Hello everyone,
Our last couple of days have been filled with excitement. Our good friend Efrain over here in Stuttgart took us to the resort he was staying at in Garmisch, Germany to enjoy with him. Our three hour drive to the area was filled with beautiful scenery and when we got there we were amazed at the still snowed filled mountains that were right beneath the resort. We both were completely excited. Wait till we post the pics and you will see what we are talking about when we say that the scenery was like none other. Our first day at the resort was for some relaxation, complete with an indoor pool and a jacuzzi. It was freezing over there especially since we are from the south. The next day at the resort we spent at a cheese making factory along with a beautiful monastery in the area. We were able to see the process of the cheese making and enjoy a cheese, Bavarian meat, and wine lunch. The cheese was just exquisite. Afterward we went and viewed the monastery which was also a boarding school. Some of the kids yodeled to us from their boarding rooms, which was kind of funny since it was considered a very strict and prestigious boarding school. On the third day we went to the first concentration ever made which was the Dachau concentration camp. A picture post will be dedicated to this. It was a very long and emotional day to say the least. All we can say is that if you want to go to a concentration camp this is definitely one to consider. This concentration camp was the first, as mentioned before, and it was a model for all of the other camps that were made in Europe. We spent the entire day there and really just took everything in. On our last night at the resort we met some Generals and Captains from the military who invited us all to a German restaurant for dinner. We were very happy we took up the offer because the food, entertainment, people, schnapps (shots) and of course the German beer were amazing, and it was another one of those surreal moments of pure pleasure during this adventure. The pics we upload later will paint the picture.
Now we are back in Stuttgart,Germany where we had another long night enjoying another German Festival. We actually missed the last train and had to get a taxi all the way back home, so it was another adventure we wont soon forget. Yesterday was a German holiday and so everyone was celebrating all day. Today we are going to have another barbecue with friends and soon we will be off to Barcelona. Till then.......
Additional things to note:
1. It doesn't get dark here till 10pm.
2. The train system is different here. You get a ticket and then just go on the train. No one checks for your tickets, except on special occasions. So we have been on multiple trains and do not have to show anyone our tickets or put it through a ticket machine. You just have to have it in the special case that they do check for it because it is about a 40 euro ticket if not.
3. Bobby is the greatest hubby ever!
Saturday, May 2, 2009
Sunday, April 26, 2009
Germany in Pictures
Our German Breakfast.
New beer the next day.
Bobby and Efrain at the end of the night!
Towards the end of the night.
Take two!
Take one!
Having a blast in the German festival!
Ileane and Bobby getting their drink on!
Hanging out in the tent!
With the crew!
With the waiter!
Tamika and Ileana.
Bobby drinking his first liter of pure German brew!
Tamika drinking her first liter!
The first beers!!! (1 liter each)
In front of the Kramer market sign.
Waiting for the train to go to the festival.
Bobby in front of Efrain and Ileana's house.
Bobby walking the streets of Hofingen, Germany. Pronounced (Hoof-en-gen).
Bobby about to head downtown.
Tamika about to head to downtown Stuttgart.
Ileana, Efrain and Bobby drinking some red wine.
Bobby and Tamika having a good time in Germany.
Tamika and Ileana drinking some good red wine.
Bobby and Efrain drinking Heverweisen. This beer has about 600 to 700 calories.
Greeted with our first beer in Germany.
Saturday, April 25, 2009
Germany- The Beginning
Note: Hubby wrote this post.
Finally arrived in Germany after a long and very uncomfortable flight. The flight was 11hrs long from Japan to Amsterdam in which the seats were not big at all for an airbus. Our flight to Australia was roomy, but on this flight not only were the seats smaller they stuck us in the middle so I was literally stuck with my knees to the chair in front. So we then arrived at our final destination Stuttgart and were picked up by our amigo Efrain.
Germany is great and we are finally getting the winter we never had back home. We are staying in a town called Hofingen about 20 minutes from Stuttgart. Our first day we slept in due to jet-lag and hung around the house watching shows on MTV that we needed to catch up on. The day after we headed down town where we walked the shops and ate some food. That same night we ended up to a huge festival for the night. Plenty of drunken photos to come but let me just say DAMNNN!! The beer here is cheaper than water, and during festival time they up the alcohol level in the beers. Each beer is 1 liter in size and filled with pure German beer which equals a hell of time! We started out buying one beer each (there were a total of 6 of us there) and I was the first to pound the first complete beer. After we all ordered our second round we headed from the outside to inside under the tents where Efrain's boss was. You see with these festivals you must pre-order or reserve a table under the tent which is where the real party goes on. They stand and dance on the tables, live bands play and everyone is just on the same page of getting tanked. With our second beer almost gone at that point anyone you talk to begins to simply refill your cup for free. I believe I was able to put down 4 full mugs (1 liter each) of beer, which I guess since we have been drinking so much beer on this trip, I built the tolerance up. 7 Hours later we went back to the train station to get back to Hofingen for the night. The trains are very convenient seeing that everyone was tanked and could not drive. It seemed like everyone going back home was tanked. We had a hell of a night.
Note: Wifey finishing the post because hubby is tired...lol
Today we went to Efrain's sons baseball game and then to a barbeque at their friend's house. Funny thing is that the wife only spoke spanish and german and the husband only spoke German and English. The whole night we were all conversating in the three languages since we along with our friend don't know how to speak German. The German hospitality proved to be one of a kind. They made sure we had plenty of beer and food. We started off eating the traditional Bratwurst with potatoes and bread. Then we ate plenty of meat along with more potatoes. The hosts were feeding us all night and we ended the night drinking some Champagne and eating chips and cheese dip. Conversation was funny as hell even though we had the three languages going on there. Needless to say we had another great night and Germany is proving to be a place we really love.
Some things to note:
1. Danke= Thank you
2. Kramer is a popular German last name and we are seeing it everywhere....too funny.
3. Almost everyone we have come in contact with can speak enough English to understand us.
4. The street lights go from red to yellow to green instead of just red to green like back in the States.
5. Here in Germany as a male you are required to go to the Army for at least 9 months.
6. Work hours are 35 hrs a week and you get 30 days of vacation.
7. In some towns the government pays you automatically about 400 euros for nothing and provides you with an apartment. We were told it is to not have poor people on the streets.
8. They have plenty of beer gardens here (like pubs back home) where you drink plenty of German beers and get the best schnitzel and bratwurst around.
DANKE!
Finally arrived in Germany after a long and very uncomfortable flight. The flight was 11hrs long from Japan to Amsterdam in which the seats were not big at all for an airbus. Our flight to Australia was roomy, but on this flight not only were the seats smaller they stuck us in the middle so I was literally stuck with my knees to the chair in front. So we then arrived at our final destination Stuttgart and were picked up by our amigo Efrain.
Germany is great and we are finally getting the winter we never had back home. We are staying in a town called Hofingen about 20 minutes from Stuttgart. Our first day we slept in due to jet-lag and hung around the house watching shows on MTV that we needed to catch up on. The day after we headed down town where we walked the shops and ate some food. That same night we ended up to a huge festival for the night. Plenty of drunken photos to come but let me just say DAMNNN!! The beer here is cheaper than water, and during festival time they up the alcohol level in the beers. Each beer is 1 liter in size and filled with pure German beer which equals a hell of time! We started out buying one beer each (there were a total of 6 of us there) and I was the first to pound the first complete beer. After we all ordered our second round we headed from the outside to inside under the tents where Efrain's boss was. You see with these festivals you must pre-order or reserve a table under the tent which is where the real party goes on. They stand and dance on the tables, live bands play and everyone is just on the same page of getting tanked. With our second beer almost gone at that point anyone you talk to begins to simply refill your cup for free. I believe I was able to put down 4 full mugs (1 liter each) of beer, which I guess since we have been drinking so much beer on this trip, I built the tolerance up. 7 Hours later we went back to the train station to get back to Hofingen for the night. The trains are very convenient seeing that everyone was tanked and could not drive. It seemed like everyone going back home was tanked. We had a hell of a night.
Note: Wifey finishing the post because hubby is tired...lol
Today we went to Efrain's sons baseball game and then to a barbeque at their friend's house. Funny thing is that the wife only spoke spanish and german and the husband only spoke German and English. The whole night we were all conversating in the three languages since we along with our friend don't know how to speak German. The German hospitality proved to be one of a kind. They made sure we had plenty of beer and food. We started off eating the traditional Bratwurst with potatoes and bread. Then we ate plenty of meat along with more potatoes. The hosts were feeding us all night and we ended the night drinking some Champagne and eating chips and cheese dip. Conversation was funny as hell even though we had the three languages going on there. Needless to say we had another great night and Germany is proving to be a place we really love.
Some things to note:
1. Danke= Thank you
2. Kramer is a popular German last name and we are seeing it everywhere....too funny.
3. Almost everyone we have come in contact with can speak enough English to understand us.
4. The street lights go from red to yellow to green instead of just red to green like back in the States.
5. Here in Germany as a male you are required to go to the Army for at least 9 months.
6. Work hours are 35 hrs a week and you get 30 days of vacation.
7. In some towns the government pays you automatically about 400 euros for nothing and provides you with an apartment. We were told it is to not have poor people on the streets.
8. They have plenty of beer gardens here (like pubs back home) where you drink plenty of German beers and get the best schnitzel and bratwurst around.
DANKE!
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
These pics can get emotional! Hiroshima!
This is the shrine area where all the ashes are!
The remains from a bike of a 3 year old.
Replica of actual size of bomb.
This pics was taken seconds after the blast.
This pic was taken seconds after the blast.
After the explosuion.
The only building to stand after the bomb.
This a replica of the japanese community before the bomb.
This is a small scale view of the community before the bomb.
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