Family in Bremen

 It's been a long time, folks. 

Since the last post, we have moved and settled into our new digs. The apartment is plenty spacious enough for us two, light, easy to care for. 

We absolutely loved our old, odd, crooked, full-of-character-and-charm, cozy little fairy-tale house. But we didn't love the stairs inside and out and, with our years, it was getting harder to manage. 

A loving couple bought our little treasure and they're turning it into their own place. We couldn't be happier.

Months ago, after we'd decided to sell and decided on this apartment, Michelle said "Hey! We need to come visit and show Harrison your place and Bremen!"  

"Oops...we won't have 'our place' anymore," I said, "but there's still Bremen."  

"OK - that works!" 

After exploring other possibilities, the best solution was the easiest:  Michelle+Joey, Hannah+Harrison in a hotel a two-minute walk away, Hunter bunking with us. Worked out great. 

Arrival: May 11. A LOT had to be squeezed into a short week. 

Day 1:   Grill party with Peggy

They're here!

H+h met Peggy and family on their very first visit in 2007 and have seen them most every visit since. Felina, the older daughter, now married with two adorable boys and another babe on the way, was there, but we really missed seeing Julika, busy with her job as a talented architect. 

Food!  Joey wondered how in the world Andreas was going to cook all that meat on two tiny grills, but I have to say, Germans are good at grilling! There was a bit of everything - Bratwurst (three sorts), lamb, turkey - plus all kinds of sides. We ate till we couldn't, the kids had a great time reconnecting, and it was a nice transition to the new time zone.

But, the travelers needed bed! They took us back to the ferry, we had a cocktail and everyone retired for the evening. Great start!

Day 2:  Off to the City

I try so hard, but it just goes a bit off sometimes, or even more. Our English-speaking tour of the Town Hall was scheduled for 11:00 and everything was done for that, but THERE'S NO ENGLISH TOUR AT 11! It's at 12!! OK - visit the famous sculpture, go into Unser Leibfrauen Kirche, visit the Roland statue,
find a coffee house (not hard) and order beer, coffee, ice cream and cake (we all have different tastes at different times). That occupied the hour wait very comfortably, and then we toured the World Heritage Site of the Bremen Town Hall.  

Our guide was fun and interesting, and of course, the place itself is a wonder. There is a story (not confirmed) that in WWII an American bomber pilot was instructed to bomb the Town Hall (Rathaus) but he couldn't bring himself to do it, so he dropped a bomb on the Congress hall instead. True or not, we are so grateful to still have our amazing Town Hall!

The cellar is not bad, either. Wine casks you can stand in!

After a pick-up lunch in the Market Square from several different stands, we went through the Böttcherstraße, checked out the architecture and the shops and the Glockenspiel. The Glockenspiel is really special - the bells are made of Dresden porcelain and (I think) they change the melody now and again. 

We wandered back to Vegesack and had some spaghetti with Bolognese before the guests wandered back to bed. Jet lag is a thing!

Day 3:  Off to Hamburg

Minatur Wunderland is a wonder! The little people figures are no more than 1" tall, I think, and there are a thousand little surprises in the myriad of installations - Austria, Germany ( a lot ), the USA, lots of Europe, South America, the Antarctic, space launches, airplane take-offs and landings, airplane disasters, dead bodies, robberies, lots of amusing nudity in disguised places. It is so much fun finding the little secrets and just marveling at all the detail. But after two hours, your head has a hard time processing any more.

I'd bought tickets for a "virtual" event, having no idea what it was and was hesitant to do it, but how weird and fun! No pictures of what was going on in front of our eyes, but it was funny to see folks just walking around randomly....

Off to the harbor and food and a boat tour. We all thought it was a bit lame, especially compared to the last one, but it was sunny.  

A long, long day, lots of hours on the trains...

Day 4:  Off on the bikes 

Back to town. We rented bikes here in Vegesack, hauled them onto the train and biked from the station through the Bürgerpark to our destination: The Universum.  

Hard to keep us all together, 7 folks on bikes. Hannah decided a run-in with a bush would make the trip more interesting (!) while Werner went merrily on his way without any of the rest of the crew!! It took a while and several small detours to meet up again. We were so glad to find our Werner!

Then to the Universum and lots of little stations to try out the multitude of experiments with earth, the human body and space. 

After a rather late lunch, we biked all the way back to Vegesack. The crew were real troupers!! It got a little coolish before we got back. Dinner: quick take-out from the local Doner shop.

Day 5:  Back to Bremen, Tea with Ilsemarie and Ulli

A quick visit to the market, Hello!! to Herr und Frau Schmidt, a chat with the Cheese Guy, pick out all the different pastas we want for our dinner. That was fun.

And somebody couldn't make it back to the apartment without an ice cream!

There was not time enough to do it all in town on Monday - besides, the stairs to the church tower wasn't open then! So, up the tower,  a walk to the Schnoor, Bremen's oldest neighborhood (most from the 17th c.) and a very German lunch at Beck's am Schnoor. We didn't run into the magician, though that was no surprise. He's likely there only weekends...

Ilsemarie had set a lovely table with some delicious strawberry cake. Another wish fulfilled. Thanks, you two!!

Day 6:  Bremen Nord on Bikes

On the bikes again!  Hunter would do it every day, for sure, and it is easy, especially with e-bikes (though he was the only one who DIDN'T have an e-bike!). And this was the only day we were not on a train!

We biked the Promenade along the Weser, visited the big old stone chair,

 ....walked around Haus Blomendahl, a manor house from the 14th c., 

strolled through Aldi to make some comparisons, and after a little picnic-y break, back toward Vegesack, by our old little house and then to our local "castle," the Schönebecker Schloss. 

Ah, someone was having a wedding there, but the Schloss was still closed. Wandering the outside was also fine. 

Finally to the "Antik" shop - really the place where all your grandma's things go to die!!! But the kids found some treasures there!

Back home and a last dinner at a local Bavarian-style restaurant. We all found something that hit the spot!

And a new signature on our famous table cloth.

Day 7:  Gone so fast!!!

Everyone was packed and ready for the 9:35 train to the main station in plenty of time to catch the train to Amsterdam.  We packed a lot into too few days, but what fun!!! Hunter and Hannah got to reminisce a lot, Harrison got a first look at Bremen and we all got a good visit. 

After they were all safely on the way, I did the wash, took two naps, and went to bed early!!  Now we are packing ourselves to leave Tuesday for the US and Dylan's high school graduation. 

The fun never stops!  Thank you Ginns and Stones for an amazing and wonderful visit!