Monday, January 18, 2010

New in Germany

We have been in Germany for 2 weeks now. I can hardly believe it. The time has really flown by, but it also seems like we have been here much longer. It is amazing how much you can pack into one day! Mostly we have been busy with in-processing here into the base, finding housing, and trying to familiarize ourselves with the facilities that will be part of our routine in the near future (commissary, library, medical clinic, etc..). It has been good but we don't really feel as if we are in Germany yet, mostly owing to the fact the we have spent the majority of our time in "Little America". It will be nice when our car arrives and we have the freedom to wander around a bit more.

Last Saturday we had wanted to go into the city and wander around a bit, but the weather didn't cooperate with us--lots of wet snow and freezing temperatures. That might not have been such a big deal except that none of us were exactly outfitted for the weather. When you have to pack enough belongings to get you through a couple of months into a few suitcases, boots are a really low priority. I would do it differently now, but that is another story :0) This past Saturday the ground had dried up quite a bit and the kids now have hats, so we decided to venture out. We had no idea where we were going, but we picked up a U Bahn map, got on the nearest train and headed for the main terminal. We hopped off the train there and wandered around a bit until we hit the main plaza in the center of the city. It was beautiful! There is a huge shopping area there now, but also many old buildings and statues. There are buildings there that date back to the 1500's. We also met a nice little old German lady who was kind enough to spend 1/2 hour with us explaining some of the history behind the buildings and statues. Here are a few pictures of the area.



One thing we noticed is that German people are impervious to the cold. It was below freezing temperatures and there were people sitting outside on the little cafe tables eating ice cream. We have since heard that Germans do not believe in bad weather, just bad clothing. Something to think about for sure! We have also discovered that we are going to need much better walking shoes....we forsee a lot of walking in our future. Another wonderful thing we have discovered in Germany are the bakeries. We haven't had enough time to buy from a lot of them, but here is a sample of what they have to offer--



In other news, we have found a house in a little village called Neuweiler. It is definitely out in the country, but we are excited to have found this home and are are looking forward to leaving the hotel and moving in on or around Feb 15th. It will be good to get back into a routine.

6 comments:

J. Porters said...

Looks awesome! What great new experiences you are having.

Kristyn said...

I miss German bakeries...just the smell of them! Glad you guys are having fun thus far!

Becky @ Babes in Hairland said...

Oh, I soooo miss all that stuff. The bakeries are to die for. Yes, the German's don't notice the cold! Just be sure you dress your kids, or you'll get chewed out by some! There was an Elder that refused to wear a winter coat, and there were countless members & people that gave him a coat because they believed you MUST wear one or you'll get sick. But then again, they also believe that wrapping a scarf or "halstuch" around your neck will prevent a soar throat! So much fun. I'm glad you guys found a house, but I'm not surprised it's out in a "dorf", as there really aren't many w/in the cities.

Orson and Marilyn said...

I wonder if Paul budgeted for new wardrobes for all? Those bakeries looke mighty tempting.

Orson and Marilyn said...

The above comment was from Orson. Thanks for the update. Looks like you are getting the "hang" of things. Neuweiler is pronouced, "Noyvyler."

Chelle said...

So awesome! That is great for you guys. That is so great you guys get to experience all of that. Can't wait to come out and do it with you too! :)