A Night at the Casino and The Last Week

Viva..... Wiesbaden!? Well, although we didn't land hordes of Euro to set us for life like we planned, we had a great time dressing up and gambling away our piddly amount we set aside at the casino this week. Although I had been to the decadent casino a couple times before, this was the first time I gambled at the black jack table solo. Well, I didn't quite have the lucky streak that Mandy and Jason did a few weeks ago, but it was fun nonetheless and definitely improved my math skills.

The night actually was intended for the four studly men pictured on the left (Jose, Jake, Jon and Ray) to have a classy men's night out making the big bucks. Well, no one made the big bucks, sadly enough, but I think they enjoyed suiting up and feeling oh so debonair. The casino in the Weisbaden Kurhaus is truly a sight to behold and Molly and I tagged along so that we could also have an excuse to dress-up and rub elbows with the rich people (or at least the people GETTING rich). Some of these folks had stacks and stacks of 50 Euro chips at their table, all the while we were pondering why they wouldn't break our 2 Euro chips down to .50 cent Euro chips. It sure would have allowed the night to last longer!

Last weekend, Jake and Molly hosted a going away party for those deploying in the squadron. The theme was to celebrate all the holidays they would be missing over the next eight months including 4th of July, Labor Day, Columbus Day, Halloween, Election Day, Veterans Day and Thanksgiving.

When I first walked in I was totally confused as to why Molly still had her Halloween decorations up when they didn't even move in until January, but then remembered the adorable theme. It was a great party with tons of food (the most important element of a successful party), games for the kids and one last opportunity to unite with the squadron before Jon deploys and I head to the States.

Yes, the dreaded date is soon approaching, one week from today to be exact. I find myself wanting the week to speed up and slow down at the same time as I want to cherish every moment we have left together, while also wanting the countdown for the time he's gone to hurry up and begin. This last week together we have nothing major planned, but simply hope to enjoy each other, our friends, and Wiesbaden as much as possible.

Happy Friday to all!

Catlin Sisters in Germany!

Deutschland mit meine Schwestern ist wunderbar! Yes, indeed, Germany with my sisters is wonderful! I am so lucky to have such fun, fabulous sisters and the 10 days they were here were absolutely fantastic. It was so thrilling to be able to plan the trip and tour them around for once, and although we saw some amazing sites and visited beautiful towns, the best part was simply being together. Although there are more stories and adventures than I could ever try to condense in one blog entry, I did my best to include the highlights of our incredible reunion.

They arrived together on Saturday, the 29th, and Jon and I wanted to give them an authentic German welcome with German style. Me in my drundel and Jon in his 'stache and hat.

After a day of touring around Wiesbaden and visiting the Farmer's market, checking out the shops and a wee nap, we had a welcome dinner at a traditional German restaurant with friends. It was great to have them be able to meet the friends we have made here, and of course everyone LOVED meeting them! Afterward, we had a fun night at a nearby bar decked out in whimsical decorations, a bit of dancing and sparklers at midnight.

The next day, we began our traveling adventures by trekking to the medieval town of Rothenburg via the Romantic Strasse, or in German, Romantische Strasse. It was an absolutely beautiful day and was almost warm. Who would have thought - warm in April!

After settling in at our guesthouse, we took a stroll around the town. We then walked the mile on top of the wall that surrounds the town and got great views from above. Rick Steves claims that this is the best preserved medieval city anywhere, and the town works hard to keep it that way.

That evening, we went on THE Night Watchman tour that is very popular with tourists. At sunset, the Night Watchman invites guests to take a walk with him around town and provides stories of Rothenburg during medieval times. Rick Steves calls him the German Jerry Springer, and although I'm not sure I agree with that, he sure does have a great sense of humor!

The next day, we enjoyed a morning of shopping while Jon busied himself with taking photos (we have over 300 of 1.5 days in Rothenburg).We had a blast meandering down the alleys and browsing in the shop windows. Among our purchases, I received two beautiful German dolls. The wine princess girl was an early birthday gift from my two sweet sisters and I also got a Bavarian boy. What an international doll collection I will have!

After touring the largest Christmas shop ever, eating a great lunch and partaking in more photo shoots with our personal paparazzi, we said aufwiedersehen to Rothenburg and headed back to Wiesbaden.

The next day was our "local day" where we would simply enjoy Wiesbaden. We ate lunch at an outdoor cafe and then headed up to the Neroberg, which is a hill that provides beautiful views of Wiesbaden below. At the top also stands the Russian church. This was built by a duke in the 1800s in memory of his Russian bride who died in childbirth. It's absolutely beautiful inside and the golden spires can be seen from the opposite end of town above the treetops.

That night, we ate dinner and our favorite Italian restaurant, Il Mediterraneo. It also so happens that this restaurant is 10 feet from our apartment entrance. We go there quite often and enjoy their delicious pizzas, pastas and of course, prosecco. The waiters loved meeting mia sorrelle, and how could they not? They are pretty dazzling (wow, I'm turning into Jason with the cheese)!

The next day we were headed off again on our journey to experience more charming villages. This time we headed west to the town of Cochem on the Mosel River. It is an adorable town with a pointy castle that sits above town. We had a great time wandering down the streets, enjoying local wines in a weinkeller (winecellar) and eating at another authentic German restaurant. The following day, we toured the Cochem castle, which is small, yet absolutely beautiful with views of the Mosel river and steep cliffs on all sides.

Afterward, it was time to continue on our castle quest to see yet another gorgeous castle, Burg Eltz. It is claimed, once again by Rick Steves, to be the best preserved medieval castle. This 700 year-old castle is nestled between two valleys behind the Mosel River and has stayed in the same family and never been destroyed.

Two castles in one day was pretty exhausting so afterward, we headed back to Wiesbaden where we made a home-cooked meal of Mom's spaghetti and enjoyed watching American Idol. Although they are great traveling partners, sometimes it's just as fun to be doing the every day things we seldom get the opportunity to do anymore.

The next morning, Laurel and I rushed to the airport to pick up Jason, her boyfriend, only to find him waiting on us. Oops! He was a great sport about it and we were all excited to have a new companion on our journey. After a short break at my apartment, we headed out again to another castle, this time along the Rhine. Marksburg Castle was amazing and is considered to be the most authentic along the Rhine. We were able to see a kitchen, a bedroom, chapel and armory room furnished as how they would have looked in medieval times.

After our wonderful castle tour, we rode a ferry to the other side of the Rhine to the town of Boppard where we viewed a gorgeous church. No matter how tiny the towns may be, they all have magnificent and huge churches. We then traveled a little down the road to the town of St. Goar where we began our Rhine river cruise. Jason had been aching for a beer all morning, and finally on the boat we had our first opportunity to toast to our Germany adventure.

Although we only cruised for less than two hours, it seemed the numerous castles and villages were never-ending. At the beginning, it was such a thrill to spot the first castle on the hillside, and by the end of the two hours, it was like, hmm another castle, should I get up to take a picture, or do we have enough?

It was a blast and I'm so glad that the weather held out for us. We concluded our Rhine cruise in the town of Bacharach.

We enjoyed walking around this adorable town with half-timbered buildings. As the Rhine region is well-known for making Riesling wine, we decided to partake in a wine-tasting at a nearby restaurant.

We received a lazy susan with 15 glasses of wine that we took turns sipping from. It was so much fun to compare thoughts on each glass and Mandy and Laurel both bought two bottles of their favorites. I feel so lucky to get such great and cheap wine here all the time and I'm sure going to miss that when I'm back in the States!

The next day, we enjoyed another 'local' day and also went to the neighboring town of Mainz to visit the famous cathedral. That night, we got spiffied up and went to the Kurhaus in Wiesbaden where the casino is located. This is no ordinary casino, but is very fancy and sophisticated as all the dealers wear tuxedos and a dress code of suits and ties is required for men.

Although we can't take pictures inside the casino, we are standing here in the Kurhaus main entrance. The cherry wood ceiling and walls of the casino room with beautiful crystal chandeliers, fancily clad people and black jack and roulette tables made us feel as if we were stepping into the last James Bond movie. Both Mandy and Jason came out as big winners at the black jack table as Laurel and I enjoyed being mere onlookers.

The next morning, it was time to say a sad good-bye to Mandy as she headed back to Texas. The week with her seemed to fly by so quickly, but at least I will be seeing her again soon! Laurel, Jason and I headed east to the town of Bamberg. Two waterways intersect this town, and the old town hall pictured above is actually positioned mid-stream in one of the rivers. Due to the emergence of this town from WWII bombings with barely a scratch, it has numerous original half-timbered buildings. Also, this town is known to be a beer haven in the country of beer, producing over 200 varieties locally. Jason was excited to visit the beer museum and afterward, we all enjoyed a rauchbier, which is authentic to Bamberg. We had a wonderful day drinking beer, visiting the Kloster St. Michael on the hilltop above town, drinking beer, eating lunch, meandering around town and finally, drinking more beer.

When we returned to Wiesbaden that night, we met up with Jon who had been in France for a work trip. We had a fantastic evening exploring the beers of Wiesbaden (Jon's a much better tour guide in that area). It was a blast having the four of us together despite the guys tendency to get a bit rowdy around each other. I suppose boys will always be boys!

The next day, we had a surprise when it snowed all morning long. After enjoying a lazy morning, we spent the rest of the day going to the gummi bear shop, walking around one of our many beautiful city parks and our afternoon beer break.

We had a wonderful farewell dinner at the same restaurant where we celebrated Mandy and Laurel's first night and it seemed that the trip had come full circle. It began as a wonderful reunion with my dear sisters whom I love dearly and ended with a celebration of four friends who can't wait to travel and spend time together again. I feel so fortunate that I was born into a wonderful family that is so supportive, extraordindarily kind, and absolutely hilarious, and yet also have such wonderful friends who have become a part of the family I have made. Jon and I can't thank you enough, Mandy, Laurel and Jason for the effort you made to come visit us. We were overwhelmed by your generosity and enthusiasm about the trip and I can't wait until you come visit again. You are all the absolute best!

Tschussies, ciao ciao, bye-bye!

St. Patty's and Easter

Tomorrow we leave for the States for a long-deserved Clough family reunion. We can't wait for good home-cooked meals, fun times at the farm, and a gathering with an awesome family! We will return to Germany on the 27th and two days later, will host the Catlin sisters on a tour of Germany. This will be full of adventures, mishaps and fun stories we will look forward to re-telling on the blog.

The past three days have been an incredible never-ending St. Patty's day. We began the celebration at the James Joyce pub on Friday to see some friends in a band play there, then continued on Saturday when we returned for another night on the town with some of Jon's co-workers. Last night, the actual St. Patty's day, we celebrated at the Irish pub with an authentic Dublin band that played some great traditional Irish tunes. It was a really fun night, although no one does up St. Patty's day like good ole Scruffy Murphy's in Waco or Greenville Avenue in Dallas.

On Sunday, we "starred" in another stellar performance at our church as "disciple John" and "mother Mary" in an Easter play. Our friends, the Aussies, were also acting in the play, so it was really fun to have all of us roped into performing together.

Happy Easter to all and we'll catch ya next week!

Juan's Cooking Success

The lovely dish to the left is none other than an imitation of Beckie Clough's famous Spanish Tortilla that she learned to make while living in Spain. Although we received the recipe from her for this dish months ago, we finally (well, I should say Jon, as I was being lazy and watching TV on the couch while he slaved over the stove) got around to testing the recipe last night. It's basically a combination of potato, egg, onion, garlic and milk and is a well-known tapa in Spain. Jon did an absolutely superb job on his first try and he's already thinking of ways to spice it up a bit with jalapeno peppers, his favorite cooking staple. Speaking of jalapeno peppers, he made a great dinner on Saturday night for a group of us and our Aussie friends, consisting of spaghetti with alfredo sauce, bacon and jalapeno peppers. Although our friend Dave was sweating profusely the whole time he was eating it from the "heat," he absolutely loved it. So, you can imagine that I'm feeling a bit like the un-useful house wife, considering Jon's been picking up a lot of the cooking slack lately. What a guy! But, I will say that I master the cleaning like none other..., so at least I'm good for something.

We had a pretty low key weekend as we were dog-sitting, which served as a great reminder why we don't need dogs while in Germany, no matter how cute and cuddly they may be. Although we had the opportunity to feel like real Germans when walking our two dogs in the parks numerous times this weekend, we felt chained to our apartment and to Wiesbaden due to the dogs "going out" schedule. It was fun for a weekend, but I don't think we'll be tempted to adopt dogs anytime soon.

Part of the reason Jon and I have decided to take things easy for the past couple weeks, is due to the fact that we have a crazy few weeks ahead. A week from Wednesday, we head to Virgina where we will spend a week visiting Jon's family. We can hardly wait! Two days after we get back to Germany, we will host my sisters for about 10 days. It will be SO GREAT to have them here and we are planning an event filled week highlighting the best of Germany's quaint village charm. So, not to worry our few yet faithful blog readers, there will be some exciting blog entries ahead! To all, have a fantastic week!

"A Whole New World....."

"A hundred thousand things to see..." Yes, Disney's Aladdin theme song was in my head the entire time I was touring India and the Gulf. And how could it not be? Camels, turbans, temples, mosques, and the desert. I felt like I was Prince Ali myself, staying in some of the nicest hotels the cities had to offer. But, it was a work trip for Baylor, so I didn't have too much time to lavish in luxury or even see that many tourist sites. It was all about hitting the high spots, capturing a few photos and then moving on to the next location. The two week tour was planned by an organization called International Student Network (ISN) that organizes fairs in various cities around the world. My supervisor at Baylor asked me to attend this trip to India and the Gulf and, of course, I jumped at the chance to see this new part of the world.

In India, there were 15 other universities on the tour, and in the Gulf, there was a group of about 30 universities represented. It was very exciting to feel oh-so-professional again, and to be able to break out my work clothes that have been sitting in the attic. It was a wonderful networking opportunity to meet others in the field of international recruitment and I'm so excited about the opportunities ahead for Baylor.

The adventure began on February 2nd when I flew from Frankfurt to Mumbai (formerly Bombay) with a four hour layover in Bahrain. Stepping off the plane in this Arabic kingdom was quite a shock as I was not expecting to see so many people wearing the Arabic-style dress with long robes and head scarves. It was the young, old, male and female who were walking around in the traditional dress, yet shopping for the latest trends in the Duty Free or talking on their cell phone.

After the layover, it was off to India where I was in store for some more shock. I was surprised at how dingy and out-dated the international airport was in Mumbai for being one of the largest cities in India. I later realized that they are in the process of renovating it, and have already updated the very nice domestic airport that we used when flying out of Mumbai. All the taxis in Mumbai are old-school style Fiats (from the 60s), and I was surprised that they drive on the right side of the road, but I should have figured that with it formerly being a British colony.

The drive from the airport was truly shocking, as it was through miles and miles of the "ghetto" where thousands of people live in shacks and tents with trash everywhere. I was amazed at how long this area of poverty stretched and yet people seemed to go about their daily business of carrying water, buying fruit, etc., as if it were the most normal neighborhood in the world.

Before I knew it, we emerged from the devastating landscape to see beautiful, yet decaying, architecture of Mumbai and the harbour with the Gateway to India and the Taj Mahal hotel nearby.

A few minutes later we arrived at my hotel, which was absolutely beautiful, however on the streets below, was the trash that seems to be everywhere throughout the city. I quickly learned that this is a country of extremes where poverty and opulence dwell together.

We were in Mumbai for three days, and on the second day, we had an opportunity to do a little sight-seeing after our morning school visits. The next three pictures are of me at the Hare Krishna temple. We were not able to tour the inside of the temple, but were able to look around the courtyard area.



Posing with the President/Caretaker of the temple.

After the temple, we had a special treat in store for us - access to a Bollywood film shooting! We went to an apartment building where they were filming the scene, and got to see the actors in action. The movie will premier this May and is titled, "Let's Dance." Before getting back on the bus, a few of us wanted to take a quick pic in front of this taxi. On the streets of Mumbai old-school taxis and rickshaws (as pictured here) rule.

In the middle of the city is a huge area dedicated to people who wash clothes for a living. They each have their square of water where they do the laundry and hang it to dry. This area is so expansive and it's one of the many examples of India's fusion of development and despair living side by side.

The Central Train Station in Mumbai where thousands of passengers commute each day for work in the city. I desperately wanted a pic of the trains with no doors and people hanging off the sides, but didn't manage to get one. It truly is a sight to behold, though!

The next stop on our India express train was Chennai (formerly Madras) on the southern east coast. Unfortunately, I have no pictures of this destination and truly didn't get to see much of the city, as we arrived in the evening, had a full day of work the following day, and left bright and early the next morning. I DID enjoy my favorite hotel of the trip and a wonderful hour by the pool in the 90 degree weather here.

Our last destination in India was Ahmedabad, a city in the northern desert region of India. Although I did see some cows on the side of the road in Mumbai, in Ahemedabad, they are free to go as they please and don't have to be tied up, so it was quite bizarre to see them roaming down the middle of the road.

I also got to see plenty of camels too, which are used in this region to pull carts, etc.

The night we arrived, our entire group went to an amazing dinner at an outdoor restaurant that is adjacent to a temple.

When we entered the restaurant, we were all given red dots on our foreheads, and then proceeded to sit on the ground at a long table.

We ate off of plates made of leaves sewn together, and I had the most amazing food. I have no idea what I was eating, but it was delicious, spicy and so full of flavor. It actually reminded me a lot of Tex-Mex.

Afterward, we had some entertainment with musical drums and a puppet show, and also the opportunity to smoke some delicious shisha (flavored tobacco). Hey, when in Rome.

The next day after our school visits in the morning, we were able to see both Muhatma Ghandi's house along the river and the beautiful Golden Temple. Unfortunately, they wouldn't let us have cameras at the temple, but it was absolutely breath-taking and the gardens surrounding the temple were an oasis in the middle of this desert region.

END OF INDIA TOUR - BEGINNING OF GULF EXTRAVAGANZA

Arriving in Dubai was quite a different contrast from the poverty-stricken and dirty India. First, the airport was so incredibly nice, roads were new and actually had lanes, and there was no trash to be seen. Dubai is absolutely out of this world, and the entire city is drenched in opulence.

The first night there, I had an opportunity to experience the city with a local, Sarah Stem, whose family are friends of ours from Texas. I had never met Sarah before, but had an amazing time with her and her friends that night. We met at the Mall of the Emiratis and had delicious Moroccan food for dinner and later toured the indoor ski resort.

Afterward, we went to a roof-top bar on the 22nd floor of a building that had amazing views of the famous 7-star hotel, Burj Al Arab, and the lights of Dubai at night. We ended the night with a trip to a very hip car called, Budah, that is appropriately decked out in Asian decor. Although this city is run by rich Arabs with more money than they know what to do with, it is a melting pot of cultures with workers from the Philippines, India and other southeast Asian countries as well as plenty of Brits, Aussies, and some Americans. Every day there are new developments and I'm told that the landscape of the city changes drastically yearly.

The next day I had an opportunity to see the Burj Al Arab in daylight as we were having a luncheon at a resort adjacent to this hotel. It is situated on an island that is connected by a small pathway. You have to have reservations or be on a list in order to pass through the gate, so this was as close as I could get.

We had an amazing lunch at the Madinat Jumeirah resort in Dubai, that consists of a series of hotels and residences. The cheapest accommodation is $1,000 a night with most expensive around $10,000. I may not be staying there anytime soon, but at least I got to have lunch there!

We had lunch on the patio pictured above overlooking this beautiful lagoon, with views of the Burj Al Arab hotel.

After lunch, we got to take a boat, or abra, ride around the canals of the resort.

We took a day trip to Abu Dhabi for an expo, and we saw miles and miles of sand, with the occasional mosque.

At the hotel in Abu Dhabi where our expo was held. We so wanted to be laying out on the beautiful green grass overlooking the lagoon, but hey, at least we got to visit.

After three days in the UAE, our next destination was Kuwait. This was a very quick trip, so there wasn't a lot of time to sight see (not that there is a lot to see anyway), but we did get to visit the Kuwait Towers.

After being in the land of no alcohol, crazy custom officials, a long 4-hour delay in the airport, getting booted from our hotel, etc., we were ready to get the heck outta Kuwait and head to Bahrain. It proved to be a welcome sight for sore eyes, and I very much enjoyed my stay in this kingdom.

After our school visit, we were once again able to view a little of the city and visited a camel farm, the Grand Mosque, and the causeway (border) between Bahrain and Saudi Arabia.

I also had a free day my final day there before flying out and was able to do some shopping in the souhk, or bazaar, which has alleys and alleys of stalls and vendors selling souvenirs, spices, Arabic and Indian garments, rugs, etc.

It was a whirlwind of a trip and although I never thought I'd say it, I was ready to go home again after this adventure. I would certinaly never pass up an incredible opportunity like this again, but did realize that traveling for work may not be as glamorous as it seems. The reality of waiting in airports, having little free time, and a strict agenda to follow defintely set it, but it was still totally worth it to experience a whole new world and I can't wait to return.