedding. That is one sweet ride! Many great features like two split view maps, DVD player, awesome wind shield wipers, not to mention the sports mode and the cruise mode. We took it for a spin…so AWESOME! I am tempted to rent a convertible for a day and ask a friend to drive it around just for the heck of it hahaha. I took a bunch of photos and I really enjoyed it. We decided not to stay up too late as we had the wedding the next day and the dj was booked until 5AM!!!! Yes, you read it right guys! They really know how to PARTY here! I stayed awake for a bit writing some of the journal. There are probably things that I missed, but I don't have much time to write!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
