LONDON: Our newest LOVE

What do you get when you mix being able to speak English with amazing historical sights? London! Justin and I have found our new favorite place. London was so wonderful, and it was so full of things we both love.

On our first day there we took the tube from the airport to our hotel. We initially had a hotel crisis, but thanks to Justin's Ranger skills we found the correct hotel and were able to officially begin our adventures!

On the tube, heading to CockFOSTERS ;)

After checking into our hotel we had a bite to eat at The Three Stags. This was my first experience with London fish and chips (yummy) and some delicious cider beer. Then, we took a little stroll, and low and behold, look what we happened upon!

Big Ben, Parliament, and the Thyme River

London Love

As we continued our journey to the Westminster Abbey, we had quite the find:

A gigantic leaf

Westminster Abbey

 We kept walking and found the queen's palace, but unfortunately she wasn't home.

Buckingham Palace

Before taking a night ride on the London Eye, we hopped on the Hispanola for some drinks. Then, by chance we found the Southbank Christmas Market, which was a great way to end our Thanksgiving.

On the Hispanola--London Eye in the background

Kiss at the Southbank Christmas Market

View from the London Eye

 The next day we headed to Shakespeare's Globe Theater. This was such a wonderful experience for me because I have always loved Shakespeare. It was great to see the Globe replica mirror Shakespeare's actual Globe Theater so perfectly. The tour was very informative, and I was happy to realize my Shakespeare history was actually quite good. Cheers!

In front of Shakespeare's Globe

The Globe stage

We found The Anchor Pub, which is a pub Shakespeare used to drink at

After stopping for some London Pride at The Anchor Pub, we headed onward with our journey. We found the London Bridge, the Tower Bridge, and the Tower of London. It was interesting to learn that the Tower of London was basically a prison and place of exile for some kings back in the day. All of these were quite impressive. It was fun to be in the presence of such famous landmarks.

London Bridge

Tower Bridge

Tower of London

Later that night we head to St. Martin's Theater to watch Agatha Christie's "The Mousetrap". This show holds the Guinness World Record for the longest running show. The queen was there 10 years earlier to celebrate its 50th anniversary. We were able to be there for its 60th anniversary. "The Mousetrap" was full of mystery and suspense. We both really enjoyed it, along with a few cider beers.

At St. Martin's Theater for "The Mousetrap"

We saw show 25,005

The next day we experienced typical London weather. It rained all day and was a bit chilly walking around. However, we still made the best of our time. We went to the Churchill Cabinet War Rooms. This was a great experience for Justin. He (and I) enjoyed learning about Winston Churchill's role during World War II and seeing the war rooms set-up as they were during the war.

Rainy, London Day

Justin and a guard from World War II

Our afternoon consisted of some pub hopping. We went to The Red Lion, which was a pub Charles Dickens used to drink at. Then we had our lunch at Taylor Walker Pub, where Justin finally had his meal of fish and chips. After lunch we headed to The Sherlock Holmes Pub. The pubs in London are so fancy compared to American pubs, and they were all decorated for Christmas.

The Red Lion Pub

The Sherlock Holmes Pub

Once our pub walk was finished we went to the Westminster Abbey for a choir and prayer service. We were not allowed to take pictures inside, but the arch ways and stained glass windows were gorgeous. The choir's singing echoing through the Abbey was such a sweet sound. Plus, it was fun to say I've been in the church Kate and William were married in :)

Waiting to go in the Westminster Abbey

After this it was off to The Westminster Arms pub for some more beer, yum. Then we headed to the Hyde Park Christmas Market. Along the way we found the Arch of Wellington, which is the arch James Bond drives under :) The Hyde Park Christmas Market was more like a carnival than a market, but we found a cute London Christmas ornament for our tree and had some good food. The spiced wine however, was not as good as we were hoping it would be. The market was a great way to end our wonderful trip to London! We definitely want to go back to London some day!

The Westminster Arms Pub

Arch of Wellington

Winter Wonderland--Hyde Park Christmas Market

It's safe to say London has stolen our hearts :)

Fun in Garmisch, Germany

While on an officer and spouse marriage retreat in Garmisch, Germany, Justin and I were able to relax for a weekend at Edelweiss Resort (which had an amazing outdoor hot tub), find out each others' love language (Justin's is words of affirmation and mine is quality time), and experience a little bit more of Germany.

During our free time we went to Ettal Monastery, which brews its own beer. This was very beautiful, and we were able to enjoy some yummy Christmas beer at their restaurant right next door.

Ettal front steps

Full view of Ettal

Inside Ettal

The next day we were able to go to the highest point in Germany. Zugspitze mountain peak is located on the border of Austria and Germany and is essentially part of the Alps. It was extremely cold at the top of the mountain, but the views were absolutely breathtaking. We were fortunate to have such a clear, sunny, blue sky day.

We took a cable car to the top of the mountain

At the top we could see 4 different countries--Germany, Austria, Czech Republic, and Switzerland

We made it to the summit and had to represent CO :)

This is what we climbed to get to the summit. Definitely not something America would allow.

We also took a cable car down to "The Glacier" and visited this cute church

We came and conquered Zugspitze!

Flossenburg Concentration Camp

Visiting the Flossenburg Concentration Camp, a place of imprisonment during World War II, was quite a somber experience. Rewinding back to a period of history that evoked so much hatred and persecution is an emotional experience to say the least. There was a museum that housed many facts about what happened at the camp, and there were also several building still in tact that we walked through, including the place where bodies were cremated.

 At the museum we learned that nearly 30,000 people were killed at Flossenburg. It was known as a labor camp, so many of the people died while working under brutal conditions. When the liberation finally happened in 1945 the citizens of Flossenburg were more or less forced to participate in a death march and had to help bury the bodies of those that were not able to be cremated. We learned that so many bodies went through the crematory that it essentially broke, so bodies had to be thrown over the camp walls into the forest. These are the bodies that needed buried by the citizens of Flossenburg.

Near the bottom of the picture is a memorial area. The white buildings at the top were areas where people were hanged or held in solitary confinement.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A plaque honoring the liberation.

 

Worship and Study 2012

One of the hidden secrets about being an Army wife is PWOC.  What is that you might ask?  Well, it's this really great group of women, Protestant Women of the Chapel to be precise.  It provides Army spouses an opportunity to fellowship, make friends, eat yummy food, and most importantly, draw closer to the Lord through praise, worship, and study.  It really is a great "club" to join!

I had the privilege of going to Willigen, Germany with this wonderful group of ladies over my birthday weekend to a special event called Worship and Study 2012.  Justin was going to be in the field over my birthday weekend anyways (one of the bummer parts about being an Army wife), so that was a good excuse for me to go on this Worship and Study conference retreat. 

We all drove to Willigen together in large European van.  It was a four hour drive, but with that many women there is always plenty to talk about.  Plus, it was a beautiful drive.  Making our way to the small and quaint town of Willigen was a success.

Once we arrived at our hotel we settled in a bit with our roommates before dinner.  I roomed with my dear friend, Erika, who was also leading one of the smaller breakout sessions.  Also, our hotel provided us all of our meals, which was really convenient, plus, it was always superb German food.
 

PWOC logo and mission statement greeting us
at Worship and Study

A warm welcome, complete with refreshments, gear,
and lovely signs directing us where to go

View of the town of Willigen from our hotel

Being stationed in Grafenwohr, Germany makes our PWOC part of the International sect, which is what ultimately gave us the opportunity to attend Worship and Study 2012.  PWOC groups from all over Europe (and a few from the United States) came to worship Christ together.  We sang, listened to Lisa Velthouse (an amazing Christian author and speaker), and went to smaller breakout study sessions which were focused on varying topics.

Throughout the weekend, Lisa Velthouse spoke about the women all within Jesus' genealogy line found in Matthew chapter one.  It was really encouraging to know some "bad girls" of the Bible were part of the line Jesus was born into.  We learned a great deal about Old Testament life and the faith of these women.  Besides hearing from Lisa, I also attended four breakout sessions.  There was a large list of selections, so it was difficult choosing which to attend, but I believe God lead me to the absolute right classes.  I went to dealing with an offended heart, taming the tongue, creating a Godly family legacy, and loving Jesus like a husband.  Every teacher and session was really intense, and I learned a great deal about myself and God.  It was quite a blessing.

 

Grafenwohr PWOC (minus a few)

Cheryl, Cydney, and me

Laurel, Beth, Renee, and me

We also had some free time, so we took advantage of that time by exploring Willigen.  We walked to the downtown area and did some shopping.  Then we took a hot chocolate break before heading back to our hotel for dinner.  It was a cold walk, and it even snowed a bit the next day.  Winter is in the air in Germany!
 

Ava, Beth, me, and Cheryl on the beautiful walk downtown

Hot chocolate break with a great group of ladies

Since this was my birthday weekend, I was thankful to have such a great group of women to surround and love on me when I was far away from home and from my husband on my birthday.  The ladies surprised me at dinner with cute Christmas decoration birthday presents that we saw earlier that day on our walk into the downtown area of Willigen.  Plus, they sang "Happy Birthday" to me, and since it was at dinner the rest of the dining hall joined in.  I think that was the first time I had "Happy Birthday" sung to me with harmony.  And to top it all off, they bought me a yummy piece of German cake, and I didn't have to share!  It was a great 25th birthday!

Starting out 25 the best way :)

What a lovely birthday dinner, surrounded by sisters in Christ

On the last night we had a special gathering after the last session.  We went to the Lichtof (foyer area), all went on different floors, turned the lights off, and sang worship songs while shining flash lights.  It gave me goosebumps and brought tears to my eyes, because the presence of the Holy Spirit was truly in that place.  We ended by singing "Silent Night" in both English and German.  It was beautiful.

Praising our God

Worship and Study 2012 was a blessing, and it came at a time in my life when I was desperately needing a touch from the Lord.  Fellowship with other women is important, and I am grateful to be an Army wife that can benefit from groups like PWOC.  God is good.

Oktoberfest!

Wet, fun, laughter, wet, umbrellas, dirndls, bretzen, wet, bier, lederhosen, wet, friends, excitement, crowds, wet, bratwurst, cinnamon almonds, gingerbread cookie necklaces, and wet. All of these adjectives are a great description of our Oktoberfest experience! As you can see, wet is a common occurrence. It was very rainy, but we didn't let that stop us.

Our first biers at Paulaner bier garten

We woke up at 5:15 a.m., got dressed in our dirndl and lederhosen, and took a bus to Munich that left the Army base at 7:00 a.m. We arrived in Munich around 10:30 a.m. This was just late enough that we had trouble getting inside of a beer tent, but it was just early enough that getting into a biergarten (beer garden) was no problem. And, as fate would have it, we just so happened to land in the same beer garden as 7 other Army couples (all of which were friends of Justin and me). This was bound to be a recipe for fun!

And it was! The guys enjoyed talking about Afghanistan,

Justin and John

while the girls enjoyed giant bretzen (pretzels) and talked about places to shop in Germany. 

Brittany and me

The only downside to our Oktoberfest extravaganza was the constant wetness. Did I mention that the beer gardens are outside? Making it impossible to stay dry. Luckily, we brought an umbrella, as did the other couples. 

So, we stayed at our beer garden table and watched all the tables rapidly fill around us. The golden rule of Oktoberfest: Once you find a table, DO NOT leave it! Ever!

The second most important rule of Oktoberfest: When the thought of going to the restroom enters your mind, stand up and get in line. That way, when it's finally your turn to use the restroom you will actually have to go pretty badly.

Unfortunately, I was not a good steward of rule number two. I was 2 biers in, and had to go pretty bad (mind you 2 biers in Germany is like a 2 liter of soda). So that's a lot of beer with no bathroom break. Needless to say, the thought of peeing myself literally went through my head (several times) as I waited in line for literally ONE HOUR before I could use the toilet. Hence, the adjective crowds.

After awhile our friends left, and Justin and I made it inside the actual beer tent, but not before accidentally dropping 2 stein glasses into Justin's backpack. Side note: the bathroom lines are not as long inside. So we enjoyed the warmth and dryness of inside for a bit. Then, we headed back outside to grab some food and try to "experience" Oktoberfest at it's finest. However, it was so wet and still pretty crowded, so this grand idea turned out to be not so grand. 

We ate a bratwurst for dinner. This was the best bratwurst and bread that I have had in Germany! Then we ordered some almonds that were roasted in cinnamon, and let me tell you, nothing compares (so far) to hot, yummy, delicious almonds! And of course, to be traditional, we bought a huge gingerbread cookie necklace that said, "Oktoberfest".

Cookie Necklace

Overall status of our trip? Success. We are considering going back this weekend, not to drink bier, but to experience the culture of the fest more. However, I think we got our fair share of that. I failed to mention the stumbling drunk people, the singing Germans, the puking red head, the random kissing and spanking of strangers, and "passed out hill". Yes, I think we might skip going back this weekend. Prost!

Ramstein, Germany: Mini-America

Now we know where to go if we are ever in need of some "American" time. Ramstein Air Force Base is like a mini-America. We had Macaroni Grill and Chili's all in one weekend. Don't get me wrong, German food is amazing, but sometimes it's nice to have something from home that isn't McDonald's.

The PX there is like a mall, so we spent some time just walking around and feeling "American". I wish there was a New York and Company or Dick's, but it was still nice to have that mall feel. Justin bought some Oakley sunglasses, so at least one of us had something to show for our "mall" visit.

There was also a bizarre going on, so this made our trip even better. We grabbed a beer and walked around this German type market, all while still being on base. We bought a few German Christmas decorations (I can't wait to start decorating for Christmas) and a few bottles of wine. One of the vineyards that was selling wine was only a few minutes away from where we were, and it was tasty wine. We also bought a German porcelain cooking spoon holder, and it is beautiful (handmade and painted). 

Overall, it was a fun weekend trip. And it was a beautiful drive. Plus, remember, on the Auto Bahn there is no speed limit ;) At times we were going a steady 100 miles per hour (which is about 160 kilometers per hour).

I'm looking forward to our next trip- OKTOBERFEST in Munich!

Love at First Sight: PARIS

Paris is absolutely amazing! It's probably the best place we have been so far. We were both happy that we opted for the bus tour, because we learned so much more about the city and the history of Paris that we wouldn't have learned otherwise.

We drove to Ramstein, Germany Thursday night, leading into Friday morning. This was a 3 hour drive for us, in the dark. About 20 minutes into the drive we almost ran into a family of wild boars crossing the roads. Justin swerved just enough to drive in between two boars that got scared. God was really watching over us. 

Once we made it to Ramstein, we met the bus and drove another 5 hours to Paris. We stopped once for breakfast in somewhere in the French countryside. 

Breakfast break

Once we got to Paris we drove around the whole city, and our tour guide basically pointed everything out and gave us an incredible history lesson. We stopped in the Concorde Square to see many of the famous monuments. 

Concorde Square

Then we went to a platform area to see the Eiffel Tower. It is so much bigger in person. It's truly amazing to think about how old the city is and all the famous people and events that have taken place there.

Eiffel Tower

After this we went to the Notre Dame Cathedral, famous for the hunchback of Notre Dame story. It was beautiful. We toured the cathedral and then walked around the Latin Quarter, which is basically a bunch of French stores and cafes. We got some crepes while we were walking, and they were so delicious. I got Nutella and cinnamon in mine, and it was so warm and incredible. We found a Shakespeare book store that had been in the city forever, so we went in there for a bit. It was just fun to walk around, people watch, and see how the French live. There are zero houses, only apartments.

Notre Dame Cathedral

Shakespeare and Company Bookstore

After this we went to the hotel and got ready for our 5 course French dinner. Dinner was really great. It was right by the Moulin Rouge, so it was nice to be able to see that famous performance house. We decided not to go to a show, but seeing the outside of it was cool. For dinner the first course was something called Kir, which is basically champagne and raspberry liquor. It was really good. Then I had melted goat cheese salad. All of the cheese in Paris was absolutely amazing. My main course was salmon in a special French white sauce, and it was really good. Then we had a course of just cheese and bread, and again, all of the cheese was really tasty. And finally for dessert I had a chocolate mousse which was like fluffy ice cream/pudding. We also got a half bottle of red wine each. French wine is typically good, but the house wine isn't so good, drinkable, but not what I was expecting.  

5 course dinner

Moulin Rouge

Sunday we went to the Palace of Versailles (pronounced Ver-sigh). It was where King Louis XIV all the way to Napoleon III lived and ruled France. The palace was huge and the inside was really fancy and nice. But the part I liked even better was the gardens outside. It was literally miles and miles of separate gardens that reminded me a lot of "The Secret Garden". There were mazes with leaves and trees as walls. The landscape was created in such a way to prove that men control nature, and not the other way around. It is interesting how the people back then thought and contemplated everything and every decision they made. They were much more philosophical than we are these days.

Palace Gate

Gardens and Palace in the Background

Then we went to the Arc de Triumph, which is an enormous archway that Napoleon had built to honor those who fought and died in the French Revolution. Under the arc there is a grave of an unknown soldier to represent all the lives that were lost to reach a French victory. There are flowers and an eternal flame always on the grave. There is a passage way underneath the street you are supposed to walk through to reach the arc, because it is in the middle of a very busy roundabout. But Justin and I didn't know that until we ran across this incredibly busy street to get to the arc. The arc seemed like the center of Paris because there were about 8 streets meeting in this roundabout, which was created around the arc.  

Arc de Triumph

Tomb of the Unknown Soldier

After that we went to the Louve Museum, which has tons of famous artwork. It is know for the pyramids outside of it. Inside it is a bit overwhelming. There is so much to see, so we just picked a few things that we were interested in. We saw the "Mona Lisa", Leonardo de Vince's famous painting. We also saw several other paintings by him. Then we saw a sculptor by Michalangelo and one from Greece which was really, really old. We also saw a sphinx that was stolen from Egypt that was dated back to 1200s B.C. How could something be that old? It's almost surreal to think about.

"Mona Lisa" by Leonardo de Vince

Inside the Glass Pyramid

After this we had a 4 course meal instead of 5. Of course always starting with Kir to drink. Then I had mussels in leek sauce, duck in honey sauce for my main course (duck is really popular in France, so I tried it and it was really good), and an ice cream pastry for dessert, which was really good. We also had some red wine again with dinner, and it was much better than the night before.

After dinner we went on a boat ride of the Sane River. It was really cool because the river goes by all of the famous monuments, and it's really cool to see them lit up at night. The Eiffel Tower was the most amazing to see because every hour, on the hour, it "sparkles" and the lights just go crazy. The boat ride also had a speakers in the seats, so you could listen to the commentary and learn even more about the city. There is a bridge that lovers put locks on (like a pad lock), and that supposedly represents that their love we be locked forever.  

A kiss under the Lover's Bridge is just as good as a lock :)

Eiffel Tower from our boat

Then Monday, our last day, we went back to the Eiffel Tower to actually go inside it to the top. Justin and I walked up the first two floors, which was about 700 steps, but to get to the very top we had to take an elevator. It was a little cloudy so we couldn't see very far out, but it was really cool to be up that high. It was 280 meters high (I'll let you do the conversion to feet). There are souvenir shops and restaurants on the first floor, so we went back there to buy a few things. After that we got another crepe, this time with ice cream on top, yum. Then we went to lunch at the Hard Rock Cafe in Paris, and walked around a bit before leaving.

Making our climb to the top

The top! Very foggy and rainy :(

It was a really fun trip! We both fell in love with Paris! It is just an amazing place. Full of life, love, and history.