Day 2 – Arrival in Germany

Now officially on vacation after our passport debacle!

6.5 hour overnight flight on Lufthansa was just long enough for dinner and breakfast (3 hours apart), which preempted any chance of real sleep. We arrived groggily at uncle Niko’s in Frankfurt just in time to catch up with him and 3+y/o cousin before they went to work/preschool.

In our boys’ eyes, uncle Niko is the mad scientist of the family. He maintains a giant putting green in his yard in the middle of Frankfurt, grows prize pumpkins, builds telescopes, and has now moved on to other projects—including raising an impressively good-natured son, my nephew and the boys’ newest playpal, Jonathan.

stinker and stinker-in-training

oversized vegetable garden

Leo and Jonathan on putting green

Opi (grandpa) Bernd came to Niko’s to pick us up and we caught some shuteye on the 2-hour drive to Eva’s hometown of Korbach. After a needed nap we took a walk downtown and took in the old sights. Among the must’s: bread, ice cream cafe, and game-shopping. Surprisingly little changes in this town from year-to-year, which is not that bad of a thing.

Astonishing array of ice-cream spaghetti choices

…. taken 1 minute before the ice cream disappeared completely

Downtown Korbach (pop 25k)

Once back home, the boys enjoyed digging through the attic for old toys that hold up, generationally: legos, brio trains, etc.

Brio never gets old

New generation meets old legos

Oma lets the boys explore

Eva and I picked up our old habit of browsing Stiftung-Warentest—a quintessentially German magazine that exhaustively rates consumer products. Today’s test: mineral water! Happy to begin a pace non-hectic enough to enjoy this and other delights.