Bayreuth weekend

Using our well-honed travel skills we have successfully navigated our way to Gesa and Christoph’s in Bayreuth.

Our simple 3-train trip unexpectedly became a 4-train trip when the front half of the very full train ended up taking us to a place called Hof.  Luckily there was a fine, helpful soul sitting behind us who had ready access to the app and let us know that there was a train headed back to Bayreuth in only 4 minutes.  So, with minimal fanfare, we boarded the equivalent of a diesel bus on rails, and in less than an extra 1.5 hours, we were where we wanted to be all along.

Being greeted by friends in a foreign train station is a wonderful treat.  Their house is a wonderful 4+ story collection of rooms that allows us to take over an entire floor for ourselves.  Our breakfast was the “Full German” with countless varieties of rolls and pretzels to go with cheeses and spreads and muesli and all the trimmings.  After that and the ceremonial herding of the squirrels to get everyone pointed in the right direction, we rushed right out the door by the crack of 11 and walked through the quaint old town in order to get to second breakfast at an amazing bakery -

Complete with a full 20-choice menu of different mixing chocolates to add to your steamed milk.

In honor of Mom, I made a pilgrimage to the MWF store of kitchen supplies that she loved so dearly. So many fun things -

A day of mixed rain and sun allowed for some inside movie time-

Eventually a trip to the local park where none of the kids cried, but most came away with some kind of scar-

After a big evening of even more eating, and some deep planning sessions, we are now prepared for an early morning train to Munich (or perhaps a different spot) in the hopes of seeing the German equivalent of OMSI and the Lightning room at the Deutsches Museum.This has been on my list of things to share with the kids from the start, so it will be nice to do with some native speakers for a change.

Levke and Liam and Elias are doing an amazing job resurrecting their English skills and incorporating Lyle and Ruby.  With their impending sabbatical next summer back in Oregon, it will be good to have the kids recognizing each other when they arrive.

Lots of good planning for the next stretch of the Rhine when we get back to Mainz in a few days, as Christoph used to live there as a kid, and then we expect to link back up with them in Holland to ride for a few days out in the islands of Zeeland.  I look forward to teaching them how to properly get lost and arrive in errant destinations.

-Dave