Back in Germany

After leaving France in one piece we headed towards Germany where the people are much more friendly. We arrived at Philipp's parent's house and Philipp and Naemi took us on a walk on a trail out in the German wilderness.

At one point on the trail, we were able to stand in Germany and Belgium at the same time. That was pretty awesome. Tonight, Naemi and Philipp would be cooking a German BBQ feast for us. This consisted of many types of meats plus sides of pasta salad, lettuce salad and the baguette Robin picked up in France. As expected, it was all delicious. Philipp's mom had prepared a Black Forest cake for dessert which added a perfect end to our perfect home cooked meal.

Philipp & Naemi

Philipp's parents, Konrad and Anna Weiss

The next day, we said goodbye to Philipp's wonderful family and thanked them for their hospitality. We drove to the city of Aachen, which was only a few miles away. This is where Naemi goes to the university. We went into the cathedral and it was the best one we'd seen so far, including Notre Dame and St. Michael's. It was definitely a sight to see. Also, we were introduced to the ice cream in Aachen, which is the best we'd ever eaten! When we stood before the window to try and decide which kind to have, we noticed it was not your ordinary tub of ice cream. Each flavor was whipped and billowing out of its container, almost like colored whipped cream. And the taste was so creamy. Mmmmmm

Our last stop in Aachen was at the Lindt chocolate warehouse. We bought a lot of German chocolate to bring home to our friends and family.

Thomas & Patricia Kanthak, Fabian & Selina

Now we're heading towards, Braunfels, the town Rhonda's second exchange student, Fabian is from. His mom had prepared a couple types of cake and we sat on the patio and drank coffee and ate cake. People in Sweden and Germany can sure bake! When we say cake, we think Betty Crocker with canned icing. When they say cake, they mean layers of rich, tasty goodness topped off with whipped cream, and not just Cool Whip. Real whipped cream. We enjoyed the cake and conversation with Fabian's dad, mom, Fabian, and his girlfriend. All of them could speak English quite well, as could most of the Germans we have gotten to know. After cake time, Robin, dad and I were taken to the Schloss Hotel, which was located at the foot of the Braunfels Castle. Rhonda and Naemi would stay in the guest room at Fabian's parents house. We all took some time to freshen up, then headed to dinner at an Italian restaurant called Pizza Pie. Our food was, of course, delicious and we were stuffed to the rim!

Braunfels Castle

We said goodnight and got a good night sleep. The next day, Fabian's dad, Thomas had arranged for an English guided tour of the castle. Since the castle was within walking distance, we strolled through the village and they just happened to be having a Renaissance Festival so everyone was dressed in old time costumes. What a perfect prelude to our castle tour!  It was awesome to be able to see the inside of a castle.

Fabian, Rhonda, Naemi

Afterwards, we went back to Fabian's parents house and ate more cake and had coffee. We then drove to the next town and strolled along the rivers edge and found our way to a restaurant in a quaint area. I had something that resembled meatloaf and fried potatoes. The food was delicious as well. The Germans really know how to eat!

The next morning we said our goodbyes to Fabian's family and thanked them for their hospitality. We have made many new friends on this trip. Everyone has been so nice and friendly!

Next stop, Witten. This is a town with approximately 100,000 inhabitants and Naemi's mom is the mayor. We went to Naemi's home and since her mother was away on holiday, we had the run of the house. The house resembled something from a magazine or something you'd see on Trading Spaces. It is really incredible. The home has been refurbished and dates back 1000 years. There's an underground area that, at one time, led to the castle. They have since closed it up. This will be our home for the rest of the trip.

It was time once again to eat cake so we went to Naemi's dads, Uli's house. His wife had prepared yet another scrumptious cake. We drank coffee and visited, then headed to a neighboring town where we toured the gasometer. It looked like a big can and inside was a huge fake tree that made you feel like a tiny person in a huge, dark forest. You could call out and hear your echo. It was fascinating.

Also, there were art and photographic exhibits, that displayed many of the wonders of the world. It was very educational. We even rode an elevator to the top and walked around outside, where we could see for miles in every direction.

Robin, Val, Uli, Rhonda, Ron

We rode back to Uli's house where he had prepared soup, potatoes, green beans and a fancy rolled up beef dish. Then for dessert, strawberries and whipped cream and a tasty fruit salad dish. Once again we were stuffed!

Now, we are back at Naemi's house to turn in for the night. Tomorrow, Amsterdam!