Weekend 1 - Eric and Alicia arrive (aka: Dr. Kenneth Noisewater and Mary Samsonite - Brian made signs for us to hold up at the airport. We thought it was hilarious, but somehow we missed E&A at the gate, so we didn't get to hold them up. Whoops!) We all hang out in Frankfurt.
Week 1 - E&A went to Badden Badden, Germany and Zurich, Switzerland for fun; Brian went to Bern, Switzerland for work; and I went to Vilseck, Germany for work
Weekend 2 - We all met up in Bern, Switzerland
Week 2 - E&A drove back to Frankfurt to fly back to Chicago (boo); Brian stayed in Bern and then came to stay with me in Vilseck on Thursday; I went back to Vilseck for the whole week
Weekend 3 - Brian was still with me in Vilseck and then we caravanned back to Frankfurt
Our first weekend with Eric and Alicia was a lot of fun. It was very relaxing, and we had a great time catching up with them! There was a LOT to talk about! On Saturday, we went on a walk downtown, but unfortunately the weather wasn't the best. So we stopped for lunch at one of our favorite German restaurants, Paulaner's. A traditional "Welcome to Germany" lunch was consumed. We also went shopping at a few fun stores downtown to get out of the rain, and then we headed back to our apartment for the evening. I had barbecue slow cooking all day, so we had that for dinner. A successful and relaxing Saturday in Frankfurt!
On Sunday, we hung out in our apartment all afternoon. I made a traditional German brunch - meats, cheeses, breads, spreads, etc. We also had fun playing Little Big Planet on Brian's PS3. Around 3, I had to take off for Vilseck since my training started on Monday morning. I was really sad to leave everyone, but the gorgeous fall drive really helped to brighten my mood. I pulled over and took these pictures on my drive. I love fall colors!!
While I drove to Vilseck, Brian, Eric and Alicia went to dinner at one of our favorite restaurants, a Japanese noodle bar called Mosch Mosch. I heard that they enjoyed a great meal! When they got back from dinner, they video chatted with me a little before going to bed. I loved being able to chat with them in the evening - it made me feel better about being away!
Monday morning, Eric, Alicia and Brian all drove south from Frankfurt together. E&A had rented a car in Frankfurt, and Brian drove his motorcycle. They enjoyed the fall colors as well on their drive through the Black Forest. Brian said it was pretty cold that day, though! So they stopped a couple of times for hot chocolate and food so that Brian could warm up. Also, there was a really crazy fog that day. Alicia took this awesome picture of Brian driving in front of them.
After driving together for a few hours, they went their separate ways - Eric and Alicia headed for Zurich and Brian went to Bern. Here are some pictures Brian took on the last leg of his trip.
During the week, Brian worked hard in Bern, I learned about hazardous shipments, and Eric and Alicia enjoyed Zurich and Badden Badden. On Friday, we all met in Bern to see the city together!
Friday night we went to this hysterical restaurant - I can't remember what it was called - but it was supposed to look like the Carribbean. We all concluded that it looked more like Mexico, but either way, it was VERY colorful! It was not at all what I expected of our first night out in Bern (I was thinking fondue in a restaurant made of cheese and chocolate...or something like that), but it was a nice surprise and a great time!
On Saturday, we went on a tour through the city, led by tour guide Brian!
We loved the city! It was so unique and beautiful. It had an expansive system of covered walk ways that had tons of cool shops. There was also a fun Saturday market going on with some great finds!
We walked through the main shopping area to a bridge that had some fantastic views of the city.
Enjoying the bears
Brian had made dinner reservations at a popular restaurant near the bear pit that evening. I was so impressed by his planning skills - more points for our tour guide! Don't worry, we tipped him well :) Dinner was, of course, delicious, and we all shared a banana split and a maple pecan sundae for dessert. I'm drooling just thinking about that sundae. It was really funny - when we were ordering, there was a little confusion about who was getting what dessert. I think I got a little feisty because I wanted to be SURE I was going to get my share of the maple pecan ice cream :)
Brian had met a young couple, Jeremy and Katie, at the Bern Embassy, and they were so nice to invite us all over to their apartment for drinks after dinner. Their apartment was in downtown Bern, and it was BEAUTIFUL. It even had a little porch overlooking the river. I love our apartment and all, but I have to admit I was jealous of their place! After hanging out for awhile, we went to a bar. It wasn't your normal bar though - it was an old gym converted to a bar (basketball hoops and everything were still in tact). It was really well done, though, and we had a great time there. We were glad Jeremy and Katie brought us there, because we definitely wouldn't have found it on our own! To conclude Saturday night, we consumed some delicious döners.
We slept in a little on Sunday and then went to a very Swiss restaurant for brunch. It was glorious. When you walked in, the potent smell of cheese about knocked you over if you weren't careful. The interior was all wood and iron, and they served rösti, a Swiss potato dish. I was SO excited for brunch. Each couple split one cast iron skillet of rösti and feasted like Swiss farmers :)
After brunch, we began our search for a Swiss chocolate store. On our walk, we found a great vantage point - I love this picture!
We finally found a chocolate shop! I get so overwhelmed in confectioneries - everything looks SO good that I can't make up my mind! However, sometimes shops like that have things that look good but don't actually taste the best. That's what I tell myself, at least. Not the case here - everything we tried at this little place was A-mazing. Even the piece that I thought looked disgusting was actually soooo yum. So we considered our trip to Bern a success!
On Wednesday, Brian finished up his work in Bern. Instead of going home, he decided to ride the motorcycle to Vilseck to hang out with me! I was so thankful that he decided to come! I actually was staying at an ADORABLE B&B for my two weeks of training, and I really wanted him to experience it with me. The lady who owns it is an amazing cook, so I ate like a queen every night for two whole weeks. The owner also has a Golden Retriever named Sammy, and I really grew to love that dog! I was very excited to share all of this with Bri.
On the last day of my training, I finished my final exam pretty early, so Brian and I had the entire day to ourselves. The weather was perfect, so I picked up some fruit and sandwiches, and we took off for a long walk/picnic with Sammy!
Great writing talent - what a fun trip and description. So Brian is proving to be a great tour guide...impressive. And Eric and Alicia had delightful stories to tell! Thanks for sharing trip details and pictures. Can't wait to see you.
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I love all the fall colors!!!
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