The sechs day in Germany!

May 28th, 2012 (our last day in Germany)

I feel like I should start off by recounting the foot incident, so if you hate feet for some reason then feel free to skip this paragraph, and please accept my apologies for your weird aversion to nature.

So I got bug bites two nights ago (May 26th), I was out on a small dock on the Rhein river, and got three bug bites on my right foot that itched like CRAZY. I still had them, and quite visibly, all day yesterday, but they just itched in a minor way most of the day. After the concert last night, however, my foot had a reaction in combination from the bites, the heat/sweat, and possibly irritation from rubbing again pantyhose for 3+ hours, so it swelled up to the point where I felt like I had borrowed one of Andre the Giant's feet. It was horrifying and painful. After ice and benedril, most of the swelling and pain is gone this morning, but it was still very tender and hurt to walk or stand for too long. And lot's of people commented how gross my foot looked. Thanks guys.

On a brighter note, it was our day to take a cruise on the Rhein river, which was a spectacular view much much too hot on the top deck without the canopy. Also, what morning is complete without gelato? I heard lots of amazing stories about the various castles and the legend of Loreley, the beautiful woman who caused so many ship wrecks on a dangerous river bend.

Mint chocolate chip!

This is our cruise!

My camera takes surprisingly awesome close up shots for being five years old.

After we docked at St. Goar, a little town down a ways on the Rhein, we had the option to trek up hill to visit a castle or go eat/shop in the town. Since my foot was still a bit swollen and tender I opted to go eat with friends at a restaurant that I didn't catch the name of, but they had really great food.

Vicky, Zach, Dylan, Aubrey, Maddie, and Susan

Susan did a take two with me!

Fresh cut roses on each of the tables

I got sausages and french fries (SO GOOD)

Susan and many others got the wienerschnitzel! It was also delicious!

We then set off to shop around the town, where I found LOTS of goodies, as well as great pictures inside of the different cathedrals we sang in; just please don't ask me the names because I don't remember!

Everything is just so OLD here. But it's so beautiful, pictures cannot do it justice.

I don't know what this is, but it's cool.

A shop where I spent too much money.

Another church we got to sing in.

I can't get over the ceilings. Or the reverb they create when we sing.

Mirko!

A tourist-y shop that was open, even though it's still a religious holiday (Monday of Pentecost)

I play piccolo! :)

We then got back on the bus for about a 20 minute drive back to Boppard, and we had a group dinner at the hotel restaurant, where I mostly ate potatoes and breads because I was so tired of meat! Mom would have been proud. And of course, you can't forget dessert. 

Good night to all! I hope you are enjoying these posts!

p.s. I forgot to mention that I watched about half of the German dubbed Mary Poppins on TV while I packed tonight. If you've never watched an old film you know by heart dubbed in another language, I suggest you try it. Just for kicks. It turned out to be a lot more fun that I expected.

Day fünf in Germany

Sunday, May 27th:

It is Pentecost Sunday, I assume both here as well as the States, and it is a holiday that also goes through Monday, so shops will also be closed tomorrow, except for specialty tourist areas.

I hate waking up tired, even though I get enough sleep. That was definitely how the day began. I had a delicious breakfast at the hotel's restaurant of rolls and toast with strawberry marmalade and a chocolate hazelnut spread, a hard-boiled egg, and a glass of milk. Random, but the milk over here tastes more like cream than milk, and NO I did not accidentally pour a glass of cream. There was a jug of milk by the cereal. It just tastes better than at home!

It was also one of those mornings where I couldn't decide what I wanted to wear and tried on a million different outfit combinations. Such problems did not occur when my suitcase was lost. I was disappointed to find out that we were no longer taking a train to Mainz like our itinerary said, since it would have been my first time to ride an actual train. We took the bus as usual along the Rhein river, and Lothar told us great stories about the various castles along the river front.

Problem is, now I don't remember the stories!

Mainz was actually a lot of fun, sight-seeing-wise, and we got to sing in the cathedral there. I love how we always end up attracting small crowds. :)

We then had lunch on our own, and I waited in line FOREVER at a little corner-fast-food-cafe thing, which I got some kind of pizza wrap thing. I don't know for sure what all it was, but it was delicious and about a third bigger than a Chipotle burrito, therefore I could not finish. I still had room for gelato, though. Somehow.

I ordered the Nr. 19, which was the same with extra meat.

This was huge. And I love MO State.

The Kebap Haus that everyone was eating at.

I <3 gelato

Don't eat my gelato, Susan!

After all the fun, it's back on the bus because we are going to Butzbach. We had a gracious welcome and speech by the town's mayor, along with guided tours and gifts from the local museum of calendars and general pictures of the city. He even asked Dr. Webb to sign the town's honored guest book! I think we are famous here? Maybe? 

Learned a lot of fun things about the town, including that they still have much of the Roman wall around the city. Elvis Presley and the lieder poet Goethe also both had girlfriends in this town. It is known throughout Germany as the "Little Versailles" of Germany. It really is beautiful here, and it was great to be on a walking tour instead of another bus ride. I was sad that my camera died before I got to the 'Rose church' where they pay homage to Elizabeth of Hungary. Don't remember all of the story, but it sounded like the legend that Disney got the beginning of Beauty and the Beast from.

I love hearts!

The museum of the town.

Dr. Webb signing the honored guests book.

Butzbach had a lot of shoemakers, so a large part of museum was devoted to the trade.

The first victims of kristallnacht in Butzbach. If I recall correctly, the wife died here outside the store, and the husband was shipped off to a concentration camp but survived. Amazing and chilling to be near this history.

We had a long concert tonight. And by long, I mean that the concert was stopped about four times to present awards and gifts to each other, since this was a joint concert with their community choir. Also, the Germans are very green, and generally do not use air-conditioning. This was the first time I got sweaty in a concert, which makes sense since I was on my feet under hot lights for nearly three hours. The best part? My bug bites had some kind of allergic reaction, so my foot started swelling in the concert, even though I had been fine the WHOLE DAY walking around Boppard, Mainz, and even the guided tour of Butzbach.

My cute heart shaped venom from the bug bite pre-swelling.

After we got back to the hotel, my foot was so swollen and in pain I couldn't put weight on it, even though I had iced it during the reception at a restaurant. Bentley, one of our burly basses, had to carry me up the stairs to my hotel room, gave me freezer packs from Mirko, our bus driver, and found some benedril to give me. No, I did not take pictures of my fat foot. It was disgusting, and this I was too high on benedril to make sense of having a giant's foot. The benedril conked me out. The end of day five!

A funny pic of me trying to keep my foot warm while icing it. 

Also, a funny I forgot to add: At the church in Butzbach, Dr. Webb went into a WC, then he thought it was a pull-cord to flush the toilet. He pulled it and it turned on a REALLY loud alarm. Apparently it's what the disabled or elderly members pull when they have a fall or hurt themselves in the bathroom. Silly Webb.

Day vier in Deustchland!

Desperately trying to catch up and still not miss anything here! Okay, here's my fourth day, starting in Minden (May 26th):

I had a wonderful breakfast with my German family (Dirk, Andrea, and Silas), but all too soon it was time to say goodbye. We were given so much, and our gifts did not feel like enough. I ran around the house after getting dressed, trying to take pictures of everything so that I would not EVER be able to forget how everything looked.

My bedroom

I had a balcony door on the second floor! It kept my room so cool at night!

Amber on the beautiful staircase.

Amber's cozy quarters.

I loved the orange furniture!

Where we broke bread together.

I had to represent KC BBQ, and Amber got a wonderful book with pictures and stories of the Ozarks!

All too soon it was time to say good-bye! Andrea stayed behind.

If you can only imagine, there was LOTS of crying and hugging and singing (Dr. Webb kills me sometimes). It was so emotional I kept trying not to cry, therefore looking like some kind of Miss America pageant contestant.

Amber and I with Silas (who was still waking up at this point!)

The proud and handsome Dirk!

Myself with Sara's 16 year old twin in Minden, Sophia!

Silas wanted a picture with 'Sara Bareilles' :)

Auf Wiedersehen, Christuskirche! You will all be missed!

Unfortunately we were not able to mourn for long; we had a long day ahead of us. We found out Jimmy had had a seizure last night and his host family had taken him to a hospital, and it would be several hours before he was released. Lothar took us to Minden's monument on the hill, Denkmal des Großen Kurfürsten, which is of the Prussian ruler Frederick William, Elector of Brandenburg.

Got some great photos and views, and was even asked to partake in a bachelor party photo, though Aubrey and I had to decline the alcohol. It's apparently some kind of game or tradition to have the groom take pictures drinking with beautiful women, and they were ecstatic that we were Americans.

Kevin got a cool imprinted euro!

Myself being goofy with a statue (no surprises)

The bachelor party!

The Elector

What a beautiful view!

I love this place!

So majestic!

I love Dr. Webb!

Soon it's time to leave again, but not without gelato! Or car stalking. :) I don't know what it is, but I'm sure my friends will drool:

Om nom nom!

This car MAYBE came up to my hip.

Soon we have Jimmy back from the hospital and everyone is loaded up to go to Boppard. 

Something suspicious was going on!

Boppard!

Our room :)

After dinner we had a free evening, and could check out a fair or stroll along the promenade by the Rhein!

The fair turned out to be a beer garden (no can do!)

One of the kids rides at the beer garden.

Looks like fun that we can't have!

Kaitlyn found a pretty seashell!

Aubrey is not amused by Susan's joke.

The Rhein at sunset.

I got some nasty bug bites by the river, but nobody else did! They itch like crazy!!!!

Long and emotionally taxing day. I don't even remember falling asleep, just falling on the pillow.