Legoland, Germany 3.0

This past weekend we drove north to Legoland in Germany to celebrate my birthday.  This was our 3rd time to the park.  The kids love coming back to this place, and actually Jenny and I do as well.  The park is aimed at primarily elementary school aged kids, so Ben and Megan are at the perfect age.  The kids love the rides, and Jenny and I enjoy walking around and looking at all the statues and sculptures made entirely of Legos.  I grew up a "Lego kid" when I was Ben's age.  Now he's really into it and I really enjoy going through it all over again with him.  Now Megan is starting to get into Legos, now that they've finally come out with a Lego line of toys called "Friends," which is aimed at girls.  Anyway,  the park has a new hotel on the property this year.  It's modeled after a medieval castle, and the inside is decked out with Lego themed decorations.  Needless to say the kids loved it so much they didn't want to leave.

Taco Night!

Usually once a week we have a family "taco night."  Well, tonight our weekly taco night got a little bigger.  Tonight we threw a dinner party for Jenny's co-workers from Dow.  Most of them are Swiss, but there are some from Germany, and one from the Netherlands.  We made a "Taco Bar," and everyone got to fix their dinner buffet style.  The only reason I'm even posting this is the fact that most of these people pictured below don't have much experience with "tacos" and "Mexican food."  So it was kind of fun.  We kind of gave them tips on how to arrange their tacos and what to put in it.  Turns out they all really enjoyed it.

This is one of my favorite things about living in Switzerland and in Europe.  To be able to interact with people who are from an entirely different culture is always a cool experience.  

Strasbourg, France

This past weekend we took a quick trip north to Strasbourg, France, which sits on the border with Germany on the river Rhine.  While Strasbourg is a decent sized city, the village center is small and charming and has lots of old world character.  Strasbourg lies in the northeast section of France, in the heart of the "Alsace" region, which is an area of France that is a unique blend of French and German cultures.  So when you walk through the village the buildings are an interesting mix of Bavarian and Parisian.  Also, both languages are commonly shared.  As I mentioned, the Rhine flows through the city and branches off in a few channels, so the village center is surrounded by water.  So there are all these channels of water everywhere.  

We explored the city center, did some shopping and snacking, and had a few meals.  The area is known for their "sauerkraut," served with meat, as well as a "beef & potato" stew, and "Tarte Flambe," which is like a small pizza with onions.  We tried some of the local cuisine, but I'll be honest it wasn't our best meal in Europe.  Anyway, there were plenty of pretzels, crepes, and "beignets" to keep us full.  We also walked through a section of town called "Petite Paris," which is an area filled with old French-style buildings right on the water.  The main attraction in the old town is the "Notre Dame Cathedral."  The structure towers over the city, and I struggled constantly to get a full picture of it.  The front face of the building looks very similar to the Notre Dames we've seen in Rheims, and Paris, but the main difference here is there is a huge spire on top of the left tower.  The building is amazing to behold and it's incredibly imposing.  We have this tradition of lighting a candle inside a cathedral we happen to visit.  Usually we light a candle in memory of my Grandmother, who passed away last year.  This time around Megan added another candle to the tradition...this time for our late dog Glacier.  She came up with it all on her own.  It was cool to see.  

Anyway, we really enjoyed Strasbourg.  It's an easy village to navigate, and it's small enough that it's not going to stress you out, like let's say Paris.  There were some areas of town that reminded me of Rheims, France.  Then there were other areas that reminded me of Munich or Zurich.  So it was really interesting to see the mix of both cultures in one town.

One of the fun things about exploring these European cities and villages is stumbling across things that are totally unexpected.  For example, when we first set foot in Strasbourg we were expecting to see a charming village square.  Instead, we were surprised to see a large "ping pong" tournament going on with a few hundred people, complete with video screens and event tents.  Like I said...totally unexpected, but interesting nonetheless.

On a personal note - typically my photos tend to lean toward landscapes and architecture.  You've probably noticed by now almost all my photos feature old buildings and sprawling landscapes.  Those are typically the first two features I look for when I'm photographing.  Lately I've been trying to show the culture as well.  The people and their lifestyles.  That sort of thing.  Anyway, it's something I'm trying to be more conscious of.  I'm getting better at it, but I still get distracted by the old buildings and beautiful landscapes.  Anyway, it's just a personal goal I guess.