First New Blog!!!!

This will be a short blog but I had to take a minute and acknowledge that I have officially lived in Germany now for half a year, today marks the 6 month point.  It has flown by quickly.  I have days where I miss home but I honestly do love it here.

So many things are different but just to name of few of the differences I have seen/experienced in the last 6 months:

1.  Healthcare.......everyone has medical insurance and prices are not through the roof, it is affordable!! Also, not feeling well?? Just stop in the Apotheke (pharmacy on every corner) and they will hook you up with meds to help you, no script necessary, unless it requires attention and is serious.  Need contacts or glasses but don't have much money, no problem.....eye exams are free in Germany:) 

2.  Germans pay very high taxes.  They are taxed 40% of their earnings! everyone across the board! and every purchase everyone makes has a 19% tax added in to the total.  Seems crazy but in return they have health care and many other benefits.  One favorite being bike paths and walking trails everywhere you look, they are endless.

3.  There are a shortage of births in Germany.  Yes, you read correctly.  Germans don't have many kids, most have maybe 1.  This leads to the problem, the Germans are afraid because their population is rapidly declining.  The solution, he make it beneficial.  As a citizen if you have a child you are paid 300€ a month.  Huge, unfortunately it's not helping their problem so they are trying to figure out another solution.

4.  There are still butcher shops and backeris everywhere you turn.  Yes, every village has at least 2 or 3.  Fresh baked goods everyday, especially the bread.

5.  Heaters..... In each individual room, not the whole house.  Kinda nice to control each room but when you leave that particular room it is cold.  Especially when you wake up in the morning.  And NO AC.  Although it is only really hot for 10-15 days a year the AC would be nice.

6.  Toilets ......... Are in separate rooms then your shower.  Completely separate rooms and yes it is literally just a toilet in the room.  Bathrooms are known as WC.

7.  It is decided in 4th grade if you will goto college or not. Starting in 5th grade you either goto a college prep known as gymnasium or a trade school where you actually wind up with a decent paying  job and paid experience with that employer throughout your schooling.  They are able to have a say on college choice because college in Germany is FREE!!!!!!! You pay about 60€ in fees/books.

8.  Germany is the hub to all other European countries.  The positive of this is that we can be in at least 5-6 other countries in 4 hours or less, driving.  That's amazing!!! It's more countries than that but I am not sure how many more.  The negative of this is because of quick and easy transport system Germany is number one in Europe for human trafficking:/

9.  On Sundays and holidays ALL stores are closed!!! Not just big holidays but regular small church holidays will even close stores down, this includes grocery stores.

10.  In the Summer everyone heads to their village's freibad, the community pool.  Sounds gross but Germans are very clean and orderly and their pools are amazing.  Pools are about 2€ to enter and it is several pools! large grounds! play grounds! water slides! high dives and biergartens! all together:) awesomeness!!!!

There are several other differences I have learned since moving here but these 10 random hings give an idea.

Have a great Thanksgiving everyone!!!! My mom has been here for almost 2 weeks so I haven't been writing much but I hope to have something produced this weekend!!

Testing

Thanks bunches to Debs!!!

This is just a test to see how it works

           The double decker

Ok it seems to be good

   

Thanks a million to Debs:)

Prague, Czech Republic

Actual dates: November 8-11

On Friday the family headed to Prague!!!! We took the train from Stuttgart to Nuremberg then they put you on a huge amazing bus from Nuremberg into Prague. The bus has someone walk around like the planes and offer you things, snacks, drinks, and beer, wine and champagne. We loved it and needless to say are sold on traveling this way now.
Prague is only about 5 hours away but doing this way it took closer to 7.i will say though it was much more relaxing to have a beer and not fight traffic, and so nice to not worry about parking when we got there or finding our way!!!!
We arrived in Prague on Friday at 4 and started out for our apartment building. We were about a mile from the train station and found a cool park with a zip line for the boys. They loved this and we had an hour to kill before meeting the guy for the keys. Yes, we do NOT stay in hotels on our travels here, we have learned to do like every other European and rent apartments/flats. It is way more economical and being a family of 5 we need the space. Also, we usually utilize the kitchen by making sandwiches for lunch and having breakfast, although his trip was busy and we barely even walked into the kitchen.
We had a 2 bedroom with a living room,kitchen and enormous bathroom in the 4thfloor of a super old building, yep stairs stairs stairs. Added bonus, in the underground level there was a bar:)
The first night was not very cold, upper 40s. We went to a brew pub called the New Town Pub. There was a man walking around playing the harmonica and it was a very authentic restaurant. We tried a few of their beers, coffee beer, caramel beer, ginger beer, banana beer. Billy really liked the banana, I liked the caramel and ginger and Blair liked the Ginger. We had somewhat authentic Czech food! Billy and Blake had the meat with the dumplings, very authentic and pretty good.
After dinner we walked over the Charles Bridge, interesting with lots of statues(12) to be exact. We also puppet shopped, Prague is known for puppets and the boys wound up with a Harry Potter one on the last day(pics below)
Around 11 we headed back to the flat for the night but not without a quick accidental walk through the Red Light District. Didn't even know they had one. The boys found it very interesting why women were in lingerie hanging out of windows talking to groups of men, Blake asked if they were selling Boobs??? OMG embarrassing moment:/
Saturday we decided no restaurants, vendors and beer with sight seeing all day. This is exactly what we did. From 10am until 11pm. The weather was a bit chillier but not awful, upper 30s but a mist. We grabbed beers in little stores throughout the day, some of the stores had the large Czech beers for less than a $1!!! We ate such delicious food on this day. We had the grilled sausage on baguettes, crepes, wings and an overstuffed burrito that made us feel like home. There is virtually no Mexican in the Stuttgart area so this was a major treat. We walked to the Charles bridge again to see in the day and ventured up to the castle area. We saw the changing of he guard and also visited a few museums. Saturday night we had an underground tour scheduled that we booked prior to our trip. This was very interesting. Prague is basically a city built literally on top of another city, so interesting. If you have time Prague is very interesting to read about. It dates back as early as he 900's and wasn't destroyed in the war so the architecture is just beyond words.
Around 11 we headed back to the apartment and once everyone was settled Billy and I went to the bar in the basement. Super smoky and crowded but we had to do he Absinthe shot. Apparently many countries have banned the real version of Absinthe but Prague has not. Disgusting is all I will say.
Sunday was raining and cold and we headed out to breakfast at a cafe. We visited St.Nicholas and St.Vitus churches . St.Vitus is he famous one, next to the castle and huge but St.Nicholas, in our opinion, was way more beautiful. We toured everything around the palace this day, the weapons history room, the military room and the tower. We also visited the John Lennon Wall and the famous swans of Prague.
The first night we came across several Thai spas that offer the fish tanks that you put your feet in and the fish suck off the dead skin so on Sunday we all did this. It is very clean, the water is filtered. Neat experience and it definitely helps.
Sunday night we met up with some friends from Germany for dinner. We ate an old railway restaurant named Vytopna Railway. There are little trains that run through the whole restaurant and on the tables. The trains deliver your drinks and can hold up to 12 at once.
On Monday we trekked through town with our belongings. Everyone was allowed one backpack for the trip and kudos to the kids because they did not complain once about carrying their backpacks all day. We visited the Jewish part of town and the old Jewish cemetery and saw the Astronomical clock go off. We ate from the vendors in the famous square and did some shopping before heading to the train station.
Again,amazing trip home. To Nuremberg we had a double decker bus AND we had the front seats because you have reserved seating:) it was dark almost immediately but it was neat regardless.
Once we got off our train in Stuttgart it was about 1am and freezing, 26 degrees://///BRRRRRRR
Yes, at 1am we walked home, about a mile.
This was an amazing trip and the only mode of transport we used while in Prague was our feet.i cannot begin to guess how many miles we walked but it was ALOT and through cold and rain our kids never once complained . So proud of them!
We all loved Prague, probably one of the most beautiful places I have ever seen and hopefully I will head back there in January when Rachel visits????? We will see.
Interesting fact : Prague had a TGI Fridays, Hooters, and Hard Rock Cafe and a James Dean Restaurant. We did not eat at any but it was cool to see, None of that in Stuttgart.
Now we are awaiting Grammys arrival in4 days. Next up France, Nuremberg, and Garmisch.