Koch's Hotel Olpe

Tonight we went to a German dinner party (we found out later that it was actually a birthday dinner). Anyway, it was very nice and we were surrounded by German conversation. Many parts had to be translated for us but we picked up on quite a bit anyway.

Our hosts were Dietmar and Anja and they welcomed us happily into their home. Anja spoke very good English and loved talking to us. Dietmar was loud and gregarious and constantly made sure his guests had food and drink ...

... and yeast.

The tour was great and very informative but the best part was at the end. Food and beer awaited us in a special pub nearby. You could eat and drink to your heart's content for about two hours.

We were eventually joined by some local teens who were somehow amazed that I had heard of The Simpsons and Two and a Half Men. Funniest question: "You know who Charlie Sheen is? Is he famous in America?

... tallest building in Europe until the Eiffel Tower was built. None of these pictures do it justice.

Inside, it's beauty and size are beyond my ability to describe. Once inside, you can get a sense of the emotional intensity that some people feel in here. It's really quite astonishing no matter what your faith is.

Behind the main alter is the Shrine of the ...

Today was a light day. I mostly followed the girls around as they shopped in the nearby city of Siegen, although I did buy myself a much-needed belt.

I learned an interesting fact today, in America our biggest meal is usually dinner and we eat a smaller lunch. In Germany, it is just the opposite ...

... pool". This pool is filled in the summer by the streams from the mountain which means the water is still very cold.

The rest of the afternoon and evening was spent playing games and talking over dinner. So far this is turning out to be a very nice, relaxing vacation.

... Schloss. It's a nice 13th century castle which is now a musuem. Not only does it have mining tunnels under the castle to walk through, it also houses some great paintings by local artist Peter Paul Rubens (1577-1640).

We finished off the day with some German board games that evening and a great local beer, Eichener Pils. Julia said she has a friend that works at the brewery and may be able to get me a tour.

... for Ken's shoes and a skirt for me) and then Rewe (for more groceries that Aldi didn't have). We discovered that Rita and I are actually sisters, separated at birth, since we constantly looked at the same things! On our way back to her house, we stopped at the graveyard, where Tante Herta is buried. Other Makus graves are there as well. It certainly did not look like any cemetary ...

Ja, unsere Tour ist zuende!! Es ist schon unglaublich, aber wenn man so zurueckdenkt, kommt sie einem unglaublich kurz vor. Wir haben so lange von dieser Tour getraeumt und sie geplant und nun ging es am Ende so schnell. Es war teilweise schon extrem anstrengend und wir hatten zwischenzeitlich auch schon mal ein Tief und waeren liebend gerne nach Hause geflogen. Letztendlich gehoert das aber bei so einer Reise wohl dazu und wir sind sehr ...

... with the navy, but never have I seen a city with so many bars, so close together, and so busy. I tried some of the local Altbier and Maren's father got me some "met", which is raw ground pork on a bun with onion. Yes, I will eat just about anything a local tries to feed me. I had my doubts, but it actually was really good. We ended the night walking the Dusseldorf waterfront and headed back to her parent's.

... bombing raid which caused a firestorm.

Today, Remscheid comprises four boroughs, Alt-Remscheid, Remscheid-Süd, Lennep, and Lüttringhausen.

• The Müngstener Brücke is a railroad bridge crossing a valley and connecting Remscheid with the neighbouring town of Solingen.
  It is 107 m above the ground ...
  Remscheid, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany shantanuchand