Amberg, Germany {Family Day Trip}

Amberg is a city steeped in history. First mentioned in the 11th century, it was at one time, a strongly fortified medieval city. Portions of the original walls and gates are still visible today.


The beautiful St. Martin's Church sits at the heart of the old city of Amberg, which can be found right in the Marktplatz. The steeple is visible from many different points around the old city.

 

The Gothic Town Hall, or the Rathaus also sits in the heart of the old city. Unfortunately, there was some sort of promotional bus sitting right in front of it, so I was unable to get a picture of the beautiful arches on the right side of the building.

 

I am not sure what this building may have been previously, but it is a store now. I love the architecture of it, and the details on the building are just stunning.There are several other buildings I would loved to have gotten pictures of.

This statue is said to have been erected to celebrate the 1474 wedding between Prince Philip and Margaret of Bavaria. It is called The Wedding Fountain or Hochzeitsbrunnen.  It sits near the Rathaus.

Again, I am a fan of old things, and this covered bridge looks like it has seen a lot! There was another covered bridge as we were walking into the old town, but I was unable to get a good picture of it.

The Ziegeltor. It is one of the original gates. It currently houses a tiny, single-lane road. It provides access into the old city.

I adore Amberg. It is such a fun place to walk around and explore. We definitely plan to go back. There were a few sights in the old city we missed out on seeing this last time we went. I know there are also many wonderful things to visit in the newer part of the city as well.

One Month!

Today marks one month since we first set foot back in Germany. Our adventure began on Monday, June 17th. We arrived in Atlanta for our evening flight. We knew from experience, it is easier to adjust to the time changes, when you can sleep on the flight over. Our flight arrived into Amsterdam around 10 am, Tuesday, June 18th.. We had a short layover, and then we were again on a plane, and headed towards Nuremberg. Since Nuremberg is still a drive away from  Grafenwoehr, we had to be picked up and driven to the hotel.

We had a lot of baggage, and by a lot, I mean A LOT!

We had the same amount of baggage when we moved to Germany back in 2008, and we are plus one family member this time. Things were a little easier at baggage claim this time, since we have two big kids to help push the luggage carts.  Last time was a nightmare. Girly Girl had gotten sick, and had been sick the entire flight. This time, everyone was feeling just fine, THANK GOODNESS! Our first (and longer) flight wasn't full. Once the doors were closed, the crew gave the passengers the "O.K." to spread out and get comfortable. We did just that.


We experienced a nice little thunderstorm come though, and along with it came some hail. It was interesting to see. The hail here in Grafenwoehr was not super big, however, the hail about 20 minutes south of here was about the size of golf balls. Our vehicle has a few small dents on the top. Our friends live where the bigger hail was and, unfortunately, they had more damage to their cars.

In the picture of the grass below, you can see how the hail dotted the grass in front of the hotel. The barrage of hail lasted for a little while, and then it was over as quick as it began. You can see how big the hail was out our way. Some pieces were a little bit bigger, but for the most part, they were around this size. The Hubs went downstairs to check out the storm, and brought some  hail up for the kids to see. They were interested for all of a minute. 

In the picture of the grass above, you can see how the hail dotted the grass in front of the hotel. The barrage of hail lasted for a little while, and then it was over as quick as it began. You can see how big the hail was out our way. Some pieces were a little bit bigger, but for the most part, they were around this size. The Hubs went downstairs to check out the storm, and brought some  hail up for the kids to see. They were interested for all of a minute.

On July 6th, we celebrated Monster Tot's 2nd birthday. We shared cake and ice cream with our friends. We originally met Mrs. W when we lived in Garmisch, then, we ended up living in the same area of the states when we moved back. I was relieved to know we'd be moving so close to someone we knew. It definitely makes it easier to already know someone!

Here are a few shots from around the area. These were taken during some of our several trips to hunt for a house.

This is one of the coolest fountains I have seen.

 

 

 

So, now it's time for us to go grocery shopping! Happy Thursday!

The World of Coca-Cola

Our time in the states came to a quick close. We arrived in Atlanta around the 13th of June, and we stayed there until we flew out on June 17th. We arrived in Amsterdam on the morning of June 18th. Our layover was pretty short, and then we were onto our last flight into Nuremberg, where we were met by some of the Hub's new co-workers and they drove us into Grafenwoehr. I have to admit, it was nice to be back in Germany. We still have yet to stop and have a nice schnitzel. We did stop at a really yummy restaurant in Weiden called Pegasus. Their pizza and pasta is delicious! The restaurant overlooks a small airport, and you can see planes landing and taking off. The kids really enjoyed this.

So, let me get back on topic, here are a few pictures from the World of Coca-Cola. This place was pretty cool. When you first walk in, you see these really neat designed giant Coca-Cola bottles. You have the opportunity for them to take a picture for you, and it will be available at the end of the trip. Next, your guide will walk you into a room, where he/she will describe a few things, and point out some things important to the history of Coca-Cola. Next, your guide will walk you into the 4D movie. Now, I'll admit, I thought it was pretty cute! The kids enjoyed it as well. Once the movie is over, you are walked through the doors into the rest of the building. The guide lets you go and explore. There are several different rooms, one has original memorabilia, another has media memorabilia. There is also another 3D/4D movie you can stop and see. The very last room you will enter is a room where you can sample Coca-Cola from around the world. Finally, as you exit this room, and into the gift shop, you will get a free souvenir bottle of Coca-Cola to take with you.

Here are a few of my favorite pictures.

The first room you enter during the tour. You will hear a few facts about the history of Coca-Cola.

It helps with Headache and Exhaustion!

 

Georgia Aquarium

So, as you know from my last post, we have arrived in Germany. We've been trying to get all settled. Before we left the states, we stopped at the Tennessee Aquarium, the Georgia Aquarium, and the World of Coca-Cola.

Here are a few pictures from the Georgia Aquarium. The Georgia Aquarium is HUGE! I've selected a few of my favorite pictures.

Just like the Tennessee Aquarium, the Georgia Aquarium, had these little sharks you could touch.

I LOVE sea turtles!

My monster tot loved looking at all the fish.

A huge fish!

This is a manta ray, and he was HUGE! I wish I had a way to show you a comparison. If I had to guess, I'd say he was about 6-7 feet across from tip to tip.

We have arrived!

I finally have a chance to sit down and breathe for a minute. We had a few hiccups when it came to packing the house up. Since it is the summer rush, there were new people working on the crew, and things weren't being done exactly right. The moving liaison for the base was great, and worked everything out for us. If you are moving with the military, definitely use your liaison. He or she will make sure things are right and will do everything to make sure both sides are protected. After our movers were done, Hubby and I, along with his parents, took a couple days to finish cleaning and touching up our house. We ended up spending a few weeks with my in-laws, and then headed down to Atlanta for a few days before we flew out to Germany. We visited the Tennessee Aquarium in Chattanooga, the Georgia Aquarium in Atlanta, and The World of Coca-Cola in Atlanta. It was a fun last few days in the states.

I'll do two additional posts, in order to break the pictures up a bit. I took a ton more than just these, but I will share a few of my favorites.

The following pictures are from our trip to the Tennessee Aquarium. The aquarium is divided into two buildings, and there is also an IMAX theater. The aquarium was quite busy the day we visited. There are exhibits ranging from a stingrays, to a feeling tank (where you can touch sharks,) to  alligators, turtles, fish, and so much more!

I love this picture of the kids! They were looking at stingrays.

The butterfly room was a favorite for all the kids.

This turtle shell is 10 million years old. It is really big! You can get a good idea of just how big, by looking at the electrical outlet to the bottom left of the shell.