tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11624776284247897272024-03-14T07:11:45.281+01:00Living the life in Germany!This is the life, adventures, and experiences of the Dewey Family--John and Deborah and their dogs--as they learn what it means to live in Germany.Debhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05317871420512209030noreply@blogger.comBlogger17125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1162477628424789727.post-2441109266292630242012-02-16T15:21:00.000+01:002012-02-16T15:21:06.820+01:00Restaurants we have eaten at and our thoughts...Here is a list of restaurants we have eaten at since moving to Germany. I will include our thoughts as newbies in Germany. Not in any specific order (at least at this time!) SER GUT, GUT, NICHT SER GUT, SCHLECT ratings (very good, good, not so good, bad). We will probably eat at the Ser Gut and Gut restaurants again, but with the others? Why waste the time when there are so many more restaurants to try out? These ratings are only based on my husband's and my tastes!<br />
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<ul>
<li><span style="color: #38761d; font-size: large; text-align: center;"><b>Spinnrädl</b></span><span style="text-align: center;"> (</span><span style="text-align: center;">
</span><a href="http://www.spinnraedl.de/" style="text-align: center;">http://www.spinnraedl.de/</a><span style="text-align: center;"> </span><span style="text-align: center;">) </span><span style="text-align: center;">Schillerstraße 1, 67655 Kaiserslautern, Germany, </span><span style="text-align: center;">
</span><img alt="Spinnrädl - KL" src="http://static.panoramio.com/photos/iw-thumbnail/2461973.jpg" style="text-align: center;" /><span style="text-align: center;"> </span><span style="text-align: center;">+49 631/60511. This restaurant is a gem in downtown Kaiserslautern, the only remaining 1/2 timbered building there. Good beer, good wine lists, friendly staff, and good food. It it typically busy and tables are larger so be prepared to share. Parking is similar to other downtown restaurants so try to find a parking lot (there is one at SAKS Hotel that is convenient). They take credit cards. GUT</span></li>
<li><b><span style="color: #38761d; font-size: large;">St. Martin</span></b> (
<a href="http://www.st-martin-kl.de/">http://www.st-martin-kl.de/</a>) St.-Martins-Platz 4, 67657 Kaiserslautern, +49 631 3607490. This restaurant is one of our favorites in downtown Kaiserslautern. It's foods are typically German and they have a good selection of drinks, beer, and wine from their bar. In the summer (we have not experienced yet, they have a nice terrace. One of our favorite memories was the time we shared a table with a German lady (it was crowded and this sharing is not atypical in European restaurants); we had an enjoyable discussion with her using sign language, Fancy Translation on my BB, and phrasebooks. We had to laugh though because all of wore classes, and the text on all of these were very small! Parking for this restaurant is harder to find but worth the effort. They take credit cards. SER GUT</li>
<li><b><span style="color: #38761d; font-size: large;">Irish House</span></b> (
<a href="http://www.irishhouse.de/">http://www.irishhouse.de/</a>) Eselsfurth 11, Kaiserslautern, +49 0631 40680. This restaurant became a home away from home during our first month stay in K-Town. It was right across the street from our hotel. We loved the Shepard's Pie, the Brat and Fries, Chicken Wings, and of course the Guinness! It has a small food menu, but good. We love the hometown atmosphere of this pub. It has a pool table in the front area and there is a large room in the back where a lot of their music performances happen. They also have a beer garden (off season now) which we plan to try later. Parking is just off the side of the restaurant. The manager is a very friendly guy and the staff is great. A little on the smoky side. They take credit cards. GUT</li>
<li><span style="color: #38761d;"><b><span style="color: #38761d; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; cursor: pointer; white-space: nowrap;">Gaststätte </span></span><em style="background-color: white; cursor: pointer; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-style: normal; white-space: nowrap;">Eule</em></span> </b></span>(no websiste) Jahnstraße 14, 67659 Kaiserslautern, Germany, +49 6301/4475. Love, love, love this little neighborhood restaurant! The interior is just wonderful with it's wood paneled ceilings and bar as you enter. It seems like a lot of locals. The owner and his wife greet their customers cheerfully and make sure they have a good beer or wine to get started. The homemade onion soup is freshly made and is one of the best that we have had anywhere. We love the jaeger schnitzel and another steak dish with horseradish and cranberry sauce. Parking is available about a block away. And they have a small outside terrace for the warmer months. Cash only. SER GUT</li>
<li><span style="color: #38761d; font-size: large;"><b>Indian Palace</b></span> (
<a href="http://www.indiapalace.de/indiapalace/">http://www.indiapalace.de/indiapalace/</a> ) Grüner Graben 21, 67655 Kaiserslautern | Tel. +49-631-66460. A good Indian restaurant that serves tandoori and other regional cuisines. It is tucked away from the main pedestrian area down an alley and there is on-street parking nearby. We loved the atmosphere and decor and the food was very good. We liked it better than its sister restaurant, the Himalayan. Tends to fill up fast so you might need reservations. And it is a cash only restaurant, so be prepared. GUT</li>
<li><span style="color: #38761d; font-size: large;"><b>Brauhaus am Markt</b></span>, (
<a href="http://brauhausammarkt.jimdo.com/">http://brauhausammarkt.jimdo.com/</a> ) Stiftsplatz2, 67655 Kaiserslautern, Germany, +49 631/61944 +49 631/61316. Another very good Kaiserslautern downtown restaurant! This one brews its own beer and you should see the towers they serve beer in if you order for many people! It's a restaurant, brewpub, disco, and club. Parking is similar to other downtown restaurants (parking at SAKS is close). During the Christmas Market it was hard to find because it was behind some of the booths. We were there for New Year's Eve and the atmosphere was great for that time of year and everyone went outside to watch all the fireworks. This is a cash only restaurant. The Palatinate Saumagen is really, really good especially with a homebrew beer! GUT</li>
<li><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b style="color: #38761d; font-size: x-large;">Bistro Resto Aktuell, </b>(
<a href="http://aktuell-restaurant.de/">http://aktuell-restaurant.de/</a> ) </span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #440806; line-height: 1.2;">Morlautererstr 99 , an der Waschmühle, </span><span class="postal-code" style="background-color: white; color: #440806; line-height: 1.2;">67657</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #440806; line-height: 1.2;"> </span><span class="locality" style="background-color: white; color: #440806; line-height: 1.2;">Kaiserslautern, +49 0631 31049464</span><span class="locality" style="background-color: white; color: #440806; line-height: 13px;">. Another good neighborhood restaurant with cuisines that reflect those items that are seasonably available. I had a very good dumpling dish (with mushrooms in the center). The wine was good as was the coffee. It wasn't very busy the night we were there (weather), but we have seen the restaurant packed when we have driven by in the past. Parking is available across the street. GUT</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="locality" style="background-color: white; line-height: 13px;"><span style="color: #38761d; font-size: large;"><b>Restaurant Delphi </b></span><span style="color: #440806;">(http://hannenfass-kl.de/) St. Martins-Platz 1, 67657, Kaiserslautern, Germany, +49 631 66610. This is a Greek restaurant in downtown K-Town. It is a little off the beaten path, but not far from St. Martin. We were no impressed with this restaurant. It was hard to decide what to order (this was early on and I don't think they had any English menus). We have not had a lot of Greek food so can't judge it on that, but we were not comfortable while we ate there. The restaurant is a cash only restaurant and we thought the prices were a little high from what we had experienced at other local restaurants. NICHT SER GUT</span></span></span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit; line-height: 18px;"></span></li>
<li><span style="line-height: 18px;"><span style="color: #38761d; font-size: large;"><b>Hotel Restaurant Barbarossahof </b></span>(
<a href="http://www.barbarossahof.com/">http://www.barbarossahof.com/</a> ) </span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="street-address" property="v:street-address" style="background-color: white; color: #2c2c2c;">Eselsfurth 10</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #2c2c2c;">, </span><span class="locality" style="background-color: white; color: #2c2c2c;"><span property="v:postal-code">67657</span> <span property="v:locality">Kaiserslautern</span>, <span property="v:region">Rhineland-Palatinate</span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #2c2c2c;">, </span><span class="country-name" property="v:country-name" style="background-color: white; color: #2c2c2c;">Germany. We stayed at this hotel for over a month. We had a very nice room which took our dogs (it was a little smoky but that went away after a time). The staff of the hotel and restaurant were very friendly and helpful and ready to do what was needed to make your staff good. We ate at the restaurant for breakfast every morning which was included in our room rate. We also went to breakfast once after we moved out and found to our shock that the prices are a little outrageous. The breakfast was a buffet type with cold cheese and meats, cereals, fruits, breads/brochen, and hot sausages, bacon, and eggs. Juice and beverage were included. We also ate there for dinner a few times. Again the prices for the food was very high considering the quality of the food and preparation. Food was good and adequate, but not innovative and sometimes not well prepared (the onion soup is flavored water). We did have a couple of good meals--their special was goose and it was good. The wild boar was also good. Parking is readily available. They do take credit cards. NICHT SER GUT</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="country-name" property="v:country-name" style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #38761d; font-size: large;"><b>Hotel Idyll Restaurant </b></span></span><span class="country-name" property="v:country-name" style="background-color: white; color: #2c2c2c;">(</span></span>
<a href="http://www.idyll-kaiserslautern.com/">http://www.idyll-kaiserslautern.com/</a>), Dauborner Weg 41, 67657, Kaiserslautern, Germany, +49 631/46025. This hotel restaurant may be a little hard to find (it is down a road right beside Hotel Barbarossahoff) but worth the drive down a tree lined, cobbled road. This is a quaint German restaurant. It has a good wine and beer selection and the food is quite creditable. They have an outside terrace for the warmer months and we plan to go back and check it out. Dog friendly, credit cards, and parking near. It looks like there are a lot of Americans who eat here as well. GUT</li>
</ul>
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</ul>Debhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05317871420512209030noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1162477628424789727.post-85395711176454226852012-02-16T12:10:00.001+01:002012-02-16T12:10:19.013+01:00Rest stopsThis weekend we were traveling to Stuttgart and I am reminded of another difference between Germany and the US--rest stops. Most of us are familiar with the typical American rest stop--area for picnicking, place for your pets to do their business, and then the men's and women's rooms with a vending machine in-between. They can be fairly clean, depending on the time of year and the location in the US.<div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgenW9iq6lRq5IlM7GtBmsLSvqf9LnCmkhm830GAt0yq0uFqDcmZ2vOsH_H52g-1G8hjb1mpsAkZDTGxve-WfmVVY3KHhanF2nlKtzt-57UWErc61QTzxsm24wphSqtKAMd1D7bXVFjvu3f/s1600/reststop1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgenW9iq6lRq5IlM7GtBmsLSvqf9LnCmkhm830GAt0yq0uFqDcmZ2vOsH_H52g-1G8hjb1mpsAkZDTGxve-WfmVVY3KHhanF2nlKtzt-57UWErc61QTzxsm24wphSqtKAMd1D7bXVFjvu3f/s320/reststop1.JPG" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hot Veggies Bar</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsqQiLwvGPtcCkzr_GUXwfNFYjD_5NT_38CF7eWB6bUV6MJsrCTvmDZfJhCR_1DSPqAPil6yn8OZqeJ8fAC1hNco-eokY050kboeukUxbUVOANIbAam4glRPIlgJa2PvHYgY3ZdHmZDFM9/s1600/reststop3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsqQiLwvGPtcCkzr_GUXwfNFYjD_5NT_38CF7eWB6bUV6MJsrCTvmDZfJhCR_1DSPqAPil6yn8OZqeJ8fAC1hNco-eokY050kboeukUxbUVOANIbAam4glRPIlgJa2PvHYgY3ZdHmZDFM9/s200/reststop3.JPG" width="149" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cold foods bar</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi40pqfrN7SHjASPZZXQM9l62ck4p4Iq0ZmW4R8xNlWp04hwlujDUvPHU_FMOy4ukIm6iygideCrMGLacby-ubVkWHGuYyll_eN9WBpzkEUPd-BqxQsWK1EK2kTZusdaSSOytGIbGwbNgIJ/s1600/reststop5.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi40pqfrN7SHjASPZZXQM9l62ck4p4Iq0ZmW4R8xNlWp04hwlujDUvPHU_FMOy4ukIm6iygideCrMGLacby-ubVkWHGuYyll_eN9WBpzkEUPd-BqxQsWK1EK2kTZusdaSSOytGIbGwbNgIJ/s320/reststop5.JPG" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hot food bar<br /></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1AEiz5LK8swknx5KFSW_hPvRUrpwow1rg4bL1llBkMpNsEQxJEnqfUatFGnALYHjaAkTBUx9ckdFQYyEo1TwuBN0AxcVhn1pjxmgxmTU1Ha0sxV_82PV-MURUsfbn3Kh-YuebaTaiPD7k/s1600/reststop4.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1AEiz5LK8swknx5KFSW_hPvRUrpwow1rg4bL1llBkMpNsEQxJEnqfUatFGnALYHjaAkTBUx9ckdFQYyEo1TwuBN0AxcVhn1pjxmgxmTU1Ha0sxV_82PV-MURUsfbn3Kh-YuebaTaiPD7k/s200/reststop4.JPG" width="149" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Grilled food bar (including brats)<br /></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjSakf8pi6qGHZND9vMVi1yz9nqutruymnJbC9gVt4cyMDOKiZOU0qLVrnQN_8MP6b2fXdGlIe4bOZ3KPod0hMJzYSKj9O0dxgE61mzj_K9zLzT1LFEk5GeD1MeAsgAGTDbt5wcLXED23H/s1600/reststop6.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjSakf8pi6qGHZND9vMVi1yz9nqutruymnJbC9gVt4cyMDOKiZOU0qLVrnQN_8MP6b2fXdGlIe4bOZ3KPod0hMJzYSKj9O0dxgE61mzj_K9zLzT1LFEk5GeD1MeAsgAGTDbt5wcLXED23H/s200/reststop6.JPG" width="149" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Salad bar</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5wymXhIku3GnJSx8KumlaWKCNha8KANk1RI-lTp24aDu2Xo0qYVLeZj2SSedr5NofUI1MrBDs2eriCFYT5FkTnNk7oe5qB_tUxg8caQwbMoVYYrEJ3d09SG7kVeX1VV5dztVVvZ5hAHc_/s1600/reststop7.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5wymXhIku3GnJSx8KumlaWKCNha8KANk1RI-lTp24aDu2Xo0qYVLeZj2SSedr5NofUI1MrBDs2eriCFYT5FkTnNk7oe5qB_tUxg8caQwbMoVYYrEJ3d09SG7kVeX1VV5dztVVvZ5hAHc_/s200/reststop7.JPG" width="149" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Olive and antipasto bar<br /></td></tr>
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In Germany, there are different types of rest stops. One is just a place to pull over with no facilities (these happen in the US too); just watch where you step if you get out of the car. There are the types with water closets--probably more comparable to its US counterpart. Then there are the SuperStops (well that's what I call them). Reststop, resthaus, whatever they are called, they are great! The restrooms are clean, but you will have to pay a small fee (about 70 cents euro) but you get a coupon for 50 cents off a purchase at the stop. These stops typically include at least a coffee bar and a restaurant. Larger ones have a chain restaurant attached. But who really needs a chain restaurant, when you have the selection of foods available that is typically there. I have included pictures of one reststop we used on the way to Stuttgart. After we walked the dogs, we went inside for espresso, used the facilities, and got our espresso. We found a table and sat and watched people coming and going through the rest haus. I don't know how we resisted the temptation to get some more food with our espresso, but we did have one of the best pretzels ever. We had planned to get to Stuttgart and eat there. I think we should have eaten here! These pictures didn't include the fruit bar, the dessert bar, the yogurt bar, the wine/beer selection, etc. Makes me hungry just looking at the pictures! I would take these resthaus stops over the American counterpart any time!</div>Debhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05317871420512209030noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1162477628424789727.post-40295340259737660692012-02-09T13:11:00.003+01:002012-02-09T13:11:39.860+01:00Our Canine Members of the Dewey Family<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxz5Lyfw7XrYidH8rXXj-TVd4qhdgkxlWieeVpYvugM87vXq5lJfsZVpJvx7I34fg4G7lMoSX4uj6kuERl5IiSqH5U6KZD3CQ3AUU51HUzLvDClGmQL2M5hJw4EQlSrkLgiYIScPIDHsCh/s1600/DSCN0441.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxz5Lyfw7XrYidH8rXXj-TVd4qhdgkxlWieeVpYvugM87vXq5lJfsZVpJvx7I34fg4G7lMoSX4uj6kuERl5IiSqH5U6KZD3CQ3AUU51HUzLvDClGmQL2M5hJw4EQlSrkLgiYIScPIDHsCh/s200/DSCN0441.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bella</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQrx7rWW3A9FLT76tECB-A4xNGsxSIVGrxZV0bmttCAadBYWBWrChCvzIqmCItg_aedi-RTNdlJqunieDES1tJ9gfManyRGEfVTcIYisumuntp5TurxZ_gBGwXhBH-jy3GY0xhsnfHZJO3/s1600/DSCN0457.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQrx7rWW3A9FLT76tECB-A4xNGsxSIVGrxZV0bmttCAadBYWBWrChCvzIqmCItg_aedi-RTNdlJqunieDES1tJ9gfManyRGEfVTcIYisumuntp5TurxZ_gBGwXhBH-jy3GY0xhsnfHZJO3/s200/DSCN0457.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nacho</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKYCjyceXOR4sy15CbxGr_WWR5BZKMZTNjSI1vGu2YDir643JaIskl-cFCrsieFkINAy_J6QyhzyoSSEa5I1TIkbm-IuAl3fpEe5r-MexcoLUXn3qx6n5xN3GgviuXiQvnhrazEID57ZaA/s1600/DSCN0464.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKYCjyceXOR4sy15CbxGr_WWR5BZKMZTNjSI1vGu2YDir643JaIskl-cFCrsieFkINAy_J6QyhzyoSSEa5I1TIkbm-IuAl3fpEe5r-MexcoLUXn3qx6n5xN3GgviuXiQvnhrazEID57ZaA/s200/DSCN0464.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Phoebe--Hi, how are you doing?</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Miss Phoebe<br /></td></tr>
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Here are the doggie members of our family who are loving Germany as much as we are! Nacho and Bella are scheduled for dog obedience classes starting Friday because they were raised in the north woods of Minnesota where there were not many people and not many dogs in their neighborhood. They need manner lessons because of all the German dogs and their owners who take dogs everywhere--restaurants, museums, but a lot of walks!Debhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05317871420512209030noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1162477628424789727.post-5377982724171149542012-02-09T12:58:00.001+01:002012-02-09T13:03:04.895+01:00Catching up in 2012<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Well some water has ran under the bridge since the last time I was on this blog. A lot of things have happened in the meantime--we found a house, we moved, we got our temporary furniture, our three kids came to visit from the States, and then our household goods came and we had to send the temporary furniture back. Also after the kids left, it was unpacking all the household goods, getting the utilities hooked up and started (don't get me started on these stories!), and settling into a rhythm (John going to work, walking the dogs, and looking for work for me). In the middle of all this, my mother passed away after a lengthy illness and that added another layer. But I am finally at the other end of that, the boxes are almost unpacked (except the Christmas stuff for next year). I'm to the stage of hanging pictures and that can take a little while--you have to live with the house first to know where the perfect place is for your old and new pictures. Today I'm going over the household goods packing list to see what they didn't ship--like all the bolts to our patio furniture! Since half of our stuff is in long term storage, it will be hard to remember what is missing! The dogs have settled in to the new routine and have been scheduled for obedience lessons starting this week--well Bella and Nacho have been; Phoebe is OK and too old for such stuff. They really enjoy walking through the forest behind our house (I would too if they didn't go berserk every time another person or dog came into sight!). Here is a pictures of our house and the woods.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">You can barely see our house in the very back center!</td></tr>
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<br />Debhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05317871420512209030noreply@blogger.com067659 Kaiserslautern, Germany49.4677439 7.744691349.4264674 7.6657273 49.509020400000004 7.8236553tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1162477628424789727.post-57331212759585642072011-11-30T09:31:00.001+01:002011-11-30T11:39:13.026+01:00Things you don't really consider until you are in another country--Toilets<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">.50 Euro?</td></tr>
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<i>Ah you made it to the gas station just in time! </i> And you have found the signs for the toilets--downstairs of course! As you rush to do your business in an urgent manner, you come around the corner and find a turnstyle with a change box on it requesting a fee of .50 Euro! Yikes. Frantically you search through your purse for the correct change (remember of course this is Euros and not our US coins)...well you get the picture. Some toilets, or toiletten or water closets as they are called here, charge you a fee to get in. Just remember this when you are in a hurry! You will probably find these in the bahnhoff (train station) and the bus stations as well.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Small toilet area</td></tr>
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Toilets are something we take for granted in America--they are just there in some form or another. And while I don't have extensive research on the subject from across the world, I will just address what I have found here in Germany thusfar. The public bathrooms we have found thusfar have been very clean and orderly, albeit small at times. Last night at an Indian restaurant, we found the toiletten down a spiral staircase, stuck tidily into two corners--one for the Herrs and one for the Fraus. I will try to include a picture if I can get it off my phone. In the space of what we would call a closet lay two individual stalls and a wash area. To take the picture, I had to step outside the room because it was too small otherwise. I took a peek into the men's room too, which was also small and had to include the urinals (or pissoirs) as well. Flush handles are in a variety of places but the most typical today are rectangular pad above the toilet. The bowls are configured different too, but that's too much detail!<br />
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At the Christmas Market in Kaiserslautern, I was impressed. At fairs and festivals in the States, I am used to see a line of porta-potties ready to be used. Not in Kaiserslautern. They had a very clean and tidy bathroom stuck in a central location that you could use for a donation. Inside there were flush toilets and sinks to wash up--and these were only temporary bathrooms for the Market. None of these toilets have the look of typical public American toilets with paper and debris strewn on the floor--these are clean and swept. Of course when I think of my Mom getting around to some of these (she is in her 70s and can't climb stairs), I wonder how the disabled and elderly fair finding some of these toilets. Because of the age of the buildings they have been put into, they have had to adapt to the space they have and that means up or down stairs. Usually narrow stairs. <br />
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In more typical mall settings, they have the typical bathrooms we are used to with areas for families, changing tables and handicap stalls. And then there is always McDonald's (upstairs of course), but you can get a glass of wine or an espresso too so it is worth the stop! I'm waiting to see one of those public toilets that look like a phone booth on a busy public street--but not here in K-Town!Debhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05317871420512209030noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1162477628424789727.post-32697205229127014492011-11-22T14:51:00.000+01:002011-11-22T14:51:41.710+01:00Laundry date nightSo when you live in a hotel with access to washers, you accumulate laundry. And still being carless, we have a hard time getting somewhere to do our laundry. As I said before, the military laundry mats are a little further away. So once again we ventured forth on the taxi dragging our laundry bag with us. But there was a special benefit we weren't expecting.<br />
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We spoke to the Vietnamese taxi driver who had been in the country for over 25 years. He was a boat person and came over at the time of the war. He came alone when he was only 14 years old. He said one of his first experiences was to go to school not understanding a word of German. He spoke about how lonely he was and how scared he was when he first came over. I think he said that some of his family followed a year later, but that first year must have been stressful indeed. Now 25 years later, he has a family and children of his own, speaks Vietnamese, Germany, and English. He was very interesting. He dropped us at the laundromat or waschsalon where we discovered that the will do your laundry for you. Hmmm! Hard decision; we left it behind after an conversation with the non-English speaking laundry lady about how we wanted it done and at what temperatures, we walked to the bahnhoff looking for bus schedules--logical right? Do you too wonder what our laundry will look like when we get it? Faith!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMhHIIehU_YRSDPHEl0N41ZT-IoPmED8FcSGMPxAvxGD2GD3PxPfIdfcwYq6Xbs8jLA9N4okJR544qKu5PAJ3SYfMZdyfYUZesgG8WXWyRc9vO95mc-_JUP3xUg2vCZ_-6z1Wl11_1S31i/s1600/Guhlwein+stand.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMhHIIehU_YRSDPHEl0N41ZT-IoPmED8FcSGMPxAvxGD2GD3PxPfIdfcwYq6Xbs8jLA9N4okJR544qKu5PAJ3SYfMZdyfYUZesgG8WXWyRc9vO95mc-_JUP3xUg2vCZ_-6z1Wl11_1S31i/s320/Guhlwein+stand.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>So we decided to walk down to the Spinrraeker again for dinner but to my surprise appeared but a miniature sleigh and 8 tiny reindeer and all of the festivities that go with. The Christmas Market had opened! I was dazzled by all the lights and booths and people! Good wine, beer, brats and much more. Lots of people too. Wood smoke from a bin fire and from the pizza ovens. A good and unexpected night. I'm ready for more surprises of this sort!Debhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05317871420512209030noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1162477628424789727.post-73535399358963978702011-11-22T14:07:00.000+01:002011-11-22T14:07:09.950+01:00Nov 20--Church and SundayJust made it to our first mass at St. Martin's. It was good to make it to church. The church is very old, has war wounds in its side. It was very cold too, I'm thinking there is no heat and wonder about it when it gets colder. I didn't see any heating elements like would be in Minnesota... No knee pads and barely padded wooden benches. The service was, of course, in German, but it had a familiar rhythm. But it was great to be back again. I lite candles for Anna and Dewey while we were there. I did say "peace be with you" as I forgot to look it up before I went!<br />
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We also at at a Chinese restaurant this afternoon for a chance of pace. It was great too! We had dinner for two which included ginormous egg roll, Peking soup, and four entrees of sweet & sour chicken, crispy duck, beet with mushrooms, and Schezwan chicken. We had hot tea and were suppose to get dessert after, but both of us were tooooo full to eat any, so the waiter brought us plum wine instead. It was a nice place. <br />
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After lunch, we explored a little more and looked at the progress for the Christmas Market which I think opens next weekend (the stores are open too). We stopped and had espresso and gelato at a corner shop. All in all a nice day and a good finish to the weekend!Debhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05317871420512209030noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1162477628424789727.post-6538229087832069982011-11-22T14:05:00.000+01:002011-11-22T14:05:36.231+01:00Haunted placesSo we found on that John's office is on a list of haunted places in Germany! Haunted places in Germany--Kaiserslautern - Panzer Kaserne - Heavy Footsteps, stair climbing footstep sounds, and paper crumbling can be heard in the halls at night when all lights are off. A feeling of dread and multiple cold spots inhabit this building that is still used through the day as an office. Specifically the third floor seems to have the most sounds. John's office is on this floor.Debhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05317871420512209030noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1162477628424789727.post-36333224994976543912011-11-22T13:58:00.000+01:002011-11-22T13:58:18.115+01:00Nov 17--Passed the driver's test!<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">Today was a great day. Did the test, looked at cars and placed a bid, looked at houses are are really excited about seeing one tomorrow night that we creeped on today... Finished the day with Shepard's Pie and a Hot Toddy at the Irish House restaurant which was excellent! </span><a avglsprocessed="1" href="http://www.irishhouse.de/" rel="nofollow nofollow" style="background-color: white; color: #3b5998; cursor: pointer; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">http://www.irishhouse.de/</a>Debhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05317871420512209030noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1162477628424789727.post-35036695107541983262011-11-22T13:56:00.000+01:002011-11-22T13:56:36.470+01:00Exploring town on my own<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">Well today I went in a grocery store, a pet store (we needed more poop bags), and a drugstore (well I didn't see a pharmacy but it had everything else). I walked quite a while by myself and wondered what kind of neighborhood I was in. Later found out that it was the "ghetto" part of K-Town. LOL</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">Then after looking at two houses today, John and I went to dinner at a place we like in downtown K-Town. There wasn't any extra tables so we ended sitting with another lady at her table. She didn't speak English; we don't speak much German... </span><span class="text_exposed_show" style="background-color: white; display: inline; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px; text-align: left;">It was an interesting hour, but tiring balancing all the mental stress and trying to eat. At least the Glühwein helped! :) Between two dictionaries and my BB app, we actually carried on a conversation. Lord knows what we said though! No house though--one was in a not so good neighborhood next to the RR tracks; the other was toooooo big--it had six balconies! Well to bed early tonight so we can take our driver's written test at 7:30 am! Yeah. Did I say I hate tests?</span>Debhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05317871420512209030noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1162477628424789727.post-16817701868053326222011-11-22T13:54:00.000+01:002011-11-22T13:54:32.969+01:00Typical day<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">Nov 15--John went to work and I stayed with the dogs and did some computer work on finding homes and cars. I took the dogs for a mid-day walk and they did pretty well until a tractor almost ran us down and then I had a dog fight on my hands (between Bella and Phoebe). Luckily I am bigger than all of them put together!</span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px; text-align: left;" /><br style="background-color: white; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px; text-align: left;" /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px; text-align: left;">This evening we went back into town after work and ate at the Spinnaeker in downtown </span><span class="text_exposed_show" style="background-color: white; display: inline; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px; text-align: left;">Kaiserslautern. The Spinnrädl is a historical building in Kaiserslautern. The 1742 for the first time mentioned in the plan book building is the oldest surviving timber-framed house in town. It is located in the inner city, not far from pen space and Schillerplatz. We had some sort of meat platter for an appetizer, and I had goulash and John had Jagerschnitzl (sp?). It was a nice evening out and then back to the room to study for the driving test.</span>Debhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05317871420512209030noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1162477628424789727.post-42290377285260039872011-11-22T13:52:00.000+01:002011-11-22T13:52:22.125+01:00Nov 14--Paperwork<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">So yesterday wasn't so exciting. We did paperwork and budgeting! Not my favorite day in Germany, but something that has to be done. The weather has been pretty cloudy since we got here. Last night it was so foggy, you could hardly see across the street! We ate lunch at the hotel--they served Goose Butter (goose is in season now here) for an appetizer (this is the hardened fat drippings from t</span><span class="text_exposed_show" style="background-color: white; display: inline; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px; text-align: left;">he bottom of a pan after you roast the goose) used to spread on bread. Not bad just weird to think about it. </span><br />
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<span class="text_exposed_show" style="background-color: white; display: inline; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px; text-align: left;">We ate dinner at the Irish House--beer and brats. I asked the owner if he knew how to make a Hot Toddy (typically it is hard to find someone who does--whiskey, lemon, honey, and hot tea) and he replied "Hot whiskey Ja! And I know how to drink them too!" He spoke German with an Irish accent so I am sure I will get a good Toddy next time I am there!<br />
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We have looked at once place to rent twice. We like it, but worry about our older dog getting up and down the spiral staircase to go outside--not to mention the furniture (but really that is the mover's problem). Oh well we have only been here one week.. Back to studying for the driver's test!</span>Debhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05317871420512209030noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1162477628424789727.post-6082249904091221522011-11-22T13:12:00.000+01:002011-11-22T13:12:50.985+01:00Nov 12 Updates--the Bauernmarket!<h6 class="uiStreamMessage" data-ft="{"type":1}" style="background-color: white; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; font-weight: normal; line-height: 14px; margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left; word-wrap: break-word;"><span class="messageBody" data-ft="{"type":3}"><div class="text_exposed_root text_exposed" id="id_4ecb8ebf8f44c0758006422" style="display: inline;">Well today was another adventure. We skipped breakfast and headed for the Bauernmarkt (or Farmer's Market) which was loaded with beautiful vegetables and fruits, cheeses, spices, plants, flowers, and meats/fish. We really don't have a place to put stuff but we did sample a breakfast (eggs and brochen and pastries) there. Got some fruit too.<br />
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After that we wandered through a grocery store to <span class="text_exposed_show" style="display: inline;">check out products and prices. Since we were at the beginning of the pedestrian mall, we continued our stroll going in a shop where I bought the outfit below and a bookstore. The streets were filled with people which was a different feeling than that of downtown Brainerd! LOL.<br />
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Our adventure continued with a bus ride back to our hotel. We were patting ourselves on the back about figuring it out, when everyone got off and the bus stopped. Hmmmm. We were on the right number, wrong destination. The driver said we could ride back to the next stop and get off there and walk to the right route. We tried that, but Google maps wasn't doing its thing and we ended up at Mobel Martin, which is a big store (actually bigger and better than IKEA--sort of a cross between IKEA and Crate and Barrel).<br />
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But we really needed to get back to the dogs, so we only ate lunch there--roasted turkey leg, dumpling, red cabbage, salad and wine--for about 13 euros (about $17). Oh and to use the carts here, you insert one euro; after you are done, you get the euro back. Sort of a neat trick. Any hoo, we caught a taxi back to the hotel and took the dogs for a walk.<br />
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Then we took another cab and met a real estate guy at a possible rental. He dropped us back downtown where we finished the day with dinner at an Italian restaurant. And yes, there was a dog at someone's feet in the restaurant. The owner even gave the doggie a treat! Phoebe probably could do that if no one sneezed... So we are back in our room for the evening and are very tired. But very happy!</span></div></span></h6><div class="mvm uiStreamAttachments clearfix" data-ft="{"type":10}" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-top: 10px; text-align: left; zoom: 1;"><div class="UIImageBlock clearfix" style="zoom: 1;"><div class="UIImageBlock_Content UIImageBlock_MED_Content fsm fwn fcg" style="color: grey; display: table-cell; vertical-align: top; width: 10000px;"><b><br />
</b></div></div></div>Debhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05317871420512209030noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1162477628424789727.post-15359813538863319472011-11-22T13:09:00.000+01:002011-11-22T13:09:59.133+01:00Laundry<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">November 11--Today was laundry day... We decided it was to far to go to the Army post by cab so ventured to a German waschsalon. Actually it was fine and I liked it alot better than the US ones I have been to in the past. There was one machine to put your money into for washers and dryers; then you just entered your machine's number. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">While it was going, we went to the bahnhoff (train station) and checked o</span><span class="text_exposed_show" style="background-color: white; display: inline; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px; text-align: left;">n tickets for Sarah and her possible trip to visit her Hungarian friend over Christmas. Then we found a brat stand went back and put the wash in the dryer and ventured back out for espresso and pastry (see St. Martin below). All-in-all, a good simple day. Caught up on some paperwork as well so the kids could come and see us for the holidays. </span><br />
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<span class="text_exposed_show" style="background-color: white; display: inline; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px; text-align: left;">No agents called about houses today which is a bummer. Oh well we've only been here for almost a week! We do need a car though, but first the license... It's always another step. And we have decided since we didn't have a big dinner, we might have to have a cocktail!</span>Debhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05317871420512209030noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1162477628424789727.post-28078284798961128932011-11-22T13:05:00.000+01:002011-11-22T13:08:15.410+01:00We have to take a Driver's Test????<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">Nov 10--Well I have been driving for over 35 years and the thought of a test was intimidating to say the least. First step--orientation. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">Driver's training today so we can get our driver's license here. Almost fell asleep. But I have a lot of signs to memorize (150), especially the ones that look almost exactly alike but have different meanings! </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">Also looked at a couple of houses--they go really fast here and you have to make snap decisions. We liked one, but for the stairs (for the dog); liked another but it also had too many stairs for the dog and the neighborhood was mixed industrial/housing?</span>Debhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05317871420512209030noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1162477628424789727.post-45169918275066856092011-11-22T13:02:00.000+01:002011-11-22T13:02:51.330+01:00First Days there--in a fog<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">I'm doing a little catching up on my blog to get us to where we are today. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">November 9--Hmmm. It is day 4 in Kaiserslautern. I didn't do much today, but John had to get his work computer going. He also signed us up for housing so now we can go look at houses and apartments. Yesterday we got our ID cards, looked at some cars, and some houses. We have been told that houses go fast around here and you have to act fast if you want one. The weather is mild and it is nice to talk the dogs for a walk. Oh and we got cells phones--German cells phones. If it is not hard enough figuring out how to get them going English, can you guess how easy that has been in German? :-) Had some good food though and some good beer and wine! Now to take some pics.</span>Debhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05317871420512209030noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1162477628424789727.post-12355628400018011402011-11-22T12:45:00.000+01:002011-11-22T12:45:47.461+01:00How did we get here?We have traveled from our home in northern Minnesota, where we have lived for the past four years. My husband and I have three children--William, Emily, and Sarah, who are off to college and beginning their respective lives. After 25 years in the Minnesota National Guard as a military family, it seemed a good time for us to experience some of our lifelong dreams and thus we have landed in Germany. I am really unemployed and have been for the most part of four years since we moved to the Brainerd MN area. My background is nonprofit management and early childhood education--not in high demand up north, particularly with up to 19% unemployment. <br />
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While my husband still works for the US Army, he does so as a civilian. For those of you who have been lifers in the military, this takes a slight readjustment. While it is not a lot different (being employed by the military or the government), there are some things that are different. Clear as mud, right? Any hoo, we began applying for positions over a year ago in various parts of Europe. It is not a short process--it took us at least 6 months from the beginning of the application to boots on the ground in Germany. A lot of nail biting as well. The most distressful part was having about 4-5 weeks notice to pack up the house and put it on the market! That was a full time job for me and it was lucky I wasn't working at the time. We are not optimistic that this nice 5-bedroom home will sell fast in this dead housing market. But with a few prayers and fingers crossed, it will sell. <br />
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Did I mention that we have three dogs? Two Yorkshire Terriers (Nacho and Bella) and one Shetland Sheepdog (Phoebe). The Yorkies are <i>really</i> our daughters' dogs, but they are in college and not able to care for them. Phoebe is an older dog (about 11). So with all that was on our plates, we had to add getting the dogs "passport papers," shots, kennels/carriers, and official signatures on their documents. We had kennels, but do you think these would be acceptable now? No way! We had to purchase three new carriers/kennels that were acceptable for airline travel (at least on United Airlines)--don't get me started on that subject (another time). <br />
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The move--the government moved us--Yeah! But that doesn't mean we were off the hook for getting some work done. We had to declutter and downsize. We had to decide what was going where--to the kids, to charities, to long-term storage (which is officially called not temporary storage), baggage, unaccompanied baggage, or in the household goods shipment. Oh and we needed new carpet in some areas of the house and the rest of it had to be cleaned--after the movers had been there. I rescheduled the cleaners at least three times! That was my job! And I thought it would never get done, but it did. During the last ten days, we had two kid/friend truck hauls to Minneapolis, one truckload delivery to Goodwill in St. Cloud (do you really want to know about the Goodwill/Salvation Army policies in a too small town?), 2 days of long term storage packing and loading, 2 days of household goods packing and loading (10 crates), and then the 600 pounds of unaccompanied baggage. Finally we loaded 7 suitcases and dufflebags, 2 Yorkie carriers, and 1 large kennel into the poor old minivan and headed to Minneapolis International Airport. We stayed overnight in the Twin Cities and got to the airport three hours prior to departure--which was barely enough time. Checking bag and dog, getting through security, buying some Euros, and grabbing a cup of coffee took all of that time and when we were done, we raced across the airport to our gate (which was on the other side from the Euro place). I told John I was going on when they let those who need assistance on and that's what we did.<br />
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After a 3 hour layover in Chicago, finding a place for the Yorkies to do what they needed, we loaded back on a plane and arrived in Frankfurt, Germany on Saturday, November 5. And the dogs were great--not a peep. We were so worried about them whining or needing to go to the potty, that I was completely stressed out by the time we were on the plane. But everyone made it alive. More later... FitzDewDebhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05317871420512209030noreply@blogger.com0