Drums in the night

Tangier is such an interesting city. We learned that the city was ignored by the previous King for over 30 years because he didn't like it, but that it is now gettingattention from the new King. The city has a romantic quality that is hard to describe and not evident at first glance. The first few hours we were here I had great regrets, feeling that the city was not safe for our family. I am now so grateful that we stayed almost a week and experienced what Tangier is all about. As we watch the groups of tourists that come for just a few hours, I feel sorry for them because they willmiss out on what we now have. The people here are kind and peaceful, even when they are hounding you to visit their shop or buy their goods. The calls to prayer and drumming in the middle of the night during Rhamadan are different and wonderful. We think the nightly drumming marks the time to eat and the time to fast, but we are not sure.

Today we visited the Minzah Hotel - built in the 1930s, it feels like you are stepping back in time. We ate club sandwiches on the patio overlooking the pool, being served by waiters in white dinner jackets and perfect manners. The Hotel has had many famous visitors -

Rock Hudson, Rita Hayworth, Aristotle Onassis - back in the time when Tangier was glitzy and international travel was a mark of sophistication

and wealth. The Minzah is another one of the many surprises you can find in Tangier.

We will miss this interesting city and Dar Nour, Saed, our new French friend Phillipe (cousin Richard's twin) and the resident chamelions - M.C. and Mojito. There is a lot of new development going on in Tangier - we hope to return someday to see what the city becomes in its next transformation.

Old post from Morocco

Asilah and Camels!!

We came to Morocco with a list of things we wanted to do here - one of which was ride a camel! Yesterday, after a wonderful day of shopping in the beautiful (and very clean!) city of Asilah, our taxi driver brought us to his friend who gives camel rides on the beach. Marc and the kids went first so that I could take videos and photos. The man had 5 adult camels and 6 babies - really cute! Marc and Ava were the first to get on a camel...I held my breath as the camel lurched forward and backward to stand up. Cullen was next and then came Aidan. Aidan’s camel was not interested in giving a ride and tried to bite its owner, then screamed loudly at the man. Aidan tried to get out of it, but somehow ended up on the camel with a look of terror in his eyes. They started walking down the beach and all of the babies jumped up to follow - a great procession to watch! By the time they turned around, Aidan looked fine and seemed to be having a little fun. After they returned, we took some photos and the camel owner suggested I sit on one for a photo - I almost got away with not having to ride one! Needless to say, I was happy it was just a short ride...I prefer horses!

Asilah is a gorgeous little town with a great Medina and views of the ocean. It is much cleaner than Tangier, although not nearly as edgy. Asilah is an artist’s community - as is evident from the fantastic murals that are painted on many of the buildings. Art galleries and street artists are around every corner and the art is wonderful. We bought a whimsical and colorful painting from a man on the street - much of his work was painted on the inside of torn up concrete bags...great recycling! If it survives the plane ride home, we will frame it and always remember our crazy trip to Morocco!

Gibralter and The Kasbah!!

The ferry ride from Alegeciras to Tangier was incredible. It took a little over an hour to sail across the Straights of Gibralter to the continent of Africa - wow! Gibralter is beautiful and we learned that its history dates back to the Neanderthals. As if the amazing scenery wasn’t enough, we were treated to a huge school of dolphins swimming next to the boat - great timing :).

After a long journey by plane, train, taxi and ferry, we finally arrived in the Kasbah! Our trip has been incredible and we have experienced a lot of different cultures, but nothing like this!! After finding our way to the port, we waited for the taxi that was sent from our Bed and Breakfast to pick us up. We had to be very firm in refusing help and taxi rides from the numerous men who tried to help us. There is an eagerness in their eyes as they try to help you with your suitcase or steer you to their taxi - hoping to make some money off the new tourists in town. Our taxi arrived and we piled into a car with no seatbelts in the backseats...when in Rome! We all stared out the windows as we made our way through crowded streets and into the craziest roundabout we have ever seen - cars going all different directions and lots of honking. The streets seem barely large enough for one car, but somehow, cars, bustling storefronts and many, many people seem to share them. The taxi stopped after entering an archway marked

Bab Kasbah and we were again immediately swarmed by men and young boys all attempting to carry our suitcases. This time, we were not so successful in getting them to stop. The taxi driver led the way as 4 young men carried our bags to our destination. They were very happy to receive the change we gave them in thanks. We are staying at Dar Nour - an oasis among garbage strewn streets, bands of feral cats and the general dirtiness of a crowded city. It is really amazing once you enter the doors of the building - a remodeled house with multiple clay tiled staircases, colorful walls and several rooms - each uniquely decorated and situated. We are in the Pacha Suite - decadent in that it is the only one with a full bathroom. We love it.

The first day was a bit overwhelming as our new friends waited outside our door. It took half a day, but we eventually convinced them we did not need a tour guide and were not interested in their help. We wandered through the narrow streets, marveling at the unique doors, gorgeous bougenvilla, white-washed buildings and colorful walls. Dar Nour is situated in the heart of the Kasbah and just around the corner from the marketplace - the “Medina”. The kids love the Medina - happily shopping with their Moroccan money - the “Dirham” - ten Dirhims equal one Euro and there are bargains galore! Cullen in particular loves bargaining with the shopkeepers - we are all leaning on him now to get us the best price. He quickly learned that pretending to walk away is very effective in getting a better price. However, once you have engaged in negotiations with someone it is very difficult to end without making a purchase. At one point, I was negotiating for a blanket and after trying to walk away, the man rather forcefully tried to throw the blanket in our taxi and lowered the price to my lowest offer - I bought the blanket and we quickly left that shopping area. We have made many purchases already...shoes, scarves, beads, trinkets, magic boxes - you name it! - lots of fun.

The city is a mixture of Moroccan, French and Muslim influences - with French being the strongest. Dar Nour is very French - we are really enjoying the food and ambiance. The breakfast is incredible and we feel very cosmopolitan as we sip our coffee on the fabulous terrace overlooking Tangiers and the Meditarranean Sea. Our first night here we were invited to the incredible roof-top patio for a meteor party - complete with wine and a discussion of meteors led by a man who has a PhD in astronomy - in French of course. Marc and I are trying to revive our French...slowly coming back to us. At one point, I considered myself conversational in French - not anymore!! We have enough to get by, but couldn’t understand the meteor discussion. We never saw any showers, but enjoyed meeting a couple from Paris and learning more about Tangiers and the local politics and economy. We marveled at their story of how they attempted to purchase a second home here - for $15,000 euro - an incredible bargain among our standards. However, we learned that their negotiations fell apart when they became uncomfortable with the lack of a title system here. Apparently, if you purchase property, you receive some sort of a religious guarantee (not in writing) that the owner selling you the property actually owns the property. After 3 years of possession, you can then go through a lengthy process to receive a proper deed. Dar Nour is in its 3rd year and is now seeking its deed - hopefully they will be able to accomplish that task and keep this incredible place.

We have a relationship with our taxi driver now - setting times for him to pick us up in advance. His name is Saed and he is a very nice man and it is comforting to have the same person every day. Our French hosts have helped us plan our days. Yesterday we took their recommendation and went to a private beach they suggested that was 45 minutes away - “L’Ocean” - a beautiful beach on the Atlantic. It is very nerve racking for me to sit in the backseat and watch the kids bounce around the car with no seat belts - especially when we are passing all sorts of vehicles in the suicide lane. Marc and the kids know my strict rules about cars and seat belts and seem to get a giggle out of my looks of fear. Marc is much more relaxed about the taxis than I am.

Tangiers is surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea and we stopped to look at the vista where the 2 meet - wonderful to see. The private beach was fantastic! It is very, very hot here, so the ocean was a wonderful respite. We ate at an incredible restaurant and quickly befriended the owner - another Frenchman! Ava is a novelty here with her blonde hair. She is not use to the men who want a “bisou” from her. She is warming up to the idea :). Last night walking home from dinner through the Medina, someone among the huge crowd shouted “Allo Ava!” - it was one of the staff from B&B who particularly loves her - we all laughed about Ava knowing someone on the streets of the crazy Kasbah!

We were awoken last night with loud drumming and chanting outside our window - marking the start of Rahmadan. The mood is markedly different today - very quiet and still because most of the city is fasting from sun up to sun down. We have heard that the city becomes crazy once the sun sets. Today we are traveling to Asilah - another city about an hour away.

old post - Castle Leslie

Last Friday we drove north to Castle Leslie. We stopped for lunch in Monnahan and knew we were close to Northern Ireland because there was a Sinn Fein office in town - the conflict is dormant, but still interesting to think about. We arrived at Castle Leslie and were instantly enchanted with the grounds and buildings. An absolutely beautiful place in an amazing setting. Everything was so green - truly the emerald island! We stayed at the old Stable Mews - a short distance from the castle past the happiest horses on earth....beautiful pastures full of gorgeous horses that come to the fence to say hello when you walk by. The wedding was held at St. Tierney’s church in Northern Ireland - the kids didn’t believe that we were in a different country! No euros - just pounds! After a very touching ceremony, we went back to the Castle for a fabulous party - laying our heads on the pillows some time after 3am! It was fantastic to experience an Irish wedding - the main difference being the length of the festivities and the complete second round of food at midnight. Aidan was chosen to be an alter boy for the ceremony and he did a wonderful job helping the priest (Joanne's uncle!) light candles and bless the wedding rings with holy water. We were very proud of him. The wedding and reception were incredibly tasteful and elegant - just like the bride and groom. Patrick and Joanne are a wonderful couple and we are so happy for them.

Staying at Castle Leslie with Doug, Georgia, Leanna, Brad, Laura, Mary, Rudy and all the cousins was fantastic - so wonderful to see everyone after a long summer away. On our last day we were given a tour of the castle - many great artifacts and some stardom - Paul McCartney had his wedding at Castle Leslie and Mick Jagger, W.B. Yeats and other famous people stayed there as well. One artifact was called the "Bloody Shroud" - it looked like a red painting behind glass, but we learned that it was actually a cloth used to wrap a head that was severed at London Tower after the victim refused to convert from a catholic to a protestant, proclaiming before his beheading that "the price is too high" - quite a story!

Leaving Dublin!!

We will miss this wonderful city. The kids and I have spent many days exploring the city as Aidan and Cullen lead us with confidence through alleys and narrow streets on our favorite route over the River Liffey into Temple Bar, Grafton Street, St. Stephen’s Green and the grounds of Trinity College. This city is steeped in history and we have experienced most of the highlights. Our latest adventure was to the Georgian district - a beautiful area of town with distinctive red brick Georgian row houses. Merrion Square is famous for the many different colors of doors on the houses - red, black, yellow, green and even pink. We toured 29 Fitzwilliams Street - an 18th century house that has been preserved with period furniture. The guided tour describing life in that era was fascinating. We decided that although it might be nice to have 3 servants per household, we wouldn’t enjoy the chamber pots and lack of bathtubs. We also visited Christ Church Cathedral and the Viking/Medievil Museum - both fantastic and well worth the tour.

Today, we went to Trinity with Marc and wandered around the campus thinking about our nephew Brendan who recently graduated from Trinity and our nephew Kieran who is hoping to be accepted for admission in the fall. The campus oozes a feeling of academia and history. We learned that the Vatican considered it a cardinal sin for Catholics to attend Trinity until the early 1960s - a fact that astonished us. Ireland is a country with a fascinating blend of rich and varied history, as well as conflict and controversy that is quite recent by comparison - an interesting contrast. There is something exciting about conflict that occurred during our lifetime in a city that was invaded by Vikings in the 800’s.

This afternoon our focus turned to family as we met up

with the California contingency and enjoyed an afternoon and evening of the Irish/California blend. The wedding buzz is upon us and time spent with Patrick and Joanne is precious as we know they are wrapped up in the details and emotions of the wedding. The kids were overjoyed to see their cousins - Cullen begging to have dinner with someone other than me and

his siblings! We hardly saw Ava all night as she was much more interested in Cielo and Lola than us - ahh...girls to play with!

Tomorrow we leave Dublin and drive to County Monnahan and Castle Leslie,

the location of the wedding

and where we will stay for 3 nights. We are really looking

forward to seeing the Irish countryside and venturing over the border into Northern Ireland for the ceremony. This will be a traditional Irish wedding - from a full Catholic mass to dancing into the wee hours of the morning...we can’t wait! We are all so happy for Patrick and Joanne - they really are a wonderful couple. We have spent several days with Marianne’s family and we will be very sad to leave Ireland. We see them frequently enough to have close relationships - so much so that when we are together it is easy to forget the long distance between us. As we left their house tonight, I stopped and pondered the thought that it could be many years before we see it again. We will miss them all very much. After the wedding, it is off to Morocco and Spain!

Marc arrives!!

Marc arrived in Dublin 2 days ago - we could hardly contain our excitement. After waiting 2 hours past his flight arrival time, I couldn’t take their anxious behavior anymore! We went down into the street to look for him. After walking around the block a few times and eating treats from the market, we sighted his car coming down the road - perfect timing. Once he parked the car and found his way to us, the kids nearly knocked him over with their hugs. We all interrupted each other in our efforts to tell him about the past 5 weeks - his head must have been spinning. We made our way out into the city and to Reilly’s pub - Marc had a healthy portion of Shepard’s Pie and a frothy Guinness - a perfect welcome to Ireland! It is

really wonderful to have him with us - I am no longer homesick :).

Cullen's 12th Birthday!

Cullen turned 12 in Ireland - very exciting!! Aunt Marianne made her famous midnight chocolate cake for him and we celebrated with Marianne, Robert, Kieran, Brendan and Marguerita. Hard to believe that Cullen is 12. The kids have started a coin collection that is already quite impressive. We found a coin shop in Dublin that they love to visit. Aidan bought a Leed's penny from 1791 for Cullen - a great addition to the growing collection! Ava found some great old Irish pennies for him - coins larger than the American quarter. Brendan had just returned from a month in Thailand and Cambodia, so he gave the kids his left over money. They love the bills and the denominations - 2,000 and 5,000 bills (worth very little, but exciting to see such large numbers on bills!). Robert helped the cause by digging through his old coins and giving the kids straw pennies and other old coins. Kieran donated a silver dollar and other coins he no longer wanted. The collection is growing... Cullen also received an Irish fiddling book from the Mohrs and an infusion of Euros from Marc and other family members...he was very happy :). Cullen was missing a celebration with his friends for his birthday, so we will do that when we get home. Happy Birthday Cullen!!

Ireland Adventures

We are having a fantastic time in Ireland. Staying in the heart of Dublin has made it very easy to get around and see the sights. The kids really know their way around and are really enjoying the city life! We love to walk on Grafton Street and O’Connell Street and listen to the numerous street musicians and just watch all the people. Desperate for exerc

ise, I took them to St. Stephen’s Green for some races and running around - the Green is a beautiful park and we got our first taste of Irish weather as the rain came down!

We spent a wonderful day with Kieran - touring the Kilmanheim Jail and the Guinness Brewery. The Jail tour was a great historical overview of the Irish rebellions and uprisings - made especially interesting by the setting of t

he eerie jail cells. Fascinating to hear about the individuals who were instrumental in

the fight for Irish independence and to learn about the volatile history of this country. We will venture just over the border into Northern Ireland for the wedding ceremony - it was great for the kids to learn about Northern Ireland and how the division ca

me about. The kids have learned so much about history this summer. It is so wonderful to have the opportunity to broaden their view of the world.

The Guinness Brewery tour was also fantastic. I was very interested in seeing the 9,000 year lease that Arthur Guinness signed when he opened the brew

ery. The actual lease is set into the concrete floor

- very cool. We all enjoyed learning about the process of brewing beer and of course, tasting it!

I have never had a Guinness, so it was great to take the first sip in Ireland with my nephew! The tour ends in the Gravity Bar with a free pint and an incredible view of the city. Kieran told me when the foam had settled enough to start drinki

ng - like a cold latte....my favorite part was the foam. Cullen and Aidan snuck a little taste - both claiming to love Guinness! Uh oh...

Today we went for a drive into County Wicklow and to lunch at the famous Johnny Foxes Pub - a great pub in the countryside that has live music and delicious food. The walls

are lined with photos of famous people who have eaten there - from Bill Clinton to

Salmon Rushdie...quite a place! We then drove around Wicklow and enjoyed the beautiful views. Cullen is enjoying seeing his name everywhere - "Cullen" is a common surname here and also a name that appears on street signs frequently.

Tomorrow Cullen turns 12! He is very excited to be in Ireland for his birthday, but missing a celebration with his pals. Aunt Marianne is making her famous midnight chocolate cake for him, so it will definitely be a birthday to rem

ember! Marc arrives in 2 days....hooray!! Ava is beside herself and asks frequently "is it tomorrow yet?" and the boys and I can't wait to see him - hopefully they don't knock him over when he walks in the door!!

Monkstown :)

We spent a wonderful day at Marianne and Robert's house yesterday :)

Kieran had just returned from Spain, so the kids were overjoyed to see him as well.

They live in an incredibly charming house in Monkstown - about 15 minutes outside of Dublin. Marianne cooked a wonderful vegetarian meal :) and made a delicious cake that she and Ava decorated together. Marianne is a cake expert now - she and Patrick made the wedding cake together...can't wait to see it! We went for a walk into Don Loughre and along the coast.

The kids found sea glass - of course! We then went back to their house to warm up with a cup of tea and the delicious cake! We stayed so long that everyone got hungry again, so Ava suggested making soup. Marianne and Avaset to work making "Ava's Monkstown Soup" - again a fantastic meal! Being at their house and enjoying the day together was such a great treat as we know it will soon be crazy with all of the other family members arriving and the preparations for the wedding. Today, the zoo - Ava's choice :)!

Dublin!!

We arrived at the Dublin Airport at midnight and made our way to our apartment in Dublin - a little scary so late at night in an unfamiliar city. Transporting the luggage and a sound asleep 5 year old was not easy. The apartment is situated perfectly - right in the middle of everything. Unfortunately, the apartment looks nothing like the fabulous photos on the website! It is sufficient, but not great...oh well - you can’t win them all! Marianne came to see us today and showed us around the city a bit - what a fantastic place! We walked along Graften and O’Connell Streets and wandered through Temple Bar and numerous charming and bustling shopping districts. The streets are packed with people! We are hoping to spend a lot of time with family on this leg of the trip and it was really wonderful to have Marianne to ourselves for the afternoon. We will take the train to her house on Wednesday. Kieran returns from Spain tomorrow and the kids can hardly wait to see him! We are all excited to see Robert, Patrick, Brendan, Marguerita and Joanne. The wedding is a week from Saturday, so we know they are all busy with the planning. We will take every opportunity to see them - so much fun to finally be on their turf!! Tomorrow we will do more sightseeing in Dublin and Cullen has an Irish fiddling violin lesson - then he wants to play in the shopping district....visions of euros in his eyes :). Ava was very crabby today - as she fell asleep she told me “I didn’t behave today because it has just been too long without my Daddy” - I agree! Only a little longer to wait :)...

Last Day in Germany...

Our last day in Germany was bittersweet. It was so hard to watch Oma walk through security at the airport on her own - we wanted to go with her. We waited until the transport picked her up to take her to her gate and then we left. I was very tearful and the kids all walked close to me and held my hands...so sweet. Before she left, we surprised her with a pair of amber earrings - a gift that will always remind her of our trip together. Amber is centuries old tree sap that washes up in the Baltic Sea - Oma collected it as a child and she loves it. She cried and hugged all of us...wishing we all could stay in Germany longer.

Our plane to Dublin didn’t leave until 8pm the next evening, so we set off to enjoy Munich on our own.

It immediately felt different without Oma - a complete change of dynamic. We talked about her all the time; hoping and praying she was getting along ok on her own.

We stayed in the Marienplatz District, which turned out to be the perfect spot. In the morning, we walked to the Deutche Museum and couldn’t believe what we happened upon. Clearly the Smithso-

nian of Germany - multiple floors of unbelievable collections of ships, planes, electrical technology, space and on and on. You could easily spend several days and still not see everything. Really fantastic!! There is a complete German U-1 boat that is truly phenomenal to see. We must have said a hundred times how much Marc would love the museum and how he could have enlightened us on many topics with his historical knowledge. Definitely a place we hope to visit again someday - with Marc! After we wore little Ava out (“no more” she cried after 4 hours!), we walked (Ava on my back) to the Haufbrauhaus - no explanation needed! Because we had several hours left in Munich, I enjoyed a beer under the beautiful trees in the Biergarten and the boys had...brats!! We took this great photo with some very authentic looking Bavarian guys and marveled at the tables full of people drinking out of huge mugs and steins - a great last experience in Germany!

Saying Goodbye :(

We have enjoyed our last two days in Fussen. Yesterday afternoon, the kids and I rode the gondola up to the top again and hiked down. I should know better than to start a hike in the mountains in the afternoon.... It was a 2 1/2 hour hike and sure enough, a thunderstorm rolled in! The scenery coming down the mountain was beautiful and dramatic and a little challenging for Ava. We kept calling her "Ava the Brave" and that helped to keep her going. The kids each had a bag of gummy bears, and that helped a lot! We were totally unprepared as we decided to do the hike at the last minute, so we only had one water bottle to share and no food (shame on me!). The woman at the Gondola assured me (I thought) that the trail was well marked. Well, we ran into several intersections with no markers and a few that had signs with no words! Luckily, a nice guy came by us and directed us which path to take. We were about 45 minutes from the bottom when the rain started. We all got a bit scared when we saw lightening flashing right near us. But, we made it to the car! We started driving and all of a sudden something hit our car that made a huge noise, then we were pelted several times - of course...hail! Not your typical hail, but "lacrosse ball size" as Cullen and Aidan called them....and they really were that big. It felt like we were in a movie scene, escaping the earth's destruction - I screamed "oh sh_ _!" when the first hail hit our car and the kids all screamed. The kids chided me for swearing, but it was really a reaction I couldn't control. Luckily, we were able to drive out of the hail storm quickly and we made it safely back to our apartment...back to Oma who was pacing with worry. Very exciting story now that it is over!

It rained all day today. We have been lucky to have such great weather the past month. We explored Fussen with umbrellas today, visiting the Abbey, the graveyard and the Monastery. We went to a fantastic exhibit that follows the history and relationship of Bavaria and Italy- the coolest artifact was a metal horse head that dates back to the Roman Empire - it washed up in a river in Bavaria. We also learned that the very first image of a man playing a violin came from Fussen. The history of violins here is fascinating as the instrument originated and developed in Italy and Bavaria. The exhibit had a violin from the 1400s - Cullen loved it. Speaking of violins, Cullen played on the cobblestone streets again yesterday and made 24 euro! Its becoming a lucrative activity and he was bummed about the rain today...all those missed coins! He has never been so excited to play his violin!

Tomorrow we say goodbye to Oma...we are all very sad. Time is playing its trick on all of us, making us feel like we have been here a long time and also like we just got here. Oma doesn't think she will ever return to Germany, so that is an added layer of sadness for her. She will cherish the memories of this trip for a long time.

The kids and I stay in Munich for one night and then off to Dublin on Sunday. We are all excited that Marc joins us soon - we can't wait!! More adventures to come...

Beautiful Fussen!

We have been in Fussen for 4 days now and we are loving it! The first day we hiked around Hopfensee - a beautiful high mountain lake that has panoramic views of all the beautiful mountains around us. It is very slow going with Oma (she now wants us to call her that :), but the kids (and me) are trying to be patient. The second day we rode the gondola and hiked an incredible trail. Oma stayed at the cafe and had coffee while the kids and I hiked. We sat on the edge of a mountain and ate our lunch admiring the landscape. The day was foggy and misty, so the mountains came and went as the clouds parted and the sun came out - a constantly changing view. The meadows of wildflowers set against the impressive mountains was a wonderful sight. We tried to hike to a cross that is perched on the top of a mountain, but turned back when the trail got dicey and it became necessary to use cables. After hiking, we watched the hangliders and paragliders taking off - really fun to watch. We are hiking again tomorrow - I could stay here for a month and just hike...its really amazing.

Next came the alpine slides - seemed crazy at first, but after the first couple of rides, I found myself wanting to go faster and faster! We will definitely do the slides

again before we leave Fussen. The next day we hung out on Forgensee - another beautiful lake. We swam and played for hours - so much fun.

Today we visited Neuschwanstein Castle - the famous castle of King Ludwig II - an amazing tour! Getting to the castle is difficult and would have been impossible for Oma to walk the trail. There are normally busses available, but because of the rain, there were no busses today. That left us the only option of taking the horse and carriage - not something we normally would have done, but a little serendipity that it was the only choice. We all enjoyed the ride through the forest and Oma was well rested for the 300 steps she climbed inside the castle. The Castle's history is very interesting and mysterious. King Ludwig built it in the 1800's in the style of 11th and 12th century castles. After living in the castle fo

r only 172 days, Ludwig was declared insane and taken to an institution. The next day he was found drowned in a local lake, together with the psychiatrist who declared him insane. The circumstances of his death remain a mystery to this day. There is speculation that his pacifist politics and his affection for music and art (considered eccentric at the time) played a part in his death. The kids had fun concocting scenarios of his murder! Aidan is convinced that he was not insane and that he was killed by his uncle. After the tour, the kids and I walked to Mary's Bridge - a very high bridge that spans across a river...we quickly got off the bridge when it became loaded with people...a bit scary because it is just a wooden plank bridge with metal guardrails.

We are really enjoying the town of Fussen - very quaint and lively. Cullen has been eyeing the street musicians and wanting to give it a try with his violin. So...this afternoon the 2 of us strolled into town with his violin in tow. We chose a spot and I sat at a cafe nearby, pretending that I didn't know him. He opened his red case and played for 20 minutes. He was overjoyed that people gave him money - 8 euros! He enticed a lot of listeners and sounded great. He is only lacking a longer playlist. He learned a lot about people in those short 20 minutes - how some walk right by and others stop to listen and then give him a coin. He was offended by the man who listened the longest, but didn't drop in anything. After watching Cullen, I don't think I will ever pass by an open music case without dropping in some change! His self-confidence is really amazing - he is dying to do it again!

2 more days here and then off to Munich to say goodbye to Oma. She has had a wonderful trip and we have so enjoyed sharing Germany with her. Next adventure is Ireland, where everyone is gearing up for Patrick and Joanne's wedding...very exciting. Marc joins us in exactly 2 weeks - Ava thinks its never going to get here! Kids can't wait to see their cousins :)

Raining in the Alps :)

Today we drove 4 hours south to the small town of Fussen - right on the Austrian/Switzerland border...I have always wanted to see the Alps and now that I have, I might never leave. OMG!, as Cullen likes to say. The terrain here is so incredible and lush and amazing and... I could go on and on - wow! The mountains are my favorite place in the world - it is really incredible here. Nana sat next to me in the car with a huge smile as we drove through towns with streets that were lined with wooden, Bavarian style houses - complete with window boxes and charming gables. She lived a few miles from Fussen after WWII and she is so incredibly happy to be here - as we all are. But I need to back up and remember our day...

We left Unsleben this morning, sad to be leaving our quiet cottage and sweet neighbors who came over for our last night of tea. The kids next door, Sylvia and Richard, were enamored with the kids and stayed until dark - Sylvia holding Ava on her lap. The kids want me to write to Sylvia's family and ask her to come be our au pair next summer - something we don't need anymore, but still an appealing thought...hmm.. then I could work to pay for this trip!! Richard is an impressive "free runner" - something I thought the boys made up, but it turns out is really a sport. He "ran" up the cottage wall, flipped around in the air and landed on his feet - very cool. Needless to say, the boys couldn't get enough of him! Cullen is really wishing Aidan Pitt was here...to go off the high dive, see the free run - he is missing his friends.

We drove south to Rothenberg and stopped for lunch. Rothenberg was built in the 1400's and still has most of the wall around the city - there is a narrow set of stairs leading to a path that runs along the top of the wall - we walked on the wall until Nana got tired. Aidan quickly snapped into his role as historian and explained with great gusto where all of the canons, swords and shields would have been stored for battle. We walked in the dungeons and dark, narrow alleys underneath the wall...unbelievable to me that such places still exist. We bought souvenirs and ate Chinese food for lunch...ok, I'll admit it....German food is not our favorite! The boys have had enough brats to last a long time and Ava has been subsisting on bread, cheese, tomatoes, french fries and of course, chocolatte eis. Not that she ate anything better at the Chinese food restaurant, but we were all very happy for the change. We are all craving burritos and salsa - neither of which is available anywhere....maybe Spain? Paella is calling our name! The city was very confusing with its narrow alleys and numerous doorways, but thanks to Aidan, we found our car - not sure what I would do without him on this trip.

After Rothenberg, we drove south on the "Romantic Road," until my laptop battery died and the Avatar episode ended and Ava started moaning "are we there yet?" After 20 minutes of pointing out beautiful fields and cows, I gave in and changed over to the Autobahn - 90 mph feels normal now, but still not fast enough for those last 45 minutes of a road trip in a crowded car (and not fast enough for Cullen who wants me to hit 100 in our Ford wagon!). Aidan got into a very chatty mood as we found ourselves discussing whether it would be cool to be in prison in space...strange topic. Aidan couldn't let it go and kept talking...we all started wishing Baker could jump in the car to "talk" with Aidan...they could have gone on for hours :). We finally made it and checked into our fantastic apartment that is situated at the base of the Alps. The kids and I walked to the market to get food for dinner in a torrential downpour - it still hasn't stopped. We are all happy for the change after a really hot week.

So much to do here...hiking, alpine slide, gondola ride, swimming in high mountain lakes, looking for Nana's old house, famous castles...hope we can fit it all in! Aidan is insisting that we travel into Switzerland to get a true "Swiss" Army Knife - how can I say no?

Hoping to see the Richardsons as they travel through this area next week. We are all really missing Marc and the pets, but time is flying now...he will be with us soon :) :) :)

Aidan watching the lightening show...

kids posing with a knight :)

Unsleben...day 5

We are having a wonderful time in this very quiet town and have settled into a little routine that everyone loves. After eating dinner outside, we go for a walk through the beautiful fields and forests and then come home for tea in the courtyard. It's really wonderful. The kids love the nightly tea and time to relax and talk about the day. We haven't done very much sight seeing - mostly because it has been in the 90's all week - very hot. We ventured out to find a place to swim and came upon a great water park (kids can't figure out why we can't go to Waterworld at home, but we can go to the water slides here...hmm..). We have now been there twice to cool off and enjoy the chaos. They have some incredibly high diving boards/platforms and Cullen has been working up his courage to go higher and higher - today he made it to the one that is about 25-30 feet above the pool. I couldn't watch the first time, but he kept going so I had to look. The German kids are pretty crazy - little ones jumping off the highest platform (which is crazy high). Lots of older kids walking around with beer and then passing it to a friend so they can jump... maybe Waterworld won't be so bad. Ava and Aidan love the long water slide and .70 cent chocolatte eis...we have had more than a few!! Nana even went today - lots of fun :).

Yesterday was very difficult. The boys and I drove 90 minutes to Buchenwald Concentration Camp and took the tour. We walked around as if we had 50 pound packs on our backs - the sadness is palpable. You can still see the multiple-layered barbed wire fences and many of the buildings. Most of the barracks were torn down, but we could walk through one of the old cell blocks - Aidan said he could physically feel the sadness of the people and their fear. We toured the entire facility and left with heavy hearts. We brought our camera, but it didn't feel right to take any photos. We all agreed that it was good to go and remember what happened, but not something we ever want to do again. We were all so happy Nana skipped it - would have been too hard for her.

On the way home our GPS died...my panic set in quickly, but the boys' keen sense of direction brought us home! At one point, Aidan declared "we are definitely, without a doubt, going the wrong way on the autobahn!" - and he was right! Cullen sat up front and navigated with my phone and we made it back. Did some research last night and was able to bring "Stewie" back to life....phew!

Tomorrow we are going hunting for local castles and the old East/West Germany border check point that still has a guard tower standing. The weather changed and a giant storm with lightening, thunder and lots of rain blew in - a great change. We leave for Fussen on Saturday morning....can't wait to finally see the Alps (I have wanted to go there since I was little)!

The kids are counting the days until Marc gets here...22. Ava kept saying today "My Daddy would do a back flip off the big diving board!' -- lucky for Marc that he won't have to fulfill that expectation! We wish he were here with his bike - tons of amazing bike trails all around...marked with their own road signs. Trying to upload some photos - takes a really long time...probably will show up tomorrow.

Old post - didn't show up for some reason ??

We arrived in Kuhlungsborn yesterday - after a night of very little sleep in a hotel in Hamburg. Sort of an ordeal to get the luggage (too much of it!) and Nana and the kids back to the airport to get the rental car. We had hopes of an Audi - which was the “type of car” I rented. My attempt to explain that a Ford wagon and an Audi are not the same “type of car” fell on uncaring German ears. The woman basically said take it or leave it...so we took the Ford. Anyway, thanks to our GPS, we navigated through Hamburg and out to the countryside very easily. Kuhlungsborn is a beautiful small village on the Baltic Sea. The town is in full summer swing, with crowded beaches and open air restaurants and markets all over. We have not heard anyone speaking english here and frequently find ourselves looking to Nana to translate. Cullen and I like to go out for short strolls to the market and then we are on our own! Cullen is picking up German phrases quickly and is constantly asking Nana how to say things. Tonight, as we were leaving the market together, he bagged the groceries and threw a casual “schuss” to the checker...”schuss” is the Italian version of “ciao” - it just rolled off his tongue and he thought nothing of it. Cullen is fascinated by the lack of excess and waste with the food here. The packaging is so minimal and the quantity per product is so much smaller. He keeps lamenting over the amount of waste in our system. One thing he really loves is this machine that accepts empty plastic bottles and gives you back euros. Tonight, he wanted to show it to me, but had only one bottle. We waited in line behind 2 girls his age who had a whole bag full and got back a few euro. Cullen put in his one bottle and happily received his 25 cents - only to look up and find the girls watching him and giggling...he got that sly smile and shrugged his shoulders in his very Cullen way of saying he couldn’t care less what they thought.

We are just taking it easy while the jet lag wears off - a little too easy..the kids slept until 2pm today. Little Ava is falling asleep all the time. Tomorrow we are going to try to be fully on German time...hopefully it works.

Aidan the sea glass finder extraordinaire already has an impressive stash of sea glass that he found....Ray would love it here. Lots of big pieces and some really cool blues. That luggage I couldn’t fit in the car will no doubt be heavier at the end of 2 weeks. He discovered a little shack near the beach that sells smoked fish, “just like in Cayucos” - we’ll give it a try tomorrow.

German soccer fever is everywhere. The flag is being flown from windows, buildings, bicycles and cars. Our plane broke into applause when the Germans scored their first goal against England and the Munich airport erupted when they won...really fun to be here amidst such excitement.

Nana is really enjoying herself and seems lost in her memories when she sits on the beach. She cried when the plane touched down in Germany. Kuhlungsborn holds many happy memories of playing at the beach with her cousins, but it also holds the terrible memories of the Russian occupation and the devastation that period inflicted on her family. Tomorrow we are going to look at the hotels her adopted mother’s family owned and she lived in.

The kids and I really miss Marc and we all keep saying how much he would love it here. They are not use to being at the beach without him and I’m not nearly as much fun. Ava taught me “Daddy’s sand castle tricks” today - she wanted to do it just the way Marc does it with her...wish you were here.

I feel like I won the lottery....after moving all over our cottage with my computer, I finally found a location that picks up the wifi!

We are now in Unsleben (Upper Bavaria), staying in the Gardener's Cottage of a 12th century castle. Not at all what we expected it to be - we imagined a castle in the German countryside, isolated and surrounded by forests. When our GPS sent us to the center of a small town, we drove around in circles for 15 minutes shaking our heads and wondering if we had been duped. We finally figured out that the castle was tucked behind a wall and several other buildings - once we found the entrance to the courtyard, we could see the towers and buildings comprising the castle...really amazing and tucked away in the middle of the town. The castle is surrounded by a moat that now meanders behind other buildings and houses. You would never know this castle exists from the street - almost a trick of the eye. As Aidan says, "it feels very 12th century." Our cottage is very old and very charming. Doorways that just clear the top of my head and slanting, uneven floors and beams...surely would not pass the county inspection in Orinda! There are modern appliances and some updated features, but it is very authentic and wonderful. There is a little garden outside our door and a pond full of fantastic frogs and other things that the kids spend hours looking for. A friendly hedgehog appeared tonight and meandered through our courtyard.

It is really amazing how simple our days are right now. We are painting with Nana, playing lots of gin and war (Ava is becoming quite the gin player!) and waiting for frogs to surface on the pond. Our pace is the opposite of our life at home...partly because it is very hot here and partly because Unsleben is the so quiet we feel as if we are the only ones here. The beautiful church bells chime periodically to remind us that we are in a town. There are many houses and cars, but it seems that no one makes any noise. It is very relaxing and different. The kids did meet our neighbor who was tending her incredible garden. She loved the kids and gave them fresh arugula, basil and tomatoes and then invited them to dip into her swimming hole to cool off. Cullen played his violin for them and they gave us more vegetables!

We are planning to do some hiking and exploring of the area this week. On Tuesday, the boys and I will go to the Buchenwald Museum - will be difficult. Nana doesn't want to go and Ava won't understand, so they will stay home and watch for frogs. We are having lots of discussions about WWII and Nana's childhood of hailing Hitler - she is trying to explain to the boys that the German people loved him at one point, revered him. How she would raise her arm with her hand stretched out and her thumb tucked in the way they were taught in school and say "Hail Hiltler" to passing friends and strangers. They look at her with amazement because they know the horrible atrocities that occurred and they can't understand how it all happened. Going to the concentration camp will be a sobering, educational experience for us.

Lubeck - standing in front of the defensive gates built in the 15th century to protect the city.

We are having a great time, but trying to get both boys over strep throat...ugg. After seeing a russian speaking doctor and a phychotherapist (pediatricians not in high demand in Kuhlungsborn), we got prescriptions for some form of penicillin for both of them....hopefully they will be all better soon! We enjoyed our last few days in Kuhlungsborn, despite the illnesses and spent a great day in Lubeck - a beautiful city that somehow escaped major bombings during WWII. The church suffered a blow from a British bomb, but remained intact. Kids really enjoyed the "defensive gates" of the city that were built in the 1400's to protect its inhabitants. They also enjoyed the "torture" room of the local museum...sadistic children imagining all of the horrible things that were used for punishment! Really gruesome.

After 2 hours of searching, we located my Oma's headstone in the local cemetary and laid flowers on her grave. Very hard for Nana to say goodbye. She is so grateful to

be in Kuhlunsborn one more time.

We left this morning and drove along the Fairy Tale Road...a stretch of 500 miles that follows along the locations of many of the classic Grimm Brothers' tales. We stopped in Bremen and found the statue of the Bremen Town Musicians and watched an amazing magician - still can't figure out how he made euros appear from behind Ava's ear and under Nana's hat! Then we stopped in Hamelin - famous for the Pied Piper that led the rats...and the children...out of town. We heard you could buy rat shaped cookies, but after looking all over, we settled for a stuffed rat for Ava. Tonight we are sleeping in the turret of a 14th century castle in the German countryside. They say that this is where Sleeping Beauty slept for 100 years....the spinning wheel is right outside our door. I would gladly touch it for a solid 8 hours!! It is incredibly beautiful and very cool to sleep in a a real castle. Tomorrow we look for Rapunzel's tower and Red Riding Hood's forest..should be fun.

Kuhlungsborn!!

We are in Kuhlungsborn - the tiny town on the Baltic Sea where Nana grew up. Its really beautiful and although I have been here once before in the spring, the summertime is very different than I expected. I packed my uggs and sweater, thinking the weather on the Baltic must get cold, but I was very wrong. The sand on the beach is so hot that you can't walk without shoes and the water is much warmer than expected (even I am swimming). We had a rough start getting over Ava's stiches and as it turns out, her bruised jaw (she couldn't eat for 4 days), then she came down with a fever and I couldn't keep the kids awake during the day...but now we are better!

Kuhlungsborn was a happening destination for German and Northern European tourists before WWII, then it was ruined during the Russian occupation. Our family history here is rich, as Nana's family owned 2 large hotels and several other properties. Everything they owned was taken by the Russians and their lives were completely devastated. It is hard for Nana to remember the horrible things that happened, but the longer we are here, the more she is remembering her childhood on the beach and the happier times. Tomorrow we are going to the local cemetary to lay flowers on my Oma's grave.

I could write pages about our family history, but I am using a computer at an internet cafe and the keyboard is driving me crazy. When we get to a spot that has wifi, I will elaborate. Here is a photo of the great 'strandkorb' that are all over the beach - you rent them. This is the one we rented for the week...wouldn't these be a hit in California? Here are some some photos of the kids doing a bungee-trampoline thing...they couldn't believe I said yes. (sorry, this computer is too slow - I could only upload Ava) Aidan has the most euros of all of us (how did that happen?) He has gone a little souvenir crazy - a pocketwatch and a pirate's periscope (such useful stuff Aidan!) and stuff for Baker...hmm... how long will those euros last?? By the way, Aidan misses Baker and gg, Cullen misses Aoife (hope I spelled it right!) and Ava misses Daddy...me too. Seems wrong to be at the beach without Marc...this is way too long to be gone without him by the way.....There are lots of hunds here...so we miss you too Olive.

Oh, almost forgot the juiciest part! The Germans here have a refreshing lack of ego... the kids are finally getting use to all of the naked kids and topless women. I am not quite use to the men who change their suits without any concern for privacy...the kids immediately commented that their Uncle DJ would fit right in - ha ha...he would love it here!! The naked boogie boarding kids are the funniest - Ava just cracks up (no pun intended). Actually, its rather cool that people reallz don't seem to care what they look like and they don't care what anyone else looks like either.

Lost track of how many brats Aidan has eaten - we keep imitating Orlando's voice for some reason 'ah.. another brat' - guess he just has that German accent we are now use to. We miss everzone!! sorrz about the z's - sick of fixing them...

Well, nothing like a little emergency to keep us on our toes. Nana arrived from Colorado and we leave for Germany tomorrow. Unfortunately, little Ava fell off her bike this afternoon and had to get stitches in her chin...she was very brave, but its such a bummer this happened just before we leave. Marc reminded me that at least it happened today and not tomorrow...always looking on the bright side :). Here we go....

Thoughts about our trip before we leave: As a true cancer, I am having pangs of not wanting to leave home (especially because we just moved in after a 22 month remodel - photo over there...) and Marc (you will see his photo once he joins us in Dublin)

:). This trip is important for many reasons and I know that once our plane takes of from San Francisco, I will be happy to be on it.

My Mom (Nana) arrives in 2 days. She is the reason we are spending the first 4 weeks in Germany. Nana is German - acutally Estonian (is that a word?) by birth, but raised in Germany. I am taking my 3 children to Germany with Nana to visit and experience where she lived. My Oma passed away in 2008 and we were not able to attend the funeral, so this trip is also significant because we will visit her grave (and Tante Es' grave) and say a private good-bye. My Mother's history could fill a book - with the right author, it would be a page turner. Her life has been anything buy typical and is marked by sadness from the beginning. Her spirit and zest for life betray that sadness and constantly amaze us. More on her history later.

We start our German adventure in a small town called Kuhlungsborn - in northern Germany, right on the Baltic Sea. A former East German town that has been re-born after the fall of the Berlin Wall. Nana and I were there in 2003 together and I can't wait to go back with the kids...

Right now I am trying to get organized for our trip, while also working on our school auction and finishing up house details. My dear friend Kacy and her family left for Europe last week and she is sending me stream of consciousness emails with tips and thoughts...her kids think her emails are long-winded, but I love every word. We are trying to meet up in Austria or Germany....hope it works.

We're off!

After much planning and packing and re-packing, we leave for Europe today! Everyone is very excited. Here is a quick overview of our itinerary:

• Germany with Nana for 4 weeks (from the Baltic to the Alps). Driving on the autobahn from the north to the south...yikes! Yes, I am taking a gps! I know you are laughing at me Mike :)
• Ireland for 2 weeks (visiting Marc's sister Marianne and her family and going to our nephew Patrick's wedding!). Marc joins us in Ireland!!
• Fly to Spain and take a ferry across the Straights of Gibralter
• Morocco for 4 nights in the Kasbah
• Costa del sol - Marbella, Spain for a week of sun

We are excited, but I am a bit nervous (traveling with a 5 year old and a 79 year old!). Boys promise to help me :)