Back to "normal" life

I enjoyed the experience of being the tour guide as it meant doing all the touristy things I hadn’t done in years, or in some cases, ever. It was a lot of fun, but at the same time totally draining.
The way the itinerary worked out we had the most hectic pace in London. In Paris it mellowed out a bit and by the time we got to Italy we were quite happy to slow right down and take in more of the atmosphere opposed to sight after sight after sight. But we had built time into the schedule to allow for a slower pace which suited us well.

Shawn was really surprised at how much he enjoyed Amsterdam. It hadn’t been on his radar the way the other cities were. But of all the places he saw (including Edinburgh and Glasgow before I met up with him in London) he thought Amsterdam was the most liveable city. That was great because it enabled me to see the city with fresh eyes and it renewed my appreciation for it.

This last weekend I went down to visit Nina, having been away from Germany for 5 weeks now, the longest since arriving 6 months ago. It was also nice to see her parents again as they are on the verge of leaving for a 2 week Caribbean cruise and I won’t see them again until I arrive with Mom in early November.

There was an art exhibition in Aachen this past weekend. Loads of small galleries and old church halls displayed the art of local artists. The most memorable exhibit we saw was a photography display. A photographer who spent the majority of his career taking beautiful pictures of Aachen from unique vantage points and capturing the city’s beauty using different natural lighting effects. He had a prototype of a book on display, unfortunately one of a kind, as the pictures in it were so striking I would have bought the book on the spot otherwise.

We also visited an old house converted into a museum. It was mostly destroyed in the war and only the outer structure remained. They rebuilt it using parts from other houses from the 1700 – 1800s to create a perfect replica of a wealthy manor from that time period. We were investigating different things to show mom on the one day we will spend in Aachen together and found ourselves being captivated like tourists.

Saturday night we went to a friend’s house with another couple for a games night. The last one we had hosted in early August and I love these games night. Unfortunately finding a date that works for everyone means it might be another month or two before the next one.

Nina’s parents confirmed our New Year’s plans. They have rented a few rooms in a resort in the mountain town of St. Ulrich, Austria. It’s just South of Bavaria and an hour drive from Salzburg. We are booked for a week along with Nina’s sister and her family. Another trip to look forward to!