So, this is my first blog from our around the world and back tour. it has only happened finally after 4 days of rest in Germany. After a week of craziness in packing and running around sleep deprived trying to get all things packed up and taken care of (and failing in some departments and thanking some wonderful friends who helped pick up my inexcusable slack!) Olli and I were off on our way to the airport only to be stopped by bags being 4 kilos overweight and surprised by a new 8 kilo carry on restriction! OMG!....anywho after all the stress of travel we finally arrive in Kassel, Germany. yay!
We immediately went to the hospital in Kassel to visit Oliver's mother who had been very sick with pneumonia with a stop along the way to buy flowers. I was scared and nervous to meet Oliver's parents since, well... due to our sudden marriage parental units on both sides really didn't have much time for judgment, discernment or say in the matter. All in all it was a pleasant first meeting (as pleasant as one can make it when you are sick in a hospital bed) Next stop: Christmas market! So during this time of year each large city's center has a Christmas market, where tiny cute stores pop up and offer a wide variety of hot mulled wine, speckkuchen (meat fat cakes! yum!) egg nog, cookies, potato pancakes and many more delicious things as well as shops where one can buy Christmas decorations, candles, wreaths... the list goes one. Lets just say the Germans know how to do Christmas! we had arrived during a wintery snow-filled week and walking around in a winter wonderland, sipping hot mulled wine topped with Rum while eating Speckkuchen was.... heavenly! Yum!
However as the days have progressed I've realized... I did not bring enough warm clothing! oh no! People like Markus and Trinidad and Suzanne had warned me about the cold, but there's nothing that can really prepare oneself for weather like experience. My pathetic Northwest standard of cold was nowhere near as cold as it could get....and this wasn't even freezing! Oh boy... what have I signed myself up for?
THANK YOU ELLERY FOR MAKING ME THIS AWESOME SCARF!!! IT IS WHAT IS KEEPING ME WARM!!!
During our 4 days here we've been doing lots of eating, sleeping, and visiting family. Oliver's parents live in a village outside of Kassel called Zierenberg. It a quaint town which I have forgotten to take up close pictures of but have included one of it from afar from the train. Our days spent here were low key with breakfasts and dinners of sausage, bread, pate, and cheese with his father, Fritz. During day 2 we went to the town of Korbach to visit Olli's other sister, Katrine.
We brought his Nieces and Nephews an Xbox w/ Kinect game console and we all went crazy with it. fun times! We had a great dinner full of sausage again and headed back home to Zierenberg the next day. day 3 was Germany Sauna day! If you've never been you should go! The place is called a Therme and its a build up - once natural- hot spring area where there are co-ed and separate, nude and none-nude sauna options! There were about 10 saunas all with different temps. 80C 90C 100C 45C infra-red saunas, Solariums, colt plunges, and outdoor pool complete with snow and icicles! there were sleeping rooms, steam rooms, chill spaces with fire places... even a bar which served mainly beer and...you guessed it... sausages!
NOTE: Olli has been experiencing a bit of culture shock as well. the reason I keep mentioning the bottomless amounts of sausages I've encountered while here is because before he moved to the states Olli had never quite realized just how many sausages his people consumes in their daily life, now everytime we go anywhere there sausage for meals, people carrying sausages, selling sausages and, yes... even sitting butt naked at a German sauna, .5 liters of beer in hand eating-Sausage!
while this is funny for him, it is a bit concerning for me... since, well I have just realized that I don't particularly like sausage! Liverwurst yes, pate-awesome.... sausage... hmmm not everyday please. It's times like these I'm relived I can cook. I am very much looking forward to locating the Asian food stores in Munich! I'm not saying that I don't like hefty wholesome German sausage and congealed meatloaves but well... it's nice to mix it up a bit... and both Olli and I have been incredibly spoiled living in Seattle where we can have Ethiopian, Sushi, Thai, Viet, Korean and Greek all in the same week.
Tonight is our last night in town and we finished our time here with watching old Super 8 films of baby Oliver when he was 1, 2 and 5 years old. they were super awesome films to watch and a nice peak into the past of my partners childhood. I have really enjoyed hanging out with Olli's father, Fritz. he's a pretty quiet guy, but has been interesting/interested in me as well. Yesterday he took us out to a real traditional German restaurant and gave me a tour of the town church which was built in the early 1400's. the church was closed, but he disappeared for a min. and appeared with the key from somewhere.
Anywho it's about 1am here and Olli and I must wake up and catch a train to Frankfurt at 7am to get our flights to BKK around 11am. I hope we get there and not snowed in due to weather conditions. Olli is already asleep and I should get there too! I've included some pictures of us on trains, snow-covered towns and family below... I'm excited for warmer weather! Yipeee!!!
Sleepily Yours,
Mellington
Zzzzz.....
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