Bonnie, Kristin & Liz’s visit!

Two days after my parents left we got a new set of visitors!  My college friends Bonnie, Kristin, and Liz came to visit after spending a week in Paris and Bruges.  They were anxious to see where Dan and I have been living for the past two years so I showed them around Wiesbaden and took them to some of my favorite restaurants.  We checked out the Saturday market, visited the park, wandered the pedestrian zone, and climbed to the top of Neroberg for great views of the city.  On Saturday night the Lesters joined us for dessert, drinks, and board games at our place.  We had lots of fun catching up and spending time together.  I’m so happy I got to see my girls!

   

Mom & Dad’s visit – Germany, Belgium & Andalucía, Spain!

My parents came to visit for eleven days in early May.  They weren’t able to visit last year so this trip was long overdue, and we were excited!  We spent the first weekend exploring cute Mosel River towns, shopping and sampling goodies at the Wiesbaden Saturday market, and baking together.  We also went to Oppenheim with some friends from work for a cathedral tour, a tour of the town’s underground network of cellar tunnels, and a wine tasting.  We even got to celebrate Mother’s Day with my mom which we haven’t been able to do in quite some time.

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While Dan and I worked for a couple of days, Mom and Dad took the train to Brussels, Belgium, and explored the land of chocolate and beer.  They enjoyed Belgian waffles, saw the famous Mannekin Pis, and did lots of chocolate shopping for me (thank you!!).

Upon their return we set off for the Andalucía region of Southern Spain.  We spent two full days in Sevilla, touring the cathedral and the Alcázar (a beautiful old Moorish palace), strolling along the River Guadalquivir and through the Santa Cruz district (a maze of narrow lanes and whitewashed houses) and trying our hardest to find good Spanish tapas (not so easy!).  We relaxed and cooled down with a pitcher of sangria or two (it was 85 and sunny the entire trip!) and saw an authentic flamenco show.       

Next we headed to Ronda, a White Hill Town in Andalucía and the birthplace of modern bullfighting.  Ronda has a spectacular gorge-straddling setting with beautiful panoramic views.  We wandered the busy pedestrian shopping streets and visited the oldest bullring in Spain.   

Our trip coincided with Alicesara and Brandon’s trip to the same area, and they graciously invited us to stay in their timeshare in Marbella with them on our last night.  Mom and Dad dipped their toes in the Mediterranean, and we relaxed with the Lesters at the resort pool before we enjoyed an awesome home cooked meal on their balcony.

We had a great time with my parents and are so glad we were able to experience some new and exciting places with them.  Thanks so much for visiting, Mom and Dad!