Skiing in Switzerland

So I want to know... where in the world did January go?!! I can't believe it's February already and how quickly the past month flew by... I thought I would have lots of time to catch up on blogging, but instead I was kept busy with lots of substituting. Here's hoping I can get caught up on posts this month. For now though, I'd like to share photos from our most recent excursion... a last minute ski trip down to Verbier, Switzerland this past weekend!

Daniel informed me on Friday morning that he really wanted to go skiing over the weekend and that he had already coordinated it with a friend down in Bern. So despite my sinus infection, we made on our way down to Switzerland that evening with our friends, Jim and Jan C. We crashed in Bern that night, and then early Saturday morning we drove two hours south to Verbier. I have to admit that I was a bit apprehensive about skiing in the Swiss Alps... I definitely prefer the bunny slopes, but at the same time, I couldn't turn down such an awesome opportunity either. Shortly after arriving, we were in the gondola on our way up the mountain... and then it was time to hit the slopes!

As you can see, it was pretty steep... and there was a ton of fresh powder! I have never skied in snow so deep... call me crazy, but I like to be able to see my skis when speeding down a mountain :) At the first the visibility was pretty bad too, but we were still able to catch glimpses of Verbier below through the passing clouds.

After enjoying runs on the lower part of the mountain, we headed further up. Soon Jan and I decided to take a break and eat while the guys continued to shred the slopes into the early afternoon. Over a long lunch at one of the restaurants up on the mountain, Jan and I took in the gorgeous view and the sunshine.

The guys eventually tore themselves away from the mountain for a moment and enjoyed the unbelievable scenery with us. After this, there was just enough time to get a few more runs in before calling it a day. We even found some easier runs that were just my speed, which I really enjoyed... I am just wondering why in the world you have to go up and over the mountain to find the bunny slopes! Of course, the views up there were completely breathtaking as well!

Overall, we had the great time on the slopes and were so thankful for a chance to ski in the Alps together! Needless to say, we were pretty beat after a full day of skiing so we opted to stay in Bern again that night. Before we heading back to Frankfurt on Sunday, we took a stroll in the snow around the Swiss capital... Bern is such a pretty, quaint town.

We were back in Frankfurt by Sunday evening, tired but happy from a very successful spontaneous weekend trip. We still can't believe the amazing opportunities we have over here, and we are very grateful for them. Well, I have many, many posts to catch up on and I promise to blog again very soon... so stay tuned!

Happy 2010!

Happy New Year! I hope everyone had a great time ringing in 2010 and that your year is off to a great start! Although we had a quiet Christmas here in Frankfurt, we decided to live it up for New Year's... by heading to Berlin! The New Year's festivities held in Germany's capital are very reminiscent of New York... a million people or so crowd around the Brandenburg Gate, waiting for the countdown to midnight, followed by fireworks. It's a pretty exciting way to spend New Year's Eve, but I am getting just a bit ahead of myself....

On Wednesday, December 30th, we drove to Berlin, arriving that evening with just enough time to do a little shopping and grab some dinner before hitting the hay... we knew we would need to rest up for a full day on New Year's Eve! To kick off our visit to Berlin, we had heard there are free tours if you go to the Brandenburg Gate, so that was our first stop Thursday morning. After being assigned to a group, our tour guide gave us a brief history of Germany while also sharing about the sights around Pariser Platz, including the Brandenburg Gate, and the Hotel Adlon... this hotel has become infamous because it's where the late Michael Jackson dangled his baby out the window. As for the striking Brandenburg Gate, it is the last surviving gate from Berlin's old city wall. Once the symbol of divided Deutschland, it now seems to stand for a reunited Germany brimming with potential.

The next stop on our tour was the Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe. This memorial is considered controversial because it is only dedicated to the Jews killed in the Holocaust and no other people group targeted by Hitler. Regardless of who it was built for, as you wander through the maze of concrete pillars, it does cause you to pause and think about the atrocity... and then pray it never happens again. From the memorial, you also get a glimpse of the Reichstag, Germany's Parliament building.

Not far away is a seemingly insignificant parking lot... until you find out this is where Hitler's bunker was located. Though there are some remaining artifacts from the bunker still underground, the government will not open it to the public because they do not want to memorialize Hitler in any shape or form... can't say I blame them. Then it was on to the German Finance Ministry, which was once the Nazi Air Force building. It's the only Nazi building to survive the World War II bombardment of Berlin intact. It's a pretty imposing structure. During the Cold War, the Communists also used it as a government building. A lasting relic from this time period is a mural on one of its exterior walls... it shows everyone dancing and singing a patriotic song. I am guessing this was not an accurate portrayal of life in East Germany....

Around the corner is the defining icon of the Cold War... the Berlin Wall. There are only three remaining segments still standing. While the wall was once incredibly formidable, our tour guide joked that it is quite ironic there is now a fence "protecting" the wall from tourists! It was very interesting to see this tangible piece of history.

Another famous landmark of the Cold War is Checkpoint Charlie. I am sure it was once a very intimidating post, but today there is quite a festive air about the area. There was even a Christmas tree :) Soon we were on our way to Gendarmenmarket, which Berliners consider their city's finest square. It is home to the matching French and German Cathedrals, and it was also hosting Berlin's Christmas market while we were there.

The tour continued on, heading toward the Bebelplatz, where Humboldt University is located. Marx, Lenin, and the Grimm brothers studied there, and Einstein also taught there before he fled to America in 1932... and science is forever grateful he got out of Germany when he did! The square is where the Nazi book burning took place in 1933, and it is also home to St. Hedwig's Cathedral, which Frederick the Great built for the Catholics of Prussia, as well as the German State Opera, which was destroyed twice during World War II!

As the tour was winding down, we stopped at the "Neue Wache" memorial, which is dedicated to victims of war and tyranny. Inside the memorial is a solitary statue of a mother with her dying son. The occulus above of the statue allows the weather to affect the setting inside... somehow the snow on the statue makes it even more thought-provoking. After the tour, we decided to put our feet up for a while before heading out to celebrate New Year's Eve, and on the way back to our hotel we passed the TV Tower. This tower is a widely recognized sight in Berlin... it was built by the East German government in 1969 to show off their "technological prowess" to West Berlin. Funny thing is that they had to have the Swedish come help them built it!

After resting up a bit, we headed back towards the Brandenburg Gate for the New Year's Eve celebration. On the way there, we snuck a peek inside the Sony Center. Not too far away, most of the crowds could be found along the "Party Mile," which is staged between the Victory Column and the Brandenburg Gate. Drink and food vendors line the entire way, plus there are some carnival rides, including a huge ferris wheel. Our main objective was to head east so we could get as close to the Brandenburg Gate as possible. It took a little while to get there, but we were pretty happy with the spot where we ended up. The lighting around the gate was very neat, and there was a stage with a bunch of entertainers performing... they were all Europeans though because we didn't recognize any of them. Before we knew it, the countdown began and then... HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Following the fireworks, it was time for a New Year's brat :) On the way out, we snapped one more shot of the Brandenburg Gate. We had a lot of fun celebrating the start of 2010 down there, but we didn't stay too late because we wanted to do more sightseeing on New Year's Day.

On Friday morning, we headed east again... this time to the East Side Gallery, which is the longest remaining stretch of the Berlin Wall still standing. It is almost 1 mile long and now displays murals painted by artists from around the world. It is routinely whitewashed so new murals can be painted from time to time. Here a few samples of the different murals there now....

After checking out the East Side Gallery, we made our way to the Berlin Cathedral, one of Germany's largest Protestant churches. Although it might look quite old, it was only built about 100 years ago. It is a very pretty church. We also climbed up to its dome, and even though we couldn't go outside because of the weather, we still had a pretty nice view of the city through the dome windows.

Just around the corner from the cathedral, many of Berlin's museums can be found. We decided to visit the Pergamon Museum. It gets its name from its main attraction... the reconstructed Altar of Pergamon, built by the Greeks in Asia Minor. It's pretty impressive. They have a lot more Hellenistic statues and architecture throughout the museum too.

Another wing of the museum is dedicated to antiquities from the Middle East. This collection includes reconstructions of the Market Gate of Miletus, which is from an ancient city in Turkey, and the Ishtar Gate from Babylon. The Ishtar Gate was built by King Nebuchadnezzer in 575 BC... interestingly, Saddam Hussein actually built a new Ishtar Gate in Iraq before he was removed from power. In fact, Daniel saw the new gate when he was on deployment there... as you can see, the two gates do look very similar.

Rounding out the museum's compilation of works are more Middle Eastern as well as Islamic pieces, including the facade from the Mshatta Palace in Jordan. All in all, it was a fascinating museum.

By the time we were done at the museum, night had fallen so we decided to enjoy a stroll along Unter den Linden Boulevard with the luminous trees lighting our way. We passed by the Brandenburg Gate once again as we headed towards the Reichstag, where Germany's Parliament meets. At night, the building proved to be quite stunning.

They allow tourists to visit the Reichstag's modern glass cupola, so we decided to check it out... little did we know that we would be waiting in the freezing cold for almost 2 hours to do so! Oh well... we survived :) We eventually made it to the top... the dome has a very futuristic look to it, and it provides a great view of Berlin as well as a look down into the legislative chamber.

While I am glad we had a chance to see the Reichstag, we were ready to call it a day after seeing its dome. After, we had some excellent sushi for dinner, which was a very nice way to end our trip to Berlin. We had a great time visiting Germany's capital, and we hope to go back someday... preferably when it's warmer! Saturday morning we were back on the road toward Frankfurt. The snow was coming down pretty heavily most of the way, which slowed us down quite a bit... after 8 hours of driving (when it normally takes 5), we were back home. At least the snow made for a pretty drive!

So now we are back to the grind here in Frankfurt... Daniel will be traveling a bunch for work this month, and between substituting gigs, I plan to be blogging a bunch myself... I have a lot of trips to catch up on! So please stay tuned for more posts in the very near future. Until then, God bless you in the new year!

Christmas in Germany

I hope everyone had a very Merry Christmas! We certainly did... we spent a quiet Christmas here in Frankfurt, just the two of us. Daniel's parents and aunt headed back to the States a couple days before Christmas after a very busy two weeks of traveling. While they were here, we made it to Prague, Florence, Rome, and even a few Christmas markets around Germany. I will definitely blog all about our trips to Prague and Italy, but first I thought I'd share some pictures from the Christmas markets.

On Wednesday, December 8th, the day Daniel's family arrived, we headed south to check out Heidelberg. Normally it is a pretty little town, but of course the Christmas market adds even more charm.

In addition to checking out the market and shopping a while, we also wandered around town and made our way to the Old Bridge to take in the view of the Heidelberg castle up on the hillside.

After enduring the rain and cold for a few hours, we decided to head back to Frankfurt... despite the weather, we all enjoyed the trip to Heidelberg. The next day we were back on the road... this time we drove east towards Prague. About halfway between Frankfurt and Prague is the city of Nuremberg, which hosts the most famous Christmas market in all of Germany, so of course we had to stop :) First we checked out St. Lawrence Church and then it was on to find some lunch. One of the best things about the Christmas markets is the wide variety of food available, and we enjoyed some mighty good chow as we went from stall to stall approaching the main market square.

Once at the main square, I definitely took advantage of the photo op! Then we checked out the myriad of ornaments and other Christmas decor on sale as well as the Frauenkirche Church that dominates the eastern side of the square. Though our stop in Nuremberg was short-lived, it proved to be the perfect pit stop, and I am very glad we had a chance to visit its well-known Christmas market.

After our trips to Prague and Italy... check back soon to read all about those... we had time to visit yet another Christmas market, but this one was a bit closer to home... Frankfurt! Though it was pretty chilly, it turned out to be a great day to go to the Christmas market... it was snowing! It was really quite beautiful. Once again, we enjoyed the stalls full of wares of all kinds and some very yummy food.

Once we made our way through the market, we also enjoyed the warmth inside St. Bartholomew's Cathedral for a little while... I think it is so interesting how here in Europe, baby Jesus isn't placed in the nativity until Christmas Day. Before heading home, we braved the cold for a bit longer to take in the view across the Main River towards Three Knights Church.

I was very happy to share Frankfurt and its Christmas market with Daniel's family before they had to depart for North Carolina the next day. We had a wonderful time with them during their whole stay here, but like I said, you will have to stay tuned for much more on our other excursions across Europe! Until then, enjoy the last few days of 2009!

I know, I know... it's been forever!

The post title says it for me... I know that it has been forever since my last blog! I apologize for such a long hiatus... this fall was incredibly busy. Though there has definitely been plenty of stuff to blog about, I could never seem to get around to it. Mainly, I was very busy with coaching soccer at the Frankfurt International School. I served as the JV girls head coach and the Varsity assistant from the end of August through mid-November. In addition to daily practices and home games, we also traveled quite a bit, including away games in Munich, Dusseldorf, Paris, and Zurich. Furthermore, we hosted the league championship tournament here in Frankfurt, which was a lot of fun. Overall, coaching was a great experience, and I hope to be doing it for many more seasons in the future!

Here are few shots from the soccer season... one of the whole team (both JV and Varsity), action shots of the girls playing, some of me coaching, and a group photo of everyone at the end of the tournament.

I cannot think of a better group of girls to coach for my first season... I miss them already! Although the school soccer season is over, I am still getting my soccer fix a couple times a month by coaching the ODP Europe U15 girls team, which is a developmental soccer team for American youth living abroad, and I am very grateful for the experience I am gaining with that team as well.

While I filled my days with coaching this fall, as always Daniel stayed busy with work. He was actually back in North Carolina for training from mid-August through the start of September. Thankfully, after the training he had a chance to visit his parents for a few days, which he really enjoyed. Then at the beginning of October, when I had a weeklong break from soccer, Daniel and I took the opportunity to attend the quintessential German festival... Oktoberfest in Munich! We then went down to Pisa and Florence for a few days and enjoyed relaxing and some warmer weather in northern Italy. After that trip, it was back to soccer, soccer, soccer until November 14th... as soon as the last game of the season was over, Daniel and I headed to Luxembourg with some friends for the Marine Corps Birthday Ball there, which was a very nice evening. With soccer now over, I have also been substitute teaching almost everyday. This past week we went to Istanbul over the Thanksgiving holiday, which was an absolute blast... and then yesterday we hosted a belated Thanksgiving celebration for a bunch of our friends. Somehow we managed to fit 17 people into our apartment for dinner... it was a full house and quite the feast!

So as you can see, we have been very, very busy lately! I promise to get caught up on the blogging in the near future with posts about all these fun events, so please stay tuned. We hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving and are enjoying the Christmas season so far! Until next time....

Paris, part deux

As I mentioned in my last post, next on the agenda for Emily and Tim's European vacation was a trip to Paris. Daniel was going to be there for work, and I went along to show Tim and Emily around the city. Now for those of you who have been following our blog since the beginning, you may remember that I also posted about Paris last August. I will try not to be too redundant with this post, but please forgive me if I repeat a few things here and there. However, since we bought a new camera right before the trip, I took tons of pictures while we were there, so at the very least I promise not to use any of the photos from my last Paris blog :)

On Monday, July 27th, while Daniel was flying to France, the three of us took a speedy 4 hour train ride into Paris. Once we arrived and got settled in a bit, we were off to explore the Montmarte section of town. The major attraction of the area is the Sacre Couer, a beautiful white basilica that sits at the highest point of Paris... which, of course, means it is a hike to get up there. It is worth it though to take in the church as well as the great view of the city. Plus around the corner, there is also a nice vantage point of the Eiffel Tower.

Not far from the Sacre Couer is a cute little square where a bunch of painters congregate and display a myriad of different types of art. Several blocks to the south is the infamous Moulin Rouge. After exploring Montmarte, we met up with Daniel... and then we got together with a friend of Daniel and Emily's from North Carolina, Casey, who now lives in Paris and recently married a French citizen, a very nice guy named Antoine. We met up with both of them, and they took us to a great sushi place near their apartment. Then we enjoyed dessert and wine at their place afterwards... everything was delicious and it was such a pleasant evening.

Since Emily and Tim were staying in a different hotel, on Tuesday I planned to meet up with them to show them more of the city. On my way to meet them, I stopped by a bakery for a fresh crossiant and then saw this pretty church aglow in the morning light. Soon the three of us were off to check out the Arc de Triumph. Walking down the Champs Elysees, we strolled past elegant cafes and saw the Arc peeking out from behind the trees lining the avenue. Once there, we walked around the base of the Arc, where France's Tomb of the Unknown Soldier is located... you can also go to the top of the Arc, but Tim and Emily decided to go up to the top that evening to enjoy the view during sunset.

Next we headed towards the most famous of Parisian landmarks... the Eiffel Tower, of course! Along the way, we past some tasty looking pastry shops... yum. In a short while, we were enjoying the view from the Trocadero. Personally, I just can't enough of Paris' "Iron Lady" :)

After thoroughly admiring the Eiffel Tower, we continued on to Les Invalides, where Napoleon's tomb is located. While we didn't feel like paying the fee to see the emperor's final resting place, we still enjoyed seeing the historic building, especially its striking golden dome. Just outside there is a rather picturesque view of the Eiffel Tower too.

The next sight on our list was the Notre Dame. After grabbing some food, we headed in to see the interior of the church. Though it is rather dark in there, it is quite lovely too. After our tour inside, we head around to the back of the cathedral, and then we were off to get a bit more to eat... some Berthillon ice cream to be exact, which is widely considered the best in Paris. Nearby there was a shop overflowing with cheese... but we were already too full to partake :)

To wrap up our whirlwind day, we enjoyed some afternoon sun along the Seine River. As you can see, it was a lovely little stroll.

With barking feet from all the walking, Emily and Tim decided to head back to their hotel to rest up... and that evening they enjoyed a romantic evening, just the two of them. Since Daniel was going to be working late that night, I wandered around enjoying the city by myself for a while. As I got closer to our hotel, I found myself in the Garden of the Tuileries. One section of the garden is a fun little carnival, and just beyond the garden is the Place de la Concorde, home to a giant Egyptian obelisk and some stunning green and gold fountains. With our hotel less than a block away, I headed back to rest a bit and then got a quick bite to eat before Daniel finally was done for the night.

Wednesday was the day we set aside to check out Versailles, the gorgeous palace that served as the home to the nation's kings before the French Revolution. It is about a 30 minute train ride from Paris, and though we got there shortly after it opened, there was quite a long line. When Daniel and I visited Versailles back in 2002, there was hardly anyone touring the palace... not this time! Before going inside, we admired the front of the palace, gilded and ornate.

Shortly after making our way into the palace, I realized that my camera battery was dying... one of the perils of a new camera with a rechargeable battery! Thankfully, Emily and Tim's camera was fully charged, so I'd like to thank them for sharing their pictures with me, some of which you will see below. Now back to the tour... our first stop was the palace chapel, which is incredibly beautiful. As we continued through Versailles, we saw numerous stately hallways and luxurious bedrooms as well as glimpses of the gardens outside. Toward the end of the tour is probably one of the most opulent rooms in existence... the Hall of Mirrors.

Once outside, you see that the extravagance wasn't just contained to the palace. The vast, green gardens of Versailles seem to extend all the way to the horizon. Too bad it was overcast the day we were there... when it's sunny, the gardens seem almost heavenly. We took a stroll through the gardens and enjoyed a sandwich sitting along the canal, but soon it was time to head back to Paris.

When we got back to the city, we visited another famous attraction... the Louvre Museum. Though I had been twice before, I am always happy to go back as it seems that you could literally wander through the huge museum for days on end. The highlights of our visit included statues of all shapes and sizes and the Code of Hammurabi, the famed law tablet from ancient Babylon. Also, since I'm a fan of Dan Brown books, I just had to get a picture with the inverted pyramid that is featured in The Da Vinci Code... you'll have to read the book to find out why it's so special :)

Before long, we were all pretty tired... and not surprisingly with all the sightseeing we had done in the last couple of days! Emily and Tim decided to call it a night since they had to catch the train to Salzburg early the next morning. Thankfully, Daniel was done with work early that evening so we were able to go to dinner together. Afterwards, we followed Tim and Emily's example and headed to the Arc de Triumph. After climbing up an insanely long spiral staircase, we made it to the top. Although it was too cloudy to enjoy the sunset, it was neat to watch night fall over Paris. Then, at the stroke of 10 o'clock, the Eiffel Tower lit up with thousands of glittering lights... it always takes my breath way for a second when I see it sparkling like that. It was a wonderful way to end the evening.

Since Emily and Tim were on their way to Austria for a couple of days, I was on my own on Thursday... so I decided to check out a part of the city I'd never seen before, the Latin Quarter. Before I headed south of the Seine though, I visited the Petit Palais, which was originally built for the 1900 World Fair and now is home to a free museum. It had some beautiful art on display, including a very life-like portrayal of the Good Samaritan. It tickled me pink to see a sweet old man creating a spot-on copy of one of Monet's paintings... and even the staircases looked like works of art.

Following a short trip on the Metro, I found myself in the Latin Quarter... and within minutes, I was trying a Parisian specialty, a crepe with Nutella and bananas. Man, was it good! Feeling quite satiated, I headed into the St. Germain des Pres Church. It is one of the oldest churches in Paris and a rare example of Norman architecture. With its flickering candlelight and shadows, I thought it was very peaceful.

Not far away was another church, St. Sulpice, which sharply contrasts to St. Germain des Pres with its white stone and wide open feeling. It is also featured in The Da Vinci Code as the meridian line crosses Paris here at its sundial. My next stop was not another church but the beautiful Luxembourg Gardens, a verdant, colorful retreat in the midst of southern Paris. When I saw how pretty it was, I couldn't believe I had never made it down there before. Just because I could, I sat and read a book for an hour while soaking up the sun... it was delightful.

A couple of blocks away from the gardens is the Pantheon. Originally built as a church, after the French Revolution it became a burial place to honor the French "Greats," including Voltaire, Rousseau, and Victor Hugo. I figured there was no way it could trump the amazing Pantheon in Rome, so I just admired its exterior and then headed on my way.

Surprise, surprise... next I decided to check out another church around the corner, St. Etienne du Mont. Its most striking feature was definitely the intricately carved stone screen around the choir balcony. For the rest of the day, I just wandered aimlessly, snapping pictures and being enchanted by the city with every step. I passed quiet side streets, cute cafes, brimming wine shops, flower covered balconies, and gushing fountains... it all felted so quintessentially Parisian. It was a great way to end the trip.

Friday morning I was back on a train to Frankfurt, and Daniel was not too far behind me... he arrived home just a couple hours after I did. It had been my third trip to Paris and it has must have worked like a charm because I have decided that it is my absolute favorite city in the world to visit. So if anyone is interested in a Paris tour guide, just let me know :)

Well, it seems that I have finally caught up with all the blogging! The summer is also quickly winding down, and all of our traveling is slowing down as well. Daniel is busy with work as always, and I start my coaching duties in just a few days, which is exciting! Since the next few months are going to be non-stop soccer for me, I'm thinking there won't be much to post about, but I will definitely try to come up with something :) Until then, enjoy the rest of your summer!

A day on the Rhine River

During the last week of July, we had the pleasure of having Daniel's sister, Emily, and her husband, Tim, here for a visit. Shortly after they arrived on Saturday, July 25th, we were on our way to check out the town of Rudesheim, located on the Rhine River about an hour away from Frankfurt. Once we there, we headed straight to the ferry pier... there are several castles and ruins along the banks of the Rhine, and we thought a great way to see them would be a boat ride up the river. Soon the ferry pulled away from the pier, and Rudesheim started to fade into the distance. Across the river is the town of Bingen, while just up the river from Rudesheim is the Niederwald Monument surrounded by lush vineyards, as the area is renown for its wine. We were hoping to check out the view from around the monument but didn't make it up there... hopefully next time.

A bit down the river is the Mauseterm, which was once used as a toll station. On the opposite river bank are the Ehrenfels ruins, which we got a good look at as we rounded the river bend.

Another cute town on the river is Assmannshausen, and not far away is the Castle Rheinstein. As we approached the pier near Castle Rheinstein, we could see another castle, Castle Reichenstein further down the river... we didn't get a chance to check it out, but we did take a tour of Castle Rheinstein.

As you can see, Castle Rheinstein has that "classic castle look" with its turreted towers. It also has a great panoramic view of the Rhine, and the four of us definitely enjoyed taking it all in.

As we continued to tour the castle, we investigated the interior for a little while... check out all those antlers! Once we were back outside, we found a shaded little courtyard and stairs leading to one of the towers, so we decided to go up. It provided a cool vantage point to check out the castle terrace below and a neat photo opp too.

After we finished exploring the castle, we decided to follow a trail behind it to see where it led... and it provided another great vantage point of the castle! In order to catch the boat back to Rudesheim, we then had return to the pier, but we all really enjoyed our time at Castle Rheinstein.

Before long, we were back in Rudesheim, ready to check it out. We headed toward a street called the Drosselgasse, which was really quite crowded. This was not that surprising because it's well-known for its wine bars, but it also has lots of tourist shops too. After stopping in some shops and making our way through the Drosselgasse, we continued to wander, enjoying the quieter side streets and the rest of the quaint little town. Soon it was early evening and time to head back to Frankfurt.

Overall, I think all four of us enjoyed our day trip to Rudesheim and the Rhine River, which really just served as an introduction to Europe for Emily and Tim. Not two days later, we were all on our way to Paris... Daniel was going to be there for work, and I tagged along as well to show Tim and Emily around the "City of Lights." Of course, Paris was fabulous... but you will have to check back soon for my post on that trip. And as always, thanks for reading!

Celebrating Six Years of Marriage in Spain!

We've been traveling so much this summer that I haven't been able to keep up with blogging... in fact, I am currently three trips behind! However, since the traveling has now slowed down, I can catch up on all those posts, and I thought it was time I finally wrote about our 6th anniversary trip to Spain back in mid-July.

During our backpacking trip in 2002, Daniel and I made it to Barcelona, Spain, which was great, but we had to cut out Madrid because there just wasn't enough time. Since then I have been wanting to go to Madrid, so I was thrilled that we would have a chance to go over our anniversary. In order to make a nice long weekend of it, we flew down there on Friday, July 10th. We arrived in the early evening, but we didn't get in much sightseeing that day... we were quite hungry, so finding food was at the top of our agenda. On the way, we passed the prominent Bank of Spain... and then we soon found a tasty tapas place called "El Tigre." We chowed down there and then went back to the hotel to get ready for a night on the town. Some work friends of Daniel's took us to a club downtown... while we didn't have our camera with us, trust us when we say that Spaniards know how to party!

On Saturday, we were itching to check out the city. We first walked through the Plaza de Espana, which has a nice little market and a huge monument. Then we reached the Temple of Debod, which is an authentic ancient temple that was transferred stone by stone as a gift from Egypt to Spain. It was pretty cool, and it definitely whetted our interest in going to Egypt... hopefully we will make it there some time in the next year.

Not far from the temple is the Royal Palace, which is the official residence of King Juan Carlos I. With that being said, I don't think he actually lives there but just uses it for official functions. Pretty nice pad though, don't ya think?! The Gardens of Sabatini next to it are lovely too.

On the other side of the palace is the Cathedral of Nuestra Senora de la Almudena. This church was unique because it had a brightly painted ceiling and dome. After visiting the cathedral, our wanderings took us to the Plaza Mayor. It is a neat square, but we didn't stay long because we were off to finally find some lunch.

We ended up eating lunch at this really interesting place called the Museo de Jamon (translated as the "Museum of Ham"). After filling up, we were back on the road to do more sightseeing. We enjoyed walking some quiet side streets and then decided to go tour the stadium where the soccer team, Real Madrid, plays.

When we got to the stadium, we found out that they were replacing the field... that was a definite bummer because I am sure they normally have a gorgeous pitch! After years of playing soccer, we both appreciate green, lush grass to play on. While the field may not have been that impressive when we were there, the team's abundance of trophies surely was! I guess that is why they claim to be the best team in history. I'm not saying that I agree though....

Soon it was time for our anniversary dinner... we ate at a restaurant called "Sobrino de Botin." It was established in 1725 and has been named by the Guinness Book of World Records as the oldest restaurant in the world. When you first walk in, there is a chef preparing their specialty, roast suckling pig. For dinner, we headed downstairs... we sat in the wine cellar section, which I think is the most charming and romantic and is also the oldest part of the restaurant. It was a great meal and a wonderful way to celebrate our 6th anniversary!

After dinner, we walked back through the Plaza Mayor, which was taking on a nice glow as evening set in. There we watched a flamenco dancer for a little while... she was very passionate, and it was fun to take in one of Spain's defining cultural aspects.

As night began to fall, we continued to stroll through the city. We caught a hint of the sun setting behind the Royal Palace. By the time it was dark, we had made it back to the Temple of Debod... I love this shot that Daniel took there, with the temple perfectly mirrored in the reflecting pool. We snapped a photo by the fountain behind the temple too. It all made for a very pleasant evening.

Sunday, July 12th was actually our anniversary... we celebrated early because on Sunday we were meeting up with friends for an excursion we were all doing together on Monday... but more on that later. While we were waiting for our friends, Matt and Heather O., to fly in from Frankfurt, we went to check out the "El Rastro" market on Sunday morning. They had tons of different wares for sale, so we got a few gifts and souvenirs. Soon Matt and Heather had arrived, so we met up with them and made our way to the famous Prado museum. It's too bad we couldn't take pictures inside the museum because their collection contains some beautiful and bizarre paintings.

That evening we decided to immerse ourselves in an event that is considered an integral, if not controversial, part of the Spanish culture... we attended a bull fight. Madrid's "Plaza de Toros" is one of the largest bull fighting rings in the world and is also considered to be one of the most prestigious. As we were walking to our seats, we saw the matadors entering the arena... you could tell they are treated with very high regard. Once we got to our seats, we were pretty shocked... for the price of only 5 euros each, we thought we would be in the nose-bleed section, and we were kinda hoping we would be so we wouldn't be too close to the action. Well, we were much closer than expected... try three rows from the front! Oh well... so much for watching the fight from afar. At least we were in the shade.

Now I won't get too into what happens during the bull fight as it is, not surprisingly, pretty gory, but I will explain a little. From the start, you can tell bullfighting is steeped in tradition... in full costume, all involved parade into the ring and then it soon begins. Over the course of the event, three primary matadors fight six different bulls. They are assisted by other matadors, who help tire out and weaken the bull. Then, the primary matador steps in and does a series of cape work with the bull... sometimes even completing passes on their knees! Eventually the matador goes in for the kill by piercing the bull with a sword between its shoulder blades... like I said, it is quite barbaric. If the crowd believes the matador has done an excellent job during the bull fight, they will wave white handkerchiefs. We actually saw this twice that evening.

Once we got back home, I actually did a little more research and found out that it is likely that bull fighting first started during the Roman Empire as an alternative to the gladiator battles. It is believed that the Moors cemented the tradition further while they were in control of Spain, though they mainly conducted bull fights on horseback. Since about 1726, the bull fight has followed its current form, with the matadors fighting the bulls on foot with capes called muletas. While a bull fight means certain death for the bull, the matador is also in grave danger... one wrong move and he can be fatally gored or seriously injured. We actually saw one matador get flipped by a bull, but he walked away uninjured. Needless to say, that was not true for the bull. In the end, we were glad that we attended the bull fight in order to understand more about this contentious aspect of the Spanish culture.

After attending the bull fight, our night was in fact just beginning. Shortly after midnight, the four of us met up with Daniel's other friends from work... and we all boarded a bus bound for Pamplona! And what is Pamplona famous for? The Running of the Bulls of course! Every year, July 6-14th, the city of Pamplona holds the San Fermin festival, and the main highlight is the Running of the Bulls, which is actually run every morning at 8am over the course of the week.

Since we were going to be in Spain anyways, we took the opportunity to head up to Pamplona to attend the festival on July 13th. After a five-hour bus in the middle of the night, we arrived in Pamplona. It was clear that all the partying from the night before never quite stopped as the whole town got pumped up for the next Running. The crowds start picking spots along the route very early, so shortly after arriving the girls and the guys split up... the girls off to find a viewing spot and the guys to the start line. Yes... the guys ran with the bulls! Believe me, I tried multiple times to persuade Daniel not to run, but to no avail. But I have to be honest... I was planning to run until someone died during the Running on Friday, July 10th, the day we left for Spain. It was the first time anyone had died in 15 years! My mind changed in a split second... but Daniel's mind was made up. So as we went to find a spot, I was just praying that Daniel as well as the other three guys would finish the Running safely!

The three of us (me and my friends, Heather O. and Tanya) soon found a spot near the finish... the Running ends as the bulls and runners enter the bull ring. About a half-mile away is the start. As the crowd thickened, we waited anxiously for 8am.

Before long, the rocket went off, signifying the start of the Running. Within a minute, there were some people jogging by us, obviously ahead of the bulls. Within what seemed like seconds, there was a surge of people sprinting by us, and we knew the bulls were close! With all the runners, we only got a quick glimpse of the herd of bulls as they thundered by us... they were too fast to capture on camera! As the last of the bulls and runners entered the bull ring, Tanya exclaimed, "Isn't that Daniel?!" and sure enough, it was! He and our new friend, Blake, were about to enter the bull ring when the doors were closed. I was just so glad to see that Daniel was safe and sound! With the disposable camera he took with him, Daniel snapped a pic of us girls... we were smiling with relief, thankful that the race was over. And I was even happier to get my hands back on my hubby sans any scrapes, bruises, or punctures from bull horns!

Before I share about the rest of our day in Pamplona, I thought I would include some photos that Daniel took before and during the Running... the guys near the start, runners waiting for the bulls to approach, and the doors to the bull ring about to close. Daniel said it was a crazy, scary experience... but of course, he is glad that he did it! About 200 meters from the start, the bulls passed him... he had to jump onto some fencing to get out of their way, and they were still just a couple feet away from him! When I heard that, I was very glad that I decided to skip the Running and stay safely beyond the fencing!

So after the Running, we needed to find the other two guys, Matt and Dave. Daniel and Blake said they got split up from them before the Running began but believed they were ahead of them, so we all guessed that they made it inside the bull ring, so we headed in as well. It is quite a spectacle in there also... after the bulls that did the Running are put in a pen, young bull calves with covered horns are let loose into the ring. All the people who completed the Running and made it into the bull ring run around tempting (or avoiding) the bull calves. Since it's not quite as dangerous as the Running, it is pretty amusing to watch actually. Looking above all the chaos, I had a moment of peace when seeing the moon high above the ring. Soon it was time to meet up at the designated spot, so we headed that way.

Not far from our meeting spot was the statue that commemorates the Running of the Bulls. I call the first photo "Running of the Bulls, parte dos." As for the girls, we decided to stage a different type of event... the Riding of the Bulls :) And here is a shot of the whole group too.

Once we had the whole group back together, we decided to walk the Running of the Bulls route from end to start. Every section of the Running has its own name... the final curve before the bull ring, the section where we were watching, is called Telefonica. Leading into it is the longest straight-away called Estafeta. At the beginning of Estafeta is a 90-degree turn that is called "Dead man's corner" and rightfully so... the tight turn often causes bulls to slip and crush runners into the fencing along the corner. I am so glad that the guys all made it safely through that section! The next section, Mercaderes, is beyond the town hall, and the section that passes the town hall is called Ayuntamiento.

And finally, the first section of the Running is called Santo Domingo. Along most of this section there are very few places to hide or avoid the bulls, plus the bulls are at full strength at this point too, so needless to say it is a pretty dangerous section. While this is where the bulls passed Daniel, thankfully there was a fence for him to jump onto in order to avoid them... I am very grateful for that fence!

For the rest of the day, we all meandered around Pamplona soaking up the atmosphere. When it's the San Fermin Festival, everyone is just in party mode all day long. There are tons of people milling around town, drinks in hand and decked out in white and red. Of course there is music too... at one point we saw a random marching band come through. They also have some stuff for the kiddos, like the Parade of the Giants. As we were wandering around, we also saw a pretty cool mural depicting the Running, and we checked out the wall on the outskirts of the city.

By late afternoon, we headed towards the bus station to catch the bus back to Madrid, which was fine by us because we were all exhausted by then. I think everyone in the group would agree that it was an insane but fun day in Pamplona and an experience that we will never forget! We got back to Madrid late that night, and early the next morning, Daniel and I were on a plane back to Frankfurt. It was a wonderful, whirlwind of a weekend, and all in all, we had a great, memorable 6th anniversary!

Well, like I said before, I am a bit behind on the blogging, which means I still have to post about our time on the Rhine River as well as our stay in Paris... check back soon for those. Until then, take care!