HAPPY NEW YEARS!!!!!

Well what to say about New Years Eve in Frankfurt. Originally we had intended to go to a club or something adventurous, but we decided we were not really that kind of people so we opted for going to see fireworks. We kind of hummed and haa'd over going for a while but eventually we decided to go see the fireworks along a bridge near Roemerberg where we had been earlier that day. We thought about bringing our bottle of cheap German champagne along with us to celebrate, but decided against it because we feared public drinking laws (wow were we ever mistaken).

We figured there would be some nice, organized fireworks right at midnight and that there would be some people out there viewing them with us and that it would be a pleasant time for all. We hoped on the U4 (a subway) and headed to our destination. The subway was full, but we found some room and squeezed ourselves in.

Once we arrived it was a different story. There were people everywhere! Fireworks were already being shot off randomly and it was only about 11:40. And there was alcohol in the hands of nearly every man, woman and child. It was bring your own booze night.

We finally made it to the riverfront with fireworks going off around us (literally) and waited for the official fireworks to come. They never did.

I think that New Years eve in Frankfurt does not celebrate the coming of a new year, but rather is a highly accurate reproduction of the bombings that took place near the end of WWII in the city that basically leveled most of it to the ground. The above video does not nearly do it justice. As it drew closer to midnight there were more and more and eventually it was as if everyone was firing them off. People were drunk and screaming and it was a great way to usher in a new year. About quarter after 12 Amanda and I headed back to the subway to beat the crowds.

We ended our night with some guy firing off his handgun in front of our hotel. While a bit unnerving we made it safely, and have since shared a glass of bubbly and are now getting ready for a bit of tv and then off to bed for another day.

This was a great way to end the first half of our trip in Frankfurt and we both are glad we went.

Happy New Years to all of you!

P.S. I have just been informed people are lighting fires in the street. How fun!

Fireworks in the Street

Good evening everybody,

So it is new years eve and things have already started to get exciting here. Our day overall has been pretty eventful. We did sleep in until 9:00 ish but considering that we are on vacation we thought that, that was okay. Our hotel has renovations in its eating area so went down the street to PUR which served us a lovely European style breakfast. It included sausage, eggs, juice, fresh fruit, as well as a selection of cold cuts, cucumber salad, pate, cheeses and breads. It was very good except it was a bit of a free for all to get a table which confused for about the first 10 min.

After breakfast we headed out to Roemerberg which Ryan's grandparents had suggested to us. We had a very good time there. We visited a cathedral, went to the Frankfurt Historical Museum, and also visited a very busy shopping district. We enjoyed a late afternoon snack of chocolate croissants and Fanta.

Late in the afternoon we attempted to go the Palm Garten but it was closed. A lot things were actually closed today because its new years eve. We then walked back through the shopping district which was mostly closed.

We started off our evening with some train station food. Which here seems to be very good. There are a least a dozen food choices and all very good that we have tried so far. We have tried a pastry shop tried Le Crobag. They have very good croissants and donuts and other unhealthy pastries like that. Tonight Ryan tried Erich Zeiss which has meat on a bun. He doesn't know what he ordered but says that it was tasty. I had fish and chips from Nordsee. It was good i ordered the snack size which was three pieces of fish the size of large chicken nuggets and a wack of french fries. It was also good. We also purchased some evening snack such as ritter bars, chips and a few other 'healthy' items ( I did actually get a few nectarines from a fruit vendor). We also tried a drink called Mezzo Mix which is a mixture of coke with orange pop. Its good and kind of tastes like a creamsicle. While at the train station (which we use to go everywhere and is very handy) we picked up a few souvenir items as well.

Well arriving back at the hotel we got to enjoy some fireworks (it get dark here before 5) some teenagers were setting them off in the street right in front of our hotel. We had a very nice view from our window. One of the teens which appeared to be the only girl in the group set off one large firework and it hit the window the apartment building across the street. A family also came outside with the child and had sparklers going for a while. Right now i can hear fireworks going off all the over place. There will be a big display going off at midnight. If we get adventurous we can go into the old part of Frankfurt which is supposed to be the best place to see them.

Early in the afternoon when we were in the shopping district there were all kinds of tents set up. We went to take a look and found that there were thralls of people lined up to get wine. Apple wine was advertised a lot for a Euro a glass. We figure that this is also part of the new years events that go on here.

HAPPY NEW YEARS

Amanda

We Made It!

Well after missing out on our first flight out of Buffalo we managed some great weather there yesterday and found our way to Detriot. We arrived more or less on time in Detriot, possibly a couple minutes behind, but once there realized that our flight to Frankfurt was going to be 15 minutes early and it was on the other side of a rather large airport (and we only had 1 hour to make the connection under the original specifications).
We figured we were fairly good for heading over, but decided to walk at a brisk pace anyway, just to make sure. As we were nearing the gate we heard "Last call for boarding for flight NW250 to Frankfurt". Needless to say our brisk pace turned into a full out run for the gate. Running on one of those moving sidewalk things is quite an experience. Kind of like you are flying...especially when it ends.
We ended up making it there just in the nick of time and we were one of the last few people on. We had some great seats up near the front of the plane, just two aisles from 1st class. The meals aboard the plane were nothing special, but were filling and edible so I really cannot complain. The rest of the flight was shorter than I expected, but uneventful and I managed a couple hours of sleep, with Amanda getting just a bit more.
Our next adventure came once we got to the airport. We eventually managed to figure out that we would need to take a shuttle from the one terminal to another one in order to get to the trains. Once there we were able to purchase a 2-day transit pass for Frankfurt so that we could get around. It took us a while, and with a little help from an information counter to figure out which train to take, but eventually we found it and headed for the main Frankfurt train station.
The train ride was brief, maybe 8-10 minutes, but the bags were heavy and we were tired. To our excitement we discovered that our hotel is about a 2 minute walk from the train station(I can see it out the one window of our room, it is one of those big rounded ones that have really high ceilings and pigeons, just like in the movies). Even at 10am we were able to get an early check-in at the hotel which was nice. Hotel room is nice, but nothing special. It is almost a corner room and has a nice view of some lady in the room across the street playing with the blinds as well as a brown/tan cat staring out the window.
Once checked in we dumped our stuff back in the room and headed back to the train station to get "breakfast". We both had croissants and orange juice/soda stuff(Fanta) which we took back to our hotel room and ate while sitting on the floor(which is where I read your comment mom, not a cafe, but close).
Now Amanda is taking a nap and I am blogging. We might go the zoo later on today, but we shall see where things go. We were thinking of going to Stuttgart or Lunen at some point, but it will not be on this part of the trip as the train tickets would run us in excess of $300Cdn for a round trip, which is out of our range. If we really get the bug in our pants to go the cheapest option seems to be to rent a car for a day at $120, which is still a bit of money.
So far that is all. We have had an eventful trip to say the least, but it has been enjoyable. We are very much looking forward to what lies around the next corner.

What a Day, What a Day...

Well yesterday was supposed to be our first day off to Frankfurt, Germany from Buffalo, New York. We arrived in Buffalo 4 hours before our flight was supposed to leave and our trip through customs was straightforward and uneventful. After we got through customs we ate a quick lunch at one of the little cafeteria areas and then decided to play a couple of games together on the computer while we waited for our flight to Detriot (we had just this one lay-over).
We eventually noticed that it had started to snow a bit outide, but eventually it really started to snow. Amanda went to check the board where it lists the flights and it looked like ours had been delayed by an hour, which was really bad as we only had 1 hour to make the connecting flight in Detriot.
After lots of waiting and waiting and with the blizzard going strong outside (we had parked ourselves in front of the window to watch the antics of the airport grounds-crew as they struggled in the snow) we found out our flight had been cancelled :(. We had already known that we would not make it to Frankfurt, but were at least hoping to make it to Detroit.
We were then further saddened to hear that all the flights to Detroit were full for the next several days. As we waited in line we discussed our options and thought we would ask for ANY way of getting to either Frankfurt or London. Once we got to the front of the line (by now 5:30pm) we were told that we had been automatically booked on the next flight the next day, which would be exactly the same as that day's flight.
So, we decided that rather than return home in the bad weather we would take a hotel for the night. We eventually found one that had a reasonable emergency rate (I didn't know they had these) and we asked for the shuttle to come pick us up. While other shuttles came and went(several times) we waited for ours. It took them an hour. Needless to say we were not impressed, however, in retrospect, it was worth it.
The hotel we are staying at (it is now morning the next day and we have some time to kill before going back to the airport) is very nice with comfortable beds and a really great full breakfast, with waffles, eggs, french toast, bacon and much, much more. We would likely stay here again if we were ever in this position again, just hopefully with a more adept shuttle driver. (we are only 5 minutes away).
So today resumes the battle. Once again we have to go through security, wait for hours at the airport and hope our flight and connections all run smoothly. We are hopeful, and are very much looking forward to our trip, which is still going to be lots of fun, just a day shorter...

A Quiet Week

Well this week has been really quiet around the farm. Amanda and I are heading to Europe on Monday so we have been busy getting ready for the trip as well as attending a number of family functions. Everything is running fairly smooth on the farm and I got a fresh load of hay today which will last us well until after we return from overseas.
Other than that things will be fairly quiet now until the beginning of February when more will start to happen with sheep containment, vegetables as well as the poultry. You can look for a few blogs while we are in Europe, and hopefully we will learn lots and enjoy ourselves while we are there.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Whirlwind Weekend

Well it has been a few days since either Amanda or I have last posted. While there has been plenty to post about it has been a bit of a struggle to find time to actually make the posts, but I have finally found a spare moment.

We did in fact butcher Albert on Thursday. Butchering an animal is an experience, at least for me, that forces you to think about life a little bit. I will not go into details on here, but needless to say he made a delicious meal and was not as tough as I thought he would be. Below is a picture of what he looked like coming out of the oven.

We cooked him really slow and with plenty of liquid and spices and he turned out great. Amanda and I are excited to see what a younger bird will taste like come next fall, but it will be a bit of wait until then.

Saturday ended up being a very successful day for me out on the farm. Amanda kept busy getting things ready for the Christmas play at church and then cleaning up around the house for our annual Christmas party on Sunday.

As mentioned in one of my earlier posts the sheep have been making short work of the west facing wall on their sheep pen. So first thing on Saturday I went out with the Kubota bucket tractor, propped up the corner and restacked the bales. I had to get Amanda to come and help me because we needed to make the sheep stay in their house while I drove the tractor into the pen. Everything worked out alright and, while maybe looking slightly less elegant then when it was built, the wall is now up again.

I also managed to pick up some re-bar which I pounded through the bales at the edge of the wall and down into the ground. This, plus the chicken wire Iwill add should keep it stable against the sheep. The water bucket was also remounted off the ground to make it easier to pick out the pen for filling. Before the only way to get to it was to lean over the fence and dangle your feet, or lift it with this hoe thing(Randy keeps telling me the name, but I forget), but now you can reach it just fine.

I also managed to raise the fence height on the duck pen as some of the ladies have been escaping. While they don't run away, it would be nice if they would stick around. Unfortunately on Sunday another one was out, so apparently my solution did not completely work, but I will be adding some chicken wire so that 'might' keep them in.

Also spread some 'fresh' straw around the duck pen to clean it up a bit as it gets kind of messy in there. When I say fresh I mean it was part of the wall the sheep knocked over, but it was a whole lot cleaner then what was in the duck pen.

Did a few other things around the farm on Saturday, but never managed to get any work done on the main outer fence for the sheep. The biggest concern will be when the coyotes are around.

Well that is enough bloggin' for now. Take care and Merry Christmas!

The First Pig Built His Out Of Straw

We all know the story of the three pigs and the houses built out of straw, wood and brick and the big bad wolf that blows them down. Well, while the story may have been a devious plot by the brick industry to boost sales, there may actually be some truth in it.

With all the running around the sheep do and with Rogue chasing the ewes in and out of the straw house it looks like things are taking a heavy beating. It is actually worse than the picture makes it out to be and the front wall continues to crumble further everyday. Once one bale comes out the rest are never far behind. To compound the problem the sheep also start tearing at the bales once they are out and the twine comes off making everything fall apart.
Looks like I will be spending some time this Saturday lifting up the roof and rebuilding the wall. Oh well, part of farming. I will likely drive re-bar in the outside bales this time and wrap the leading edge with chicken wire so that this issue will not repeat itself again.
Looks like today is Albert's day. Tonight Randy and I will be butchering him and once slow roasted he should taste just fine. This is just the chance Master Quackers will need to exert his authority, and hopefully all the ducks will be able to share quarters again.

Till then...