A restful day

Today was a day of leisure.  I slept in until roughly 9am and then got up for some breakfast.  Much of the morning was spent poking around the apartment.  I also looked on-line for some furniture sine we desperately need to buy some things once we move.  In the afternoon, Carsten and I went for a walk around our neighborhood and then on some path that seemed to lead into nowhere.  It was really quite relaxing.  Though it was chilly outside, it was also sunny, which made for a nice, crisp winter day.  During the walk, we found a bakery that was actually open on a Sunday and we bought ourselves three slices of cake.  Thus, we came home, had some hot tea and cake and then spent the next few hours playing board games.  It was a much needed day of peace.  And now, let the work/school week begin!

A busy afternoon

Carsten and I headed off to the City Centre this afternoon to do some holiday shopping.  Carsten wanted to look for some gift ideas for his family, in addition, a large Christmas Market is happening in the City Centre as well and we wanted to walk through it.  Having come from Chicago I know what "a lot" of people looks like.  However, the magnitude of people that were at the market was incredible.  Of course it didn't help that so many people also decided to bring their SUV strollers along as well.  Funny, the cars in general are smaller here than in the US, but the strollers are huge!  But I digress.  After a few hours we had enough of that scene and came home to watch the final movie, P2, we rented.  It was the best, by far, of the three we rented and even Carsten agreed, which was a bit surprising since he doesn't care for horror films as much as I do.  Once we finished the movie we decided to go to the circus for one last time.  It was great fun!  A lot of laughing and even though I didn't always understand what was being said it was still funny.  This truly is a dying piece of entertainment.  I would recommend attending a circus if you have a chance.  I know that every year one comes to Chicago and I am sure many other cities have traveling circuses come as well.  In summer 2008, Celebrity Circus was on TV and yes I watched every episode.  The acrobatics take quite a bit of physical strength and the comedic component of the circus is not something that appears easy to obtain.  In the circus we saw, they used the audience a lot and so we really became part of the show.  In the end, just go and you will have a great time! 

Video Rental

Finally, a video store has opened in our neighborhood.  I love me some movies and have been going through a bit of withdrawal without anything new to see.  So last night (Friday) we walked to the video store that opened a week or so ago to see how it is.  Well, it has about two rows of movies, all new releases and a section for pornographic films.  In the end we rented three movies, since they had a special three for the price of one.  We watched two of them last night and will watch the last one today.  The two we saw were Funny Games, a film about a family held hostage in their summer home.  I really enjoyed it and thought is was quite different than most movies made.  The second movie we watched was Hancock, the latest blockbuster from Will Smith.  Honestly, I didn't care for the movie.  Carsten picked it but also was not thrilled with it.  The last movie we got was P2, a horror film that takes place in a parking garage.  Since I am a HUGE horror film buff, I am guessing I will like this one, at least let's hope so!

The weekend is upon us

I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving and didn't eat too much.  After the realtor left last night, I was able to call some people to say hello and wish them well.  It was great hearing the voices of those who I hold dear to my heart.  Though I did not have the time to phone everyone, I hope to be in touch with people soon, either by phone or email.  Oh, and though I had a nice talk with people, it was really, really hard to hear what yummy food you were going to eat (or had just eaten in some cases).  Carsten and I had bread and salad.  Jealous much?!?  

Enjoy the holiday weekend those of you reading this in the US.  Me, not sure what the weekend holds but I hope sleeping in and relaxing is part of it.  

Happy Thanksgiving!

I would like to wish everyone a Happy Thanksgiving.  It is weird to me that I am not cooking or stuffing my face with food (turkey, sweet potatoes, pumpkin pie) at this very moment.  Instead, I am preparing to do some homework.  So far today I have gone to class and cleaned the apartment.  The realtor is coming tonight to show the apartment to prospective tenants and so that meant I had to clean.  In the real world no one really cares how clean the apartment is except me and for those of you who know about my cleanliness...enough said :)

I do want to take a moment though to share what I am thankful for today and everyday.  I am most thankful for Carsten-for his love, patience and support.  I am thankful for my family and wonderful friends-who although they are far away from me now, I know they are only a phone call away.  And finally, I am thankful for the support and encouragement I have received from people while on this journey abroad.

Tracy Chapman, pt. 2

We are back from the concert and let me begin by saying she sounded amazing.  The show was just Tracy on stage with her guitar, no one and nothing else.  According to Carsten, Tracy changed guitars more than Cher changes costumes, to give you an idea of just how many guitars she had at her disposal.  The downside of the show was that she played all her typical songs, i.e. her greatest hits plus three new songs, and their were no surprises.  The upside was her voice and how much she interacted with the audience.  Here is the set list of the show:

1.  Why?

2.  Crossroads

3.  Sing For You

4.  Across The Lines

5.  Save Us All

6.  Change

7.  Stand By Me

8.  The Promise

9.  Something To See

10.  Subcity

11.  Fast Car

12.  Telling Stories

13.  Give Me One Reason

14.  Baby Can I Hold You

15.  Talkin' bout A Revolution

Encore:

16.  Cold Feet (Audience Request)

17.  She's Got A Ticket

I can't wait to see what concert I will attend next!!! 

Tracy Chapman

As one of my birthday gifts, Carsten bought us tickets to see Tracy Chapman in concert.  This will be our second time seeing her.  The last time we saw her was in Chicago at the apt named Chicago Theatre.  She sounded amazing and I can only hope she sounds the same tonight.  She has a new CD available and a single out, though we have yet to purchase the CD.  Thankfully I know the rest of her music catalogue and thus shouldn't be too lost during the show.  One of her greatest songs was called The Promise.  However, the song that made her famous was Fast Car.

A funny story

Okay, so funny might not be the appropriate adjective.  It is more of an "oh my, who does this happen to" kind of funny.  For example, when I was taking a cab in Chicago from Beth's (thanks again for letting me stay at your place) to visit my dear friends Craig and Laura (love you both) my cab hit a deer; yes in the urban area known as the Windy City.  Anyway, this story is that kind of funny.

Picture it, Freiburg, Germany, Saturday, November 22nd.  Carsten and I have looked at five apartments and we are about to see the last one of the day.  We are exhausted, cold, hungry and just want to find a place to live.  As we are waiting at a stop light to turn yellow then green (yes, it goes yellow twice here in Germany) a car is backing up toward our car from the passenger side.  Carsten notices it and makes an off-the-cuff comment.  My reply is "No one is in that car!"  Carsten not being a native English speaker did not exactly understand what I meant by this and then the car hit our car.  Thankfully no major damage was done to either car; however, we did have to phone the police since their was no second driver and we couldn't just leave the scene.  In the end, we decided against the apartment because it is too expensive and doesn't exactly fit our needs.  

My current schedule

A couple weeks back I wrote a post about my schedule; however, since I am now in my German language course that has changed.  So, for those of you wondering how I am currently spending my days, here it goes.

7am - Wake up and get ready for the day

7:30 - Coffee and toast

7:54 - Catch the bus (assuming it is on-time); transfer to subway

8:30 - Arrive at my school and review my homework and materials

9am - Class starts

12:30pm - Class ends

12:45 - Take subway/bus home 

1:30 - Arrive at home

1:35 - Check e-mail, mail, etc.

1:45 - Eat lunch

2pm - Do dishes, sweep floors, do laundry if necessary

3pm - Homework

6-7pm Carsten arrives home; prepare dinner, do dishes

8pm - Relax, watch TV, read, play a board game

11pm - Bed

Realization

It has occurred to me only recently (okay so it was about 10 minutes ago) that Thanksgiving is this Thursday.  Yes, it is sad I won't be with my family, yes it is sad I won't have a paid day off of work (of course since I am not working I guess this doesn't really matter), but what is most sad is that I won't have turkey.  I have looked for it in the grocery stores (I am being kind here using that term to describe the stores in my neighborhood) but I have been unable to find a single turkey.  At this time I can't remember the last time I didn't make a Thanksgiving meal.  I think it might have been 1999 when I was living in Arizona and stayed at home with my friend's Amy and Peter.  Alas, life goes on.  Plus, I can always eat wurst and kraut and pretend it is turkey with all the trimmings.  

I need a chip inserted

How ideal it would be if someone could insert a chip into my head that would enable me to speak and understand German.  Now, I am sure you are thinking "But it is so much more rewarding when you have worked for something and see the results."  Yes, that is true, but at this point I want to see more/better results.  I know that in general I am not the most patient person, but for real, this is driving me crazy.  It has gotten to the point where every night I have a dream that involves me trying to learn to speak German.  I wake up with German words in my mind.  So, the upside is I know some German words; the downside is I just want to sleep and turn my brain off.  Well, enough complaining from my end.  I guess it isn't all bad and hey, maybe soon I can actually put a sentence together correctly...a boy can dream :)  

The Weekend!

Well hello.  We finally made it back after a weekend in Freiburg, where we looked at apartments.  We left early on Friday afternoon, around 2pm, to try and beat some of the weekend traffic.  The trip from München to Freiburg is expected to take approximately 4.5 hours by car.  It took us about 6.5 due, not only to traffic and typical road construction, but the weather turned bad.  Once we arrived we ate a cheap spaghetti dinner and then headed off to our friend Andrea's, where we were sleeping the next two nights.

Saturday was a busy day.  We woke up at 7am for breakfast and to get ready and had our first appointment at 9:30am.  Throughout the day, we looked at 6 different apartments, none of which stood out as the best place for us.  We liked several of them, but they all had strengths and weaknesses.  Some were large, others were massive and a couple were on the smaller side.  Some were brand new and others were quite old.  It was fun to see all our options, but also mind-blowing.  We were both quite tired when we finished and were able to head back to Andrea's, which was around 5pm.  

On Sunday we looked at 4 more places.  Again, we had no real winner.  Some were better than others but none of them were crap-shacks.  We again had to get up around 7am to be ready for our first appointment at 9:30am.  Today we finished around 3pm and then headed back to München.  As expected, this time it only took the 4.5 hours.  We were quite exhausted from it all, but still needed to go through all the information to try and pick to right one for us.  At the time of this writing, this is still not clear :)

As many of you reading this know from our talks when Carsten and I were looking for places in München, most apartments here don't come with kitchens.  In addition, the tenant is responsible for light fixtures as well as many added costs that are not typical when looking at apartments in the United States.  This, along with the number of places we saw, added to an overwhelming weekend.  However, we are both secure in knowing we will make the right decision in terms of where to live.  Plus, are next place can't possibly have as many faults as our current place!!!

FRUSTRATED!!!

It is finally Friday and I have finished my first week of German language school.  Let me just say that I am rather frustrated with my inability to grasp this language.  However, what is interesting is how I am able to recall more things from my years of taking Spanish.  That being said, maybe in 20 years I will remember some of the German I have "learned" this week!

Carsten and I will be leaving shortly for Freiburg, as we have scheduled several apartments to look at this weekend with the hopes of picking one for us to move into.  It is raining quite hard currently and is expected to be in the 20's in Freiburg, so basically I am back in the Midwest :)

Off to Carsten's Birthday dinner

Since Carsten had to go to Hamburg for work we were not able to celebrate his birthday.  So we are going out tonight for dinner with our neighbors, Sven and Cathleen (from our night out last week-see earlier post and picture) to celebrate the birth of Carsten.  So, here I am preparing for the night out-though I still don't know where we are going.  But, I could guess that sausage and kraut are on the menu :)

I stink at Math, no matter what language!

I have known for many years that Math is not my friend.  I even learned in college that I have an enemy in Statistics; actually nemesis might be a better word for it.  Anyway, today I learned that numbers and Math, whether in English or German, cause me grief.  So much so, that at one point in class today we were doing an exercise and though I knew the teacher was talking I went completely blank.  I saw her lips move but that was about all.  So when it came time for me to answer a question from what she just said clearly I couldn't.  Since I am not the best at lying I just said "I'm sorry I have no idea what we are doing at the moment."  Though everyone laughed and thought it was a joke I really was clueless...shocker I know.  Luckily the teacher came back to me a little bit later and I could redeem myself, for the most part.  Not surprising, I did pretty well with naming furniture and such for homes.  Interior decorating here I come!  Wait, do I need numbers for that job?   

Day 3 of school

It has come to my attention that I am out of practice when it comes to school/learning and all that is required for this to happen.  Again today I am struggling with staying awake.  Most of my fellow classmates talked (in Spanglish) about being tired, so at least I know I am not the only one.  However, I can't believe how much I am looking forward to the weekend when I don't have to get up so early to get off to school.  Sure, I will still have to get up early, as Carsten is not one for "wasting a day."  But it will be much better to not have to run off to catch a bus.  No, not the short bus, a regular sized one.  I continue to really enjoy my class and the teacher, but I still struggle with retaining the information.  I seem able to say most things; I just need to be prompted on what to say when.  That is something I clearly need to work on.  That being said, I am off to continue doing my Hausaufgabe (homework).

So tired!

This picture shows just how I feel today.  I cannot believe how tired I am.  I think it has to do with now having to get up early to go to school; especially since I have been a Hausmann (house-husband) for the past several weeks.  I was up extra early today with Carsten to send him off to Hamburg, which I think only added to my drowsiness.  Of course, if I wouldn't have stayed up so late last night reading my new book "Seeing" by Jose Saramago I might not be as tired today.  Speaking of books, I just finished reading "Thunderstruck" by Erik Larson and I must say I did not love it.  I really enjoyed his last book, this one not as much.  Though it did get better for the last quarter of the book.  

Anyway, today was a tough day at school.  It shocks me at how little I can recall moment-to-moment in this class and yet I seem to remember most movies, actors/actresses, singers, etc.  Plus, I was not the best dressed today.  Here I thought I looked so dapper and in walked another student and as soon as I saw her I thought, "now she knows how to dress."  Clearly it is time for me to focus less on my appearance, as well as the appearance of others, and get busy with learning German.   And we all know that is easier said than done, not that I am one to judge :)

Carsten's birthday

Today, November 18th, is Carsten's birthday.  However, he had to leave quite early this morning to catch a flight to Hamburg where he will be until late on Wednesday night.So we won't spend his birthday together.  That being said, as you can see from the picture, he doesn't look a day over 40!!!  Happy Birthday Sweetie!

First day of school

Today was my first day of German language school.  The class meets 3.5 hours each day, five days per week for four weeks.  Like every other first day of school, I was a bit nervous.  I had the same thoughts running through my head as when I was younger:  Will I be the dumbest in the class?  Will I say something wrong/stupid?  Will the other students not like me?  and most important...What should I wear?  Let's begin!  I looked fantastic.  I wore black pants and black shoes with a green colored sweater and a multi-colored scarf with a charcoal grey coat.  Whether I was the dumbest in the class has yet to be determined and I definitely said things wrong/stupid.  The class is small with only seven students.  I really only spoke to one of the students who sat right next to me.  Everyone seemed really nice and most appeared to be just as nervous and confused as me.  Oh, and did I mention I was the best dressed?  I realize that could go without saying but I figured I would just say it and make sure everyone was on the same page.  We are given homework each day and that is what I am off to do right now.  Auf Wiedersehen.

Dachau

Today Carsten and I went to the Dachau Concentration Camp Memorial Site.  It was the very first concentration camp and the last one to be shut down.  It was an extremely emotional place for me to visit; as I am sure it is for most people.  I could not bring myself to take any pictures inside the buildings as it felt disrespectful to all the men who suffered there.  The reason I say men is because only men were allowed at this particular camp.  I have attached the link to Wikipedia that talks more about the camp and has some pictures from inside the buildings and crematorium.  Click here to see my pictures.  

It's Saturday; you know what that means?

Yes, another Saturday another day of looking at cars.  However, this time we actually test drove one.  It appears that an Audi is officially out of the picture (sorry John).  We both sat in one and hit our heads and realized we are both too tall for an Audi.  Instead, we drove a VW Golf Plus.  It was a fun little car and reminded me a lot of Dixie (my car in Chicago).  The one we drove was also the same color as Dixie and had some pep to it.  

After our trip to the car dealership we went looking for furniture.  It appears that in only a few months I may be sleeping in a proper bed, instead of a mattress on the floor.  Though we did not find a bed frame we did agree on a mattress.  Oh, and in case you are wondering why we are waiting for furniture, it is easier to move with less stuff so we are waiting until after we are in Freiburg to get anything new.   

How I learn

As I wrote earlier in the week, I have been using the Internet, along with my German in 10 minutes a day workbook, to get a head start on my German language education.  I thought some people might be interested in the web page or possibly trying their hand at German.  So, click here to access the page.    

Also, my official German language class begins on Monday, I am a bit nervous, as evident by my dreams every night.  Seriously, if I have one more dream involving German nouns or getting kicked out of the country for not speaking the language I think I might snap.

Have a great weekend everyone!  

Picture from my night out...

Here is a photo from my night out on Tuesday where we went to the club 8-Seasons.  The people in the picture from left to right are:

Me 

Carsten

Friend of our neighbors  (can't remember her name)

Kathleen and Sven (our neighbors)

What do I do all day?

I get asked a lot what it is I do all day, especially since I am not working at the present time.  Although my schedule will change next week, I thought I would write down now what it is I do to occupy my time.  Here we go...

*  I wake up irritated because Carsten can't seem to turnoff his alarm clock

*  I either fall back asleep or wake up for the day.  If I fall back asleep it is for less than one hour

*  I make the bed (assuming no cat is sleeping on it)

*  I check my email, return emails and look at my facebook page

*  I make some coffee, eat brunch and watch a cartoon DVD, usually Scooby Doo (the kid in me)

*  Now the cleaning begins ~ dishes, sweeping, dusting, cat litter, mopping (if needed), bathroom

*  During this past week I have also been studying my German on the Internet which has taken away from my cleaning schedule

*  Sometimes I will walk to the market for food or to the dry cleaners

*  Once Carsten arrives home I prepare dinner

Basically I am a regular June Cleaver but with better fashion sense.  Of course next week when I officially start my German language course this schedule will change, drastically, but I will wait until then to figure out how to get all my cleaning done.

I'm tired of learning!!!

After 10 years of higher education one would think I have this learning thing down pat.  Well, I don't.  Maybe at 24 years old I am just too old to learn anymore, no I don't believe that either.  Of course I can still learn (and of course I am still 24), but maybe I should pick something other than a new language.  That being said, I can now count to 1000(ish), name the days of the week, the months of the year, the alphabet and greetings and salutations.  My task for Thursday will be German noun suffixes.  I know this is all thrilling for you all to read so just think of how exciting it is for me to actually be doing.  Thankfully, I was given the workbook "German in 10 minutes a Day" by my good friend Jim; yes, I am using the book.  Also, who knew the Internet had free language courses, sort of.  Seriously, what doesn't the Internet have.  On a final note, shortly before I left Chicago I attended a conference on Internet Addiction.  Well, all I have to say is "Hello, my name is William and I am addicted to the Internet."  

Goin' to da club!

Tonight I went to my first German dance club.  I have gone to pubs and beer gardens but never to a dance club.  And as most everyone knows I like to shake my groove thang!  After a day of cleaning and studying German it seemed like the right time to cut loose, even if it was a Tuesday night.  So, Carsten and I, together with our neighbors with to 8-Seasons where we met up with some of our neighbor's friends.  It was really quite cool and I had a blast.  Oh, and this is the song that got me on the dance floor.

Getting my learning on

So, my German language course begins one week from today.  As preparation for my course Carsten has decided to give me tasks to get a jump start on my learning.  My task for today is counting from 1-1000, the days of the week and possibly some greetings.  Clearly I should have been paying closer attention when he was giving me my "homework." 

Circus

No, not the new Britney Spears album, a real live circus.  As most people who are reading this know, I am from Baraboo, WI, home of Circus World Museum.  Now, I could go on and on and write about the history of the circus and what it represents, but thankfully other people wrote about it at Wikipedia and you can find out all about the circus here.  The circus we went to see was the Barelli Circus.  Honestly, it was a blast and really helped to improve my mood.  I don't have many pictures from the circus as my battery went dead (camera battery that is).  Clearly I need to get better at charging this thing on a regular basis.  But, I did manage to get one of me and Carsten (shocking, I know) and of the outside of the tent.  The few I did get from inside did not turn out too well due to how dark it was inside the big top.  

The old keep getting older!!

Today is the birthday of my mom and my brother.  Though I am not able to be with you on this special day,  I hope you both have a wonderful day.  I miss and love you both very much...

More driving practice

Today we decided to look at more cars.  It appears that I have lost the battle on the Audi.  It seemed as though I might be making progress with this task of mine until Carsten had to go and sit in one and bump his head.  Apparently he wants head room.  Whatever; I think looking good is clearly more important than functionality (case in point look at some of the shoes I wear!).  That being said, Carsten has picked the Skoda Octavia for us to drive.  I never heard of it either, so here is a picture of the car.  

After looking at cars I practiced some more driving.  I did not do as well this time as the last, but I think part of that was not being in the mood for driving.  No, this had nothing to do with the Audi, though maybe I would have practiced longer if behind the wheel of one :)

Keeping a low profile

My mood seems to be getting the better of me as of late.  I didn't leave the house today and I only did the most minimal amount of cleaning possible, which is how I really know I am in a funk :)  However, I was able to talk with some of my friends today on the telephone, which was a huge mood booster for me.  So, to all those I was able to reach, thank you for your friendship and encouragement, and for those I did not speak with, don't worry, your time is coming!! 

A breakdown of sorts

This morning we had an early rise as we needed to get into the city to fill out the necessary paperwork for me to officially reside in Germany.  The building was a it overwhelming and a bit like a maze.  I felt much like how I suspect a lab mouse feels.  The process itself was also overwhelming to me.   Think of going to the DMV times 100!!!  Thankfully Carsten was there to help me through.  In the end, I have six months to take what's called an A1 test.  This test will prove that I know enough of the German language.  Now, I am already freaking out a bit since everyone knows how well I am at tests!

When we finally left, Carsten went to work and I went to the grocery store and then home.  Upon arriving home I seemed to have a bit of a breakdown.  The song I was listening to was not a sad song, necessarily, though it was a holiday song.  At the same time, I was looking at a picture of one of my best friends, Alica, and that is when I lost it.   I have been here about one month now and though I am happy to be here and have this opportunity (thanks solely to Carsten) I can't help but miss my life in Chicago.  

Just Keeping Busy

Reading has become one of my favorite past times.  I have enjoyed it for some time now, but with having no TV as a distraction or much communication with the outside world books have become my main outlet.  I finished reading The Other Boleyn Girl this past weekend and really enjoyed the book immensely.  Since then I have read The Good Wife and Last Night at the Lobster, both by Stewart O' Nan.  Now I am reading Thuderstruck by Erik Larson.  

While going to the dry cleaners today, yes I go frequently, I had a new woman wait on me.  This one was also quite friendly and spoke more English than the other attendant I normally have.  She was also very patient with me and helped me to understand what the details on the receipt mean.  Though I had already figured this out from my other times there, I thought it so polite that she would try to help me out in this way. 

In the evening Carsten brought home two board games.  We enjoy board games quite a lot and though most of the ones we play are German games,  we don't play any that have to do with words.  However, since I rarely win I guess it wouldn't make much difference :)  The game we played tonight was Just 4 Fun.  I'd provide a link for it, but it is all in German.  If is sort of like Connect Four, but with more strategy and not as straight forward.

Election Day

Today is election day in the US.  With the time change I am not able to follow the election as I might like.  So what am I to do?  How about shopping?!?  That's right; just walking myself over to the nearest mall.  Carsten and I decide to meet there when he is done with work.  No problem, except I get a little lost.  In the end we find one another and tootle around the mall.  It still surprises me to see a grocery store in the mall.  I don't know why really; I mean, it actually makes some sense.  I went to buy the makings for homemade guacamole only to not be able to find avocados.  What kind of third world county am I living in!!! Okay, it's not that bad; really :) 

Picture this, Munich 2008.  A stunningly attractive American and a German leave the mall and begin to walk home, in the dark, a different way than how the American came to the mall. What happens, you guessed it they get lost.  Now, not just lost but stuck in a muddy field and no light. As most of you know, the American watches way too many horror films.  Let me just say the surroundings were perfect for some one or some thing with a saw, machete, or anything else to come and do them in.  But I digress.  I have been watching too many Golden Girl episodes.

  

Some things I will never understand or "Look what else is new to me!"

I am guessing that this will be an on-going series with my blog.  

Living someplace that is different from my previous experiences gives me plenty of things to not fully understand.  One of the first things that took me by surprise was our garage.  As you can see from the picture below, our garage has two "floors." The car that is in the garage in the picture belongs to our downstairs neighbor.  The empty spot above her car is where our car goes; essentially our garage uses a lift to put our car in or the neighbors car in.  Never in my life have I seen a garage like this.  And this is just one of many things that is new to me.  

Brauneck

Today we went hiking at Brauneck.  We started at the bottom, which was in the village of Lenggries, and climbed to Brauneck.  From there we continued climbing (because really who needs legs) to Latschenkopf.  If you look here at the pictures, you will find a map and some of the views from the outing.  It was absolutely beautiful there.  It was a steep hike and seemed to go on forever, though I was told it was not as high as some of our other hikes.  Of course we could have taken a cable car/ski lift thing up and/or down, but that seems like cheating. Coming down we got caught in nightfall and it was pretty dark by the time we made it to our car.  However, you could still see the beauty that was surrounding us.  

This experience today really helped me to appreciate how fortunate I am to have this opportunity of living in another country and experiencing the beauty that it holds.  Though you are not here with us, I hope you enjoy the pictures!

Driving a Manual 101

Today was a nice and relaxing day.  It started out with some breakfast and Carsten playing around on the computer while I finished reading the book "The Other Boleyn Girl."  Afterward we took a walk to a car dealership to look at possible cars for us.  I found a great Audi A3 2.0 TDI that I think would be perfect for us.  Carsten found a 3 series BMW, I think.  I really was more focused on the Audi.  Anyway, all this talk of cars made Carsten think it was time for me to learn how to drive a 5-speed.  Now, I have been "taught" in the past how to drive a 5-speed and even drove to Colorado in a 5-speed.  But that was a long time ago and I was not that great then.  So, we took some time to practice the basics.  I only stalled the car a few times...or so.  I clearly need some more practice, but I wasn't horrible either.  Personally I think I need that Audi as motivation for learning how to drive a 5-speed.  Here it is and I think you will know what I mean.