Month: June 2018

This past weekend we took a trip to Göttingen to visit a friend of Adrian’s and his family. We decided to take the more ‘scenic’ route which involved 2 trams and 2 regional trains, each way! We were able to get good seats and see some of the German countryside while en-route. We had a great time exploring this beautiful city and Sabrina had a blast playing with young Paul.

Göttingen was nearly untouched by Allied bombing in World War II. The inner city is a popluar tourist destination with shops, cafes, bars and eis (ice cream) shops! Adrian indulged in two ‘exotic’ eis flavors: orange basil and sesame. You can always count on Adrian to taste the most outrageous flavors.  With the World Cup starting, we were able to catch a couple games on big screens in the town square. While walking through town, we saw beautiful architecture, the famous city wall and traditional half-timbered houses.

We also made a stop in front of the old town hall where a famous fountain was built in 1901. The statue is of a girl carrying a pair of geese, one in a basket and another in her right hand, standing below an intricate wrought iron canopy. What’s noteworthy, and makes the Gänseliesel fountain a  famous landmark is the tradition connected where students at the University of Göttingen climb up to kiss the girl after gaining their doctorates and put a flower in her basket. In 1926 the town tried to crack down on the practice by forbidding kissers but that law doesn’t stop students celebrating their doctorate degrees in this time-honoured way.

During our visit, we played at some amazing speilplatz, went for a hike in the woods and hung out at a great Beer Festival with over 50 different beers available for sampling. Adrian satisfied his craving for an IPA and indulged in a liter of beer (photo evidence below)! Little Ms. Sabrina cut a rug dancing to the DJ’s tunes. It was lovely weekend and so nice to see more of this beautiful country before we head stateside in a few weeks!

 

 

Yesterday we celebrated Sabrina’s 3rd birthday! It’s hard to believe that she is already 3 years old! The day started off with a birthday donut from our favorite bakery, presents and a fun day at school with homemade cupcakes, balloons and happy birthday songs in English and German. After school we played bubbles in the park, learned how to fly a kite and pesto pasta (Bina’s favorite dinner)! The day ended with another cupcake and a dance party. All in all, I’d say it was a good start to year number 3!

I’ve started keeping Sabrina home from school on Fridays so that we can attend an English playgroup. That’s right, it’s a group of mom’s and kids and everyone speaks english! I think it’s as much a treat for Sabrina to play with the kids and toys as it is for me to speak english to other adults. The kids play while the moms talk and at 11:30, it’s story, cake and coffee time! After lunch and nap-time, it’s become part of our Friday fun day to get ice cream from the local ice cream shop. We’ve gone so many times that they know us and know Sabrina’s order: Schokoladeneis mit Streuseln in einem Kege bitte (choclate ice cream with sprinkles in a cone please)! When Adrian got home from work, we walked to a Bier Garten for dinner. It’s down the block from our house and is dog and kid friendly!

Saturday was the 140th birthday of the Leipzig Zoo. It also happens to be the 14th time Sabrina and I have visited the Zoo since arriving in Leipzig; I figured it made sense to go and celebrate! What a fun time we had. First off, it’s crazy hot here, 32 degrees celsius by 11am. Sabrina spent the morning running around the zoo, visiting arts & craft stations, getting her face painted and best of all, playing in the sprinklers with lots of other German kiddos.  I felt like a super prepared mom as I brought her bathing suit (all the other kids were running around naked)! I think it’s safe to say that she had fun:) After nap we walked to a beach along the river for beers, ice cream and some playing in the sand. One aspect of living in Leipzig that we have really enjoyed, and hope to bring back with us, is how often we bike and walk. We both agree that not having a car has been a nice change.

It is always nice when Adrian returns from a work trip, but it’s especially nice when that work trip is in Canada and he returns with a suitcase full of Canadian treats! Thank you Grandma Pam! En-route to Sherbrooke, QC to teach at a summer school, Adrian flew in and out of Montreal where he was able to stop in to see Rol and pick up some of our favourite (notice the spelling;) Canadian treats Pam had generously bought. Adrian’s flight back to Germany was a disaster and for a while it looked like Air Canada has lost his bag (i.e. no Canadian treats). Fortunately at 11pm on Saturday night, the bag was delivered to our apartment and we (ok, I) promptly opened a box of Shreddies for a mid-night snack!

While Adrian was away, Sabrina and I kept busy at playgrounds, playdates and jumping on the new trampoline in our backyard. Coop had fun too with his buddies at pack:)