Food, Glorious Food!



Jaegerschnitzel with croquettes

 Of course, in true "Hyre" fashion, food has taken a large place of importance in our German experience. Just down the road in the next village, we have what we affectionately refer to as "our restaurant". We eat there on a regular basis enjoying scrumptious German food. The Jaegerschnitzel with croquettes is my personal favorite. It's a lightly breaded pork filet with brown mushroom gravy, and croquettes are these cool little things that can only be described as fried mashed potato sticks. If we aren't in the mood for German food, they also serve really yummy pizza and calzones.
It might be hard to believe, but we've gone almost four months without a single taste of saurkraut. Finally, this past weekend when we were down in Bavaria, we got some. It was really good. They served it with a super tender slice of pork roast and the best bread dumpling I've ever had. This is the wierd part- they served it with brown gravy over the top. At first I thought that was really wierd, but it was actually delicious. The saurkraut we had was sweeter than what we're used to, so the gravy actually worked well.
We're also incredibly blessed to have our own little bakerei (bakery) just a few blocks away from our house. Now that is one thing that is totally missing in the States- family owned and operated bakeries that make everything on site. Can you say "YUM!"? The lady that owns the bakery is the sweetest thing you'll ever meet, and she speaks English. The first time we went in there, she spent like 5 minutes going over everything in the cases so that we would know exactly what was what. Everytime I walk in there and smell that "bakery" smell,  fond memories of Pap Hyre come flooding back. There is nothing like a homemade donut, or a maple pecan pastry to bring back nostalgia. Haley has discovered the Milka Croissant (Milka is a brandname of German chocolate), which I have to admit is every bit as scrumptous as anything I've ever tasted. It's definitely going to be interesting at the beach this year. I'm still trying to figure out how to tuck all my extra "bakery pounds" into my bathing suit. 
The other popular thing to eat in Germany, is a Doner Kebab. "Doners" as they're called, are Turkish sandwiches made of meat (here it's either pork or chicken) that has been grilled on a huge vertical rotisserie. The meat is put into a pocket of really delicious bread, veggies and cheese are added, and all is topped off with Tzatziki sauce. I have to admit, they are pretty delicious.
The overall dining in Germany is a little bit different than it is in the States. First, there is no such thing as ordering plain old water to drink. Water comes in a bottle only- with gas or still, meaning with bubbles or without. A lot of places serve this really gross tasting mineral water, so I find that I'm ordering soda a lot more often than I used to. Speaking of which, the soda here is also different. Although popular brands like Coke, Sprite, and Fanta are readily available, the Germans mix it differently, and it is much less sweet than traditional soda. Germans also don't believe in watering down their drinks with ice. If you're lucky, they will take pity on you when they realize you're American, and they'll put one or two icecubes in your drink, but that's about as good as it gets. For an ice glutton like me, that has definitely taken some getting used to. Oh yeah, there's also no such thing as free refills. I find that I'm drinking much less these days because of it.
Another different thing in German dining, is that tips are not expected. If you've received good service, all you are expected to do is round up the bill to the next euro or so. This is a good thing because it offsets the additional expenses you acrew in purchasing beverages. LOL
I guess no post about German dining would be complete without a mention of that old American staple, and the most beloved fast food establishment in Europe-McDonalds! We've now had the experience of eating McDonalds in several different countries. They are everywhere!! I have to say though, that as much as I did not care for McDonalds in the States, I do actually crave it every now and then, and it's always a comfort when you're not in the adventurous mood to be able to walk in and order a Big Mac. Not only do they taste pretty good, but they are pronounced the same in every other language as they are in English. The only difference is that you order a Big Mac "menu" instead of a "meal". (This is a big plus when your German vocabulary is pretty much limited to "hello", "goodbye", "please", and "thank you"). The menu is almost the same as it is in the States, but one cool thing we've discovered is that in Belgium a breakfast meal consists of an Egg McMuffin, a croissant with butter and jam, hot chocolate, and juice. Pretty cool. You totally feel so cosmopolitan when you eat there.
Learning to appreciate different foods than you're used to has really been a fun experience, but if I'm being honest with myself, I have to admit that there are days when all I can think about is a big juicy steak and yeast rolls from Texas Roadhouse, or shrimp scampi and cheese garlic biscuits from Red Lobster. It's definitely one of the things I'm looking forward to when we go to Florida next month. Texas Roadhouse, here I come!








McDonald's in Belgium-pretty fancy!



Courtney and Me eating doners





 

McDonald's menu in Holland

How to Eat an Elephant...One Post at a Time

So, I figured that it was about time to get caught up on my blog. With all the internet issues that come with moving into a new house in Germany, it didn't take long for me to get out of the habit of posting...Especially since I hadn't been doing it long enough to really get "in" the habit in the first place.
So here goes, as the proverbial elephant, I will try to catch everything up to date over a period of time versus all at once. That way, I can include more details and pictures.
As of this Friday (27th) we will mark the 4 month anniversary of our sojourn in Germany. So much has happened- we've moved into a new home, learned to adapt and adjust to living in a foreign country, and had the privilege of seeing some of the most amazing sights ever! Yes, there are differences to get used to and homesickness to overcome, but then I take a walk around our sweet little lake, breathe in all the freshness and beauty around me, and I think, "O.M. Gosh- I am living in Germany!!!".
I find that with each new experience, my first thought is of how badly I want to share it with all of the people I love who are so far away, so I hope you will forgive me for indulging myself in rambling on about all of my adventures. I can only hope that as many of you as possible will be able to actually come over here and experience them right alongside me. The more the merrier!!
So, with no further ado, I will now start on my catch-up posts...

I Bleed Red, White, and Blue!




Scott in front of the Luxembourg American Cemetary and Memorial

 


Luxembourg American Cemetary



The top line in the cluster of green arrows up near the top of the map depicts the position of the 83rd Infantry Division that my great uncle was assigned to.

                                                       



Scott in front of General Patton's grave



 Talk about an amazing weekend. Yesterday, Scott and I were able to take a tour to Bastogne, Belgium to see some of the famous WWII battle sites, namely the Battle of the Bulge. Our morning began with a bus trip to the American National Cemetary in Luxembourg. What an amazing place. I've always thought of myself as someone who appreciates the sacrifices others have made on my behalf to secure my rights and liberty, but going to that cemetary was a very spiritual experience, and I truly walked away with new eyes.

The highlight of the trip for me, was being able to learn more about the brave men, including my Great Uncle Robert Burkett, who fought so hard to ward off the major offensive of the German Army there known as the Battle of the Bulge. My uncle was killed in action on November 23, 1944,Thanksgiving Day, which was just a few weeks before he was scheduled to come home. It was pretty amazing to learn so much about the bravery of the men in my great uncle's division- The 83rd Infantry Division, which was part of General George S. Patton's Third Army.

We went on to visit the actual forest where the fighting took place, where some of the foxholes they fought in are still there. I can't even imagine what it must have been like, sitting in a dirt hole in the bitterest of cold, with artillary raining down in a constant barrage all around me.

The final stop was the headquarters of Brigadier General Anthony MacAuliffe of the 101st Airborne Division in Belgium. Since the regular commander was away at a conference, General MacAullife was the acting commander. The German Army, under a flag of truce, requested that the 101st surrender because the Germans had them surrounded. General MacAuliffe's famous reply was just one word-"NUTS". The one word reply was typed up by an aide and given to the German envoys. They were confused at this answer, and asked if it was in the positive or the negative. The American courier told them that in simple English it meant "Go to heck".
The Battle of the Bulge was Germany's largest offensive attack in on the western front. Thanks to the bravery and determination of those amazing young men, the Germans were beaten back, severely depleting their supplies, crippling their ability to gain any of their intended objectives, and ultimately allowing Allied Forces to finally bring an end to the war.
I'll have to admit that initially, I wasn't super excited to spend the day looking at "war stuff", but I truly feel blessed to have been able to better understand exactly what happened, and the blessings that I've received directly as a result of their sacrifices. God Bless America!

101st Airborne Division headquarters where General MacAuliffe gave his famous reply to the German request for surrender- "NUTS!!"



Diarama at The Battle Museum in Belgium
Depicts Thanksgiving Day 1944- The day my great uncle Robert Burkett was killed in action.



Driving!

Ok, so before you read this post, just remember that I am in fact still here to record the events of the day, so we all know that everything will turn out ok.......
Today I had my first driving experience on THE AUTOBAHN!!!!!! I've lived here for a month 1/2, and  since it's Sunday, and we were going to church, I figured I had a better chance of my guardian angel being on duty- just in case.  I guess I should mention that getting to our church building takes a good 25 minutes of mostly highway driving. It's not just a buzz down the road.
Let me tell you, it was one wild ride! It didn't help that I'm driving a little VW Golf stick shift. The reccommended speed on the autobahn is 130kmh, which sounds really awesome, but when you convert that to miles its only about 78mph, so not quite as impressive as you first think. I figured that I could at least get close to that in my little VW, but alas, I had almost everyone whizzing by me like I was just sitting still on the side of the road. Even little old German ladies were passing me! I guess most people take the whole 130 thing as exactly what it is-a suggestion and not a rule.
Finally, with the help of my faithful navigator, Courtney, we not only made it to church without getting lost, but we also arrived without harm nor incident. I walked into church feeling pretty full of myself. (Despite the fact that old ladies made me look bad).
Fast forward to our after-church trip home. I'm all full of myself, feeling good, when lo and behold, I stall out at a red light. It was pretty embarassing because there are people from church behind me, but I just blow it off and act like it was the car's fault and not my own. By this time I should mention, the girls are freaking out and yelling stuff about how we're all going to die. Not exactly what I need to be hearing right then, ya know? The rest of the trip is uneventful, and we arrive in the parking lot of our hotel unscathed. Once again, I start feeling pretty cocky about my amazing ability to drive a stick shift car in a foreign country. I guess you could say I spoke a little too soon.  As I pull into the parking space, I randomly get the clutch mixed up with the brake pedal, and instead of stopping, I roll over the curb, and into the parking space on the other side. This is the part where I say a quick prayer of thanks that no else had decided to park in that particular space!
So now I'm pretty sure that I'm going to have to pay my children to get them to ride in the car with me after this. Heck, I may even have to pay myself!
 I have learned some important lessons though.
     1. Don't be cocky. It always comes back to bite you in the end.
     2. Today's tragedy is tomorrow's comedy. Once the shock wore off, we couldn't stop
          laughing. Especially when we realized that a couple of people were standing outside
          and saw the whole thing happen. 
     3. I NEED AN AUTOMATIC!!!!!!!

Misc. Goings On



Lauren, Courtney, and Flat Emma getting ready to board the train to Heidelberg




Our family in front of the Neckar River




Courtney, Me and Flat Emma standing in front of the Old Heidelberg bridge




Courtney has always wanted to marry a prince, now she has a king!




Scott and I in one of the Heidelberg squares with Heidelberg castle in the background




One of the facades of Heidelberg Castle

 Wow, I'm really going to have to get used to posting weekly. It's amazing that it's already been almost 2 weeks since my last post, and I'm already having trouble trying to remember all the things that I want to record.
We had a tragedy last week here in our Ramstein community. On March 2, two airmen were shot and killed by a suspected Islaamic extremist, when he boarded a military bus that was parked outside of the Frankfurt airport. Back on base we didn't have any clue what was going on, but they went into lockdown mode, and we couldn't get into any of the buildings on base without showing our military ids. It turns out that 2 of the airmen involved were stationed at Lakenheath Air Base in England (where Scott worked for 3 months back in 2007), and they were on their way to support military operations overseas. The third airman was a transportation operator that was stationed here at Ramstein. Living here has definately opened my eyes in a very real way to the sacrifices that our men and women in uniform make each and every day to protect and defend our freedoms. A large percentage of the members of our church congregation are currently deployed in dangerous areas of the world. These people are no longer just names. They are actual family members of people I know, and I see how challenging it is for their loved ones who are left behind to "keep the homefires burning". This whole experience has definately reminded me of how proud and how grateful I am to be an American.
On a lighter note, we had our first houseguest (or should I say "hotelguest") come for a visit. Our 7 year old niece, Emma, was kind enough to reccommend us to her friend Flat Emma. Flat Emma is here to check out our community. After spending a few weeks here, and documenting all of her fun experiences in Germany, she will report back to her friend Emma's first grade class. She is going to share a little bit about what it's like to live in a German community. We've really been having a blast showing her the sights, and can't wait for her to get back to Colorado so that she can share what she's learned!
Another fun thing we did this past weekend, was visit Heidelberg. What a neat city! Some of the buildings date back to the 14th century and earlier! Many were destroyed in war, but not WWII like you might think. They were actually destroyed by King Louis IVX because he was mad that his troops had been defeated. As he retreated back through Germany, he burned everything in his path. Interestingly enough, the city escaped the ravages of Allied bombing attacks during WWII, because the people of Heidelberg  cooperated with Allied Forces. They allowed them to use Heidelberg as a base of operations for their bombing raids on other German cities, thus saving their city from becoming a huge pile of rubble.
While in Heidelberg we also got to tour the amazing castle that sits up on the hill. Parts of the castle were destroyed by fire, but it is magnificent. Our favorite story of the palace was the story of Freidrich V and Elisabeth Stuart (granddaughter of the famous English queen- Mary Queen of Scotts). Their arranged marriage took place when they were each just 19 years old, but they fell deeply in love with each other. Friedrich had an entire new palace built along side the old one just for her. It is said that he ordered the stonemasons to carve small creatures into the rock of the castle, so that every time the queen found a new one, she would owe her husband a kiss. Cheesey, I know, but sweet.
The fun thing about seeing all of these ancient sights, is the itch it gives me to learn more about the history of what I've seen, and the people who lived before me. As I walk down the hallways of these ancient edifaces, I can't help but think about the people that walked those same hallways centuries before me. Who were they? What were their stories? It's pretty surreal.  

The First Month In Review



Our first German home- TLF (Temporary Living Quarters)
 Ramstein A.F.B.





Our first German meal- Andreas Stubes in Landstuhl



Me in front of Burg Berwartstein




Scott and I checking out the castle ruins of Burg Lichtenburg

 Well, today is the one month anniversary of our arrival in Germany. We have experienced lots of firsts including our first German meal, our first castle,our first insane trip on the autobahn, and of course, our introduction to the awesomeness of heated towel racks!
It's definately been a period of adjustment, and I don't think we'll feel completely "here" until we move into our house at the end of this month, but we're grateful to have the opportunity to see another part of the world.
So far we've explored 3 castles- Burg Lichtenberg, Burg Berwartenstein, and Burg Nanstein. (If you haven't caught on yet, "burg" means "castle" or "fortress"). The crazy thing is, we haven't even touched the tip of the iceberg yet. You can't swing a dead cat in Germany, and not hit a castle. They love their "burgs"!
We've also enjoyed lots of food. I was a little dissapointed to find out that saurkraut is not to be found on the menu in most German Restaurants around here. Germany is divided up into several "states" or regions, and we live in the Rhineland- Phalz region. This area is known for it's wine, but alas, no saurkraut. I guess we have to head to Bavaria for that.
Another big landmark has been getting my German driver's license. One may think it wouldn't be an issue, but driving over here is WEIRD!! I guess to be fair, I should admit that we Americans are probably the wierd ones. German's are very ordered, and when you think about it, they're rules for driving make a lot of sense. The problem is that you actually have to pay attention while you're driving. I studied not to pass the test, but to keep from maiming innocent people. I haven't had an opportunity to try my newfound knowlege yet, because our rental car is a standard, and I'm not sure that trying out a new set of road rules goes well with me trying to find the right gear at the right time...I'm just saying.
It's been a good month, and I know we have so much more ahead of us. I'm looking forward to getting settled in, and getting a calling at church. I'm also looking into starting a nursing program while I'm here. One things for sure, it's gonna be a crazy ride!