Friday, June 6, 2014

A Wonderful Weekend in Europe

Thought for the day:  Sartre went into a French cafe and asked for a cup of coffee without cream. The waitress said, "I'm sorry, monsieur, but we're out of cream. May I bring it to you without milk?"




No, Smarticus and I didn't go to France to celebrate our anniversary. It was more like... Germany. (NOT Germany, but kinda like it...)



Where we went was to the delightful alpine village of Helen, which is located in north Georgia. It's about all kinda things German: architecture, beer, food, clothing, beer, shops, music, more beer. Lots of flowers. Lots of walking. Lots of fun.

We got up there too early to check into the hotel, so we visited a place called Duke's Creek, a rock and gem grubbing place just outside of town. It's a little different from the places where we panned for gold and gems last year, because the owner laces the buckets of grubbing dirt with goodies he dug up in other states. In the picture is my favorite find: a hunk of turquoise as big as my hand, which he brought home from an Arizona dig.

Oh, by the way, she said breezily, we had lunch in Munich. Okay, okay, okay, so if ya want to be strictly technical about it, we went to Helen's version of Munich's famous Hofbrauhaus. A verrrrry neat place.

The sign over the front and side entrances says Gateway to Europe. Feels like it, too, when you walk inside. Lots of gorgeous dark woods, artwork and old photographs.



Check out this cool mural that's on the side of the restaurant.

Now, I wouldn't be me if I failed to show you this next picture...

This sign totally cracked me up. Know why? It was pointing the way to the... bathroom. (Ya gotta love the German language.)

Our table overlooked the river, where a couple fishermen in waders were trying (rather foolishly, I might add) to share the shallow water with a steady stream of rafters. Very entertaining! We even saw a dog  floating down the river in his very own tethered raft.  Oh, and of course, the food was yummy, especially the potato salad. (German, of course!) Alas, we were too full to sample the straight-from-Munich homemade apple strudel.

I didn't take this picture. It's courtesy of Wikimedia, and was obviously taken in December. But it gives you an idea of what some of the shop exteriors look like. There's all kinds of shops on a labyrinth of streets. Lots of musicians scattered here and there, too, but the music wasn't overpowering, and didn't overlap, even when the musicians were fairly close together. And very little of the music was of the oom-pa-pa variety. (I suspect tubas... and costumes... may be more prevalent during Oktoberfest.)

This sweet little Alana Falls and garden were located in a park at the side of the road. Lots of gardens and potted flowers abound in the village, making for a very picturesque ambiance. Plenty of benches scattered around, too, thank goodness, because we did a LOT of walking. (And resting.)

This is part of a mural painted on the exterior wall of a place called Charlemagne's Kingdom. Inside, the exhibit hall contains a massive HO gauge train layout, depicting Germany from the North Sea to the Alps.

No one photograph can fully capture the size and intricacy of this creation. Painstakingly built by owner Will Lindhorst, who came to the United States from Oldenburg, Germany in 1963, the layout measures twenty by fifty feet, and contains four hundred feet of railroad tracks. All the buildings are allegedly modeled after actual buildings in Germany, and there are 5000 hand-painted figures, hot air balloon, a three-ring circus, and just about everything else you can imagine.


Here's a better shot of the hot air balloons when they "floated" closer to where we were standing. Cool, huh? There were some other bits of whimsy here and there, too. Like a spiffy dragon beside an impressive castle on the side of the mountain.


Oh, and a couple of saucer-shaped UFOs, too. See them? One is in the air... and the other, crashed into the mountain, is engulfed in a ball of flame and smoke. I have a feeling Herr Lindhorst had a lot of fun creating his Kingdom, don't you? We sure had fun looking at it.


Here's a shot of some of the rafters coming down the river through town. Most of the groupings of rafts are actually tied together. For safety, I guess, although the water appears to be quite shallow.

This is what I had for dinner on our anniversary. ( I MEANT to take a picture of it as soon as the server brought it to me, but, um, I forgot.)  Anyhow, it's sauerbraten, a big half-eaten (erp) potato dumpling, and red cabbage. Very good. Our other option that evening was to go to a big Bavarian fest that was taking place, but since I don't drink beer, and Smarticus enjoyed a little too much of it the night before, we decided this lovely little restaurant was more to our liking. If I remember right, it was called Bodensee. Something like that... it's named after a river in Germany.

Smarticus opted for a wurst sampler platter... with sauerkraut and fried potatoes. It must have been very good. When I was taking a picture of it, he said oh-so-lovingly... Every hog to its own trough! HA! (I tell ya, such romance.)

Alas, once again, we had no room left for dessert. With such a mouth-watering selection of  decadent desserts offered in every restaurant, it's hard to believe we didn't sample a single one of them. Or any of the homemade candy and pastries offered in the shops, either. Oh well. Maybe next time. (Next time, I think I'll start with dessert.)

On the way home, we stopped at this antique mall just outside Helen. The house it's in is the oldest  in the county. (circa 1874, or so) Just look at those porches! The original wood floor inside is in surprisingly good condition, and every single room on every single floor is packed with wonderful, glorious antiques and collectibles. Decent prices, too!


All in all, it was a wunderbar way to get away from it all for a few days. Ya know, our wedding may have taken place over forty-five years ago, but the celebration ain't over yet. And I hope it never is.

Oh, two things I'd like to tell you before I go. One, I read an OUTSTANDING book of poetry that I think you might enjoy, too. It was written by fellow blogger Joanne Faries, and is called Wordsplash Poetry Puddle: Hazy Memory. She sure knows how to tap into familiar memories most of us share. I highly recommend it. You can get it on Amazon. She has a couple other poetry books there, too, but I haven't read them. Yet.

Second, Screwing Up Alexandria, Connie Keller's latest book in her Screwing Up Time series was released a couple days ago. I bought it, but haven't read it yet. Judging by her first two books, I'm sure to love this one, too. It's a YA time-travel through history kinda book suitable for all ages. Some humor, great sense of history, and lots of fun.

                                         Talking about fun, y'all have a great weekend!

                                   Until next time, take care of yourselves. And each other.

96 comments:

  1. Great pictures of an intriguing place, Susan! Though I find it prudent to remember Einfahrt can mark the entrance to anything, so I don't walk in holding my nose.

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    1. Thanks, dude! It really is a fun place to visit. I figured "einfahrt" wasn't reserved for suggesting proper locales for releasing odorous emissions, but it still cracked me up.

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    2. Einfahrt means Entrance. I know this because I'm German born, also because I know how to google to check if my memory was correct.

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    3. But you've gotta admit it's a funny-sounding word, especially when used to direct the way to the bathroom.

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    4. 1. "Einfahrt" is used for vehicles
      2. Which means: it must be a very broad entrance
      3. In Germany one would not use it for wheelchairs
      4. - Of course you spotted it right, Susan: it is hilarious!

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    5. Thanks, Britta. I'm glad you thought it was hilarious, too. (Good to know we all have the same sophisticated sense of humor here...)

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  2. What a fascinating place. I studied German in college, but never got to go to Germany or any German-heavy town.

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    1. Yeah, it is. I hope you get to go somewhere where you can try out your German someday. I studied French for five years, and used to be fairly fluent, but I haven't had any opportunity to use it for many years. Most immigrants in our area either speak Spanish or an Oriental language.

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  3. How nice that you got to visit another country without a passport or security needed. That is what is so wonderful about America as every culture is represented someplace in this vast nation.

    It looks like you and Smarticus celebrated your anniversary in another fun way. Laughter and good times together make the years melt away. Congratulations to you and your husband and may you celebrate many more with the same sense of joy and happiness.

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    1. Yeah, it's always fun to explore the possibilities close to home.

      Thanks. Too bad laughter isn't considered exercise, huh? Laughter and good times make the years melt away, but I wish they could make the pounds melt away, too.

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  4. Yup, I'd have plumped for the sausages and sauerkraut too. Looks delish.

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  5. Thanks for the tour....that model landscape looks fascinating.

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    1. The train layout is definitely fascinating, and the owner didn't rush anyone. Once we paid to get in, we could stay as long as we liked.

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  6. A tiny Germany in Georgia. Who knew? Sounds like a fun place to visit! And I've never heard of the Screwing Up Time series. Something to check out!

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    1. Yeah, it is a fun place to visit, but not nearly as exciting as some of the places YOU'VE been!

      I think you'd really enjoy Connie's books. Right up your proverbial alley.

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  7. Oh my gosh I must visit this place!! I was just in Bavaria Germany in April and this makes me miss it so much already :)

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    1. I'm sure it's just a pale imitation of the real thing... but it sure is fun! Hopefully, you'll be back in Bavaria before ya know it.

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  8. First, thanks for the shout out on my book. Very nice. And second - thanks for the mini-tour of Germany. How fun! Ray and I have been to the real deal, and your pictures sure look like some of mine. Wunderbar, indeed. Have a great weekend

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    1. My pleasure. I really DID love it.

      Like I just told Optimist, I'm sure Helen is just a pale imitation of the real thing, but it's a lot of fun. For you guys, maybe it'd offer you some sweet reminders of the real thing.

      You have a terrific weekend, too!

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  9. Happy (belated) Anniversary! What a fun--and delicious--place to visit. I know you had a ball. :)

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    1. Thanks! Yeah, it was both fun and delicious. As for having a ball, we always manage to pull that off, no matter where we go.

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  10. What a fun way to celebrate your anniversary....so many fun things to see. That train layout looks amazing, even more so seeing it in person.
    Happy anniversary!

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    1. It was a lotta fun. We've seen plenty of model railroad layouts before, but that was the largest and most detailed one by far.

      Thanks!

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  11. Very neat looking, SUSAN.

    It reminds me of a little town in Southern California called SOLVANG, which is exactly the same only very different. But if you closed both eyes and turned your head away, you might swear that Helen and Solvang are the same place.

    ~ D-FensDogg
    'Loyal American Underground'

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    1. Thank you, STEPHEN.

      Exactly the same but different, huh? I'll betcha one thing they have in common is the huge selection of German beers on tap. Drink enough of that stuff, and you won't care what the surrounding area looks like.

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  12. That look likes a great place to go
    To celebrate your anniversary at your show
    Never knew it even existed at my sea
    That waterfall is nice but the food not for me

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    1. It's a great place to go if ya like German stuff,
      But all of that walking is a teensy bit tough.

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  13. What a super spot to spend your anniversary! I know you had lotsa great fun! Congrats on still being on your honeymoon :)

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    1. Yeah, it is, and we did. Thanks, but I don't think he'd better try to carry me over the threshold any more...

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  14. I would have skipped the lunch and eaten the apple streudel. But that's just me.

    Love,
    Janie

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    1. HA! That's because you're so much smarter than I am.

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  15. What a wonderful time you had!! Thanks for all those lovely photos.

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    1. We did! You're welcome, but they're not nearly as cool as the ones from all the exotic places YOU'VE visited!

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  16. It sound like such a super fun time.
    New rule, always share a dinner so one can have dessert !

    cheers, parsnip

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    1. Yeah, we did.

      Good rule! Life's too darned short to skip dessert.

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  17. What a lovely little getaway! I enjoyed the photos ... it's fun getting to travel by proxy with you. :)

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  18. Susan it looks like you two had so much fun... the food you talked about would have added 10 pounds to me just like that... I do love fried potatoes, something I have given up ... having only as a treat :)

    I agree that just because you have been married for 45 years, you still should have fun... Happy anniversary again :)

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    1. We did. We had a lot of fun, but with all the walking we did, we didn't have to worry about putting on weight.

      Thanks! I hope we never forget how to have fun, no matter how old we get.

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  19. All I can say is you and Smarticus sure know how to have fun. Which is probably why you're still together ;)

    Oh, and I love those miniature towns/cities. They have one at a museum I went to in Cincinnati last fall and it was very cool. Left my camera at home though, duh.

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    1. We sure try! (And we've had a lot of years to practice!)

      Don't feel too badly about forgetting your camera. I took a bunch of pictures, but none captures the overwhelming scope of something that large and full of details.

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  20. I'm happy you two had such a fun German excursion. We have a Californian town called Solvang, that's similar - only with a Netherlands/Dutch feel. You think you're overseas. I love your photo of the falls; it makes for a great header.

    Cheers, my friend. Thanks for your continued efforts on our group project.

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    1. Stephen mentioned Solvang, too. He said it was exactly the same, if you closed your eyes and turned your head. HA!

      It's been fun, and whattaya know? Things are starting to come together!

      Cheers!

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  21. What a great trip! I'd like to go there, too! That is totally within the realm of possibility. Perhaps later this summer.

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  22. I have a number of friends who have been to Helen, and they always make a point of telling me about it and suggesting I should visit. I wonder why... ;-)

    But now that you've written about it and shown pictures, this place has moved up on my list a bit. You made me a little homesick and hungry! From what I understand, it's a great place to visit during the fall, when the leaves are changing.

    Oh - and I wanted to tell you, just to inform you about the complications of the German language: "Einfahrt" does mean "entrance" (as Geo correctly remembered), but only for those places where you drive in. The entrances where you walk into would be called "Eingang."

    OK, lesson over. Enjoyed your pictures and glad you liked the food. You better believe, I'll be eating the apple strudel!

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    1. Yeah, I wonder...

      Yes, north GA mountains are a wonderful place to visit, and Oktoberfest in Helen is a real big deal. It might cure that little bit of homesickness and hunger pangs quite nicely. (Thirst, too!)

      Ah, ha! So in actuality that sign was incorrect. Still, einfahrt sounds a lot funnier...

      I'm kicking myself a little for missing out on the strudel, darn it. Next time, dessert gets a higher priority!

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    2. ... a wonderful place to visit IN THE FALL... (duh) Not that they aren't a good destination year-round, but that's what I meant to say.

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  23. This sounds like it was so much fun. The food sounds great too. I agree with the start with dessert idea for next time. :-)

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  24. It was! Absolutely. "Dessert first!" is gonna be my new motto.

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  25. Thanks Susan for sharing your wonderful "German" weekend with us. Some beautiful photographs but too many to comment on separately. Suffice to say I love the little waterfall and the train layout is one of the best I've seen.
    It is disappointing when the dinner portions are so large you can't fit in dessert when there are so many delicious offerings available. As you say "next time".

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    1. My pleasure. Glad ya liked them. Yeah, huge dinner portions are a bummer. Most of the time, I bring leftovers home, and then eat them for lunch the next couple of days. When we went to a restaurant recently and discovered they had a "senior menu," I was tickled pink. Just the right amount of food! (But STILL no room left for dessert...)

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  26. What an INCREDIBLE place! I've been to Germany (when I was very young) and it looks like you were really there! I swear I could stare at that rock waterfall picture all day….

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    1. Oh, cool. Cool that you've actually been to Germany, and cool that Helen is a reasonable facsimile.

      Yeah, me too. I loved that little waterfall garden. Wouldn't it be wonderful to have a garden like that in our own yards? (Um, assuming somebody ELSE took care of it...)

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  27. I'm glad that you had such a wonderful anniversary celebration! This looks like such a fun town, and I enjoyed seeing your amazing photos. Your new header is also my favorite! Remind me to ask you how to post photos that people can actually see! I also loved Joanne's book! You sure know how to pick 'em, Susan!

    Julie

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    1. Thanks. We sure had fun there.

      Um, don't get too used to the new header. I'm probably gonna change it before next Friday to put up something that'll go better with that post. (But I'll probably come back to this one again sometime.) To post larger header pictures, don't "shrink to size."

      Oh, I'm glad you loved it, too. Not surprised, though. Joanne's GOOD.

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    2. Oh, if you're talking about pics within your post, when you load an image, right click on it, and you'll see options as to where you want the picture placed, and what size you want it to be.

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    3. Thanks for the helpful tips, Susan! Hopefully, my computer will cooperate next time.

      Julie

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  28. I thought for a start you were in the Georgia that sits on the coast of the Black Sea but now I'm thinking that it was the state of Georgia. Right? Love the photos.

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    1. Yep, state of Georgia. Where summers are hot, the tea is sweet, and most politicians are right of Attila the Hun.

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  29. I enjoyed the beautifully illustrated tour through Helen. I'm amazed at how authentically German it appears. What a great place to visit!
    Susan I ordered your book and it arrived a couple of days ago. I'm now wondering about saving it for reading on my flight to the UK in four weeks time or to dive straight in!

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    1. I'm glad you enjoyed the "tour."

      And woo hoo! Glad to hear you bought my book, too! Thank you. I hope you enjoy it, wherever and whenever you read it.

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  30. Thanks for the trip through 'Europe'. No room for dessert! Sacre bleu! But with those main courses I get it !

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    1. My pleasure! Yeah, I know, but I'd say it was a matter of poor judgement on my part. Next time, phooey on the main course.

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  31. Well, you've discovered a village that I've never heard of and it sounds wonderful. I think I'd like to live there. Heck, I can speak German. The only problem is that I don't look good in Lederhosen......

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    1. It is wonderful. Heck, if you can speak German, you'd fit right in, and I bet you'd look simply wunderbar in lederhosen. (You might wanta lose the cowboy hat, though...)

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  32. That does look like a happy anniversary, and hurrah for it. We have a little German town sort of close to us that we like to go visit too. :) lol at the sign. Double lol that you took a pic (hubby would have had that on video quicker than I could point to it). :)

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    1. Yeah, it was a winner.

      I'm totally tickled that you find that sign funny, too. The people around me didn't seem to "get" why I was taking a picture of it.

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  33. Helen, Georgia. I'm making a mental note to visit there. It looks nice!!!

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  34. You missed out on the strudel???
    Consider yourselves severely deprived.
    Tsk Tsk.
    Always make time for strudel.

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  35. "Time" should be "room", always room for strudel, or at least buy some to take home.
    That model railway layout is the best I've seen! My dad would have been in heaven looking at that, probably would have wanted to play with it too.

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    1. Yeah, I know. I'm a real dummkopf for skipping that strudel. Had the time, but definitely not the room. If we had a fridge back in our hotel, I probably would've gone for carry-out, though.

      That train layout was the best I've ever seen, too. Your dad wouldn't have been alone. Lots of people wanted to play with it.

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  36. Lovely trip to Germany without leaving home. My hubbie would love the train layout.

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    1. Yeah, we got the best of both worlds. Got to see a bit of "Germany" without having to get frisked at the airport. You might like the train layout, too. Kinda like looking at a world in miniature with all kinds of nifty details.

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  37. I loved doing this trip with you virtually! Thanks!

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    1. I'm glad you did. (And you didn't even fuss at me for not trying the strudel!)

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  38. What a terrific way to spend your anniversary, and I love virtual travel. Thank you. Theme towns are a lot of fun. I never got to Helen while I lived in Georgia, but I've been to Leavenworth (Bavarian town) in Washington State, and others have mentioned Solvang in California. Okay Solvang is Danish, but still…

    I'd have to skip the food, though. With the exception of my mom's German potato salad, not even the half of me that's German is a fan.

    VR Barkowski

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    1. Yeah, theme towns are a lot of fun. My favorite when I was a kid was based on the old west... and I can't even remember exactly where it was. Pennsylvania, maybe.

      Not a fan of German food, huh. My German half is a big fan, and it drags the other half along for the fun. Wait! Surely you like German chocolate cake...?!

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  39. Hi Susan .. what a lovely time you both had - and Smarticus just gets better .. his own hog trough ... well at least you're not floundering around in his beery trough! Looks a great little town and then that mineral museum - that looks fun too ..

    Love the rafts tied together .. and I bet the dog had fun .. and everyone watching ...

    Happy Anniversary and long may you both have loads a fun .. cheers Hilary

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    1. Hi Hilary. Yes, it was lovely, and Smarticus does keep getting better and better. In fact that's what we like to tell ourselves: We're not getting older... we're getting better! (Yeah, I know, somewhat delusional.)

      Cheers!

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  40. Dear Susan,
    guess where I just come from?
    Yes, right: Munich. (The German version). It is so much fun to see what is seen as typical for Munich - I believe that you enjoyed it! And so very convenient that the journey isn't that long! (From Berlin to Munich by train it takes 6:30 hours)

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    1. Dear Britta,

      How wonderful! I suspect your experience was considerably more... accurate. HA!

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    2. More Royal, too: I visited Schloss Nymphenburg with its immense parks and gardens.
      When one wants to see those idyllic pictures you showed above, one has to drive into the Bavarian country. Though it is possible to meet persons in Lederhosen and Dirndl right in the big city - but you meet a "Jodler" very seldom in the city :-)
      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dDa0dwx1XXg

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    3. How wonderful! The only Royal place I ever visit is Burger King.

      LOVED that video. The only yodeling I've ever tried to do is in the song "The Lonely Goatherd" from "The Sound of Music." Not that I'm any good at it, but it's fun to try.

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  41. fabulous post susan. looking at all that food, of course, made me very hungry. that slab of turqoise is pretty. hot air balloon? now there would be an adventure for the two of you. and may you have another 45 years of marriage bliss. cheers!!

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    1. Thanks. Glad ya liked it. Hot air balloon, huh? Yeah, actually I think that'd be a lot of fun, espeially on a beautiful spring day.

      Cheers back atcha!

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  42. Glad that I came across your blog. What a wonderful way to spend an anniversary. Lovely Germany in Georgia- quite interesting. This is Chirasree, your latest follower.

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    1. Hi, Chirasree. What an unusual... and lovely... name. Thanks so much for stopping by and signing on as a follower. It's a real pleasure to meet you. Welcome aboard!

      Yes, it was a terrific way to spend an anniversary weekend.

      Okay, get ready. Here I come to return the visit...

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  43. Susan,

    Thanks so, so much for the shout-out!! I really appreciate it.

    I've never been to Helen. But since it can't be too far from Chatt, I'll have to add it to my Places-to-visit List.

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    1. My pleasure! My Kindle's been giving me a bit of trouble lately, but I should be able to keep it going long enough to finish your book tonight. (So far, so good!)

      Helen's a fun place to visit. Not as much fun as Paris, mind you... but fun. (And less expensive!)

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  44. Hey Susan,

    Ah yes, my hectic celebrity lifestyle. Look how long it took to finally get to your site. Tried to go with some chronological order and that doesn't work either. I'm still looking for a clone to help me out. Penny the Jack Russell dog and modest internet superstar can only help so much.

    Anyway, quite the location to celebrate your anniversary. I have been to a similar location. Kimberley, British Columbia. That's it. I'm going now.

    Gary :)

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    1. Hi-ya, Gary.

      How kind of you to take a break from your busy celebrity life to stop by to say hey. Good luck finding that clone. I think we could all use one most days.

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  45. Love the sign, too. I love the German language. Great post and lovely photos.

    Greetings from London.

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    1. The German language seems to have such perfect made-to-order words to fit specific circumstances, and some of those words show a definite sense of humor.

      Greetings back atcha!

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