Category Friends and Family Adventures

13 months in Baden Wurtemburg

Anna--The Adventurer

Whew!! 13 months here have really flown by and now it is time for the next chapter!! A review in photos of all the fun I have experienced living abroad here in Germany.

Coming to a close as the year winds down

Anna--The Adventurer

2016 is winding down and coming to a close…and it has been an enourmously eventufl year for me. Upon reminiscing over the year, realizing just how much has occured over the past 365 days. The dream list, posted in January of this year, I successfully marked off several components.

Here are just a few of this years occurences:

  • My brother got married and I caught the bouquet
  • I hosted a final garage sale, selling the general contents of my house
  • I moved to a foriegn country
  • Danced in a public venue
  • Enjoyed a live Baroque Quartet
  • Sampled Many different worldy beverages, many of them ocffee in origin
  • I learned how to navitage and use the tram, buses, and other public transportation in Germany
  • My best friend had a baby
  • My brother and his wife had a baby.
  • I adventured often in South West Germany
  • I had tea in a castle
  • I climbed to the top of an old fortress tower
  • Met up with an old friend of 20 years (an exchange student that lived with my family)
  • Gave a tour to my Grandfather
  • Practiced baking and cooking, expanding my culinary abilities and flavors
  • Wrote and received mail to and from friends and family
  • Read a childrens book (all on my own) in German
  • Spent Christmas  Eve with German friends
  • Enrolled and attended German language courses
  • Learned how to use WhatsApp
  • Lost Weight
  • Lost a Grandmother and Aunt
  • Attended-toured 3 different Christmas Markets in Germany
  • Petted Donkeys and Goats in a live Nativity
  • Crossed country borders in a car and bus
  • Shopped in a French Super Market
  • Drank Turkish Coffee
  • Thomas and I got a kitten
  • Thomas has started to teach me the joys of soccer
  • Open Air soccer viewing in an open air event
  • video chatted for the first time with friends and family

 

 

Make an Impression

Anna--The Adventurer

Make me an offer!!!

impressionismart

$700 or best offer, 20% of sale price benefits Humane Society of Boulder Valley, Colorado Click on image or link to purchase

Making a good impression …with beautiful, original art.

As seen in a January post I wrote,  I dream of selling an art piece of my very own, an adventure in eBay sales for sure!!!

The price is currently at $700–but this is negotiable for sure, so make me an offer!!

Van Gogh inspired, original  impressionistic oil painting of dreams and blooms during a raging storm. Original, signed 16×20 inch framed on stretched canvas, ready to hang. Oil painting, vivid brush strokes.

While this is a dream of mine to sell a piece of my artwork, 20% of the sale price also benefits the Human Society of Boulder Valley (located in beautiful, colorful Colorado)

Breakfast for Dinner

Anna--The Adventurer

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Pancakes a plenty, raisin, chocolate and regular-plain Pancakes

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Thomas, German Friends and I eating breakfast for dinner.

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We had an ‘American’ style breakfast of pancakes, apple cinnamon compte, bacon, farmers omellete, juice, coffee, and an egg assortment (over medium, scrambled with cheese, sunny side up, and more!)

 

For the last several weeks, we (my german lady friends) and I have been for coffee, conversation, and culture—well, mostly just to talk in English as both desire to improve their English communication skills–and had asked me to meet with them more often for practice–always a fun way to learn and I really enjoy spending more time with my ladies.

Thus, every week we meet…and the laugther follows.  Last week, the topic of favorite foods and cusine from our own cultures incorporated itself into the evening, as we ate (naturally, what is better than food with friends?)

The ladies, being both German, eat German breakfast–but have never tasted the delights of an American or ‘farmers’ breakfast so this week, as planned, they drove over for our weekly conversation and I made ‘brinner’ (breakfast for dinner)–a favorite of mine.

The menu included:

An Assortment of Pancakes-cinnamon raisin syrup–Apple Walnut compote

An assort of eggs cooked in a variety of ways

A Farmers omellete (large), topped with melted cheese

and Bacon (what breakfast is complete without bacon?)

Coffee, Juice

 

Giving a Schwarzwald tour

Anna--The Adventurer

Woohoo!! My Grandfather came to visit me….and I marked off another item on my dream-list. I gave a family member a tour!!! Yes, it is true and I found it fun and exciting.

My Grandfather visited from Sunday through Tuesday evening here in Southwest Germany and willingly adventured with me around the area. We had so much fun!! I enjoyed being a tour guide more than I had anticipated. Grandfather was a great companion and we had so much fun together–I found it super nice and enjoyable to experience new coffee places as well with him–while going to some of my favorite places.

We went to the Monastary Ruins in Bad Herrenalb, the Kloster ruins in Frauenalb, the Schloss in Karlruhe and Ratstatt, and enjoyed the lovel art and architecture in St. Alexanders on Marktplatz in Ratstatt. A lovely fountain, bridge, and river tour in Ettlingen also had taken place, with coffee and lunches intermixed in our ventures–we used the tram and sometimes the car, making transportation very versatitle and easy.

All the places we went to gave us the beautiful sites and scenes of the Black Forrest, also being able to see the changing of the leaves this autumn–all in all, quite an event.

Want to check out some of the hot places we dined and enjoyed coffee?? The links and references are below.

 

Golden Mann Cafe Am Schloss Ratstatt

Schwarzwald Stub (Restaurant) Bad Herrenalb, Germany (no website) Kurpromenade 5, 76332 Bad Herrenalb, Germany

DLounge (Coffee shop), Karlsruhe, Germany

Täglich (Restaurant), Ettlingen, Germany

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Drinking from a fountain, Karlsruhes Downtown

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The River Alb, Running through downtown Ettlingen

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Schloss Karlsruhe Statue Tours

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The River Alb, Frauenalb Germany

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We stopped at a local Bakery for snacks and coffee, a German classic

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Taking a break from touring the Black Forrest at the DLounge, Kronenplatz, Karlsruhe, Germany

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1000 year old ruins at Frrauenalb, Germany, in the heart of the Black Forrest

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My grandfather in Frauenalb, standing next to a very old, established trees by the ruins.

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Grandfather and I riding the trams to adventure together

The Verranda on Schloss Karlsruhe, Karlsruhe,

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The Crest of the Markgraf Wilhelm von Baden Baden, primary resident of the Schloss Karlsruhe, Karlsruhe, Baden Wurtemburg Germany

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Exquisite Cappucinos at the Cafe Am Schloss, Ratstatt, Germany http://www.goldener-mann-rastatt.de/kontakt/

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the Tour guide (me) outside of St. Martins Church, Ettlingen, Germany

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Grandfather crossings the Lockets of Love Bridge, Ettlingen, Germany

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The flood water marker on St. Alexanders Cathedral, Marktplatz, Ratstatt, Germany

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Wooden Pews and grandfather, St. Martins Church, Kirch platz, Ettlingen, Germany

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Roman Ruins, Bad Herrenalb, Germany

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Grandfather and I, Kloster Ruins, Bad Herrenalb, Germany

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Dropping postcards in the post for loved ones back in the States

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Roman Ruins near the Protestant Church (1650) Bad Herrenalb, Germany

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A tradtional German lunch at Schwarzwald Stub, Bad Herrenalb, Germany

 

A Sunday Drive Home

Anna--The Adventurer 1 Comment

Slow down and enjoy life. It’s not only the scenery you miss by going to fast – you also miss the sense of where you are going and why.

Eddie Cantor

Driving to Freiburg was a simple, direct drive on the Highway but…
the adventure began as we drove home, the ‘back’ roads, meandering through small towns and villages along our way.
Sure, the drive home required more time to get to our final desitination…and yet, we thoroughly enjoyed the scenic route, laughing, joking, and eating italian ice-cream along the way. What is not to love than sharing fond memories, making new memories, and laughter with your sweetheart??
We made a pit-stop in  Lichtenau, a small town at enjoyed great ice cream at Eiscafe Paradiso Lichtenau (see photos below). A young boy was riding his bike around the plaza and visually became distracted, crashing into a feature item in the plaza, got up, danced about for a minute, and continued to ride his bicycle like nothing had occured, which made Thomas and I roar with laughter.
On the Sunday drive, we witnessed a German corn harvest (see the Combine in the video), lovely towns, funny kids, and the beautiful German country side on our way home.

Corn Harvest

Eiscafe Paradiso Lichtenau

Eiscafe Paradiso Lichtenau

Eiscafe Paradiso Lichtenau

Eiscafe Paradiso Lichtenau

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Thomas and I being silly and cracking jokes on our way home.

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Eiscafe Paradiso Lichtenau

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Eiscafe Paradiso Lichtenau

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Coffee and Postcards in Freiburg

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Farm Machinary on the way to the field

Eiscafe Paradiso Lichtenau

Eiscafe Paradiso Lichtenau

Everything but the House

Anna--The Adventurer

onlineauction

Brown Mink Fur Coat

Brown Mink Fur Coat

Friends and family -To Be Upcycling is selling a collection on Everything But The House and I’m wondering if anything I’m offering would work for you? Please browse the items listed and consider bidding. All bids start at $1 and the sale only lasts one week. Check out the link – and thanks!

www.ebth.com

Here are just a few of the 150+ items available on the auction!! Happy Bidding!!!

A roll-top oak desk

A roll-top oak desk

Furniture Galore

Furniture Galore

Variety of Home Decor

Variety of Home Decor

Assorted Sterling Silver Jewelry

Assorted Sterling Silver Jewelry

A Royal Event with the Margravine Sibylla Agusta

Anna--The Adventurer

Margravine Sibylla Augusta and the residents.
Our Lovely hosts

Our Lovely hosts

Okay,  a bit of time has lapsed (but what is a few hundred years between ‘old’ friends?) since the Margravine has passed away…but coffee with friends is still a rare, noble gift in her home. You read that correctly,  make no mistake…we enjoyed the royal treatment at the Margravine Sibylla Augusta residence, family portraits loving bestowing upon us as a string quartet hummed from the ball room...wait, what??

Well, we ‘know a guy’, whom invited Thomas and I for a special evening of coffee, music and so much more–make this rare, royal evening even possible (without breaking the law or any other mayhem), whom kindly served coffee and sweet delicacies to us…sharing time with friends whom just happen to be wonderful hosts in an incredible location.

gerd-coffee-3 gerd-coffee1 gerd-coffee

 

 

 

 

Thomas and I thoroughly enjoyed the evening with our friends, talking about history, sharing the marvelous venues and art work–and though in the moment and enjoying it immensely, with the doors of the ball room open, one can feel the past come alive, ladies with large dresses dancing out on to the lawns, down the orangery, soft voices heard from above as the Margrave (her husband) transacting business and meetings above on the balcony….history living through time.

How did our host pull it off?? That is a secret I shall keep to Margravine Sibylla Augusta grave.

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Margravine Sibylla Augusta and their residence.

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Margravine Sibylla Augusta and their residence.

 

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http://floridaticketstation.com/flash/3parks.swf

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Treasure hunting is so much fun–and it is helping to create great and awesome products on my eBay.

Flohmarkt

Anna--The Adventurer

Today was a first time for both of us going to a Flohmarkt!! It was quite fun and interesting and we sure enjoyed the adventure.

There were-are posters around in the area and we decided to check it out–treasures on adventures are always fun.

The very cute dog was not for sale but he (with owner) and we kept bumping into one another–sweetest dog ever.

Learning the Language

Anna--The Adventurer

My fellow students in my First German Course

My fellow students in my First German Course

Last Day of Second German Course

Last Day of Second German Course

 

 

 

 

Learning a new language is part of my bucket list (which also includes adventures.)  German is not an easy language to learn and pick up but there are plenty of opprotunities to practice here…and boy, do I practice!!!

Taking classes at a local venue-school has proven to be super helpful in building basic vocabularly and grammer–and I have made some really nice friends along the way–and what is life without human interaction?

I am often a little shy in using my German my language level is defintily not at a very high standard yet–but I can now order food, ask and give directions, and reading signs and packaging is much easier now. Woohoo!! The essentials are in practice as I continue to expand my language skill…and that the vocabulary grows.