Monday

It is the fourth day in a row of on and off rain. We freejumped the horses and they were both silly. Rod gets worried more easily than Ali, who acts like a lazy 2 year old sometimes. Dom calls him the big baby. In the afternoon we went to this indoor pool which was huge and crowded but it was fun to swim! There was everything, it was like a YMCA on steroids or something. Sauna, hot tubs, aerobics class, salt pool, sulfur pool, swim up bar, etc. We went into the sauna area, which was a combination of steamy rooms, several saunas and skin treatments. WE GOT KICKED OUT FOR WEARING BATHING SUITS! It was outrageous. I was dying. I didn't realize everyone was going to be naked until I walked in and saw it. So we headed to the Swim up bar and Dom's dad ordered us all fancy drinks. I got a "Strawberry Dream" and it was very yummy (no alcohol for those worry warts). On the way home I felt like Dom's dad was driving crazy so I decided to convert Km/hr to mph. We were going 124mph on the highway! We had dinner with the grandparents again and the grandma told me I looked like a girl who could be from the Alps. I thought that was pretty funny but it made my day. Much better than a city slicker in my mind. Thanks for all the comments! I love reading them! I miss home, but not that much. Off to bed, tired from swimming for 3 hours!!!

Sunday

Horses had the day off today, but we went to listen to another trainer's lesson about 20 min away. The horses we saw weren't very impressive and Dom did not love the guy's teaching. After we left the farm, we drove through some small villages and I was mad I didn't bring my camera! It was so beautiful and the forests were just begging me for a run or trail ride!!!!!!!!! I guess we were looking for a Typical Bavarian restaurant, which we found about 30 min later. It was a crazy lunch experience. First off the waitress was wearing this outfit/ dress thingie (again, damnit forgetting my camera!) which looked like a costume. We had a 10min discussion on the word "cleavage" and it ended in all four of us doubled over laughing. The food was very yummy but different. I got pig in gravy with a very crusty skin that was like candy. On the side I had potato balls which were very gooey and I didn't love them because they had another flavor I didn't like. For dessert Dom's Dad ordered garlic liquor and schnapps, and we all hated the garlic thing and fed it to the dog. We also got frozen yogurt and strawberry ice cream. The restaurant was an old farmhouse and was filled with old german decorations including taxidermy. They make their own beer. We bought beer and brought it to Dom's Mom's parents. They were also really funny people and gave me 5 Euros to buy Milka chocolate. It was a little bit awkward because they didn't speak a word of English, but I just smiled a lot at them and the grandpa (who breeds rabbits) ended up talking about the rabbits... habits (use your imagination) and so we were all laughing again. Old people are funny. When we went to the barn to clean the stalls I was bombarded by the teenyboppers. They have come out of their shy phase (to my dismay) and now shout english phrases at me and follow me around. They like to annoy Dom too. It is a group of about 5 or 6 girls. OK i am tired it is 11pm. Never gone to bed this late consistently in my life, but they are still out watching TV. Night night!

Show

Heading out somewhere (disco, dinner?) but here are a few pics from the show. Rodrigo had 2 tests (his first ever with a double bridle) and he was a little bit tight and unrideable in the ring. Ali was really good and Dominic was 4th place with him in his second L test ever (about second level). I saw some completely crazy hair, girls going to the ring with their whole ponytail sticking out! And, not all German's are amazing riders! There was show jumping too, which was fun to watch.

I guess we are not going anywhere tonight, just all sitting in the living room watching Germany's version of American Idol. Just webcamed with the family and they saw the dog, bird, and Dom's mom and dad.

Pics of the Town

Went into town, now off to braid the horses. Visited a few old places including churches, towers and a social settlement.

Dom's Barn

More pics from this morning, we are already done at the barn. Horses bathed and ready for the show tomorrow. Maybe this afternoon we will go into the city.

Pics (I hope in order... Dom's outdoor, Part of Dom's barn, Douglas at Ulla's, Ulla's indoor, Rod and Dom's mom at Ulla's)

Today Dom had 2 lessons at Ulla's barn with her assistant, Frank. I finally understood my first German sentence! "Is that working trot or collected trot?" It was really cool to see Ulla's barn, which I imagined to be a lot bigger than it is. It is pretty much in a neighborhood! The horses were both good and hopefully ready for the show Saturday.

We went to visit Dominic's Grandparents and they were really funny. They live about 10 min away at an old people home. His Grandma made some yummy cream puffs. Now we are watching Germany's Next Top Model!!!! It is almost exactly the same as America. Funny how cultures can be so similar yet so different. No disco yet! Good night!

Day 2 (photos of first day)

Today was very fun and horsey. We went to the barn in the morning and pretty much did the same riding routine as yesterday. Dom's horse Ali is for sure a man's horse... My shoulders are sore from riding him. I will take pictures of the barn soon. It is very old and pretty. Dom tought 2 lessons again today and I am starting to use them as German lessons, with this funny Wörterbuch Pferdesport book helping too. It basically is a horse dictionary. I can't pronounce anything in it. There is a funny and shy 13 year old girl named Lisa who was helping me. She is learning english in school and was really hesitant to talk to me. But when we started talking she was really nice (ok... it took us 20 min to establish that she had a birthday on saturday and she was riding a horse named Charlie in a lesson) This is so fun! and crazy! It is funny that I can't read and street signs, advertisements, etc. Really noticing that sort of stuff. Tomorrow Dom has a lesson at Ulla's so I'm excited to see that. Tired now, sorry. Pics of Germany from plane, sunset when I flew out of Boston, and the place we ate on the way home from the airport. Hope u guys r enjoying the heat, it's raining here ;)

First day

Sorry no pictures yet, I don't have my comp set up just using Dom's. First day was super! Flight was easy, walked through immigration and they didn't check my bags. Just how I like it! On the way back to the house we drove into Munich and ate some white sausage and pretzel, and saw a castle. I watched Dom ride his horses. Ali (the horse) is 6 and Rod is 11. He will show them both Saturday! We had a BBQ for dinner which was really yummy.
Today we got up at 8 (2am in America) and I stared at the wall a while before having a breakfast of bread butter jam and some sandwich meat stuff. It was also good, rumor has it tomorrow is eggs and ham! I want to make pancakes sometime because they don't really eat them here. We went to the barn early and I started Ali and Dom rode Rod, but at the end we switched. Ali is very hard to ride! He is huge (18hh) and long! Rod was super. We hacked the horses out on some really nice biking and walking trails and they were a little bit wild! After the barn we went into Augsburg and got groceries and lunch. I had some sort of turkey (maybe but who knows!) sandwich. There was a massive hunk of meat (like 3 feet long and a foot wide) and we watched the guy saw off hunks. Very interesting. I also got to watch Dom teach a beginner lesson, funny how different we start riders in America. Here they are on the lunge with no reins and a bucking strap... horse looked super happy stretcing into the side reins.
OK will write something less like a play of events when I get my comp going. The German keyboard has the letters y and z switched, plus some sierd letters I have to avoid (öäüµß) which makes this typing thing sort of tedious. So... bis bald!

Last Night in the USA

Sitting in the airport after a yummy dinner with Mom and Dad. I am all checked in and through security, but have 2 more hours to wait until we leave! I am pretty sure my plane just came in it, it is big and white with a blue and yellow tail. How's that for detail?! I am not exactly sure what to write about because I haven't left yet, but I figured I should get this blog started and make sure I know how to use it ;) I miss "my" animals a lot already. Here are some pictures from yesterday's family hike.

I am so excited! I have a window seat so I can probably get some sleep on the plane...