The Hausfrau – Now and Then – April 26, 2007

As noted by Martin. Not that I have been exposed to too much Hausfrauness these last weeks, even though as I write this Carl is vacuuming the living room. But even so, there have been small glimpses of the Old and New Hausfrau. The most extreme of the Old was just a few days ago when, taking a bite from my breakfast Brötchen I looked up, out the window toward the neighboring house and there she was, doing windows. The house is about the same vintage as the one we’re staying in, except it has been updated more recently. The Hausfrau next door then was standing in her second floor glass enclosed patio protruding out from the red tiled roof, doing the inside and the outside of the roughly 4’ square glass panes. She employed at least four different types of cleaning tools ranging from handbrush to rag to chamois cloth to white dish towel. We carefully opened our sheers. What we saw was a true Meister effort. Side to side wiping. Up and down scrubbing. Intense circlular rubbing. Occasional focused scratching with a finger nail. Generally not a bad thing to do. After watching her doing this one window pane for about 17 minutes (a very relaxing thing to do, by the way), it was my turn to take a shower. Afterwards, I had to take another quick look to check on her progress. Still working on it. When I looked again after my shave, she had moved on to the next window pane.

The New. And this seems to be a very womanly thing to do, I’ve never seen a live male hold these ski-pole like sticks (just in touristy pictures): Nordic Walking. People have two poles, one in each hand, and then embark on a brisk walk, using the poles/sticks as if cross-country skiing. Everyone does it; I see them on my morning run; Lisa and I see them on our evening walk, mostly in pairs or small groups of Hausfrau women, ranging in age from 30 or so to 70+. It’s also a social event. Not sure if it qualifies as a silent sport; one can usually hear them approaching. Last week a special Nordic Walking park was dedicated in the region, special trails just for Nordic Walking, not to be shared with dogs, bikes or non-Nordic Walkers. With each Nordic Walking even 90% of the body’s muscles get used, I read.

Die Schwäbische Alb – April 25, 2007

After Andrew finished school today we went up on the Alb. Here in Southern Germany the Alps have their start. The foothills are known as the Alb. We started out with a visit to the Nebelhöhle – a large cave with lots of great rock formations. It was cool and dark and wet with lots of big chambers full of stalactites and stalagmites. Close to the Nebelhöhle is a castle called Schloss Lichtenstein, where we had a spectacular view of the entire area. This castle has been built near an even older ruin. The castle itself juts up from sheer rock walls – very impressive. We had Kaffee und Kuchen (and ice cream) near the castle. Then headed home, stopping on the way in Offenhausen, the small village where Martin was born. It was another great day.

Sickenhausen – April 24, 2007

Greetings and observations from Martin:
Today is a bit of a lazy day for all but Andrew, who has a long day of school, ‘til 3:45 PM, eating lunch again at Phillip’s. Carl is working on some school work for Schoolcraft; Martin doing some reading for his sabbatical work, Lisa doing laundry, Christian doing dishes after breakfast.
So, with nothing else much to report, here are a couple of musings from Martin, experienced over the past two weeks, both excerpts from an email to immediate family last week:

First. With the boys in school this week, Lisa walks to the baker every morning to get fresh hard rolls and Bretzeln and I have resumed my spring/summer-time ‘run’ in the mornings, returning to a beautifully set breakfast table and fresh coffee (nice and strong), after walking/jogging/stumbling along the paths between fields of young wheat and canola flowers. The other day I read an article (titled ‘Hundeklos an Gassibahn’ – sorry, not translatable…) in the Reutlinger daily paper that highlighted how in a nearby village they have now installed eight Hundehäufchenbeutelziehstationen (dogpoopbagdisposalstations) to counter complaints about dog droppings along this certain trail that has developed into something like dog walking Autobahn. The project, endorsed by the mayor who is also a dog owner; cost 5000 Euro - about $6500. Along with dispensing the bags, there also is a place where you can deposit the filled bags, which will be emptied by the city’s road and trail department when they make the rounds sweeping the streets and trails every Friday. So, communities are addressing real issues with their proceeds from the pet taxes they collect. Anyway, I now have a set of walking/running acquaintances, both two-legged and four-legged, that I meet every morning on my outings; we exchange friendly Swabian greetings (Grüß Gott or Guata Morga) and keep going on our merry ways. One of them I swear is Yoko Ono, hat, sunglasses and all.

Second. Yesterday, I tried to exchange some cash I had brought along (just to be sure, not knowing 100% if our Visa cash card from First National Bank in Bemidji would work - it does!) only to find out that banks aren’t accepting $100 bills… I guess there a various counterfeit ones around and they can’t tell the difference between the real ones and the fake ones. We’ll keep trying to find a nice, reasonable and flexible teller – the ones I tried to deal with so far just pretty much told me it’s my problem, arguing with me how some things are just different in some countries… Epilog, written today, the 24th of April. Search and you will find. After getting a parking ticket last week, I went to the bank where the city has its account (as noted on the ticket). Hoping to both get rid of my $100 bills and pay the ticket in the same place, I went to bank’s headquarters. To exchange the money, signs directed me to the counter labeled ‘currency exchange, travelers checks and precious metals’ where I was told it would take at least 15 minutes to examine my $100 bills. In addition to the careful visual inspection of the character standing in front of him, the bank teller initiated a two-step process which involved a magnifying glass and a little glass covered box with a strong light under it. One by one the bills passed inspection and after less than two minutes I had my Euro, even at a better exchange rate than I would have gotten the day before. Such efficiency and service! Moving on to the next teller, I presented the clerk with my parking ticket info. She greeted me with a smile and offered to take my cash, asking for an extra Euro as a processing fee for taking the payment (what are banks for, if not take your money?). I then asked if I could also go directly to some city or police office to pay the ticket only to be told that none of those departments take cash anymore. So with no other options at my disposal, I paid my 6.5% processing fee to the bank and was once again free of traffic violation debt.

Hofschule Altenburg – April 23, 2007

This morning we were invited to Andrew’s class to talk about school in America. Here is a picture of Andrew and his friend, Phillip Radler. It was great to meet his teacher and see where he has been spending the week. He is in the same classroom where Martin was in 4th grade, but some things have changed a bit. There is a new Kindergarten wing and a new playground since Martin’s days.
After our appearance at school we went to Frühstück (breakfast) at Frau Klein’s (Phillip's Oma). Gaby helped her mother put together a huge German morning feast. Christian and Carl couldn’t help themselves – they had to eat 4 Brötchen each. It is all just so good!
In the afternoon we had a visit from friends from Bemidji! Edwin Dehler-Seter and his daughter, Ingrid, are in Germany, staying with his mother in Fulda. Edwin’s mother came along too. We went to Mittagessen (dinner) and took a nice walk. We missed Laura and Tristan, who are back home in Bemidji, so we send them greetings! Hallo aus Deutschland!

Altenburg and Rommelsbach – April 22, 2007

We were in Martin’s little village this morning and attended church where he was confirmed. It was a beautiful day. The service was very nice with an easy to understand pastor and a nice message. We sang hymns from the Reformation and Baroque era, as well as one modern song. Then we strolled through the cemetery. German cemeteries are very interesting – each grave, a little garden.
We spent the afternoon grilling and playing Bocce ball with Rainer and Carola. The weather has been so perfect, warm and sunny with no humidity or bugs. We haven’t seen a drop of rain. Rainer and Carola have a lovely garden with enough space for the boys to toss around the football. Most Germans have beautiful tiny yards that they fill with flowers and bushes, with no space for sports. Bocce ball was fun with all of us participating. We have enjoyed being able to connect with so many old friends in this area, especially seeing them each more than once, as would be more typical on a shorter visit. This has allowed us to be together in a more ‘natural’ day to day setting, connecting more broadly and deeply with each ohter.

Burg Hohenzollern – April 21, 2007

We spent the afternoon touring this castle with the entire Breitfeld clan. It was a reunion of all of Martin’s foster brothers: Peter, Rainer and Jochen, and their families, along with Bernd Nedele, another foster child. Our crew of 16 people was almost enough to get a group tour rate. The castle is fascinating because the Hohenzollern family was a very big player throughout German history, at one point controlling vast areas including Prussia. Frederick the Great was a Hohenzollern, as was the last German Kaiser. This castle is where the dynasty originated. The castle itself dates back to 1061, but has been rebuilt numerous times after being sacked and burned, falling into ruins, etc. That is one thing that is very different here in Europe: the concept of history. The sheer age of many building is staggering. The simplest farm house can easily date back to the 1500’s. There are many preservation laws here for old buildings. That means that property owners must care for and renovate buildings using specified guidelines. Most of the medieval half-timbered buildings have been meticulously maintained. Every city has an Altstadt (old city) where the streets are too narrow for modern transportation and each building has seen more history than we can imagine.

Unser Häuschen – April 20, 2007

This is our Ferienwohnung (vacation apartment). We live in the upper level. I thought I’d post some pictures of it, since I don’t have as much to write about. We have been having fun visiting people and enjoying daily life (see the April 17th post). Here is a brief rundown of this week’s highpoints:
Wednesday we enjoyed a lovely dinner with Martin’s foster brother, Jochen Breitfeld, his wife, Karin and 18 year-old-son, Jascha. Their older son, Manuel, wasn’t home. He is off taking a little vacation in Berlin. We ate Raclette with all the fixings. Raclette is a Swiss dish that involves toasting cheese over potatoes, etc. Very delicious.
Last night was Rainer Güthner’s birthday, so we were at Rainer and Carola’s for afternoon Kaffee und Kuchen with Rainer’s family in attendance. This, of course, led to Abendessen (supper) as well. Martin spent a lot of time over at Güthner’s house when he was a teenager, so it was fun for him to see Rainer’s Mom, Dad and sister.

Carl’s school review (Christian and Andrew too) - April 18, 2007

Today was my second day of school here in Germany. School here is different than it is in America. First of all the teachers come to you, instead of you rotating classrooms. For me, school starts at 7:45 and ends at 12:35 everyday except Tuesday, when you go home for lunch at 12:35, but go back to school for another hour and a half. Between every class you get a 10-20 minute break, during which things can get quite crazy, with no teacher to supervise because they have to rotate class rooms. In the school that I go to there are four 8th grade classes. (I was put in 8th grade because they are doing a unit on America in English class). All the students here participate in three different language classes - German, English, and a choice of either French or Latin. In 8th grade there are no art or music classes, instead there is technology and history. The school I go to has a couple thousand students, so it’s a big change from Schoolcraft. So far it’s been a cool experience. My classmates are fun and I understand most of my classes.

Christian’s thoughts - This week I went to school at BZN in Rommelsbach. German gymnasium is different than American high school in a lot of ways but it also has some similarities. The way things work before and after classes is the biggest difference. Most of the time, you stay in one classroom and the teachers come to you. There is one long break, one short one, and the rest of the time you have five minutes between classes. Everyday of the week you have a different schedule. Also, you never eat lunch at school. Some days you come back after lunch, but most days you stay at home. Once you’re in the classrooms, everything is really similar. The teachers write the notes on the board, the students raise their hands to give answers, pretty much everything is the same as it is in America except that it’s in German.

Andrew – I still have school next week, so I will write more then. On Friday my class will be planting trees at the new playground. It is a service project.

Reutlingen-Sickenhausen – April 17, 2007

Today is SCHOOL day for all of the Graefe boys. Andrew already started school yesterday at the Hofschule in Altenburg. Today Christian and Carl are spending their first day in the Gymnasium at Bildungszentrum Nord - Rommelsbach. Martin went to the Hofschule all the way through his elementary school days (1st – 4th grade here), but then had to go into Reutlingen to Gymnasium for the upper grades. In Germany there are three different schools for the upper grades: Realschule, Hauptschule and Gymnasium. The school you go to depends on your interests and abilities. The Bildungszentrum Nord is a new school, much closer to where we live. This makes things easier for us, because all kids go home for lunch here. Most smaller shops are closed between 12 and 2pm as well. It is nice to have a break in the middle of the day, but can make things tricky when you need to run errands, or aren’t used to it.

Andrew will write later about his school experiences as promised in the last post. His first day went very well. He enjoys being with Phillip and has made some new friends. His first day started with Circle (just like at Schoolcraft), then he had Math, Religion, and Sport. Mondays are short days. He was done at 12:30. Today is a long day. He has Math, English, Reading (German), and Writing. He will eat his noon meal with Phillip at Gaby’s, then go back to school for Kreativo, a special afternoon of Arts/Crafts/Games, etc. We pick him up at 4pm.

Christian and Carl also have very long days today. Both boys go back to school after lunch, but this is only on Tuesdays. Carl doesn’t have any afternoon class tomorrow or for the rest of the week. Today he has Sport in the afternoon. Christian’s grade has afternoon class on Tuesdays and Wednesdays.

Martin and I have been busy as well, but at a much more relaxed pace than at home. We have been reading, writing, cooking and running around. I have enjoyed walking and getting to know the town. We live on the edge of Sickenhausen, with only a short walk to the neighboring town, Degerschlacht. The weather has been beautiful, so it has been fun to get to know the area.

Achalm - April 15, 2007

Hi! This is Andrew. We climbed a giant hill called Achalm near Reutlingen, but first had ice cream at a restaurant at the bottom. Then we went to the tower and the remains of an old fortification. When we got to the top of the tower Carl threatened to dangle me off the edge by my ankles! Yikes! He didn’t though. Tomorrow I will write about my first day of school.

Bodensee – April 14, 2007

Happy 1st Birthday, Siri! We are thinking of our niece/cousin on her birthday, so I thought I’d start this post with a little birthday message for her!

We spent our first weekend in Europe visiting Lake Constance. On Friday we drove to Bregenz, Austria, because Martin had the opportunity to attend a Passivhaus conference. Christian, Carl, Andrew and I spent the afternoon visiting different playgrounds, and walking through the city’s pedestrian zone. I loved being back in Austria if only for one day, and really wish we had time to go to Vienna.

Today we drove along the Swiss side of Lake Constance to the city of Konstanz. We could see the Alps as we drove along. It was a beautiful day. It was fun to be back in Konstanz, where I studied as an exchange student. We visited the University I attended and saw where I had lived. Then we met Rainer and Carola on the Island of Mainau. Insel Mainau is a beautiful park with extensive gardens. Due to air and water currents, it has a very temperate climate where even palm trees grow. We had great weather and lots of fun walking all over the island. Then we took the car ferry to Meersburg, where we ate supper. Meersburg is a beautiful old town, right on the shores of Lake Constance and surrounded by vineyards. We watched the sun set over the Lake before driving home. It was lovely.

Rommelbach/Untertürkheim – April 12, 2007

Yesterday continued with a trip that truly took Martin back down memory lane. We went to Altenburg for coffee with the Radler/Kleins. Martin grew up across the street from Frau Klein and her family. Now Gaby Klein Radler, her husband Michael and their son Philip live upstairs and are renovating the house. Andrew was thrilled to meet Philip. Philip and Andrew are both 10 years old – born 2 days apart, and on Monday Andrew will start school in Philip’s class.
We had a wonderful afternoon that continued on into the evening with supper at a pizzeria. It was very fun to be back in Martin’s old neighborhood and to hear little Martin and Gaby stories from Frau Klein.

Today we visited some more old friends, Rainer Güthner and Carola Berger. Rainer and Martin have been friends since the 5th grade. After breakfast at their home in Rommelsbach we drove to Untertürkheim to the Mercedes Benz Museum. Rainer is an engineer at Daimler-Chrysler. This museum is brand new and quite amazing. It covers all facets of the development of the automobile, as well as other forms of transportation. As a museum it has something for everyone; history, technology, social currents, even a fascinating children’s program.R

Reutlingen - April 11, 2007

After a very lo-o-o-ong day of travel, we arrived in Reutlingen-Sickenhausen around 8pm last night. We love our Ferienwohnung – the whole upper level of a house. We have plenty of space; living/dining room, kitchen, two bedrooms and a balcony overlooking the garden. The rooms are large and sunny. It is spring here with trees budding and spring flowers everywhere.

Our travels started with a lovely Easter weekend in the Twin Cities. We stayed with Martin’s folks and were well taken care of. We ate lots of our favorite foods and were not forgotten by the Easter bunny. We joined Lisa’s parents for church at Central Lutheran and were blessed by the beautiful music and by seeing old friends. It was great to be with both sets of grandparents for the afternoon.

Our flight out of the Twin Cities was delayed by two hours due to high winds in Newark. We ate lunch at the airport and the time went by quickly. We didn’t have much time in Newark because of the delay and our flight to Paris was great. We were in a brand new 777 with a very cool entertainment system. The boys were in heaven. Fun!

We had a little difficulty finding our car leasing agency. We walked quite a ways only to find out that we could have called for a ride. In any case, we are very pleased with our Renault Scenic. We were able to fit the five of us and our luggage in without any trouble. Martin has been driving and I’ve been the navigator. We got out of Paris and drove to Verdun, where we walked through the old part of town and visited the cathedral. Verdun is a very interesting and picturesque city in the Champagne area of France. (Yes, where real champagne comes from.) During World War I Verdun was the site of some very large battles, where much of the city and the cathedral were destroyed. I remember visiting Verdun in 1970, when we were able to see the cemetery and museum from 1918. Maybe on our way back to Paris in July we will have time to visit that part of Verdun too.

The rest of our journey to Reutlingen was uneventful. We were all exhausted and very happy to find our lovely beds. Today has been a day of rest, unpacking and grocery shopping. Martin is happy to go to the Bäcker (baker) and the Metzger (butcher). This is the region of his childhood and he loves being back in familiar surroundings.

Welcome!

Welcome to our family blog!
Lisa, Martin, Christian, Carl and Andrew will be updating this site as we travel through Europe during the next few months. It will be a great adventure and we can hardly wait to get started.