so it took a little while but . . .

I promised I would post more pictures from Europe so I will . . .

Venice:

Venice was beautiful. It really was. It was also expensive, full of tourists, a bit stinky - but not too bad - , and easy to get lost in. Acutally, I liked the getting lost part. I don't think Jon did though. I would love to go back though . . . there are things I would do differently. . . but all the calles (alleys) are just so beautiful, and then you just happen on to these unexpected squares . . . there are winged lions everywhere (not real ones, silly, statues) and there are no cars (for obvious reasons) and I really liked that . . .

so, here are some pictures:

one of the many canals:


A view of the san Maria Della Salute - an entirely round church dedicated to the virgin mary . . . I really liked this building:


Insides the Basilica San Maria Gloriosa Dei Frari (a franciscan church):


Jon from the top of S Marco's Basilica, it was so foggy!


We never rode a gondola


another canal:


and, 2 dollars to the person who names the movie that this building is from:


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also, i just want to say that i am starting my massage practice . . . i've got discounts if anyone wants a hook up . . .

~Tabitha

aaahhh oregon rain and christmas cards

we made it.

the plane was an hour late taking off. so, we landed an hour late (at 1230pm insted of 1130am). and FINALLY at 2:30 (!!!!) we were through customs and "border control."

sheesh.

glad to be home and hug the necks of friends.

and to look at the ENGAGEMENT RING ON A.C.'s FINGER!!!!

turning homeward

well, we are packing up for the last long haul home to portland . . .

our train leaves in 2 1/2 hours (12:30am in germany) . . . we will arrive in frankfurt at 530 am and our plan leaves at 930 am . . . we should land in portland at 1130 am local time (830 pm german time).

it will be a loooong journey, but sooner than we know we will be back in a country where things are familliar and we can navigate the culture and language mostly smoothly.

we look forward to seeing all of you soon!
love,
Tabitha and Jon

p.s. we will keep posting pictures so keep checking this site! :)

the silly post

so, this post is really random and doesn't really have any grandiose pictures of europe for anyone. in fact, i think that niki a and michelle p might be the only one supremely interested in the pictures i have for you at the moment.

this one should interest all of you:


it is an animal native to bavaria (southern germany). our host dad (in bad birnbach) Hans hunted it himself in the middle of the night. it is called a Wolpertinger. they are very dangerous. he had it taxidermied and put on display at the hotel he manages. they brought it back to the house for us to see though. they even had a scientific book with descriptions and pictures of other species of wolpertingers as well. it was very interesting*

these next pictures might only interest niki:

the bratcher family:

this is the family that niki and i lived with for the summer three years ago while we taught english in hildesheim. they are a fantastic family and jon and i were very happy to get to see them again while we were in hildesheim. we even got to meet their little girl laura who was just a little swimming plankton when niki and i left three years ago.

she's perfect:


and a picture for michelle:


we enjoyed some boxed wine with the only "hippies" that we've met on our trip. they were very "portland" people and we felt right at home. one of the guys even played "stairway to heaven" on his guitar for us. the entire song. but it was beautiful. this picture was taken in their commune that we got to stay in for two days - one of the best experiences of my life!

that's all for now . . . more to come later today!

t and j


*i hope you understand that i realize that these are completely fake animals.

Christmas in Pocking and Bad Birnbach

For Christmas, we took the train from Prague to Regensberg where our friend Thomas picked us up. We know Thomas because he and Franzi couchsurfed with us last year around August. We told them that we were coming to Germany over the holidays and they asked us to spend Christmas with them and their families. So we did :)

We stayed with Thomas in his tiny apartment for the night. He showed us around Regensberg and we ate pizza together. We went to hear some Christmas music in one of the cathedrals. It was really beautiful! And I had my traditional European Fanta (I say traditional because for me it is tradition to drink at least one Fanta while I am in Europe).

Thomas is going to school in Regensberg and studying Engineering.

The next morning (Christmas Eve), we went to Passau so Thomas could do some (all of his) Christmas shopping. Then we went to Pocking where his home and his Parents are.

Christmas Eve is the day that they traditionally celebrate Christmas in Europe (or at least Germany). And Santa doesn't come. He comes on Dec 6th. On Christmas Eve all the gifts are from the Christkind (Christchild). They traditionally go to church around 3 or 4 come home and eat saur kraut potatoes and meat and then the Christkind comes!! and they open presents. But presents aren't as big a deal and aren't the main focus of Christmas. For them it is family. Thomas live in the basement of his parents house, they live on the main floor, and his grandma lives on the top floor. and all the aunts and uncles and cousins came over and went upstairs to see grandma. So did we.

We even went to church that day and watched the kids perform a Christmas play. It was cute. and in rhyme so it was easier for me to understand what they were saying . . .

anyway, after christmas (and gluhwein!) with grandma, we went back downstairs to get ready for Thomas' anti-Christmas party. His friends came over and they played Sing Star. it's sort of a karaoke game on playstation or something. But all the songs were german pop songs so we couldn't play.

The next morning, we drove to Bad Birnbach to spend Christmas day number 2 with Franzi and her family (they celebrate for 3 days and in those three days everything is closed). They fed us yummy food (her dad loves to cook!) and even performed some of the traditional Bavarian songs that they play in their family band (every year on Christmas they play at an old folks home). After dinner, we relaxed and then all the kids (franzi, Susi and Johannes and us) watched "love acutally" in german . . . yay!

what a good Christmas!

pictures:

us with Thomas at his family's house in front of the tree.


us with Thomas' parents at breakfast on Christmas day proper.


left to right: susi, irene, and franzi playing their instruments. fabulous!


jon relaxing in front of the fire with the family dog, Dani. She was the best - she made some of the funniest sounds when she wanted us to give her Christmas dinner!


the Krippe (nativity scene) at the local church. It's really interesting to me how every cathedral is so proud of their Krippe. They advertise it and people come in and crowed around and look at it. some of them are really extravagent. and EVERY cathedral has one. this one had its characters in traditional bavarian outfits. :)

happy Friday!
Tabitha and Jon

Prague

We were in Prague a few weeks ago, I know. But I wanted to post some pictures for you all.

Prauge was definitely beautiful. I loved the city the best at night (aside from the fellas trying to sell you hashish and cocaine in the square). I felt safe there (mostly because I was with 3 men at most times) too. :)

The city was untouched by the wars, so everything here is genuine (unlike other European cities whose "old" cathedrals have been rebuilt in the 60s-80s).

The food was largely affordable and the pilsner was about one euro a glass. and brewed very clean. yum!

here is an example of the beautiful city of Prague at night:


the square was all decorated for christmas and the christmasmarket was in full-swing. but it mostly had cheap, silly tourist souveniers and nothing cool, artistic and hand-made. :(

one thing about Prague that Jon was excited about was this:

this is the opera house where Mozart's Don Giovanni was first staged. You may have seen it in the film "Ammadeus."

here we are again in the square at night engaging in some PDA in front of our host, Jason:

Jon and Jason went to PSU together and now Jason lives in Prague.

the castle, st vitus and the famous Charles Bridge by night:


we took a tour of the Alphons Mucha (one of Tabitha's favorite artists) museum and then we went to see St Vitus (the cathedral in the castle). one of the stained glass windows was designed by Mucha. the cathedral was simply amazing.


so, there is a quick summary of our time in Prague. later today or tomorrow I will post about Christmas or something . . .

love you all!
T

wireless atlast!

so, we are in Munich now . . . we were in Vienna for the last few days . . . we will be in Munich for the next 4 days and . . . we have wireless!!

so this means that i will be posting pictures every day for all of you to enjoy.

starting . . . tomorrow.

goodnight!