We were greeted with a glass of my (now) new favorite beverage---carbonated water mixed with apple juice. So refreshing. Evan loved swinging in this swing, and we passed a couple of hours catching up with Valerie and Denis. (Photo taken by Valerie)
The next day we went into town. This is part of the old center of Stuttgart.
A family photo in front of the New Castle.
Evan smiles at Valerie...
Valerie smiles at Evan... I met Valerie during my junior year of high school. She was an exchange student who came all the way to Glenns Ferry, Idaho (of all places on this planet!) to live for a year. She gave Glenns Ferry a much-needed dose of the outside world, and Glenns Ferry gave her a second home in return. It was an incredible treat to see her in the context of her own original home, and I like Germany and Valerie all the more because of it!
Evan bounces on castle cobblestones.
The next day we went to the super sleek and modern Mercedes Museum.
There were SO MANY awesome cars there (enough for 20 blog posts!). These are just a couple of my favorite.
Yes, it was one of the cars used in the movie.
I loved how this car drove. Very smooth handling... :)
Next we went to Oktoberfest! Here we are in front of one of the beer tents.
We took turns going inside to see what was going on. When I was in, half of the people in the tent were on tables dancing to the song YMCA!
The next day we went to the old town of Esslingen.
We loved this church.
In the choir stalls we found a face carved into each of the armrests.
Valerie snapped this shot of us trying to entertain our little boy.
In the town square with Val. I'm ashamed to say that we somehow left without getting any photos with Denis (Val's husband). Scandalous (please give him our apologies, Val)!
Evan discovers the fun of bouncing in fall leaves.
We met Tiffany, Patrick, and Nicola the next day. They were our next door neighbors in Altadena. We had such a great time with them, commiserating over the joys and heartaches of living in a foreign country, and reminiscing about our time as neighbors (we have some pretty funny stories). Tiffany cooked a delicious dinner for us too (thanks, you guys!!!).
When Tiffany was holding Evan (photo above), we gazed out at this perfectly situated church.
We remember when Nicola was born (just before our 1st wedding anniversary), so it was quite a moment to see him holding Evan!
On our last day, Val gave us a tour of her university. Years ago, when she visited us in California, she gave us t-shirts with this building printed on them. It was quite fulfilling to see the actual building! It overlooks a beautiful botanical park.Thanks, Val, for making us feel so welcome and for taking us everywhere. You were an awesome host!
1 comment:
I sit here in awe without having a clue what to comment on. There was so much great stuff in your post. What an amazing experience! Did you ever imagine when you were friends in Glenns Ferry that you would one day be visiting Germany with your husband and son? I find it so fascinating all the ways we connect and reconnect with people. I truly believe that Heavenly Father has a hand in our friendships. There are been so many people placed in my life at just the right time. You, for example, have always been so dear in my heart. The Lord knew I needed you, so he made us cousins. :) I could have enjoyed being sisters a little better, but I'll take what I can get. ;)
Post a Comment