Volksmarching!

Kelly: Matt and I participated in our first Volksmarch last weekend. We boarded a bus with 30 other members of the local Volksmarch Club and arrived 2 hours later in Rothenburg ob der Tauber. We had an amazingly sunny day. The Start Hall was filled with walkers of all levels and sizes from many countries. We had a little trouble finding the first Kontroll Center where we got our ticket stamped, but we weren't alone...plenty of veteran Volksmarchers also had difficulties. We completed a 6K outside the city. We had hoped for the 11K but because it took us about 3K to find the first stop, we got a late start and were ready for lunch at the end of the 6K. The city was a charming mideval walled city. We ate at an authentic German restaurant off the beaten path. The grandmotherish server knew little English. Fortunately, the chef was younger and knew English well enough for me to ask if the baked fish contained gluten. It didn't, and it was tastey! Matt had baked chicken with a delish salad. We explored shops, walked up on the ramparts, which was a really cool experience, and then stopped for coffee and tea at a modern, hip coffee shop before boarding the bus for the ride home. The DODs teachers in front of us were very chatty on the way home. Matt can tell you all about Mille's cat!

Why I'm here: A reminder

Kelly: I'm back in Vilseck, fondly recalling our time in Prague. This trip to Prague reminded me one of the reasons why I took the job here...I...love...travel...plain and simple. I feel more creative, alive, and love the thrill of learning on my feet (even when it feels really difficult at the time). The benefits of travel are many. I also learned a downside this weekend...finding gluten free food to eat during the Christmas holidays in a foreign country where I can't read any ingredients. Because of that difficulty, I've resolved to bring more gluten free snacks with me. As I was looking for inspiration for gluten free snack recipes, I came across Elanas Pantry. Elana offers lots of great recipe ideas for meals, snacks, and baked goods made with almond flour, without the need for all of those pesky ingredients like guar gum, xanthan gum, and other difficult to pronounce and use thickeners and leaveners. I like the plain and simple recipes...wholesome ingredients and gluten free. I can't wait to return to our kitchen and experiment.