Stuttgart

This past week Justin had a week break from school and we decided to do a little traveling. The trip would be as follows: Stuttgart to Baden Baden, Triberg (the Black Forest), and lastly Strasbourg, France. We headed out Saturday morning and started our trip in Stuttgart. Granted it was rainy and cold (a first for us since we have been here), but we forged ahead and went on a walking tour of the city center. The funny part about the tour was that everyone was German except for us, so the tour guide would first say everything in German and then come straight over to me and do it again in English. It was like my own personal tour. Stuttgart is a really cute city and I bet on a pretty day a great place to walk around and enjoy the sights. Our favorite was Schillerplatz and it had a market going on that day.

Schiller statue

Justin really liked this tree growing on the building. It is pretty cool.

After the tour we enjoyed some of the best Swabian food we both have ever eaten at the Ratskeller. Just so you know, a "Ratskeller" is simply a bar/restaurant that sits under the "Rathaus", or town hall - it actually has nothing to do with rodents.  We enjoyed some kasespaetzle and if you have never had this dish it is a must. We call it German mac n' cheese, but it is so much better than that.

Next we headed to the Mercedes-Benz Museum. I have to say this was a really cool museum. I know a lot of you are saying "really? a car museum?", but it was more than that. First it had an awesome design and layout. It was an 8 story cylindrical building and you spiraled through the whole museum from floor to floor and each floor took you through a different decade. They would explain the advances in the cars of course, but it would also explain what was going on in the world at that time too. It helped explain some of the needs in a car. I know I am sounding so dorky, but we both really enjoyed the whole thing and would recommend anyone in Stuttgart to take a visit.

The Mercedes-Benz Museum and its awesome design.

Some of the first models

The future of Mercedes-Benz cars. I think it is a newer version of the Delorean.

Did you know that Mercedes-Benz made buses? Well they do and Justin wishes he could drive one.

The Pope Mobile (seriously, the pope rode in this thing)

Arnold Schwarzenegger's car...Shout out to Cali!!!

After about 3 hours in the Mercedes-Benz Museum we left and walked through Stuttgart's version of Oktoberfest called Volksfest. Just like Oktoberfest it was packed and we just did a walk through.

Like true tourists we got the Stuttcard and got some discounts at museums and restaurants; so to end our day in Stuttgart we went to a local brewery called Dinkel Acker where we got a free beer. The cool thing that I really enjoy about traveling in Germany is every town makes their own beer so it is kind of an adventure to try each town's brew. After a long day of being tourists we met up with my Uncle John. He and my Aunt Nancy moved to Germany a week before us and live about 30 minutes outside the city of Stuttgart. It was great to see family and just share stories of moving to a different country. He lives in a beautiful little village called Schlaitdorf and it has an amazing view of the Swabian Alps.

My aunt and uncle were amazing hosts and my uncle took us onto some of the military bases. I had never been to one and it is literally an American bubble. He took us to a PX which was like a Target. After not seeing anything American for a few months it was overload...in a good way. If we had not been traveling I bet we would have bought the whole store. My aunt and uncle also cooked up some Mexican food which we had not had in a while and it was AMAZING!! Thanks for starting our trip on a good note.

Arden Noelle Jackson

Living abroad has been a fabulous experience thus far with lots to see and enjoy.  However, there is also a downside to living so far away from family and friends – life back in the States doesn’t take a time-out and we end up missing out on some exciting events.  Take for example the birth of my newest niece, Arden Noelle, who came into this world on October 2^nd in Greenville, South Carolina.  She weighed in at 9 lbs., 3 oz. and is the first daughter of my sister-in-law, Candace, and my brother, Jason. 

        We regretted not being able to be there for the big event, but through the beauty of technology we’ve been able to stay up-to-speed on everything, via calling the hospital with skype and being able to watch Arden sleeping in her bed via gmail video chat.  That definitely helps keep in touch with family and friends and we look forward to following her along until we get to meet her face-to-face next April.

       If you know Jason at all then you know that he has a big heart and will do absolutely anything at any time for those that he loves.  However, it is a difficult thing for him to outwardly express his feelings through words, side hugs, full frontal hugs, etc.  We are especially excited to see this baby completely change my brother and bring out his sensitive side that we all know is there.  Congratulations to the new parents!  We love you both more than you know.  

My brother becoming a dad

She is so adorable!!! I love her already.

German Bowl XXXI

If you know me at all, you know that during the Fall there is not much that I enjoy more than watching college football every Saturday and supporting the Falcons on Sunday.  That being said, since we don’t have television or cable in Germany I have had to spend time on the weekends keeping up with Georgia Tech and the Dirty Birds on game tracker.  I’m still able to stay in the know, but it’s definitely not the same as being able to watch it either live in Bobby Dodd stadium or on t.v. 

                Well about a month ago we started seeing posters in the subways announcing the "German Bowl" that was coming to Frankfurt on October 3rd. Out of pure curiosity we looked into it and found out that there is a German American Football league that runs from Roughly April to October and that the equivalent of the superbowl would be in Frankfurt this year. To our surprise tickets were available ranging from €10-30 (translation: only $14-42 to see the best two teams in the league in the championship).  We were totally there!!

                  Of course we had no expectations for quality, but we went for it with our American comrades Ryan and Katy.  This year’s game featured the Berlin Adler (Eagles) vs. the Kiel Baltic Hurricanes.  Uniform-wise, it looked like the Iowa Hawkeyes vs. the Miami Hurricanes (except the uniforms have advertisements all over them).  It was a blast, although the level of competition was probably in the ballpark of a division I-AA school.  The size of the players probably wasn’t much smaller than in the NFL, but the speed was much slower.  Case in point – the teams were able to run some option plays against each other, which wouldn’t fly in the NFL.  Surprisingly, while there were some American players on the teams, the majority of the players were actually German.  They also seemed to do their best to keep the game moving (i.e. running out of bounds did NOT stop the clock).  Lastly, I’ve never been to a game with fewer penalties – perhaps that’s because Germans really like to follow rules! 

                  It was nice to see some live football, even if the crowd was only 13,000.  To make it more interesting Marisa and I decided to pull for the Kiel Baltic Hurricanes while our friends rooted for Berlin – I mean what fun would it be if we didn’t cheer for a team.  The game came down to the wire with the Berlin Adler winning 28-21.  

No German Bowl would be complete without the cheerleaders - not exactly Dallas Cowboys but they were there.

The Kiel Baltic Hurricanes taking the field, resembling the Miami Hurricanes - Kiel is much colder than South Beach however.

The Berlin Adler slowly strutted onto the field seemingly way more "badass" - and they backed it up too.

All lined up.

This cheerleading squad was a little skankier than the actual team cheerleaders, thus, they got to perform at halftime and leave afterwards - I think they had to go to work.  Notice the band set up directly behind them - it was a German rock band that opened up the halftime entertainment with, I kid you not, "Rock You Like a Hurricane" by Scorpions (you may recall this jam from such video games as Guitar Hero III - Scorpions were a real German band, fyi)

This fine specimen is not a lineman....not a linebacker......not a defensive end.......not even a center - he's the place kicker, and he never missed.

Katy and Ryan, pulling for Berlin

Marisa and Justin pulling for Kiel

Berlin continuing their domination, winning 28-21.

Guest blogger Kayce-Reflects on her first trip to Europe

First of all, I want to take this opportunity to thank Marisa and Justin for opening up their wonderful home, and traveling around Germany and France with me! It was truly an experience I will never forget, and get ready, because I’m already planning my return trip next year!!!

I’ve had a few days to digest my wonderful trip, and I’m slowly coming back to reality. When Marisa and Justin asked me to be a “guest blogge”r and describe my trip, I immediately started thinking of ways to capture the trip in words, without overwhelming you with long paragraphs. Since I’m a list maker, what better way than to make a list!?!? So here goes…I’ll wrap it up at the end with some brief commentary on my trip to Normandy, and round it out with some pictures!

My 3 favorite things about Frankfurt

1. The Frankfurt on Foot tour: Our tour guide Dave, who’s an American, was awesome! We walked around the city for almost 5 hours, and learned so much about Frankfurt’s history
2. The Eintracht Soccer game: I’m not even going to pretend to be a soccer fan (no way…not this Auburn girl), but to experience European soccer first hand was pretty outstanding
3. Dom Romer: The Dom Romer is the city square in the middle of Frankfurt. One of my favorite memories from the trip was when we sat outside and had an afternoon Hefewiesen and chatted the afternoon away.

My 3 favorite things about Munich

1. Oktoberfest: Without a doubt one of the highlights of the trip. It was pure fun…complete with liter beers, tons of laughter, new friends, and old friends. Shoot, even the headache accumulated from the morning/afternoon activities ended up being funny
2. The Hofbrauhaus: If you ever get the opportunity to go to the Hofbrauhaus please go! My only advice…don’t get the original Pilsner. I had major beer envy once I tasted all the others.
3. Dachau Concentration Camp: It’s tough to put this under “My favorite things…” category, but my father is Jewish, and the Holocaust hits close to home. This was truly a very real and reflective afternoon for me, and I’m thankful for the opportunity to have seen a place where so much evil and brutality existed, but to see the resilience of the Jewish people despite the atrocities.

My 3 favorite things about Paris:

1. The Eiffel Tower: On our first night in Paris, Marisa, Ethan and I bought wine, bread, cheese, and chocolate and sat at the base of the Tower and waited for it to light up. From the great conversation to the French wine to the glistening lights…it was fabulous
2. Versailles: Ok, technically Versailles isn’t in Paris, but close enough. The palace was amazing, and the audio tour rocked!
3. Musee de Orsay: Van Gough + Monet + Manet = spectacular! To see Van Gough’s self-portrait with my own eyes was awesome!

My 3 favorite foods

1. The German schnitzel
2. The French baguette from Versailles
3. The chocolate croissants from both countries

 My 3 least favorite foods

1. The leberkasee: It was so revolting. It literally translates to “liver cheese.” Enough said
2. The “green sauce”: a weird mint green sauce toped with hard boiled eggs…ick!
3. The coffee: I know it’s technically not a food, but I sure did miss my Starbucks

 My 3 least favorite things about Europe

1. What they say is true…the French stink. Words cannot describe the stench on the Paris Metro
2. Coke and water was at least 3 euro at every restaurant. I tried not to cringe every time I ordered.
3. The lack of college football: I know I’m being nitpicky, but I was dying not knowing the Saturday college football scores.

 The 3 biggest surprises

1. I loved the Roudin Museum in Paris. Who knew I had such an appreciation for sculpting?
2. They don’t take credit cards like we do here in the US (i.e. for small dollar purchases). It was pretty apparent that I needed more cash once I arrived
3. The efficiency of the Subways: I don’t think we waited more than 5 minutes for any train

 Finally, after Marisa left Paris, Ethan and I had the opportunity to spend the day in the Normandy region of France. After a 2 hour train ride from Paris to Caen, then another short train ride to the town of Bayuex, we arrived around 9:30 AM. We ended up getting a taxi service to take us to the beaches, and we had a driver who spoke zero English and drove like a maniac! It was quite an interesting start to the day.

Our first stop was the American Cemetery, which honors the American soldiers who died during the D-Day invasion on June 6, 1944. The Cemetery is actually owned, operated, and maintained by the United States government. Before arriving at the cemetery, you walk through a museum that is dedicated to the events leading up the invasion of Normandy, the invasion itself, and the subsequent European liberation that followed. I found myself feeling very emotional in the museum, but nothing prepared me for the feeling I had when I saw the cemetery. The grounds are beautifully maintained and each headstone is marked with either a cross or a Star of David honoring the soldier’s faith. I walked around the grounds with tears freely flowing as I thought of the bravery those men faced that day. It was truly a remarkable experience, and is one of the highlights of the entire trip. I almost feel like I would be doing the cemetery a disservice by trying to put it into words. All I can say is it was an emotion I was unprepared for and I felt extreme pride for the men and women who gave their life for our country.

After the Cemetery, we made our way to Omaha Beach, which was the deadliest of all the Normandy landings, and was compiled almost entirely of American soldiers. If you have ever seen Saving Private Ryan, the first 25 minutes of the movie depicts the Omaha Beach landing. There was a small memorial on the beach, as well as a surviving gun bunker. It was pretty amazing to actually stand on the beach. Looking back, I wish I would’ve put my feet in the water, but I didn’t think about it at the time. We were only there for about 20 minutes, but it was long enough. Again, the overwhelming emotions I experienced made this a truly remarkable visit.

From Omaha Beach, we made our way back to Bayeux and went to see the Bayeux Tapestry, which dates back to 1066 and chronicles the rise of William the Conqueror. We did the audio guide as we walked around the tapestry and it told the story of the Norman Conquest. I loved it! The tapestry actually looks a little cartoonish, and the commentary on the audio tour was funny at times, but it was a neat stop in the middle of our World War II influenced tour. Also, the town of Bayeux is absolutely gorgeous. I was amazed at just how old everything was. It makes our “old” antebellum mansions here in Georgia look pretty silly in comparison.

After a quick lunch of quiche overlooking the Bayeux Cathedral, we made our way back to Caen to visit the Memorial Museum of Peace. I was slightly disappointed in the museum. I was hoping it would be more D-Day specific, but it discussed World War II from a much broader perspective. Don’t get me wrong, I thoroughly enjoyed it, but if I could go back, I would spend longer in the American Cemetery Museum.

My one piece of advice for anyone considering a Normandy trip would be to spend a few days there. While I am so incredibly happy I had the opportunity to visit, I wish I could’ve had an extra day to really take in all of the museums and memorial sites. If the others were anything like the American Cemetery or Omaha Beach then they’re worth visiting as well.

So…that’s it! That’s the Reader’s Digest version of my European Adventure. I had an AMAZING time and I can’t wait to go back.

Kayce Stein

J'aime Paris

I have been waiting to go to Paris since high school. I took French for 4 years with the same teacher, Madame Gruwell, and she did an amazing job of portraying French culture and she convinced me to want to be a part of it. I give full credit to Madame Gruwell for my love for French art and the impressionist era. Well my dream became a reality finally 8 years later. Last week I set off with Ethan and Kayce to explore Paris. I will say that it was really sweet of my husband to let me go while he stayed home and worked. He is a keeper. Well first thing I noticed in Paris was I had lost any and all my French skills, I guess learning Spanish and now trying my hand at German there wasnt any room for French anymore. I doubt I will even be able to express how awesome my trip to Paris was, but I would tell anyone that you have to go once or twice in your lifetime. It really is a city of beauty. Everything about it is so amazing from the architecture, parks, museums, and everything in between. This is a city you have heard about your whole life with people you have learned about your whole life and to finally see it was just overwhelming in such an incredible way.  To look up at the Eiffel tower while it sparkles at night, to seeing Van Gogh paintings, and exploring Versailles where so much history is from. We were there 3 days and hit it hard, but I will say I got to see so much. I know these pictures will not do any justice to Paris, but I will try to show you some of my favorites from the trip.

Notre Dame

Saint Chapelle- a beautiful church with gorgeous stained glass windows on every wall of the place.

Arc de Triomphe- We went all the way to the top and looked down the Champs Elysees

My first night in Paris and I saw this....Unbelievable. We enjoyed some real French wine (recommended by a Frenchman) and cheese. It was a perfect night!

Hall of Mirrors in Versailles

One side of the amazing gardens at Versailles.

Everything was covered in gold in Versailles. There were tons of crowns, my mom would have loved it.

Van Gogh self-portrait in the Musee d' Orsay. By far my favorite museum in Paris.

This was one of my favorite paintings in the Musee d' Orsay by Degas.

I have seen this sculpture in books and many replicas, but nothing compares to first hand. Another Degas

Sacre Coeur at night

Sacre Coeur overlooking the city. There were tons of street performers and plenty to keep us entertained for the night.

Got to see Moulin Rouge!

At the top of the Eiffel Tower.....a little hazy but still awesome.

The Louvre

I will say the Louvre is something to check off the list when going to Paris, but I enjoyed the Jardin des Tuileries and all the people outside.

The Louvre was so busy and it was a Wednesday afternoon. I wonder if Paris is busy all year round?

The Thinker

The Rodin Museum was probably one of the most pleasant surprises of the trip. It was in a beautiful rose garden with sculptures throughout it.

The Kiss- my favorite sculpture by Rodin.

The Opera House- I am a huge Marc Chagall fan and the ceiling was painted by him. It was amazing with all the figures flying around; you have to go there and see it.

Great architecture in the Opera House

The Paris crew- Me , Kayce, and Ethan

Like I said this post could not even beginning to show you what Paris has to offer. The trip was amazing and I had a great experience. From drinking french wine, eating baguettes and pains au chocolat to dining at a french bistro and great friends the trip was one I will look back on and smile. I just want to let Madame Gruwell know that France and Paris lived up to all my expectations! Thanks for enlightening me!

BONUS FOOTAGE: Check out some videos from Paris I totally forgot I took these.