Then Maria treated us to shrimp scampi, salad and bread. Such a treat! I didn't know, at the time, that this was the first of many wonderful meals that Maria would make for us.
We sat at the table talking and reminiscing a bit about Marc and Achim "back in the day" and had some good laughs. I'm not sure if everyone stays close friends with their foreign exchange students, but Marc and Achim are like brothers... they're fun to watch when they get laughing and joking. It was good to see Marc this happy.
Achim, Marc and I decided to walk around and see the town little bit.
It was all so intriguing to me to see so many different buildings and structures from decades ago. I can't even really describe the feelings I felt exactly. I wanted to take a picture of EVERY little thing I saw. It was all so amazing to me, yet it was just a simple town. Nothing grandeurous or fancy. Just simple. Quaint. Right out of the pages of a story book. Leaving you wondering "Who built this? Who lived here?" This was a question I thought of quite a bit after going by the home that Beethoven lived in. That was a crazy feeling. Inches away from the walls that held so much talent and history... right there behind those pale, simple walls.
I may even overwhelm you with all that I took pictures of so I will try to just show you a few... or so...
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| I just couldn't get over the cobblestone streets and paths. They are so ornate. |
I asked Achim to take a few pictures of Marc and I so we could see us and not JUST the scenery (smile). And, like I said, I had a bit of an obsession with doors...
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| This little restaurant looked like such a cute little cottage! |
Even their cross walk signs were adorable so I had to take a picture to document that too.
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| I mean seriously... how could you not want to walk around this adorable place hand in hand? |
Also while walking through the town we saw all kinds of signs of it being Easter time. We had come there during the Easter Holiday weekend and they had decor out in full force. I am not sure of the significance of the decorated eggs hanging from the willow branches, but they were displayed like that almost everywhere we went. It must be a tradition that I need to look into. I'm thinking it might be something I'll do too. Also, the eggs are real eggs with the insides taken out and then ornately painted for a week-long display.
I took a pic of Marc and Achim too... they're good looking enough...
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| This one's my fave... lighting mostly, but, also, that Achim is giving "the sign" that is an inside joke and the just look good. |
Achim took us on a walk to this really cool cemetery. I know, that may sound a little strange, but I actually loved it... maybe I wouldn't have if it had been at night... anyway, it was like walking through a museum to see all the beautiful sculptures that people had done in remembrance of their loved ones lost. Some headstones were from the 1500's... truly amazing. They were truly beautiful and I tried to capture the feel in my photos.
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| This photo meant a lot to me because it reminded me of Chelsea, my sister-in-law |
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| It was so cool to see some of these throughout the cemetery. They made it seem just that much more surreal. |
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| I loved this handle, but didn't notice the spiderweb and dandelion-looking tuft until I got my photos on the computer. |
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| Marc and Achim could only wait for me so long. I got the hint, but before I scampered to catch up I snuck this shot. I love it. |
When the three of us got home from our long walk Maria was getting her "famous" homemade lasagna ready for us. She, once again, proved her skills by satisfying our tastebuds with the delicious dish.
There is just something about eating food in a foreign country... you just feel so... foreign... Ugh! I don't know how to explain it. What can I say really? I'm just a small-town farm girl who's never been out of the country. It was like I was in a dream or starring in my own Meg Ryan movie. It was just awesome!
It was great to see a familiar face when Marc's dad, Gary Facetimed with us for a few minutes. Achim was happy to see him. There's an 8 hour time difference so it got a little tricky to keep in touch with family back in Utah, so it was always great to hear from them.
The four of us stayed up for a but longer laying around on the couches and just talking and laughing and enjoying our time which we felt wasn't going to last long enough.
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