Our first stop in Europe was Lüdinghausen, Germany! We spent a few wonderful days with my exchange sister and her family. We were welcomed with a double rainbow – a great omen for the visit.
Our first day was a school day, so instead of waiting for Kathi to finish teaching, we went to school too! We answered questions in the fifth grade English class, and they wrote eight-sentence biographies about us – we might have reached our peak of fame. Alan misunderstood the question, “Do you like fish?”, asked by a student who had fish as pets, and responded “Yes, I really like fish, especially sushi!”. Those who knew what sushi was were horrified.
Later we visited two castles, including Nordkirchen, which has a beautiful hedge maze and we spotted a swan and at least three brides taking photos in the gardens. Our delicious dinner at a German countryside restaurant made us happy to be in Europe!
The following day we explored Munster, but first stopped at a super old castle (with mote and drawbridge) to visit its newly renovated interior. The museum inside taught us a bit about the region’s history before we went to the city. Munster was full of life with a festival commemorating the times of the Hanse and the beautiful weather was drawing people out to celebrate on the cobblestone streets.
Sunday allowed us to taste Spargel Hollandaise at Kathi’s parents’ house, which was a treat! Spargel (asparagus) is grown locally, and when it is in season, it is a big deal in the region! We feasted, and then visited a retired coal mine which has been converted into a beautiful museum and community space. Many people were out walking with family, and Pebbles, Kathi’s incredibly photogenic dog, led the way as we walked. Later we enjoyed Kafetrinken (cake and coffee) and got to taste another seasonal treat: rhubarb, which was served in the form of a delicious cake.
Our last day brought us to Senden, which I remembered from Kathi’s wedding in August as having the best strawberries in the world! Here we enjoyed Kafetrinken, and bought berries, of course. We spent the evening in Munster, exploring an old local pub famous for green noodles, and sampling German beers with Kathi and her sisters!
Auf wiedersehn for now, but hopefully we’ll see Kathi and Christopher again on our Europe tour!
