More Exciting News!!

We have been crazy busy the past couple days, but I wanted to update you all on what we've been doing, and what the next few days hold.



Last weekend was super fun, probably one of our most eventful. Friday we hung out with our new friends and on Saturday we went back to Nuremberg...we're addicted to that place! It just has such a great vibe: street musicians, food stands, great shops-we love it. We ended up trying a döner kebab at the recommendation of our friends, and were not disappointed.



Döner stands are all over here but we just haven't had the guts to try it. Each place has a large lamb roast on a rotisserie that slowly turns in front of a big grill where everyone can see it. The chef shaves off little strips of the roast, pops them into a fresh roll and tops it with shredded lettuce, tomatoes, and a delicious pink sauce (it tastes like a fry sauce or maybe even French dressing--either way it is sooo good!). The meat ends up tasting like something between roast beef and bacon--incredible!! Everything tastes and looks sooo fresh, and the serving is incredibly generous for only a couple Euros. It really hits the spot if you're craving a juicy cheese burger, but want something a little more German. Here's a photo of Eric with his döner--the picture doesn't do it justice!!




The other little food item we had to try was a crepe! There was a tiny booth set up where two women were hand-making giant thin crepes, and they looked so pretty that we couldn't resist. We each ended up getting one that had melted Nutella and sliced bananas inside. Healthy right? I want to recreate them every night! See how big they were? Mmm, they were so soft and warm too!

After our feast in Nuremberg we headed back home, which was easier said then done. We ended up getting off at the wrong stop, having to navigate most of the way back, and ended up just calling a cab for the last 30 minutes. While waiting for the taxi at the train station in Amberg (don't know how we got there!!) we sat in a little diner and had beer & pretzels, very German! We also spied on a bunch of high school-age kids who were getting a stern lecture from the Polizei...it's so hard to eavesdrop with the language barrier!!

Sunday ended up being probably one of my most favorite days here in Germany...and I'll tell you why: We got to see our future home!!!! And believe me, it has far exceeded our expectations! We found out that Sgt. Miranda (a man who works with Eric) lives only a couple houses down from us, so he offered to pick us up and give us tours: of his home (since it's identical to ours) and of our new home town, Eschenbach.

We couldn't believe how wonderful everything was. Our house is so cute, I'm already dying to decorate! It's technically 5 stories, but each level is only 1 or 2 rooms so it's probably closer to 3. But we have a cute little kitchen, 1.5 spare bathrooms, a big dining/living room, an office, a master bedroom with its own bathroom, 2 spare rooms and a laundry room. Plenty of space!! We have a feeling there are going to be some empty spots for awhile though. It's just lovely though. The staircases are open-back and have twisted wrought-iron hand railing, the views from the windows are amazing (the town of Eschenbach in the front, and forest in the back), we even have a little back porch area. Oh, and we are allowed to paint!! Gosh we were so excited! Eric and I just kept smiling hugely at each other as Sgt. Miranda and his wife gave us a tour.

Next they took us into downtown Eschenbach, and things really only got better from there. We are probably a 5-10 minute walk to the main downtown area, complete with restaurants, bars, shops, even a gelato shop! The Mirandas bought us a quick lunch at a döner stand just a few blocks from our house, and it was even better than in Nuremberg (complete with thick slices of feta cheese!). Eschenbach is over 800 years old, and everything is beautiful there. The steeples of the churches still way up past the treeline (we can see them from our front door) and the roads are cobblestone. We were in amazement realizing this was OUR home town!!

They then drove us to the other edge of town (5 minute drive) where there, waiting for us, was a beautiful lake (called Rußweiher Lake)! Even though it was still freezing out, there were people walking around everywhere. I guess the beach is packed in the summer, and you can swim and even rent boats! There is a small fee to use the park, but once in there you can buy beers, snacks, sunbathe etc...there is even a walking/biking path that circles the whole lake! It was unbelievably picturesque. We were just speechless. We have plans of biking down to that lake as often as we possibly can once the weather warms up. I can't even believe it's true! That day really boosted our spirits. We went home overjoyed that within days we could call that lovely place "home".

Just yesterday, Sgt. Miranda's wife came and picked us up and moved us to our new hotel (and last stop before we move into our place) which is over-looking that lake. Today we do the walk-through to inspect our place, and then on the 12th we move in! Eric has Friday through Monday off, so we can get a little settled, and then on the 15th we get all of our furniture & household goods delivered! Hooray!! I've missed our stuff so much and have been anxious to see it. Fresh clothes, pots, pans (finally cooked food!!!), sheets, pillows!! We will be ready to say goodbye to hotel living (it's been over 1 month!) and hello to our new home. The Army gives us loaner furniture (bed, couches, table, chairs, etc.) for the first few days so we aren't sleeping on the floor. We can even get dishes and whatnot for free if we want. So nice! Now all we'll need is our car (which gets here in 2 weeks) and we will be really living here in Bavaria!!!

Did I mention how excited we were?