Sunday, November 20, 2011
Searching for Julie Andrews 11/11
Due to some new EU immigration policies, our registration and move in process is taking a little longer than expected. Before we arrived in country, we rented a home (the 70's style indoor garage sale...) to stay in while house hunting, getting settled, etc. We were originally told that the process would take 2-3 days plus house hunting and to expect a no more than a month of temporary living. That has all shifted to two months now. Of course, as luck would have it, our month-long rental ended on the day before the largest, annual conference in Dusseldorf began and another couple were checking in on the afternoon of our scheduled departure. Additionally, ALL hotel rooms in Dusseldorf, Cologne (about 30 minutes away), and the surrounding areas were all sold out. Since the flat we have found isn't quite ready, we decided to head off on an adventure for a few days until a hotel room in Dusseldorf became available. It turned out to be a three day gap. We found on-line what sounded like a fun hotel, with a pool (not too common here) for the kids, about an hour and 15 minutes away. We rented a storage unit, made several trips to fill it with our stuff, and took off with about 4 suitcases and the dog. What a pleasant surprise awaited us upon arrival at this typically European hotel. It was quaint and historic and in the German version of Napa Valley. The restaurant is an award winning one and of course, they serve local wines in additional to the typical fare. On our first night there, Josh had to leave on a 5 day trip, so the boys and I ventured out the next day on our own. Driving through the surrounding mountains and rolling hills was breathtaking! Even the boys commented on how beautiful it was. Once we left the vineyard covered valleys it felt like we were driving through the movie set of The Sound of Music. I was just waiting for Julie Andrews to come skipping over the one of the hills, singing in her nanny apron and skirt. I love it when bumps in the road turn into such a beautiful surprises!
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