Kotton Headed Ninny Muggins in Kaiserslautern: Frohe Weihnachten und Glückliches Neues Jahr!

Time for a long-overdue catch up post! I'm sorry it has been a long time since my last post. This one will cover the two week break for Christmas and New Years!

Monday, December 22^th

After picking up ski equipment and stocking up on some rations for the week, Bruce and I followed our friends Barbara and Nathan down to Belp, Switzerland where we would be staying for the week over Christmas. On the way there, we stopped in Freiberg, Germany to grab some lunch at a brewery called Martin’s Bräu. I hope to go back to explore this area more, as it seemed to have some fun restaurants and places to check out near the university!

Driving into Switzerland we saw the Alps lit up by the last bit of sun as it was setting. We arrived at Barbara’s parents house and got settled in for the evening. This night we met Plug (Stöpsel) A cat that often visits Barbara’s home for treats and love. We headed over to Barbara’s brother’s house where we had Swiss Fondue (much better than the Melting Pot version at home!) and talked about our plans for the week.

Tuesday, December 23^rd

This morning I woke up and looked out the window of the living room. The house is located in a valley surrounded by farmland and small town buildings. In the distance I could see the Alps rising up into the sky. I couldn’t imagine taking this view in every morning!

Once everyone was up and moving we did a big grocery shop for our meals over the next few days and visited the Belp Airport, which consists of a small building and a landing strip in the middle of the valley. Along the side of the airport is a river where we walked to a covered bridge nearby.

From the walk we met Barbara’s brother and his girlfriend for a tour of the capital city, Bern. While European cities have similarities, I notice that each city I have visited so far has certain aspects that are special for that area. Bern had streets lined in tall stone buildings that snaked around the town. Old clock towers and renovated historic buildings gave the city such character. The weather was gorgeous this day as we walked through the cathedral grounds and towards the Bear pit where the bears of Bern (Bern=Bear in Swiss) reside during the warmer months of the year. They were all hibernating, naturally, so there were no bear sightings on our visit. Perhaps I will have to get back there during the summer!

From Bern we took the train to Worb, where there was another brewery selling beer from an old coin operated machine. Once the sun set, the weather got very chilly again and we headed home to get warm.

Wednesday, December 24^th

Christmas eve feels strange without being surrounded by family, but living abroad, it is something to get used to. This morning the men went out for a cold run up the mountain nearby the house, and Barbara and I went to go visit her grandmother for the holidays. We brought some Prosecco naturally and looked at old photo books from previous birthdays, trips, and family events.

Once we got back, we started prepping for Christmas eve dinner, where we would try a Bernese platter, consisting of a variety of meats (ham, sausage, etc.) served with sides of potatoes, and some rehydrated green beans (taste SO much better than they sound). We then had a dessert called Vermicelles, which is a chestnut paste pushed through a pasta maker, of sorts, to make noodles that then go on top of a meringue cookie. Without whipped cream, it apparently was not perfect Vermicelles, but it tasted alright! The boys thought it was like playdoh noodles on top of Christmas ornaments. Not a raving review to say the least. After a ton of toasts and story swapping, we wished each other goodnight and a merry Christmas eve!

Thursday, December 25^th

Christmas day! This morning we got all ready to hit the slopes. The weather hadn’t been the best for snow sports, but it was the last chance for Bruce and I to go before going back to Germany. Getting all bundled up, we drove up to the lift where the parking lot was completely empty. Not only was it Christmas day, but also people were probably deterred by the lack of snow on the mountain. This worked really well for me, because it meant there were less people for me to crash into/get crashed into by. This would be my first skiing experience since I was about 6 years old in Colorado with the family. We all had a bit of a poor experience at that time due to a mixture of it being deathly cold, and lots of falling. This would be my second chance to see if I actually love the sport!

Once we got to the slopes, we saw that the bunny hill, which I was hoping to live on for the day, was in fact closed… not to worry though, because I could learn on the easier (blue) slopes. Putting on the skis, I began to feel nervous about the long planks of wood that would carry me down the steep, snow-covered mountainside. Getting to the top of the ski-lift was when my heart started to beat pretty heavily. The slope was much steeper than I thought. I focused all of my energy on the “pizza” stance trying to go as slowly as humanly possible. Whenever I turned I would start going much too fast for my comfort level, usually resulting in my falling on my butt while Bruce watched from further down. It took a long time for me to get down the first slope. Not only was I falling quite a bit, but I was also frozen in fear at some parts that looked especially dangerous. Having groups of 12 small children shooting by me like they’ve been doing this since they popped out of the womb didn’t help much either, but I was determined not to make Bruce wait for me for too long on the slope so we made it down eventually. Once we got up to the top again, we stopped for a drink and prepared ourselves for the next slope. The rest of the group assured us that there were less difficult runs for me to practice on for the rest of the day. As I looked out to another peak, I saw a slope going straight down, and prayed that I wouldn’t have to do that one.

We headed down the other side of the peak along a trail that proved to be much more difficult than the first. Lots of times it was easier to just go fast and straight along a path, but I felt like I had no control once my speed picked up. By this time, I knew the next day would be a very sore day for me. The restaurant we planned to get lunch in sat at the bottom of a slope that had a blue side and a red side. Alas, due to the lack of snow, the blue route was closed. I knew that the way down the red slope would be a long and slow struggle. To no avail, I pushed Bruce to go down at his own speed and leave me to crawl, slide, and roll my way down. He refused and stuck with me as I made my snail-paced, very ungraceful way down the slope. Finally making it down the bottom I had a few moments where I felt comfortable with turning and going a bit faster, but I still had a long way to go. After grabbing some warm food, we had one more run to get back to where we would take the bus to the car. We got to the top of that route and I realized it was the same one from the first bar where I hoped I wouldn’t have to try…After some very steep parts, and a few failed T-bar attempts, we got back to the first slope we rode of the day. I made it down that one a bit better than the first one and then cut my losses, choosing to wait for the others to go down a few more times.

In the end…I’m glad I tried again. I commend those who are good at skiing and snowboarding, as it is definitely not an easy sport. It took a lot of physical and mental energy for me to make it down each slope and through each turn. I’m sure once you reach a level of mastery in skiing it becomes more enjoyable and relaxing. I can check the “skied in the Alps” box on my list now!

That night we opened up Christmas gifts and had another delicious Swiss meal of “Raclette” where you melt a slice of cheese in a hotplate and pour it over potatoes or other vegetables. Needless to say, my normal diet went out the window on this trip.

Friday, December 26^th

Bruce and I packed up the car and hit the road back to Germany, which took a bit longer than we hoped due to a few traffic jams, one of which we were at a standstill for about an hour. Finally back home, we prepped for Bruce’s friend Brandon to arrive the next day!

Monday December 29^th

We packed up and left Bruce’s by 9 to get to Doro’s by 10. Doro began the trip on an interesting note. While we waited in the car for her to back out and vacate her parking spot, she proceeded to run over her bag and coat, which were lying next to her car in the snow. Thinking she would stop, we watched as she accelerated further to get her car over the “mound of snow” she believed to be hindering her reverse. Piling into the car we prepared ourselves for the supposed 7-ish hour drive to Vienna. Stocked with snacks and German radio stations, we hit the road.

Our second speed bump was the lack of windshield wiper fluid, causing the windshield to become foggy and pretty much impervious. Even with snowy and icy road conditions, Doro was a superhero and got us to Vienna safely. We found our hotel, dropped off our things and went out to explore the nearby area. While looking for a place to grab some dinner, I spotted an establishment down the road called Falafelria which proved to be a self-falafel-wrap bar where you could stuff your pita sandwich with whatever toppings your heart desired. The only downside to this first meal in Vienna is that we then smelled like falafel for the following few days…a sacrifice we were willing to make. We stepped into a bar nearby called Hammonds where we talked to the waiter about what we should plan for the New Years celebration night coming up. He gave some advice about restaurants, bars, and where to count down into 2015. After a while, the long day of sitting in the car caught up to us and we went to bed ready to explore the city the next day.

hotel lobby

falafelria dinner

creepy picture on the headboard of the bed...

Tuesday, December 30^th

After breakfast in the hotel, we drove the car to a lot where it would stay for the remainder of our trip there and then took the train into the city center. When we exited the station and walked through the side streets into the main city I had some flashbacks to Siena, Italy when we got lost in the zig-zagging cobblestone streets with the ornate buildings guiding us through. After grabbing a coffee (A huge part of the Viennese culture), we followed the giant street decorations hanging between the buildings to St. Stephen’s Cathedral, which stood flooded with tourists wanting to get an inside look into this gorgeous structure. My jaw dropped as we entered. The ceilings seemed never ending and everywhere you looked there were detailed statues and glasswork covering the walls and windows. I took a moment to light a candle for Grandad, knowing that he would be just as in awe of this moment as I was.

From St. Stephen’s, we walked through side streets to find the National Library, which was on my list of places to see from when I first started researching the trip. During our route there we were stopped by a journalist working for a Viennese newspaper. She was hoping to talk to us about why we chose to visit Vienna, what we thought thus far, and what our plans were for the count down. After taking a jumping picture showing us “having fun in Vienna” as she requested, we figured that was the end of it, and the article would never run. That evening however, after some research, I found that she did, in face publish the article, with our jumping picture as the main photo! Pretty cool to be famous in a new country.

Anywhoo- back to the library. The square in front of the library stands a statue surrounded by tall, white buildings. With the white snow on the ground and the blue sky, the scene could have been out of a movie. After getting our tickets (some delay due to a broken ticket machine) we walked up the marble staircase and into my dream room. Bookshelves lined the walls and reached from floor to ceiling. Giant globes and statues were placed throughout the library, as well as spiral staircases leading up to the second level. If I wasn’t with a group, I totally would have brought my book, sat down on a bench, and stayed for a few hours. The ceilings were covered with paintings of angels and other heavenly depictions, which further supported my feeling of being in heaven in that room.

After dragging me out, we walked to the square nearby the palace where a New Years market (very similar, if not the same as, the Christmas markets) was set up with the usual Glühwein and sausages to keep visitors warm and full. We grabbed some bread bowls of warm soup, and some awesome mushroom mugs (mugrooms) full of warm wine while we walked around the market. As our toes began to freeze, we decided to head into the Art History Museum next to the square to warm up (and see art of course). Our trepidation about whether the entrance fee was worth it was immediately erased when we saw just how many objects this museum held. From ornate dishware and jewelry, to old clocks, moving machines, and Egyptian catacombs, this museum covered a whole ton of history in just the first floor. When we exited, we realized that we went through the exhibits backwards, viewing the modern royalty and recent history first, ending with ancient roman and Egyptian artifacts. Made it interesting though, like time traveling…

From the museum, we headed back to the hotel to get ready for the rest of our group to arrive.

Wednesday, December 31^st

This morning, we woke up and headed to one of the famous cafes in Vienna, called Café Central. The line trailing out of the front door should have told us just how popular it was. The inside has towering ceilings with colorful molding, and columns throughout the café. We sat and chatted about our plans for the day and goofed around, as this group is inclined to do constantly. From the café, we walked around the city and came upon Viennese waltz lessons provided for the public in the middle of the street. We learned how to do some simple steps so that at midnight, we could participate with the crowd in the traditional Viennese way. After an afternoon nap, we were ready to hit the down for the New Years eve celebration. Because we were a little late for our dinner reservation, we had to go at a slight jog. This would have been easier in clear streets, but as it was the holiday, the street was packed from sidewalk to sidewalk with people. Bruce, taking the lead, held his phone flashlight in the air and dogged through the crowd as all 9 of us tried to follow in his path. With only a few small children getting bowled over, we made it to the restaurant with no missing group members or injuries. During dinner we went around and talked about highlights of our year, what we are thankful for, and what we look forward to for the next year. Everyone in the group has known each other for a variety of lengths of time. Despite this, everyone gave very heartfelt and meaningful speeches to the group thanking them for friendship and sharing stories of the previous year. I looked around and realized just how lucky I am to be part of this group of people at that moment.

After dinner we walked through town, listening to live music, seeing sparklers and larger fireworks going off (both in the air and the crowd) and feeling the excited energy around us. Making it to the main stage in front of the Rathaus (Town Hall), we got separated from half of the group. With the use of a rebel call and green laser pointers, we found each other in front of the stage, and spent the last few hours of 2014 dancing and singing. As the countdown began I looked around and couldn’t believe where I was celebrating. As everyone grabbed a partner for the waltz, we danced in to 2015, anticipating the wonderful adventures and nights of fun to come.

That night we walked across the whole town in a hand-holding-chain as not to lose each other, and spent some time in an Australian bar, listening to 90’s throwbacks before heading back to the hotel to call it a night.

Thursday, January 1^st

Originally, our plan was to take a quick day trip to Bratislava this day, as it is only a few hours on the train from Vienna. Waking up though, we all were a bit sluggish and tentative about making that trip. We decided instead to stay in Vienna another day and check out some areas we hadn’t been to before. We grabbed a delicious brunch before saying goodbye to half of our group who were traveling to Budapest for the rest of their vacation time. Then, walking around the city, we saw the Opera building (the outside) and then decided to head to Schloss Schönbrunn (or Schönbrunn Palace). In the grounds of the palace was another market set up with more mugs of Glühwein, and the boys tried some Raclette, a traditional Swedish dish that we tried in Bern on the Christmas trip.

This castle has an audio tour, where you have a specific time slot to walk through a path and listen to recordings of information about each room and the royalty that lived there. While it seemed a bit impersonal, it was nice to go at your own pace and replay information if you missed something. The rooms in the palace were so elaborately decorated with gold plating, paintings, and ornate furniture, it was amazing that people actually lived there. The most breathtaking room was the ballroom. With mirrors lining the wall, and windows along the other side, it looked as it if lasted forever. 10 meters wide and 40 meters long, the room was filled with chandeliers and candles. It was one of the most beautiful rooms I have ever been inside.

Walking through the rest of the castle, we all agreed that we were thankful to have gone and taken that tour instead of traveling elsewhere. That night we stopped for dinner at a restaurant located in the basement of a building in town. It felt like we were eating in some underground-railroad system. Stuffed and tired, we wandered back to the hotel for the night, getting ready to head back to Germany the next day.

Friday, January 2^nd

Leaving Vienna, we stopped in Melk, which was on the way home. After some research I saw that there was a gorgeous abbey there with a library and church to explore. Unfortunately, we arrived in the middle of a long break between English tours of the abbey, so were not able to see everything, but we did walk around the grounds and got to see the church with it’s breathtaking interior. Designed in the baroque style, ornate decorations covered the walls and ceilings. Everywhere you looked there was something else incredible to look at. It was a great place to stop and walk around before hitting the road again to get back home.