Here's how it happened ...
Wheels started turning New Year's Day 2008. Our European excursion has been in the works since then. I woke up that morning fixed to go to Europe within the year -- it was my New Year's resolution you could say. I had a dream the night before that this was the year. I told Mike about the dream and he kindly humored me and went along with it. :)
As chance would have it, a few days later I ran into a friend from church at the mall (this was in Oregon.) I was talking to my friend, Barb, and she told me that she and her husband (the bishop of our church's congregation) were heading to Europe soon. "Europe? We're going to Europe this year, too!" I told her. I figured if I talked about it with confidence, as if it were going to happen, that it would indeed come to pass. (Positive thinking.) :) After a few more minutes of chatting with Barb, telling her that Mike and I wanted to visit Germany, France, and Switzerland, Barb suggested that we stay with her son and daughter-in-law in Germany and use their home as a base for our touring adventures. "Really?" I asked. "Well, you should probably run it by them first to make sure it's okay." So she did, and it was a go.
Barb's daughter-in-law, Kristine, and I started communicating by e-mail and she was very gracious about opening their home to us for five nights. (We stayed at B&B's two nights.) I thought this was especially gracious considering they didn't know us. So in the end, everything totally worked out and I can check my New Year's resolution off this year. How many people can actually say that? I know this is probably one of the very few times I've actually fulfilled my New Year's resolution. I'm a total believer now! :) I saw a part of the world that I have longed to see for a very long time. It was beautiful, it was interesting, I loved it. I loved experiencing -- even if only for a short time -- a totally new culture, new languages, and new surroundings. I am especially grateful to Steve and Kristine for opening their lovely home and for allowing us to stay with them. We enjoyed getting to know them and their two sweet boys. They are wonderful people -- obviously! Oh, and as if Steve and Kristine didn't do enough for us, they insisted we use one of their cars during our stay. That, along with their GPS, was a huge help!!
McLean Family
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The actual trip ...
So we departed October 20 for eight glorious days in Europe, making day trips to France; Switzerland; and cities, villages, and towns in Germany. I've never seen anything so beautiful as Europe in the fall. It was lovely, picturesque, and totally memorable. I loved all the quaint little towns and villages we saw. Stuttgart (where our hosts live) is perfectly situated for visiting nearby countries, so it worked out perfectly.
We spent our first night near Wiesbaden, Germany, after spending a wonderful afternoon with a dear friend/my former boss from BYU. She happened to be in Germany at the same time -- talk about great timing! I loved seeing Melody and her two beautiful children.
Here's a shot of Melody, me, and her two kids in Wiesbaden. I love how our outfits blend in with the background. :)
Among our favorite stops on the trip were Rothenburg, Germany, a darling Christmas town where it feels like Christmas everyday, and Bavaria, Germany, home of Cinderella's Castle.
Rothenburg - I love the flower boxes in the windows!
As for Bavaria, in the southern part of the country, I've never seen anything quite like it. Truly a magical place! Just the drive alone was totally scenic and breathtaking. And yes, we took a carriage ride up to the castle. I felt like I was in a storybook! :)
Here's the castle! Also known as Neuschwanstein Castle.
Here we are!
We toured the castle. The view from inside was unreal! (Sorry, we weren't allowed to take pictures of the interior of the castle. We were only permitted to hang out the window and take pictures of the outside!)
Another view. Isn't it gorgeous?
The castle grounds. Wouldn't be too bad living there!
We also spent a day in Munich - a very cool city where, if I had unlimited funds, I would do some serious shopping. Definitely the best window shopping I've experienced! I loved seeing the European trends and styles. I was surprised by how many people in Germany spoke English. Apparently those who are educated in the country speak some English.
France was neat -- I loved that the city we were in (Strasbourg) had a river running down the middle of it. We enjoyed yummy sorbet and a crepe for dessert that night.
Strasbourg, France
Aww! :)
And Switzerland was just too beautiful for words. We were able to see Rhein Falls, kind of a miniature Niagara Falls, but extremely impressive and stunning in its own right. We especially loved the pastries we enjoyed at a Swiss bakery. :)
Rhein Falls, Switzerland
It was a great trip! We loved our adventure. It almost seems like a dream now. It started as a dream and ended as a dream, bringing us full circle. :-) Mike, I promise next year's New Year's resolution won't be quite so grandiose -- it'll be something like get in better shape -- something a little less expensive. . ;) Thanks for humoring me and for helping make my dream become a beautiful reality. I'm so glad I could share it with you!
We loved our trip and feel very grateful and fortunate to have seen such a magnificent part of the world.
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Sweet reunion ...
One of the great things about having kids is that it makes it a little easier to return home. :) We were so excited to see Aaron again. He looked so different, so big! Mike's mom graciously watched him for us while we were away -- that way we were able to take in more on the trip. She took him to get his first haircut at a barbershop. She said he did great! She said by the end of the haircut he actually seemed to be enjoying it. Thank you so much, Dianne, for watching him. A priceless gift. :)
*These are just a few picts from the trip. I'll add more soon! Just wanted to get some up.
