Copy Mouse

It's no secret that I love Disneyland (and all things Disney really). Being away from Disneyland this past year has definitely been a bummer. It's the first year I haven't had an annual pass since I was 12 years old. Crazy right? Definitely having Disneyland withdrawals (like quoting the Indiana Jones ride for fun). Being the loyal Disneyland guest that I am; I am very critical of other theme parks. I love other parks, I mean come on, Six Flags roller coasters? The bomb. But it's still no Disneyland. Same goes for other places. I just have utterly high standards when in comes to my overall theme park experience thanks to Disney. So when I first heard of Europa-Park, I knew it didn't stand a chance, no matter how awesome it was.

About a week ago some friends of mine (other au pairs) decided to plan a day trip to Europa-Park and asked if I wanted to join in. I had heard about Europa-Park quite a few times over the months, so I decided it would be worth a visit. I told Nacha and Ivanka about it, and they (and others) wanted to join in on the fun as well. Things were discussed, and plans were planned, and soon we had decided that July 1st would be our adventure day. Like I always say: "There's nothing like a theme park to start the month off right." Yeah. You're right. I don't really say that.

Sunday rolled around and we embarked on our adventure in the early morning hour of 7 a.m., which of course caused much eye rubbing and demands for coffee. Once properly fueled on coffee and baked goods, Nacha, Bernie, Albert, Ivanka, and I hopped on a train headed towards Rust, Germany (which is quite near the French/German border). We were to meet up with my au pair friends (who had left earlier than us) at the theme park.

As we jumped off the train and joined a queue to get on a bus that would take us to the park, the weather decided to show off by raining. But not a sudden down pour or thunderstorm, and not even a nice light mist. No. It was a steady "light rain" all day. ALL DAY. Needless to say we were drenched the whole time (water rides didn't help haha). It finally let up less than an hour before we left. Ridiculous, but typical. This German "Summer" weather is all lies. This is not Summer. Wearing pants and closed toed shoes is not Summer. I- Urgh. Okay. Deep breaths. No need to rant about how much I miss California Summer weather. Sorry. Now, back to my story.

After a very, very squished bus ride, we arrived. Europa-Park stood before us in all it's glory. And man, is it big. It's largest theme park in Europe actually. I still eyed it skeptically though. Because as we all know, size doesn't always dictate how awesome something is.

The entrance gate.

We waltzed through the gates, grabbed some maps, put our stuff in lockers (best idea ever), and started to figure out a game plan for the day. Albert was the one that suggest we try to put off the best rides till later, and do all the less exciting rides first. That way we end the day off on a high note.

So we set off into the park. Like Disneyland, Europa-Park is divided into themed lands. Europa-Park's are, quite appropriately, different European countries (such as Germany, Spain, Iceland... you get the idea). Then there are three other sections that house the rides and attractions that didn't quite fit into the other countries themes. Those lands are: Children's World, Enchanted Forest, and Adventure Land. While the country themed lands tended to remind me more of a strange mix between Knott's Berry Farm and Disneyland, the odd ball lands reminded me solely of Disney. Which was a cause of much giggling for me because I kept thinking what a big copy cat Europa-Park is. But then again, many theme/amusement parks copy each other, so I'm being slightly biased. Probably more than slightly. Tragically sorry about that.

Here's a map of the park.

The first stop on our "world tour" was Germany, where we met Euromaus. Euromaus (Euro Mouse), the park's mascot, is a grey mouse. Can't help but think of another famous mouse mascot.... Mickey Mouse, anyone? Nacha and I couldn't get over the fact that they deliberately chose a mouse as a mascot, even when they knew that Mickey Mouse was a mascot for another, very famous, theme park. What were they thinking? Who knows. Well, all criticism aside, Euromaus is a friendly guy and we got a picture with him and his dolphin friend.

Me, Nacha, and Ivanka with Euromaus and his dolphin friend.

Next we headed into Italy. Here we road Ghost Castle... an ever so "frightening" ride through a haunted house. Again, sound familiar? (Haunted Mansion). Then we frolicked over to France and rode on the Dinosaur Ride. It was another dark ride, which Ivanka and I enjoyed thoroughly. Especially the sign at the end that says "Please, get off",  ever so politely. All around the park the translated English was quite the giggle. I even caught a few spelling errors here and there. But you have to hand it to them for having the signs in German, English, and French. That's awesome.

After visiting the dinosaurs, we made our way to Switzerland to ride the Matterhorn Blitz. I really wanted to ride this one, because I miss the Matterhorn Bobsleds at Disneyland quite badly, but sadly my dreams were crushed. The ride broke down due to technical problems while we were in line. Sad, sad day.

We left the Matterhorn Blitz and walked through Greece to get to Russia (surprisingly not as long of a walk as you'd think). Russia is where I first caught a glimpse of the park's monorail. Another typical Disneyland ride. And though the Europa-Park monorail was similar, it definitely had a European train flair. I especially liked how the different trains had different routes written on the side. Of course they all went to the same places around the park, but you could pretend you were going from Zurich to Frankfurt (or other locations in Europe) if you ever so desired. After ogling at the monorail, we rode the Euro-Mir, which is a roller coaster that simulates astronaut space training. I've never been on anything like it, definitely really cool. You are basically in a pod with four people sitting back to back, and throughout the ride the whole pod spins and it goes down the tracks. And along with the traditional roller coaster picture taking Europa-Park has added a twist: video taping. In certain seats there are cameras that tape all your screams and looks of pure terror. I found this to be quite entertaining. Though, just like the photos, I would never actually buy it.

Finally we were able to meet up with my au pair friends in Iceland. "Hallos" and names were exchanged. From there we went to Portugal and rode our first wet ride: Atlantica Super Splash. We amazingly spared getting drenched. Which didn't really matter at this point considering how wet we were from the rain.

Then we went back to Iceland and went on a super amazing roller coaster called Blue Fire. Well, not all of us. Bernie and Ivanka aren't big fans of the dizzying effects of roller coasters, so they avoided them the whole day. So anytime the rest of the group went on one, they went off on an adventure and did something else. But back to Blue Fire... ah man. It's just your typical roller coaster, sitting with shoulder restraints, but geez is it fast. And there are the wonderful moments were your adrenaline goes haywire from all the twists and flips. Roller coasters are just too much fun.

Blue Fire from a distance.

Sadly after Blue Fire we lost my au pair friends and didn't end up reconnecting with them the rest of the day. But the five of us had fun anyways.

The next ride we decided to hop on was Wodan: Timburcoaster. The theme of this ride is about Norse legends. Which is legit. But they failed when it came to setting the mood in line just because of a few details in decor, like the really, really fake looking wood (which Albert and I rolled our eyes at). The coaster itself totally threw me off. Not literally, haha. It's a wooden coaster, and with most wooden roller coasters one gets used to the idea that all wooden coasters are a bumpy, "hold onto your head" adventure. This one was actually really smooth, a total shocker.

Letting out my inner viking. (Albert being a prankster in the background).

Famished, we dug into our stash of sandwiches. Being the ever savvy people we are, we decided to bring food with us. Nacha, the magically amazing cook, made some legit sandwiches, which were devoured over the course of the day. We also had some snacky food, yummy, though not as awesome as the sandwiches.

While Albert and I ate our sandwiches, the other three decided to go on a quick ride nearby. While Nacha, Bernie, and Ivanka road Whale Adventures Splash Tours, Albert and I tried to find some shelter from the rain. We found a nice awning to sit underneath super close to the ride the others were on. One minute we were eating our sandwiches, and the next minute we were getting soaked from behind. Turns out the Whale Adventure ride is interactive... you can spray water at passersby from a tugboat and they can spray water at you from the docks. We jumped out of the way, grumbling about the bratty teenagers that had succeeded in getting us more wet, and then proceeded to sit in the same spot. Yeah, we are that stupid. The next boat came and what do ya know, it was our friends, and they were feeling pretty mischievous. The trio declared war on the two of us in a series of water canon blasts, and we both ran for it. I, to get a better view for pictures, and Albert to claim watery revenge. After much spraying and yelling, Albert came out the clear winner of the water fight; and the Bernie, Nacha, and Ivanka were whisked away in their tugboat to the end of the ride in shame.

Nacha and Ivanka getting thoroughly defeated in the water battle.

Next stop on our world tour: Scandinavia. Here we rode the Vindjammer, a big swinging viking boat, which was hilariously entertaining due to collaborative efforts of all the riders to make sound effects. Then we decided to try our luck on another water ride, the Fjord-Rafting. Which is like a less tame version of California Adventure's Grizzly Bear Rapids. At one point, to all the girls horror, we bumped into another raft and none of us could quite figure out if that was supposed the happen or not. When all was said and done, I was the only one that escaped getting drenched. Nacha, the wettest of us all, demanded that we go back to Portugal to a warming station (a people sized Barbie box with walls lined with heat vents blowing out hot air) we had seen earlier.

Ivanka making friends with a shark in Scandinavia...

Albert and I on the Vindjammer.

 For our next destination I made a request. I wanted to go on the Vienna Wave Swinger (aka swings) in Austria. So went made our way to Austria by going through Spain. While in Spain, we took a little detour and rode the very county fair like Feria Swing (which isn't really a swing at all). Once we got to Austria I was very excited. I love your typical run of the mill playground swings, so the ones at theme parks are always extra thrilling to me (swings on steroids). California Adventure has swings that were recently updated from being inside a giant orange to being Silly Symphony themed. So when I rounded the bend from Spain to Austria, I wasn't sure what to expect with the Europa-Park swings. Much to my giggles, I saw that they swings were mushroom themed. Yes, that's a theme. The main base was this huuuge mushroom and from the under part of the mushroom hung the colorful plastic and metal swings. Albert and I got in line, which really wasn't a line, since we were the only ones in it. Ivanka, Nacha, and Bernie decided to go on a nearby water ride and not join in on the fun. We got to go on the swings twice in a row because there were only a handful of people on the ride. So lovely. I love feeling like I'm flying.

Albert looking so stylish in his rain poncho.

Footloose and fancy free.

The swings!

After the mushroom swings, we all met up again and traveled through the Enchanted Forest. Which was quite magical. We even saw the witch's house from Hansel and Gretel. Fancy stuff. Once we made it through the forest, we found ourselves in England. There we played soccer in bumper cars shaped like cleats. Truly something everyone should do at least once in their lifetime.

Ivanka in her cleat shaped bumper car.

Once we were done perfecting our soccer skills, we headed back to France. This visit, we rode the Silver Star, a very hilly roller coaster. No flips or twists, but still very thrilling. Once off the ride, we filled up on some hotdogs and sandwiches, and were ready to hit the pavement again.

We failed in our attempts to ride the Volo da Vinci (Da Vinci flying machines) in Italy because of an extremely long line. But while in line we got to witness the most ridiculous on stage performance by Euromaus and his girlfriend. They were singing about the rain twirling their umbrellas while wearing a seriously lacking costume: raincoats, rainboots, jeans, and mouse heads. They looked so cheap! I couldn't believe it. You could totally tell it was two girls. I felt offended for the children, where was the magic?! Ahhhh. Disney would never do that.

Our time at Europa-Park was nearing it's end. Six o'clock was coming quickly, and we knew we had to be choosey about our last one or two rides. I made another request... I begged everyone to go on one of the most boring rides in the park: the Dschungel-Fahrt (Jungle Ride). Why? Well, I am a nerd of epic proportions of course! My favorite ride in Disneyland is the Jungle Cruise (cheesy jokes and all) and I just couldn't pass up the opportunity to go on a similar ride. So I dragged everyone back across the park to go to Adventure Land. Well, the ride did not disappoint. Of course, it's no Jungle Cruise, but it was close enough. Since there were no guides to give cheesy jokes, I had to resist the urge to not give the tour myself. I know all those jokes by heart, it wouldn't be too difficult haha. Probably the best part of the ride was the fact that it would be oh so easy to just jump off the raft. Safety at it's finest.

Me in front of my look-a-like Jungle Cruise. Life is good.

Bernie being a silly goose.

Floating through an African village.

Silly nonsense.

We decided that we had enough time for one more ride, so we rushed back over to Iceland to ride Blue Fire again. It once again was awesome. But, when we got off the ride we started to panic. We had about fifteen minutes to get across the park, get our stuff out of the lockers, and jump on the bus that would take us back to the train station. If we missed that bus we would have to wait another hour for the next one. So we had to book it across the park as fast as we could, tensions running high. The five of us hopped on that bus with a minute to spare. Now that's what I call perfect timing.

In the warmth of the train home we finally started to dry. Which was quite nice after a day of looking and feeling like we had taken a swim in a lake. Once we got home I was extremely glad to take a hot shower and jump into some warm pajamas.

All in all, I had a lovely day. Rain and a theme park always makes for an adventure. Add on top of that that I was with a great group of friends in a foreign country and you have a winning combination. Europa-Park will definitely be seeing more of me, there's still so many rides to ride! But, in all seriousness.... Disneyland still holds my heart. And that's not going to change anytime soon.

A Few of My Favorite Things

Sometime in the past month it hit me that I now consider Karlsruhe my home. Which is crazy to me. Especially considering when I got here I felt like I was in an alternate universe. I absolutely love living here. But don't get me wrong, I miss home a lot. Not a day goes by that I don't dream of sand between my toes, the ocean breeze, and diving into the salty waves of the Pacific. The ocean and I will eventually be reunited, so I don't worry too much. But living here for only a short time makes me want to treasure what I love here so much. So I thought I would give you a list of some of my favorite things (that I've experienced and seen so far) in Germany.

1. Karlsruhe Schloss & the Schloss Gartens
My absolute favorite place in Karlsruhe. The castle isn't grandiose or anything, but it's adorable. But then again I'm probably partial; I love that it's yellow and grey, which are colors I've always wanted to paint my future house. But it's not just the castle that I find amazing, I love the castle gardens as well. They are ridiculously picturesque. Lots of green grass, a lake, and hundreds of huge ancient trees. A perfect place to sit and think or drink in nature.

A beautiful view of the castle from the castle grounds.

2. Friends
I have been so blessed with an amazing assortment of friends while living here. They make living far away from home easy. I love the mix of cultures (Chilean, Brazilian, Argentinian, German, American, Irish; just to name a few) because it makes anything we do like three times as fun and adventurous. We do lots of fun things like shopping, having card nights, going out to bars, going on day trips to nearby cities, and so much more. I so deeply enjoy all the time I get to spend with them.

Nacha and I striking a silly pose.

3. Changing Seasons
I feel like I talk about the weather on this blog all the time, so I'm dreadfully sorry, but it's amazing. Being a California girl is great, but I don't really get to see the seasons change. Here in Germany, I would have to be without my five senses to not notice the seasons changing. There is nothing more glorious than getting to watch this occur. I arrived in Germany in the midst of stark blue skies, cold crisp winds, and burnt orange leaves. Then I survived the ridiculous cold temperature drops, rain, bare looking trees, and everything being covered in white. Just when I thought I would never be warm again, the world came to life. All of the sudden everything was green and colorful. Sun and rain played hide and seek. I can only imagine what Summer will bring me.

4. Drinking Age
In the States, because I am not 21, I cannot legally drink. Which is utterly ridiculous. I think the U.S. needs to take a leaf out of other countries books and lower the legal drinking age. Here in Germany, you can start drinking stuff like beer at 16, and then when you turn 18 you can drink hard liquor. I find this to be much more reasonable. Since I am 20, I can legally drink here. Which has been strange and liberating all at once. I love it. But it does kind of take the specialness out of my 21st birthday (which is oh so soon), and that really is a bummer. But I think I'll survive the disappointment.

My friends and I having some wine after a yummy Chilean dinner.

5. Food
If you've ever heard the stereotype that all Germans eat is bread, meat, and cheese, then you know what I eat haha. But honestly, as much as I eat bread, meat, and cheese... I do love it. Especially in the many combinations it comes in. Probably my favorites are Käsespätzle and Maultaschen. But what's really stolen my heart here is all the foreign food. Before I came to Germany, I had never eaten Turkish food. But now, let me tell you, I am in love with it (oh, kebaps why are you so delicious?). And there are some fabulous Asian food places here that I am constantly craving. But I think what I've really loved the most is all the home cooking that my friend Nacha makes. It's this delicious blend of Chilean, German, and her own creations. All this food talk is making me hungry for dinner!

6. Walking, Biking, and the Straßenbahn
Now as much as I miss my car, I really love the how I get around Karlsruhe. Mostly I walk or bike to and from places. Which is great because I get exercise and get to enjoy the outside world all while going somewhere; something I can't do in a car. If it's raining, or I have a farther destination to reach, I take the Straßenbahn (street cars, kind of like the metro in LB). The Straßenbahn is great, but I often get lost because I take the wrong train (typical me). I'm not the most skilled when it comes to public transportation (I blame So. Cal's lack of good public transport).

Sebastian the Bike.

7. No Sheets
I know this seems random and strange. But you see, here in Germany they do beds and bedding differently. Most beds are lower to the ground, which freaked me out at first, but now I'm used to it. But what I really find fascinating is that they don't use sheets. Yes, there is one on the mattress, but there isn't one to sleep with. Usually you just sleep with a down comforter. Which at first confused me. But then I fell in love with the idea. You see, I move a lot when I sleep. This usually means my sheets, blankets, and comforter get all messed up in the night and are always a pain in the butt to fix the next morning (well, on that rare morning I decide to make my bed). Here it doesn't matter how much I move, because fixing my bedding is like crazy easy. So great.

8. Biergartens
Biergartens are quintessentially German, and I love them. While they share similarities, each restaurant has it's own personality. My personal favorite is Badish Brauhaus (four stories of amazingness). But no matter the biergarten, they are all a great place to get yummy, cheap food and enjoy a great time with friends. 

Me, Bernie, and Gabriel drinking beers at the biergarten Cafe Bleu.

9. No Contract Cell Phones
In the States it's the norm to have a cell phone contract. Which of course is bloody expensive. And you are bound to a phone company for about two years. Fun... not. In Germany, cell phone contracts are not typical. In fact most people here just use prepaid SIM cards. Which I think is so darn brilliant.

10. Spielplätze, Parks, and Green Spaces
I could go on forever describing all the green spaces that Karlsruhe has, and I haven't even seen all of them. I so enjoy that the city has provided so many places for it's population to relax, play, and soak up nature. The playgrounds here are ridiculously cool (much better than the ones back home), and I love playing on them almost as much as the little kids. The parks, big or small, always impress. Green grass, plants, trees, and cool structures everywhere. I especially love the parks with lakes in them. Can't wait to go swimming in those this Summer. Another thing I really love is how in what otherwise could have been a place for concrete, the city has created a grassy area where wild flowers often grow. It always makes me happy to see that even though I live in the city, I get to see so much nature around me.

Th dog park near my apartment.

11. City Living
To me, "the city" has always been a magical place. I think this especially due in part to my upbringing in the suburbs. So I'm delighted to get to live in a city for a year. There's nothing quite like having everything nearby and easy to get to. I also love all the tall buildings (even though most aren't over 5 stories high). I even get to enjoy living in one of those "tall" buildings. So much about city living is really new and interesting to me.


12. Getting Airmail
I have always loved getting mail that isn't bills or junk mail. And being far away from home makes me love it even more. It's so exciting to open my mailbox to find a letter. Or get a package delivered. Always makes my day. I even bought a box to keep all the letters I get from my friends and family. So would you please, please, please, write me a letter and make me a very happy girlie?

Me with a letter from Juliette :)

My letter box. Isn't it pretty?

I am amazed by all the wonderful things that Germany has to offer! And there is so much more. It totally kills me that I won't be able to see and experience it all. Oh, to have limitless time and money to travel and explore. Someday.

Four Seasons

Most Southern Californians will tell you we have four seasons. A gloriously hot Summer, a slightly breezy Fall, a chilly and rainy Winter, and a warm Spring. Don't let them lie to you. We don't have four seasons. We have two. A glorious season of sunshine and warm weather, and then a season of cloudy skies, chances of rain, and "cold" weather. We live for sunshine. When it actually goes and rains on us, we all freak out. We are a spoiled rotten bunch. So until I came to Germany, I had never really experienced "seasons" as a large portion of the world experiences them. Actual factual weather has really taken me by surprise.

I think it's quite hilarious how weather is considered a trivial topic of conversation. In fact, it's the thing you bring up when you have nothing else to say ("Uh, so I hear it's supposed to rain tomorrow..."). But considering how much weather effects us (our outfit choices, how we get to and from places, what activities we do, etc), you think we would rank it a little higher on the topic of conversation totem pole. I mean, we all talk about it all the time. I know I do. Even more so now that I have actual weather to talk about.

So after having several long months of a very, very cold Winter, I'll be honest, I've been extremely excited watching Spring arrive in all it's glory.

There is nothing more delightful than realizing it's warmed up enough to only wear one pair of socks. It's finally getting warmer (and when I say warmer I mean like in the 50's and 60's F, which is not warm at all for So Cal) and I'm so happy. I live off of warmth. But I'm also slightly freaking out. Because after wearing so many layers for so long, exposing even the slightest amount of skin (or just wearing less layers) makes me feel naked. An example my Cali friends can laugh at... I wore ballerina flats for the first time in several months yesterday. I was bike riding and I became extremely freaked by wind going across the bare tops of my feet. I bust up laughing, probably scarring the locals, and then tired my hardest not to be wishing for my boots.

But warmth isn't the only way Spring has shown its arrival. All over the city plants and animals are awakening. Every time I walk outside I feel like Mary watching The Secret Garden come to life. It's utterly magical and it takes my breath away. God really knows how to put on a show in the Spring time. There are green buds on all the previously grey looking trees, bird songs sweetly fill the air, wildflowers are popping up in all the green spaces, and little critters, like bunnies, are making their appearances in the parks.

I think my favorite thing is seeing all the dandelions sprouting up everywhere. Now, I realize dandelions are weeds. But I think they are beautiful weeds, and worthy of attention. They are lovely pop of color on normally very grey and dull walkways and sidewalks. And when they turn white, they provide quite the entertainment factor; I'll admit I still make a wish when I blow the seeds into a million different directions.

And it's not just the plants and animals that are awakening. The people are too. The sense of hope is tangible in the air, and people have a spring in their step. Everyone seems to find a reason to be outside as much as possible, especially on the clear, sunny days. After such a long Winter, everything and everyone feels a weight lifted off their shoulders. It's utterly lovely.

All this life just ties in so well with the Easter season. It's much more tangible to me now, seeing how life sprouting up around me and tie it all into finding new life in Jesus.

In celebration of Easter, Karlsruhe has an Easter market set up in Marktplatz. There are a bunch of little booths selling either craft items or food. And in the middle of all this is a giant blow up Easter egg. Nacha, Ivanka, and I decided that this was a must see and planned an afternoon around it.

Me in front of the giant egg. It says "We wish you all a happy Easter".

Ivanka and I met up and did some exploring of the booths while we waited for Nacha (who was to meet up with us a little later). It was lots of fun, and we had to restrain ourselves from buying a bunch of ridiculously cute things. But we did give in and buy a couple things. I bought a pot holder and Ivanka bought an egg warmer. Both from a cute little old lady who knitted them herself. After ripping ourselves away from the booths, we went and looked at the "petting zoo". Basically just a lot of animals in too small cages, which made me really sad. I love animals, and it was great to see them, but it wasn't really great to see them confined like that. Then we met Nacha in front of the big egg and went off on a shopping adventure in several stores on Kaiserstraße.

The Easter bunny apparently has a beer belly.

Frohe Ostern (Happy Easter)... "little" egg near the big blow up egg in Marktplatz.

Cutest lil bunnies ever.

Ivanka was excited to see the ferrets, the ferrets were excited to sleep.

 After our shopping fun, we ran into our friend Danilo, and then we all decided to go to the Karlsruher Schloss Gartens. The Gartens are my absolute favorite place in Karlsruhe because they are just so large and stunningly beautiful, no matter the season. Of course, Spring makes any garden more magical, and the castle gardens aren't immune to such magic.

Although the day was grey and quite cold, the time we spent at the castle was lovely. We walked across the large grassy lawn, making our way to the lake, while talking and people watching. The instant we made it to the edge of the lake all the ducks started swimming towards us, which was pretty funny, because they thought we had bread to feed them. But we only had chocolate with us, so we made our way over to the cement stepping stones near the lake shore and sat down. While the ducks eyed us hopefully, we ate our chocolate and talked while trying not to shiver as the wind picked up. Eventually we had to leave because Nacha had to go to a birthday party and Danilo had to go home. I think we were all quite thankful for a reason to start walking again because it was so cold.

"Omg they are coming!"

Stepping stones and the lake with the castle in the background.

Nacha and Ivanka sharing a stepping stone.

Ivanka and I decided that we would hang out a bit longer, so we strolled around the front of the castle, acting silly and talking. Then we decided to window shop at the mall. Which was a tortuous yet fun time. It's hard to see so many things that you can't/shouldn't buy. After the mall we got drinks and pizza at a nearby restaurant called Aposto. Ivanka and I can talk to the ends of time, so it was lots of fun chatting away and enjoying a good meal. A perfect way to end the day.

Ivanka striking a pose in front of the castle.

Me in front of the castle.

After several attempts we finally got both us and the castle in the picture. And our hair looking not crazy. Quite the incredible feat.

Most Germans will tell you they have four seasons. A lovely sunny and warm Summer, a cold and rainy Fall, a freezing snow filled Winter, and a warm, cold, and slightly rainy Spring. Believe them. There are definitely four seasons. And you can see them change. It's amazing.

Luck of the Irish

On my father's side of the family, we can trace our Irish roots back several hundred years. Apparently one of my ancestors was knighted. There's even a castle named after us. Fancy smancy right? So, I feel this Irish heritage gives me the right to get stoked about St. Patrick's Day and pinch anyone not wearing green.

This was my first St. Patrick's Day that I could legally drink (considering the legal drinking age in the states is 21 and I'm only 20). Which, I'm not going to lie, got me pretty darn excited. So I made sure that my friends and I had plans to go out and frolic about Karlsruhe (wearing green of course).

As usual, I ended up having to buy something green last minute. I never seem to own anything green even though it's a fabulous color on me. I tend to stick to my neutrals. Point being, I went and bought green jeans. Which I love, and plan to wear quite often. So, see, they weren't just a superfluous St. Patty's purchase. (The fact that I'm trying to justify buying green pants to you shouldn't worry you in the least bit...). And in a very Ashley fashion, the buying of pants late made me late to meeting at Nacha's. When will I ever learn? Queen of procrastination and being unable to be on time ever? Why, yes that's me. (It's so bad that this will probably end up on my gravestone: "Sorry I'm late!").

Nacha, Bernie, Ivanka, and I had a very green themed dinner (see the picture and you know I'm not lying). I had brought along a couple St. Patty's accessories that a friend (thanks Ger!) had sent me from the States. So we decked ourselves out, us girls with green hair extensions, and Bernie wearing a floppy green and white top hat. Then I drew shamrocks on Nacha and Ivanka's faces. And my face as well because both declared my shamrock drawing skills far superior to theirs haha. After our self decorating, we headed out to meet up with friends in front of the Karlsruher Schloss.

Our yummy green dinner!

Nacha, me, and Ivanka with green hair and shamrocks.

We met up with a pretty big group of friends (and friends of friends) near the front of the castle. Our original plan was to meet and then immediately go to one of the Irish pubs in town, but as we should have predicted, they were all jam packed. So we decided to just hang out a bit and try our luck later in the evening. Which turned out to be quite fun. We just stood around talking and drinking beer under the stars. Simple, yet so perfect.

After an hour or two, our group split up to pursue different adventures. The group that I was with (my closer friends), decided to go to Sean O'Casey's Irish Pub. Which is in Marktplatz and only like a five minute walk from the castle. So we gathered our things and set out into the night.

Apparently our waiting didn't help in the slightest. We got to the pub and found it to be full of people packed in like sardines. For a time we loitered out front debating if it was worth it to go in. But several of our bladders made it a necessary thing, so we stirred up our courage and dove into the crowd.

Nacha, Bernie, Gabriel, Ivanka, and I hanging out in front of O'Casey's.

Me, Albert, Maria, and Gabriel wearing green!

Gabriel, Nacha, me, and Albert in front of the pub. See! Here is evidence of my green jeans.

After our bladders were happily relieved, we began to scout for seats. Well, it was more us staring desperately at the full to the brim tables and telepathically willing the people to get up and leave. It seems that our telepathic skills are better than we knew; a whole table stood up and left about twenty minutes into our wait and we all jumped into action and claimed a seat before the other pub goers could.

The rest of our time at O'Casey's was spent drinking ourselves silly and singing along with the live music. We also had a little contest to see who could down their beer the quickest, which I won (of course). But probably the most memorable part of the night was when Ivanka and I bought a rose for Nacha (yes, a guy was randomly selling roses in an Irish pub on St. Patrick's Day). Her reaction was hilarious, I don't think anyone has ever been that excited or grateful for receiving a rose (not even The Bachelor contestants could compete with her enthusiasm).

Maria, me, and Gabriel.

Carmina, me, and Gabriel.

Me showing off my beer and Gabriel being a total goon in the background.

Me, Gabriel, Albert, Bernie, Nacha and Ivanka wearing the hats that the pub gave out to some of the crowd.

Me and Ivanka with Nacha's rose.

Nacha getting emotional over the rose Ivanka and I gave her.

Then our group of eight slip once more. Ivanka and I headed to another Irish pub, Scruffy's, that was less than a ten minute walk from Marktplatz. She and I arrived to find that it was so packed inside that people were drinking out front. We stood for a minute, figuring out a plan, when all of the sudden a very large (tall and wide) man in a kilt approached us. He talked to us a bit (figured out we were foreigners immediately), and then randomly he picked up Ivanka and spun her around in a circle. I laughed, but immediately took a step back not wanting to be next. But I was next, even though I tried to reason with the guy. Once he set me down on the ground he said "It's nothing to pick up someone as small and pretty as you." I blushed, thanked him, and then grabbed Ivanka and we headed into the pub. That guy totally made my week.

Scruffy's is smaller than O'Casey's, so we had quite the adventure getting from the front door to the bar. But Ivanka and I prevailed, getting our beers and making a dash (more like a slow crawl) to the front of the pub to drink out front. We ended up chatting it up for over an hour, enjoying ourselves quite thoroughly, before we decided it was time to call it a night.

It was a lovely St. Patrick's Day. I am one lucky girl to have such awesome friends, great experiences, beer, and green pants all in one evening. And I don't even own a four leaf clover.

Cuckoo Clocks & Waterfalls

I have seen the world's largest cuckoo clock. (Yes, go ahead and be jealous).

Now you must be asking yourself, "Umm, why??" Well, you see, I went on a day trip to see a waterfall and cuckoo clocks with some friends, and bam, I got to see the world's largest cuckoo clock. It's not like I woke up one day with an intense desire to see a cuckoo clock as big as a house. I'm not that weird, give me some credit, sheez.

The world's largest cuckoo clock! Kidding... you'll have to read on to see a picture of that. You really think I would give away the goods so early silly?

Now this cuckoo clock that I've been going on about is located deep in the Black Forest (Schwarzwald), which is where many Grimm brother's fairy tales originate from. Of course the only way that I could properly tell my cuckoo clock story is to tell it like a fairy tale. So kiddos, get your blankies and sippy cups and snuggle up while mama tells you a story. Don't forget your popcorn.

Once upon a time, there lived a young woman who hated waking up early. Nothing irked her more than the dreadful beeping noise that her alarm clock blasted every morning. But one particular Sunday, she hated the alarm a little less than usual because she knew that a wonderful adventure awaited her once she got up. So she dragged herself out of bed, and slowly got ready. Of course she took too long, thus making her late to meet at her friends Nacha and Bernie's apartment.

But, in a twist of fate she was early, because the rest of the group wasn't going to be there for a good half hour. While the three friends waited, the young woman enjoyed some toast and an apple graciously provided by her hosts.

When the toast was finished, the trio gathered their belongings and left the apartment. Once they were on the street, they were joined by two more of their friends, Balin and Dora. From this street it was a quick hop, skip, and jump to the nearest Straßenbahn (street car) station; where together they bought a Wochenende ticket for an ever so cheap price.

The Straßenbahn carried them to the Hauptbahnhof (main train station) as all four of them chatted happily away in a mix of German and English. At the station, the group found the train they needed with ease, and soon they were settled in seats on the 2nd floor; filled with excitement as they sped towards their destination.

The girl sat quietly next to Nacha as she tried to officially wake up. Her thoughts turned to the day ahead; what was Triberg going to be like? All she knew was what her friends had told her: it was deep in the Schwarzwald, it had cuckoo clocks, and they were going to go see it's huge waterfall. Her anticipation grew as the city began to be replaced by small towns and forest outside her window.

It didn't take very long for the girls to get talking amongst themselves (while the boys poured over a map). The conversation was a mix of German and English due to necessity... but not even a language barrier can keep girls from communicating. Soon giggles and bubbles filled the train. Yes, bubbles. Nacha had brought along a bubble wand much to the laughter and enjoyment of her cohorts.

Dora blowing bubbles while the girl laughs like a giddy seven-year-old.

Balin chowing on some bread while Bernie looks on.

Though the train ride was over an hour, it passed quickly due to the high spirits within the group. The morale of course was kept up with chips and dip. Because everyone knows any good train ride isn't complete without chips and dip. It's fact. Look it up. No, not now. I'm not done with my bedtime story. And anyways, you've already brushed your teeth.

As the girl and her friends stepped off the train, rain misted their faces and a chill in the air made them burrow deeper into their coats. They all stood still for a minute as they took in their surroundings. After all, suddenly being surrounded by forest can be overwhelming. A large sheet of rock stood directly across from them, and behind them the tiny Triberg Banhof (train station). Once they had their bearings, they left the train station behind and started walking uphill towards the town.

The friends walked and talked, commenting on all the stores they passed. Because it was Sunday, none of them were open (which of course everyone knows that stores are closed on Sunday in Germany... duuuh). But thankfully (to the girls bladder and the rest of the group's need for caffeine) a small coffee shop was open, so they dropped in.

The girl striking one of her most cheesiest poses in front of some very stereotypical German architecture on their way up the hill.

Finally they made it to the highest point in the town, where the buildings stop and the forest begins. Balin and Bernie located a ticket booth which was the entrance to the Wald (forest) and the Wasserfall (waterfall). Each member of the group had to cough up about 2 Euros before they were allowed to enter. There was a lot of digging through wallets, but soon everyone had a informational brochure with a map in hand as they headed up the trail.

As they trekked up the the trail, the girl began the regret her choice of shoes. She hadn't realized they would be "hiking", and had wore shoes more suited to city walking than for a dirt path. Her worries soon abated when she and the rest of the group found out that due to snow that all the higher trails were closed, and only the lowest one at the base of the waterfall was open. Which wasn't a long epic journey at all, in fact, they made it there in a few minutes. So she and her shoes were safe once more.

Dora, Nacha, and the girl striking a pose as they "hiked" to the base of the waterfall.

When the waterfall came into view, the girl picked up her pace, and the others followed in suit. Soon all five of them were standing on a bridge at the very base of it. The roar of the water wasn't substantial, but the view was. The girl couldn't even see the top of the waterfall, which she figured made sense considering, after all, it was the highest one in Germany.

The Triberg Wasserfall: the highest waterfall in Germany. (Of course this is all that could be seen from the base, it's much taller than this).

Nacha, the girl, Bernie, and Dora in front of the waterfall.

Dora and Balin being ridiculously adorable.

Nacha and Bernie looking like the cutest couple in Germany.

After soaking in the beauty of the waterfall, the group decided lunch was a fabulous idea. On their way to find a picnic spot, the girl spotted an interesting plaque. It commemorated that Ernest Hemmingway had visited this waterfall back in 1922, thus making the girl have a major nerd-out moment which everyone laughed at.

The Ernest Hemmingway plague.

The whole group being super silly on the trail.

Bernie, Nacha, and the girl being ridiculous.

Dora apparently didn't get the memo this was a silly picture haha ;)

 Bernie declared the base of one of the closed off trails a suitable place for a picnic. Nacha prepared a nice place to sit by putting two table cloths on the ground. Then everyone settled in on the table cloths and started pulling out potluck picnic items out of their bags.

The lunch was a delicious mix of sandwiches, quiche, wine, beer, fruit, and cake. And of course no meal is complete without several glasses of spilled wine, talk of frozen animals in trees, and laughter.

Balin, Dora, and the girl just before wine spill #2.

The half eaten quiche.

After they had full bellies and happy hearts, the group decided to go for a walk through the forest. Which was quite eventful, due to the renewed energy on the girl's part. Laughter, giggles, and the singing of random songs abound as the five of them picked their way carefully along the snowy and icy path. At one point the girl started a snowball fight (which she of course won), much to Nacha's horror.

The ever so famous Schwarzwald.

Navigating the icy and snowy trail.

The girl having fun with bubble gum.

Balin and Dora fitting right in with the scenery.

Nacha and the girl.

Nacha and Bernie having a "couple moment."

Soon their wanderings had led them out of the forest and into a residential area with a lake and a playground. The girl, being a six-year-old at heart, immediately tromped through ankle deep snow in order to go swing on the swing set while everyone else checked out the mini lake.

After consulting the map the men realized that the group was near the world's largest cuckoo clock, and thought it was worth a look. So the girls followed as the guys led the way up a deserted residential street.

Setting off to find the cuckoo clock.

Walking along side the ever so forbidden looking forest.

Yes, places like this really do exist outside of movies.

When it felt like they had been walking for hours on end, the girls began to doubt if they were even going in the right direction since it seemed they had walked into the outskirts of a neighboring town. As the boys pulled out the map once more, the girl sat down on the side of the road dreaming of a nice nap in the train on the way home.

Epic map consulting.

Social networking and snacking.

Nice try Balin, your bubble won't beat the girl's awesome bubble blowing skills haha.

Dora having snack time.

After much map consulting, the two men realized that the cuckoo clock was no more than a two minutes walk away. Thus, everyone finished their day dreaming and snacking to continue on the quest to find the world's largest cuckoo clock.

A few minutes later their persistence was rewarded when they found the object of their desire, the clock, hidden amongst a small neighborhood. The clock wasn't so much a cuckoo clock but was more of a small one room, one story house built in the traditional German way. But it actually functioned as a cuckoo clock. In fact, while the group was there, they got to hear and see it in action.

"World's biggest original cuckoo clock to visit"

Traditional woman's hat in the Schwarzwald (albeit a huge version of it haha)

The girl near the world's largest cuckoo clock.

Once the five friends had seen enough of the world's largest cuckoo clock, they decided it was time to head back into town. But how to get there was the question. The map was brought out once again, and soon the group was on their way.

The friends took a different route back, so they got to see some pretty amazing views of Triberg nestled amongst the hills and the forest. Of course, the walk back took longer than the original walk did (going back is never as easy as starting it seems) and by the time they got into town, all the girl wanted to do was lay down on the concrete and take a nap. Taking in so much beauty and doing so much awesome things had taken it's toll on the little au pair. But she didn't get her wish, since once they entered town her four friends wanted to check out a couple of the touristy shops that were amazingly open.

Cute and cozy little Triberg.

They wandered through a couple shops, under the watchful and hopeful eyes of the shop owners, mostly giggling at all the ridiculous things one could buy. The girl's favorites were the dust collecting figurines. The last shop the group entered was the biggest, and by far the most interesting. While it had the typical tourist trap items, it also had a large supply of actual factual cuckoo clocks. After perusing the whole store, both Nacha and the girl decided to buy cuckoo clock magnets. A cute and cheap (well, "cheap") way to remember such a fun day.

Cuckoo!

And so the guys and girls headed out of the store and down the hill towards the Bahnhof. In an effort to use up time, they made a leisurely stop in the gas station convenience store for a caffeine pick me up, and then mosied their way down to the Bahnhof because the train wasn't coming for a while.

The Hogwart's Express?! No? Oh. How dreadfully disappointing.

But the group's effort to use up time still left them with a good half hour to just sit and wait in the station. As they sat discussing the mysterious red stain on the floor, time ticked away quickly, and soon the train had a arrived.

As friends settled into a group of seats in the lower level off train, the girl realized that the zipper on her jacket was stuck. After fiddling with it for a good five minutes, the rest of the group took notice, laughed, and offered to help. And so the zipper saga began. First Balin tried, then Dora, then Nacha, and then Bernie. Then the girl tried again. Then Balin had a go once more. Then, Bernie, utterly determined to fix the zipper, fiddled with it until he won. With her jacket once again in working order, the girl settled down into her seat and popped her iPod earbuds in.

Next thing she knew, the girl and her friends were pulling into Karlsruhe Hauptbahnhof. She groggily got off the train, waited with her friends for the Straßenbahn, and rode to her station. Final goodbyes and hugs were said as she hopped off the train and headed home.

Once she was home, the girl threw on her pajamas and dove into bed. She fell asleep the instant her head hit the pillow, and you know what the only worry on her mind was? Her alarm going off the next morning.

And they all lived happily ever after. The End.

And that my kiddos is the story of the day my friends and I went to Triberg. Yes, it was long (you are brave soul for sticking through to the end), but like any good fairytale it included pictures to keep your interest from waning. So snuggle up in your blankies, close your eyes, and think of sweet things. It's time to go to bed little ones. It's time to dream.