Our First Protest

Stuttgart 21 is the name of the construction project to redesign and renovate potions of Stuttgarts Hauptbahnhof! This project has come under fire by many in the local community because of reasons of changing the original structure of the old train station, and for reasons of the money spent on the project, and now it has come out there have been some number manipulation! Well with all of this grew and opposition group, a very large, and vocal opposition group! They organize regularly, marching every Monday, speaking out against it in large rallies once a week,camping out for months in the main garden downtown, covering the construction fences with signs letters, and other items, and daily people with flags and banners make themselves seen on the main shopping street!
Last night as we were out enjoying the city on a Friday night we came upon the group in one of the larger courtyards in town! The kids were fascinated by the noise and the excitement of the crowd! Children wrapped to flags, the chanting, the general theatrical nature of the whole thing! Specially because this is all in German it becomes even more amazing! So we made our way around the group of nearly 300, and found a restaurant to enjoy! While we couldn't see the protest we could watch the police movement and hear the crowds roars and chants! It was such a great lesson for the kids, first about standing up for things you believe in, but also about safety, and finally about riot police!
I love having the chance to show them life in a large city, and the differences between the USA and Europe in general! I love watching them learn from it all! Crazy fun night and another first!

First Day Trip

Yesterday Scottt and I celebrated our 10th wedding anniversary! So he took the day off of work, we dropped Fern off for her test day at doggie day care and off we all went to Hidelberg. I wanted to spend the day exploring, and boy did I get my wish. Hidelberg has a lovely castle on the top of a hillside. It is a mix of Baroque and Gothic architecture. It was half destroyed my the French in the 1600's but it is such a lovely walk, well after you get past the 800 meter climb! We walked through the gardens, enjoyed the building, and the lovely weather! Than we ventured into the old city along the river to enjoy lunch and all the sights! We ate a very Swabian meal outside the old church downtown, and enjoyed a Hidelberg Pills! Then we walked around for hours, just watching all the people and peeking at the stores! We ended our day on the lovely pedestrian bridge over looking the Neker River! What a day, what an amazing anniversary! What a fun family! What a great first day trip!