The parental visit

Kelly: Wow, what a whirlwind of a visit. Mom and Dad arrived on a rainy, cold Thursday. We took the train to a cool, cloudy Paris, explored the streets, climbed the Eiffel Tower, and ate really great Parisian food and wine. Quote of the trip was from Dad, "My self esteem goes up when I stop reading!" in response to his difficulty reading French words and our subsequent hysterically laughter...the kind where you get the ugly face because you can barely breathe because you are laughing so hard!

Then back home long enough to wash our clothes before venturing off through Switzerland and Lake Como. Switerland was breathtakingly beautiful, and Lake Como was top notch. Mom loved loved loved both the gelato and the views in the Lake Como area. We stayed at a slightly out-of-the-way small hotel with a great buffet breakfast and even better views of the wind-surfers who filled our end of the lake from 6-8 am and provided us with "interesting" views during breakfast...let's just say that mom and I enjoyed the views more than the boys :) Then, it was off to Rome but when we found Lucca and Tuscancy, our plans took a detour. The Tourist Information office booked us a night at an agriturismo (working Italian farm that hosts guests) and we drank wine from the barrel, picnicked by the pool on top of the hill overlooking vineyards, and slept in rustic but comfortable and quiet rooms. Ahhh....so relaxing. We jumped back in the car the next morning and headed to an Italian Riviera town called Sestri Levante. We walked on the pebbly beach, stuck our feet in the water, and climbed out on some massive rocks. Dad almost lost his shoe to the Med, but luckily rescued it no thanks to Mom and me laughing hysterically up the beach. We dined at a cute outdoor cafe where Dad learned that he liked Italian beer, that antipasta salad doesn't mean that you get lettuce, and that pizza comes at the very very end of the meal. We packed back in to the car and headed north. Our goal (okay, my goal) was to make it into southern Germany where our dollar went farther than in Switzerland to the south. Switzerland was breath-taking and Samantha's "time-saving" detour showed us the neat-as-a-pin Swiss villages filled with modern architecture at the foot of the most rugged and beautiful mountains I have yet to see. We took Rick Steve's advice yet again and headed for a Gasthaus (German Inn) in the reportedly charming town of Staufen in the black forest. Given Samantha's route through tiny towns in Switzerland, I didn't doubt her accuracy as we navigated swtichbacks and hair-pin turns through the black forest, until we arrived at the inn in Staufen only to find the owner smiling and telling us he had no rooms and that we were really looking for a different in with the same name in a town named Staufen, 70 km from our current location. So, at 8:00 PM, we drove on though more of the black forest to arrive at the second Staufen. Even though darkness was setting in, we were utterly delighted with the story-book flavor of the sweet town and even more so the kindness of the host who graciously kept the kitchen open well past closing to make sure we had plenty to eat. Our rooms were traditional and comfortable, and the breakfast buffet was the best I've ever had...coffee (free refills much to Dad's delight), eggs, yogurt, fresh berries, breads, jams, tomatoes, and more. After breakfast we waddled to the cobblestone streets for some shopping. Dad discovered a sports store and found a new love named Jack Wolfskin...don't be alarmed, Mr. Wolfskin is a very famous German outdoor store. Mom and I delighted in a super-cute thrift store where she got a fab pair of red leather sandals and I scored a black German bag. We met up with the boys who had joined in their own favorite activity...cafe sitting and coffee drinking. We reluctantly packed the car and headed to Baden Baden. Although it wasn't what I had pictured, we still enjoyed our time there and had a lovely lunch outdoors in the perfect weather. The traffic on the way home was not-so-perfect. Many hours and detours later, we arrived back in rainy Ramstein. We recovered the next day with a trip to the farmer's market and then more shopping in Ktown. Mom found great gifts for my sisters and Matt found a 700 euro bag, which he did not buy but dreamed about the rest of the day. We spent the remainder of the weekend working on the lawn (Mom and Dad doing most of the work), playing beanbags and cards.

It was an awesome trip filled with great food, laughter, and memories that will last our lifetime. I love you Mom and Dad!