Europe

Europe We visit Amsterdam and Trier, Germany.

Our first day in Amsterdam. Walking towards Westerpark		There was an area of cute little bungalow next to the park





		This may be the smallest car I've ever seen


A cool automatic restaurant		Houseboats


At the central railroad, there was a piano you could play.		Peter gave it a try


There was a parkour exhibit north of the city		On the ferry





At a climbing wall close to our hotel in Amsterdam		Eric had an angry rash on his neck, that he picked up in Africa. We tried to get antibiotic lotion for it in Amsterdam, but nothing is available OTC. We later learned from Melissa that it probably came from the Nairobi Fly, which is a strange insect that, when crushed on your skin, releases an acid that causes this kind of rash.


Crazy luck - just outside of our hotel in Amsterdam (Amsterdam Teleport Hotel, okay but we won't go there again) Peter found a 5 Euro bill, and Kenny found a 20 Euro bill		Playground at Vondelpark





		I love the wading pools they have in Europe.


		Amsterdam is VERY crowded this time of year


		A few pictures from the Rijksmuseum





Nice dock next to the library, which was unfortunately closed for remodeling. They gave us apples to make up for it.		The line for the Anne Frank museum. We skipped it.


In Trier - we stayed at the Ibis Styles, which was really nice and very central		In the background is the Roman bridge, from the second century AD


		The old Roman baths





They were repairnig the cobblestone pavement in the old town, and transported the stones there in these bags


At the Porta Nigra - Roman gate





		Good view from the top


There are many more bookstores here than back in the US. I guess Amazon hasn't made as many inroads in the book market


The cathedral		Garden next to the cathedral


The Basilika - built in 310 as a throne hall by Constantine. Now an evangelical church.


		A baroque palace right next to the basilika





At the main Roman imperial baths


There were lots of school groups there		We played hide and seek in the subterranean passages. It was nice and cool out of the sun








At the open-air museum Roscheider Hof, not far from Trier. It was huge area, with a mixed up jumble of all kinds of artifacts, almost nobody there except us		There was no attempt to only show a few of any particular item, I think they just showed everything they had. I found it more interesting that way. This was a very small part of the tin soldier display


		Old bathtubs


I don't know how this worked, but it was called a Sparautomat -automatic saving machine. Kind of like an early ATM?		"Eigner Herd ist Goldes Wert". Translation - having your own hearth (i.e. home) is worth a great deal


Peter had fun nibbling some wheat from this field		In Germany, some POWs worked at farms instead of being in POW camps


Miele started out not with washing machines, but with butter churns.


At the potato themed restaurant we went to a few times		The kids played soccer in Trier. I told Peter how to say "Can I play too" in German


Unfortunately there was a muddy part of the field		We took a walk along the Roman path near Butzweiler, close to Burg Ramstein


Happy hikers


		I couldn't figure out what this was. Maybe some kind of insect trap?


At the old Roman copper mine, which became a quarry


Burg Ramstein


		Peter made friends with this goat at the Waldstation


This old hotel that Kelly mentioned is now out of business. There's a sign that says it's being renovated, but it just looks abandoned. Good views, though





There was a political fair just outside our hotel		Karl Marx was born in Trier. It looks like Marx is still a common name in the area


Views from the riverboat tour





		At the pizza restaurant, Peter watched the pizza makers so long that that they ended up giving him a chunk of dough that he could make a pizza base with


We took a day trip to Luxembourg. The parking garage had parking places specifically for women.		My favorite part of Luxembourg was walking around the old city walls





Kenny has one of his many fidget spinners. This is along the Wenzel walk





Walkway over the edge of the cliff





		Interesting bench











		We found a plum tree!





		At the museum in Luxembourg


An old Roman mosaic floor


The Bock in Luxembourg











		Kenny found a tiny little baby lizard


Back in Amsterdam - I like the gravel yard in this house





		Houses across from our hotel