(Note: I am currently sitting in Evelyn and Gunter’s office typing this on a German keyboard, which is slightly different than what I am used to, so please excuse any strange typos you may find.  Also, posts from here will be pictureless, as I am not about to start uploading my pictures into their work computers.  When I get back I will be putting up an album of everything.)

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.