Susan Womble's Adventures

Germany week 41--Finally Regensberg and Little Venice, Bamberg, Germany

Dear all:

     Well we are close to two weeks left and counting. Had such a great time teaching and travelling all around Europe but I have to admit I am glad to be coming home. Family - it's what it's all about :)
     For this weekend we took the train station ladies suggestion and visited Bamberg, Germany. It was a short train ride and she called it Little Venice and as you look at the pictures below you can see why. Lots of canals and houses built right up to them. We walked all over and took in the sights.
      We found a bridge that people had put locks on and threw the keys in the river so we decided to do that. We put our name on the lock and the date and locked it to the bridge and then we each threw in our key. The guy who sold us the lock said there were three keys one for each of us to throw in and one to keep. Kind of romantic that we have this lock on a bridge in Europe. See pictures below.
     And Yes we finally made it to Regensburg to visit. We had gone through there umpteen hundred times on the train going to other places and even went there a few times to the mall at the train station but we decided to actually visit the town and it was fabulous.
     On the way there we actually saw someone thrown off the train for lack of a ticket. It was a first for us and the guy really argued. Of course it was all in German but I got the jist of it. Arguments are the same in all languages. LOL
     We saw the church with spires that are 300 feet high --you can see the scale with the picture with the people in front of it and the stone bridge which is almost a thousand years old in Regensberg and I got to shop for a few odds and ends that I had been wanting to get.
     At school our Year books came in. It will be nice to have a memory of all of the people that I have met this year.
     We are busy trying to get all of our last minute organizational stuff together to leave. There is as much transitioning leaving as there was coming but we will get it all done.
     With that, I will close.

Hugs from Germany,
Susan

Bamberg

Bamberg Gregg and casino

Bamberg

Lock on bridge at Bamberg

Bamberg

Regensberg

Germany week 40 Memorial Day, Salzburg Salt Mine, Pacific Asian Heritage Celebration and a couple of European Castles

Dear all:
Just the title of this blog makes me tired. LOL
This week really has been busy. I started out Monday trying to get baby car to pass the German car inspection since I had two or three people who wanted to buy the car, but alas it didn't pass. The inspection that was done on it originally was good until September but if you want to sell a car you have to get a new inspection. From what I understand I got the German guy who doesn't pass anything. It is hit and miss. I know I don't understand the German system but decided it just wasn't worth the fuss. So baby car will be just junked. Sad to think about but what can you do. She was a great car that gave us not a minute of trouble and got 47 miles to the gallon and only cost 1500 dollars so I can't complain.
Thursday we went to the Asian Pacific Celebration at post. It was fabulous with lots of food and entertainment. Lots of Hawaiian dancing. :)Enjoy the pictures below.
I finally got my orders. You have to wait on those to make packing and other arrangements. So I made my packing date for June 13. That was a big relief. And I made sure they had a real email and not needanemail@yahoo.com LOL
The Avengers came to post Friday so we went with pretty much the whole school --really the whole Post. I love going to the movies there as they all stand for the national Anthem before the movie. It was packed with everybody coming early to get a good seat, but what was funny that after the movie had run about 5 minutes other people started coming in and I guess they went and told the guy selling the tickets that there were no more seats so he saw fit to shut off the movie not once but twice to say we couldn't hold seats. Now all of you know what happens when you come to a movie with 4 people after it has started you have to seat one here --one there-- etc. Of course I am not sure he realized he was dealing with Officers in the military and a few told him about it. Anyway before a fist fight happened he quit shutting off the movie. It was just kind of humorous.Speaking of which if anybody remembers the fat kid in the movie "Goonies"--yes we had a first hand demo of the puking in a popcorn bag down the aisle. "It was Horrible." LOL But the Movie was GREAT!!!
We got up early Saturday and went to Salzburg on the train. We went on the Salt mine tour. It was so much fun with a tram ride straddled into the salt mine in miner's outfits and then a complete tour with two big slides down into the mines. See pictures. At the end we rode a ferry across the salt river and then rode a pulley car back up before we took the miner tram back. We were almost 2000 feet underground. I recommend this to anyone. We also saw Hitler's Eagles Nest (see pics) and visited the town of Berchtesgaden , Germany. Great fun and we said good bye to the Alps but it was nice to see them not full of snow. On the way back there was actually an argument on the train-- first I had seen. And the last train was full of bachelorette and bachelor parties. The Bride-to-be or groom-to-be dresses in a weird outfit like a pink furry rabbit or something and I guess they just drink heavily --anyway the last train was quite entertaining with all of the singing and such.
Today we went to church as we are not always here during the weekend. It was especially poignant since it was Memorial Day. The Armed Forces Network also has lots on for Memorial Day. This day has so much more meaning to me being over here and associated with the Post.
After church we "stormed " two more castles within ten miles of us in the town of Hohenfels Schloss Hohenfels and another town close to Hohenfels Rosenauer Burg. We are getting quite good at this and we stopped by a quaint little outside cafe and had lunch on the river.
The rest of the day we have been lazy.
Hope all have a restful Memorial Day with your loved ones as you remember the soldiers who made the ultimate sacrifice for our freedom.
With that I will close, till next week.
Hugs from Germany,
Susan

Pictures 1 restaurant
2- Hohenfels castle
3- Salt Mines
4-8 Pacific Asian Celebration
9-10 Eagles Nest town
11-16 Eagles nest Town and fashion statement
17 through end Castles