A day with my hosts

I have been staying with a lovely host family this past week. They include Mom, Chriselle, who is a teacher at our partner school, Dad, Thomas, who works for Bosch and 2 lovely Mädels: Jessica, age 8 and Miriam, age 4. Plus I would be remiss if I didn't mention Goldie, the cat, age: 12 weeks. They have been wonderful hosts to me and have made sure that I always enjoyed myself there.
Last Saturday, we had a free day with our hosts. I started the day by sleeping in, something I've not done in months! Then Jessica, Chriselle and I went into the town of Dillingen. Dillingen is the biggest town nearby to their home in Aislingen. Its also known for having a teacher training center. Its not so much about preparing people to be teachers, but rather providing continuing education to teachers. The building it was housed in was beautiful! I'd like to take a course there if possible.



In Dillingen I also saw the cathedral, the Saturday farmers market and shops in town. Jessica had an agenda for us - first we went to the book store. Then we tried to find a yarn craft for her (oh help me out with the word here -- it's one of those things where you have a printed piece of plastic and you thread the yarn through it. It's not cross stitching....




Plus we also bought some fruits and cheese at the market and did a bit of clothing shopping. I bought some books for a friend's twins, a shirt for myself and some tea for myself. It was a great way to spend the morning.

That afternoon I completely underestimated how tired I was. I went upstairs to read around 1pm. We planned to go to Nordlingen in the next 30 mins or so. 3 hours later, Miriam, woke me from my nap! It was too late for Nordlingen, but not too late for a hike out to the Capella nearby. Chriselle, Jessica, Miriam and I hiked to the Capella then over the fields where a castle once stood and looped our way back to their house. The way was sometimes overgrown and grassy, but it was a great walk. It was about 3K, which was about as much as the little legs could take. I really enjoyed it!





















To end the day, we finished with a nice meal on the patio with the neighbors and watched the sun set. A great day!


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Location:Aislingen & Dillingen, Germany

The wheels on the bike go round and round

In Texas it seems that everyone I know is looking for some way or another to lose weight, yet I feel that if I suggested going out one afternoon and biking 30km no one would be interested. More importantly, we don't have the infrastructure set up - bike paths, drivers aware of bicyclists, signs marking bike routes etc.
But in Germany, the interest and infrastructure are vastly different. The area is full of marked bike routes and one can ride safely in many places. PLUS going for a ride is an activity for all, young and old. It's truly enjoyable.
My friends / colleagues who are responsible for the exchange on this end, organized a bike ride for one of the afternoons we had free from the students. We started out in Unterechlingen, rode in the direction of Unterfallheim, towards Bühl, through Leiphim and around back to our starting point. Wile we don't have an exact calculation of the distance, we estimate it to be about 30km.
The weather was perfect for a ride. It was cool, but not cold. The sun peaked out of the clouds occasionally, but never so much that one worried about being burned. The area we rode through was beautiful and full of history. We rode past historic buildings including a monastery, the (now patched up) hole in a wall where some of Napoleon's men were shot, a castle and more. Sometimes our path was the bed of the forest, other times it was pebbles and still other times paved. We rode alongside the Danube, on city streets, through the forest, under the Autobahn, over the Danube, over the Autobahn and even on a bike path along side the Autobahn.









During our journey, we took one short (15 min) break, to rest our legs and eat apples. We only went the wrong way once...and it must be said the map and the signs didn't really match!
At the end of our ride, about 4km from our end point, we stopped at a Biergarten for dinner. It was a Biergarten that was clearly established for bicyclists. The name was "Radler Tankstelle", a name that basically translates to bicyclist gas station. It was set up with plenty of parking and very comfortable chairs to sit and relax in. After the filling meal there, it was a good thing we had only 4 more km to go before our ride was complete. It was really a great way to spend an afternoon.












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Location:Germany

Like a fish

Germany in June is typically a cool escape from the Texas heat. However this year no respite has been found. It has been hot and humid, sticky and uncomfortable. It's been so hot that our partner school has actually had shortened days due to the heat!
(Just take a moment and imagine if we had that in Texas...)
As its been so hot, it's been perfect weather for swimming. Two days ago I went with my host colleague and her two daughters (aged 8 and 4). We went to a nearby lake. The lake was not too big, but certainly not too small. The water was crystal clear and do refreshing. It was cold at first, but felt great once one was in. The 8 year old had a swim noodle and quickly I became her horse. It was fun to play with her in the water. Then she challenged me to swim across the lake. It must be admitted that I cannot say no to a challenge! I swam across, the water was even colder and clearer in the middle of the lake. I saw huge reeds growing from the deep. I could not have had a more perfect afternoon of swimming.
Yesterday I went to another lake with my two partner teachers. It was a much bigger lake and many more people were there. It was lovely to swim in as well, but not as gold and not as clear. I must admit I missed having an 8 year old to play with - swimming alone is not as much fun! Then connected to the lake was an area known as the beach. There was a small cafe where we had dinner. I got some sun and again enjoyed the day. Swimming in a lake trumps a pool any day!



I must also say that perhaps it was embarrassing to be seen with me as I had on a one-piece suit and here only little kids and really older ladies wear them! My bikini is packed in a moving box....

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Location:Günzburg, Germany

This is my new home

I didn't post this one before because I didn't share this trip with many until I made the big decision to move here....and then I got so busy I never got to write this post.

This is my new home. I was so amazed by the beauty of the rocks and all the colors.

Colorado Springs has so much to offer by way of nature. Pikes Peak, Manitou Falls and more. My trip was a short weekend with the purpose of deciding if I wanted to accept the job and finding a place to live.

The first day was 110% consumed with that. Although I did find a good coffee shop in Old Colorado City (a great cultural district of The Springs). The second (and final day) there, I woke up early and went out to Garden of the Gods. It was majestic:
























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Location:Colorado Springs, CO

The first day of the year

The requisite New Year's Eve party and celebration took place the night before, so it was no surprise that we did not stir until noon or noon-thirty the next day. Once Ally, JJ, Allen and I were finished with breakfast around 3:15pm, Ally and I decided to take a walk before it got too dark. We walked down along by the river, and it was delightful.
The weather was crisp, dry and not too windy. It was a perfect day for a walk.
We started in the neighborhoods near Ally and JJ's house. I enjoyed looking at the houses, they all sat up against the street and did not look big from the front. However, being that they are row houses, most of them were deceptive in appearance and most likely quite roomy inside.
Ally talked about the building of the area. She told me how this area had once been farmland, and tracts of land were sold to builders who would build maybe 4 houses, usually all 4 of the same design. One might be left facing, and the other right facing, but otherwise the same. In some cases, one might find the same house design later on in the same street or on a nearby street, if the builder bought more land. Some of the houses had years carved into them so that you had an idea when they were built.
Most of the houses were from the 1800s, but every so often one came across houses that were much newer. We speculated as to why these houses might be newer: fire, bombing, disrepair/rebuild. As one walked, one could also see the trends at the time they were built. For example, in one section, almost every house had a front window that stuck out a bit and above it was an alcove with circles carved into the facade. Some houses had intricate design work and tiles underneath the roof. Others were more plain. It was obvious which houses were being cared for, and which had housed students for a number of years. My favorite house had a huge rosebush growing above the front door and on the wall. I can only imagine how beautiful it must be when the sun is shining and they are in bloom!












After walking through the neighborhoods, we walked along the river. The river that runs through Cambridge is the River Cam. Like Oxford, punting is a favorite pasttime along that river. We saw large houses lit up and reflecting in the river. Many of them had entire glass walls along the riverside of the house. We also saw a wooden house (well the ground level was bricked) that seemed to grow out of the riverbank. The design was so unique, it reminded me of something that Frank Lloyd Wright would design. But I do not think it was his.









As we walked along the Cam, we also came across another style of house: riverboats. The idea of a house you can take along with you as you travel the canals and rivers is very appealing. I should like to try this one day. The riverboats were all sizes and colors, some looked occupied and well kept, while others looked more like they had been abandoned since the cold weather hit. Some of them had porthole windows (and larger windows) that one could see in to get an idea of what life in a riverboat must be like. Cozy for sure!



As we walked further, the sun began to set, and one could see Cambridge University silhouetted in the distance. It was beautiful.






We turned townwards to begin our loop home. The streets were lit up and it was clear that some shops and cafes had been open on this first day of 2013. Other places were closed, ready for the big sales to begin on the 2nd of January. It was fun to do a bit of window shopping and pose under the decorative lights. Cambridge is by far one of my favorite places to walk around. I love the mixture of old and new, the tradition and modern side by side. I enjoy the atmosphere, the bikes, the energy and life one finds in this city. It was a perfect way to spend the first day of 2013.






Cambridge makes you smile, and as evidenced by the graffiti below, it knows it!


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Location:Cambridge, England

Camden Town Market

Dec 30, 2012:
Vee and I spent a lovely day in London. We quite enjoy our days out, and often try to see a show. But this time, we decided to go somewhere, where neither of us had been. When you consider how frequently she goes to London, and how many of the touristy things I've done, finding something that neither of us has done is amazing. That something was to visit the Camden Town Markets.
After a lovely lunch with my friends Anca and Doru from Romania, we set off for the markets.







These markets are nothing less than eclectic! Are you a skater, looking for clothes? - done! Are you an educator, looking for school appropriate dresses (Vee and I were!)? - done! Are you a designer, looking for unique pieces of art, bedding and furniture for a house? - done! Are you a Mum, looking for kids clothes and toys? - done! Are you a teenager looking for cool iPhone cases and hoodies? - done! Are you an older woman looking for jewelry? - done! And the list goes on.... if you can think of it, you can probably find it there.

The market was an outdoor market, centered around the locks (they appeared to still be in working order). It wound it's way through the streets and up and down stairs. One might think they had seen it all, but turn a corner and there was so much more to be seen. Some of the shops were big, others were tiny closets under a set of stairs, and yet others were stands out in the open.










It was one of those places, where not only is haggling acceptable, but expected. One should not buy something from the first place they see it, as you might find a better deal at another stand. For example, Vee and I were looking at cotton dresses. We saw some, liked them, and moved on. Then we went to another stand and saw that these dresses were on offer at a 2 for price. But we didn't like those as much as at the first stand. However, armed with that information, we went back to the first place, where they wanted 15 (or was it 18) quid per dress, but we managed to bargain with the seller, 2 for 25. So Vee and I got them for 12.50 each. Another case in point, Vee was looking for a new case for her iPhone and really liked the wooden cases. As she asked around, she heard prices of 25L and 20L, which was really too much. However her persistence paid off, as she ended up with a really lovely wooden case for 15L. (I must admit I considered one for myself). This type of bargaining, looking around, wandering and not immediately buying was enjoyable!

As we arrived at the market, it was already getting dark, and there were lights everywhere. The way it was lit up and the smells of the various foods the market sold made for such a great atmosphere, that one could almost forget they were in the middle of central London!
















Inside the market was beautiful as well. One part of the market had carved wood ceilings and stairwells. Another part had seating made from the backs of motorcycles. Unique!






The market itself was not the only area that was decorated and unique. The streets leading up to the actual market were full of shops that did not scrimp on making themselves stand out. Large items (such as shoes and dragons) stuck out from these buildings, beckoning customers to come hither.












Overall, we spent about 1 1/2 to 2 hours at the market and only saw maybe a quarter of it. We decided it was definitely one of those places, where each time you return, you would find something new and that if you found something you really liked, you must get it on that trip, as you might never see it again. We also agreed, that it was a place to which both of us would like to return.

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Location:Camden Town Locks, London