She drove us down the Rhine River one day to show me all of the historic small towns and castles (there are so many!). Another day, we went along the Mosel River to explore wine country. It was so beautiful -- they literally have vineyards on the sides of the mountains! The last day we met up with some of her friends for a tour of Koblenz. I learned a lot about the history of the city, which dates back to the time of the Romans. It was interesting also to hear about how WWII left much of the city destroyed... our guide Oscar used to be a city planner for Koblenz and showed us where old city walls and buildings were and where parts of them now have been replaced with newer, more modern buildings. I even have a picture, below, next to a part of the Berlin Wall (After its fall, many cities around Germany wanted a piece of it to remember the historic event).
Although I don't know any German, I did pick up a few words here and there. Yola helped me with that, especially in the food area. I can't remember the last time I ate so much: bratwurst, rouladen, knodel, federweisser (new, fermenting, sweet wine), zweibelkuchen... I can't even remember it all! I must say, you learn a lot about a country by eating its food.
Being in Germany and struggling to get around because I know no German whatsoever really made me appreciate my abilities in French. I often underestimate myself, but after being helpless in Germany, I now realize that I know a lot of French! Sometimes it is hard to feel at home in a place where you know you are a foreigner, but getting off the train in Paris and hearing French over the intercom gave me a feeling that I do, in fact, feel at home here.
so cute - you and yola :)
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