August equals... rain?

The most rain in Germany comes in the months of June, July, and August. I haven't really seen much, probably since I've been gone, but today it has definitely been raining ALL day long. Miserable. Only because I don't have my friends or family with me to bake some goodies with and then cuddle up and watch a movie with. And this is why I am contemplating moving back home instead of staying another year here. Or maybe we will stick to the two months staying at home plan and then off again on another adventure somewhere else in the world. Like teaching English in Thailand? Working on a cruise ship in the Mediterranean? Bartending in the Alps? Study Abroad program in Indiana? Or maybe I will find something close to home that also makes me happy. This week I am really going to apply myself though. Really. Is it a problem that where I might be applying to is really all over the world? Hmm..

I am back in Frankfurt, have been since last Sunday, after spending a week with my wonderful Schödel family. I was quite depressed to come back because that meant that my wonderful summer vacations were over, so depressed that I was thinking of getting a sad movie so I could cry since, naturally, I can't cry on my own. Instead I stayed up till 3AM organizing photos and talking to my family (it was my Dad's birthday! Happy Birthday Daddy!!!). Now I am back in sync with my Frankfurt life. The family here got back on Tuesday and we have been enjoying the kids last week of summer before heading back to school tomorrow. Oscar and I took a trip to the library to get the 6th Harry Potter book, which we have already read over 200 pages of. Emily and I spent a day together at the pool, picking blackberries, making bracelets, and other beaded crafts. Now they are watching the 4th HP movie and then to bed.

With them at school that means that I have the entire day free (until picking them up at 4), which means time dedicated to applying to jobs and hanging out with friends. Six weeks until the next Au Pair comes. Crazy that I have almost been here for one year. How did that happen?!!? I want summer to last longer! Here's to the last few weeks... so much could still happen!

Here are a few of my favorite pictures from Greece. Some are from Steph's camera as well.

Live Simply.

Oh my goodness it has been a month and so much has happened. So here is an overview of my adventures...

Summer began at the beginng of July. Yay no more school! I went to Pienza, Italy with the family for the wedding of Phillip's cousin. We laid out by the pool all day, went into town from the Villa where we were staying for some gelato (sorbet for me naturally), and then in the evening wedding activities and watching the soccer games (go Deutschland -Schweinsteiger!!). Very sad to see Germany lose, and the last game between Spain and Holland was crap but at least Germany got third. A couple days after we got back from Italy my love Stephanie came to me!! We spent a couple of days around Frankfurt, went to a party at my friend Stephy's house, had apple wine, went swimming at the giant swimming pool with the kids, read a lot of Harry Potter with Oscar (we finished the 5th one now - on to the sixth when they get back from the states!), made Anzac cookies, coconut ice cream and other yummies, and caught up on what has been going on in our lives since September. Before I flew to Germany we had met up in Chicago where Megan is from and celebrated my birthday and played a lot together. Then on Friday morning I took the family to the airport (they were so slow in the morning that they missed their flight to Seattle. Oh vey.) and then when I got back Andrea's Dad and his lady friend took Steph and I to the train station. That was just a little scary. Not sure how he drove around Italy and Germany came back alive....

4hr train later Steph and I arrived in Munich! We ended up staying at this place called The Tent, just outside of the city. It is literally a giant tent where on one side there are bunk beds and on the other people just camp out on the floor. The place was exceptionally clean though! And none of our stuff got stolen, such as the 900 euros I was carrying around. Or Steph's beautiful camera. So that was an interesting experience but we lived, and actually enjoyed ourselves! We wandered around Munich and saw the sights, got lost, survived a crazy storm, and made it to the airport where we met up with Megan!!! Flew to Athens, had an amazing view of the Acropolis from our deck. Wandered around the city, ate yummy Greek Salad. Next day went up to the Acropolis, wandered around, and then took a train to the port (really creepy man on the train saying strange things in Greek to us). Got our ticket, hung out in the McDonalds for hours and then caught our night ferry to SANTORINI!!!! I slept on the train on and off but the other girls didn't so much. Highlights of the Islands now bc otherwise this would be ten hours long filled with the amazing adventures and beautiful things we saw...

Santorini:
- Stelio and his family were the best hosts. We stayed at Stelio's Place - an amazing and adorable place to stay at Perissa Beach. Family run. We loved it.
- Black sand beach - Perissa beach - only a two minute walk from where we slept. Laid out, umbrellas, sea.
- Santo Wines - we went wine tasting here one of our days. Talk about where to get married! Crazy views and great wines Vinsanto is soooo yummy.. why didn't I buy any!? Must look online.. on ebay!?
- Greek salads, sundried tomatoes, tomato balls, free shots after every meal, delcious delicious food.
- Dance party which we started one night at one of the bars. So much fun. "Don't speak no Americano."
- Red beach- we walked there one of the days and claimed our mermaid rock out in the water where we laid and jumped (ok more like slid) into the water and were in heave.
- Day tour on a Pirate ship - hiked up the Volcano, swam in hot springs, and watched the sunset in Oia with a thousand other people. Think white buildings with blue shutters/roofs and cute little cobblestone roads.
- Being with eachother again and having amazing conversations and enjoying each others company. Love my turkeys.

Naxos:
- we rented a quad one day and drove all throughout Naxos. Megan wants to bottle the amazing Naxos country smell.
-GEORGE! - made friends with an old man in a cute town while quading where he paid for our coffees, then said goodbye and then as we are leaving we see he is literally at the next restaurant where he calls us over and buys us raki shots (specialty drink of Naxos), and then after that takes us to his house where we meet his wife, two of his ten grandchildren, a cousin, and a friend. When we left he gave us two bags full of cucumbers, tomatoes, and grapes from his garden which I carted around all day because of the heat. Oy. Loved loved loved George.
- Lived in a cute place, also run by an amazing family who gave us food and drinks everyday such as greek salad, wine, cake, and the Dad's homemade Raki. Next to an excavation sight where they found a baby in an Urn, a huge pottery pot, and more graves all a thousand years old or something. It was pretty wild.
- Climbing Mt. Zeus to crawl into a cave. So sketchy. No signs, no warnings, nothing. Warning from a man coming down the mountain - "caves 200m ahead (how far is that people!?). Have fun and take care." It was pretty hilarious. On the climb down the rocks we definitely kept repeating "think like a turtle" so we wouldn't go tumbling down the cliff.
- falling (or flying?) goat signs
- learning Greek! Efharisto! Parakalo! Yasus!
- eating Mexican food (twice!). It was so delcious. I miss Mexican SO much.
- yummy tapas restaurant in Chora called Mesedonia or something like that. Rice filled Tomato and Pepper, Babaganousch like something, cheese, potatoes, 1L white wine. yumm yumm yumm.

Paros:
- Niko - our french receptionist man who was stressing over everything at the campsite where we stayed
- white chapstick sunscreen which Megs and I put on without knowing our lips would literally be turned white
- everyone thinking we were Greek (must be the dark skin, or the fact that there aren't too many tourists there?)
- Antiparos cave - 100m deep and filled with dates from people all the way back to the 1700s.
- Gelato/sorbet. Ntella/pistacio and strawberry/mango
- Punda Beach - loved it so much we went back.
- AMAZING freshly made hot donut holes covered in melted chocolate and cookie crumbs. HEAVEN.
- Cates and kitty cats. ALL over the Greek Islands we saw really.
- Cancun in Greece - so many highschoolers.
- Naoussa - favorite city that we saw.
- Antonio! - well that is what we named our campsite chauffeur who looked like Antonio Banderas and would drive 21+ people packed into a van that should hold only 10 people multiple times a day.
- Delcious food every night. Plus, for me, Sesame bars every day. Spoiled. We are so spoiled.
- Clear sandy blue-green beaches everywhere (yay no sharks!!!!!) I spent so much time in the water. LOVE.
- getting lost every night in the streets in Naoussa.
- Everyone honks. Not sure why, but there is a constant honking going on. Hello? Good bye? Get out of the street? Move? Who knows.

All in all the Greek Islands we visited were amazing. The only sad part was not having Stephanie along for the whole time (she left after Santorini) and then of course leaving the islands and each other. I love those girls so much, they are such fabulous and inspiring people and I am so blessed to have them in my life. I am so excited for our next adventure!

Now I am in Eichstätt, my German home in Bavaria visiting my wonderful German family and celebrating Johanna's birthday (yesterday) and Ben's (Thursday) and then back I go to Frankfurt where the family gets back on the 10th from the States. I think that was enough for today! Phew! Photos to come soon.

Bonjour!

Monday through Wednesday I spent in Paris with Charlotte, Adriana, Ning, and Marlena aka The Women. It was a great time but definitely not enough! We stayed at Charlotte's parent's place just outside of the city which was very sweet of them. Her father could speak German pretty well and her mom could speak a very little bit of English so between all of us it was a bit of French, German, and English. Three days is definitely not enough time in Paris though. But now I have gotten a general view, seen what I need to go back and spend a lot of time seeing, and can speak a few more French words. :)

Sights seen: climbed up the Arc de Triomphe, Notre Dame (personal favorite!), the Louvre (about 10% of it), climbed/rode up the Eiffel Tower (saw the light show as well), Champs Elysees (not impressed), Versailles (just the garden because the wait to get inside was 2 hours w/ a pass as well!!), Sacre Coeur Basilica (where I was held hostage for a second by a man REALLY trying to sell me something), Sainte Chapelle, and many other sites on a bus tour. We tried to use the VeIib bikes (1 euro to rent them for a day but you have to trade in the bike at different stations all over the city every half hour or you have to pay 2 euros and then 4 euros or something) but it didn't really work since there was 5 of us and the bikes are very popular so it is quite difficult to find any 5 at one station. Naja. We went on a nice tour by foot. Tuesday night we went to a restaurant to celebrate Charlotte's cousin's birthday and that was a lot of fun. I love listening to French! My French is terrible. haha. I also went to a Boulangerie with Charlotte to pick up some fresh bread. French croissants are soooooo yummy. Oh vey! I had a bit of a cold in the mornings and Ning kept on telling me how erotic I sounded because I was speaking so low. Let me tell you, it is very strange to be told in German by a Chineese person that you have a very erotic voice! I really really liked Paris and can't wait to go back!!! Hear are some pictures.


Louvre

The Mona Lisa was bigger than I thought! 

In front of Quasimodo's bell. :) Really hot bus tour! 

View from Arc de Triomphe 

In front of Versailles 

Touring around the Versailles Garden 

My future home.

Wednesday we are off to Florence for a wedding! So excited. 

HAPPY FOURTH OF JULY!!!!

It's time to travel!

Lenka, Stephy and BF in Köln

Thursday was a drunken night at a nearby English pub with Katie. Met the owner, nice guy. Maybe he will give me a job. Friday watched Germany lose. Saturday went to a street festival with some friends. Sunday jumped on the train with friends Stephy, Lenka, and her boyfriend and headed to Cologne and then to Düsseldorf! We were all very much not impressed with Köln but Düsseldorf was much more lively and we had fun wandering the streets, walking around the market on the waterfront and watching the performers.

Lenka, Stephy and I in Düsseldorf

 

Wood Carvings like PopPop's! :)

Weltmeisterschaft 2010!!!!

Go Germany!!! Go Australia!!! Go USA!!! The world championship has begun and this soccer crazy country has gone wild! Oh it is good times on the streets.

I had my first horrible stomach ache since the surgery. Bah! Katie and I made some amazing tasting apricot upside down cake. I don't even like apricots. I decided to put some whip cream on top of my piece. Maybe this is where I went wrong? 6hrs later my tummy was still killing me. Thankfully it was distracted for a couple of those hours by two gentlemen (those are kind words) from Tunisia who approached Katie and I whilst we were people watching in the middle of the city. Three hours later I was walking hand in hand with one of them while he whispered in my ear that he was in love with me and was taking me out for breakfast the next morning after we got a babysitter for our kids (he decided Emily and Oscar were his kids and my pregnant belly, sticking out because of the stomach ache, was his third child and was a girl, named Denali of course). It was quite the entertaining night. Katie just enjoyed laughing at me as Mr. Tunisian tried to dance with me in the streets and kiss me. Oh vey.

Sunday I got creeped on by a guy from Croatia while laying out in the park. Then I headed into town and watched the fans from Siberia gathering to celebrate their country playing in the World Cup. I loved watching all the guys greeting each other with three kisses on the cheek. So much more personal than a handshake. I wonder how they measure a man - by how firm or flimsy his kiss on the cheek is?! Then I chatted to a man, probably aging 65-70 from Italy for about an hour. He bought me a water - how sweet. He told me to move to Italy and marry an Italian. Italy has great food, great wine, and more relaxed and humorous people. Sounds great to me!

Today was a beautiful day - very beachy weather - windy but sunny. I had fun rolling around in the grass, reading, eating, and running errands. The kids talked to their next au pair tonight! Crazy!! 9 1/2 months schon vorbei....

We're not in Kansas Anymore

It has been so beautiful the past week! Gorgeous gorgeous weather. Well, except for two nights where it was storming like crazy! Lightening, winding so hard, and thunder that was so loud. I'm shocked that I haven't seen any trees down. One of the nights I hear Phillip racing around the house closing the windows and doors that keep slamming from the wind. Branches down all over the city and on my way to school I saw three Porta-potty's tipped over along the waterfront. Sick. We survived though with no losses - Roof? Check. Gingko tree I was sure was going to fall over? Check.

Tuesday Charlotte, Marlene and I went rollerblading on the waterfront, which was kind of amusing seeing as Marlene has pretty much never roller bladed and was clinging onto either my hands or Charlotte's back/the stroller thingy. It was sprinkling when I left the house but thankfully the weather cooperated and we had sun the whole time we bladed. Then Ning met up with us for Lunch at Helium - a bar where Katie and I had some very interesting experiences back in November.

I just woke up from a dream where I was in Vegas. Guilty feelings for missing Jen's wedding I'm sure. While I am not going to Vegas, I am going to PARIS!!! Andrea gave me the go ahead and I will be going with The Women at the end of June! Charlotte is from Paris and her parents still live right outside the city so we will be staying there and getting tours by a real Parisian who likes us! Charlotte has lent me some pretty funny books about a British guy living in Paris. I'm pretty stoked. Side note: 34 days till Greece. SO EXCITED.

Andrea was gone a couple days this week in Portugal for work so the kids were stuck with mean-ol-cara. They lost their sweets one night but went to bed beautifully and got up on their own and were super easy. It was fabulous.

The past few days Katie and I have been baking/cooking up a bit. Susie, a friend of the family's, came into town Friday and left last night. Katie and I made a tofu-veggie-stir fry w/ quinoa that was pretty yummy, and then an AMAZING apricot upside-down cake. After eating a couple of pieces of that and daring to put a very little bit of whipped cream on top I suffered an owie stomach ache the rest of the night. :( Thankfully for part of the night I was very distracted. Katie and I went out into town to people watch and try and walk off my stomach ache and were approached by two guys. One asked us if we had a light while showing us his lighter that worked. Later he showed us an empty pack of cigarettes with another lighter in it. Oh well, it worked - the conversation started and ended a couple of hours. A few awkward moments, I got a marriage proposal, and we laughed a lot.

Yesterday Katie made some chocolate wafers - the dough was so yummy that we contemplated not baking it. We did though. I finished the caramel popcorn I made last week and Katie is going to be needing to make again some of the delicious white sangria she made last week.

GO USA! TV's are up and going all over the city watching the soccer world cup games. Today is the war in my house - Australia vs. Germany. O-lay o-lay o-lay o-lay OR Aussie Aussie Aussie oy oy oy!!! I am one confused child.

In the 70's all this week - Yes.

I feel good about this general direction.

It has been a busy week! The sun came out to play and so did everyone else! Tuesday evening Charlotte and I participated in the very professional all city rollerblading event. A couple hundred participants were involved and they were all decked out in the top gear with the newest skates. I was using Charlotte's twenty year old blades that only have three worn wheels. Led by a police escort, we bladed throughout Frankfurt and outside of the city: in the middle of the main streets of the city, on side streets, and on the autobahn. After the second hour I was ready to cry. Let's just say, old skates with three worn out wheels don't really match up with everyone else w/ four/five brand new wheels. positive note: I never feel. Yipee! I had my wrist guards and helmet on just in case though. Definitely was not up to par with the rest of the participants rocking all of the other protection - I even saw a guy with what looked like a bullet proof vest on. We would stop for a two minute break or so every 10km and Charlotte and I would always scoot up to the front only to end up at the back being pushed by other participants - ok that was just me literally having someone behind me pushing me so that I could go faster. All in all it was a fun evening and I will probably participate again - maybe with newer blades though next time. I learned my lesson!

Wednesday was normal lunch with the women. We went to Bar Celona where I ate this amazing potato/vegetable grill. So delicious. Thursday the women (well, just Charlotte, Ning, and Marlene) and their men and Katie and I drove out to Rüdesheim, did some delcious wine tasting (FINALLY!), then we jumped on a boat to do a Rhein River tour. It was a 6 hour tour in total and we were able to see all the old castles and ruins along the river. It was perfect weather and the company was great. The last stop on the tour was Loreley where (Katie says it is famous) there is a story about a mermaid luring all the sailors into the rocks or something. We took a bus up to the top of the rock to see the "mermaid's" view before jumping back on a boat to head back.

Me on top of the Loreley rock.

Ning, Marlene, and I in Rüdelsheim where there was a Motorcycle tour going on.


Marlene and a ruin in the background.



Yesterday I went to Katie's guest family's lake house with her and the kids. Got a little burnt, swam in the lake, and had a jolly good afternoon. My guest fam went horse riding from Wednesday evening till last night with some friends. It was a holiday on Thursday so no school Thurs or Fri. Yay for long weekends with 70/80 degree weather!!!!

Here are some pics from last week when the women and I went to the capital of Hessen, Wiesbaden, for a day.

Charlotte and her very fashionable stroller.

Ning, Charlotte, Marlene, and of course baby Leanne!

In front of the casino - everyone lost their 2 euros on the first round. Oh well!