BYE-BYE

After two years and 133 posts it is time to conclude DC to Doha. I was wrong - thought I wouldn't enjoy blogging but I really have. It's a great place to journal one's life. As soon as I get my home office set up I plan to print out this blog, and start a new one on life in Virginia. If you want the new blog address please let me know via e-mail or comment. In the meantime - have a great day and thank you both for reading!

Cindy

HOME AT LAST!

The kids and I arrived at Dulles airport yesterday afternoon. Trip did not go smoothly - our United flight was cancelled, we were rebooked on a Lufthansa flight departing 2 hours later, that flight was delayed an extra hour so immigration paperwork could be processed. Erin got sick right after we landed at Dulles, had a mix-up and didn't find the friends who came to meet us at the airport. But we managed to get ourselves together and to our hotel. Everyone is fine today - we are very glad to be home!

MORE EUROPEAN VACATION

Castle on the Rhine River





Schnitzel and Weissbeer - Heaven!

Venice "Street" Scene

8:00 AM - Independence Day: Am blasting rock music out of the computer trying to get the family up! Have had a great time on vacation, but am looking forward to flying home tomorrow. See you soon!

CASTLES!

View from our Hotel Room



Neuschwanstein Castle



Hohenschwangau
Castle with
Neuschwanstein
in background




Linderhoff Castle

Been "castling" the past 2 days! Saw the boyhood home of Mad King Ludwig - Hohenschwangau and the 2 castles he built - Linderhoff and Neuschwanstein. Has been raining on and off for 3 days - but we don't care. One more day in Garmisch - Monday we leave for Venice.

ESCAPE FROM DOHA!

Linderhoff Palace


Erin & Spaghetti Ice

Rothenburg

Doha Escape Day finally arrived! We flew from Doha to Frankfurt, Germany on Tuesday. Picked up our rental car early Tuesday morning and drove up to Bad Nauheim and Friedberg - where we used to live all those years ago. With the exception of the closed Army base in Friedberg, the towns look pretty much as I remember them. Loved driving through the green fields outside Frankfurt, and had a real moment of bliss standing in the cool shadow of a tall, green tree at a roadside rest area. Ate a real schnitzel, and drank a real beer. Showed the kids how to use a french fry fork (remember those?), marveled that the Germans still used sandpaper for toilet paper, and got some spaghetti ice (Erin loved it!). After a night in Frankfurt drove south to the walled in city of Rothenburg ob der Tauber. Kids loved exploring the city - and the Medevial Crime Museum. Are now down south in Garmisch - visited Linderhoff Palace today - built by Mad King Ludwig. Palace is small, but built to copy Versailles and includes a grotto (cave) where private Wagner operas were staged just for the King (remember that Bugs Bunny cartoon - Kill the Rabbit? - heard all that music today). It is cloudy and rainy - can't see the Alps very well - but we don't care. We love the rain and all the green! Not sure yet what we will do tomorrow - depends on the weather. Having a great time!

PACKOUT PICS

Sea Crates

Moving Crew

Box City

Packout going well. The crew packed most of our stuff yesterday (Saturday) and today are weighing the boxes and crating them for the long voyage from Doha port (in the Persian Gulf) to the Port of Baltimore, Maryland. Will take a minimum of 72 days for our sea shipment to arrive at our home in Virginia. We have 700 pounds going by air that should be there in about 3 weeks. Babycat is booked on the Qatar Air direct flight from Doha t0 Dulles - she flies on 20 July. We fly to Germany early Tuesday morning for a 12 day vacation (well needed and deserved!).

In case some are wondering, the current unrest in Iran is not affecting us at all. Iran and Qatar do not have much of a relationship: they are of different ethnic groups (Persian and Arab), speak different languages (Farsi and Arabic), and have different religious beliefs (Shia vs. Sunni Muslim). All is quiet (and hot!) here.

MOVERS

come today and tomorrow (Sat and Sun) - yikes!