As this is posting, we are off exploring beautiful Copenhagen, Denmark and preparing to board a ship for a Baltic cruise! I decided instead of packing (how boring--much better to do that some time around midnight the night before we leave), I would get myself caught up on the old blogeroo.
We've had lots of exciting adventures over the past few weeks, first with Colby's parents who visited for about three weeks, and now my parents who are here until the end of July. It has been positively WUNDERBAR having all of the extra help around the house, and I have been taking full advantage of all the free babysitting by being a social butterfly as often as possible.
Of course, the most exciting part of people visiting is the added pressure/incentive to take more daytrips around our little part of the world. I think we do a good job of getting out and about even when we're on our own, but when we've got family or friends in town we get kicked into traveling high gear. Our first daytrip was out to Thionville, France for lunch and then the Ouvrage Hackenberg, one of the largest fortifications along the Maginot Line. It turned out that the fortifications were a pretty major fail during World War II, as fighting styles had changed so much in the decades since World War I, but it was still a fascinating sight to see this underground battlestation.
Our next adventure was a big day starting in Trier to hit the highlights from the Porta Nigra to the cathedral to the Roman basilica and baths, then up along the Mosel for another stop at Burg Eltz. Since I had already toured the interior, I let my inlaws go in for the tour while I stayed in the courtyard with the girls. We had lots of little adventures of our own from trying their first suckers, which were so kindly bestowed upon them by a German lady, to bombarding any oncoming foes of the squirrel variety with Annabelle's snack cup!
Then it was off to Wissembourg, France and Baden Baden. My inlaws like to really pack a day full, as you may have noticed! Wissembourg was absolutely adorable, and I would highly recommend it all on its own as a daytrip from the KMC area. And if you go, you must stop at Patisserie Daniel Rebert for some of the most decadent pastries you will ever taste in your life!
Baden Baden was a repeat performance for Colby and me as it was part of our first weekend away after moving to Germany. But it felt much different this time as I was no longer lugging two babies around inside my stomach! It's a truly beautiful resort city that has a very unique vibe from the rest of Germany--much more turn of the century cosmopolitan.
Once my parents arrived, we had a couple outings of our own, at a somewhat more relaxed pace. We hit up Trier again and ate at one of the best restaurants I've found in Germany, Kartoffelkiste. Sooo yummy! From there we visited the same major highlights, but also added the old Roman amphitheater which was a bit of a walk from the main tourist area, but worth the trek for the cool descent below the old "stage" to see where the actors/gladiators/workers could move around behind the scenes. Charlotte and Annabelle's favorite part was the refreshing splash fountain!
Aside from the daytrips, we also took a quick weekend trip with Colby's parents to Dijon and the Bordeaux region of France, but more on that a bit later. Now, I'm off to see what other items I can add to my "to do" list to avoid packing!
Angela,
No one can say you aren't making the absolute most of your time abroad! I love reading about all the places you've been going- had some great weather for Colby's parents visit.... Enjoy your next jaunt, looking forward to seeing the beautiful photos.
Posted by: anne | June 30, 2014 at 10:30 PM
aw looks like a fabulous trip. love that picture of the girls in those tutu looking dresses, so cute!
Posted by: katelin | July 03, 2014 at 10:35 PM