Bacation Collasas Maximus continued

On Tuesday June 2 we flew German Wings to the ancient city of Rome. When I began thinking about places in Europe I would like to visit I always wanted to go to Rome. The taxi ride from the airport to the hotel was crazy. Cars, cycles, scooters everywhere. Makes you dizzy just riding in the taxi. We went on a Tour by night and dinner. It was a great bus tour which gave us a good overview of the city. We ate our dinner at 10:30 p.m. with a fun couple from New York. Joe and Maria. Joe has relatives who live in Rome and he spoke fluent Italian.
I had booked a hotel in the heart of Rome with a rooftop terrace. We had a lovely breakfast overlooking the city and talked with a couple from Ireland. Shorty after we left for a 3 hour walking tour of Imperial Rome. We had a great tour guide. To stand in the colleseum and think about the gladiators and the emperors and magnificent pageants that took place there was just mind blowing. I insisted that for dinner that night we go find a restaurant for dinner. We went to a pricey little place called Cafe de Paris. We paid 24 euro each for a salad. It was awful. We ate what we could and marked it up to experience.
Thursday morning we took an early flight to Berlin via Easy Jet. We settled in our hotel which had been a Russian orthodox church, went out for a walk and late lunch at a great little Italian restaurant, did a little shopping, and made plans for the next day.
Friday morning June 5 we rode the train to meet our tour guide. He had been a tour quide for 7 years, was very energetic, and spoke great English. It was very cold and windy, but we had a great day. After the tour we went back to the hotel and took a quick nap. We took the train back down town and experienced the Blue Man Group. Other than the colleseum my favorite part of the trip was Berlin.
Saturday, we took a taxi to pick up our rental car--a great little BMW deisel--and headed for Bremen to spend a couple of days with Martin and Betina and girls. We took a walk, visited, and cooked our own dinner on a Raclette grill. The raclette was developed in Switzerland and is a unique dinning experience. We liked it so much I ordered one online and had it shipped home. We had a great time learning to speak a little German with Mia and Lena.
Sunday morning was cold and rainy. Anne went with Betina and girls to Lenas horseback riding lesson and took Jack for a walk. I went with Martin to his final soccer game of the season. He was the head coach for a boys 8 and 9 year old team. The boys won the game and ended up in 2nd place in the league. That afternoon we took the train to downtown for Lenas school farewell at the storyhouse. It was a little like CHOM. It was an old 3 story house with live actors telling the stories of the history of Bremen. The actors all spoke German, so we could not understand much but we were able to talk with some of Lenas classmates who were eager to try there English skills. We walked around town marveling at the old church and other interesting buildings and shopping districts. We took our picture at the sculpture of the Bremen Town Musicians. Martin treated us to a great restaurant with white asparagus. We had a great visit and talked and laughed a lot.
Monday we made the 7 hr. drive back to Sindelfingen. It was very interesting driving on the autobahn. As my driving experience increased my speed increased also. Before I knew it I was driving @ 160 kph and some cars were still passing me like I was standing still. We arrived back at the Marriott checked in and ate at the restaurant in the hotel.
Tuesday and Wednesday I had to go to work. Anne did things like visit Bruinegerland, walk in the park, wash clothes, and check e-mail, etc.
Thursday, June 11 was a German holiday. I did not have to work and the children here were out of school. We drove to a nearby town and spent the day with our friends Thomas and Suzanna Supper and there 2 girls Natalie and Caroline. It was a rainy, cool day. We talked and visited a couple of hours. We then walked to a petting zoo nearby where they were having an outdoor festival. We had a great meal with them at home and got beat @ Wii bowling again.
Friday morning we drove to Hohenzollern to visit the castle there. I had been there back in February when it was very cold and cloudy. I wanted to see it again in the spring and wanted Anne to see it also. It was a bit cool but a clear day. We got a great view of the surrounding mountains and the castle grounds. The tour was in German, but we found an English speaking visitor who translated some of the important parts of the tour.
Saturday morning, June 13 found us heading to Strasbourg, France. It was a drive of about 1 and a half hours. It is a very old city just across the border with cobblestone streets, river canals, and the famous Notre Dame Cathedral. We visited the cathedral including a presentation about the gigantic working clock housed inside the church. Unbelievable.... That afternoon we took a boat tour through the city and witnessed a gay rights parade which was very interesting. I got turned around when we started back to the car. I was intently pondering my city map when I heard Anne talking to someone in English. When I turned around she was talking with a couple of missionaries from the church. After a short conversation with them and some directions from them we were able to recover our car. What can I say...Lost in France again.
We had been traveling so much we decided we would attend church in Stuttgart and have a restful afternoon. With the help of the navi we were able to find the Ward building. We were warmly received, lots of visitors there, good talks, and good lessons. It was called the Stuttgart International Ward. Monday morning I went back to work and Anne prepared to make the flight home. She did some last minute laundry for me and prepacked most of her bags. Tuesday morning I went to work and Anne took a cab back to the airport for the long trip home.
We had an amazing bacation and hope to return again to see more of this beautiful country. We missed our family and though and talked of you often. I love you all and will see you soon.