Alsfeld that Ends Well

Okay, that was a stretch with the title, but I'm feeling a little cheesy today :)

If you've visited this part of Europe (or maybe any part of Europe), you know that everything pretty much comes to a standstill on Sundays. With the exception of churches, restaurants and gas stations, everything else closes down. Determined not to spend an entire day locked up in our hotel, however, we ventured out to the little town of Alsfeld for a visit...what a gem we found! Beautiful buildings, amazing architecture, cute little bistros, and incidentally, one of the largest groups of American tourists we have seen to date. They were getting a tour of the town in English (note to self: I have GOT to sign up for one of those someday). There is obviously a lot of history in this little village, but I was content (for the time being) to just enjoy its beauty. It was a photographer's dream as every corner we turned looked like a postcard. Though I am definitely an amateur photographer, I snapped a few shots to share with each of you. Hope you enjoy!

 

Schönes Wochenende

We had another beautiful weekend in Marburg, filled with relaxation and fun! Saturday we went to Circus Krone, which happened to be Emmett's very first circus...as well as mine! That's right, at the ripe age of 36, I had never seen a circus! E's favorites were the sea lions and other animals. I, however, preferred the performance acts--the jugglers, acrobats, and trapeze artists. So we were all happy, and E has been talking about it ever since.

Sunday, we packed up a picnic lunch and went to a nearby park. Joe and E ran some laps in a fruitless effort to wear our boy out, but alas, he was still up until almost 10 p.m. that night...I give up! In the afternoon, my amazing husband gave me three whole hours to myself as he and E went to a football game (yes, American football) here in Marburg. Apparently, they had a great time since Emmett was still crying when he got home...he didn't want to leave "that fun game". I spent my three hours taking a bubble bath and watching an entire movie...alone...uninterrupted. I can't remember the last time I did that. It was heavenly.

Finally, on Sunday, we decided to take a drive to Edersee, a lake just over an hour north of Marburg. It had been recommended to Joe by a colleague, so we thought we would check it out. The ride alone was worth the trip there--beautiful trees, adorable little towns, lush green grasses...I could go on and on. Once we arrived at Edersee, we found people camping, wind surfing, fishing, and drinking...it felt like we were right back in the U.S. It was a beautiful little spot, so I know we will be returning again soon, especially since there is an old castle which has been turned into a hotel. You can't pass up a chance to sleep in a castle, right? After a full day there, Emmett declared that his favorite part of the whole weekend was, you guessed it, throwing rocks in the lake. This kid is nothing if not consistent. A boy and his rocks.

Racing around the park


Hoarding rocks to throw into the lake


Taking in a double wide slide!


No matter where we go, E manages to find a popsicle :)

Reunited!

A home just isn't a home without our Murphy Lee! Our 11 year old kitty arrived in Germany on Friday, and we were all thrilled to see him. We felt like a part of our little family was missing until he got here. I am sure that the last month has been traumatic for the poor guy--his first stay in a kennel (and a long one at that), a few trips to the vet, and an international flight (11 or so hours in an animal crate). He made it though, the little trooper, and he is settling in nicely so far. He has found his "safe spots" along with a few choice windows that provide hours of people-watching entertainment. Needless to say, Emmett is thrilled to have his buddy back...now it is starting to feel like home!

 

Zoo Enthusiasts

Since Emmett is such an animal lover, we are making it our mission to visit every zoo that is within driving distance during our stay here. We had already seen the zoo in Frankfurt, so our next stop was the Kolner Zoo, in Koln (Cologne), Germany. Two of Joe's colleagues have a little battle going on as to which is the better of the two zoos...not surprisingly, the woman from Koln prefers the Kolner Zoo and the woman from Frankfurt is convinced that their zoo is the best. So, we were sent to break the tie.

Having seen them both, I can honestly say that they are both wonderful parks. However, the one in Koln might have just won out simply because it had an awesome aquarium, which we weren't expecting (of course, we told the two women that they tied...we don't need to make enemies already). Beautiful fresh and salt water aquariums kept E entertained for over an hour of our visit. What I love about seeing zoos in other countries is that they often have animals that we don't have at our zoos in the states, so we definitely saw a few new things during our trip.

Here are some pics of our visit to the Kolner zoo--enjoy!