Running news and Dollar v Euro

Okay, so I don't have much. I feel like a broken record these days when it comes to running. I'm still only managing 2 days/wk (usually 45-60 minutes) and a 3rd day of walking. I'm not known for my commitment (except to my husband and kids, of course!), but I thought that when I had gotten so motivated and dedicated to my running that I wouldn't have much trouble getting back into it after the move. It's so much harder than I ever thought. And I've always hated running in the cold. Guess what? It gets cold in Germany....and windy. LOL So, I decided to buy some cold weather running gear, so I'll be comfortable...buying a treadmill is a last resort as I hate to run inside. I've bought gloves, a headband to cover my ears, I have under armour (that I took from Cory) and I bought these pants:



My next purchase is a good jacket. We do have a pretty good store here on-post w/ outdoor gear. The guy who helped me w/ the pants told me to check back soon as they were getting new stuff. Love new inventory!



Remember growing up there were these good/bad jokes? A man fell out of an airplane. Bad! But he fell on a haystack. Good. (remember these are for kids, we all know the guy would die LOL) But there was a pitchfork in the haystack. Bad! Well, when we got here the dollar was worth 62 cents per 1 Euro. Really Bad. We went to a German McDonald's. Good! B/c how great is getting schnitzel at Mickey D's? We got 4 Happy Meals which totalled 14Euro, but it actually cost us approx $21. Baaad! Anyway, the dollar is up against the euro (approx 72cents/E). Good! COLA is down. Bad! COLA

Burg Eltz

Saturday morning we headed out for Burg Eltz. I wanted to go there b/c it was only 45 min-1 hour away according to a website I frequent. Um, no. We encountered a stau ("autobahn traffic jam") and an umleitung (detour) in a small town and the drive ended up taking us 3 hours. The drive was actually about an hour and 40 minutes.

Anyway, the fog was really bad from our house and I was worried that we wouldn't be able to enjoy the scenery. But the fog lifted about 30 min before we got to the castle and the day was gorgeous! The drive along the Mosel River was very scenic. The castle is right outside a small German town (Munstermaifeld). It's a beautiful walk down to the castle in the valley. And what is remarkable is that the castle is still owned by the same family(ies) (Kampenich, Rodendorf, and Rubenach families) that lived in the castle in the 12th c, 33 generations ago. It is a very luxurious castle compared to other castles this old...every room in the Kampenich section could be heated where as most castles only had one room that could be heated. All the windows have glass. We did take the guided tour, but we were not allowed to take pics. Visit the official Burg Eltz website (Burg Eltz)and select the "Castle Tours" tab and click on the links to see some of the rooms:

Stations of the Cross along the walk down to the castle from the parking lot



Entrance



In the Courtyard




During tour



We had a bite to eat at the cafe on the castle grounds.

I had wurst (sausage) and German potato salad.



Cory had goulash




Pictures along the walk to castle:






We headed home and had no traffic problems. ;)

Might as well JUMP!

Have you wondered what Cory really does when he goes to work? Well, watch this video(it was made before Cory came on board to this unit...the female soldier speaking in the video held the position that Cory now occupies):

http://www.afneurope.net/Home/ArticleDisplayDD/tabid/649/Default.aspx?aid=1578

An article from earlier this year when the FST became airborne.

http://www.eucom.mil/english/FullStory.asp?art=1530

Music in Germany

We do have 2 stations here that are in English, American Forces Network (AFN The Eagle) and Canadian Forces Network (CFN). And, yes, it's nice to hear English, but one minute you can be listening to the latest song by 3 Doors Down and then next will be a song by Celine Dion. It's crazy! Country is usually limited to Sunday, i think. But there is always a classic Casey Kasem countdown. Imagine my surprise to hear tha the popular group Reo Speedwagon had its 3rd top ten hit. LMAO http://www.afneurope.net/DynamicMenu/Radio/AFNTheEagle/tabid/91/Default.aspx The CFN is the same except there will be some French songs every once in a while. http://www.cfsue.de/cfn/Welcome_e.htm

Most popular songs in the US are played on German stations, so it's not like we're missing a lot of music here. But for shits and giggles I thought I'd give you the Top 20 songs in Germany as of this week with a link to the German ones. This list is according to http://www.worldcharts.co.uk/world%20charts/germany.htm.

1--I Kissed a Girl Katy Perry

2--Gib Mir Sonne Rosenstolz
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ecQm9RbD7O0

3--Sweet About Me Gabrielle Cilmi

4--This is the Life Amy MacDonald

5--Das Hat Die Welt Noch Nicht Gesehen Sohne Mannheim



6--Nessun Dorma Paul Potts



7--All Summer Long Kid Rock (sick.of.this.song.)

8--Alles Neu Peter Fox (love this one!)



9--Infinity 2008 Guru Josh Project

10-Viva La Vida Coldplay

11-When I Grow Up Pussycat Dolls

12-Helden Gesucht Thomas Godoj

13-I'm Yours Jason Mraz

14-Closer Ne-Yo

15-So Soll Es Bleiben Ich+Ich

16-Alleinesein Peter Heppner


17-Give It 2 Me Madonna

18-Warwick Avenue Duffy

19-Just Dance Lady GaGa

20-Nichts Bringt Mich Runter Ich+Ich
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gM04vNZjZ0U

This song is still on the charts and reminds me of this summer and moving here. :)

Lasse Redn by Die Artze



Running News: I'm feeling stronger and more confident in my runs here...even with the cold weather. I officially timed my route on Monday and the one today and I have a longer route to time. Now I know what my times are for these 3 different routes and can work on becoming faster. I will start lengthening my runs next month, I think. But now I have a baseline to work with. I don't care for running road races, but am thinking about signing up for one just to see where I am and b/c it's a good cause: Breast Cancer Month. Unfortunately I know quite a few women who I'd be running for.

Flammekeuche and Christmas

Ever since we've been living in Germany we've been told that we needed to try Flammekueche. Since it's all about the food, well, sign me up! :) From Wikipedia:

"Tarte flambée is an Alsatian dish composed of thin bread dough rolled out in a circle or a rectangle, which is covered by crème fraîche, onions and bacon. It is one of the most famous gastronomical specialties of the region.

Depending on the area of the region, this dish can be called in Alsatian flammekueche, in German Flammkuchen, or, in French, tarte flambée.

Legend says that the creators of this dish were those Alsatian farmers who used to bake bread once a week. A tarte flambée would be used to test the heat of their wood-fired ovens. At the peak of its temperature, the oven would also have the ideal conditions in which to bake a tarte flambée. The embers would be pushed aside to make room for the tarte in the middle of the oven, and the intense heat would be able to bake it in 1 or 2 minutes. The crust that forms the border of the tarte flambée would be nearly burned by the flames.

The name itself comes from this method of baking, the English translation of the original Alsatian name meaning 'baked in the flames'."

There is a recipe here:: http://kochtopf.twoday.net/stories/1623414/.

Back in August we went to the Kaiserslautern Medieval Fest. It was okay. But the great thing was finally getting to try Flammekueche. Here are a couple of pics:





And, yes, this is leading somewhere. ;) Yesterday, my neighbor Jen and I went to a couple of German stores that I hadn't been to yet. The second store is Kaufland. It's sort of like a Super K-Mart b/c it has groceries. As we were perusing the chocolate I glanced at the refrigerated section and saw Flammekueche. I decided to buy one and try it. And it had nothing to do w/ an easy dinner....nothing at all. ;)



It turned out really good! Not as good as the one at the festival, but the vendors there were cooking them up fresh! Can't beat that. But I will definitely buy more of these. ;)

Now, for our Christmas plans. The last few years everytime I would talk about planning a trip the plans would fall through for some reason or another. My husband's job has to take precedence and I'm okay with that...I'm army wife, it's what I do. :) But I didn't want to live in Germany for 3 years and not see Europe. So, this time I didn't really talk about our plans. But now I feel safe b/c we booked our trip last night and got the confirmation email this morning!!!! The only thing that could happen now would be if there weren't enough people booked for the tour. So, cross your fingers for me. Our itinerary:

DAY 1 - SWITZERLAND - PISA
Early morning departure - around noon we reach the Swiss Alps and enjoy the splendid alpine scenery. Entering the Lake district we will view Lake Lugano on the Swiss side, then as we enter Italy we pass the majestic Lake Como. Early evening we will arrive in Pisa, check into our comfortable hotel and stay the night.

DAY 2 - PISA - ROME
After breakfast we will visit the “Field of Miracles,” site of the famed Leaning Tower of Pisa. Time to shop for souvenirs before we head south to Rome along the coastal highway. Upon arrival in the Eternal City, we will first visit the Catacombs, early evidence of Christianity. After hotel check-in, there will be time to relax until we depart for our festive Christmas Eve Dinner (€35).

DAY 3- PAPAL BLESSING- ROME
Merry Christmas! After breakfast, we are off to St Peter’s Basilica for the Christmas Mass, followed by the official Papal Blessing out on St Peter’s Square. It is broadcast around the world - and being there is a memory to cherish forever! In the afternoon, our city sightseeing tour will include magnificent sights: the Coliseum, where gladiators fought for their lives; the Forum, once the center of the Roman Empire; the Pantheon, a temple to all gods; and of course the Trevi Fountain (don’t forget to toss a coin).

DAY 4 -POMPEII -SORRENTO
Today join our full day excursion (€69)) to the Gulf of Naples where we first visit Pompeii, which was buried by erupting Mt Vesuvius in 79 AD. The secrets of ancient Roman life are revealed by our local guide as we tour the excavations. We then drive to Sorrento (great for shopping), a famed resort town located on the cliffs overlooking the Mediterranean Sea. Return to Rome in the evening.

DAY 5 - VATICAN
In the morning, join our tour of the Vatican (€39). Together with a local art expert you will see the treasures of the Vatican Museum. Admire Michelangelo's frescos in the Sistine Chapel and marvel at his “Pieta” during our tour of St Peter’s Basilica. After lunch - “Arriverderci Roma” we drive north into the hills of Tuscany to Florence. Tonight, savour “la dolce vita” at our festive Tuscan dinner with music and wine (€35).

DAY 6 - FLORENCE
First, we view Michelangelo’s David in the Accademia Museum. Our walking tour of Florence features the impressive Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore, the Gates of Paradise, Piazza Signoria and the Santa Croce church (tomb of Michelangelo). Explore and shop for leather and gold. Early afternoon, we depart for Germany where we arrive at midnight.

How Bazaar, How Bazaar

I've been waiting for months for the Ramstein Welfare Bazaar! http://ramstein-bazaar.org/ It's a shopping bazaar with 2 airplane hangars of vendors from all over Europe. The bazaar has been at Ramstein Air Force Base since 1965 only having been cancelled in 2001 (the terrorist attacks on the US, of course). I've been thinking that I would shop 'til I dropped.

*sigh* I wasn't all that impressed. About half the vendors I see at the local PXs. And the rest of the vendors had beautiful items, but were things that I'd like to buy when I travel. For example, I loved all the Polish and Italian pottery, but I plan on going to Poland and to Italy and would love to buy some pottery there.

I did end up buying 3 items...all are kind of kitschy, but cute. :)







I went w/ 2 of my neighbors/friends. Of course we enjoyed the food. The Filipino/American association had a booth. We had adobo chicken, lumpia and pancit (noodles). It was delicious. My friend Ann is from Hawaii and Japanese/American. For her it was comfort food. We topped it off w/ funnel cake.

That night Cory, Charlie and I went out to dinner w/ my neighbor Jen and her son. We went to a local restaurant owned by an Italian. Last time we were there I noticed a pizza called the "Sophia Loren." I had to try it! It has mushrooms, ham and 2 eggs, sunny-side up. It was really good, more like a breakfast pizza.



In other news, in case you don't know, I suffer from a sickness. It's called "New Bedding Fever." I buy a new bedding set almost every year. I bought one in the spring before we moved. I really liked it, a lot. Well, now I found one on Target that I want. I'm trying to at least hold out until the spring so I can say that I had my current bedding for year. I'm sick. ;)

In running news, I've started my 4th week of running since the boys are back in school. I've only been running 2X/wk b/c my knee still does hurt. But now that I'm getting used to the hills here (and I've ordered some cold weather running gear) I'm going to try and run 3X/wk. I am walking w/ my neighbor/friend Jen on alternate days. Today I only ran for 30 min, but ran for an hour last Friday. I'm getting my stamina back and only curse a little bit when I run the hills. ;) But I'm actually doing pretty well consider I didn't run mid-June to mid-Aug...international move threw a wrench into, well, everything.

Kaiserslautern, Germany

I've decided to start using my blog again, so that all of our family members can follow along aka live vicariously through us. ;)

I have a couple of other entries here:



http://stacyllw.livejournal.com/