After the birthday celebration for Ted, I headed to Carol’s house to spend some time with her, James and the boys.  It was a very low-key couple of days, but just what I like.  It’s so much fun to see the boys, and it always seems like no time has passed at all since the last time I’ve seen them (when in reality, I’m pretty sure it’s been almost a year).

We tried to get some group shots of the boys, which proves difficult, as they are getting older and love running around!

This is just a little sampling of some events from the past week on the Russell side of the family.  This week I will be updating with all the news and pictures since last Saturday, beginning with the camping trip for Lindsay’s birthday (and a birthday post for Lindsay, and for Ted – who had a birthday this week as well – would also be nice!).  Now that the summer is winding down and work starts up again, things will probably get back to routine around here.  There’s been a lot of running around the last few weeks, days spent with friends and family in summer’s prime, making lots of memories to share!  However, it has left little opportunity for sharing – until now!

To tide you over, until I can get recaps of our recent happenings, here are the photos from the shoot with Katherine.  I made the dress for her and we decided to use Bruce’s property (our family friend) as the backdrop – I think it was a wise decision.

All of these thumbnails are clickable so that you can see the larger images.  Coming this week: 1.) Camping Trip, 2.) Ted’s Birthday Party and 3.) My Visit to Carol’s House.

Last month, me, Lindsay, mom, Pam, Katherine, Ami and friends Donna, Paula and Elaine got together for our semi-annual Ladies’ Tea.  The theme this time around was Alice in Wonderland, so we all attended the Mad Hatter’s Tea Party, in costume.  Katherine portrayed Alice, Pam the Mad Hatter, I the White Queen, Lindsay the Queen of Hearts, Mom the March Hare, Ami the White Rabbit, Paula the Cheshire Cat, Donna the Caterpillar, and Elaine the Dormouse.   Pam and Katherine did an excellent job of creating a Alice atmosphere, complete with ‘Eat Me’ and ‘Drink Me’ signs, a string of flamingo lights, and little placecards with quotes from appropriate characters.

As is the custom, we all prepared a gift basket to share in our gift basket lottery.  The theme was to comprise a basket full of items from your favorite fantasy story (or, at the very least, the fantasy story you could think of the most items for!).  I did the Twilight saga (which Pam received), Katherine did Roald Dahl’s Matilda (which I received), Mom did Where the Wild Things Are (Donna received), Pam did Mary Poppins (Elaine got it), Elaine did Wicked (Ami received it), Paula did The Princess Bride (Katherine got it), Ami did Practical Magic (which went home with Lindsay), Donna did Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (which Mom received), and Lindsay did the Once and Future King (Paula got it).  (I’m fairly certain that’s the correct order!)

Enjoy some pictures from the day.

The Mad Hatter’s Tea Party.  (More in an upcoming post!)

On day nine, we got a chance to really spend some time with Evelyn and Gunter. The day was planned around dinner at Evelyn’s mother house in the evening, but before that, we had a leisurely morning at the hotel while waiting for Gunter to finish up with a meeting. Once done, we picked him up and headed to an area with three mountains, of about the same height, each part of a fortress complex. One held the fortress itself, the other a rock formation and the third had the prison where captives were kept.

The fortress was set high on a hill, but we were able to drive up most of the way. After parking the car, it was a twenty minute hike up to the fortress, where the views were expansive. From our vantage point, you could see the mountains of the Black Forest in Germany, to the hints of mountains in France.

(The trail leading up to the fortress.)

(View from the first lookout point, overlooking a town and a vineyard.)

(Entering the fortress.)

After doing the hike, the fortress continued upwards through a series of staircases dispersed throughout. At many points there were ledges to step onto to look at the view and windows to peer out of. Inside we were able to see the chapel as well as replicas of the crown and swords.

(Me, Mom, Evelyn and Gunter.)

We continued to make our way to the very top, where the views were definitely worth the trek up there!

There are many more photos that I could put up to show you, but it would likely take forever to post and load on other computers, so I’ll save some for when I’ve got the entire album up and ready to go, however in the above two you can get a sense of the view.

Once done with the fortress, we walked back down (which I actually like less than walking up – walking down bothers my knees too much), and sat and had a small snack of currywurst and pretzels before making our way to the town Evelyn grew up in.

We arrived at Evelyn’s mom’s house, where an amazing feast was prepared. There was turkey, chicken, dumplings, salad and more! Everything was delicious, and I was quickly too full – but was, of course, instructed to save room for dessert. We ate dinner in the garden, a nice breeze blowing through the air, breaking up the heatwave Germany has been experiencing during our stay here.

Once we were done with dinner, we took a walk through the gardens and made our way through the town, ending up at one of Evelyn’s aunts houses. We had met Sigi and Freidl at the wedding and they were very hospitable, serving drinks and cookies before we had to head back to Karlsruhe (mom had to see Lilo, a healer, to check out this weird rash she got on her leg in Paris; turned out it was an allergic reaction to sand fleas from all the walking we did – I thankfully did not get bothered by these gross sounding creatures).

Before we headed back to the hotel for the night, Gunter drove us up to a peak where we could look out over the city of Karlsruhe. The sun was setting, the moon was up, and it was all very peaceful, and a nice way to end the day.

On our final day, we woke up and had a leisurely morning with breakfast and then prepared to meet Evelyn and go out for the day. She took us into France (a short drive from their house) where we were going to eat, but we were unable to find a decent restaurant, since the town we went to was eerily deserted. Instead, we drove to Baden-Baden (in Germany) and ate there before walking around the city looking at the baths and the casino. Outside the casino, there was a band playing music – and everyone who knows me well knows that I think Europe should constantly be playing music in order to further set the atmosphere, so I really enjoyed that!

We did not stay in Baden-Baden for very long, and then we headed back to Karlsruhe to meet Gunter and then head to their house for a final dinner – a barbecue! We simply sat and ate and enjoyed the last night together before flying home the next afternoon. The trip was a great success, and I am glad to get home, but I’m already missing it and am thinking about next summer’s plans already (Italy and Greece? Spain? Austria? Sweden? Scotland? The choices are endless…)

On day seven, we conquered Paris, walking around for most of the day and seeing the sights before enjoying a leisurely dinner with the Eiffel Tower in sight. It was back to the hotel to rest up after a great trip, for we would need to be at the train relatively early the next day to head back to Germany.

Day eight began with a brief trip to the Grand Boulevards in Paris, where Lindsay and I stayed when we came to Paris for the first time seven years ago. It was in the Opera district, and the hotel was located in an alleyway of sorts that connected the street from the opposite side of it. They alleyway, and the matching one across the street, is normally full of bustling shops and restaurants, but as yesterday was Bastille Day, most of the shops were closed. However, there was one very nice home shop open – full of table linens and silverware and containers for sugar, flour and coffee. Naturally I wanted everything in this store, and now want to redo my kitchen.

As it was pouring in the morning, there wasn’t much else for us to do and so we headed to the train station a little bit early to catch our train back to Germany. Once on the train, the ride was smooth and I spent most of it listening to music, reading my book from Heathrow Airport (The Lost Art of Keeping Secrets, by Eva Rice – isn’t that title just divine?), and watching the countrysides of France and Germany rush past the train window. Train travel definitely has its merits!

Evelyn picked us up at the train station in Mannheim and we drove back to Karlsruhe and checked back into the hotel. Our luggage was safe and sound (we had left it behind and took small bags to Paris) and we spent a few hours freshening up before we had to head back to the villa so that mom could perform at a fundraiser.

Much of the evening was spent at the fundraiser, with mom and Evelyn performing both individually and together, and we headed back to the hotel, tired but happy that it had rained and there was a slight break in the heat for the night!

Note: I couldn’t copy and paste the gallery of pictures from this day of the trip, but you can look forward to the full album being posted as soon as all the pictures have been uploaded!

Today marked the halfway point of our trip. We have been in Europe for five days, and will be here for five days more (well, as of this morning… as I write this, we have four full days left before returning home on Saturday). It was time to head for Paris, something I have been looking forward to for months. I’ve never been able to explain why Paris hold such a special place in my heart, or why I feel pulled there, but there’s just something about it. Something special, and beautiful and wonderful. I love it!

The day began early with breakfast at the hotel in Karlsruhe, and then we met with Evelyn who took us to the train station. We found the trains with no problem, but then encountered the most infuriating people while trying to get to our seat. It was as though they have never been around other humans before. Most were blocking the train aisles and trying to fit their giant luggage into compartments that were entirely too small. Therefore I admit that I started the journey a bit frustrated.

Once we were finally situated in our seats, we travelled perhaps half of our journey before finding out that we would need to move to another train, where the seats would no longer be assigned. Thankfully we found seats together and continued the trip into Paris with no problem. We also easily found the hotel, recommended by one of my co-workers, and settled in before heading out to see the city.

The Arc de Triomphe was within walking distance, so we went on foot, and ten traveled down the Champs Elysees before getting on the train to make it to the Eiffel Tower. I was slightly disappointed to find a lot of construction going on near the Eiffel Tower, marring its normal majestic feel, but it was still amazing to be next to the Tower again. I think I would be perfectly content to just sit by it all day and read.

However, as I only have two days in Paris, sitting and reading by the Eiffel Tower will need to wait until the next trip. I wanted to see everything I possibly could, from the Louvre (just the outside, I’ve been inside a few times) to Notre Dame (though that we’re saving for tomorrow). However, having been traveling and then walking, we were both hungry so we stopped at a small bistro to have some lunch. I, of course, had my standard steak frites with bearnaise sauce and followed it up with chocolate mousse, and mom had some salmon with pasta. Everything was wonderful and we left with new energy to see more of the city.

We decided to walk to the Louvre, where we spent some time in the Tuileries before heading back towards the tower to go on a Seine cruise. Mom was tired, and I figured this was the perfect way to see a lot and let her relax a bit from walking and being in the sun a lot today.

As I write this, I realize that our day doesn’t sound like much, but it was quite nice and we did a lot. We got back to the hotel about quarter to ten, and settled in for the evening as tomorrow we have a full day of sightseeing ahead of us, and I want to head up to Montmartre!

The night before the party it rained, which I think had people a little nervous for the following day, but we woke up to clear skies – and a breeze!  Germany is seeing a heatwave and it was slightly broken that morning.  However, this did not last long.  By the time mom and I were ready to head to the party and had walked over to the brewery to meet Evelyn and Gunter, it was already getting close to scorching – and to make matters worse, the humidity had begun to come back.

You may think that this would mean that the day (and the party) were sure to be ruined, as the party was taking place outside on the grounds of the villa on the brewery however, for everyone who was invited, it didn’t matter.  The party turned out to be a fantastic success, beginning at eleven a.m. and not ending until well into the night (I am not sure just how late, but mom and I were back in the hotel at 9:30 p.m.).

The party started with brunch – scrambled eggs and sausages and a large Italian buffet.  Mom and I helped Evelyn’s mother and aunts set up the cakes that they had made for the occasion on the dessert table – and eagerly looked forward to when it was time to eat the cakes.  There was quite the array, including Tollhouse cookies, which one of the aunts made because Gunter enjoys them.

There was a pianist playing in the morning, and waiters passing around bottles of Prosecco, so it was very pleasant to sip sparkling wine and listen to “Maria,” “The Man I Love,” “What Are You Doing the Rest of Your Life?” and more songs coming from the piano.

Soon, however, it was time for mom to sing.  She performed outside on the deck, so that most of the guests would be able to see her.  After her three solo numbers, she brought Evelyn up to do a duet.

Mom was praised by all the guests (I think a few even asked her to return next summer for some other parties), and we spent much of the rest of the day just enjoying the company.  There were only a few people that we knew, but a lot of people spoke English and we were able to converse with no problem (but it did make me feel guilty that I don’t speak a lick of German and can’t really figure any of it out!).  Some of the people we were familiar with were Evelyn’s sister and her daughters, who we met the last time we visited.

We also made friends with a cousin of Evelyn’s, a little girl named Kim with the biggest brown eyes.  She liked putting ice on herself, and on everyone else (but not in the annoying, down-the-back-of-your-shirt way, but by running it up and down people’s arms to cool them off).  She was the youngest at the party, and was very amusing!

Later on in the day, Evelyn and Gunter’s friends put together a special presentation for them, and then mom sang again.  Evelyn sang a few songs in honor of Gunter as well, and then everyone just hung out, drank wine, continued to eat (for there was also a barbecue later on in the day) and enjoyed each other’s company.

By the time we left the party, we were tired out and ready for bed, but it had been a great day!

(Note: Please remember that these are copied and pasted from my other blog and are therefore in the original real time I wrote them in.)

Yesterday morning, mom and I had to get up bright and early to return to Heathrow Airport where we would board our flight to Frankfurt, Germany. We arrived at the airport before 5 a.m. and therefore all the baggage checks were still closed, making us feel like we were on an episode of the Amazing Race. We had to wait out and got to check in as soon as it hit five o’clock. It was nice to get my giant bag off my hands and send it to the plane. However, as our flight was not due to leave until 7:30, we had a lot of time to kill at the airport. We got some breakfast and looked around the bookstore (where I couldn’t help myself – I now have two new books).

Once on the flight, we arrived in Germany quickly, waiting on another very long customs line, and finally got our bags and were able to meet up with Evelyn and Gunter. We travelled from Frankfurt to Karlsruhe, with a quick stop so that Gunter could take a picture of a tobacco field that he needed for an article he was writing about the tobacco laws in German. This was a quick stop, and we soon found ourselves in front of our hotel. We checked in and relaxed while Evelyn and Gunter headed back to their office. Evelyn met up with us for lunch about forty-five minutes later, and we ate in the hotel restaurant. Gunter met up with us as well, but then went back to work while the rest of us headed into the city.

Mom needed toothpaste, so we went to a shopping area to get some, and we also shopped and bit and walked through the city. It was blazingly hot in Germany, something that is not typical, even in the middle of summer, so we stopped a few times in stores to enjoy the cool air conditioning and we sat and enjoyed some ice cream at a small cafe. Following that, we went with Evelyn to get something for the party, which will take place tomorrow.

Then it was off to Evelyn and Gunter’s house, where we sat outside and enjoyed their new garden. Their house has been redone since we were here last, and it looks great. The garden is particularly nice and, even with the head, was really pleasant to sit out in and enjoy dinner. As Gunter said, all a person needs to be blessed is being able to eat with good friends, and I must say that I agree!

The night did not run very late, as we were tired from the early day and the heat, and so we headed back to the hotel for a night of rest.

Today (day four) has been amazingly low-key. Currently, mom is rehearsing for a performance she will do on Thursday (and some singing she’ll be doing at the wedding), while I write this update. We have had a leisurely morning, having breakfast and dozing, and now were are around for help with the party set up. I’m not sure where the rest of the day will take us, but I am sure we will have dinner, either out or at Evelyn and Gunter’s again, and just continue to have a very low-key, relaxing day. (Which is good since tomorrow is the party all day and then we head to Paris for two nights and will be out and about quite a lot, I’m sure!)

I’m pretty sure we have internet at the hotel in Paris, so if that’s that case, I will likely continue these tales then. With the party tomorrow, I likely will not get to a computer.

After a refreshing night of sleep (though still not quite enough!), mom and I got dressed and ready to meet Nancy and her daughter Amanda in the town of Guildford. Amanda has been attending an acting program there for the last couple of years, and is currently performing in Epsom Downs. We made the special trip to Guildford, located in Surrey, for the purpose of attending the open dress rehearsal (since the show quickly sold out and we were unable to get tickets). I knew from the moment we stepped off of the train that I was going to like Guildford much more than I like London. All my England travel from now on is going to be spent on seeing the small villages, the landscapes and the ancient castles and other buildings. While London is fun, there is something too frantic about it (you would think I’d be used to this, being a New Yorker, but something about the energy in London is different; it’s as though it’s fast paced and yet slow at the same time).

We set out from the train station for the town center. As it turns out, Guildford is a very walkable town, with almost everything accesible on foot. We made it to the high street, which defined what I usually think of when I picture England in my mind.

(At the bottom of the High Street.)

We spent much of our morning simply exploring the streets of Guildford, wandering down little alley-like streets and peeking into stores (we found a really cute hat shop at one point!). Our plan was to wait until Amanda was free for lunch, and then have a full afternoon tea at the Angel Hotel, since we were unable to have tea yesterday.

(Scenes of Guildford.)

We met Amanda for tea, which was lovely – a true English tea with finger sandwiches, scones and clotted cream. During tea, it came up that Lewis Carroll actually wrote Alice in Wonderland in the town of Guildford, and he actually died there (buried there are well, so he would be an example of one with an honorary monument at Westminster Abbey). Amanda told us about an Alice statue commemorating this fact and we made a note to find it after the show (we also found out on the train back to London that there was a second Alice statue but we missed seeing it).

From tea (which was much more reasonable than the one we would have gotten in London, I might add), we went shopping for a wedding gift for Evelyn and Gunter, which we found at a store called Cath Kinder. That was where Amanda left us, to meet her call time at the theater for the dress rehearsal, but first she gave us instructions on how to get to Guildford Castle. We were on our way once again.

Along the way to the castle, we stopped by an old church, one of the oldest buildings in Guildford, with parts of it dating back to the 1100′s. We didn’t have time to see their organ concert (recital?), but we did go inside to take a look. The staff there was very personable, and we got to catch a group of actors rehearsing for an upcoming festival of some kind.

(St. Mary’s Church, dating back to the 1100′s.)

Guildford Castle was a short walk from the church, and we found it easily (it seemed that everything was easy to find in Guildford!). It’s a small castle that sits on top of a hill surrounded by beautiful gardens. The gardens made me feel like Alice in Wonderland when she reaches the Queen’s castle (though I did not see roses of any kind). Connected to the castle was another lovely park, accessible by a stone wall with flowers spilling down the sides, and little nooks and stairwells leading to other places. This only increased the Wonderland feel of the place.

(Scenes from Guildford Castle.)

It was time for the show.  I had never heard of Epsom Downs before, but it’s an ensemble piece that takes place the day of the Derby 1977.  There are about 50 characters played by 18 people, who all did an excellent job in their various parts.  During the intermission, one of the actors came out dressed as a horse, wearing nothing but a bridle on his head and a jock strap/thong kind of thing. Surprisingly, this was actually quite convincing and, along with his facial expressions, most people really would start to see the actor as a horse. However, there was one exception, and I think this will go down in infamy as my favorite moment from the trip. The horse was clomping around in circuits around the stage, led by a horse tender (another actor, of course), and after he had completed the cycle a out ten times, a little girl in the back of the theater announced, for all to hear, “That man hasn’t got any clothes on.” (Please read that with an adorable little girl’s British accent to get the full effect.)

When the show was over, we took a walk to the Alice statue while we waited for Amanda to get her director’s notes.  It was easy enough to find and right along a lovely walk along the water to the locks.  The statue itself depicts Alice and her sister (I would imagine the real-life little girl Alice was based on), with a rabbit jumping down a rabbit hole a few feet away from them.  The girls area reading the rabbit hole chapter of the book.

(More scenes from Guildford, starting with the Alice statue.)

When Amanda was done with the dress rehearsal, we went to have some dinner before she had to be back at the theater for the evening show.  It was a nice way to end the evening, sitting outside in the shade, talking and laughing.

When dinner was over, mom and I had to head back to London so we could get out things ready for tomorrow’s flight to Frankfurt to meet Evelyn and Gunter.  Unsure of internet access while in Germany, so time will tell if you get those posts tomorrow or when I get back next Saturday!