Weekend with the Realtives

I was able to spend a weekend with my relatives. They are on my Grandpa Herm's side of the family...something like his father was brothers with their grandpa? Its very distant but still nice knowing that I am not alone in this foreign country! I was picked up by Volker on Saturday morning.

The view from Volker and Johanna's house

We went to Volker and Johanna's house in a suburb of Cologne called "Hurth". Their house has an absolutely spectacular view of Cologne. So spectacular that many film companies come and film in their house! We went to a birthday party for one of their neighbors who happens to be the leader of the Green Party in their region! The house where the party was held was absolutely out of this world.

The birthday party house.

It was quite old yet so beautiful; again, film companies often come and film horror movies in this house as well! They had a wonderful garden and great food. I just love eating all of the new German food! I wouldn't consider myself a picky eater at home, but here I am letting go and expanding my limits! After spending a few hours there, Pat and I headed back into the city of Cologne to meet up with our other relative, Loretta. Loretta brought her two year old daughter, Mathilda, with as well.

Mathilda and I in front of the Kolner Dom

We walked along the Rhein and through the shops in the heart of Cologne. We ate at an outside bistro for dinner. I had "Flammkucken" which is a dish that originated in Germany. It is a pizza crust, topped with cheese, onions, and an egg-type sauce. It was delicious and so full of flavor. We called it a night and headed back to Johanna and Volker's house. We awoke the next morning and had a wonderful brunch of brot (bread), kaese (cheese), tomaten, and eggs with tomatoes and herbs. Then, Volker, Johanna, Pat, and I drove to a small town and did an eight mile hike through multiple vineyards. The views were stunning and the wine was great. When we got back to their house, Loretta took us out to dinner again. I ordered Wiener Schnitzel for the first time and it was to die for!

A view during our hike through wine country.

A short recap of this previous week is this. A lot of registration, unpacking, getting set up in various systems and filing for permits. Most nights we went out to a bar and had a drink or two. We watched the Germany-Belgium Futbol game which was a treat. The German way of life is so different and as difficult as it has been to adjust, I am beginning to like it a lot here! I live in a very nice area and very close to a main street. It takes me about 8 minutes by bike to get to the University buildings I need to go to. There is an ALDI about 5 blocks away, my favorite!! Today I needed a box of Kleenex, detergent, and hand soap, and my bill came to a whopping 2.07 Euros! Needless to say, to ALDI I will stay loyal. I was able to go to the Kolner Zoo with my friends from the University of MN. It was amazing how many animals I saw and how close I was able to get to them; it was better than any zoo I have ever been to! Here are some pictures of my relative's house, wine country, the birthday party house, and others. :)