Travels in Europe

story from the flight home

Wed, 02 Jul 2008 21:53:30 GMT

After we said good-bye to our German partners and went through security, we had about 45 minutes before our flight. Some bought $5.50 Coca-colas and others munched on food from home.

Then Alyssa gave Taylor a picture she had sketched of him in Lederhosen. Taylor had said all along that he wanted a pair of Lederhosen, but when we were in Bavaria they had simply cost too much ($150). He thanked her, but then Molly pulled a pair of real Lederhosen out of a bag and presented him with them. He started screaming, we all started clapping and laughing. There were 5 of them (Alyssa, Molly, Bailey, Kevin and Max) who found the Lederhosen at a thrift store in Berlin for $55 and chipped in together to buy them for Taylor. They all got a group hug and then Taylor ran to the bathroom to put them on. He wore them home on the plane and was the first to jump out of the bus when we got to OKC.

what a great group of kids!

at home in OKC

Wed, 02 Jul 2008 14:35:38 GMT

We made it back yesterday after 24 hours in transit. Lufthansa ground crews and caterers have been having warning strikes for the past week and we got caught in one yesterday in Frankfurt a.M. Our flight was delayed almost 4 hours, but eventually we got off ok, and then everything went just like clockwork. We finally got back to OKC at 9:30 p.m., were met by family and friends. I got home and unpacked a little, told some stories, showered (we were all feeling a little gritty after the 24 hours) and then slept all night til 6:15 this morning.

The GAPP went real well this year. No visits to doctors or hospitals, no one had to be sent home, most practiced their German, all could understand spoken German pretty well by the end. This was definitely an "ice cream" GAPP - they had to have their fix every day. We even got a group photo on the last day with ice cream cones.

looking forward to relaxing at home with Fred and Baby. She was sooo excited last night when I got home - all wiggles and squeaks. She's been carrying around her toy I brought her all morning, too. Obviously, she is following me from room to room and laying down right next to my feet. Fred had to go to work today, but will be off for the 4th.

y'all take care,
Nancy

we leave tomorrow

Mon, 30 Jun 2008 15:54:31 GMT

Well, the 4 weeks have flown by - wie immer. Everything has gone really well (so far). Tonight is their last night in Berlin and we meet at the airport at 5:30 a.m. Berlin time. It will then be about 20 hours before we get back to OKC.

After I have rested a bit, I'll write up my impressions.

bis dann...

only 2 days left

Sun, 29 Jun 2008 06:18:42 GMT

It's amazing how fast the last week goes. WEDNESDAY (when we got back) was a regular school day and then that night Germany played Turkey in the semi-final of the European Cup. I think even the non-soccer fans among the Amis finally understood just how seriously everyone takes the sport here. And how much they love to celebrate a win. I know where I live, the honking horns and singing went on for at least 2 hours after the game. Ole ole ole ole...

THURSDAY one of the fathers of a GAPPster (Mr. Römer - Johannes' dad) came to school and we had a dance hour from 8:30 - 9:30. It was a lot of fun, but very strenuous and we all were sweating when it was done. (The windows don't open in the Little Gymnasium where we were.) An hour of that once a week would do a lot in losing weight! Then I took the Americans to a Villa where Picasso had lived and worked right across the street from one of the queens palaces. Not all of them, ok maybe only 5-6 of them, appreciated seeing 2 floors full of original Pablo Picasso paintings and one floor of those of Paul Klee, but at least they can say they were there.

We tried to go to the Art Nouveau museum next door, but the woman at the desk was being very German and didn't want to let the group in because I had not called to register first. The museum was totally empty, but Rules are Rules... If I had had a cell phone, I would have called here right then and "registered." Ah well... walked around the palace, took pictures, walked back to the train station, found a really nice "antique" store where some bought some really cheap CDs and other stuff.

After getting our ice cream fix of the day, we met the Germans at the Natural History Museum. One group got a German guide and one a guide in English. Good parts of the tour: our guide told us the history of the museum and its acquisitions. Bad part: it was a BIG museum and she wanted to show us only a few things in each room so she could cover the entire museum in one hour. The kids wanted to stop and see everything as we went along, but I had to keep hurrying them from place to place. Christine has decided to call me a German Shepherd nipping at their heels to keep them moving. They had another hour to see whatever they liked after the tour, but most were too tired and just left (probably to get more ice cream).

FRIDAY we went to the 1936 Olympic Stadium - again 2 tours as all the Germans were with us. One tour guide spoke English, was lively, told anecdotes and was cool. My group's guide refused to speak English and did not want to pause long enough for me to translate. She gave lots of facts, numbers - many of the Americans zoned out. We were going to the Pergammon Museum of Antiquities afterwards, but were told that groups were not allowed in because of a new exhibit that opened. 12 went with me anyway and the others went with their partners to the Zoo. As it turned out, any student with an ID 16 or under got in free (but had to wait in line with the regular customers); Taylor, Zeb and Tristan had to pay 6 Euro (but I supplemented with the money I still had for the group so it wasn't really that much). Frau Roberts and I did not want to pay 12 Euro each ($18 each) so went went to a cafe and had lunch (it was 1:30 by then). that was very relaxing for us.

SATURDAY was family day and now it's SUNDAY. This evening is the Farewell Dinner from 4-7 p.m. and then the Final Game for the European Championship at 8 p.m. We will have a big screen and projector in the basement of the school for those who want to watch it there. Mr. Blach, the principal, has agreed to let the Germans accompany the Amis tomorrow to the Fan Mile to "welcome the team home."

maybe more tomorrow evening (our last) or maybe not. we'll see how it goes.

be home soon.

finishing Garmisch-P

Thu, 26 Jun 2008 18:19:26 GMT

rather than a blow-by-blow of the next days, just some of the highlights.

We hiked through the gorge in the mountains - very beautiful. Then we were climbing out (very steep) and I fell behind with 2 students. By the time we got up to the fork in the road, the group had gone to the right (back into the gorge) instead of the left (into the valley down to the town). So, the easy 1-1/2 hour hike turned into a grueling 2-1/2 hours up and down major mountains. But, we all made it and were sprawled on the small paved path eating, drinking water and congratulating each other when a car came rushing up! We scattered like quail and then just stood there until Taylor yelled "Buddy!" like I do when i want to be sure all are there. We all laughed a lot.

The trip up to the top of Germany, the Zugspitze, went without problems, though David enjoyed standing in the tram and showing us exactly how steep the incline was. No, the pix did not do it justice. We had fun playing in the snow and ice and some of the braver ones actually climbed the last way to the very top. (I have pix of them from my "safe" spot on the viewing platform.) It was a beautiful, warm, clear day and we could see all the way to Italy (almost).

All were enchanted with the clear water of the Eib See (lake in the Alps). the water was really cold, but so clear no one could resist - well, no one but me and Elana. We both stretched out in the shade - she napped and I took pictures. I am going to do a collage of all the places where Elana took naps during our travels.

that's the highlights. fun, interesting, totally different...

in Bavaria Day 2

Wed, 25 Jun 2008 06:42:00 GMT

Saturday was another beautiful, warm summer day. We had our own small charter bus to drive us around.

first was Linderhof, King Ludwig II's "hunting lodge" - not a castle, but close enough for Americans. The tour was long enough, but not too long. They got to see enough Roccoco-Baroque to finally understand what it meant = gold-silber & glitz & extravaganze. Then we hiked up to the man-made grotto and toured there (in English) seeing where Ludwig had the first electric generator in Europe installed to run the lights and waterfall for his own private performances of Wagner's opera TANNHAEUSER. Then they had 1-1-2 hours to just wander the 100 acre grounds and see the other buildings. I got some good pix of them 'frolicing'in the meadows.

Next was Oberammergau - very small town but won hands down the contest for best ice cream so far! The flavors were exquiste and so was the size of the cones. That only took about 1 hour to see (did I mention small town?)

Then we went to Ettal to see the Cloister, best example of Southern German Baroque. Unfortunately, there was a wedding going on in the church, but they got to go in quietly in small groups and stand in the back (with the other tourists) and see part of it. The church souvenir shop was nice, too.

After dinner we went into town to the Kur Park and listened to the Oompah Band in Lederhosen and danced and danced. (You'll see the pix later)On the way back we met a GAPP group from Texas and compared stories.

back in the YH some went to bed and others watched the soccer game.

that was day 2.

in Bavaria Day 1

Wed, 25 Jun 2008 06:29:35 GMT

wow. 5 days is a lot to summarize at once, but here goes. (pictures will come later after I have downloaded them to my flash drive.)

Overall impression: this group's favorite food is ice cream. Everyday and sometimes 4x a day for some, they HAD to have ice cream!

The overnight train was long (10+3-4 hours)and cold (for the students--takes quite a lot to make me cold these days). But everything worked wonderfully well and the kids followed directions well and no on squabbled. The Youth Hostel had lunch pakets for us, which the kids devoured instantly.

Then we went on a city scavenger hunt in teams of 5. It was all in German and in order to find the answers to some of the questions, they had to talk with the locals. It was immediate apparent to all that we were in a small town in the South. The locals were friendly and wanted to talk with them. One lady even came down from her upstairs balcony and walked around with one group helping them find answers. Another gentlemen heard my group speaking English and came up and offered to tell us the story of the chapel we were standing in front of. The winning team got 4" plush mountain goats (mascot of the youth hostel) and the 2nd place team got 2" mtn goat key chains.

that evening we went on a hike up the small mountain behind the youth hostel to the fortress ruins. The man at the desk said it was a 30 minute hike up, then he looked at me (and I could 'hear' him thinking "Americans") and then he said, maybe 45. So off we went on this "well-Marked trail" that turned out to be neither well-marked nor even clear where it began. but we made it anyway. had lots of fun climbing around the ruins and finding our way back down. Most had showers and went to bed, but some watched the soccer game in the special viewing room with a huge wall screen.

It was NOT cold and on the contrary was warm enough that we were all sweating during the hike. Some of us pooled our money and washed the jeans when we got back so they would make another day.

ok. that was Day 1. more later.

Concentration Camp & soccer

Wed, 18 Jun 2008 15:07:22 GMT

so today we talked about the visit to the concentration camp Sachsenhausen. Most agreed that it has been so sanitized, cleaned up, modernized that it no longer has much of an emotional impact. MK expressed it best when she said that there was no feeling of the inhumanity of what had been done there. I've talked to some Germans who have been to the camp in the past (like me) and they agree. don't know. may have to look for another alternative but not sure what. luckily, some of the teachers in Käthe Kollwitz school are now excited and interested in the GAPP and maybe they will help Kerstin for the next one.

Today after school, after a LONG walk around the neighborhood we played a couple of games of soccer. The first game was Germans vs Americans. They had real soccer players and we had 4 girls who had played soccer for our team. (it takes 11 to make a team). Tristan did well as goalie and Kevin was agressive in going for the ball. Kathryne even made a goal - unfortunately it was for the other team. She hadn't paid attention when we chnged sides. Anyway, they won 5 - 0. Then we made up mixed teams of Gers and Amis - girls against girls and boys with boys. I watched mainly the girls. They were pretty funny. When one kicked the ball and it hit another, she rushed over and apologized, 'did I hurt you?' still, it was fun for all. Kevin has organized a frisbee team, too.

tomorrow night we leave for the Alps. looking forward to the cooler weather. it is amazing how hot 75 is in a city where NO ONE opens the windows.

y'all take care now, y'hear.

pretty weather et al

Wed, 18 Jun 2008 06:29:55 GMT

Well, the weather has been just wonderful so far (except for those first 5 days when it was hot). Since then, it's been in the 70s and only rained on 2 days. gotta love that global warming! The long range forecast is for rain on Friday, the day we arrive in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, but then back to sunny and in the 70s.

Yesterday we went to the concentration camp Sachsenhausen. They keep adding more 'interactive' exhibits and cleaning it up and sanitizing it until it's not really as powerful as it used to be. But I think the kids still get something out of it even if not the emotional impact.

Afterwards, everyone went there one way and Erin wanted to go to Potsdamer Platz, but when we got there and come above ground, she looked around and said, "Where's the Gedächtnis Kirche?" So went got back on the underground and went to Zoologischer Garten Bhf. Walked around there a bit, then trained to Schönhauser Allee and walked a bit looking for a DVD Secondhand Laden and then trained and street-car-ed to Alexander Platz. Had some ice cream; walked around a huge Secondhand store and then to Saturn where I found Shrek 1 and Over the Hedge for my classroom. lots of walking, but we had time.

today the kids play soccer, Germs vs Amis. Last time the game was tied and the Germans won in the 11 m shorts at the end. We'll see how it goes today.

tomorrow (Thursday) evening we leave for Garmisch-Partenkirchen (in the south of Germany) and I probably won't be online again until we get back late Tuesday.

hope all is going well there.

Montag in Berlin

Mon, 16 Jun 2008 17:06:15 GMT

Hi all,
we're back in Berlin, another day at school, more walking and touring afterwards, then cake and coffee (ok, a coffee substitute for me made of grain). tonight it's Germany vs Austria in soccer. I really need more sleep. yes, I know, sleep when you get home...

We did make the Reeperbahn in Hamburg Saturday night - it reminded me of Mardi Gras in New orleans except this is every weekend in Hamburg. It is noticably not as crowded in Hamburg as in Berlin. People talk slower, too. We did not make the Fish Market Sunday morning, but did find a really beautiful park. thought about going to bed early last night, but the soccer game was too exciting and then Turkey won and the neighborhood exploded with noise.

Today in school, one of the history-politics teachers showed us a film about the building and tearing down of the Berlin Wall from the German point of view. We talked a little bit about the fact that he was a West Berliner and Kerstin is an East Berliner - different views of same events. then we toured the city and saw pieces of the Wall that are still standing. He told us more about the neighborhoods which were divided. It was all very interesting and I hope that it made some impression on the students - to see it live is different than a picture in a book.

tomorrow we go to the concentration camp Sachsenhausen.

more then,

in Hamburg

Sat, 14 Jun 2008 17:18:47 GMT

Today (Saturday) Kerstin and I are in Hamburg visiting Raven, a former student from the 1998 GAPP who works here now for a sub-contractor to Air Bus. We did the harbour boot tour and walked around the center city and then came back to a gigantic street-city festival here in the suburb of Altona where she lives. Street after street of arts, crafts, junk, food, politicians, medieval stuff, and lots and lots of people. But it's still not as crowded as Berlin.

We had a big lunch at a really reasonably priced Asian restaurant that had "Selbst Service." You ordered at a counter and then had a seat and watched a screen to see when your food order number came up and then you went up and claimed your food. very tasty and lots of it.

then we walked some more and now we are at Raven's resting because everyone told us that you cannot go to the Reeperbahn until around midnight. So, we are going to nap now and get up later and go out. Don't know how long we will last but we can at least see the #2 tourist attraction in Hamburg.

Tomorrow morning early, Kerstin wants to visit the fish market (it's only open on Sundays from 6-10 a.m.) Then we may have to nap again before we leave at 2! or we'll go back to the street festival or visit the harbour museums (a U-Boot or Feuerwehr Boot) or ... I don't know.

It's been great to see Raven. She said she settled here in Hamburg because it reminds her of Oklahoma - except for the harbour on the North Sea and the fact that they all speak German. Other than that, it's a lot like Oklahoma....I guess you'd have to be here to see that. It's pretty flat and the people are friendly and the German is slower.

Can't wait to get to school on Monday to see what the kids were up to in Berlin this weekend.

bis dann...

Thursday in Berlin

Thu, 12 Jun 2008 19:40:45 GMT

so today I took the kids to the historical museum of Germany with over 8000 objects from the Papal Bull against Martin Luther to clothing to suits of armor (for horses, too) and cars and .... lots of stuff. I had to push some of them to go ("Do I have to?") but once we got there, they were impressed, but even more when I told them it was free anytime for a student with ID card (which mine have from the school here). It also gave the partners a bit of time alone without babysitting their Ami.

Tonight Germany lost to Croatia, but kerstin and I went to a concert in the Berliner Dom - a church choir from a small 'Dorf' not far from Berlin and a brass ensemble collected from several bands here in Berlin. Most of the pieces were real short. One was a sing-a-long, but I didn't know the songs (Kerstin did). They have wonderful accoustics in the Berliner Dom. The last piece was a Highland piece with a recorder soloist. very nice.

We still haven't got the online diary website to work properly from school which is why the kids haven't written. We'll try again tomorrow.

a couple of days later

Wed, 11 Jun 2008 15:55:48 GMT

Yesterday was still hot here, but the Welcome Dinner was outside so that was OK. Everyone brought something and one dad grilled; lots to eat. Then there was a spirited soccer game or two: one was Germans against Amis and the other was boys vs girls. lots of fun for all.
Frau Berger and I spent a lot of time talking with parents about GAPP and what will happen in Oklahoma.

Today we went to Potsdam and they got to see their first palace. All were impressed. Then we walked all over the park grounds (1.5 miles by 2.5 miles in size). No, we didn't walk over all of it, but a lot. Took a lot of group photos. I'll have to review them tonight and delete those that look silly. We left at 9 a.m. and got back at 4 p.m. and many felt we could have stayed longer, but my feet were tired by then.

It's finally cooled off - only 72 today and tomorrow should be 68 with rain. After school we are going to the German History Museum (over 8000 objects as well as paintings) and to an open air concert at the Berlin Cathedral at 7 p.m.

Everybody looks pretty good and sounds pretty good. Looks like our problems are resolving themselves - as they usually do. We'll keep monitoring them, of course. One girl was standing next to the group today looking pretty zoned out and I asked her what was wrong. She smiled and said, nothing, she was just acting cool, like a teenager. ok.

Monday

Mon, 09 Jun 2008 15:10:50 GMT

Well, it's still hot, but the end is in sight: today and tomorrow 85 but Wednesday only 73 and 68 on thursday. Finally... Most of the kids were looking ok today. We have one who is having a round of homesickness, but we are working on her. Otherwise, it's going well. Today they started their presentations and some were more prepared than others, but we made it through and now they know better what they are supposed to do. Tomorrow they get computer logins and passwords at school so i can start requiring them to write in the GAPP online diary.

Today I spent about an hour walking around Berlin taking pictures of buildings that had changed - including the new American embassy next to the Brandenburg gate. It's pretty boring architecturally speaking. And the Alexander Platz has changed totally. There are lots of new buildings including the largest shopping mall in Germany. (I got yelled at by a clerk for taking pictures inside one store)

weekend

Sun, 08 Jun 2008 16:34:36 GMT

It is still hot here - yes, I know that 87 is not as hot as Oklahoma, but here in the middle of the city with only a light breeze and lots of traffic is pretty hot. We slept in today and then met the students at the World Time Clock at 2 p.m. They were looking much better - not as spaced out and tense looking. The partners is groups were going to show them around Berlin. I told them I would give them a "quiz" in 3 weeks to see how much they remember. Tonight Germany plays soccer against Poland in the first round of the European Cup. Everyone is quite excited about that - lots of flags and fans.

first school day

Fri, 06 Jun 2008 15:16:40 GMT

Today was our first school day - a shortened day because the FORECAST high was 85 and so they let out school by 1 p.m. Definitely not in Oklahoma anymore! It was in the mid 70's most of the day with a 10 mph wind and no rain. The Germans say the good weather is because the European Cup Soccer Tournament begins tomorrow. Germany plays first on Sunday. All are looking forward to that.

I talked with all the students during homeroom about what they did last night and if the host parents spoke English. Zach said his host mom spoke some English, but she was more fluent in German. Huh? Where are we again?

Everyone looked varying degrees of tired. Some are fitting in quite well - trying to speak German or at least speaking English to the other students. Some are having homesickness - some stomach aches and some rejecting anything German. Keine Panik! It's only the first day. I keep re-assuring them it will get better when they are not sooo tired and if they keep trying.

More later,
Nancy

arrival in Berlin

Thu, 05 Jun 2008 15:31:45 GMT

Well, we left OKC onWednesday morning and arrived in Berlin around noon (local time) in Berlin. When we had the bus loaded in OKC, the kids were already on the bus and the parents still standing around outside. I told the parents we were ready to leave if any one wanted to get a last minute hug in. One father said, OK and came up and gave me a hug. Wasn't what I had in mind, but OK...

The flights all went well. Most of the kids were great - a couple of whiners, but they will learn not to do that around me. We were greeted in Berlin with flowers, signs and balloons and big cheers. My students looked scared to death, but they all went home with their families. I had been working with them on probable questions and how to answer them. We'll see tomorrow in homeroom how the evening went.

They are on 'Hitze frei' schedule this week at school because the FORECAST high is over 80. So they just have 30 minute classes and go home around noon. gotta go more later...

Leaving on Wednesday

Sat, 31 May 2008 21:15:42 GMT

Been a while since I wrote, but now we are getting ready to travel again. I will be leaving on Wednesday for Berlin with 19 students for a month - our bi-annual GAPP trip. Watch this site and I will keep you updated on what goes on - maybe even some pix.

Next time - in Berlin!
Nancy

back in Oklahoma

Sat, 11 Aug 2007 01:46:58 GMT

We made it back to Oklahoma today with no delays in any flights - everything went just fine - except that it is HOT here. It was 66 when we left the hotel in Vienna at 4:30 this morning and 100 in Oklahoma at 5 p.m. not good.

here's our overall impressions: the best museums overall are in Berlin, though the Belvedere Palace in Vienna had a wonderful collection of early 20th century. the Swiss people are the friendliest to strangers. Vienna has a complete cultural history that is reflected in their museums and buildings. That was especially interesting to me as I have learned mostly about German history.

so. lots to do before school starts on Thursday. Jennifer was here waiting on us with our dog Baby Girl, so it has been great seeing/talking with her and petting my dog again.

hope all is going well with you,
Nancy

last day in Vienna

Thu, 09 Aug 2007 08:00:34 GMT

Time sure does fly by. Tomorrow morning we leave the hotel at 4:30 a.m. to get to the airport to start the process of flying home. It´s been a lovely 3 weeks, but soon it will be time to face "reality" - whatever that is.

The palace Schoenbrunn, which we visited yesterday was not as big or spread out as Versailles, but seemed more lived in - if one can say that about a palace of over 300 years. The emperor actually occupied the palace until 1918 so it is more recent than Versailles. Yes, it was Baroque, but not too bad. They confined the gold and frou-frou to the ceilings and wall decorations - well, some of the furniture, too - and some of the picture frames... ok. it was very Baroque, but interesting. We´ve definitely enhanced our Austrian history.

Last night we went to the City Hall sqaure, where the city of Vienna put up a 60 ft screen for free open air concerts for the summer - every night. Last night it was a modern-Ballet dance group from the Netherlands with music by Mozart. There were around 3000 people there and everyone had a good time - after the rain shower stopped. Might go back again tonight depending on how the day goes. so much to still see and do...

guess I´d better get to it!
see you soon. I´ll write again when I get back in Oklahoma.
Nancy

more in Vienna

Wed, 08 Aug 2007 08:14:28 GMT

Hi all,
So today it´s another palace - the big one this time - 1441 rooms of which only 40 are open to the public. Everything has been quite Baroque-Roccoco - too much gold and frou-frous for my taste, but hey, they liked it.

Yesterday we went to the Belevedere Castle which was turned into an art museum, so we got the palace and museum in one! Gustav Klimt-s work as well as other Austrian artists of his time (early 20th Century) were featured. It was very good, and one of my favorite time periods in art.

Then we went to the other side of Vienna (it sure is nice having the transit passes), up into the hills and Viennese Woods to the top of the Leopold´s fortress (now a cafe) on top of Leopold´s mountain overlooking the Danube and Vienna. (Leopold was emperor when the Austrians successfully beat back the Turkish army in the late 1600´s in case you are not up on your Austrian history.) Got caught in a thunderstorm, but nothing like the ones in Oklahoma.

We´ve learned a lot of Austrian history and geography. for example, the Alps start here just west of Vienna and go all the way over to France. Fred said the other day that he is getting tired of not knowing what everyone is saying around him - all the announcements are in German on the buses, trams, subways, etc. Lots of tourists, but not that much English. We both are missing ice cold drinks. Tomorrow should cool off again into the 70s so that will help.

hope all is well there,
Nancy

sights in Vienna

Mon, 06 Aug 2007 17:31:52 GMT

well, we´ve gotten pretty good at this sleep late, eat a leisurely breakfast, check the internet and stroll out around noon. that´s what vacations are for, right?

yesterday we saw what the tour book said was the best art museum in Vienna - we were both underimpressed. But we also went to the Vienna City History Museum and that was neat. Saw models and maps of Vienna from the 1600s and saw suits of armor from the 1300s on to 1700s. Lots of cool stuff.

Today we went to the Freud museum, which was mainly pictures of stuff because Freud took everything with him to London in 1938 and it-s in a museum there. Fred still enjoyed it and took lots of pictures to use in class next year.

Then we went to the Hundertwasser museum so I could take pictures to use in Architecture next year. Got a video-documentary for only 5 Euro, too.

now we are going back in town to walk the streets, see the night life and find something light to eat.

more later,
Nancy

day 2 in Vienna

Sun, 05 Aug 2007 08:29:36 GMT

gee, give me unlimited internet access and I write more!

Yesterday we walked (too much) through the center of the old city. lots of interesting buildings and LOTS of tourists. We heard a lot more Americans than in Switzerland. We went to an interesting museum of furniture and glass and carpets from the 16th to 21st centuries. Fred pooped out on me and sat out the 20-21st centuries, but I really enjoyed the Art Nouveau purses, lamps, glass work and posters. Got some names of 21st century architects to add to my unit next year.

We found a very good ice cream cafe just down the street from our hotel - good with reasonable prices. Fred had an incredible ice cream concoction around 11 last night as we were walking home.

today we are visiting one museum of "stuff" from the middle ages to present and one 3 star art museum. maybe going to a dance cafe tonight. we´ll see how tired we are.

hope all is gong well there.
Nancy

in Vienna

Sat, 04 Aug 2007 09:04:08 GMT

Well, the Zurich airport was spread out, but easy to get around in. Our flight left on time and arrived 12 minutes early. Mr. Esty from the hotel met us with his car and we were settled in by 11:30 last night. Everything went very smoothly. After the horrors of Heathrow, the other airports have been wonderful.

Today we are going to walk around the inner city of Vienna and kinda get our bearings. There is one museum of applied arts that I want to see (cause it´s free on Saturday). It showcases architecture and furniture of different Austrian architects of the 19th and 20th centuries. I am already planning on expanding my unit on architecture for next year!

hope all is well there,
Nancy

final day in Switz

Fri, 03 Aug 2007 08:58:28 GMT

Today is our last day in Switzerland. Got a young student-worker here to tape some Schweizer Deutsch for me. Luckily he repeated everything in Hochdeutsch so that we could understand it. I must say that everyone has been very friendly and very helpful. But, there are costs to everything: a fee, tax, surcharge on everything.

Fred has been doing all the driving and has noticed a few differences between the Swiss and Oklahomans. 1 - all the cars are smaller and fit better on the road and in parking places. 2- they signal when they want to turn and if you signal, they let you in. This has been very important in that the road signs in Zurich come very fast and sometimes I have had to yell, TURN LEFT NOW. We made it each time, and no one honked at us. 3- Both lights go to red for a while before they signal yellow then green so that the eager beavers and the light pushers can both clear the intersection at different times. much safer.

Yesterday Fred got to see a small castle (I am slowly getting him to say Schloss) from the 12-13th century. He's feeling better about this castle thing.It rained hard all day with occassional thunderstorms so we did not go up to the top of the Alps. It would have cost 185 dollars and we would not have been able to see anything. We enjoyed the drive, the castle, a late lunch in a small town hotel and a walk around Interlaken.

Today we are going to tour around Zurich. It's still raining, but supposed to stop by noon. We are going up on Zurich mountain and on Lake Zurich and hopefully also to the museum with 125 Paul Klee paintings. Tonight we fly to Vienna arriving around 10:30 p.m. A car from the hotel is going to pick us up so we don't have to figure out the subways right off.

hope all is going well with y'all. don't know how the internet service will be in Vienna, but will write again when I can.
Take care,
Nancy