June Travels

Although this is much delayed, we still wanted to summarize our June travels for our loyal blog readers. This is completely in note format, but includes our basic highlights. Our time in Germany and Europe was filled with so many irreplaceable experiences and we find ourselves feeling so blessed for the many amazing opportunities we had to make those 8 months possible. Many of you helped make our adventures possible, whether through monetary gifts, friendship and emotional support, parenting, example, educational enrichment, or offering whatever part of you it was that helped build our confidence to even think of pursuing something like living abroad. Thank you for being in our lives and for following our adventures by checking out our blog. Stay tuned for a special peek at our Alpine experience in a couple days and a wrap up post or two yet to come. Plus, who knows - we might start two new blog pages. We came to enjoy the medium.

Love,

Bryce and Dan

Oslo – first couch surfing experience, church party at bar and church rock concert at an old theater, ferried to island to hike around, walked on roof of the opera house, walked around to park (lots of naked statues), bus to ski jump but no bus down!, cooked Mexican meal for hosts, talked politics and healthcare and church, Norwegian WWII resistance museum, bus and train to Stockholm

Stockholm – enjoyed the series of islands each w/ a different feel, large parks/gardens, modern museum (Picasso, Dali, Miro, Matisse, Warhol, Lichtenstein, Magritte), fried and pickled herring, couch surfing, improv song contest in front of royal palace on the river w/ picnic dinner, old town Glama Stan, cooked dinner w/ hosts

Cambridge – David Priddy and friends, punting, garden party, England vs. USA World Cup match, saw many blazer and short combos, brunch (incl. fried toast), tea time with scones in an orchard, Queen’s College

Sevilla – flamenco dancing (feet so fast they blurred), tiled buildings, narrow streets, tapas, sangria, cerveza, late nights, balconies, terrace breakfast, olives, oranges, avocados, plants on terraces, interesting colorful architecture, filming of car stunts, Christopher Colombus’ grave, largest gothic cathedral in world, first class train to Barcelona w/ great view of the Spanish countryside

Barcelona – travelled 301 km (roughly 186 mi) per hour, Las Ramblas walk, busy busy market, beaches that would make Mark uncomfortable (optionally), wading in the Mediterranean, Gothic Quarter, Spain vs. Switzerland World Cup match, Picasso Museum, olives, Gaudi’s architecture (casa mila, block of discord), awesome Park Guell and in-process Sagrada Familia Cathedral, horchata, Argentina World Cup match, sangria, used Rick Steves’ guide map and info thanks to Amy and Camilla

Schinznachdorf – night train to Zurich (not the best night’s sleep but fun experience), stayed with Dorothee and Matthias (distant relatives of Dan), all produce eaten from garden, Hapsburg Castle, Roman ruins, very old stain glass in cathedral, ALPS!, wonderful hike, met more relatives for birthday celebration, saw the Rhein a lot, were asked what religion is like in America, walking tour of Schinznach, Stein am Rhein and castle, met three more relatives in Beringen (where Grandpa Becker’s mother was born), learned about Dorothee’s work (graphomotor skills), learned very much about everything from Matthias (solar panels, cars, computers, watering systems, electrical systems, combination of these, etc.), rode in ’74 Citroen

Freiburg – back in Germany!, water canal things in many streets, couch surfed (in dorm, not as cushy as previous places, but a lovely time with some fun people), hiked in Black Forest, hiked to Schlossberg, climbed tower for 360 views (saw Black forest, city, probably France, maybe Alps), ate lunch in park, farmers market at Cathedral, walked around city/university with host, walked to Herdern region, watched exciting US match (U..S..A, U..S..A), watched first half of Germany game amongst enormous crowd, walked back to dorm at half to join hosts, stopped for ice cream, too slow, missed goal (heard it on the way), another “camping” night with hosts

Dresden – reunited with former Potsdam roommate Conny, walked through historical rebuilt Dresden, delicious BBQ with Conny’s family, walk through neighborhood to castle, other castle and animal park, overnight at Conny’s parents’

Berlin – Saw Barbara and Martin again, Superhero and comic book exhibition at Jewish Museum*, Watched USA vs Ghana match with Martin and Barbara at public viewing in outdoor bar along the river, watched Germany match at a Turkish establishment, flea market, watched Argentina game at Argentinean restaurant, Döner!, Potsdam to see program coordinator from 2007 study abroad (who complimented Bryce’s German multiple times), concentration camp, bicycle ride to Schöneberg Rathaus (JFK speech site), reading at Treptow Park, swimming in barge on the River Spree, Chocolate shop, more Döner, goodbye to Germany and Europe

Travel to the US - Lovely 3 am (8pm CST) wake up after getting ready until 1:30 am, quicker than expected Taxi ride, waited at airport for an hour before desk opened to check bags, bags are passed through even though a little heavy (phew), slept pretty well on plane, got through customs in a breeze (tried to claim items, but were sent to the nothing to declare side), began our 5 hour wait at our final gate, announcement was made of overbooked flight and after some back and forth decided to take it, received night in hotel, free dinner (wondered why the waitress kept asking us if we needed anything then remembered that, as opposed to Euro wait staff, she worked for her tips), and two free flights up to $500, caught flight early next morning, had no trouble waking up at 5 am, offered another $425 for overbooking but had waited long enough, home, and reunions, and Jamba Juice, and Chipotle

*after having both finished Michael Chabon’s The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay, which we highly recommend

Photos

Check out our new photos from our June Travels.

No Pictures, Please.

We have returned from a two-week adventure with our final visitors. Vy and Camille, from the Bay Area, joined us on a 13-day, 5-city jaunt, in which we were greeted enthusiastically and mostly warmly where ever we went. We began in Berlin and, we assume, in anticipation of Bryce’s birthday were met by enormous crowds on May 1^st. They held signs against fascism and capitalism, telling all the neo-nazis to leave Bryce alone on her special day. The crowd developed a life of its own, however, and the riot police were necessary. The method to defuse situations was for the police to run in two lines towards the commotion. Once it was broken up, they would regroup elsewhere. Many of these two-line units were seen all around several neighborhoods. We stayed and watched until some of the bottles being thrown began heading in the direction of the police we were standing behind. Later in our stay, we were delighted to have Felipe Calderon, the President of Mexico, join us in Berlin, although, after snapping a few paparazzi shots, we made sure he had other plans as we had a busy schedule ourselves.

We then made our way by train to Cologne. Here we were able to get away from the crowds. We did find one person unexpectedly calling Bryce’s name while walking along the old cobbled streets. Realizing it was Bryce’s childhood friend, Kathryn, who lives nearby but was believed to be out of town, we enjoyed a couple hours with a tour guide before she needed to be on her way. A side note on Cologne: pretty sure it is the mullet capital of Europe.

After two days in Cologne we rented a car to have a bit more autonomy and spent two days along the Rhine and Mosel rivers on our way to Frankfurt. We stayed in Sankt Goar in a vacation apartment owned by people who made their own wine (which we sipped the first evening). Enjoying old German towns, tasting wines, and pointing out the many castles set above the steep, vertical vineyards, through the enormous sunroof of our Peugeot, we had a peaceful getaway along the picturesque rivers and valleys.

In Frankfurt, it was back to the crowds and adoring public, celebrating us with a May and Wine festival. We even had an additional 4 people join us in our room at the Hostel, although all at different parts of the night. We woke up early the next morning and hugged Camille goodbye, as the remaining three travelers set off for Portugal.

We were surprised to find that our flight had been cancelled upon arriving at the airport. This was not the treatment we were used to. After the ash that was in our way moved on, we caught the next flight and made it to Lisbon only a few hours late. We were able to have seats on the now-over-booked flight in part, I believe, because some other travelers insisted we be on ahead of them. I did not understand what was being said, but there was much yelling between this group and the flight staff. I think they were making it clear that we should travel before them and they were willing to give up there seats if necessary.

In Lisbon, we snuck in before the crowds realized we had arrived, but from our bus could see that they were all eagerly watching the TV in bars and restaurants. I am not too familiar with Portuguese customs, but from what I saw, wearing red shirts and scarves with Benfica printed on them must be a greeting and celebration tradition. And celebrate they did, waiting for us to finish dinner they drove around (possibly in loops around where we were) hanging out the car windows honking horns, waving their banners. Kids were kicking soccer balls in the streets; people were marching back and forth, chanting, singing, and blowing plastic horns. It was a joyful, if not rowdy celebration. We were fortunate to be staying in a fabulous hotel with double windows because the sounds went on through Sunday evening until after 2 am Monday Morning.

We transferred to the more “familiar” hostel for the following two nights. Spending the days wandering around the beautiful tiled city. We climbed hills, saw terrific views, tasted port wine, and got lost several times. On Monday we were able to catch the choir and soloist practicing for the massive celebration they had planned for us the next day. When Tuesday came, so did the crowds for one more commemoration of our visit. We could hear singing from everywhere, and even saw communion being given. Leading this honor was Papa Bento himself. Sure enough, the Pope travelled to Lisbon to make sure he could join us in our adventures. He even decided to have the Pope-mobile drive right under our Hostel window so he could get a good view of us.

We again arose early on Wednesday to avoid the masses, flew back to Frankfurt, said goodbye to our fellow journeyman, Vy, and took the train back home. So now we need to adjust back to reality. You know, a 4-day weekend before a long work week of Monday, Wednesday, Thursday. Luckily we have a 5-day weekend after that, then work Wednesday, Thursday and the following Monday before our contract is over. Then we begin our 4-week travels around Europe. Hopefully we will be able to avoid the publicity this time.

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Ah. There we go. So my mom arrived two weeks ago and as soon as she was rested up, we headed for Ireland. We started off in Dublin, where we enjoyed a couple Guinnesses, listened to much live music, and watched traditional Irish dancing. We visited many of the highlights, including the Guinness Storehouse. The self-guided tour was crazy informative and a great mix of visual, audio and olfactory stimulation. We learned the secrets of a perfect pour, which we’re guessing is why it tastes different in the US, then enjoyed a complimentary pint at the top of their tower while overlooking the city. The other major highlight was the writers’ museum, which sent us off yearning to read so many classics. None of us realized how many major authors hailed from Dublin and Ireland: Yeats, Shaw, Beckett, Wilde, Swift, Joyce, the list goes on.

After two days in the capital, we picked up our rental car and the true adventure began. As someone who gets motion sick ridiculously often, there’s nothing like being the passenger on the left side of the car while driving on the opposite side of a narrow windy road lined with rock walls to really throw off your perception and inner ear…but my stomach made it through. I did find that in times of mounting motion sickness, I was all the more likely to become my mother and grab for the glove box or my door or seat or whatever was in reach. You know, the logical response to perceived danger.

We headed towards Galway, and stayed in the small town of Spiddal, chosen for the glorious bed-and-breakfast we’d booked there. We stayed in a thatched cottage (Cloch na Scith, if anyone happens to go to Ireland) run by an Irish family. The husband was born at the cottage, as well and his father and grandfather. The woman was a joyful do-it-yourselfer who gave us a soda bread baking demonstration and was proud to have Gaelic as her mother tongue. (The Galway area is definitely a good place for linguists.) We spent both days driving around the area, taking in the scenery, which consisted of many rock walls that stretched far into the distance, many sheep walking in the middle of the road, and many thatched cottages. Each night we enjoyed bread, cheese and wine next to the turf fire. Our first full day there, we stopped at a local craft fair, then drove up to Connemara and explored the area. The next day we left for the Cliffs of Moher, passing through The Burren along the way. The Cliffs were impressive, especially in the massive rainstorm we were caught in. When we bundled into the car again, we stripped down our layers and laid them across the hatch to dry as we started the journey back to Dublin. We stopped only to grab a late lunch at a hole-in-the-wall café with quirky mismatched lampshades that were really pieces of art.

It was a great trip, better than we had expected, and we wished it could have been longer. The people were incredibly nice (…plus their awesome accents helped), the sights were gorgeous, and our ears and tastebuds were pleased, too. Every bit of it was stimulating. Plus, we’re thinking it was good prep for the city of the Celtics, Boston. Next year Dan will be at Boston College’s Graduate School of Social Work for his Masters of Social Work, and I will be at Harvard University’s Graduate School of Education for my Masters through the Language and Literacy Program. We’re both excited, but I think Dan’s mostly looking forward to being closer to Kevin Garnett.

Half and Half

With March beginning, we are just about at the midpoint of our stay in Germany. Many things are changing at this time. First, we have completed our graduate school applications and are eagerly awaiting responses to see where we will be for the next two years or so, and where we will be moving our scattered belongings, currently located from the Northwest to Southwest corners and out to the middle of the country, with no less than 400 miles between the closest storage point and school option.

We have also wrapped up our first of two three-month job contracts. Having spent November through February in residences, we are beginning our new experiences at structured workshops. This has several differences, many of which are benefits. During the winter we had exactly 2 shifts that we shared. We occasionally worked on the same day, but opposite shifts. Often, we worked on days that the other had off, which included Bryce working on weekends. This made plans with new friends difficult, and also placed us on separate circadian feelings (as in one being wide awake and energetic when the other was tired and calm). It did, however, allow time to complete a total of 12 graduate school applications, complete our taxes, read, practice harmonica, begin learning/polishing our German language, etc. Having half-time jobs in a small town during the cold and dark days of “the worst winter we have had here in 30 years,” provided ample time.

As the season begins to change, our shifting job means that we will have a shift with only day hours (8:30-3:30), we will have consistent work days (Mon, Wed, Thur) and, most importantly, we will have matching schedules. This will allow us to walk or bike to work together as well as share three-day weekends. These weekends will allow for short travels, as well as plans for longer ones when we take time off.

We are looking forward to using this accrued time, (15 days for half time/half year positions! America could learn a thing or two.) This will include three different periods of visitors. Any others interested? We are planning our jaunt around Europe for June.

In summary, the first three months included getting settled, grad school planning, starting/remastering German, meeting people and enjoying “getting/living away.” I would proclaim our trip a complete success if the next three include getting a hold of the language/polishing it to satisfaction, solidifying our new friendships, and traveling.

Separating these two phases, we began our travel by taking a week off between our two work contracts. We trained to three cities in Germany, Einbeck, Kassel and Duesseldorf. Because a blog about an entire week runs the risk of getting quite wordy, Bryce decided to recap our adventures with a list of some of the happenings. I do want to say, however, that being in Duesseldorf reminded me of the joys of living in a city where there are many places to go – and walkably so – and all in the midst of large crowds, and many languages and cultures. We saw large buildings, shady areas, and beautiful architecture and parks. I also observed friends who have been around each other for two years or so. They are comfortable and enjoy hanging out without a plan. They expect to do something for the weekend and be with each other. Basically it made me miss all of you…except Bjorn - not there yet.

And now for Bryce’s recap of our previous week:

Einbeck:
Toured the Einbecker Brauerei.
Drank good beer - Bock beer originates from here!
Admired the many timber-framed houses and imagined my life there as a flower shop owner on a cobbled street.
Appreciated the bike tube dispenser on the side of a building (like the cigarette dispensers often found here).
Went to a sweet town museum, which included a big permanent bike exhibit.
Walked along the old town fortifications.
Concluded that Einbeck is a perfect small German town well worth the visit.

Kassel:
Yanked on the doors of the Brothers Grimm museum, hoping the renovation signs were a lie.
Made fun of ourselves for choosing a city based on one museum and not checking to see if it would be open when we were in town.
Visited the exhibit from the Brothers Grimm museum at the train station, but it didn’t include any of their linguistic work.
Ate hummus (not available in German grocery stores) both nights at a super cheap and delicious Lebanese falafel restaurant.
Took a really really long walk to Wilhelmshoehe, the royal gardens of Elector Wilhelm. It was worth it.
Walked around a castle in the gardens.
Imagined how pretty the gardens are in the summer, as we looked at massive stretches of ice and frozen waterfalls.
Concluded that aside from Wilhelmshoehe, it’s pretty ugly for a European city. There are many cities with awesome parks plus more to offer.

Duesseldorf:
Stayed with Kathryn, a childhood friend who lives there. Awesome to see her.
Caught up with her after 7 years apart/met her.
Met her French boyfriend, and two of their good friends from Spain.
Talked about how very international our group was, all of us foreigners hanging out in Germany.
Ate Raclette.
Drank ginger hot chocolate and chili hot chocolate.
Walked a lot and saw the first shoots of spring popping from the ground as we passed through Volksgarten and Hofgarten.
Drank Altbier in the Altstadt.
Went to the top of the radio tour to get a good view.
Walked in various areas, like the Koenigsallee, which is famous for its fashion.
Saw a woman in a fur coat complete with paws dangling down her back and heads on her shoulders.
Stared at woman in fur coat.
Watched others stare at woman in fur coat.
Saw the Rhine River rise ridiculously high and wondered why it was rushing so violently.
Took the train home, and did arrive home after being rerouted and standing still for long chunks of time on the tracks.
Got home and turned on the TV to see that we were experiencing the eye of the hurricane.
Understood the Rhine.
Concluded that good times with good people make a great city all the greater.