June 11th, 2006, first time in Germany / Europe...
... arriving Sunday morning at Frankfurt Airport, driving home, then having a breakfast at home in Weinheim, Germany ...New experience for Cynthia: 100km/h can be very slow, when breaking down from over 200km/h.
... taking a tour through the Odenwald with the Mercedes SL (the viagra replacement), having a drink at a castle at the river Neckar ... throughout the week 30 degrees!
... then being guided through Heidelberg by Andreas Reimelt, a wonderful tour guide.(Heidelberg castle in the background)
Monday, driving to Paris, enjoying the "Jardin de tuilleries" ... (Louvre in the background)
... and the Moulin Rouge ... (here in a cafe before the show)
... climbing up the "Arc de Triomphe" ... 284 stairs ... with a wonderful view over Paris ...
... walking down the Champs-Elysées ... hand in hand ...
... sitting in a wonderful small cafe in the Montmartre quarters ... where we've been alone with the owner for over an hour ...
... wondering about the parking principles in Paris ... When I told her, Cynthia didn't believe me, that the hand brake shouldn't be used for parking in Paris ... now she knows the reason ...
... and enjoying a dinner in a typical French restaurant.
Thursday, going to Regensburg, Bavaria, meeting my mum and eating sausages, Sauerkraut and rolls in an old "sausage-kitchen" ...
... and wondering about old buildings, like this bridge over the Danube, built in the 12th century.
Spending the evening at castle "Heinsheim" at the river Neckar, starting with an aperitif in the lounge ... and Cynthia didn't know, that a couple of Thomas' friends were coming too ...
... then continuing with a dinner, enjoying it with friends ...
... and - as a special surprise - ... between the main course and the dessert ... an exclusive performance of "second hand puppets", from Tübingen, Germany, just for us ...
... a performance where we laughed a lot! A wonderful week, that we finished at the marketplace in Weinheim with a private dinner and two bottles of wine in an italian restaurant.
We are grateful for the precious gift we've got and we're looking forward to July in Melbourne again ...