Vacation

 

My last two weeks have been pretty exciting! March 21st and 22nd were the last two days of class; we had a little party on the last day. Then on the 24th, I headed to the Koblenz area to visit Monika and the family.

One of Karla’s friends, Eva who studies at a nearby university helped me out and her father drove us from Limburg to Koblenz — where Eva’s dad gave me the best tour of the city — and on to Höhr-Grenzhausen.

I spent four days with Monika and the family — including Colin’s wonderful mom Jen! — in Höhr-Grenzhausen. Finn and I went on a hike with Monika, Colin, and some of their neighbors on Friday. It was rainy, but still a beautiful hike.

The area around the Rhine is so green and full of life. It’s definitely different to the pines back home. Everyone brought food and tea for lunch. We had sausage, cheese, fruit, Haribo, and soft-boiled eggs. And, as is tradition apparently, a shot of Schnapps! It was awesome compared to the food I usually eat while hiking…which is mainly protein bars. So if I’ve learned anything in Germany, its how to eat right while hiking!

That evening, the whole group got together for dinner. It was a feast! We had salmon and a kind of German trout, salads, and appetizers. I also learned another German thing…apparently “voll” does not always mean “full.” “Ich bin voll” more often means “I’m drunk.” So everyone had a good laugh when I mixed that up. I’m glad I learned the difference before the semester started!

On Saturday, I spent the day with Karla and her boyfriend Jan. We had to take a bus from Höhr to his town. I still love how everything is connected by bus even though the towns are distinct areas. It’s a totally different set up than in the US. Anyway, the three of us went to a skatepark that is actually on an island in the Rhine. It was a very pretty place, with people’s gardens and a walking path and a playground. I did in fact try out skateboarding…or rather, I stood on the skateboard while Karla and Jan pulled me around. That was enough for me.

On Easter Sunday we drove to Maria’s house in Siegen. Finn and I hunted for Easter eggs! I haven’t done that in such a long time, but it was really fun. And Maria hid them very well. We almost thought an animal took away the last one, since we had such a hard time finding it!

We had a great time that day, and in the morning everyone left back to Höhr. I stayed at Maria’s for another couple days. We mainly relaxed, looked at photo albums, and went grocery shopping. It was fun!

Bis Bald,

Jacque