Catching up with the extended family

Last night, the staff of the Hotel Krone told us that breakfast would not be served until 8 am today as they would have a late night!  What a fantastic night it was.
We have decided to leave the Hotel a day early and head to Munich tonight as our 10 am flight to Cluj in Romania would necessitate a 4 am departure. We have booked in to the only hotel at the airport - the Hilton, to make life a little easier.
And this morning we are condensing our clothes in to one suitcase to take with us - there is absolutely no point taking two.

We head over to give a bit more of a hand with the packing and this afternoon will head down to Schorndorf to visit with Steph's Uncle Rudi and Aunt Olga. It will benice to see them again after so many years.

Robyn is online this morning telling us to travel carefully as heatwave conditions are expected across southern Europe for the next 5 days - believe us, we know - the warnings here are often. We are heading first to the mountains of the Mamures, so hopefully it will be a little cooler. I have booked us rooms at a wellness resort - complete with pools, so hopefully we will be ok!!

This morning starts interestingly - with a blackout. Right across town the hotel owners tell us. Looks like there will be no breakfast. But no, they insist that they can do breakfast ad they have a gas cooker in the kitchen to boil water for coffee.  Its a much slower start to the day for the hotel staff. I quiz them on what time the Jazz Party finished last night and they tell us that it was early - only 1:30 am.  I had been pumping zzzs for almost 3 hours by then - right above it!
I explain that I too play the double bass and am told that father and son both play, AND that they have three basses if I want to 'jam'.  I beg out as it would mean cutting my nails.  I did comment on the beautiful sound of the bass played last night and was told that it is more than 100 years old - and English!

Breakfast done and dusted and its back to the packing - I am feeling so much better today so get busy wrapping ornaments, glasses, pots, plates etc. Michael and Felix head back to the cellar and Steph heads for the kids rooms.  Its all a-go at high speed today.
Second interesting bit, Felix gets Michael to pack his wines in a box.  Felix later picks the box up to find the base would not hold the weight and lost two nice reds. The bigger problem was cleaning up the spilt wine and glass when there is chaos all round.  And Michael, in the midst of it became heady enough to have to go outside to the fresh air.

In readiness for the cleaning of the house after the workmen finish today, and the uplift of the houseful of furniture next Wednesday, the kids are off to stay with Steph's Uncle Rudi and Aunt Olga.  Oma and Opa to the kids.  So after lunch, we and Steph and the kids head for Schorndorf - 25 minutes away.  We are hardly at the top of the stairs in their home when we are enveloped in warm bear hugs. It is SO nice to see them again after so many years. We have been invited for afternoon tea and Michael samples every one of the cakes Olga has provided. Great coffee, some great laughs and reminiscing and all too soon it is 5 pm.

We have decided to come in to Munich tonight so our day is less frantic tomorrow. We program the GPS with Munich Airport and we head back through Schwäbisch Gmünd, Aarlen, skirt the edge of Ulm and come in to Munich from the north west. In Spain there is El Toro, the Bull, adorning the roadside.  Here is it deer!

And this week is the first of the six week summer break, so there are plenty of caravans, motor homes and even a Citroen with a jump seat!

By 9 pm we have returned the hire car and are ensconced in the Hotel Hilton - right between the two terminals.
Michael is chuffed to find a wurst van set up in a Pratt engine!  Who says take away food has to be boring!

Dinner is in the Charles Lindburgh Restaurant - wait for it - a Route 66 themed american style buffet! Still, it fills the hole.
Now I am off to cjeck in for our flight in the morning.  Gut Nacht! 

Packing for home

OK OK don't get your knickers in a knot -
don't get too upset,
or too excited!

We are not coming home yet - just sending excess clothing and shoes and books and more tourist stuff home in readiness for Hel's (and maybe Donna's) arrival in September.

When we left Australia we had two suitcases full of clothing - we had packed the maximum because we knew we would have a car and that we would be here for all seasons. But really, we have brought too much. Sure, the winter was cold (but not freezing) and if you layer well, you don't need clothes such as driza-bones! So we now have a box packed to nearly bursting and about 14 kilos to send home by DHL. It should only cost us about €20 - €30 and probably wont take all that long. It will certainly beat us home.

We cooked a pork roast last night with all the trimmings and it certainly seemed to be appreciated (:->) Michael even made a Creme Caramel for dessert. And then after dinner I opened the bottle of Pastis Citron. Anyone who wants it has only got to come and take it! Neither Steph or Felix liked it at all, and me? Well, I wont buy another bottle - I'll just stick to the original.

This morning I was up early (8 am) so I could link up with James on Facebook because I had not spoken to him for so long. But Michael got the times wrong and so I sat waiting for him to appear for 2 hours! But it was worth it because when he did log on we messaged back and forth for the best part of an hour and then I persuaded him to load Skype so next time I can see and hear him as well! Makes a big difference. He has finished his studies and is now a qualified chef - GOOD ON HIM! He finishes on Long Island at the end of the month and will spend the next couple of months VFR (visiting friends and relatives in travel speak!) all over the country - first to Brisbane, then to Maryborough, then to Adelaide, then to Cairns and finally to Darwin. Hasn't decided what to do finally after that - I reckon he should come to Europe while he is young - lots of work and everyone seems to love Aussie workers!

Amanda and Antony are home in Maryborough for a couple of weeks after a holiday in the snow with Micah and Amanda (cousin and his wife). Amanda's brother is getting married next weekend. Gen is enjoying her precious time with Izabella who does little else but chatter chatter chatter and walk walk walk. She is growing up so quickly! Gen's hairdressing course at TAFE is going well too.

It is still raining and paints a bleak look for the day. After breakfast this morning we sat and chatted before leaving around 1 pm to go and visit Steph's cousin Ulli, her husband Andy and their twins Anneka and Mara. When I see the girls I am amazed at how much they have grown in just six short months. Steph on the other hand went to visit Mutti in the rehabilitation unit. Anja (Ulli's sister) came up to say hello too and it was lovely to catch up with them all. Anja, her husband Thomas and their boys Marius and Mario are going to north-east Germany at the end of the month for a motorhome holiday - and it will be about 3 weeks too early for our time there. Funny how things work out.

After spending a couple of hours with them, we decided to go and have a look at SchoWo - a local festival (Schorndorf Week). Hang on, where are the cameras???? At Steph and Felix's. So being the dumb Aussies we are, we drive the 20 odd kilometres back to get them and then drive back down to Schorndorf! And where do we get to park? No, not miles and miles away (she says with a grin) - in the main side street one block from the party! Yep, thats our car at the front of the photo.

The festival is really only getting in to swing when we get back at 5:45 pm. It reminds us a little of the Pub Crawl - everyone goes from tent to tent drinking beer. No really it is more than that - lots of food stalls, kids rides, restaraunts with special menus, a market, 'adventure' park, and a number of bands. And BEER. Including a one-metre beer - actually 10 glasses of beer in a timber holder.

There was one band where the singer was styling herself after Pink - and they were obviously a young persons band - very loud. And a few blocks away we find one much more to our decibel and musical liking - The Rock n' Roldies. All 60s and 70s music. They were great. And just like Rotary and Lions sell foods at the various events back home, the local sports clubs do the same here. So of course we support them! We get 'dinner' there - wurst and schnitzel rolls and frites (but I cant some at the lashings of mayonnaise they add) plus an apple juice for me and an alcohol free pilsner for Michael (that tasted terrible!) And because the rain persists and it is now only 15°C, we head for home a little after 8pm.

The road signs here continue to amaze us. Like the deers that jump 2.3 kms. What, oh, Michael thinks that means that we must watch out for them for the next 2.3 kms. Silly me ha ha ha!! And then there is this one that not only gives car and truck maximum speeds, but also tanks! Tanks? Here? Gee - we haven't seen any yet.

Tonight Michael has discovered Felix's DVD collection and is having a movie-a-thon! I on the other hand look for accommodation in Munich and for tours etc. Nice and quiet night. These couple of relaxing days are doing us wonders.