JUIST, GERMANY (and Easter - Ostern!)

I might have had a hard time remembering the name of the island we were going to visit the week before Easter, but now I know I will never forget.

Example #1 of Covered Wagon

Juist was a such a cute place! Most of all I loved that it was car free. Christof, Sandra, Mathis, Ilse, and I arrived midday after a 3 hour car ride and 1 1/2 hour ferry trip. The first thing I noticed: covered wagons. There were so many covered wagon taxis on this island, and since I had never imagined covered wagons existed outside of American pioneer stories from the 1800’s, I was loving it! There were horses everywhere, including a garbage cart horse. Our apartment was great, and I got a whole bunk bed to myself. 

I couldn’t wait to get Mathis to the beach for the first time, so Sandra and I walked to the water immediately upon arriving. The beach was incredibly close. The water, not so much. I had never in my life seen a beach span so long from the dunes to the waves. I swear it is a couple of football fields. Also, the North Sea has so many mussel shells! The long kind that are pastel colored, that I used to covent when I was a kid. 

Mathis before.

So many mussels!

Trying to see Norway.

Mathis after.

The five days went by very smoothly. We took Mathis to his first restaurant, and then took him to two more, since he was so well behaved. (I’m sure all of the patrons thought it was as funny as we did when he made a loud “MMmmm” sound every time he had new food in his mouth.) I walked on the beach with Mathis. I walk to almost the end of the island with Mathis. I got a massage without Mathis. My first ever massage and it was way too short. 

In our beach basket. 

Sunset and Beach Baskets

I was so lucky to be allowed to come along. These people spoil me I swear. Juist was great, but the green apple soft serve was especially great. Sounds gross, tastes like heaven. 

Not as good as green apple soft serve, but Mathis is enjoying it.

Speaking of heaven, Easter was on Sunday! We came back with just the right amount of time to dye some Easter eggs and for me to make a four layer Easter cake, the poor Germans. On Sunday, after finding some candy in our garden (thank you Easter Bunny!), Sandra made us a wonderfully tasty brunch including melon with prosciutto, a new favorite food! Soon the entire family was over eating my too sweet cake, while the little boys ran around naked with intentions of using the 2 feet x 2 feet inflatable pool in the backyard. When no one except Mathis wanted to swim, Sandra set up the sprinkler and I think Sandra, Julia, and I were the only ones to run through it. Before Christof made a wonderful steak dinner to close the deal, I got to talk to my parents and Grandé on Skype, and the whole Niemeier/Kückmann clan waved “Hello!” or “Hallo!”. In Germany, they build giant bonfires to burn on Easter in order to smoke out winter and make way for spring. That night Sandra and I rode bikes to meet up with everyone, and after a short photo shoot with Ben and a tractor, we all enjoyed beers and watching the fire. 

I need to practice egg dying. 

It's supposed to have Easter Eggs in the middle.

Easter Fire!

Germany's Next Top Model 

Boys and Fire

Tom being hilarious in his stroller.

Then the Tractor of Death came and gathered the fire together. 

Missed all of you at Easter and can’t wait to make up for all of these missed holidays together next year! 

Hiking the Alps - Wandern in den Alpen

Oh beautiful, beautiful Switzerland. Everything they say about this landlocked country is true. It’s breath taking. It’s the ultimate in extreme sports. It’s incredibly expensive. It’s also chock-full of Americans, which I was not expecting.

I would like to live there, please. 

My friend Liz from College of Charleston and I decided to add to the American ranks in Switzerland the weekend of March 25 when we met up in Lucerne. After a train to Dusseldorf, a plane to Basel, and a train to Lucerne, I was more than a little tired and disoriented when I arrived at midnight. I ended up wandering in the right direction towards our hostel, which happened to be located directly on the other side of traveling circus. Lesson learned: Circus’ are not so welcoming/are completely terrifying at night.

Near the 9 Towers of Lucerne, whatever that is.

pretty Lucerne

In the morning, Liz and I got our first glimpses of the Alps, and after wandering around Lucerne and claiming that every mountain peak was the inspiration for the Swiss Miss box, we caught the scenic train to Interlaken. And “scenic” was not an overstatement. We snapped picture after picture of the landscape, and the mountains got higher and higher as we approached Interlaken. Our hostel was super quaint and gingham, and the Australian lady who worked the desk was a riot. (Maurice? Mandy? Marcie? I can’t remember.)  We looked around a little bit, ate dinner and swiss chocolate, went to the hostel’s club, left the hostel’s club quickly, and got some rest for our big plans coming the next day.

Views from the train

Sunday was hike day. It was sunny but still slightly cool outside, and after a map and a route was provided for us by Marsha or Michelle or whatever, we went shopping for bread, cheese, salami, and apples for our picnic lunch. We left the supermarket feeling never more prepared for a hike. A bus took us to a train station, where a train took us up, up, up to the start of a glacial valley. We followed our route through a little town, and then down a road for a few kilometers past some goats and stayed on the road for a few more kilometers. The Australian Lady who’s name started with a “M” had lead us on a walk, not a hike! We took out our map and got to work, and found a pretty easy loop that would take us up an Alp and to two small Alpine towns.  We broke off of the road and started hiking straight up the side of a mountain. 

Road Portion of our hike.

Glacial Valley

And now we'll go up!

I mean, straight up the side of a mountain. We walked straight up a mountain for almost an hour. I’m talking the equivalent of climbing on a StairMaster for sixty minutes. We found signs promising only an hour to the first town at the top and our trail gradually leveled out slightly, but we were still headed up. At clearings the view was incredible, and it was so mesmerizing that we almost didn’t notice the snow starting to accumulate on the trail. We decided to hike through it and were certain it would clear up, but when it didn’t, we decided to just hike a little further anyways. And a slightly further. A few ice and snow covered narrow paths beside steep cliffs later, Liz had finally convinced me to keep pushing ahead, and we had the greatest lunch in the most beautiful spot I could imagine. Turns out Mildred/Maybelle/Martha had given us a summer map, and instructed us to take the other route since most of the trails were above the snow line on our map. Whoops. Fortunately the snow cleared, and we hiked up, up, up mountain pastures, taking in the best views of any mountains I have ever seen in my life. I swear we walked right past Heidi's house. That night after hot chocolate, warm showers, and fondue, I feel asleep in about 1.5 seconds. 

Liz: "It's all clear just ahead!"

Picnic

Heidi's House

My final hours in Switzerland were spent in Basel, while Liz waited for her train to Prague and I waited for my flight back home. I can not say it enough. I am so lucky for being here.  I have the opportunity so often to take in new things, to laugh about experiences I couldn’t even imagine before I had them, and to get a little bit closer to seeing every inch of this earth. How much luckier can you get?

Giant Chess at our hostel. I won.