Darmstadt

Road trip! The original plan was for our friends with a car to drive us to the French border for sightseeing. But with three moderately sick kids and the cold weather, we stayed in Germany and checked out their hometown, Darmstadt. The day started with a hot lunch of German lasagna, followed by a car/foot tour of the city. Darmstadt was heavily damaged in WWII but there is still a large schloss (castle) in the center of town and the beautifully restored Rosenhöhe Park. Rosenhöhe contains several specimens of Sequoiadendron giganteum, giant sequoias. They were dwarfs compared to the trees in California, but still reminded us of home. After the park, we returned to our friend's house for the German weekend tradition of 4pm Kaffee und Kuchen. In fact, we were invited to another 4pm Kaffee und Kuchen on Saturday, but had to cancel due to Gianna's illness. An invitation to Kaffee und Kuchen means they will cram you full of fancy cakes from the local bakery and gourmet coffee to the point you will not be hungry for dinner. It also means you are their friends, something Germans take very seriously. The night ended with Wii Fit competitions where we were creamed by an 8 year old and then a fast car ride home up the autobahn.