We were up early, before Charley left for work. Penny wanted to run and she found her way to the bike/hike path on the edge of town. It went in to Kitzingen and was a beautiful run. Marc was impressed later that she had found her way and said it was one of his favorite runs. There were several nice views of the whole valley.
We had breakfast and started some laundry. The plan was to head to an animal park (petting zoo) nearby that has a very nice playground. They weren't kidding! The petting zoo was very large. We fed lots of animals, but didn't actually pet so many. The playground had so many nice, creative pieces that my boys will never forget it!
We headed back around lunchtime. I suggested that we eat a simple, fast lunch, so Mary stopped at the Edeka market (our new favorite grocery store). This one was huge, though. It seemed more like an American store (funny that Kitzingen used to have a huge American army base in it). There were other, smaller stores around the front of the grocery store. We ate at a quick food place that was great. The boys tried sausage and a pretzel. I had Wienerschnitzel and fries. Penny got something new too - some kind of patty. Beer also for lunch was well deserved because it had been very cold and windy during the day and the kids wanted to stay at the playground for a long time!
Mary took the scenic route through Kitzingen on the way back. It is a very beautiful little town. I think they have about 20 - 30,000 people. The Army base is owned by the German government right now, but is still mostly empty. At home, it was time for coffee and Bienenstich (cake). We had an afternoon outing planned as well, so we just rested. The boys watched some television. I could get used to them watching these goofy pre-teen American shows (like "iCarly" or "Drake and Josh" if they were always all in German. Although, since I understand everything in the show, they're still goofy.
Charley came home around 4:00. Often on Friday he works from home or has an easier day (no travel). I think he traveled today. They had arranged for us to tour the Longhouse and the local museum in the late afternoon. About 2-3 years ago, while they were building the section of neighborhood where Gabi lives, the construction crew found some artifacts. An excavation began where they found artifacts from a settlement and eventually some human and animal remains that dated back to 7000BC!!! This kinda put construction on hold for a year, but it was a very interesting find for everyone. They found remains of several houses from the same time period. We went to a site only two blocks from Charley and Mary's house where the local villagers (including Charley) had constructed a replica of the type of longhouse that they found. The replica is built right outside the local elementary school, so the kids can learn about it. At the local museum, they have a beautiful display. Mary and Charley had arranged for the local curator to show us everything (her English was perfect!).
After the longhouse tour, we had some time for the kids to play on the playground again. They really loved the zip line - they want one in our yard now!
Back at the house, we waited for Marc. We watched a crime drama on television. Finn especially got into watching it even though he didn't understand much, he found he could tell what was going on. He would re-play the story to me during the commercials. It was good because there was a mystery and we could see them solve the mystery, flashing back to the key moments. Again - I'm wishing I could get German television at my house! That'd be more fun than a zip line!
Gabi and Marcus arrived and shortly afterwards, Marc arrived. He had arranged a rental car, so he drove himself home from the Kitzingen train station. Dinner was at a local restaurant (forget the name of the adjacent town). These little places (like the one we visited in Burggen or Illach) are all over the place. They're called "Heckenwirtschaft" or "Besenwirtschaft" (Hecke = hedge, Besen = broom, Wirtschaft = inn). They're often small, country places that have limited hours. The Broom part might come from the tradition of setting a broom outside the door so you'll know when it's open. This one is apparently only open 8 weeks in the year and only 3 days (or so) each week. So, we were really lucky.
We sat at one long table with benches on either side - very simple. The wine here was great (Gabi recommended what we should buy). The food was very simple and traditional. I tried a Fraenkish dish that I had heard of before - Blauezipfel - roughly, sausages in a onion, vinegar and wine soup/sauce. The boys fell asleep in the restaurant, which was very crowded and loud. We hauled them into the car and into the house for bed. The adults were only able to stay up for one more glass of wine before Marc, Gabi and Marcus were too tired to stay awake. Marc went with them to sleep. He said later that he fell asleep as his head hit the pillow ("sofort weg") and then slept like a stone ("wie ein Stein"). It's nice to learn everyday German this way.
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