Happy Anniversary!

So today was our 4 year anniversary! We went out to dinner at our favorite local place and it was yummy! I got a steak with sauteed onions and matt got a doner plate (a turkish version of gyro meat). Then we decided to go splurge at the pricey grocery store in town and bought some gelato. I picked out strawberry and matt picked out mint chocolate chip. By far THE BEST ice cream I have ever had that you can buy for the house. I guess since it is actually imported gelato that is flash frozen what was I expecting? Its HEAVEN! Tomorrow as the second part of our anniversary we are going to the Wittlich Pig Festival. Check back tomorrow for pictures!

My steak with fried onions, grilled veggies, and potatoes. It also came with a salad



MMmmm

We thought this was funny... apparently Texas and Boston are popular German pizza flavors

Greimersburg

At the request of my parents, I went out and took some pictures of our village. Greimersburg is home to 500 people. We live on the newest street in the neighborhood, home to some surprisingly large and expensive homes. I will make sure to take a picture of our favorites. The styles range from classic german to tuscan to beach (in the middle of farms!).

Our neighbor to the left is the town plumber and our neighbor to the right is a German Aviator. We are also very close to the village kinderspielplatz (playground) and beautiful farms and woods. There are multiple walking paths to enjoy (penny and hoagie are in heaven!)

There is also an open field across the street from our house that some local horses use to graze. They are absolutely beautiful. There are the typical stallion type of horse (I wish I knew the different breeds), a LARGE working type of horse (either a belgian or clydsdale), and some sort of fuzzy/long
haired horse. One of the horses has a baby who likes to race cars when they drive by. Make sure you check back soon because each time we walk and take a different path I will update the pictures!

Matt walking Penny on our street in front of our house

Our neighbors across the street..their house looks like a beach house

Beautiful view of farmland

On of the larger homes in the village.. they have an amazing yard with a solarium and fountain

More farmland along our walk

Our street name

Horses grazing in front of our home

Playground

Walking back to our house from the end of the street

The only grocery store in our town...it JUST opened in July

Local barns

Church in town

One of the two restaurants in town

Our house!

Vineyards, Castles, and Shopping..OH MY!

Last weekend Matt and I decided to "go down the hill" to Cochem. Cochem is a "tourist destination" for Germans and other europeans. We saw a lot of Dutch people (Netherlanders) riding their bikes all over town. We walked the city, going in and out of shops, taking pictures, and finally shared a strawberry gelato. We didnt venture up to the castle on our first visit there, but we plan to soon!

History (courtest of Wikipedia) : Cochem was settled in 886 a.d. on the left bank of the Mosel River.Cochem was an Imperial estate. It was pledged by King Adolf of Nassau in 1294 to the Archbishopric of Trier and remained Electoral-Trier territory until the French occupation began in 1794. In 1332, Cochem was granted town rights, and shortly thereafter, the town fortifications, which still stand today, were built. Between 1423 and 1425, the town was stricken with a Plague epidemic.

In the Second World War, great parts of Cochem's old town were destroyed. Also during the war, the operations staff of the underground subcamp of Zeisig^[2] of the Natzweiler concentration camp between the villages of Bruttig and Treis was located here. At its height, 13,000 people were imprisoned. They provided slave labour for Bosch, which made spark plugs, ignition systems and glow plugs, which were important to the German war effort, under brutal conditions.^[3]
Since 1946, Cochem has been part of the then newly founded state of Rhineland-Palatinate.

In the Second World War, great parts of Cochem's old town were destroyed. Also during the war, the operations staff of the underground subcamp of Zeisig^[2] of the Natzweiler concentration camp between the villages of Bruttig and Treis was located here. At its height, 13,000 people were imprisoned. They provided slave labour for Bosch, which made spark plugs, ignition systems and glow plugs, which were important to the German war effort, under brutal conditions.^[3]

Vineyards along the river

Since 1946, Cochem has been part of the then newly founded state of Rhineland-Palatinate.

View of Cochem Castle from the river

I'm baaaa...aaack!

So the last couple of weeks has been rough. No phone..no internet...basically disconnected from the world. However, today is a day to rejoice..we have rejoined the rest of the civilized world with internet AND phone! That means I get to call my family today and I couldnt be happier.

The only good thing about being disconnected from the world for a few weeks was that we went out an explored our surrounding areas. Sometimes I feel like I need to pinch myself to wake up from this dream. I am surrounded by vineyards and castles, every princess's dream. Today I am enclosing pictures from the Rhein river cruise we took. We visited the cities of Rudesheim and St Goar. We were able to find a yummy peach brandy courtesy of Stefan (the wine maker who decided he is a celebrity and plastered his face of every bottle of his wine and brandies). Next post.. Cochem!

The streets of Rudesheim

Rudesheim

Rudesheim Christmas Store

One of the castles on the Rhein River cruise

Beautiful hotel on the river banks

Rudesheim streets

View from the boat

Another Castle

St Goar

Streets of St Goar