Friday, May 16, 2008

Germany's Fabulous Facelift

As our three weeks in Germany comes to a close, all our ducks seem to be lining up in a row.

Lukas is recovering from his thumb surgery (pictured left - at the hospital with "Opa"), my cold/lung infections seems to once again be disappearing, and we've done our fare share of exploring and relaxing - in the Franconian hills - at this most spectacular time of year.

Which reminds me, I haven't written or posted many photos lately, so let me get you up to date.

First, you should know that there are a couple of things that I really love to do while I'm here: 1) To get lost on foot, and 2) To get lost by car. We've done a lot of each of those.

When I have to get from Point A to Point B, I try to take either the non-Autobahn route (when driving), or a hiking trail that I haven't yet taken, and am continually surprised by what I see along the way. Be it old half-timbered houses; old stone walls; enormous Bavarian-style bird houses painted in vivid colors; fields of apple trees, dandelions, or yellow grains; or tiny steeples -- this country never ceases to amaze me with its beauty, charm, and ever-present history.

And what's really fantastic about Germans, is that they're once again becoming a proud folk. No longer do they balk at their flag or shrink from their anthem. Since the last World Cup Championship, they realize how much they have to be proud of. Take for example the country's new "Du bist Deutschland" initiative. It's absolutely brilliant in its simplicity and emotional appeal, and its presence is inescapabe - it's in print media, television, and radio. I love it.

On that note, let me share some of our photos with you from the past couple weeks...

Above: Up at the "Wurzhütte" for the big First of May celebration.

At Nuremberg's popular "Wörther Wiese" with friends, Thorsten, Claudia, Nina, and Leonas.







Signs of Spring - A Chestnut Tree, Grain Fields, Apple Tree, naked toddler.


On the ferris wheel (and bus) at the Region's Beloved Bergkirchweih (Beer Festival and Fair) - in Erlangen.





And lastly, at the neighbors' - playing on Marie's new swingset. A tiny bit of normalcy creeps into our gypsy-like life.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Glad you & Lukas are on the mend...
Beautiful photos!
Love u,
b