Last Night in Germany

It's hard to believe, but we leave Germany tomorrow. Things have been so busy that this is only the second entry I've written the whole trip.

There's lots to tell and I'm sure Patricia will add an entry when she's ready too, but for now she's busy going through her old things with her mom.

Momentos from childhood, books long forgotten, pictures, CD's, letters, clothes she just can't part with.

Things that take her back to a simpler time. So as Patricia and her mom look through box after box of old things Christoph, her father Freidrich and I went for a walk through the woods to Friedrichshutte.

Friedrichshutte is an old travelers' Inn where the Brother's Grimm penned some of their tales. They journeyed through the German countryside gathering stories and stopped there to rest.

They watered their horses, ate and drank, slept for the night and as I'm told sat under a tree outside and wrote.

That's where we walked to. We lunched on Schnitzel and Bratwurst and Beer. It was a good German afternoon.

The hike through the woods was pleasant, maybe three kilometers long, with a view of the villages below, green, green fields, the blue sky above and the ever present waft of hay floating through the air.

But now we're on our way to the airport and will be back in Vancouver tomorrow.

We've got a Venue and Date

After several busy days, eating and drinking really, we finally get a moment to update the details. The details about our wedding we've been promising everyone for months now.

We've worked hard. Our parents have helped immensely. And we finally have a date and a venue.

Mom and Don, Patricia and I have been staying with her parents, they've been gracious hosts, we've toured around the German countryside - Patricia's father driving 200 km/h - and now we have the perfect venue.

Rub your pennies together and plan for May 31, 2008.

Above are some pictures of the venue. A thirteenth century Abby. It's Gothic and melancholic, but not too melancholic for a wedding, over seven-hundred years old, with a huge open courtyard for the reception.

Even though it's hard to see from the size of this picture, we're standing in front of the entrance. We're excited and could not have found a better place.

Things have been hectic. Patricia's parents and mom and Don helped immensely by providing input, planning the trip and taking us around the country. But this, the Kloster Cornberg, http://www.kloster-cornberg.de
is a special place.

We're excited. we hope you will be too. More details to come...

Off we go.... 1 hour to go

This will be a very short blog entry and the last update from Canadian Soil.
We are all ready and fully packed, sitting at the gate and waiting to board the plane.

This is very exciting and I think I still haven't realized that today is THE day. The day we are going to Germany to see my family. And we are going as a family.

We are ready, after a 3 hours wait at the airport, Tim Hortons and some Duty Free window shopping....it's time to take off!

We'll see you soon, on the other side of the globe!
We love you all!

Tomorrow We Fly

Well today Patricia and are I doing our last minute preparations for out trip. Mom and Don arrive tonight, we'll have a quick visit and bite to eat and then it's sack time.

Patricia is so organized, despite working six of the last seven days, she's pretty much got us ready to go. Packed.

Our biggest trouble right now is deciding which shoes she's going to bring, "these ones or those ones?" she asks.
I say "those ones".
"But what about these? Maybe I need these ones too."
"Ok bring those ones too then."
"really not these ones?"
"Uh..."
Now I'm not sure exactly what was decided, but I noticed a couple pairs in my suitcase...

Yesterday I had a nice lunch with Jelly at Helen's Grill. A Main Street institution for cheap eats since just after the War. They haven't changed any of the decor since they opened save a few sports paraphanalia on the wall. Even those are getting old: old logos and teams no longer in the league. Remember the Hartford Whalers?

Even the table Juke Box's have the original music. We have a fast talking waitress, a veteran of diner-style service, complete with jail house tattoos and whiskey voice.

We were happy. Dad and I had a stack of pancakes, two eggs and sausage. Innumerable cups of coffee.

Kelly a plain chicken sandwich. Perfect. We ate and chatted, had a very good visit. The news of the day: a new condo in Langley for Dad and Kelly, affectionately know as Jelly, they take possession in October and we look forward to our first visit.

Fully sated and after a quick pit-stop to the ladies room for Kelly, we wandered up Main Street window shopping and stopped in at a little gallery, Arts off Main.

We wandered home, dad had a "gentleman's break". We took a couple Photo Booth shots said goodbye's and I settled back into getting ready for the trip and Jelly took off for Jeannette and Chris' house to look after Sasha.

And now we just wait for tomorrow. Flight time 9.10 am.

It was a good visit.