A year in germany - My rotary exchange
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A little confusing - hover your mouse on the picture to see the caption and scroll down to see the most recent photos
My host family - The eldest daughter, Emma, is currently in the US for a Rotary Exchange
A holiday breakfast and typical supper - bread and crackers with toppings: Fleishsalat (yes, meat salad), sausage, natural and spiced fresh and aged cheeses, various jams (homemade!), yogurt, Hering(fish)salat, eir(egg)salat, stuffed peppers, olives, peanut butter (with a big american flag on the label), etc.
From the eyes of babes - Justus has been enjoying using my camera (when it isn’t hidden ;) ), providing another perspective for my blog.
Marzipan treats - sehr süß!
However different the food, some things are universal. (Read the red words...)
A high-tech slice-your-own-bread machine at the grocery store. Another fun “toy” is the plastic bottle sorter - once you feed the bottle into the hole, it is whirled around on rollers and disappears down the chute.
I found this in a catalogue, and couldn’t resist putting it in here. It reminded me so strongly of a certain German-Canadian friend. I thought this sassy look was his signature, but I guess it’s a German thing…
The German and Latvian flags outside the house - with a new addition :)
Straßfest!
Notice the width of the street, and the directions the cars are facing (ie. this is two-way!). Emils assures me that people drive slow, and I guess that streets are not designed to be idiot-proof in Germany.
I am in a household with such creative people - here is a felted angel made by Emma
Delicious muffins made for the Straßfest by Marta - I contributed by peeling the apples and getting in the way of the chef.
What, raw hamburger for breakfast??? Don't worry - trying it, I discovered that this is basically free-form salami. Yum!
Oma's kitchen - adorable tin containers for various dried staples and a wood stove and oven.
Okay, my turn to take some pictures!
Talking to the fire chief at the start of the parade
Not sure what this was made of - it almost looked like thatching. Very impressive though!
Picking up candy
Oma watching the parade - this float is decorated entirely with tissue paper
Emils running up to get a coupon... from a "Minions" float!
One of my favourites - the kites are composed of fresh marigolds (I think) on cardboard backing
The aftermath of the parade - our candy stash
Sorting the treasure
Another flower-power float (yes, all real flowers!) that I forgot to add earlier
Where we stayed for the Rotary Orientation
Bicycles in Holland :)
Cheese, glorious cheese - and it looks like Emils has a favourite!
A Dutch market square
Sampling antipasto at the market - it seems that most vendors speak German
Here's a classic Dutch staircase - more like a ladder!
Making friends at Octoberfest
A Bavarian Band
Friends, quiche, and getting old. What could be better?
Friends at my b-day party plus a cookie monster birthday cake!
Justus takes the wheel for this ride
Strolling through the amusement park - what a beautiful day!
Captain Justus in the pirate ship
A skeleton and bulls-eye: targets for the ships water guns.
The impressive wood "achterbahn" (roller coaster)
Even a mid-afternoon rain shower can't dampen the spirits of these two - I waited under the shelter while they rode the rides around and around (no line-ups!)
First day of tour - Heidelberg bridge and city gate are in the background
A Heidelberg city square at night - the castle on the hill (glowing orange in the background) overlooks the town
Schloss Heidelberg
A view of Heidelberg from the Schloss
Merchants' hall in Cathedral Square, Freiburg
Friends in Hohenschwangau Castle
And out come the flags...
A view of Neuschwanstein castle from Hohenschwangau
Exploring the streets of München
In front of the Feldherrnhalle in München - a site of important Nazi demonstrations
Rothenburg Ob Der Tauber main square at night
Dresden tour
Police cars in front of the opera hall in Dresden - the sign can be roughly translated as "For a Dresden open to the world"
Porcelain factory tour in Dresden - painting demo
Friends at the Berlin Wall
Street art in Berlin
Currywurst at Checkpoint Charlie, Berlin
St. Martin riding past the lantern-bearers
After the St. Martins parade, with my Backmann :)
The Thanksgiving feast...
... and of course, dessert. Everyone was very surprised to find that pumpkin pie tastes similar to gingerbread!
Tannenbaum in front of the Heiligenhaus town hall
Market in Düsseldorf
Milk and cookies for St. Nikolaus (and a portrait of the saint by Marta)
Squeaky clean shoes by the door on Dec. 5th
Presents and chocolate on St. Nikolaus day!
Schokocrossies - mmm!
Working at the bread station at the food bank
A food bank truck... proudly sponsored by Rotary :)
Band concert selfies
Our Copenhagen tour guide said that Danish sounded like a drunk scotsman trying to speak German - but I think some of the words sounded adorable! (Yes, this means parking)
A Danish in Denmark! (Although there, they're called "bread from Vienna". Go figure.)
Introduction
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Fun Facts