Saturday, July 9, 2011

Siegburg, Germany

Adam and Ute live in a town named Siegburg.  It's about 23 miles from Bonn.  It is a lovely town with a great downtown area.

Adam and Ute's backyard
 

There is an Abbey called Michaelsburg Abbey.  It was built in 1069!!!!!! (really- that is just crazy thinking about how long ago this building has survived).  It  is perched high up on a hill (about 130 feet) overlooking Siegburg. It was originally founded for the Benedictine monks but was closed in the 1800s.  Then it got even more interesting- it was used as an insane asylum, a slaughterhouse and a military barracks.  (Interesting use of space I might add- those creative Germans!!)
Then, in the 1940s it was closed again by the SS and its monks were kicked out. It was heavily bombed during the war years.



We visited this abandoned Abbey- kids were excited to be up so high and see the sights but I was more excited to see any remnants of the insane asylum (no such luck).  Oh well....









Kids with Adam and Ute

View from the top of the Abbey




Kids have been spending time playing with all of Adam's toys (he loves model airplanes- not the kind you glue together but the kind that come with batteries and controls and are the size of a six year old).  He also has this simulator program on his computer which Christopher has been glued to.  Then he takes the kids to the air space and lets Chris control this $300 "toy plane".....guess what Chris now wants for Christmas??!!  (Adam- thanks a lot, Christopher-NO WAY IS THAT GONNA HAPPEN!).
Thank you to Adam for also driving on the AUTOBAHM (highway) at 112 miles per hour (180km) for my son....THAT'S something I had to hear about for hours....and when my son was told why we don't go that fast at home...his answer was  "I want to move to Germany- they can do EVERYTHING here!"

 
Adam driving and I am taking the picture and praying at the same time!




We spend the evenings sampling different wonderful red wines from all over Europe and eating delicious cheese....staying up till 1am some nights (we as in myself, Adam, and Ute...just in case there was a question about who is present).  Kids go to bed around 10pm because it is still light outside till then.  Of course....this does not mean they wake up any later....7:30am my alarm clocks are up and ready for the day.  Me?  I need about 3 espressos to wake up. 

1 comment:

  1. Sounds like the perfect way to spend a summer!

    ReplyDelete