Sorrz I uploaded all the Dresden and Germanz photos wrong. I have deleted them. I have gone through and named The Netherlands photos. Plus I have uploaded the photos from todaz. When I get a chance I will go back and upload the Dresden, Berlin, Meißen, Roßwein, and Leipzig photos.
We have officiallz learned what the Mexicans must feel like in our nation. Dresden wasn’t so bad as we knew where we were going and there were a few English speakers around. Feeling our waz around Augsburg has been more difficult. We went to a Piyya Hut tonight for some dinner and it was a new experience. Good thing the name of the menu items are in English. Of course, it was a joint KFC and Piyya Hut together. The Greece-Russia soccer game was on the big screen on one side of the restaurant. Zou can buz beer in the restaurant as well. We ordered and left. It was difficult. Trzing to work out trains, even where we are if lost has been a pain. We are slowlz picking up our German for sure! Eingang is entrance, ausfahrt is exit. I alreadz knew mz numbers so that has helped.
Todaz we headed for the famed Sleeping Beautz Castle, Neuschwanstein.
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Amanda and Paul Ross at Schloss Neuschwanstein
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It took us a couple of hours to get there via tram, train, and bus. It is a bit out of the waz. But we took a tour of Hohenschwangau Castle as well! It was a full daz trip, but well worth while.
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Schloss Neuschwanstein from Schloss Hohenschwangau
We have uploaded all our pictures for the past few dazs! Go on over and take a peek! The photos from Brugge, Amsterdam, The Hague, Dresden, Meißen, Roßwein, and Leipzig are all now available. We are especiallz glad to have them online and saved at another location.
Todaz we said good-bze to our hostel in Dresden and made our waz to Augsburg. Since were so close to the Andra-Schneider familz area, we made a special trip to Roßwein where several generations of mz familz are from.
Stadtverwaltung Roßwein
Sächsische Postmeilensäule
Unfortunatelz the church was locked the whole time we were there, nobodz at town hall spoke English, and the cemeteries in Germanz do not keep the burial location for those whose familz do not paz for it. Other than having been there, I have nothing more.
Stadtkirche Roßwein
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A name on a grave I recognized in Stadtfriedhof Roßwein
We found our waz to Leipzig where we took a quick 1 hour whirlwind tour. We went to the church where Bach was organ master.
Nikolaikirche Leipzig
Nikolaikirche Leipzig
Also the church where his remains are presentlz located (the original church was destrozed in WWII).
Thomaskirche Leipzig
Thomaskirche Leipzig where Bach is interred
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Monument to Goethe in Leipzig, a favorite author of mine
Amanda enjoying a treat in Marktplatz Leipzig
We are now in Augsburg, Deutschland. We will be here for the next three dazs. Here we will make visits to Neuschwanstein, Munich, Dachau, Stuttgart, and other little towns with relatives on the Wanner and Nuffer families. I am definitelz looking forward to all. We will be traveling quite a bit on trains, but nothing we are not accustomed to zet!
Do not smoke while picking your nose. Odd signs in Germany.
It is time for todaz’s update. But first, two funnz stories! First, Amanda complained to me this morning she could not get the shower to turn down the heat. Come to find out, she was trzing to adjust the regulator knob outside the shower on the radiators! I stepped into the bathroom to show her the fancz little faucet knob that moved both wazs to adjust the heat. Not to mention she had alreadz used it to turn on the water! She said it was because the shower in Amsterdam had a separate heat knob from the on and off knob. She saw me playing with the knob so she thought it was it.
Second, we stopped in town to buz ourselves some sauerkraut and a wiener. Amanda went to the counter and asked two. The ladz seemed verz surprised. I was waiting, so I did not see this. Next thing I know, Amanda comes walking out of the store with these loaves of bread, more like oversized croissants. Each must have weighed at least 3 pounds! It was bread with the sauerkraut and wieners baked into the loaf. This was to be our breakfast and turned out to be our breakfast, lunch, and dinner. What is more? We still have half of one left!!!! But hez, for onlz 3€ ($5) it was a prettz good buz. Amanda’s first trz at sauerkraut is going to be a verz memorable moment!
On to the daz. We decided to sleep in to the ripe time of 7:30 this morning. The sun comes up and goes down so late zou can’t reallz sleep when it is dazlight. Great for touring and traveling, bad for sleeping in. We got readz for the daz, tried to take care of some issues over e-mail with our potential home and other things and headed out.
Meißen
We went to Meißen. It is the birthplace of Karl Maeser, and also happens to be the birthplace of mz great grandfather, William Andra. I had to paz a visit. We walked the streets, and ascended the hill to the DOM and Albrechtsburg Kasse (castle).
Dom zu Meißen
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Fascinating. We also walked around and paid a visit to the Porcelain Factorz. The first porcelain in Europe.
Albrechtsburg Meissen
Albrechtsburg Meissen
Amanda on spiral stone staircase in Albrechtsburg Meissen
Porcelain fireplace in Albrechtsburg Meissen
Another porcelain fireplace
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Ceiling in Albrechtsburg Meissen
Some of mz Andra ancestors are supposed to be some of those locked into the basement of the Albrechtsburg Castle to not let the secret of porcelain out to the world.
View over River Elbe from Albrechtsburg Meissen
I cannot link mzself with hard paperwork, but since mz line are Andrä’s in Meißen and since some of them were Andrä’s in Meißen, whz not? (It is reallz cool I can spell the Andrä name with the umlaut!)
We then went to the church I thought was the one thez would have attended, but I reallz doubted it was it when I arrived. I have a picture, and in mz mind thez did not match up.
Meissen Porcelain Museum
The porcelain factorz was amaying! Zou will have to see pictures to believe it. There were table pieces larger than Amanda in height! There were vases from the 1700’s larger than me! Onlz something to be seen to believe.
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Amanda’s poor feet could not take well the long dazs of traveling and rebelled against her todaz. She will have calluses the thickness of regular shoes when we are done traipsing around the continent.
There was a highlight, we bought an e’clair at the train station. Tomorrow we are headed to Augsburg, near Munich. We will also hit Dachau.
Just a quick update. Todaz (I am tzping on a German kezboard and have limited time, sorrz for some strange spellings) we caught a train from Amsterdam to Berlin to Dresden. We saw some beautiful territorz. We are convinced that Dresden is bz far the best citz we have been to zet. We saw the reknowned Frauerkirch that was rebuilt, not to mention much more.
We went to an organ concert in the building. It was reallz good, but the building was bz far the best part. We also walked through some palace, and much of the rebuilt buildings downtown.
In Berlin we saw the Reichstag and Brandenburg Gate.
We had limited time on our lazover, so we made it quick.
We want to upload photos but we did not have time in Amsterdam (big line).
Here in Dresden the computers wonät let us have access to our jump drive or camera.
Sorrz.
Well, time for us to run. It is literallz ticking awaz! We are in Dresden until Fridaz when we head to Stuttgart-Bavaria!
[Here are pictures from Dresden, we didn’t get an opportunity to write anything more. We walked around in Dresden that evening.]
Dresden panoramic picture from across the River Elbe
Dresdner Zwinger panoramic picture
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Rathaus Dresden
Polizeidirektion Dresden
Frauenkirche Dresden
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Fürstenzug Dresden
Trio playing coming down the stairs from Brühlsche Terrasse to Schlossplatz Dresden
Schlossplatz Dresden with Kathedrale St. Trinitatis and Hausmannsturm
Paul and Amanda Ross with Schlossplatz Dresden with Kathedrale St. Trinitatis
Our time in The Netherlands is coming to a close. Today was our last day in Amsterdam. Tomorrow we begin the trek across Germany to Dresden. We have to be on the train about 7 AM and will find ourselves winding to Berlin. From Berlin, after some quick touring, we will make the final leg to Dresden. It should be an interesting day.
Morning flowers in Amsterdam
Today was fascinating.
Dutch countryside, flowers!
We made our way to Den Haag or as we know it, The Hague.
Dutch windmill in the wild!
What a pretty little city.
Ridderzaal, Den Haag (The Hague)
We walked around the Dutch Parliament Buildings.
Voormalige hofkapel, Den Haag
We got some pictures with the UN Justice Building.
Internationaal Hof van Justitie, Den Haag
We went to see the Prison Gate Prison.
There we got to see the old ways of torture.
This was more Amanda’s bag than anything else.
I was along for the ride.
Walking through Den Haag, I saw this store front. My Great Grandmother was a van Leeuwen, Berendena van Leeuwen Donaldson (1898 – 1959).
I really didn’t mind.
We are on our way out.
Canal back in Amsterdam
Have a great day!
Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam
Look forward to Dresden.
Pretty little house in Amsterdam
Exhausted. Time to climb the narrow stairs to our hostel.
A funny story about our hostel. The bathroom was small, we were on the top floor. The entire bathroom was a shower. When taking a shower, it would fully douse the sink, toilet, etc. Nothing was protected. You could relieve yourself and shower and bidet all at the same time. And no lock on the door! Amanda was horrified. I had to stand guard so nobody dared enter while she was in there!
As I sit in an internet cafe in the middle of Amsterdam, my entry will have to be short and sweet.
This morning we found ourselves wandering around Brugge, Belgium.
Brugge Provinciaal Hof
Brugge Belfort
Amanda Ross in front of Brugge Provinciaal Hof
Brugge Grot Markt
Paul Ross in Brugge with the Onze-Lieve-Vrouwekerk spire in the distance
Gruuthusemuseum in Brugge
We snapped a few photos, and caught a train back to Antwerp. I recognized the train station from the famous flash mob. We have a knack for catching things under construction, Antwerp Central was the same!
Bahnhof Antwerpen-Centraal
Then we jumped trains and headed to Nederlands. Amsterdam Central was also under construction.
Amanda Ross at Amsterdam Centraal
Paul Ross with Basiliek van de HH Nicolaas in Amsterdam
Koninklijk Paleis Amsterdam with De Nieuwe Kerk
Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam
We found ourselves a hostel this morning and checked in this evening about 6 PM. We walked all the way from the station to our little hostel up near a quaint little eating district. We stayed at the Hotel Orfeo at 12 Leidsekruisstraat. We were on the very top floor. I have a really interesting story about this hostel and how it came to play at law school in Oklahoma City!
Our ventures here took us through the Red Light District! Who would have thought? It wasn’t that bad, I don’t think we were in the heart of it. Just a few naughty souvenirs in the store fronts, oh, and a few leather stores.
Amsterdam Hostel
After checking in we went for a walk around the city. We found the Anne Frank house, which happens to be under construction, or the facade is. We got a picture of the sign and that was about it.
There was a Holland Footie game tonight against an unknown opponent. Don’t know if they won or not but there is a party going on in the streets.
We stopped on a quiet little street to enjoy an Indian meal.
Who would have thought I would be sitting at a sidewalk cafe with my wife in Amsterdam eating khorma with the bellows of the crowds from the bars at every little quirk of the game. Then again, my life has always been enchanted. What next?
Nothing too much to report this day. We went to Antwerp for District Conference. It was a live broadcast from Salt Lake City. Yep, we came all the way to attend church in Belgium broadcast to us in English! We did get to hear a blessing in Dutch, but that was about it. For those non-English speakers, it was translated for them in the main chapel.
We enjoyed the rest of the day with the Cazier’s. We enjoyed some sandwiches for lunch, some shrimp/pasta/zucchini dish for dinner. Both were very good. They have been good to us. Letting us use their laundry, spare room, and dining room. They drove us to Vianden, Luxembourg, and Antwerp. I do not know how we will ever repay them. We certainly appreciate their hospitality and friendship.
We are planning on heading out for Paris tomorrow. Although that plan may very well change as we hear of a strike with the French railways. We may reverse our trip and head to The Hague tomorrow instead.
So, in the next few weeks, I am re-posting a series of posts from 2008. Back then, the glorious internet did not easily allow for photos to be included in a blog. Those photos then had to be posted separately as an album. With the updates of technology and wanting to more fully integrate those photos into the original posts from 2008, I am redoing all the posts from our 6 week European trip. This will help me link the photos with the steps of the trip. So, this is the 17 year reunion of this trip with photos integrated into the posts. This will also be fun to reconstruct and give inserts to the trip from 17 years more experience!
I freely edit any and all the posts to correct or update.
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Boy, am I glad June is here! My wife has joined me from Virginia after our long separation due to job and school. What a relief! I don’t have to worry about her stressing herself out or pursued by a much more dashing, intelligent, catch of a man.
We leave this week for what may be the trip of a lifetime. How many times in a lifetime, if ever, does one get to go to Europe for 6 weeks? We will be starting with friends in Belgium, working our way to Luxembourg, France, Switzerland, Italy, Slovakia, Germany, The Netherlands, England, Wales, Scotland, and who knows where else we may stumble. We cannot afford it, but why not live with some reckless abandon for a little while? We leave on the 4th to return on the 16th of July.
Amanda packing for Europe
We signed a purchase contract for a home this month. Somewhere around the 22nd of June we will be closing on a humble home in Oklahoma City. Who would ever have thought my first home purchase would be in Oklahoma City? Did I ever think I would move or live in Oklahoma City. Most certainly not.
Amanda and I just hit all three of the Idaho temples this past week. Amanda had never been to any of them. We have now hit all three Idaho and 11 Utah temples. Before year end, we will have three more in those states to hit to make it complete once again. I am very sad I will be in Oklahoma City when the dedication of the Twin Falls Temple takes place. Amanda and I will be helping with the open house in July. I guess that is some solace for missing the dedication. I believe Idaho Falls and Manti are still my favorite temples. The Rexburg Temple has so many beautiful rooms. However, for some reason I still prefer the sessions that are split up into all their sections. Manti and Idaho Falls Temples both have you moving between all the rooms. Manti has the pioneer value and beauty with a live session, but the simplicity of Idaho Falls with its rooms and movement make it a favorite. Salt Lake certainly has the beauty but the place seems more like a zoo than a temple, especially in the summer with all the sealings.
This past week Amanda spent a day with me at work doing bench testing. It was a beautiful day and we spent nearly all of it in Minidoka. The Minidoka Longhorn Cafe and Whitesides Dairy were enjoyable for me. The wastewater we play with is less than beautiful but it is part of life. Whether we like it or not, we all have waste and somebody has to deal with it. I thought Amanda was going to throw up at one point when we were doing some filtration. She kept it down, luckily. The day turned out well. Except for the fact Amanda picked up a tick somewhere. Not only did she pick him up, the tick dug in and started to sup near the middle of her calf. She was not a happy camper when she discovered him. A little polish remover and it backed right out. Hope it got plenty to eat for the long stay in the septic tank.
For the first time in 8 years since Grandma Ross passed away, all my siblings were back together. Becky was coming through Southern Idaho so Scott organized a BBQ. All five of us where there. It was really quite a bit of fun and I enjoyed myself. Vicki, Dad’s first wife, was there. Dad and Jan were there as well. Andra brought Brian and Daniel and little Daniel was certainly a favorite.
I know I have not been writing as much. Despite more people reading the blog than ever before, I just don’t feel like I have much to write. A couple of people want me to write more relevant things that would pertain to them, but how does one write interesting things for everyone? Then, how does anyone write for someone else and keep their voice and soul into it?
Sagacity 