German life

Lately I have just been posting after having travelled somewhere new. Today however, I decided that I wanted to post an update on what I have been doing IN Frankfurt. The last month or so I have been enjoying my time at home so much I have little desire to run away to somewhere new. Even as I look out my window right now and see driving rain.... It was sunny a little while ago! Ok.... now it is hailing, kind of violently and with lightning!!!

The main reason I have been having so much fun is softball. I love it! It keeps me so busy, having practice two evenings a week and then games on the weekend. Yesterday we had our second game of the season, which meant I was at the field from 10.30 until 6! Totally worth it though. Sometimes on free days I find myself wishing I had softball. We had a photographer at the game and had a team photo taken. I will post it as soon as it is on the website. I have not been playing yet (still waiting to be added to the team list), but there may be photos of me at practice. Here is an newspaper article on the team: http://www.fnp.de/fnp/sport/regional/frankfurt/eine-runde-ohne-abstiegssorgen-fuer-frankfurt-1860_rmn01.c.9773846.de.html (I am the player from Kanada!)

Other things I have been enjoying: my new bike, the students at school, getting the library ready, learning German...

Softball will be a good way to learn German. But it is funny, because the main places I am surrounded with German are at softball, in sports class, and when the kids are out playing at school. This can leave some rather interesting phrases that I know. Some examples:

- alle gegen alle! (all against all - when they want to play everyone for themselves football)

- auf die Plätze, fertig, los! (on your marks, get set, go!)

- Schläger (baseball bat)

- wechseln (change, for changing stations at practice)

- Trikot (jersey)

- Läufer (runner)

There are many more softball terms that I've learned. Because we have a number of English speakers on our team there ends up being a mixture of the languages spoken. Most of the other English speakers are pretty good with German, and sometimes we end up with sentences half in German and half in English. 

I also have German class once a week. This week I learned something that, as an English speaker, I found amusing. In German words are often put together when they are representing one thing. We were talking about how to tell time and I wanted to know how to say something would take two and a half hours. Of course, in German that becomes zweieinhalb Stunden. So then I asked what one and a half would be: eineinhalb! I found that a very amusing word :)

And now the sun has come out again, so I will leave you until another time.

Paris

Here are some photos from my Easter trip to Paris:

View of the Arc de Triomphe...

... and Eiffel Tower on the first night

The amazing staircase at the Jacquemart-André Museum

Place du Canada!! With statues of Cartier and de Champlain

The beginning of a beautiful 5 hour visit to the Louvre

Some favourites from the long visit: (Left to right, top to bottom)

1. a dutch painting that I was really taken with. I was stupid and didn't really pay attention to who painted it or who it is...  

2. Giambologna's Mercury - saw another of these at the Bargello in Florence, I am a big fan of his sculptures.

3. Madame Récamier painted by Jacques Louis David, who painted my all time favourite painting The Coronation of Napoleon 

4. The dining hall in the Napoleon III apartments in the Louvre. 

5. The ballroom of the Napoleon III apartments. 

And eventually we did see some other things in Paris...

The Conciergerie - the Hall of Men-at-Arms with amazing gothic arches

The holding area for people on their way to the guillotine, called the "Corner of Twelve" as they were in groups of 12

Sainte Chapelle's stunning stain glass windows

We also went to the Musée des arts et métiers, the science museum. I went around with the audio guide, but most enjoyed the replicas they have that you can play with. Two favourites: A Pascaline adding machine invented by Blaise Pascal and Napier's Bones used for multiplication. 

Adding Machine

Napier's Bones

We also had time for a day trip to Versailles. Unfortunately by the time we arrived the line was too long to go inside of the palace. Instead I wandered around the gardens and walked out to the Grand Trianon and Petit Trianon.

Made a new friend :)

Grand Trianon, with a nicely furnished interior

Petit Trianon

Lindsay and I at dinner

New BIKE!!!!!!!!

This week I went and picked up my beautiful new bike. Today I went for my first real ride (haha, to Real!). Here is a photo, though my bike now has my old rack and basket on it, my lock and a bike computer. Good way to spend the afternoon - tinkering with my bike and going for a ride :)

Switzerland!

One of my good friends from my undergrad, Jessica, is in Zürich for 4 weeks doing a practicum. This past weekend I drove down to visit her. On Friday night we met up in the city and wandered around, while it was still light outside.

The view down one street in Zürich

She was staying with a teacher at her school, who lives in Horgen just outside of Zürich. We took the SBahn back to her place for the night. The next morning we got up early (ok, well early for being on holiday) to take the train to Lucerne. We spent the day wandering around and souvenir shopping. The weather was beautifully sunny and the mountains were stunning! We walked along the remaining part of the old city walls. When we turned the corner at the end we both stopped in our tracks, because the mountains had come into view. Unfortunately they were so hard to photograph because it was so bright out. 

Outside the Haupbahnhof in Luzern/Lucerne

View of the old town, above one of the covered bridges

View of the mountains!!!

At the lion monument. This commemorates the Swiss personal guards of Louis XVI who were massacred in 1792 when Louis ordered them to lay down their arms during the French revolution.

Another view of the larger of the covered bridges, and some of the many swans

Luzern city hall and flag

First view of the old city wall. Unfortunately you can only walk along the top during the summer season, which starts next week!

So instead we walked along the path outside the wall

Where we came back inside the city walls and saw the mountains. Sadly they barely show up in the photo.

Here is a good view of the mountains!

We then met up with Will for dinner. I then discovered just how expensive things are in Switzerland. To eat out you are looking at a minimum of about 30 CHF for dinner. In Frankfurt you could get the same thing in the same type of restaurant for half the price. No wonder teachers get paid twice as much in Switzerland. Jess then took the train back home. I had such a nice day with her, great getting the chance to catch up while exploring a very pretty city!

Driving home on Sunday, we drove through two places where my family had stayed in Switzerland. The first was Brugg. Here my parents and brother lived for 6 months while my brother was a baby. We then went up to the Swiss-German border to Bad Zurzach. I stayed here when I was 2 with my family. I also got to drive through the lab where my dad was working. Didn't stop and take any photos as there was some kind of event going on there. 

Sommenhaldenstrasse 5a where my parents lived - I think the bottom balcony on the left

Bad Zurzach

The spa (Baden) in Bad Zurzach, near where we stayed apparently

And now it is Monday, and I am at home relaxing! Today is the start of our 2 week Easter holiday. And man was it needed! This week I am technically on call for the holiday camps, so I am just hanging around Frankfurt hoping that they don't need me. I am meeting up with a friend today, another tomorrow, and also running errands and doing some spring cleaning. This weekend I am off to Paris for Easter, and then next week I am running a holiday camp. So not really 2 weeks off, but at least a break.