Christmas Markets, Gluhwein and Late night Trains

Well the holiday season is upon us and in Munich that means Christmas Markets. Every neighborhood has one and they are all different. There are Renaissance markets, craft markets, bohemian markets, commercial markets, world markets. You want it...you got it! It is what the Germans do for Christmas...forget the long lines at the stores, forget malls (we actually have one somewhere in the city), forget cleaning your house and cooking for days to have a party. Just meet your friends and family at a Christmas Market and wander around. They are ALL beautiful...full of color, lights, great smells and best of all Gluhwein. This mulled wine is the drink of the season and I can tell you, on a cold night, walking around with a mug of hot spiced wine is just wonderful. Plus if you are willing to forfeit the Pfand (the 2.5 or 3 euro deposit you pay for the mug), you get to keep the mug. Many people collect these as they vary by market, each with a unique graphic, text or shape. You can see my collection, thus far, pictured here. For those who prefer something a little stronger, you can get it "mit scchuss" or with a shot of rum, schnapps etc. For those who are really adventurous, go for the flaming bowl. A large bowl mug filled with some sort of gluhwein with a lip containing a sugar cube. They then pour rum or schnapps over the sugar and the mug and light it on fire. Yes, everyone walks around with a bowl of fire! Imagine that in the US? The Christmas Markets are really a wonderful tradition and a way to share Christmas with everyone AND to reduce the stress...I mean how hard is it to run to a market and get a bowl of goulasch and a glass of hot wine with friends. I may never do an American Christmas again.

Beyond the markets, we are enjoying the season. It is more low key here than at home so it has flown by with ease. However, this will be our first Christmas without Audrey as she is going home to the US. It was a last minute decision and she is very excited. We will miss her very much and I am sure she will miss us (please let me keep my illusions). More likely she will miss her boyfriend Tyler....yes, that relationship is still going strong and we get to see lot of him. Its a good thing since we like him! Audrey, although she complains, is actually doing well here. She is much more independent here than at home and has learned how to get around the city on her own. It has really increased her confidence and her sense of autonomy. When I told her she would be flying home alone without an escort, she was totally not worried. I am not sure she would have felt that way a few months ago. In her free time, she spends a lot of time with Tyler and her friend Caitlyn and is working hard at school. The curriculum is very tough here and the teachers are very demanding but Audrey is holding her own. She continues to figure out how to keep her grades at just that point where we stay off her back while still having as much free time after school and on weekends as possible. Hey, I figure efficiency in effort is a good skill in life! She is also taking a film class after school which she enjoys. Watching movies and chit chatting about them...what could be better. Audrey is not playing field hockey right now since the language barrier caused problems. I am hoping to find an indoor team that speaks English after the new year.

William is really thriving here. His artwork has grown in leaps and bounds, inspired both by the environment and some really good teaching! He is also taking drama classes after school and is playing on the Middle School basketball B team. He has rarely every played basketball so that tells you how good the team is! However, one advantage of making the middle school team is that he gets to travel to other International Schools for tournaments. Therefore, he gets to stay with host families in Vienna and Frankfurt AND we will return the favor by hosting kids here when other teams come to visit us! It is bound to be an adventure. William has also made lots friends both at school and in the neighborhood. Happily, William will be with us this Christmas. So at least we don't feel like empty nesters yet! He will join us as we drive to Hausen below Stuttgart to visit with Matt's German relatives. We look forward to spending a couple of days with the extended Stutz family!

We also just had a great couple of days with my sister Amanda, her husband Andy and the kids, Lauren and Josh. It was bitterly cold but we still managed to get around Munich and visit the Christmas Markets (of course) and enjoy a flaming bowl or two. We went out to eat on my birthday where I had my first Schweinhax'n, a pig's knuckle that has been slow roasted and crisped. It was wonderful. Of course, Andy, Amanda, Matt and I ended up at the Hofbrauhaus where we sang Ein Prosit, drank too much and had a great time. Amanda is writing a blog on her European vacation so I won't duplicate it here....but we loved seeing them AND will be seeing them again soon. They are spending Christmas in Paris and then we will meet them in Rome and spend a few days in Rome and a few in Naples with them....Of course, there will be a blog about it.

What else is new? We had a great time at the school Christmas Party. Great food, dancing and drinking. We left around midnight to take the train home...which was an event in itself. You heard of the Peace train...this was the Puke train. Drunken teenagers abounded. Matt and I had to move seats several times to avoid watching highly inebriated teens barfing up their dinner. The following Monday, Will got the local newspaper on the way to school and found an article about the problem! The downside of public transportation!

So our life goes on...we are having a great time and enjoying the German life! We do miss our friends and family....especially so at this time of year! So enjoy your holiday and be well. In lieu of a card, I have included a small Christmas greeting below. MERRY CHRISTMAS AND HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Define Normal

It appears I have been remiss. I have only related adventures abroad, festivals and the like which may have misled you into thinking our life is more glamorous than it is...Sigh! Don't be fooled! We live the same day to day existence as we ever did. We get up, get the kids off to school, Matt leaves for work, I straighten up, then I either work, go to the fitness studio or, as of next week, take German, the kids spend the day in classes, Matt at work...OK so maybe the parallels start to waiver because each day I do run around to get food, fruit and vegetables etc and in most cases, the people are speaking German but generally life is the same....except of course for my daily walk in the English Gardens with the dogs which lasts from 45 minutes to an hour rain or shine, sun or snow, deluge etc. This is where I discover new sights and sounds daily AND where I get to see the Chinese Tower and watch the progress for the ChristmasMarkt they will hold in the Gardens. It is where I can see beautiful sights like swans on the lake and little chateaux. It is a really wonderful walk and vision. BUT I digress from the telling of our humdrum existence. So aside from the walk, it is really the same except that I do take the Ubahn most places and I am surrounded by ancient churches and beautiful buildings and at least 50 great restaurants are within walking distance AND the little Beer garden next door has set up 4 person gondolas where their tables used to be so you can sit inside with little heaters to drink your gluhwein, beer or heisse shokolade. But aside from this, it really is the same...except Audrey gets to take the train to the Marienplatz from school with her friends and go out to dinner and a movie in town all without asking for a ride. Except for that it is just like home...except of course, we drive to Salzburg, Austria on a Sunday afternoon to see the Christmas Market....But really, it is all just the same as being back home. Just to emphasize that, I am including our picture of the wonderful Thanksgiving dinner we had at our friends house...Now of course, we had it on Saturday not Thursday AND these are all new friends but if you look at both pictures below, you will see it really was the same.....

Venezia!

What I have learned about Venice....Throw out the map...it is no good! After you spend the first five minutes trying to find your way in the winding streets, narrow walkways and canals of Venice, you realize that you should stop looking at the map and just start looking around. For every sight, every street, every house, every campo (square), every fondamenta (walkway next to a canal) and every little bridge is a wonder in itself. So give up trying to get to your destination, give yourself over and just start walking. Venice IS the destination itself. No stop, no sight is better than the whole city itself! As you walk, you will find streets as narrow as you that open onto squares full of people sipping cappucino or drinking wine. You will stumble onto a dead end street where a balcony full of flowers will cause you to pause. You will find yourself suddenly at the end of the island with a view of the Adriatic sea and the surrounding islands. You will cross a bridge as a singing gondolier passes underneath you. You will stop in the stores with baubles, Murano glass, hand-printed paper and antiques. You will jump on the Gondola taxi to cross the grand canal. You will sit in a Trattoria drinking wine with your pasta and wonder how a place can be this beautiful! And guess what? Invariably, you find what you were looking for, whether it is the Piazza San Marco where you can watch people walking on rows of tables to avoid the flood caused on the square by high tide or the Rialto bridge which is wide enough for shops to line both sides. You will stumble on endless squares and churches that you can walk through at will. You will find the museums and music halls. It is all a matter of having faith in the island that is Venice! A magical place with boats for buses, canals for streets, special names for bridges, dead-end alleys and no cars!

How did our romance with Venice go? It was a wonderful, if brief, affair. It started with finding our flat which we had rented via an associate of Matt's. We walked through a crumbling courtyard...remember everything is crumbling a bit in Venice...to a beautifully furnished apartment in a 16th century building. The apartment was full of antiques and charm. It was perfect! Since it was already late, we had a nice dinner close by and went to bed thinking that we would get up early. Well, we didn't count on the darkness caused by shuttered windows and we all slept in and awoke to the bustling sounds of the Venetian day. We got up and had croissants and coffee in a little cafe and wandered to the Piazza San Marco where we had our first reminder of the differences between Italian and German culture: the slowness of progress made while standing on lines (and the lines were standing on tables), being turned away at the door and sent to the back of the line because you had a bag, no information about cost or access and little organization made us say "Toto, I don't think we are in Munich anymore". Then we remembered, this is Italy and we are in Venice...so we walked. We stopped in shops, meandered around and found a nice spot to eat. While the food tends to be only mediocre in Venice, the wine that flows with every meal is a treat...So lunch lingers. Then we walked again marveling and enjoying. Wine, walking and waiting can only really be resolved in one event...a nap followed by dinner and a wonderful Vivaldi concert in an intimate setting in a converted church. It was the kids first real classical style concert and they both liked it very much...Imagine that!

Our days continued like the first. Amongst our meanders, we had a chance to visit the Peggy Guggenheim collection of 20th century art, the Rialto bridge and many churches. Our dinner the second day was a memorable event. Matt's associate, Giorgio, picked us up on his little boat (really just a dinghy) to take us to dinner. He stopped just outside our flat and took us into the Grand Canal amongst the boats, buses and taxis. We turned off into a little canal and had a wonderful meal of fish and risotto. William even tried octopus! To finish it off, Giorgio took us home through little canals where we got a close up of Venice from the water as we ducked under bridges. The next day, we were awoken by the sound of metal being dragged through our little street and a siren going off. It was raining!!! The dragging metal was tables being set up in the streets for people to walk on and the siren was informing the residents to expect flooding at high tide. Those of us with Gore-Tex footwear were not to be dissuaded and we tramped through the streets and launched on the water bus to Murano to view the glass factories in the pouring rain! We arrived at lunch time and as we warmed up/dried off in a little Trattoria, Matt asked the waiter to recommend a factory for a tour. He gave us a name and pointed out the owner sitting next to us. Well, one thing led to another and we got a personal tour of a glass factory and showroom from the owner himself...Right place/Right time! Our wet ride home ended up being a wet walk when the water bus was forced to park early and let us off due to an accident ahead of us. So we went for our last wander of the trip and ended the evening with a lovely meal in a very nice restaurant. During dinner, Audrey's wit caught the attention of our neighbors at the next table (I say them laughing when in response Matt's question "How did you like Venice?", Audrey replied"Its really pretty but ya know, when you've seen one alley you've seen them all"!) Soon we were chatting with them. They were a nice older couple from Ireland and we all so enjoyed the conversation that we bought more wine and closed down the joint! William took the opportunity to draw a really beautiful Venetian landscape. He obviously found the place inspirational and drew constantly while there. Audrey was great and seemed to really enjoy it! All in all, it was a wonderful trip...If you go, enjoy and you must have the hot chocolate which is a cup of liquid chocolate with a touch of bitter at the end
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Hund Heaven (This Blog for Lovers of Buster and Jewel Only)

Buster and I decided to take advantage of the relative quiet in the house today to tell you about OUR vacation. I know the alpha female has been keeping you up-to-date regarding the goings on of her pack. However, Buster and I had quite an experience while the the rest of the pack were off doing what they do (abandoning us). You see, Buster and I spent 6 fun-filled days at a dog resort known as The Dog Hotel from Gut Mareis. It is a true luxury dog resort. Unlike the dens of abandonment of the past where we were in separate rooms with concrete floors, wire walls and general neglect, during this temporary banishment we had a shared room with another pack of dogs. It hardly felt like we were being inexplicably removed from our pack at all! The den had a ladder, beds and art work (which you know Buster cannot appreciate...he does not sit still long enough...but I tend to spend longer hours these days bedded down just staring at the walls and the colors were a welcome relief...even though I am, like most dogs, color blind). It also had a closed circuit TV so the alpha female of the Pension could watch our play and make sure it did not get out of hand. I do have to say that I only had to show my wolf teeth to Buster once and only a couple of times to a young male who didn't get the message. You see I have lost weight this last few months and at times the young males get confused regarding my true age! The alpha female of the Pension also took us on daily walks of about 10 Kilometers (where I have to admit I got into trouble when the irresistible scent of a rabbit led me to temporarily lose myself and the whole pack had to look for me...I have got to get that under control!). It was the only time I have walked with so many other dogs of the four-legged variety. I have to admit I struggled to keep my position at the head of the walk. It is my rightful spot BUT there were many young whippersnappers who thought they deserved my position. Buster of course, knows exactly where he should be and spent most of his time running around in circles trying to play with everyone!!! When we were not resting or walking, we got to play with the whole pack in a big yard. The only drawback was the tempting herd of deer raised by the Pension Alpha Female. They were right next door and I SO wanted to chase them. BUT the Alpha Female was a gentle woman whose authority was unquestionable. So I held back from chasing her deer...We all knew who was the boss. The only time it was confusing is when my own Alpha Female arrived to take us home...Suddenly I didn't know who I should follow. Thank Dog, that situation only lasted a few minutes. So while my real pack was off, Buster and I had a great time with an adopted pack in a wonderful resort. Clearly Germans love their dogs...I highly recommend it to all canines in the area. P.S. if you are an elder dog like me you may want to watch it...I am noticeably stiff after my holiday.

Paris, Grandparents, Greek Dancing and More

So much to tell...so little time. First, Paris was...well Paris. Wonderful sights, wandering streets, fabulous fashion, the best shopping and a sparkling Eiffel Tower! Add to it a chance to be with family and life is good! We spent our first day with Grandma Sandy on the bateaux mouches, the boat that takes you around Paris on the Seine. We took the "bus" version so we could get on and off as we pleased! It allowed us to visit Notre Dame (gargoyles and all) and stand on the "heart of Paris" where all of Paris points are measured from (see picture). We then proceeded to the Champs Elysees where we rode a VERY LARGE Ferris Wheel and saw the Arc de Triomphe. Of course, we ended up at the Eiffel Tower where we chose to take the steps to the first platform...the line to the lift was long. This was all after flying in from Munich! The day ended with a WONDERFUL dinner in the home of my sister and her husband who own this marvelous apartment in Paris. Audrey was serenaded with "Happy Birthday" by her aunt, uncle, grandmother and grandfather (and us of course)...and it wasn't even her birthday yet (see picture)! She also got to sleep in the apartment which meant not having to sleep with William...what could be better!?! The next day, AUDREY'S BIRTHDAY, was spent in an exhausting search for just the right Parisian outfit for Audrey. Her aunt Lisa took her to many, many stores and many outfits were tried on...At the end of day, we were all dazed and confused BUT success...Audrey had not one but TWO Parisian outfits to wear. Meanwhile, William was treated to his first ever Parisian haircut by a '"tres jolie" stylist (Matt thought she was quite lovely too...see picture). William also managed to get some shopping in as he has been very influenced by the European style. They both wore their new clothes to the birthday dinner at the famous La Coupole....a classic Brassiere in Montparnasse. It was a busy, wonderful dinner which ended in a loud and jubiliant version of 'Bon Anniversaire' (Happy Birthday for the non-francophiles in the crowd) by the waiters including our VERY handsome head waiter (see picture).
We then strolled the streets of Paris as two events went on...First, the annual Nuit Blanche where art exhibits go on all night in Paris and second, the celebration for France who had won their most recent rugby match in the World Cup event which was going on in Paris at the time. Both resulted in lots of people, drinking and noise throughout Paris. We also got to see the Eiffel Tower sparkle with lights which is a true sight to behold. We returned after midnight exhausted but thoroughly happy. Sunday was spent at Montmarte (including stairs) where we ate crepes and went to the Dali exhibit. We also visited the Moulin Rouge where William got a bit of an education since it sits in the heart of the red light district...Yikes. We returned home Sunday night all of this having taken place in a little more than 60 hours...Can you imagine?

Matt then had to head off to a week in Austria for business. The kids and I recovered a little and then spent three glorious but cold days with Grandma Sandy and Grandpa Dennis who arrived from Paris via train. It was the first time for both in Germany so we ate wurst at the Ratskellar, drank beer at lunch, wandered the English Gardens and, of course, viewed the Glockenspiel at the Marientplatz (it is the clock with dancing figures etc that goes off three times a day to the delight of all tourists). Matt returned on Friday and we went to the famous Osteria (the Italian restaurant that has been in place since 1890). It was a great visit and it was fun to show Munich to friends/family from home.

Instead of relaxing, Matt and I spent Saturday night with our neighbors at a Greek restaurant where one of the neighbors was celebrating his birthday in total Greek style...which means lots of shots of Ouzo, breaking many plates, dancing on the plates and finally, a mountain of fire...Don't ask but it had something to do with pouring Johnny Walker Black over a mountain made of foil, lighting it and dancing around it. It was an event!!!

Sunday, we had a visit from a friend/coworker of Matt's where we walked around, had coffee and cake with our German friends and a nice evening out. Matt then returned to Austria and I spent the week working, teaching and in parent/teacher conferences...Audrey is studying Physics, Chemistry and Biology this year which has been a substantial jump from last year's earth science. BTW- Audrey is studying this in between spending lots of time with her friends and new boyfriend, Tyler (see picture). William is studying hard and enjoying himself at school and with his new friends. He has also acquired a new style of sorts which I will document for the next blog. He had a stomach bug this week but all is well now!

Jewel and Buster are still having a blast! Jewel has continued to lose weight and, I daresay, has regained her girlish figure (wish the same would happen to me) and Buster still loves his dog filled romps in the Gardens.

We had our first snow this weekend...This while seeing friends in Kemblesville on Skype sitting around in T-shirts. I guess we are really far away!

Finally, we are off to Venice this week. The kids have a week off so we will leave Tuesday to take a train to Venezia returning on Saturday. I am sure there will be lots to report. We miss you all and wish we could be doing all this with our dear friends from home!

Oktoberfest

Sorry we have been away so long but Oktoberfest, work and life has been keeping us busy! Aside from a repetitive drinking injury (what you say...go ahead and hold up a liter of beer every two minutes and sing "ein prosit" and clank away on your neighbors glass and see what happens to your knuckles) we are well! We have had great times at Oktoberfest which MUST be seen to be believed! It is the Dionysian festival of Germany. Yes, everyone is drunk and many are reeling all over the place BUT everyone is also a friend and neighbor...It is everyone coming together and being the same at least for one night! The fact that the bands in the tents play "Country Roads" and AC/DC songs just adds to the sense that there are no boundaries. After the tents close, the rides continue and they have to be seen to be believed. Imagine standing in a crowd and watching people clamor onto a slowly spinning disk as the crowd watches them fall off one by one...If they don't fall off, a medicine ball on a string or a lasso will help! There are still also old-fashioned side shows with the headless woman, chopping audience members in half and a REAL flea circus. It really is an event. I am posting pictures and video to help you see it.

The kids are also doing well! William has decided he likes it and is willing to stay longer if he gets a nice cell phone! He is making friends and enjoying soccer! Audrey is still hanging with her new crowd and having a good time. Although she was DYING to go to homecoming with her friends back home!

Matt is getting very busy at work and will be traveling a lot again. He is due back in the States in November.

I have been busy with work, life and Oktoberfest not to mention "back-to-school" nights etc. The life of a hausfrau is the same everywhere. I did get to a GREAT art exhibit which had every major artist from Rembrandt to Picasso...It is the private collection of a Swiss couple. It was really amazing to see the diversity of works by people you have heard so much about and never really seen their work.

We are really beginning to get to know Munich...Every day we see something new or learn about a new place...most within blocks of the apartment. We have also seen old friends from home who were in town for a night and relatives from Germany...So life has been good!

I am a little short on time but will write more again soon....This weekend we are off to Paris for Audrey's birthday so I am sure we will have lots to tell...Miss you all!

Hello All!

Schreiner Family updates are now available by blog. This will allow us to post pictures, videos etc and will allow the kids to log on and update you all too! Chat with you soon!