Weekend outing

Well friday was nothing special to write about. Nick had to work late and was miserably hot with no AC...
So saturday was our day of adventures for the Kibbey family. We started off with a haircut for Royce on base. He was such a good little boy for the haircut! Hard to believe he used to scream like he was being murdered when we would cut his hair a few years ago. He was so serious about his haircut; he watched the hairstylist the whole time and even prompted her to ask if he had an "old soul". Yes, we answered, going on to explain that he is a very unique little boy like his two parents. After all was said and done he two cow licks were no longer standing at attention, he made the stylists day according to her and he left with a lollipop ( he used to call them holly-pops when he was little).

From there we headed to downtown Heidelberg which is about a 15 minute drive. I was sad we weren't going to Heidelberg from our house because when you go that way it's on this amazing twisting picturesque road down the little mountain we live on into the valley that Heidelberg is situated in. It literally looks like the roads you see on car commercials with outrageous twists except that there are quaint large German house hanging on the edges of the road.

(the very twisty road)

(houses hanging on the edge)

(I love this house which is at the bottom of the twisty road. It looks like a face and mouth)

Once we got into downtown Heidelberg there were tourists crowded everywhere in the cobblestones streets, and all of them were taking pictures. It is normally slow going without tourists because there are so many pedestrians that walk where cars also drive. Parking in Heidelberg is all underneath the city in parking garages and there are very few entrances to get into them. The entrance that we usually use is in the center of Heidelberg making it easier since there are so many shops and streets to walk. This central entrance also happens to be the best spot for viewing the castle up above the city, which means there was a giant crowd of the elder generation gathered in the street like 6 deep blocking us from our entrance. It was quite a funny sight to behold all of these older people with their backs to us with their giant lens pointed up to the sky. Hardly any of them taing notice to the car creeping up their backside so intent they were on getting their shot. The few people that noticed us pull up (three older gents) were standing to the sides of the street were waving us on, but there was no way we could continue on without running over their very probable wives. So Nick and I sat there and laughed until all of the shutterbugs realized they were in the way and moved off the street laughing and nodding at us in thanks for letting them take their time.

After parking and going up to the streets we saw all of these tents set up for African American awareness month. They had all these Morrocan looking lamps and pottery, wooden carved things, food, all kinds of neat stuff.

Once we started walking I walked past a shop that is called "Pui Pui gifts" or "Pui Pui something" Which Nick and I laughed at. Then I realized something. "SIMON'S CAT!" I said very loudly rushing to the window. "Oh my gosh!!!! I wish mom was here, oh that's so funny! Oh I need to take a picture..." On and on I gushed until Nick said "Uh we can go inside if you want." Which of course I had to. Sadly this was all of the Simon's cat stuff they had. So these pictures are for my mom and my friend Margeaux who also shares my love of Simon's cat! If you've never heard of this, it's a cartoon that is so hilarious to cat owners. Google it and get ready to laugh!

(of course I want the big giant fluffernutter, or I'd take the coffee cup)

After my excitement we walked on and I got a good picture of one of the painting I never noticed on the side of one the amazing churches in downtown Heidelberg

(Heiliggeistkirche-built in 1400-41!! The town's oldest sanctuary)

(this is a picture of the church from Christmas-time)

 First we went to the bridge that goes over the river Necker (I think it meets with the Rhine too). It also has a great view of the castle, which you'll see in the pictures below. The bridge is called Alte Brücke. It was built in 1786-88 by Mattias Maier.

(Walking to the bridge. Notice all the tourists)

(Some guy dressed in his fancy historical get up)

(on the bridge)

(the view of the castle from the bridge)

(we saw a firetruck backing down the bridge, which is for peds only)

(on one of the hotels in Heidelberg)

(the famous luxury and hotel called Haus zum Ritter built in 1592 for the family of a rich cloth merchant)

After going over the bridge halfway and back we decided to get something to eat, so we went to one of the German Beer gardens that we had been to before. 

A nice cold coke with lemon on a hot day! Germans (and I think Europeans in general) don't put ice in any of their drinks unless it's an alcoholic type drink. Also they rarely have regular water, but prefer mineral/sparling water. Which thankfully I love. They also love the bubbles so much that they have apple juice, orange juice, what ever juice with bubbles. It's like soda, but not as sweet. I love the afpelsaft schorle (apple soda).

Nick decided to get a mojito. Yum! Believe it or not I had never had one, though when Nick told me what all is in them I figured I would like it, which I did. As you can tell by the picture he was incredibly thrilled that I was taking pictures of EVERYTHING. He should be used to it by now hee hee. I made him take a nicer one of him, but decided this once is much funnier!





Yummy mojito!



Nick got some steak thing with spinach and cheese with potato wedge thingys. It was delish!

I got this thing they call flemküchen, which is as you can see like a very thin crust pizza. Mine had cheese, corn, mushrooms and onions. Very tasty, the cheese was so creamy and buttery tasting.

After eating we went to the rock and mineral store that is there. It is a really awesome little store, they have every rock and mineral I've ever heard of and some fossils as well. So since Royce was being and had been such a good boy we got him 2 rock bracelets. One was magnetic and stuck to itself and the other was dark dark green sparkly stones. (He of course broke the magnetic one by the end of the day, but daddy fixed it back up for him)

After the rock store we decided to go and catch the new spiderman in 3D at the cinema in Mannheim (the city Nick works in), because they actually play some movies in english.



On the way to the movie I spotted a hot pink elk and had to take a picture. No idea what it was there for, but I thought it was cool.

The movie ended up being very good, a lot better than I thought it was going to be. Royce was such a good boy during the movie. He sat in his own chair quietly through the whole movie and intently watched it. When it was over he pretended to shoot webs out his hands while running around making sound effects as little boys do.

After the movie we decided to stop by the mini mall near our house (they are everywhere here, and you have no idea that it's a mini mall until going inside). In one of the kid

s toy stores they had a puzzle of Heidelberg! I was so excited and being the grandmotherly type that I am I love puzzles, so I bought it.

That was pretty much the extent of our weekend, sunday is always our laundry and grocery shopping day, so we did that. I also finished my OCD coupon book that some of you have wanted to see pictures of. The picture doesn't really do it justice, but there are several pages, front and back, categorized by sections: cat food, frozen foods, refrigerated, etc. Yes I know I am crazy, but when you have a lot of time and a lot of coupons that's just what you do.

So I know I'm posting this like a week after my weekend...But that is just what happens in my life... Nothing goes as planned, but it still gets done! In my next blog there will be castle hopping galore, probably TMI facts, and maybe even a demon spotting or two...Ta Ta for now!