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. 

Buses, Trains, endless packing....

Well- taking two kids to the center of town for some leisurely shopping and coffee drinking was a very unrealistic dream.  Instead of walking through wonderful Hamburg and enjoying the sights, we rushed through the stores....stopping only for seconds so I could at least snap a quick picture of them to show them one day.  THEN we got to spend the majority of the day riding in every SINGLE bus there was- in a circle-around the center of the city.  I do not exaggerate here- we rode a normal bus, a bus with two sections, a bus with three sections.....I am pretty sure people thought my children have never been out of the house before.  I am also pretty sure I now know every single inch of the center of Hamburg.  Memories of National Lampoon's European Vacation were flashing through my mind "Hey- there's Big Ben again!"

The following day we got on the train to Bonn to stay my cousin Adam and his wife Ute.  The train ride was a success.  Though it was four hours long, the kids were occupied by lots of coloring, some iPod touch time, and asking me at every stop- "are we there yet?". The weather here is much better than in Hamburg right now so the kids are happily playing in the garden.  We will do some sightseeing soon and I will post some more later.

Complaining moment- OK- so I am allowed one (or two, or perhaps three) complaints right?  Here they are (in no particular order of importance)

1.  living in two suitcases for the last week and a half with the kids has been a nightmare BLAST (insert sneer here). 

2. BOOT- I HATE THIS BOOT.  WHEN I RETURN TO THE USA I WILL HAVE A BOOT BURNING CELEBRATION.( don't care that it is half plastic and would release horrible chemicals into the air at this point)


3. My kids are starting to drive me CRAZY.... (this one will win me the mother of the year award for sure!)

Ok- enough complaining- life is good, family is great!  Pass the wine please!!!!

Happy 4th of July!!!!

The kids have adjusted to pretty much vacation life- going to bed later, sleeping till 9am (YEAH that's right I said 9am and that is a record for my kids who are usually up at dawn), and eating lots of delicious food that they are not allowed to have at home (ice cream and German chocolates and cookies every day).  The one thing my Aunt and Uncle can do is spoil my kids like crazy. The weekend was filled with trips to the butterfly garden, feeding Japanese carp the size of a  small shark,  and the petting zoo.

 Of course the kids are getting used to life here so their interactions with each other have gone back to "normal".
C: "come get me!!!" (running in the garden)
O: "I can't you are too fast"
C: "that means I won- hahah"
O: "I'm telling mommy- you are gonna get a time out"
C: "NO I'm telling mommy first cause I'm faster and YOU will get a time out"

Both run in breathless trying to scream over each other to tell me how horrible each is to the other. This is when I just start talking to them in Polish and they both get frustrated and huff and puff away...

Christopher even had a sleepwalking incident here.  He opened my aunt's glass cabinet and tried to walk into the glass shelves filled with porcelain.  NICE right?  (I caught him before a disaster requiring us to use German health services happened.)  So now at night I have to put a suitcase in front of the door so at least I will hear him as it topples over.  

On Wednesday the kids and I will say goodbye to my Aunt and Uncle and Hamburg.  We will take a 4 hour train to Bonn to see my cousin Adam and his wife Ute. Although we are so excited to see them, it will be hard to leave this place and my family here.  I am also not looking forward to the repacking I have to do for this leg of the trip.  Living out of 2 suitcases with 2 kids for 5 weeks in challenging.  Bonus- the amount of shoes I have used so far are - 1.  NOT 1 pair, just ONE shoe.  Cause you know- I still got the hot black boot on the other one.  And by the way- I have gotten more stares and odd looks when I am walking around the city.  I am assuming it's cause the boot is weird looking and not me- right? 

Some new and old favorites:  
Alsterwasser (German beer mixed with lemonade-yummy) 
Seltzer water ice tea.  Weird sounding but soooo good.  
Milka Chocolate
Fresh baked bread every day 
Eiskaffee
Sock yarn here rocks (yes I do love my sock yarn!!!)
C & A (clothing store)
H &M (which has kids clothing here unlike most of the ones in the USA)



Tomorrow we head off to the center of Hamburg.  We are taking the subway and buses because the kids are dying to go back on them. Ahhhh the allure of public transportation....I should just buy them a whole day ticket and have them ride the buses back and forth.  

We (me and my Aunt ) are going to enjoy the day shopping, going to cafes, and enjoying beautiful Hamburg Centrum.  (With two kids in tow so we shall see how enjoyable a day of shopping and perusing really is going to be- I may need some Alsterwasser to get through).