Beer and Waffles

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So I tried on a 31,000 Franc watch the other day. Yeah, that's roughly $25,000. I tried on a couple that were 16,000 and 17,000...but 31,000 felt much better. Yeah, 31,000 is much more my style. Haha...when I was in Geneva I went to Patik Phillipe (a very, very, very swanky watch joint) and tried on a couple $25,000 watches...I was thinking of picking up a couple 😊 I actually made up this whole story, acting like I was seriously going to buy one. It was fun. When the lady asked what watch I was wearing, I responded meekly, "Fossil". That may have tipped her off regarding my lie.

Well as you can tell by my title...I'm in Belgium. But I will tell you more about Belgium at a later date. I must catch you all up on Germany and Switzerland. I was able to hang out with Miriam and Uller several times. They are such cool people. Uller is an animal!! I love that guy. One night I watched him speed down his bike track that he is in charge of in Pfullingen. That night we ended up going to Tubingen for a beer, a college town which is several hundred years old. Great place, cobblestone streets, little shops everywhere, more half-timbered houses, old churches. Their little baby Insa is such a cutie pie. She is only 8 months, but has this long, brown hair...so cute.

I went to Dachau, a Nazi concentration camp. It was sobering. I had just finished reading Night by Elie Wiesel, which gave me a disturbing perspective from a prisoner. I spent about 3 and a half hours there. There is a museum, a video, and then the tour of the facilities. To see how the lived, lower than livestock...to be taken to the crematorium, starved to death, or shot. I wept.

I took a day trip down the "romantic" Rhine...by myself of course! 😊 It was beautiul. Just think of a river carved between mountains...vineyards growing on the steep slopes...castles seemingly every 100 yards. It was fun. I was the only one under 80 on the boat though...so I shared that "romantic" time with the old folk.

I also had a very relaxing time at a sauna with Johann. We were there for 4 hours!! It was great. Saunas...hot tubs...a little nap. If you want to know more in depth about my sauna experience, I will gladly elaborate...just ask me via email.

I also hung out with Andrea, a girl from Johann's church. She is such a cool girl. She just got back from a year in the States. We went to Stuttgart to shop, went a played pool (yes, she's a pool junkie), and just hung out and talked. So we hung out a bunch and it was great.

Food update. I've had schnitzel, schpatzle, malthausen, kanoodle, bratwurst, pretzels...the whole gamut of stereotypical German food. I love the food here in Europe...I may come back witha spare tire 😊 If you want to know more about the food, just ask me via email.

Then I was in the Alps for a day. Jungfrau is the tallest peak and I went about half way up. It is 12 or 13,000 ft. and I was 6 or 7,000 ft. up. I took a train up and then hiked about an hour up and an hour back. So very spectacular to be in the Alps...I find it hard to describe. So magnificent...enormous. Snow capped...I saw a mini avalanche...there was still spots of snow. It was Sunday and the Alps were my church service!! I would randomly start singing during my hike...It just spilled out of my soul. Such a wonderful experience.

I then spent 2 days with the Getty's in Geneva, Switzerland. They are musicians...hymn writers. I popped in last second and they were finishing an album, so the timing was such that we were not able to hang out a bunch. They are such cool people...I enjoyed my time with them. By the way, every other building in Geneva is either a bank, sells watches, or chocolate. I will tell of Belgium and beyond at a later date. Chow.

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Comments

[Denise]

Chocolate
Soooo jealous about the chocolate exposure- make sure one of your spare tires is solid chocolate!!! Great to hear more about your european adventure. Thanks for giving us a glimps. We sure do miss you! Denise