We spent this week further exploring our new corner of Germany. We spent a day in Frankfurt, explored more of Mainz, and took a cruise on the Rhein. We were also lucky enought to meet up with Nathan’s Uncle Neil and Aunt Julie! We are back to being without a car, so we have returned to buses, trains, trams, and lots of walking. Spring is fully springing in that we have had some glorious days of warmth and sun as well as torrential rain. So, we are planning our activities strategically to take full advantage of the good weather while staying (mostly) dry.
We drove into the “big” city on Tuesday to return the car. It was a lot of work for Nathan to research, book, and insure the rental for the 2+ months that we had it. He also got an international driving license and did all the driving (my license expired in February and so I’m no help there). We are so glad we had the car for those weeks, though, as it really opened up some extra flexibility and possibilities. Italy was a lot easier to explore in the way we wanted by driving. But now that we are back in Germany, the trains and local transport are pretty reliable and the Deustchland Ticket is such a great deal. We drove to the main train station in Frankfurt to return the car and took the opportunity to explore the city.
Frankfurt, as most of the large cities of Germany, was absolutely decimated in World War II. Lots of cities chose to rebuild their historical buildings and old towns, but Frankfurt chose to modernize. It’s also the banking and business center of the country, and that shows in its skyscrapers and modern architecture. Frankfurt is built on the Main (pronounced like “mine”) River and has a nice waterfront. As with a lot of modern cities, it has it’s problems with the darker things. We had been told that it didn’t have much to offer if you aren’t into drugs, etc. But that is a vast exaggeration, especially if you stay out of one certain neighborhood. The downtown area was clean and welcoming, with lots of bustle and business. They have also rebuilt some of the historic churches and a slice of the old town, too. We did our walking tour and then stopped for lunch at our favorite burger chain, Hans im Gluck, before hopping on the train to return to Mainz.
We will update you with the rest of our exploits here in the Rhineland, including a disappointing street food festival, our Rhine cruise, and our rendevous with our family next week! Hope you all had a nice Mother’s Day!
She’s Here!
Hi! We’ve had a good week here in Northern Utah. The weather is warming up a bit, there are buds on the trees, and…oh yeah…we have a new granddaughter! Daisy Ray Bauserman joined us about 10 days early on Friday night. Lauren had a crazy day of contractions and running back and forth to the hospital on Thursday with no progress. Then on Friday night, little miss didn’t waste any time and was born just before 10 pm. There was a bit of a hiccup in delivery when Lauren’s blood pressure dropped (and of course, so did baby’s) due to an extra dose of pain meds in her epidural. But she recovered and was able to deliver normally, despite being extremely medicated and numb. Miss Daisy’s a cute little thing and looks an awful lot like her big sister. Needless to say, we are tickled with our newest addition.
Marching On
Hello from beautiful Utah and Happy March! We had a good two weeks in Missouri, playing with kids and helping out. After two long driving days later, we are resting up in Utah for new adventures coming up! Although Nathan was fighting illness the whole time, we had a...
A Very Merry Birthday
We’ve had a good week here in Ohio and West Virginia. Nathan is still in a battle with a cold virus, but it’s been great beside that wrinkle. We’ve played with the kids, done some projects around Lauren’s house, and even found time for a trip to the dentist (Bo :)). We just happened to be around while he was off with his brothers and dad on a hunt, so it was a bonus to be able to help Lauren. She’s in her last month of pregnancy number four, so things are getting exciting! Despite being 8+ months pregnant, she prepared me a spectacular birthday dinner, making ramen from scratch (including handmade noodles) and a glorious flourless chocolate cake. I was spoiled to get fancy chocolates from my hubby, texts and calls from lots of people I love, and plenty of grandkid giggles and hugs. It’s been a good one! We’ll be picking up and moving on tomorrow…Missouri is next!