We're still here! A visit from friends - and a pirate ship!

Well, lots has happened in the past almost 2 months. We're still in Germany and I'd love to catch everyone up on what we've been doing. I'm sorry that I haven't been better at blogging regularly, but I will try to be better at it in the remaining few months.

At the end of April, my dear and wonderful friend Karina came to visit us in Heidelberg. We went to school together back in the 20th century and have been great friends ever since. Our lives have taken us to many unexpected places, and we have not lived in the same country (usually not even the same continent) for most of the time since we met. Currently, Karina lives with her family in Milan, which is about as close as we've been to each other since High School. So, still on maternity leave and with her 7 week-old son in tow, she got in a car and drove to Heidelberg. We had a blast! We spent lots of time just hanging out and talking, admiring her sweet baby boy. Alex loved holding Orlando, making him laugh, and was just generally infatuated with him.

But, it wouldn't be a true visit from Karina, if we didn't also spend time exploring. Although the weather was dismal (cold, rainy, and generally dreary) we went to Worms to see the cathedral and have a wonderful lunch of white asparagus, which was not only in season right then, but is also one of the main culinary claims to fame of this area. It came with a rich and delicious hollandaise and we paired it with a crisp local white wine. Who says you can't have a good time on a cold and rainy day? Also, we got to see the burial crypt of the Salic kings of the middle ages!

Another day, we all went to Speyer. There is, of course, another impressive and important cathedral there. We found the crypt as well. This time there were also sarcophagi, but Alex particularly liked/was horrified by this lion.

Of course, we also made time for a yummy lunch sampling local specialties, this time Flammkuchen, which is a kind of paper thin pizza (though not made of yeast dough) and traditionally topped with sour cream, onions, and bacon! (Alex ordered crepes - a recent favorite!)

Of course, we also explored Heidelberg together and for a short while were even blessed with a little dry weather. Probably the most enduring legacy of their visit, however, at least from Alex's perspective was the amazing Playmobil pirate ship which Karina got for the lucky boy. I guess she was impressed with his recently acquired love for all things pirate and viking. He was surprised and thrilled when she unveiled the box after school one day and here they can be seen spending the rest of the afternoon putting together the masterpiece!

Thanks for a wonderful visit, dear friends. We hope to see you again this summer - this time on your turf in Italy.