Malinak Family Visit

11-17 July - Tina, our Favorite Slovak Daughter, came home for a week visit with her parents. It was a wonderful visit with alot of travel and food.

11 July - Kim and I picked Jamie up from Horse camp near Ansbach, Germany. On the way back, we met Tina and her family at a rest stop to surprise Jamie. Tina rode back home with us. When we arrived home, we officially welcomed them to Germany with a bottle of Stoffel Brut (Sparking Wine) - excellent by the way and exchanged a few gifts to include Jamie's Birthday gifts!!!!!!!!!! Then we started to cook dinner together. For dinner, we had steak, King Crab legs from Russia, grilled and sauteed shrimp, green beans and potatos. For dessert, we had Kim's chocolate pudding and cream cheese 4 layer dessert. After dinner, our guest relaxed from their long trip. Tina, however, being our "daughter" helped clean the table and wash dishes :)) yep, same chores when she is "home" :))

The Men grilling meat and drinking a beer!!!!

12 June - Sunday - We woke and had a light breakfast of fruit salad, meat and cheese and bread. We drove to Ramstein a little early for church and rode around the base to show them what we have on post - housing, laundry, library, gym, different agencies, px, commissary, travel, gas station, schools, etc - basically a mini-US city. Then we went to church. They are Catholic but raised in the Eastern Orthodox Church. We attend a Protestant contemporary service on base. They have seen a video from Tina. They enjoyed it and liked the music. It is different but that is the point of our visits together. After church, we went to Chili's for a big lunch. We had several different items. They really liked the chips and salsa, Margarita, Southwest egg Rolls, big blue cheese burger, chicked pasta and salad. It was ALOT of food for them but they enjoyed it and we ate it all. After lunch, we wanted to take a nap but manned-up and carried on with the plan. We visited the PX and Commissary to see what they are like and buy food for the week. We downloaded the car then loaded back in the van and to the Mexican Cantina for Mexican and Mojitos. They don't have mint at the resturant, so I take my own. They are kind enough to make them for me. They use a Brazilian Rum that is slightly spiced - very good. We were still a little full from lunch so we ate appetizers and a la carte. They enjoyed it all and we had a great time.

At Chilis

13 July - Monday - We had a similiar breakfast of Sunday then travelled to Trier. The town is over 2000 yrs old. The Romans established it in approx 16 BC. They built a wall around the city with gates. One gate remains that was constructed in approx 200 AD. Emporer Constantine had a throne room built here as well. It is a very old and beautiful city. We saw an ampitheater and the Roman baths where old fat stinky naked men would go to bath. Tina and Jamie did not want to stay long :)) We had a small lunch and did some shopping. It was a beautiful day, not too hot and sunny!!! http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trier

Tina and Jamie at the Roman Ampitheater in Trier.

From Trier, we drove over to visit our Favorite German Son and have our favorite Slovak Daughter's Parents meet their daughter's brother's parents!! Makes perfect sense in our family!! After our welcome and a few gifts for Alfons, Petra, and Michael from Tina's family, Michael and Alfons took them on a tour of the wineyards. Upon return, they toured the where they make wine and the wine cellar. Then the best part - I know you are thinking wine but no - Petra's cakes :)))))))))))))))))))) Oh is she a great cook!!! We had coffee with 3 different cakes - English fruit cake and Petra's wonderful Zarte Himberren-Schnitten (Tender Raspberry Squares) (see Michael's Birthday posting for a photo) and her Apricot cake. BETTER THAN EVER!!! Petra and Iveta (Tina's favorite Slovak Mom) talked and had a great time. Then we did a wine probe (tasting). We had a great time tasting some of the 2008 wines. After the probe we took family photos. It was wonderful having 3 of the 4 families together at one time. 3 families from 3 countries and cultures gathered in one place with one common bond - the kids. The only thing stopping it from being a perfect day was that Ahyoung, our favorite Korean daughter, and her family were not there and we missed her. Kim and I took a moment to thank the Malinak and Stoffel family for giving us a truly great gift - the gift of their child to live with us and for us to call our own. Kim and I reflected on where we were 3 1/2 years ago after our first exchange experience and where we were on Monday. We are soo happy that we kept up our faith that we would host more students and share our and their cultures. The experience has enriches our lives and given Jamie role models in her sisters and brother and a life experience of sharing cultures that cannot be bought. We are sooo thankful to all our "kids" for being great family members and good siblings to Jamie. All have wonderful parents that love them very much and are wonderful to our family. We said our goodbys after another wonderful visit to the Stoffels. They were once again very gracious and outstanding hosts. We travelled a local resturant for a German meal. The resturant sits on a hill overlooking a bend in the Mosel River and the towns of Leiwen and Trittenheim. It was a great meal, wonderful company and a great view. After Kim drove home, we called it a night!!!!

Stoffel, Kennedy and Malinak families - # contries and cultures joined together as one "Family"

14 July - Tuesday. The weather was awful so we stayed close to home. We had a large thunder and lightening (Donner and Blitzen) storm that fried our phone, internet and printer until Friday....yeah. We cooked french toast with sausage and country ham. Then we drove to the factory outlet center in Saarbrucken. It was OK but the prices were really high. We did not stay long. We decided to do a late lunch/early dinner. We cooked, on request, Kim's baked macaroni and cheese, fresh creamed corn, biscuits, steamed veggies, and fried chicken, sweet tea. For dessert, we had fresh chocolate chip cookies and Pina Coladas. We all had a great time.

15 July - Wednesday. The weather was great so off to Strassbourg, France ( http://www.strasbourg.com/) we went. The GPS decided to take us thru the German/French countryside for the 1:45 hr drive. Just for fun, about 1/2 way there and in the middle of freakin NOWHERE without a map, the GPS decides to go haywire and direct us to every police station in the area. We finally figured it our about 20 minutes and 3 turns later and were back on track------stupid technology!!! On our way, we passed one of the Maginot Line forts - Fort Simershof. http://www.cheminsdememoire.gouv.fr/page/affichelieu.php?idLieu=841&idLang=en. We had a quick walk down to the site but the tour was too long for our timeline. We had a slow, uphill walk back to the car and off to Strassbourg.

We arrived in good time and began our day. We walked through the weekly flea market which is very nice - clothes, jewelry, stinky cheese, meats, pastries, etc. We then went to the main church square and had lunch. We had a great meal of traditional foods - Martin had a meats and saurerkraut plate, I had a 3 meat pot with veggies, Matus had a salmon and pasta, Tina had the veggie plate, Kim and Jamie split a Rosetti with egg and bacon and cheese, Iveta had a Dijon mustard chicken salad. YUMMY!!!! We then toured the huge church in town, Martin and Matus climbed the 332 steps to the top - why not 333??? French!!! This was the tallest church in Christendom until the 19th Century. The beautiful stained glass windows, astronomical clock and Mount of Olive statue are very beautiful. We then did some shopping and a beer before our boat tour of the River I'll that circles the old city. The cruise took us through the locks on Pettite France up to the European Parliment and back for about an hour. It was very nice. We then walked through Pettite France and stopped for a French pastry :) We headed back to the car - tired but very happy. We decided we were not very hungry so we came back home and make a 7 layer mexican dip and had chips and dip for dinner with left over chicken.

Having a drink before the boat cruise. Strassbourg France

Family at the Gutenberg Statue in Strassbourg, France.

16 July - Thursday. Drove to Rudesheim for a boat cruise down the Rhine River. The weather was perfect. We got caught in a stau (traffic jam) and had to take a few backroads. We arrived 10 minutes before the boat arrived. We were able to get a table by the window and enjoyed our 3 hour tour passing many castles, towns and other ships. We enjoyed drinks on the boat. We got off the boat in a little town and rode the train (bahn) 45 min back to Rudesheim. We had a very nice lunch and walked around the town and yep - shopped. We then drove up to the Neiderwald Denkmal (Monument). This is a monument to the Prussian forces after the Franco-Prussian War of 1870/1871. During the war, the several German states that were in the coalition joined to form one nation state - Germany or the Germany Empire under Emperor Wilheim I of Prussia,. Germany defeated France which completed the downfall of Napolean III and the Second French Republic. Germany gained control of the French regions of Alsace and Lorraine which they would keep until their defeat in WWI. The Monument is a huge statue overlooking the Rhine Valley. See Tina's vist in November 2008 for a photo.

The family overlooking the Rhine Valley.

17 July - Friday. We cooked a full American breakfast with sausage gravy and biscuits, scrambled eggs, grits, sausage and bacon, fruit salad. They really enjoyed it and we only had a few grits left over. Jamie set the table. I'm just guessing but I'm sure it was the first time biscuits and sausage gravy and grits have been served on china with silver and crystal for orange juice. It sure make it taste even more gooder :))) After cleaning up and the telephone man FINALLY coming to fix the phone and internet, we headed to K'town to walk around and - yep, you guess it with 4 women - shop!!!!! The guys went to James' office to see that then do some car shopping!!! :)) !!! We linked back up and headed home where Kim cooked her World Famous Lasagne with Stoffel Wine of course and salad with garlic bread for dinner. They started to pack ALL the stuff they bought in their car and we called it a night.

It was a great visit. Kim, Jamie and I are humbled and happy that of all the great places to spend in Europe for their yearly family holiday, they chose to come visit us, experience our food and travel to some really great places with us. We will miss Tina until she returns home again in December when Ahyoung visits for a full family Reunion!!!!!!!!!

Until the next post!!