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Mittwoch, 8. Juli 2015
Heat and Flohmarkts
durhamfamily, 16:16h
Hi all!
Yeah, that heat was no joke. We had about four days there where I took naps in the bathtub to cool off. Kyle, on the other hand, was a champ. His continuous pushing of his physical and mental boundaries never cease to amaze/scare me. On the hottest day, during the hottest hours, he ran for an hour, doing 500 push-ups along the way. Despite taking a shower, he was drenched in sweat for at least an hour after he finished. I can't wait to cheer him on once again in his upcoming marathons--he hasn't made any announcements yet, but we all know Kyle: he never stays away from a race for too long.
As Kyle mentioned before, things have settled down a bit as we discover our routines. I'm getting really good at making dinner in the microwave and washing dishes in the bathroom. Kyle bikes to work and we find activities on the weekend. The flea markets here (or Flohmarkts) are pretty cool. Imagine your normal American yard sale, but with historic German artifacts: Deutsche Marks, military medals, old steins and glassware. Everything feels like it has so much history behind it. In one of my favorite German lessons so far, Susanne (our teacher) talked about Berlin in the late 1980's/early 90's and the discrepancies between the east and west of the city. It was so fascinating to hear it in German from someone who experienced it first hand. Susanne has been so kind to us in our time here: between making us cake and taking our packing materials to the recycling center voluntarily, she has been a Godsend. I simply adore her.
So! Finally, we have a bit of a respite from the extreme heat. Kyle got a little rain this morning as he rode his bike to work, but other than that, it turned out to be a beautiful day. As long as it stays under 90°F (32°C), our apartment is very pleasant without A/C.
This weekend will be dedicated to dear friends at Paulaner and a new Biergarten. BUT! We NEED to take advantage of where we are and travel at least once a month. Thanks to Carrie, we have our first idea for a weekend getaway to Paris! If you have any travel ideas, PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE send them our way. We also have an upcoming vacation from September 21 to October 2 that I need help with planning. We're thinking the Black Forest, Munich for Oktoberfest, and The Seebühne in Bregenz, Austria (seriously, this opera stage is amazepoops, Google it!). But I'm open to be persuaded to go somewhere else in Europe for our first vacation. So seriously, think about really cool places you want to go and send them to me!
I keep realizing how fortunate Kyle and I are to have an experience like this. We want to share this with as many people as possible, so seriously, if you (or your auntie or your bff from elementary school) want to visit us, please do! I cannot wait to see your face when we show you Taubentalwald or the little Turkish/Greek grocery down the street or the weekly outdoor market or the festivals that happen EVERY SINGLE WEEKEND (it's kind of ridiculous). Despite the weird heatwave, Germany is a beautiful place and the sights and smells of our little town alone will make you want to stay forever. Mind you, we WON'T stay here forever!
Of course, we miss all of you tremendously. It seems our roots keep popping up from time to time to remind us where we come from:
Have an extra American beer for me.
Much love,
Liz
Yeah, that heat was no joke. We had about four days there where I took naps in the bathtub to cool off. Kyle, on the other hand, was a champ. His continuous pushing of his physical and mental boundaries never cease to amaze/scare me. On the hottest day, during the hottest hours, he ran for an hour, doing 500 push-ups along the way. Despite taking a shower, he was drenched in sweat for at least an hour after he finished. I can't wait to cheer him on once again in his upcoming marathons--he hasn't made any announcements yet, but we all know Kyle: he never stays away from a race for too long.
As Kyle mentioned before, things have settled down a bit as we discover our routines. I'm getting really good at making dinner in the microwave and washing dishes in the bathroom. Kyle bikes to work and we find activities on the weekend. The flea markets here (or Flohmarkts) are pretty cool. Imagine your normal American yard sale, but with historic German artifacts: Deutsche Marks, military medals, old steins and glassware. Everything feels like it has so much history behind it. In one of my favorite German lessons so far, Susanne (our teacher) talked about Berlin in the late 1980's/early 90's and the discrepancies between the east and west of the city. It was so fascinating to hear it in German from someone who experienced it first hand. Susanne has been so kind to us in our time here: between making us cake and taking our packing materials to the recycling center voluntarily, she has been a Godsend. I simply adore her.
So! Finally, we have a bit of a respite from the extreme heat. Kyle got a little rain this morning as he rode his bike to work, but other than that, it turned out to be a beautiful day. As long as it stays under 90°F (32°C), our apartment is very pleasant without A/C.
This weekend will be dedicated to dear friends at Paulaner and a new Biergarten. BUT! We NEED to take advantage of where we are and travel at least once a month. Thanks to Carrie, we have our first idea for a weekend getaway to Paris! If you have any travel ideas, PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE send them our way. We also have an upcoming vacation from September 21 to October 2 that I need help with planning. We're thinking the Black Forest, Munich for Oktoberfest, and The Seebühne in Bregenz, Austria (seriously, this opera stage is amazepoops, Google it!). But I'm open to be persuaded to go somewhere else in Europe for our first vacation. So seriously, think about really cool places you want to go and send them to me!
I keep realizing how fortunate Kyle and I are to have an experience like this. We want to share this with as many people as possible, so seriously, if you (or your auntie or your bff from elementary school) want to visit us, please do! I cannot wait to see your face when we show you Taubentalwald or the little Turkish/Greek grocery down the street or the weekly outdoor market or the festivals that happen EVERY SINGLE WEEKEND (it's kind of ridiculous). Despite the weird heatwave, Germany is a beautiful place and the sights and smells of our little town alone will make you want to stay forever. Mind you, we WON'T stay here forever!
Of course, we miss all of you tremendously. It seems our roots keep popping up from time to time to remind us where we come from:
Have an extra American beer for me.
Much love,
Liz
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