Sunday July 4, 2010 Independence Day!

I woke up this morning around 6:50 a.m. and stretched out. No one else was awake. I decided a walk would be nice. I walked about 15 minutes, up over the hill behind the Bode home. It was so peaceful and it was cool for a change. On the way back, I stopped at the top of the hill, over looking two villages, and practiced my kung fu forms. A little additional note that goes beyond what my actual journal says. In Germany, there are little roads, running between farm fields. They serve as boundaries of property. They are maintained by the local governments. You have to have a special pass to drive on them with a car. In fact, a smart car would feel these roads are skinny! However, for horseback riding; biking, running, walking, etc. the are perfect. These paved paths run all throughout the countryside. It makes a great place for kids to ride and play that is safe. Something the Germans definitely did much better than the Ohioans!

After another good breakfast, I showered and we went to Ronnenburg castle. It is on the other side of their village. We picked up Matthias' father and drove the little township roads for farmers. We parked and walked about two miles, through the woods to the castle. It was like being back in mid-evil times! The castle was built in the 1200's. They have been restoring the building and grounds. It is in great condition. There was a short program, in the courtyard, by two knights and a thief. It was cute and they had several sword fights. Afterward, I talked to the thief, Ani Mueller, and she had a strong British accent. She's native German, but lived in England for a year. Anyway, we had them help pose the "O-H-I-O" and took pictures. The Bowers and then the Bode families also posed. The parents and Matthias' father walked back to the van, while the kids went home with Grandma Bode.



Ronnenburg castle in the background and a functioning garden just
off the path through the woods we took to get here.





It was an absolutely gorgeous walk through the woods for a
couple miles to reach the castle.





As you can see on the left, they are still in
the midst of renovating this 900 year old
structure.




The short play unfolds, all in German, in the courtyard.





The thief on the left is who helped us arrange the O-H-I-O
photo later in this series of pictures.





They haven't a clue why they are posing in such a
silly formation!



Tessa has wanted this to happen for years!





Part of the kitchen




The stove...which is operational and the coals in
the back left were still hot.





The view from one of the towers





One would think, after hearing the explanation of what this
was used for, that neither of these intelligent boys would
want to try it out...




...but, I would be wrong!




The armory




If memory serves me correctly, the paintings on
the walls are all carefully restored original designs.




This hall is rented out today for parties, wedding
receptions and the like.




The chapel was decent size, but took some traveling to get to.




It was bright, so we'll excuse her closed eyes, but the view
was awesome! I believe Matthias' grandparents lived in
the village below.




The courtyard below is where the "battle" we watched took place.








Look closely at the left side of this picture. They were para-gliding
off the hillside. We watched for a while, before starting our
walk back through the woods.





Not the best photo in the world, but that is part of Frankfurt
you see in the distance.

We drove to Matthias' parent's home and met his sister and brother-in-law (Matthias #2). He's a mechanic for Lufthansa airlines. His sister is a secretary for a law firm. Matthias #2 finished off part of the family home as a bar/man cave. He is very proud of it and a very good host. I had to tell Julie to be nice and take a drink he offered. It was important for him that she have a drink with us. He made a Brazilian drink with lime, ice, brown sugar and rum. Tasted like a kamikaze. Another side note. Having a beverage (alcoholic or non-alcoholic) is a very important gesture of hospitality and friendship here. What we see as a simple glass of water, carries allot of meaning for Germans. It is really quite a nice custom.

For dinner, Matthias and I went to a Turkish place and bought their version of a gyro. VERY GOOD! While we waited for the food, they served us little glasses of tea. The tea was also very good. It's a Turkish custom. We all ate dinner and then Matthias and I went to see a house under construction, across the street. Very interesting. Masonry walls that are easily 12" or more thick. Insulated. All the interior and exterior walls were this masonry/tile. All the floors are concrete. When we returned, we had a French Merlot. It reminded me allot of cherries.

Doro's English is really good. However, as she gets tired, it breaks down. It's adorable.

There are interesting differences in our cultures and technologies. Their toilets are pressurized and tank less. They are water saving units. As a whole, they conserve water allot. They don't shower as frequently as we do. Their homes have all block, cement and tile construction. They use water radiant heat or geothermal. They have a neighbor whose entire south facing roof is made up of solar panels. His whole house is self-supporting. No outside fuels are needed! Everyone, everywhere has a beer. They don't get stupid, but beer is a HUGE part of their culture. They are a very social people. They walk allot and design their communities as such. Bike paths...the township roads between fields...small villages, etc. Even their washer and dryers are different. They have long cycles.

Matthias' parents spent a month in the U.S. and just returned yesterday. First day of the trip his mom fell and broke her nose, requiring three stitches. The cost was $2,500 and most of it will be paid by the German government.

I am very happy! I walked over six miles and climbed two castle towers today and feel great!

The kids are getting along fantastic. Brandon and Josh are scary together!

They have snails here...3" to 4" long snails! Everywhere! Doro is grossed out by them. Can't say I blame her!

We are packed for Munich (or Munchen, as they call it) and Bavaria the next four days. Matthias and I watched the Frankfurt Ironman this morning. He will be competing in this race in two years. Pretty big goal!

Wednesday is the next World Cup game and Sunday night will be the final. It was so much fun watching parts of the game yesterday, on the Rhine River. They are passionate fans!