Trochtelfingen

(this blog features guest commentary from Sara)
Our bus ride to Germany ended up relatively painless. The bus was not very full, so we were able to stretch out and get some sleep overnight. . . which ended up being a good thing, because we had a full day ahead of us! Sara and Solveig picked us up at the bus station (which seemed like a great luxury after months of arriving in a new place and immediately trying to navigate public transport). As it turns out, we arrived in Stuttgart the same day the local soccer team, VFB Stuttgart was playing for the German national championship. There was a closed off area and a viewing screen in the Schlossplatz- in the same style as what you saw on TV for the world cup. So, after lunch at a sidewalk cafe (and the corresponding Euro sticker shock) we headed to the square to watch the game. At first it seemed like a really sweet set up; a sunny day, cold beer, and an enthusiastic crowd. But, it turned out there was a little too much enthusiasm- the city planned for 20,000 people in the downtown area for the game and 100,000 showed up. It was too much for us, so we left before the game even started- although fighting our way out of the crowd was a feat in itself which took a good 45 minutes. (Sara says: for a while it looked like we would never make it to freedom, and then Solveig came up with the brilliant plan to huddle behind a huge German man who seemed to be making good progress. He just took very slow, steady steps, and he was so big no one could push him out of the way. He didn't notice us behind him until we got out of the crowd, but we thanked him profusely for leading us to safety)After the VFB experience we headed back to Solveig's home town of Trochtelfingen, to the Heinz house. Trochtelfingen is a picturesque German town in the Swabian Alps complete with narrow stone streets, old wooden buildings, red rooves, and of course a brewery. The Heinz house itself is an oasis of wonderful hospitality. It has been such a nice, relaxing place for us to wind down our trip. The first night we were there they had a 'Cultural Symposium' party. Five of the seven kids, the parents, and three freinds of the family came over to the house to barbeque. After the barbeque, during which a lot of beer was consumed, all of us squeezed into The Winzig, a small wooden fort in the backyard (Sara says: the fort was originally built when the Heinz offspring were just kids... but they have maintained, and added on to the fort and they still use it for birthday parties and the cultural symposium). The inside is setup like a bar, but its only about four feet tall, so it gets pretty tight - especially with fifteen people inside. In the past the family has done these symposiums but with a specific focus; one time an art exhibit and another a poetry recital. This time it was an open symposium so there were songs, stories, and an interpretive dance among other things. Fifteen people ranging in age from 20 to 60 crammed into a children's fort, singing songs, and drinking beer. A fun night to say the least and our first indication that this family was a little be different than most. (Sara says: Andrew was the one who provided the AMAZING interpretive dance - one to represent each country, or part of the world they have visited so far. It was truly spectacular and he became an instant Heinz family favorite afterwards. One of Solveig's brother even ran over and gave him a hug after he was done. If you see him when he get's back, you should definitely ask for a repeat performance)In addition to German beer, we have also had the opportunity to sample some home cooked traditional Swabian Food. (Note from Sara: both Andrew and Nicole were too lazy to finish this blog so I am doing it for them. From now on everything is from yours truly). Two particularly Swabian dishes have been Spätzle (home made noodles) and Knödel (a kind of mashed potato ball). Andrew and Nicole actually helped Solveig's mom make Spätzle, and she thought they were very cute. We have also had quite a few bbq meals around the fire pit in the backyard.Andrew and Nicole were pretty exhausted when they got here. I think they really appreciated the opportunity to just hang out with a family in a home and not have to be on the move all the time. It's actually been difficult for me to get them out of the house! I don't mind at all because the Heinz Disneyland (as I like to call it) is one of my favorite places in the world. We have managed to take a few day trips though - one afternoon wandering around Trochtelfingen. Solveig gave us a tour, and we stopped in a beer garden for a Radler (a summer time drink of beer mixed with sprite - it sounds wierd but it is delicious).Yesterday we went to Tübingen, a beautiful city and home to one of the oldest universities in Germany. It is a great city for just wandering - complete with winding stone streets, and a hilltop castle with an incredible view - and that is mostly what we did. After another beer garden Radler we rented a paddleboat and took a tour around the river. The weather was beautiful and since Andrew did most of the peddling we had a nice relaxing ride. We even stopped under the branches of a weeping willow for some Little Mermaid moments ;)Today we are heading out for Austria to do some hiking in the Alps. I'm having a hard time convincing Andrew and Nicole to leave the Heinz Disneyland, but I would feel remiss if I didn't take these two nature lovers to the Alps while they are here. I can't say I blame them though. The Heinz home and family are truly beyond words. Andrew also has a very intense table Fussball competition going on with Solveig's dad (don't tell him I told you, but as Reiner said, Andrew was: 'taken to town and stomped!' in the first bout), so we will definitely be coming back here for another few nights before we head for Berlin.