Rheinland!

This past weekend, we ventured up north to Rheinland to see a friend who lives in Monheim am Rhein. Her name is Kathrin and she was an exchange student who lived with my friend's family about five years ago. Although I didn't live at home during the time that she lived there, I was able to get to know her briefly when I moved home from college for the summer.

Anyway, she invited us up to come stay a weekend at her family's house. WOW! It was so much fun. Definitely one of our favorite weekends here by far! Mark took the day off on Friday so that gave us plenty of time to get up there. So around noon on Friday, we boarded an IC train (fast train) headed to Cologne. It was such a pretty route! We went up along the Rhein most of the time. There are so many gorgeous towns and there are castles everywhere. SO, so pretty. While we were on the train, we kept taking notes of all the little towns that we wanted to come back up and explore before we go home.

Here's some shots of the Rhein:

Aren't these castles awesome?

I love the barges on the river!

Oh yeah, did I mention that it's hard to take pictures on a fast train? So sorry about the blurry picture! About halfway through the ride, I decided to just take videos. Here's a video I created. It's not HD for some reason so it's not so clear, but I hope you like it anyway. :)

After such a great train ride, we got off in Cologne to catch another short train to a nearby town where Kathrin could pick us up. We walked down the stairs to go to another platform to catch a train and was trying to figure out just where we were, when I looked to the left and saw Michael Ballack (one of the head honchos of the German national team)! Now keep in mind, I don't know soccer very well, I just knew a few players because Mark talks about them. So I stood there trying to figure out if it was really Michael Ballack but I thought I would tell Mark anyway. So I said, "Mark, look who it is!" He was about to walk up the same stairs that we just went down, so we were right next to him. Mark said hello to him and he said "Servus" (another way of saying hello) to Mark. Not gonna lie, it was pretty cool seeing someone so famous in the middle of a train station, and I'm not even that big of a fan. Mark looked like a little kid at Christmas, it was hilarious. After that, we saw the rest of the soccer team headed up towards their train. Mark waved at a few of the other players. I think they were trying to blend in and not be noticed, but that's kind of hard to do when they are a lot taller everyone else and are dressed in all their gear! I wish now that I would have taken a picture or two, but it all happened so fast that I didn't get one. Oh well. :)

After that, we caught another train to a nearby town and Kathrin picked us up. We went to her house where we met her family (this was my second time meeting them) and we had a good time talking and getting caught up with what has happened the past five years since we've seen each other. Mark had a good time playing FIFA on the Playstation with Kathrin's younger brother, Jonas. We also met Kathrin's boyfriend Sebastian. He was also an exchange student who went to Michigan several years ago. We had pizza for dinner then the five of us (me, Mark, Kathrin, Sebastian, and Jonas) went out for ice cream at a shop in Monheim. There they serve spaghetti ice that Mark had told me about before, so I was excited to try it. From what I understand, they take ice cream and press it through a spaghetti maker, then they top it with different sauces and grated white chocolate. We got a berry one and it had the most amazing fresh strawberry sauce! Yum!!

Mark with our spaghetti ice cream. There is also lasagna ice cream, which is what Kathrin ordered. Doesn't it all look so good?

After our delicious dessert, we went on a walk around Monheim and along the Rhein. Because there are some manufacturing plants by the river, it's really bright and we could actually see quite a few things even though it was dark outside. It was so much fun. Later we went back to Kathrin's house and had fun talking and playing FIFA with Jonas.

The next day, Kathrin and I headed out towards Düsseldorf. Mark went to watch a soccer game with Kathrin's dad and Jonas. While Kathrin and I were waiting for the bus, we walked across the street to see the Rhein again. It is so beautiful, isn't it?

We took a bus to a nearby town called Benrath where there is a really pretty castle. The town had some really pretty buildings, too. Completely different architecture than the buildings I've seen in Stuttgart.

We discovered some sort of little carnival. How fun! I snagged some popcorn. Yum!

Me standing by the castle in Benrath.

I don't know what this little building is, but Kathrin and I had fun getting our pictures in it. :)

A pool behind the castle. I was so glad that we were able to see it on such a gorgeous day. It hasn't been sunny here much lately, so I was so thankful for a clear day!

Statues behind the castle.

The back of the castle.

After seeing the gorgeous castle, we headed for Düsseldorf on the S-bahn. One of the first places we stopped was the harbor in Düsseldorf.

The buildings around the harbor had such cool architecture!

See what I mean?

A cool building with the TV tower.

More barges. I loved all the cars on this one. What an amazing mode of transportation!

The walk along the Rhein.

Kathrin explained to me that some families still live on some barges on the Rhein. She said it looked like this one was transporting oil. The side of the barge said the family's name and it had a Dutch flag on the back. How cool would that be to live on a barge?!

Gotta love the live statues!

After we walked along the Rhein, we saw some more streets in Düsseldorf, including the Königsallee which is the most expensive street in Düsseldorf. Then we went to a park and hung out for a little while, then soon after that it was time to go home. I had a great day in Düsseldorf!

Meanwhile, Mark was having fun at the MSV Duisberg soccer game. (Thanks to Kathrin's dad for all these pictures of the soccer game!)

MSV Duisberg is a team that is in the second Bundesliga here in Germany. So not as big of a team as Hamburg, but still a pretty good team.

The fans all showing their MSV pride!

Mark said one of the team members jumped up on the fence by some crazy fans, grabbed the loud speaker, and was doing some cheers with the crowd.

After the team won, they did a little dance.

Mark and Kathrin's dad. Mark had such a great time and was so thankful to be able to go to the game. On the train ride up to Monheim, Mark was lamenting on how he probably wouldn't be able to go to a soccer game. Then he got to go! He was so excited!

Later that night, Kathrin's family had a BBQ for us and made us some delicious food. I love how Germans make their salads--especially when they just throw a bunch of vegetables together with some herbs and it just tastes amazing. Yum!

After dinner, we went up to a nearby night club-type thing to get some drinks. It was up on a hill overlooking the Rhein that Kathrin said used to be a garbage mound. There is a part that is in sand so you can sit on the bench with your feet in the sand and overlook the Rhein. It was so much fun.

Then we had to go home the next day. :( Here is Kathrin's house, with Mark, Kathrin, Sebastian, and Jonas out front.

While Mark hung out with Sebastian and Jonas, Kathrin and I went to see more of Monheim. We were going to see a medieval festival, but they were charging admission and it was kind of expensive. So we decided just to go see the castle in Monheim instead. Isn't it lovely?

Haha! Little boys with swords and shields. Love it!

After that, it was time to go to Cologne to catch our train home. We took the S-bahn to Cologne and went to see the Cologne Cathedral. It is huge!

Stained glass on the inside.

Kathrin told me that there is supposedly the bones of the Three Wisemen inside, and this is the shine for them.

Looking towards the Hauptbahnhof on the steps of the cathedral.

Here's all of us as we prepared to say goodbye. After the cathedral, we went back to the train station to catch a train home. It took us quite a while to get home because we took all the slow trains, but we saw many cities in Germany and it wasn't too bad.

We had such a great time visiting Kathrin and her family. They were so kind to us and made us feel at home. Mark commented that it felt just like visiting family. They are such kind, warm people and we had fun getting to know them more. We are so lucky and grateful to know such good people over here!

Ho hum.

Yep, we're still here.

I've noticed that I've only done about three blog posts this month, and they've all been pretty boring. How has the time gone by so fast? Obviously, we haven't been up to much this month. The weather has been raining off and on, so I haven't gone to the pool. Instead, I've been working on my Etsy shop, taking long walks, and cleaning my apartment. Not gonna lie, I actually like having a lot of time to myself. That doesn't mean that I don't miss my friends and family or don't mind some company. But I don't mind.

Anyway, Mark's work is going well. He's getting settle in and accomplishing more every day. This month we passed the midway point of our time over here. Did I mention that it has gone by fast? Oh! Last weekend I gave a talk in church, entirely auf Deutsch (in German). I wrote it and Mark translated it for me so I could just read it. What a sweets! I was really thankful though, because I was not nearly as nervous as I usually get when I give a talk. Seriously, that was such a surprise and a huge blessing. Mark gave a talk about a month ago and has to give another one this Sunday. Haha! All the benefits of being in a small ward, but we love it!

We're so excited though--we have a few travel plans for the next couple of months now that the cost of traveling over here is starting to go down. The second weekend in September, we're going to go see a friend in Monheim. Then at the beginning of October, my brother is coming over to stay for a month. We are going to see Hamburg, Kiel, Copenhagen, and Aarhus. We might even make it down to Switzerland a week or two later. We are both so excited, especially to see Denmark. I am excited to see where Mark served parts of his mission and to experience a different part of Germany. It'll be a good time!

Oh, and did I mention that the döner shop opens in four days? Mark says we are going to be the first people in line. I sure do miss that place. Tonight, we went out to eat with some of Mark's coworkers at a restaurant in Waiblingen. We ordered a pizza to share and guess what I found--yep, another hair. I'm batting two for two with the pizzas here in Waiblingen. And this was a completely different restaurant! What's the deal?! Someone get these people hair nets! It really is a shame though, because overall the pizzas weren't too bad.

So that's what has been going on with us. We love it here and we can't wait to go traveling! I thought I would leave you with a few pictures that I've taken on my walks around Waiblingen. Don't mind that they are from my photo app on my iPhone and not my normal camera. It's just more fun to take pictures that way.

There is a cemetery close to where we live, and it is gorgeous. Sounds weird, but it is. There are so many interesting headstones and it is lush and full of flowers. Walking in one is almost like walking in a lovely park with sculptures. :) So of course I had to take some pictures of a few of my favorites!

Isn't it gorgeous here?

Favorite foods: part one.

Oh, Germany. The land of all things scrumptious.

Although Germany does have a serious shortage of Mexican food compared to the U.S. (can't imagine why), I'm willing to forget and forgive. Hence, why I've come to love so many foods over here.

Today I'm only including four items, mostly because we bought them last time we went shopping so I thought I would add them to the blog. We can't buy everything we love at once! (Although I really want to.)

I'll admit, most of these are probably junk foods. Did I also mention that I'm working really hard on eating better? Yeah, I am.

Anyway, item nummer eins. (That's German for number one.)

Schoko Müsli. (Chocolate Müsli)

Oh, how I love müsli, the glorious concoction of raw oats with dried fruit, chocolate, or anything else that suits your fancy. I'm not usually a big fan of cooked oatmeal because it makes me queasy sometimes, so müsli is the perfect answer. This müsli that I love has raw oats, corn flakes, chocolate puffs, and chocolate flakes. Mmm!! Most grocery stores have a generic brand of this so the specific brand doesn't matter. I've tried a few and I love them all!

Fanta Mandarine Orange.

Oh dear. This one always gets me into big trouble because I am seriously trying not to drink sodas, but if Mark buys it, I can't resist. I first discovered my love for European Fanta when I first came over here five years ago. (The Fanta back home just doesn't taste the same.) We love the original orange flavor, but we love the mandarin flavor even more. It tastes like a freshly squeezed back of Cutie mandarins. Tasty, tasty.

Rotkohl.

When Mark first told me about rotkohl several years ago, I was skeptical. To enjoy the taste of it sounded like a bit of a stretch, even for someone who loves sauerkraut. Rotkohl, as I understand, is basically cooked red cabbage. I'm not sure if it is fermented. Sometimes apples are added--this jar that we bought is apfelrotkohl--so it has apples in it. It's an acquired taste at first, but it's really good with mashed potatoes and gravy or another favorite food of mine, knödel (to be introduced later).

Alpro Yogurt.

Germany should be dubbed the "Land of the Yogurt." I swear the yogurt section is one of the biggest sections in the store. So many types and kinds to chose from! So it's very fitting that there should be a soy yogurt, and a very good one at that. I discovered this brand in my local store right after we moved here, and I love it. This is blueberry, but the vanilla is really good, too. This is mostly a favorite of mine, because Mark prefers the dairy versions better. Oh well, I say he's missing out!

And there you have it. Four of our favorite foods over here. Next up: the best chocolate we've ever had, and....well....isn't that enough to get you to read the next favorite foods post? :)

Closed.

We had a crisis occur a few weeks ago. Yes, a crisis.

Our favorite döner shop, Pinar Kebap, has closed down for an entire month. An entire month, people!

Maybe it doesn't seem like a big deal or you might think I'm overreacting, but for any of you who know Mark and his obsession for döners, this is pretty bad. But then again, maybe you've tried a döner yourself and understand where we are coming from here.

There it is, all closed up. Tear.

I usually am hesitant when someone boasts something like "World Famous!" or "Best Kebap in Town!" But I'm telling you, it really is the truth. Mark and I have spent hours walking around Waiblingen searching for another döner shop and have only found a gyro shop. Sadly, they just aren't the same as the beloved döners. Even in our excursions around Stuttgart and the many döner shops that we've tried there, we haven't found any that are the same as Pinar.

I am a huge fan of the vegetarian döners, which usually contain a medley of mixed vegetables. Pinar puts a variety of cabbages, tomatoes, lettuce, and carrots in theirs. Last week when we went to Stuttgart, there was cold, sauteed zucchini in mine. Blech. This isn't the first time it's happened and the zucchini tastes like an old sponge. But alas, I digress.

"We are closed from August 1st to August 29th. Good luck trying to find another decent döner within a 20-mile radius. And have fun dealing with your husband's döner withdrawals that last deep into the night, long after you've eaten dinner. Oh, and have a nice summer."

Okay, okay. That's not exactly what it says but that's pretty much how I interpreted it.

To be fair, they are probably taking their children on vacation because that's when the kids are out from school for the summer. In that case, I hope they have a good time. It's not many businesses that can afford to close down their shop for an entire month. They really are nice people...we just want them to come back sooner. :)

Right after we discovered that they were closed, I promptly sent my sister an email explaining what had happened. Hopefully she would understand the severity of the situation because she's been there. Her reply: "Oh no, Midge. It's going to be a long month!"

Long month, indeed. Pinar, we miss you!

Our apartment.

Ladies and gentlemen, without further ado, I present....

Our apartment!

I know it has been long overdue, but frankly our apartment was a little disheveled for a while because there was still some stuff from the previous owner lingering around. So now that it's all out of the way, we have a nice clean apartment.

Our bed. Yes, we sleep on a mattress on the floor. We'll probably upgrade soon to a bed frame though, because some members from the ward gave us their old bed frame. It's just not set up yet.

See the federdeckes? Oh, how I love them and the fact that they really aren't made out of feathers, but are actually pretty affordable ones from IKEA.

This is our big bedroom/living room. The bed is back off to the left, and there are our couches!

Our dining room.

Nope, no chairs because the owner took them to his new apartment. We're thankful to still have a table though!

The kitchen.

The bathroom.

The shower. Notice the shelf just behind it--it's on rollers so you can pull it out! I love it.

Toilet and sink. The big panel above the toilet is actually the button you push to flush the toilet.

Well, there you have it! Small and simple, and we love it. I love having huge windows and tons of sun. I love the bright green and yellow walls. One thing you might notice: If you look closely at the kitchen pictures, you will notice that the window is open and there is no screen. Welcome to German windows. They are big and you can open them like doors. I love it because they let so much fresh air in. You would expect that lots of bugs get in too, that might be somewhat true. When it was really hot in July, a few big beetles flew in here. Yuck. But other than that, we just get a few flies and since the windows are open, they just fly right out again. So it's really nice, but I'm not sure you could get away with it back home. There seems to be a lot of bugs back in Utah.

A few more things we've had to get used to: A small fridge (it is in the cupboards under the sink, the cupboard door on the right), and two small water heaters that heat the water as it goes through instead of having one huge water heater that stores the water. I've learned that I can't stockpile fruits and veggies like I used to because there's just not room for them, so instead I just buy a few at a time. The water heater for the bathroom is a little temperamental and can go from scalding hot to freezing cold in seconds, but it's no biggie. Honestly, I love how Germans live simply and can get by with so little. Granted not all apartments are like ours, but it's impressive!

We are soooo grateful to have this place. It really is better than anything we could have expected, and it was cheaper than we expected too. We are so thankful to our neighbors for helping us get this place. We owe them so much!