Christmas at Moggles and Manfreds (M & M's)

J So this Christmas was of course a little different from most, we opened presents on the evening of the 24th, we had stockings and parcels under a christmas tree, which had real candles on it. We were with family and even had egg nog, the big difference was of course the egg nog was already mixed with rum and was quite repulsive (unfortunately I bought the big bottle), oh and speaking of mice stirring in the night (work with me), there wasn't any, of course this was due to the eight, yes 8, cats at our feet.

We loved our time with M&M, it made the holidays memoriable, a warm bed, great meals, and better company. We did have to endure the full China vacation video memoires, but luckily Boris (the kitten) kept us entertained during the slow parts. Many nights Moggles played Rummy with us as we snacked on Germany christmas cookies and waited for the next sneak attack by Boris.. it was hilarious watching the faces of the vicitms as Boris (chosing his victim from the safety of being under the table) flung his small frame at our thighs, claws ready to secure his landing, the scars have started to heal but the memories will last forever. lol

A few nights as Mich and Moggles worked on crafts, Manfred told stories of his times as a pilot after WWII. He was trained in the USA, but served at the Memmingen air base in Germany, which in recent years has closed and now operates as a commercial airport, so he once again gets to take off from the base, but this time without the responsibility, but with the luxury of getting to Berlin or Hamburg a lot faster. I believe his favorite plane to fly at the time was the F 102, which was capable of Mach2 speeds, I asked many a-question regarding flying as I have always had a fascination with flight and Manfred humored me again and again. He also showed off his impressive model train set, which was amazing because of the size and the detail.

We explored the nearby towns, had some awesome (Authentic) German meals, and went for walks in the nearby countryside to walk off the calories.

However after a week we decided it was time to move on, the Eurail pass expires on the 26th of January so on the 27th of December we said heartfelt goodbyes, and boarded a train for Switzerland.

M Yes I will echo what Jes said about Christmas. It was great to spend time with My Aunt and get to know her better. It is hard to understand unless you have done a trip like this but after 3 months of travelling you really need a break to just rest and feel free to sleep in etc. My Aunt made us really feel at home, and we enjoyed chatting, eating (it was Christmas), doing crafts, playing board games, walks in the forest and around the local towns. We were also able to call home with out problems. We have had the worst luck with phone cards, pay phones and everything that goes with trying to call home. I have to say I missed being with my family on Christmas day, but this was the next best thing.

So off we were on a train to Interlaken, Switzerland. We stayed in a 32 bed doorm, our biggest yet. Wow they crammed us into such a small room. The majority of the beds were 3 high, which honestly reminded me of auswich. Not only were they 3 high, but they were extra wide and they put 2 matteresses on them and expect you to share it. Originally Jes and I were in separate "beds" which means we would have to sleep with strangers (there was about 1 inch separating the matteresses) But we got our beds changed at the front desk. Let's just say it was an experiance to remember.

Switzerland is beautiful! The mountains and lakes are breathtaking, reminding us of the Rockies. Unfortunately the activities to do in Interlaken were very over priced and things we can do back home for cheap or free. We could have gone sledding with a fondu at the end, but it cost $95 each! Many people were going, but most of them were from Australia, New Zealand, southern US etc, and were so facinated by the idea, some seeing snow for the first time. Of course we can go sledding for free. The first night we were there I got a stomach bug of some kind and spent a large part of the night in the washroom. I am sure many people thought I had drank too much, but of course this was not the case. Because of this I was glad to have the next 2 days to just walk around and relax enjoying the nature, and have a nap in the afternoon. We skipped rocks on a lake, and rode the local bus all over town giving ourselves our own free guided tour.

Dec. 31 2007, New Years Eve. We saw people setting up tents in the main square and assumed it was for the big party that night. We went to the toursit office and were told that there was not to be any fireworks unitl New Years Day, when there will be concerts and many activities going on. We were very dissapointed as we had planned to leave early in the morning for France. So that night we decided to join the party happening in the bar in our hostel. After being wallflowers for a bit we decided it was really not our scene. So we grabbed some champagne and went for a walk. Are we glad we left. At 11:45 the bells on the Churches started to ring, then people and buisnesses from all over set off their own fireworks. When the clock struck 12 we shook the champagne spraying it around, shared a new years kiss and watched the show reallly begin as more and more fireworks went off. The Church bells chimmed until 12:15, which is when the fireworks started to slow down. It was magical.

New Years Day we jumped on a train heading to Marsielle, France. We will update on that later.
Bye for now and Happy New Year everyone!