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!

The Gala and The Ball

That would be the Stars Ballet Gala and the Army Birthday Ball! Attended both events yesterday (Friday, June 12). Erin was, of course, lovely in the ballet gala - held at the Doha Sheraton. Andy and I attended the Gala in our Army Ball attire (tuxedo and ball gown), and rushed from the Sheraton to Camp As Saliyah and the Ball. Had a great time at both events!
Managed to spend today (Saturday) running errands and avoiding thinking about moving. Have started the air freight pile, though. Movers come on June 20.

ERIN WINS MATH AWARD

As one of the top math students in the 4th grade, Erin was chosen to participate in the Math Olympiad program at the American School. Today, at the end of year awards ceremony, she received an award for being in the top 50% of all Math Olympiad students worldwide! Well done!

Am working on our move now. Today got the news that the US is seriously considering quarantining pets shipped in from Qatar (why? there is no rabies in Qatar!). Not sure when the new regulations will take effect, but the pet relocator I am working with suggests we get our Babycat back to the US ASAP! Plan now is for Baby to fly as cargo on a direct flight from Doha to Dulles about July 19. I will be at Dulles to receive her.

This is the last week of school - exam week for Grant. Things are moving fast now, and we are very excited about coming home!

OH, IF THEY ONLY KNEW WHAT WE DO NOW....

From "The Spirit of Democracy" the newspaper of Monroe County, Ohio, date: 24 January, 1895:

"Pencil for Writing Letters
A new fashion that is just beginning to grow in vogue is that of writing letters in pencil rather than with pen and ink; and when once it is fairly established it is doubtful whether anything but legal documents and business papers that must be preserved will ever be prepared in the old style. Letters are generally shorter nowadays than they formerly were, are more hastily written, more frequent, and seldom worth keeping for any length of time. They are not the elaborate efforts of bygone days, that were often cherished for their intrinsic worth. The pencil, which is far more convenient than the pen, is, therefore, taking its place in the great mass of casual correspondence."

COMING HOME!

Great News! Got official word yesterday that we will be moving back to our home in Virginia. Now I am motivated to get ready for the move. See you soon!