international travelling, part III

Three kids in the car!


At the North Sea with Emerson and Nikolas

The famous lighthouse

Princess Sofia visiting the sheep

After Kent left, Tina, the kids and I, took a trip to the North Sea. It was about a 5-hour drive from Berlin (THREE car-seats in the back, we were packed in!). We stayed in a barn that had been remodeled to have 4 homes, on a sheep farm, and all we could see around us were other farms. We were only a few kilometers from the Sea. We walk to neighboring farm to get fresh cow's milk, had eggs and bread delivered every morning, and heard the sheep bleating all night long. The best thing was, Sofia could walk out our patio right to a playground with a trampoline, and over to visit the animals, all by herself! She was really proud of that. I honestly think Sofia would have been happy had we never left the farm.

We rented bikes and a bike trailer, and rode to the sea to visit the picturesque red-and-white lighthouse in the picture. We also walked out on the beach to the sea. I have never seen such a beach so long! It started with sand dunes covered with grass. Then the sand was all wet, as if the tide had just come in, but we walked about one kilometer to get to the water! In the picture we look bundled up, but really it wasn't cold, especially in the sun, but very windy. The water was much warmer than I expected, so I could imagine going into it in the height of summer.

Tina and I made wonderful dinners together, and had so many discussions over a bottle of wine and candlelight after the kids were asleep. It was so wonderful to reconnect in our new identities as mothers! I don't think we've spent so much time together in a long, long time!

After returning to Berlin, we had a few days of last-minute shopping and gift-buying, coupled with cafes and stops in the park. (Did I say we went everywhere by foot?) Then all too soon, it was time for Tina to take us to the airport for our journey home. We were sad to go, but looking forward to home, our regular routine, and of course DADDY! :)

The flight home was fine, but looooonnnngggg! It all started with out flight from Berlin to Frankfurt being delayed due to a thunderstorm. Then Sofia got sick as we circled Frankfurt before landing. Luckily I had packed extra clothes!! The Frankfurt airport is a nightmare of terminals, and I got my workout in with Sofia in the stroller, Emerson on my back, and all our carry-ons, as I went from one terminal to another, arriving at our gate just in time to board! Sofia is a good traveller, and besides a few moments of complaining, she was very patient. Emerson struggled with not having any really safe place to crawl around, but he did love smiling at the other passengers and getting smiles back! Both fell asleep (finally!) around 3 hours before landing in Denver.

All in all, we had a super-great trip. Everything went as smoothly as could ever be expected, no major hiccups, lots of fun times and experiences, and I look forward to our next one!