It's about time ...

None of us wants to leave Sevilla. We will remember these two months fondly and forever. November: Thanksgiving came & went, we didn’t see a pilgrim or have a big feast, but we were definitely giving thanks to God for our good friends. December: nothing really felt like the Christmas season except the spirit of giving, which continues to overwhelm us. We ask each other, “If a family came from abroad and landed in Orinda for months, would we show them this much attention and love?” I pray we pass the test when the opportunity arises. The truth is, we all have the challenge before us almost every day – we make choices to focus on our list of things-to-do OR on prioritizing people. We have seen such unselfishness during our trip!

Primarily, the two families of Charlie’s old friends, Cesar & Isidoro, have embraced us, included us, guided us, gifted us and loved us, so that we ache to think of our near departure. What’s more, they have introduced us to their friends and those people have reached out to us on several occasions.

Last week, Chase & Mary met an American man while walking his dog. He and his Colombian wife live in our same apartment complex. Shortly after, they sent us a note inviting us for tapas and are now insisting that we come to dinner before we leave. When you meet someone briefly or you think you may never see them again, aren’t you tempted to think “Ah well, we don’t need to invest anything in that relationship.” People here continue to make time for us and enrich our lives. And, as we’ve seen over & over, we often think we’ll never see someone again, but God seems to bring life around in a way that only He could devise.

We had a very special Christmas. Charlie and I didn’t buy many gifts, since we’re packing those suitcases again soon. We all had to be a bit creative with our presents – nothing too large, nothing for winter, nothing heavy, and nothing that we wouldn’t need in South America. For instance, we gave Mary a barf bag that we’d collected from our last flight, but Jane decorated it beautifully!

We didn’t plan to fill stockings or have piles of packages, but the kids woke up to a fantastic array of stockings and gifts for each of them, thanks to their friend Krystal from home who sent a box filled with treats for everyone. Another thoughtful friend from Germany made us cookies and sent an advent calendar, so we could begin the season with a sweet tradition. In addition, Piotr, one of our young friends from Poland, sent us drawings (he’s quite an artist) and a fossil that he’d collected when he was very young. We were touched beyond words …

Jane said to me yesterday, “If there's one thing I’ve learned on this trip it is generosity. People are always giving us so much, and that is what really matters in life." Thanks for all your thoughts and cards and love!

Feliz Navidad

What a gift it has been to really see how Christmas is celebrated in another country-- not just passing through to see the city lights or attending one night of festivity, but living alongside the people for the weeks leading up to and including Christmas Day. We have commented to each other how full our lives have been during this season and yet we aren’t going to work everyday, we aren’t studying for exams, we aren’t hanging lights or trimming a tree or baking for gifts! How do we do it back home?
One of the most important traditions here is the Nativity Scene. Spaniards have recently begun buying trees for their homes, but the oldest and most popular custom involves a day (or two) of setting up an extravagant, detailed Belen which is Spanish for Bethlehem. Sevilla has a central plaza filled with temporary stores all filled with different artists’ figures, houses, palm trees, and animals that the locals buy, adding to their sets at home.
We have also enjoyed something called zambomba which is a beautiful flamenco tradition in this southern province of Andalusia. Everybody gathers around a fire (typically it would have been in the courtyard of someone’s home) to sing, clap their hands and enjoy the Christmas songs to the sound of the guitar, tambourines and, of course, the zambomba, an instrument for which the celebration is named. It is basically a clay vessel covered with animal skin. In the center of the covering a long cane is secured which produces a deep sound when pulled up and down. We have seen three zambombas this past week – one in a large patio of the university, one at the elementary school of our friends’ children and another on a blocked city street nearby. When Mary got up “this morning” she looked at the clock (which read 12:15) and said, “That’s what the clock looked like when we came home last night.” . . . our typical schedule.
We will spend Christmas Eve at the home of our dear friends and they are even going to prepare a turkey for us! Jane, Mary & I will endeavor to bake an apple pie, but if our recent chocolate chip cookie attempt is any indication of success, they’ll be fortunate to eat dessert. That night will be full of anticipation for the arrival of Papa Noel, but the bigger event takes place on January 6th when the Three Kings come to bring gifts.
Thank you for the Christmas cards that you’ve sent. You can’t imagine what a blessing one piece of mail is. And while we are loving this special trip, it is difficult to be away from all of you, especially during the holidays. But we joyfully celebrate Christ’s birth and anticipate Chapter Two of our adventure . . . South America. God bless each one of you!

La Vida Loca

A simple yet full life here continues. We visited a beautiful town called Ronda week before last (and even saw the King of Spain up close!). We went to Cordoba last weekend and had a fantastic visit to the mosque. It is an unbelievable preservation of the Roman, Arab, and Christian beginnings of Spain. We still have difficulty absorbing the incredible antiquity of these structures that can date back as early as the first century.
We came back to a festive long weekend in Sevilla. All of the universities in Spain have traditional musical groups called La Tuna. They serenade senoritas and they stroll the streets singing about each region they represent. Once a year, many of the groups congregate in Sevilla for a long night of song and it all happens right around the corner from our apartment. Craziness in the streets until the early hours of the morning!

Also, Monday was a holiday celebrating the Immaculate Conception (our Mary asked how the birth happened only three weeks later . . . these are small details in the big scheme of things, huh?). There was a mass in the main Cathedral and a special dance performed by a group of boys called Los Seises. The fun never ends!!

One more serendipitous event was given to us . . . when returning to our flat yesterday I noticed a woman looking up at the balcony of another apartment where there was a “For Rent” sign. I passed her, but decided to turn around and ask if she was looking for a place to live. When our eyes met, she said “I know you!” And it turns out that we studied in Madrid at the same time during our junior year in college. She is here on a mission similar to mine a month & a half ago – looking for a place for her family to live when they come to Seville in January. I brought her back to our flat and we called the owner to see if they could rent it when we leave and she said ‘Si’! Carol spent the afternoon with our family and it was such a joy to hear our kids share their enthusiasm for the life that awaits her children. She told us that she was on the verge of losing all hope that things would work out when we bumped into each other. Isn’t God good? The difficult task I had He used for good! We don’t go through trials for nothing.

Serving breakfast in the elementary school has grown to be more rewarding than I’d thought possible, mainly due to the fact that, again, we have established relationships with the children. Charlie is quite the entertainer when he is refilling cups and mopping up spilled milk. (Have you noticed how long his hair is? Not one trim since July 28th!)

Jane’s friend, Avery, is coming to visit us for ten days and she arrives on Saturday. We can’t wait!

Plus ca change … (by Charlie)

If I knew the local translation for this French phrase which explains how “the more things change, the more they stay the same”, it would surely be appropriate to describe the people, their culture and landscape of Andalucia. Given my albeit limited perspective gained from several months stay here in Sevilla way back in 1984, I can say with confidence that this city and its c750k inhabitants are doing better than ever.

Sure, the global crisis will hit Spain hard following its impressive string of prosperous, above-average growth years, but don’t expect that to dampen the resolve or enthusiasm for life of its people. And, particularly in southern Spain, although the “work” thing is important, the “living” aspect of their daily routine has always ranked much higher on the priority list.

As a city, Sevilla has only improved with age. Much of the “centro” is now only accessible on foot or by a light-rail tram, and this has enhanced the flow and appeal of the area dramatically. The sights, sounds and smells are as alive as ever and, now that Christmas is approaching, the 2 main squares in town have added dozens of stalls selling books, trinkets and every possible nativity scene accessory you might consider.

Fortunately for the Hildeburn family, we’ve been able to re-connect with all of my favorite Sevillian friends, each of whom has graciously invited us back into their lives and homes as if we’d never left. What’s more, their kids have welcomed ours into their respective circles and activities, making the kinship all the more familiar.

Naturally, my “routine” has been altered somewhat as well, but I’m adapting … the most dramatic change, of course, is the time schedule of events:
9am – wake up
3pm – lunch
5:30pm – siesta (only when absolutely necessary…ok, most days)
10pm – light dinner
1-2am – bedtime

What’s more, the teenagers here stay up even later – Jane, for instance, was just leaving home recently for her “evening out” at 11:30pm!! As normal as this might be for these parts, nothing can really prepare you for watching your daughter sail off into the night – uh, morning – on the back seat of a motorcycle of some kid whose name you’ve only just learned how to pronounce. Dios mio!

Sevilla

We have started some interesting volunteer work with an organization called La Gota de Leche (A Drop of Milk). They help at-risk children eat healthier food and teach their families about better nutrition. We go into the elementary school and serve breakfast to about 50 kids between the ages of 4 and 10 (it is a far cry from Glorietta’s Gopher Gourmet). Most of these children live in shacks on the outskirts of town, and are primarily of gypsy heritage. They are adorable and, of course, victims of their parents’ choices. It is a miracle is that they even get to school given their lives at home – we cannot even imagine. They have been raised on black coffee, fatty sausage, and bread at best. Charlie made an interesting observation this morning that not one child took more than one piece of toast when he offered the tray-full. We also make bag lunches for them, which they get once we’ve coerced them to drink their milk, so they eat two fairly healthy meals a day. My sister would question the nutritious value as would we, but I’m sure it’s an issue of time and money, as usual. This non-profit also has a program in Cuzco, Peru which assists adolescent mothers by giving them skills and supplies to make various crafts to sell. The beautiful items (leather coin purses, hand-knit finger puppets, leather bookmarks, etc.) are sent here and Jane is working in the shop a few days a week in order to support them.

It is amazing to me how a place, a location, can change you. We all know this to be true every day, but it continues to fascinate me nonetheless. For example, the mountains give a sense of awe, the ocean a sense of peace, the workplace a sense of stress, our home . . . well, different things for each person, right? Spain makes me happy. The sights and sounds go easily into my soul and I relish them. Sounds . . . we are very accustomed to hearing church bells. Throughout Europe we have stayed next to churches and have been awakened to their clang (I can’t call it a chime, it’s most definitely more of a bong, bong, bong). It is one thing to hear the six gongs at daybreak, but here in Sevilla, the nearby church bells must be telling someone the time of something, but we have yet to figure it out. Seventeen clangs at 9:20 or none when it’s noon . . . just one of the many charms of our neighborhood. We also hear the clickety-clack of a horse and buggy going beneath our window occasionally and the heels of flamenco dancers when we pass by the dance academy around the corner. We will always zip right back here in our minds when we hear similar sounds in the future.

Chase was invited to a professional soccer game, which he loved, and he spends a lot of time over at the city club playing ping pong (the staff isn’t used to being beat!). Mary is working diligently at her Spanish lessons and helping out in the kitchen (she says the goggles help with the onion-cutting), Jane is juggling her social life with her exercise life and her volunteer life. I’m busy keeping the apartment clean and cooking, Charlie is doing most of the shopping at the mercado each day and helping everyone stay on task. Things are turning into our routine back home!
Nah…

A School Day in Spain (by Mary)

About a week ago, my new friend Patricia invited me to go to her school with her. At first I thought, “School??? Why would I want to go to school? Hello? It’s SCHOOL!!!!” After quite a bit of convincing by my family, I decided to go to her school with her. Here is how the day started . . .
First I had to wake up at 8:00. What a great start for the day that was. At least I woke up to a delicious bowl of oatmeal. Then I saw my sister walking around the house --- MY SISTER WALKING AROUND THE HOUSE?!?! At 8:00??? Obviously, something was wrong already. As I was brushing my teeth, I saw my dad walking around. Then I knew something was normal. When we took the elevator down to the garage, I noticed that our whole family was in the elevator!!! Apparently, Chase and my dad were going to the HUGE supermarket, my mom and sister were going out to breakfast, and I was going to school. WOW!

Once we arrived on to the first street, we saw what time it was. It was 8:15. We were in good shape knowing that I had to be at Patricia’s house at 8:45 before school started at 9:00. Once we turned on to the main street to go to the other side of town, we saw the traffic. For about 3 miles it was bumper to bumper. NO movement at all. Before we wasted any time, Mom, Jane and I got out of the car and started speed walking to the nearest crosswalk. We waited about twenty minutes until we finally caught a taxi. When we got to the school at 9:05, Patricia was waiting outside the door for me. The outside of the school looked like any other building. Then, Patricia ran me up the stairs to the third floor were I saw a long hallway with doors on each side entering into the classrooms. When she walked into one of the classrooms with me standing behind her, everybody in the class quickly turned around and stared.

The teacher walked me over to the next room were the English teacher was teaching a class. She was very nice and welcoming to me. In every class I walked into, I got asked questions. They only knew about five questions in English. And I had the same five answers for them.
#1. How old are you? Answer--12.
#2. What’s your favorite color? Answer-- Blue.
#3. Do you like Seville? Answer--Yes, very much.
#4. Who’s your favorite in High School Musical? Answer--Troy
#5. Where do you live? Answer-- San Francisco, California

The English teacher asked me if I noticed anything different about the classrooms. I couldn’t figure it out. She told me that there is no artwork posted on the walls. It is a school law not to post their work. After about two hours, we all ran down the stairs to go play outside. It was their only break but it was about 35 minutes long. The whole time, there was a huge mob of kids around me asking the same five questions over and over. There were different people coming and going. There were at least twenty people around me the whole break. Every five minutes, Patricia would come over and make everybody give me some space. There were people playing with my hair, giving me backrubs, and giving me notes they wrote for me. Even though I didn’t bring a snack for break like everyone else, it was ok because the kids gave me so much candy! I felt like Hannah Montana! At the end of the day, I was so tired. It was almost impossible to keep me eyes open.

Life in Spain -- By Chase

Settling down in Sevilla for two months eases the ache of being away from home so long. It enables us get into a routined (it’s not a word, but that’s what I’d like to say) lifestyle and feel like we have everyday things to do. Having a refrigerator that we can go back to day after day and not having to pack up all our food supplies is nice. Putting our clothes on shelves/in a dresser lifts the burden of living out of a suitcase (which we have all gotten very good at, despite its irritations). Having the luxury of leaving our belongings out around our ‘piso’ aka apartment and not having to keep them all in our backpacks or suitcases is something that we have missed doing as well.

One of the first things we did in Sevilla was a tour of the Plaza de Toros. The actual bull fighting season ended in September, but we thought it’d be interesting to just have a look inside one of the most popular bull rings in Spain. Similar to the feelings I have when I walk into any large sports stadium, it gave me a thrill to walk through the tunnel and see this sand-covered arena where so many epic moments have taken place. We learned about the process of a bullfight and the different kinds of traditions used in this bizarre sport. Corrida de toros (bullfighting) is pretty gruesome to most visitors and crowds, I think.

Another place we visited which was breathtaking and intricately beautiful was the Plaza de Espana. It's a shell-shaped plaza with ceramic art and brick walls and pretty bridges over a canal in the middle (though it was empty...they only fill it in the summer) and just a beautiful place. Along the outside wall a series of paintings depicts each province of Spain and presents more of a greatness to the area. It was a day with blue skies and great experiences.

On Sunday, we went to church at an evangelistic Bible-preaching church filled with happy, Christian people. Squished in the middle of two buildings, the church could hold no more than 40 people but it was such a loving atmosphere that we were happy to be squished together in the wooden pews. Some songs we sang during worship were familiar tunes but had Spanish lyrics. I really enjoyed learning these songs in Spanish b/c it provided just a bit of familiarity in a foreign setting. Despite not understanding much of the sermon except the fine points that Mom interpreted to Mary and me on paper, the service was a blessing to us.

Soon after scurrying out of the church service once communion was received, our family drove to meet a good friend of Dad’s that he had met in Sevilla while he was traveling just out of college. Cesar (pronounced TH-esar in Castilian Spanish) has two young children ages 9 and 3. They took us out to lunch with all of his family. This included his parents, siblings, niece and nephews. It was as much a family reunion for them as a get together for us. The meal took place outside under a huge shade structure – how great is that in November? Sunday night, we brought Cesar’s immediate family back to our piso for a little visit and then strolled through Centro Sevilla to a procession that took place outside a little Catholic church. These “pasos” have a big part in the traditional religious life of Sevilla as well as the cultural life. The procession involves bringing down The Crucifix or a Virgin Mary from the altar of the church and placing it on a large platform carried through the streets of the city by the brawn of male members in the church. Multiple things strike me as remarkable about this. One, the actual piece of art is stunning in appearance because of the golden rays of Mary’s halo, the ornate silver decoration of the platforms complete with silver candelabras, the realistic statue (fully dressed in silk and golden threads), as well as its sheer size. Two, 10-15 men are underneath a 500-pound weight carrying this figure on the breadth of their shoulders and neck. I think the phrase “that oughtta hurt in the morning” would definitely apply here. The procession that we saw was only one church doing this to celebrate their specific saint, but during Semana Santa (Holy Week) in April all the churches in the whole city and surrounding areas make the trek to carry out this same process and bring their altar centerpieces to the magnificent cathedral in the center of Seville. We were told that some churches make a 12-hour long march to the cathedral. Imagine hundreds of representations of the Crucifixion and the weeping Virgin Mary ambling through the streets of Sevilla atop hunched-over men. It’s kind of a humorous thought, but it’s also an impressive one. I don’t know how biblical this ritual is, but I’m pretty sure that it shows the culture’s devotion to religion and how Catholicism has dramatically shaped the way of life here.

Keep those cards & letters coming!

I neglected to give you our address for the next two months, so you can send us Christmas cards, etc. :) We leave Spain on January 8th.

La Familia Hildeburn
Calle Guzman el Bueno 9, Bajo C
41004 Sevilla
ESPAÑA

Love to all,
Colleen

Spain, por fin!

Wow ~ it has been a long time! I came to Spain ahead of the family and without the laptop, so there's MY excuse. But I am SO thrilled to be back in the country I have loved dearly, hearing the language that was my focus of study, and seeing friends from the days of my college year abroad. Charlie is truly the Seville guy . . . he spent a summer here in 1984 and I visited from Madrid. It is his old friends that we've reconnected with and now we're introducing our kids to their kids.

But let me back up. Have you ever been in a new place by yourself, with no family or friends, not much money, no purpose and perhaps not able to speak the language? It is such an incredibly difficult task. Even though I was delighted to be in Spain, I arrived in Andalucia and began the search for an apartment, a church, Spanish classes for Mary, and a gym. That was my mission. So I started out . . . walking the streets of Sevilla, looking for signs in the windows that said "For Rent" so that I would know what the place looked like and how the neighborhood felt. But there weren't many options and when I called the few possibilities I heard "It isn't furnished" or "We don't want to rent for two months only" or "Already rented". VERY discouraging. I began to doubt that we were even supposed to be here. No language schools had classes for young students (except in the summer) and the gym I found seemd great (Pilates, stretching, step, etc.), but I wasn't sure if we'd end up finding a flat nearby, so I didn't dare join yet.

At least one thing was wonderful. I found a rare 'non-Catholic' church in the outskirts of town. It was a little dicey not knowing what I was getting into, but when I walked through the doors and heard the worship music, I felt at home. The pastor and the people are wonderful and I was incredibly happy to be back in church. But I was losing hope with the rest of my task in trying to find the ideal situation for our family. Loneliness is all-consuming. I don't know if I'd ever really felt it.

And in the depth of my despair, God answered my prayers. I found an apartment that is in the most classic Spanish-style neighborhood with 3 BR, 2 bathrooms, and lots of general living space. It is 5 minutes walking distance to the gym I'd seen, AND it came with underground parking, which is absolutely unheard of! The photo here is in the courtyard leading to our 'casa'. Charlie and the kids arrived on Monday (sweetly rushing their drive south) and I am a happy mama.

Today is Mary's birthday, so we went out for the afternoon meal in a fancy restaurant to celebrate. Life is good, as the t-shirt says.

France (by Mary)

Here in Lauzun, France all we do is go to the local market, eat, relax, and read =( . It is very quiet here. We are staying at my dad's friend's house built in 1830.We are staying here for two weeks. On the left is a picture of the house. Our bedroomss are on the very top floor and there's a marble spiral staircase that goes up there. The only history I know about it is that the old mayor of Lauzun built it and lived here. The statues are called caryatides. A caryatide is a woman statue with no arms. Every morning, we get to sleep in. When we wake up, we have fresh croissants. After we eat, we go to an open market. The markets have anything you could think of. They have fruits, vegetables, spices, meats, fish, sometimes clothes, and when we're lucky -- crepes. Once we stock up on food, we go back to the house and relax by the fire. There is a local lake down the street where mom and Jane do there stretches to "raise their heartbeat". Then they run with straight legs, kicking up all the dried leaves and look like the tuba players from CAL. Chase and I go fishing at the lake. We've caught one 7 in. catfish. After France, we go to Spain for 2 months. We decided that mom goes early to pick a fun town where we'll live near Seville. She is leaving tomorrow. We will catch up with her in a week and a half. When we found out that she was leaving, we said, "A week and a half?!?!?!" Please leave more comments. From the number of comments we get, it seems like you guys are all dead.

Nous Sommes Arrive ... (by Charlie)

Yes, we have definitely arrived in France ... and in style, too !! For the last few days, we've had the great fortune of enjoying the season's final vestiges of warm weather in the Cote d'Azur, relaxing in a luxury villa perched on a cliff overlooking Monaco, Eze Village and St. Jean Cap Ferrat.

NO, we haven't seen any movie stars, found any topless beaches, nor been to the grand Casino de Monte-Carlo, but we did visit the ancient Mt. Bastide, upon which Eze Village is situated and take a tour of the Fragonard Parfumerie.

Actually, for the first time since we've been in Europe, everyone has been able to "do their own thing", which has been a blessing. And there are plenty of activities available here: sunbathing, swimming, jacuzzi, SkyTV, big screen movie watching, reading, exercising. internet surfing ... and eating, of course !

Ciao

Well, on Monday we left the vineyards of Tuscany and drove to the northwestern coast of Italy without a solid plan. We'd had fantastic visits to smaller towns with quaint piazzas and recognized that we definitely prefer that to the bigger cities. Vespas, crowds, pollution and pigeons are part of the reason. We did learn a few things in that region, but it appears that we're focusing more on food than history. It's a considerable pastime for the kids now to seek out the best (homemade) gelato in town. There are two clues: 1) the ice cream must be in metal bins (plastic is a dead giveaway of factory-produced) and 2) if the banana flavor is bright yellow, forget it, the best is a slightly gray hue which means real bananas. This is education!
After a quick guidance prayer, Charlie and I brought the kids to Lerici and fell into four incredible days on the Mediterranean. Our hotel is right on the beach -- harbor on the left, castle on the point, rocky shore and promenade to the next village on the right. It is glorious. And unusually warm weather (75-80°) has us on the beach until sunset. The ocean has revived all five of us! One day, Charlie and I took a boat to Cinque Terre which is set of five small towns nestled into the cliffs of the mountains around the cove. Fantastic!
Constantly grateful...

Italy

If you didn't have a schedule, what do you think your schedule would be? That's our life these days. Of course, we're five different people, so we'd have five different schedules ... or at least two ~ 'grown-ups' & kids'. Charlie and I wake up, have coffee & breakfast, and then decide who has the toughest task of the day ~ waking the children.

We drove from southeastern Switzerland into a part of northern Italy called Sud Tirol. It was a blend of Germany & Italy, so it was slightly strange. German language, German architecture, German efficiency, but lots of pizzerias, vineyards, and Italian license plates. There were still gorgeous mountain towns and we had a beautiful one night stay in Merano. Then we headed south to a town between Venice and Verona called Vicenza (Mary is thoroughly confused, too). A friend of mine from high school married a wonderful Italian man and she runs a B&B in an 18th century villa. http://www.italialodging.com/est/villapasini/ It has been another incredible reunion and I feel so fortunate to reconnect with an important part of my past. (Jane can't wait to see my old photo albums now!)

Once again, we were in a cultural haven when we travelled to Venice, but a highlight was learning that our water taxi driver (Matteo with wavy long hair) had seen the Italian Job filming as well as hosting Brad Pitt on his boat last year. These are the memories that we will keep ~ the art history is all mooshing together. :)

I believe we're going to a place without Internet for the next few days, so don't forget about us. We'll write again when we're able.

Yodel-a-hee-hoo

It’s a good sign when Chase asked, “Is today Saturday?” No. “Monday?” Nope ~ Thursday. “What?” We got a great apartment here in Maloja (CH) and it makes a huge difference to have some space and be able to cook our own meals (okay, heated bathroom floors don’t hurt either).

Charlie and I continue to be so pleased to see the kids get along with each other. We both remember having numerous tiffs with our own siblings whenever we traveled. These three do everything together, all day, everyday . . . and night. They’re either cracking each other up or Mary’s keeping us all in stitches with her Zac Efron imitations. They really miss Rock Band, but that hasn’t hindered their guitar, mic & drums trio. We’re only 8 weeks in ~ we’ll keep you posted. I have to say, writing these blogs forces me to look at our experience in detail. But it also tempts me to write what is entertaining to the reader and avoid some reality. My biggest challenge is to appreciate the small stuff in each day. Certainly, every day brings blessing or hardship, but always a lesson. No big purpose is always evident, but I’m trying to soak up what’s right in front of me rather than worry about the future. I just finished reading “The Alchemist” and there was a good reminder that, if you focus on the present, “life will be a party for you, a grand festival, because life is in the moment we’re living right now.” Oooooh ~ philosophical. P.S. Any good reading recommendations are always welcome!

I’ve always used Switzerland as my natural beauty standard and it hasn’t disappointed. Each of the past two days has been centered around great, long hikes. The average temp here is running about 6-8*C midday (roughly 45*F) so the uphill trek is a welcome warmer-upper. The first day we took straps and carabiners so that we could cross slightly treacherous wood & cable bridges, etc. Then we came across a zipline, which was great fun. We only argued once about which direction to go and I’m not telling who was right. It only cost us a half hour or so. What’s the big rush? Yesterday was windy and cloudy. Again, the family was generous to go along with my suggested destination. We took a tram (think Squaw Valley, but smaller) to our starting point and began a 2 ½ hour hike up to see six separate lakes. I’d post a picture of Mary’s displeasure after an hour of uphill into a snowstorm, but that wouldn’t be very nice. The lakes looked more like mud puddles, but locals insist they reflect the sky and minerals when the sun is out. See, you won’t find me asking “Why won’t anyone listen to me??!” I KNOW why. It was a perfect summer day (see photos).

We really did laugh a lot once our fingers thawed. You can see we’ve lost all vanity, too.

You’re Driving a What ?!?

Our current mode of transportation is this brand new (leased/rental) 2008 Peugeot Partner – although we’ve all agreed that it does resemble a small delivery van, we’re happy to report that it’s able to fit all of our vast quantities of luggage, has been remarkably spunky on the German autobahns and Swiss mountain roads, yet still gets about 50mpg !! The kids love it, because...

"It's a Thriller!"

Swiss Delight (by Charlie)

The tagline in the tourist brochure reads: “2456 metres nearer to heaven” … welcome to the Upper Engadine of the Swiss Alps (think St. Moritz), where we have to suffer for the next 5 days hiking, biking and enjoying the early autumn season change, surrounded by hundreds of snow-capped peaks and blue/green lakes.

There are those who say that the Swiss way of life may somewhat stifle creativity and spontaneity, yet I’m sure I could fit right in here – imagine a place where the public transportation runs like clockwork, crime and unemployment are nearly non-existent and where everyone’s kitchen garbage bag has to conform to a certain standard.

We’ve experienced all the emotional extremes while on the road for the past two months – the excitement of seeing new places, exhaustion after multi-hour drives in our new Peugeot Partner (a.k.a. the “delivery van”) and utter frustration & disbelief at watching the financial market chaos. I suppose I should be grateful since I’m not sitting on a trading floor, but … I’d hate to missing a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

We had the pleasure of staying at the home of Drew & Isabelle Welton during the last several days. Like Colleen and me, they are both AIESEC alums from c.25 years ago. Today, in fact, marks their 20th wedding anniversary, which we recall attending as if it were yesterday. They and their two delightful children, Lucas (17) and Michelle (15), tended to our every desire, showing us around town (bikes, go-carts, discoteques) as well as escorting us on an excursion to Davos, where they’re in the process of building a second home. We'd post photos, but we had our first photographic catastrophe and Zurich was deleted. (Sorry Lucas! You really would have a huge picture here!)

We also had two bonuses during this visit ~ Colleen's brother-in-law was in town on business, so we got to see Jay!

And we had a quick, but wonderful reunion with friends in Liechtenstein (how many of you have been there?) Thank you for the lunch and tour, Jodi!

Like I said, life is good here …

The Black Forest

For me, the most precious rewards of travel fall into two categories. 1) the unlikely connection with certain people at a certain time (which often leads to another meeting down the road) and 2) exposure to local places or events that the common tourist might never see. Some would call it serendipity, others divine appointment. Whatever the name, it always thrills me.

Two years ago, Charlie and I had dinner in Paris and met a German couple at the next table (those of you, probably women, who lean over and ask about the dish they were just served will understand exactly how we met). By the end of the meal, we exchanged information in case their kids ever came to California, etc.

Fast forward ~ we just met up with their family and had the most wonderful visit! We weren't even planning on going to that part of Germany, but they led us on a beautiful hike, invited us to their home for dinner, and took us to a "restaurant" that is only open six weeks of the year when the new wine grapes are harvested. It was such a unique atmosphere and we thoroughly enjoyed their grown children, too. We're grateful beyond words.

And we needed it. We'd seen five days of rain and Charlie had more of an excuse to log on and focus on the financial crisis. Not a great combo.

Highlights of the past week include a toboggan run in Gutach, the Grimm's fairytale architecture in quaint villages, and of course, our visit with the Sauerbecks. Life is good.

Salzburg, Austria (by Jane)

After seeing the Sound of Music about 100 times, everyone pretty much knows every single scene. Therefore, when we came to the city where they filmed all the outside scenes for the movie, we couldn't resist:
Doe, a deer, a female deer......




Fa, a long long way to run

So, a needle pulling thread

La, a note to follow so

Ti, a drink with jam and bread

That will bring us back to doe, doe, DOE!

Yes, we are embarassed for ouselves.

The Bavarian Alps

We are experiencing "technical difficulties" in our current location (Schwangau/Fussen, Germany) which won't allow us to upload any photos, so we hope to post pics from Salzburg very soon.

We had so much fun there ~ mostly pretending that we were the Family von Hildeburn. But we'd be creating a false image if you picture us always singing and frolicking around each town as we go. Truth be told, it would look more like the Cheaper by the Dozen family than Maria's Favorite Things. Instead of being "Something Good", it is occasionally something annoying. And if schnitzel with noodle "looks disgusting" then Liesl & Gretel are alive & well. If barking at the kids in the back seat to "look out the window!" instead of playing hand-held Yahtzee counts as the equivalent of Maria inviting the children into bed with her on a stormy night, then we really do look like the vonTrapps. Some days we have the blessed opportunity to escape over the hills into Switzerland and our response is "What? I have to WALK?" You get the idea. I'll even confess further that Jane suggested we spend a whole day treating each other like friends instead of family. Eh-hem. Okay, we're working on it. Ticker tape parade if we make it until May. Just don't want you to be disillusioned. :)

Let me get back to the wonderful (it's always there). Would I diminish the beauty of Yosemite and the Grand Tetons if I said they don't hold a candle to these mountains? (You know my memory is failing). But it was a spectacular drive from Salzburg to Fussen (through Innsbruck). Incredible, jagged mountain range with lush green hills in the foreground and often a castle or church steeple at the base. Lakes, ruins, and typical Bavarian-style cottages all along the way. Absolutely beautiful.

Munich By: Mary

Munich was amazing. It was a very late night town. But we always ate so many pig knuckles and potatoes that we went to bed early. The first day we got to Munich, we walked around the old town and saw the Glockenspiel which is a huge clock with moving objects such as kings, queens, jokers, and knights. The knights from Germany beheaded the knights from Austria. It was SO cool. The next day, we got the opportunity to sleep in late and then eat at our amazing hotel buffet. After we stuffed ourselves with food, we decided what we wanted to do for that day. Chase, my dad, and I, all wanted to go to the new BMW museum. Jane and my mom wanted to go to the Toy Museum. So that's what we did. It was a very fun day for all of us. It was raining on Sunday morning so we listened to Pastor Matthews preach to us on one of the church's tapes. The next day, dad went to go pick up our car. When I was thinking that it was going to be a hip sports car - I was TOTALLY wrong. All they said was, "It has good gas mileage and good cargo space. That's all we need." Goodness. They must have no good taste in cars.
Now that it is September, I was thinking about all of my friends being in school. I'm glad I'm not in a classroom, but I am still learning alot. Here are a few things that I have learned:

• how to ride the Metro
• how to try foods even if I can't pronounce the name
• how to post photos on the blog
• how to speak Polish (a little)
• how to close all different shower doors
• how to ride segways
• how to use Skype
• how to have church without a church building
• how to drive on the left side (well, Dad did)
• how to watch free movies online
• how to play Ringo
• how to do the "Cotton-Eyed Joe" dance
• how to crochet
• how to pantomime language
• how to figure out all different toilet flushers

Keep posting comments or sending e-mails. We love it.

Prague Blog

This is a great city! Here's picture of the view from our hotel window . . .

and the highlight of our visit was meeting up with our wonderful Pastor and his wife, Lynette.

What a ball we had exploring the Old Town together. Lots of laughter and ice cream :) They have continued on their adventure and we decided to rent Segways for an evening tour.

Impossible to capture all the fun with a camera, but it was a blast! We're thinking that Miramonte traffic would lighten substantially if a few Orindans invested in these.

We're learning how to use Skype.com, so please find us (even if you don't have a webcam we can talk through the computer for free!)