Heidelberg

Yesterday we took a short drive to Heidelberg. Mike drove on the German motorway! He managed a very respectable 160km/hr!!! Here is evidence to prove we actually drove at such speeds. Getting there was easy - we had Bob - our personal elevtronic navi. He very accurately guided us to within meters of the Castle entrance. The weather was the coldest it has been since our arrival in Germany. There was a biting, bitter cold wind, that froze our faces to a glowing crimson colour and prevented our hands and feet from reaching anywhere near warm despite the multiple pairs of socks and thermal mittens. My nose was on constant drip mode. Peter slipped on his first piece of ice. Heidelberg is a beautiful city with a massive, old castle ruin. The view from the castle courtyard was spectacular, as you can see. Tomorrow we head off to Herrenberg to visit my family. you may not hear from me for a little while as internet may not be available.

Kate and Bryce's house

Wow! What an apartment!It may only have 2 bedrooms but the size of the entire place is a generous 100m sq. This is way bigger than most German apartments. The biggest downside is the 72 stair hike to the third floor, past the brothel on the first floor! LOL - not much action happening there that I have noticed! Lugging our suitcases up those flights on the first day nearly caused a medical emergency!

Oh, I forgot to mention the rather undignified platform toilet. If you have ever had the misfortune of using one you will know what I mean. All unmentionables are collected on a 'convenient' shelf only cm's away from your plumbing. It's so you can inspect your poo, apparantly, to see if you are healthy! Go figure! It's not exactly quiet either. It gives new meaning to the taunt "I can heeear you", because we all hope to avoid being heard doing something that nobody else ever does! You can't hide from the platform toilet!!!

Merry Christmas Everyone!!!

The day we arrived in Karlsruhe we visited the local Christmas Market. I did all the things you usually do at one of these events, drank mulled wine, ate Bratwurst and Brezeln and bought roasted almonds.

Christmas Eve and we had dinner at the Steiger House with about 16 other people. Everyone brought something for the potluck dinner. We had lamb, turkey, roast veges, green salad and Christmas pudding for dessert. YUM! After dinner we played a game of secret santa with a twist.. All gifts are put into a basket and one at a time someone chooses a gift and opens it. The next person may then take the gift the previous person opened if they like it or open another one. One poor sucker opened three gifts in total, after losing the first two, only to end up with soap, which he then managed to swap with someone for tea light candles. It was very funny. After dessert we all took turns to give thanks for something.
This morning we got up at 7:00 so that the kids could open their Christmas stockings. Jorgi and Peter also got makeshift stockings filled with chocolate. Opening presents was not as eventful for our kids this year as previous years, but the Gilmor Girls had the time of their lives.

I hope your Christmas celebrations were as festive and enjoyable as ours!

Amsterdam Was Enlightening!!!

What a very long day!!! We woke at 5:30 in China got on a plane at 9:50 and arrived in Amsterdam at 2:30pm after an 11 hour flight. We caught a train to the Central Station and walked for 20mins to our Hostel. This time we were in a much bigger room, but our first impression was of a clinical ward like dorm filled with 10 tubular steel bunks. After off loading all those suitcases we headed off into the heart of Amsterdam. I had heard of the loose moral values of the Dutch, but hadn't expected to be confronted with stores selling marijuana plants, seeds, hemp biscuits, bongs, sex toys etc. We accidentally found ourselves in the red light district after having wondered all day where it was. We knew we were in the right place – or should I say the wrong place – when skimpily clad ladies started to appear in the windows along the sidewalk. Just what good Christian parents want their 13 year old son to be exposed to! NOT! This is THE place.
The kids spent some of their hard earned Euros on typical Amsterdam souvenirs like T-shirts that read ‘Good girls go to Heaven Bad Girls go to Amsterdam’ and penis shaped lollies, you know the usual stuff! Temperatures in Amsterdam were a pleasant 13-17 degrees, which was unexpectedly warm.

China Was Awesome!

Mike's main ambition in China was to ride the Maglev. However, it is debatable whether spending 2 extra hours aimlessly wandering around the airport, so that we could reach speeds of 430km/hr was worth it or not. Mike thought it was!

Following the directions to the hostel nearly ended in divorce! Mike and I had different ideas about how to go about finding our way. Mine proved more successful. Upon reaching our hostel we were led to a windowless, rich man's walk-in-wardrobe, filled with 2 sets of bunk beds, 4 lockers, a table and a chair - our accommodation for the next two nights.

I think that mopeds must nearly outnumber people here!! And road rules don't seem to apply. No one stops for anything or anyone, least of all pedestrians, regardless of whether they have right of way at a green light X-ing.

On day two we walked a half marathon to find the best market in the northern hemisphere. Jorgi found herself in Hello Kitty heaven and spoilt for choice.
The night life on the main shopping Rd is fantastic. The lights could compete with Los Vegas. The only draw back was the constant beckoning from retailers to come look at their shop. We have all used up our quota of the word ‘no’ for the next 10 years!!

It's amazing the affect blonde hair has on the male population in China. Comments such as " You are very beautiful" usually accompanied the unabashed staring.

Jorgi has purple hair! Isn't she beautiful!!

This is for all you crazies out there! Don't you just love that colour! It's semi permanent. I even let Jorgi put some in my hair - right at the back underneath all the rest. It didn't show up all that well because my hair is darker. She also bought pink and blue, to take back to NZ with her.

Goodbye New Zealand

Today is the day and we have all had new haircuts to mark the occasion. We now all look nothing like our passport photos - me least of all. But I think that has more to do with the severe hairstyle I was sporting the day I had my picture taken to renew my EU passport. That, combined with the new ridiculous 'no smiling' policy, makes me look like something off of Crime Busters!! Needless to say, 'attractive' is not a word I would use to describe the image that will grace my passport for the next 10 years!

Yesterday we weighed our luggage and discovered we have no room to spare before we even get to spend any money in Shanghai - probably not entirely a bad thing.

Last night Mike tested our sleeping pills on himself and literally switched off like a light even before his eyes were closed. This after just having decided they weren't going to work. I guess they work just fine!

We are now heading for the airport and bid you all a fond adieu! I'll get back to you after we arrive in China.

Two weeks and counting!!

Ok, so there are only two weeks to go before we head off into the wild blue yonder! I can't believe all the things I still have to do, and the stress is mounting. Only two days ago I realised, after randomly checking our YHA bookings, that I had accidentally booked the entire family into our Shanghai hostel for the wrong month!! If you have ever been in a similar situation you will identify with that sinking feeling that welled up in the pit of my stomach, and if you are a little more highly strung than most, like me, you will also recognise the moment of panic, as I weighed up all the implications of such a mistake. Had I not had the idea to view all our bookings on line we might have turned up on the day to discover we were a whole month early, and that there were now no beds available in the Inn. But God is good and we were spared from this disaster.