Stay tuned for coming attractions

We head out tomorrow for a 2 week vacation.  We will be driving (over the Gotthard Pass if the weather cooperates) to Milan tomorrow.  I believe our hotel there has wi-fi and if it does watch out tomorrow night for photos of the gorgeous alps between Switzerland and Italy.

Sunday morning we will be up early and drive another hour and a half to Genoa, Italy where we will park the car and board the Legend of the Seas cruise ship.

I plan to take many photos and post several entries about the ship itself (recently refurbished), our experiences boarding at an alternate port (most will be boarding at Civitavecchia the day prior), our experiences staying on for a "B2B" (back to back--we are cruising the same loop two weeks in a row) and of course, the PORTS:

Marseilles
Barcelona
Valencia\Palma, Mallorca
Civitavecchia

One of the great joys of cruising, for me, is being unplugged.  I never pay for internet on a ship and rarely go online during a cruise.  If I happen to find a convenient internet cafe in port and have a slow afternoon I may post some during those two weeks, but it may work out that posts go up fast and furiously once we are home again.   So, please forgive me if there is a two week dry spell on the blog--and know that I WILL be back.

--Hadley

Introducing the 2012 wines!

Every spring our favourite local vintner sets up a small event for regular customers to introduce the new season's wines.  Last year's grapes are now transformed into delicious beverages and this past Saturday was tasting day.  It is a low key, affair.  Casual and relaxing for a couple of hours on a Saturday afternoon.

The main street through tiny Dittlesheim is dotted with small wineries like Uwe Spies, simple buildings with courtyards and cellars full of wine barrels:

We stop by about once a quarter to sit in the tasting room, try or retry several wines and then buy several cases to bring home (we have taken to having a bottle with dinner nearly every night).  The room is normally filled with long tables for sitting and imbibing.  The tables had been moved out and the center of the room was empty with tables all around the outside with the new wines set out to try.  One of the owners (usually their son David, who has recently joined the business) was always on hand in the room to answer questions or make suggestions, but it was otherwise help yourself.

When you found a wine you particularly liked, you could pour yourself a glass, go sit at tables that were set up in the courtyard for the day, and relax.

You could also buy some new salt roasted potatoes, or cake or a salad made from the small leaves of the burgunder grapes (small and delicate and very different than the large grape leaves we are used to seeing stuffed in Greek dishes):

and, of course, while we munched and relaxed we put in orders for new cases!  Uwe was busy all afternoon wheeling out dollies full of wine to the various cars.  We bought about half new wine, and half some of our old favourites which were on special:

I have to say, this is such a NICE way to shop.  Very relaxing and personal.  There is no disconnect at all between the consumer and producer in this case.

--Hadley

Heidelberg, My Fair City . . .

So, yesterday was a national holiday.  When holidays fall on Tuesday or Thursday, the day between the weekend and the holiday is generally a "bruckentag" (bridge day).  This means that most schools are closed and many office type jobs as well.  Shops, doctor's offices, etc tend to be open, making these GREAT days to run errands and get things done.  Which is exactly what we did today.

Walking into our fist appointment at 9:00 this morning, I thought I should blog some about just how beautiful Heidelberg is.  One of these days, I'll visit all the tourist areas and take photos, but today this is what you see just running everyday errands if you are lucky enough to live in such an amazing place.  The photos below are of the park DIRECTLY across the street from the dentist.  You have this same view out of her windows while you teeth are being cleaned.  When something as mundane as a dentist's office has this kind of beauty out the window, you know you live somewhere special.

Yes, down past the bridge IS the castle.  I zoomed in on it for you:

Do you notice the tents set up near the base of the bridge?  They are getting ready for this weekend's regatta.  I think there are fests in this riverside park about 50% of the weekends between mid-April and mid-October.  And every weekend of nice weather finds lots of locals enjoy picnics, volleyball games, etc along the banks of the Neckar.

There are nearly always some boats on the lake, and crew teams or individuals practicing:

After the dentist, we headed back over the bridge to downtown (which IS one of the big tourist areas, but it is also very much still a place that regular activities take place and is equally full of locals and tourists most days).  Here is a view of the pedestrian zone that we had from our outdoor table while we had lunch:

After lunch we headed over to Plock Street (it runs parallel to the Pedestrian Zone) for haircuts and a dotor's appointment.  Here are some of the buildings we passed:

That's St Peter's church above and the University Library below.

and below is the street we take between the Pedestrian Zone and Plock)

Heading back home, we walked back down the Pedestrian zone.  Here are some of my favourite buildings on the BismarkPlatz end of the zone (we never quite made it up to Cathedral, Ritter Hotel, etc):

I've been extremely fortunate to live in some fantastically gorgeous locations (Caddo Lake, Boulder, Colorado and the Lakes Region of New Hampshire) and I think Heidelberg ranks right up there with them. A day full of errands is just not so dreary when you get to run them surrounded by so much beauty.   

Here's hoping that all of you, my readers, found some beauty in your days today.

--Hadley

Happy Father's Day!

No, I am not confused.  Here in Germany, today is Father's Day.  Father's Day is always on Ascension Thursday, which is a national holiday so most dad's have the day off.  Interestingly, Mother's Day is the same as in the US, the second Sunday in May.  So this year, both Mother's Day and Father's Day fall into the same four day weekend.

The stereo shop that Dave frequents was taking part in a "Premium Father's Day" show, so we decided to bop own to Mainz for a few hours today to celebrate.

We parked on a hillside with a nice view of the fields.  I love the patches of yellow where the Safflowers are in bloom.

The event was small and located in a lovely little local farm/barn area.

We thought it was a GREAT idea for Father's Day.  They had set ups from several vendors which appeal to men: large, nice BBQ grills; motorcycles  high end stereos, tailored men's clothing, wine and cigars.  

They also had a vendor who had bikinis and lingerie!  Which, upon reflection IS something men really enjoy ;)   

They also had the grill running making prime rib, baked potatoes and veggies.  And inside you could buy wine or soda and freshly made waffles with fresh German strawberries, which are just coming into season.

All in all it was a pleasant way to spend a couple of hours on Father's Day and all it cost us was about 15 Euro for food and drinks.

Tonight we are off to see the newest Star Trek movie in the theatre.

--Hadley 

Grocery Shopping German Style!

Germans are known for their love of cars, but in reality they seem to love their bikes even more.  I don't know a German who does not own a bike and ride it fairly regularly, even our elderly landlady who walks with a cane rides her bike all over town.

When we first got here, we bought me a relatively inexpensive and low quality bike.  It was great for two years, but by the middle of last summer I found myself waiting until the weekend (when I had use of our one car) to shop for anything heavier than what I wanted to carry myself on foot.  It was a pain in the backside, and I really missed my bike, both for utilitarian reasons and for fun jaunts around town.  So, last weekend I got a new bike! Today was the first shopping trip I have taken since.

Since the kitchens here tend to be small, and produce is enjoyed FRESH, most Germans tend to shop 2-3 times a week (or more), so you can easily fit that amount into the saddle bags of a bike.  And, really it is so much more fun and even convenient (at least in nice weather) to ride to the store instead of driving.

Today my friend Safaa and I wanted to go to the "big" store (probably the size of a typical grocery store in the US) and the weather was nice, so we biked a bit further than to our local market and rode almost 9 km each way to REAL Markt.

I thought that if you live where this is not the norm you might enjoy a couple of photos of a bike turned grocery shopping vehicle (and my "saddle bags" in the cart so that I could be sure not to buy more than I could carry--a very common practice).  Besides, it gives me a chance to show off my new bike!

Ready to head out with empty bags.

Full bags in the cart before check out.  You can fit an astonishing large amount of items in them.

I hope you can find a way to have as much fun, and get as much exercise, shopping this week as I did!

--Hadley

"Garden Golf," locally

We had a break in the rain today.  Some lovely springtime weather to enjoy; how lucky to have that on a weekend!  Marika went out rollerblading with a friend, and Dave, Rio and I took our bikes over to the local mini-golf course.

The name "Gartengolf" (Garden Golf) is very apt for this course.  There are no windmills or plastic houses to putt around--but there are lots of pretty trees and flowers scattered around the course.

It is really a pleasant and soothing little place out on the edge of town.  We enjoy getting out in the fresh air and being able to have some fun without going far and for very little cost.  All four of us can play a round (18 holes) for under 10 Euro.  

The only issue we sometimes have is that smoking is allowed.  The places is so casual that if we end up with smokers playing near us, we just take a break and have an ice cream or drink and then pick up where we left off after the smoke has cleared.  

We were lucky to have no issues with smoke today, but Rio still needed an ice cream after we played.

One of the little things that amuses me is that if the weather is nice they open three hours earlier than normal on both Saturdays (as shown) and school holidays (I didn't bother to photograph both signs).  There is no specific criteria that defines "nice weather" but any time we have ever felt like it was a good day to play, they have been open for us.

This is the kind of locally owned place where the owners comment on how much Rio has grown at the start of each season, and remember to ask after Marika when she is not there.  All in all a very nice little outing.  One of the most amazing things about living here is that we can have one lovely day after another without ever going any further than our bikes can take us!

--Happy Sunday to you all,

--Hadley

Hospitals

So, today David had some surgery on his ear.  Nothing major and he is doing fine.  But, since I spent all day at the hospital and this is Dave's second surgery and Rio has had one there and I have been there with a friend twice while her husband and son had operations,  I am getting to know it fairly well.

So, having been occupied all day, and not being up to a long post, and having no interesting photos to share, I thought I'd blog a bit about some of the differences between American and German hospitals (or at least this ONE German hospital).  Nothing major, just interesting little tidbits.


1. American hospitals tend to serve their patients three hot meals a day.  Americans like hot meals.  We often eat three of them a day at home too (or skip breakfast).  In keeping with the norm for Germans, the hospital here serves ONE hot meal.  For lunch.  Breakfast is big (but cold), lunch is hot and dinner is cold and very small.
In both countries odd combinations and less than desirable offerings seem to be the norm for hospital food.  Poor Dave had no breakfast or lunch today (no eating allowed before anesthesia for surgery) and for dinner they brought him 2 slices of cold cuts with a slice of dark bread.  Just that.  Needless to say,  I ran out and picked up a  Subway sandwich for him.

In Germany you are expected to bring your own towel with you to the hospital to use after showering.  We didn't know this the first time around and I had to run home to get one for David.

In the hospital here in Heidelberg, there are no phones in the rooms and if you want a TV you have to rent it for 2.50 a day.  With all the cell phones and iPADS these days, that is really not a big deal though.  It makes sense (maybe US hospitals have gone to this as well in modern times?).

In our experience, there is not anyone really watching the entry/exit to the various wings of the hospital.  Patients are pretty well able to walk around on their own at will.  Dave walked down to the lobby and sat outside with us for a bit this evening before the kids and I left after bringing him his dinner.  No one was in the least bit concerned that he was walking out.

I think Dave signed ONE form today.  Just one.  That's it.  There are a lot fewer liability forms to deal with in Germany than the US.

In the US, the norm seems to be that when someone goes back for surgery, the surgeon (or a nurse) comes out after the operation is over to tell you how it went and give you some idea of about how long it might be before the patient is out of recovery and able to be seen.  Here, the patient is wheeled into the surgery wing and then you hear NOTHING until they head back to their rooms.  You sit outside double doors and wait, and wait and wait.  Today it was nearly 5 hours before he came out, the surgery itself should have lasted 20-30 minutes.  I hate this practice.  It is terribly nerve wracking.

So, there you have a few cultural differences in the medical world.

I hope you all have a great weekend,
--Hadley

Maimarkt Mannheim

Today is May Day.  It is also a national holiday here--Labor Day.  This is convenient since many Germans like to "dance in May" by staying up past midnight on the 30th partying; and the holiday allows most to sleep in and recover afterwards.

The week that includes 1 May is the "MaiMarkt" in Mannheim.  We have heard so much about this event over the years, but never attended until today.  Marika and I went with some friends and checked it out.
We got the impression that it was similar to a county fair, and knew there would be an animal show, which worked well since the girls need to attend an animal show for a Girl Scout Badge.  So we bought the 9 Euro per person tickets (which include taking trains to/from the markt from anywhere in the VRN district) and headed out early this morning to be at the 400th annual  MaiMarkt when it opened at 9:00 (and hopefully beat the masses).

There were crowds of people waiting for the turnstiles to open when we arrive a couple of minutes before 9:00.  It was much like Disney World at park open.  Luckily, the crowds dispersed fairly well once things opened up.  We saw several displays outside, including historical fire trucks and fresh veggie stands.

Then we headed into the "vacation and travel" building in which many regions and hotels, both semi local (Heidelberg, hotels in Bavaria and Austria) and far off (Canadian resorts) had displays, samples, brochures, etc.  I picked up several brochures for places that look interesting to visit at some point--there is a hotel in Tirol Austria that I really hope we get to visit next year.  Meanwhile, our friends sampled some good "Algau" cheese:

The crowds were getting heavier and I did not get any photos in the "fitness and wellness" building between the jostling and the lack of interesting photo ops (lots of hot tub and specialty mattress vendors).  The historical building wasn't too full yet, and looked very interesting, so we popped in there to look around and we enjoyed the displays:

(an early Mercedes)

Then we moved on to the surprisingly empty "play building" and hung out in the Ravensburger Games section  building origami animals for a bit:

We bypassed many other shoulder to shoulder buildings and made our way to the animal displays, which were not packed yet (being in the very back helped I think).  

Next up we stopped for a snack before the horse and livestock show started.  Mmmmmm currywurst!

The show was one of the smaller ones for the Markt (there are big riding tournaments on two of the days), but it was very enjoyable.  There were several breeds of horses shown:

Here is one of the horses who had been trained to run with a very different gait, that made the ride VERY smooth--so smooth that the riders did not spill any beer!  Only in Germany are horses trained so the riders can drink beer lol:

The Arabians were really beautiful and it was fascinating to watch them.  Their trainers let them off halter and one person stood in the center of the ring shaking a stick in different ways and they all ran around in a very well coordinated pattern.  They kept it up for over 5 minutes.  It was really cool to watch and I have never seen anything like it.

After the horses, the livestock came out.  

(I loved these black and white goats--so funny how they color changes so distinctly right in the middle)

After the show, the entire place was FULL.  Really, really full.  Working our way back out we stopped in the "international" building--which was disappointingly full of very cheaply made, mass manufactured things which did not even seem to be indicative of any particular country anyway. 

We stopped near the exit for "Maimarkt Bechers" which were very strawberry shortcake like and quite tasty (my camera card was full at that point--my friend took a photo on her phone which I hope to add if she gets it to me) and then got out of the crowds and enjoyed the 10 minute stroll back to the train platform.  

All in all it was a nice day and a fun outing, but not anything we feel a need to repeat.  Basically EVERYthing we saw there was mass produced.  There were none of the pretty handmade items that abound at Christmas Markets.  The crowds were intense even early, and we were glad it was unseasonably cool, otherwise it would have been miserable.  There are hundreds of truly delightful, unique and fun festivals to attend here in Germany.  This one does not compare.

--Hadley