Travel Log #7 A Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day

We knew after our night of New Year’s Eve fun that the odds of making the 9 or 11am train to Copenhagen were pretty slim. After sleeping through our alarm and missing the 11am by just a few minutes, our fears were confirmed.  We had one more train to catch at 1pm, but I had a sick feeling in my stomach about it since we didn’t have reservations and missing the connection would mean being stranded somewhere for the night.

Since so much of this trip has involved riding trains, we had invested in a Eurail pass to save money and time. Despite its many benefits, one major downfall is that you can’t reserve your seats online for international trains and – at least when using the German railway – no one ever answers the English-speaking reservation line. We can say this with great certainty because we’ve tried about a hundred times over the course of the trip. If you call the German line, someone will pick up right away and then tell you (in perfect English) “No, I can’t help you. Please hang up and call the English line.”

Hmmm….

Anyway, we can always get on a train with our pass, but reservations ensure that we get seats on trains that always seem to be too full. So we went to the train station with the hopes of getting reservations for the 1pm train and our friend Titus came along to help translate and in general help us get off without a hitch. Unfortunately, we couldn’t get reservations from the ticket agency either, so we jumped on and hoped for the best. Luckily, the train between Dresden and Berlin was nearly empty (probably a lot of other people slept through their alarms too) and we had the whole car to ourselves. When we got to Berlin, we checked the big board and went to the platform it indicated. As we approached the train, we asked a Deutsche Bahn worker if this was the train to Hamburg and she said “Yes, yes.” As we got on the train, we asked the DB conductor if this was the train to Hamburg. Again, she said, “Yes, yes.”

It was not the train to Hamburg                                                                            

Apparently we didn’t learn from our first experience in Frankfurt that DB workers say yes to everything, regardless of whether or not it’s true.

Our little detour ensured we would miss the last connection from Hamburg to Copenhagen, so after dragging exhausted and screaming children (they had been promised dinner on a train and that wasn’t going to happen now) through extra connections, we finally landed in Hamburg. On the train we had made a desperate and sheepish call to Titus, who once again acted as our personal travel agent and booked us a hotel across from the train station.

As we dragged our pathetic lot to the hotel, I noticed Hamburg was a beautiful city. If I hadn’t spent the day wiping tears (the kids and mine) I would have had the energy to pull out my camera and record it. Just trust me that it was.

We fell into bed and waited for Robbie to get some dinner. But of course, by the time he came back, this was how he found us:

I think at the end of this trip we will make a slideshow of us passed out in every country.

Here’s to a better day tomorrow….

Travel Log #6 Happy New Year! (with addendum)

During this trip, we've learned all about German New Year's Eve traditions. The first lesson came from being woken up at 3am by loud explosions several days in a row leading up to New Year's Eve. Apparently, New Year's Eve in Germany is even bigger than the 4th of July in the U.S. And, like the U.S., there are several nights of "practice fireworks" leading up to the big night.

When New Year's Eve finally came, the snaps and pops started first thing in the morning and intensified throughout the day. Despite the fact that I didn't enjoy being woken up by unexpected blasts in the middle of the night, I have to admit this tradition makes New Year's Eve seem that much more festive.

We had another lazy morning, and then met up with our friends for a walk around the Grand Garden of Dresden. I haven't been bothered much by the things we've missed out on by traveling in the winter, but this was one exception. During the summer there is a small train for children that runs around the entire garden and kids actually drive the train. Luckily the kids didn't know they were missing out on anything, but I couldn't help but think of how excited they would have been to see that. Guess it's a good reason to come back...

The centerpiece of the garden is a stately palace.

The kids get out their energy with some good ol' tree climbing.

Afterward, the kids *attempted* to have nap time and then we regrouped for a scrumptious dinner of raclette (sort of like the Swiss version of fondue). When we were properly full of melted cheese and beer, our friends gave us some more lessons in German traditions. They showed us these paper streamers that work by pinching a ring of coiled paper and blowing on it. The kids, of course, had a blast trying this out and playing in the aftermath.

Raclette time!

 

 

Fionn starts off the dance party.

Emerson makes his own party hat.

Titus, Feodor and Sabina rock out.

We also predicated our fortunes for the New Year using a little kit they sell at the stores. Each person picks a metal charm and takes turns melting it in a spoon over a candle. When the metal turns liquid, you throw it into a glass of cold water so it solidifies into a new form. The group decides what this new form mostly closely resembles based on a list of possibilities included in the kit, and then you read aloud the corresponding meaning. Unfortunately, almost everyone's charm ended up breaking into a bunch of little metal balls in the water. We decided they must be eggs, which apparently means something along the lines of "don't put your eggs in another person's basket." I'm not entirely sure what that means, but it's probably sound advice.

When midnight finally rolled around, Titus poured a glass of champagne for the adults and sprite for the kids (minus Emerson, who passed out just in time to miss the festivities), and we toasted and kissed and hugged the new year in. The city, meanwhile, exploded into a spectacular show of light and noise. We watched the fireworks from our friends' balcony for a while, then climbed up to the top of their apartment building for a view of the city. It was incredible. I am generally a hater of New Year's Eve because there's so much pressure to have fun and yet it rarely works out that way. But this year we really hit the jackpot.

The kids watching fireworks.

If only we had room to pack the tripod for our camera...

Now fully awake despite the time, we bundled up the kids and headed out into the street to do some of our own fireworks.

As if it wasn't already a great party, our friends ended the celebration with bowls of homemade creme brulee. Miniature blow torches, sugar, fireworks and staying up late - what more could a kid want?

Mmmmm....

We were leaving later that morning for Copenhagen, so we said our very sad goodbyes. I never thought I'd find myself in Dresden, but I'm so glad I did. It definitely pays to travel where you know (and love) the locals.

Addendum: 

I cannot believe I left out the most important German New Year's Eve tradition of all! For some unknown reason, airing an old British comedy sketch called "Dinner for One" on New Year's Eve became a time-honored tradition in Germany and a few other countries in Europe. It's beloved by Germans of all ages despite the fact that many British people have never even heard of it. So we got to watch (and laugh) along with all the rest of Germany this time. As a result, when a Swedish ticket agent that was helping us make reservations two weeks later made the crack, "Same procedure as last year," I was in on the joke.

Travel Log #5 Going Downtown

So now that I'm way, way behind, I'll try to spit the next few out faster. (I know, you're sad you won't get to read a daily novella.)

The next day in Dresden, our friends decided to give us a walking tour of downtown. The moment we got out of the cars and started walking across the square, the wind picked up and we were caught in a sudden downpour. The square was full of tourists and locals and street performers, who all rushed for cover in the same places. As a result, we ended up sharing a covered entrance with a man dressed as a statue and another dressed as a gold angel. Our strange group huddled together for a minute, and then it was over as quickly as it started. 

The angel huddles in the back.

Our children were already whining for food, of course, so we made our way to a little market of people selling various German treats. We ended up drinking gluhwein (like hot mulled wine) and the kids ate plates of heart-shaped waffles covered in powdered sugar. When we get back to the U.S, the kids are going to have a hard time readjusting to a diet that doesn't include chocolate-covered blintzes for breakfast and waffles for lunch every day...

Now properly sugared and boozed up, we set off for an afternoon of walking and snapping pictures. We took a short detour through a medieval market and I tried (unsuccessfully) to get the kids excited about the knight with his big spear guarding the front entrance. He made for a good picture anyway.

We moved on to see the ornate opera house and the Zwinger palace. The Zwinger was originally part of the outer wall protecting the city, but in the late 1600s, Augustus the Strong had it renovated into an ornate party palace. Supposedly the longest party on record lasted 29 days, but no one can actually verify that. In any case, walking into the beautiful courtyard, even without the gardens in their full glory in the winter weather, I could see how the place inspired decadent behavior. Now it's used as a museum for porcelain and other fine art, but we figured small children and priceless breakables were a bad combination, so we stayed outside.

Opera House

Zwinger

After we strolled through the major sites, we went alone the river for a spectacular view of the city at sunset. Church bells rang out, the street lamps came on, flocks of birds swung through a pink and blue sky...it was perfect. Even with three loud children.

The boys sit on top of the world.

When the last bit of light failed, we packed into the car and headed back for another night of good food and good conversation. A friend pointed out on Facebook that I haven't yet mentioned beer drinking despite being in Germany, so let me assure you now, there was plenty of that too.

Travel Log #4 Castle in the Clouds

So after a busy day of wedding activities, we spent the next morning eating a leisurely breakfast and milling around the hotel room. In the afternoon, our friends had plans to take us on a tour of a local castle, so we made a train of cars that wound through one beautiful village and town after another. I have to admit that driving on the narrow, winding roads in the rural areas was giving me a heart attack, but it was worth the view.

As we approached our destination, I saw a stunning castle up ahead and assumed that was where we were heading. Then we turned and went down a different road toward a large lake with a smaller, but equally pretty castle nestled above it. After some exciting four-wheeling through the mud, we parked and walked down to the ferry that goes across the river. “That’s the castle?” I asked our friends, pointing. “No, that’s it there,” they answered, pointing to a large rock formation looming high above the smaller castle.

Smaller castle from the ferry.

Rathen, a village at the base of the mountain.

It turned out this was Neurathen Castle, the remnants of a structure built into the natural protection of the rocks sometime during the 13^th century. It was a 45-minute hike to the top through a lush forest, so of course the other kids ran ahead while ours dragged their feet and whined. The kids were really pulling out all the stops in the misbehaving department this trip, but I couldn’t be too mad at them for whining about hiking since it’s probably genetic. Growing up in Utah, I spent many a 6-hour hike whining my way up and down the mountain. In fact, the one and only home movie we own is of me whining on a hike in Southern Utah while the rest of my family harasses me. I really should make that gem “disappear” one of these days.

Anyway, I eventually grew out of it, so hopefully they will too. I promised Fionn that he could tell his friends at school that he climbed the biggest mountain in the world and was taller than anyone, which seemed to get him through the last bit with a smile on his face.

Baby Ella does not want her picture taken. :)

The view from the various lookouts cannot be accurately captured by our inadequate camera (or maybe its inadequate operators). It was hard to wrap my mind around the fact that people built and lived and fought and died in the carved out rooms centuries ago. It also made my head spin and my stomach turn to walk across the sturdy metal bridges strung between the rocks, so I couldn’t imagine how the original people had the nerve to build a castle in such a precarious place!

View from one of the many lookouts.

Remnants of the inside of the castle.

The sun sets as we take the ferry back across the river.

After we had snapped enough pictures to fill an entire album, we clamored down the mountain and drove back to our friends’ house for dinner. I should say that our friends and their extended family were so lovely to us the entire time. Despite our repeated attempts to help, they took care of all the sightseeing, cooking, cleaning and helped in a million ways with the kids. They also always had chocolate cookies or a bag of sausages ready for hungry, whining children. If there's one thing we've done a lot of in Germany, it's eat chocolate, pastries and meat. I've passed on the meat part, obviously, but at the rate I've been eating, someone will have to roll me to Copenhagen....

Travel Log #3 Wedding Bells Are Ringing

Our first full day in Dresden, Miren didn't fall asleep until twenty minutes before our alarm was set to go off, so our morning ended up being a rushed craze to get ready for a 9:30am wedding. Despite the fact that I tried to carefully pack all our nice clothes, I forgot a travel iron, undershirts and belts for the boys, and Robbie accidentally packed a dress shirt with a large yellow stain on it, so we sort of fell out the front door already a crumpled mess. On the drive to the wedding hall, we marveled at the beauty of the city while simultaneously lecturing the kids about the importance of being quiet and well-behaved during the ceremony.

Some typical buildings in the neighborhood.

 

Despite (or most likely because of) our lecture, Emerson didn't last 10 minutes before acting up. I tried to slip him out the back, but the old wooden doors made more noise then Emerson had in the first place. After a whispered tongue-lashing, Emerson sat happily and quietly in the lobby while I tried to listen to the ceremony through the doors.

Fionn does an excellent job of being quiet during the ceremony.

When it was over, we gathered on the front steps to throw flower petals as the happy couple came down the stairs. I learned that in Germany, it's customary to throw rice and then everyone gets in their car and drives around honking the horns in celebration, but apparently the wedding hall banned both practices. Much to the delight of the neighbors I'm sure.

We spent the rest of the morning letting the kids play at our friends' house, then headed over to a beautiful villa for a gourmet lunch. Of course we forgot our camera for this part of the day, but here is a picture from the web that doesn't do it justice:

Here is a photo our friends took of the inside set up for the wedding party:

We spent the entire afternoon in a sun-drenched room talking, eating one delicious course after another, and drinking good wine (we had enough sense to let other people pick from the thick wine list for us and it paid off well). The kids were offered plates of schnitzel and vegetables, which I tried to pass off to the boys as fried chicken without success. It turned out to have less to do with an unfamiliar food and more to do with not being caught up on sleep. They started to fight over who could sleep in my lap, so our friend's gracious and well-prepared mother brought in some blankets to lay on the floor. (Note to self: you CAN let your kids fall asleep on the floor in Germany...if you bring the right gear.)

At one point during our now undisturbed lunch, a relative sitting next to me looked over at the boys and sighed. "They look like two little white angels sleeping in the corner of a beautiful castle," she said wistfully. I smiled and thought, "Angels are about the furthest thing from my mind when I look at them."

Miren, on the other hand, wolfed down an entire plate of schnitzel and used her brothers' disappearance to put on the "I'm adorable and I know it" show for anyone that would look her way. You would never guess that the child who slept one hour all night would be the one playing peek-a-boo and dashing around the room excitedly for hours on end.

After lunch was over, we made our way to downtown Dresden for a horse-drawn carriage tour of the city. The boys, who had been forced to wake up and get in the car, were of course starving by now. So after this several-course gourmet meal, we had to be the schmucks stopping at Burger King to feed our kids hamburgers. I've never felt so American.

Downtown Dresden was breathtaking. It's difficult to capture, even in pictures, the scope of what you see in real life. Everywhere you turn, the skyline is packed with one incredible building or church or museum or palace after another. What makes the city even more fascinating is the fact that much of it was destroyed by bombing at the end of WWII (mostly out of spite on the behalf of the allies apparently). The ruins were meticulously rebuilt using much of the original material, which is a fact we wondered at over and over again as we compared old pictures of the post-war buildings with the grandeur of what was in front of us.

Our double-decker carriage awaits us.

Freunkirche right after the war...Freunkirche today.

Fionn spent the entire carriage ride with his face pressed to the glass window, enthralled. Emerson was more interested in cuddling up with the blanket that was provided. And five minutes into the ride, Miren fell into my lap and instantly passed out.

When the ride was done, we piled into the car so we could head back to our friends' house for a light dinner. But we only drove a minute before Fionn announced that he needed to go to the bathroom...right now. Robbie pulled over in front of a large shopping mall and suggested I jump out with Fionn while he circled the block. I raced through the crowded mall as fast as I could in high heels, dragging a little boy who clutched at his crotch in desperation. As I finally rounded the corner into the apparently one and only bathroom in the entire mall, I saw a long line of people waiting to pay an attendant to gain entrance. Say what?!

The attendant must have taken pity on me when he saw the look of horror come across my face and the little boy doing a potty dance at my side. "Kinder?" he asked. I nodded, so he opened a small gate and let us pass through. I'm pretty sure he was waiting for me to give him money, but since I didn't have anything on me, I just uttered several "Dankeschön"s and raced inside.

As I was learning important lessons about peeing in Germany, Robbie was learning important lessons about driving in Germany. I have to say he's incredibly brave to drive a manual car  despite not having driven one in years, and to do it in a completely different country. He's mostly survived by following behind other people and doing what they do, but as he circled the block, he found himself in the front and ended up having a little adventure that ended with jumping a curb. When we finally reunited, we had both gained some important cultural insights..and a few new gray hairs.


Thankfully the rest of the evening was relaxing and ended with our first decent night of sleep the entire trip. Ahhhh.....