Celebrations

This week was full of things to celebrate. First, the birth of my niece and Penelope's newest cousin, sweet Evelyn Grace, on Monday.

my lil' sis and her lil' baby Evie

Thanks to the miracle of Skype, we were able to be at the hospital and celebrate this momentous occasion together.

Second, it was our 9th wedding anniversary on Tuesday. That's nine whole years of marriage--not only does that feel like a record in these parts, but it also makes me feel quite old!

I suppose most people would celebrate their anniversary by going out alone to a nice dinner. But we like to live on the edge. Instead, the Father took the day off, and we hauled up to the top of the mountain to take Penelope to this funny little fairytale-themed mini-amusement park followed by a picnic dinner on the Neckar river.

I mean, who wouldn't pass up a quiet evening alone when instead you could spend it with this cute little girl?

The amusement park is called Märchen Paradis, which translates roughly to "Fairy Paradise," and it's tucked away in the forest at Königstuhl, which is at the top of the mountain that the Heidelberg castle is on. This time, instead of paying the steep price to ride the funicular or scaling the stone steps to the top of the mountain, we figured out how to catch the bus that takes you right to the top.

Märchen Paradis is only open a few months of the year and there were only a handful of workers to keep the place running. It reminded us of a classic amusement park from another era, but with a fairytale theme (afterall, this is the Grimm Brothers' home country). If it existed in the U.S. it would certainly have been renovated long-ago into some high-tech, cartoon-themed, music-blasting attraction. Call me old-fashioned, but I preferred the simplicity of Märchen Paradis. And the price! I'm talking a couple Euros per adult to get in. How can you pass that up? Plus, a 14-month-old doesn't know the difference between this and Disney World.

In keeping with the fairytale theme, sprinkled throughout the park were little buildings with miniature people and creatures that recreated scenes from well-known fairytales (well-known to the German audience, but some very unfamiliar to me--like the donkey that poops golden coins which we encountered when we were in Marburg). When you pushed a button the characters moved a bit (like a basic nodding of the head or moving of the arm--nothing extravagant here) and a voice told the fairytale (in German, of course). It took a little while for Penelope to figure out what was going on.

Penelope watching Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (which have completely different names in German)

The Seven Dwarfs working in the mine

The Dwarfs really freaked her out (I was freaked out by the mouse that ran by us when we walked up to the cave)

Soon Penelope was a pro at walking up and pushing the buttons

She did it again, again, and again

And, of course, there were also things to play on...

small jumpy house that Penelope wouldn't stand up in

big one that she loved

even when she fell down

lots of rocks to dig in

Soon the little girl was all tuckered out and ready for a nap. A stroll through the nearby woods put her right to sleep and gave mom and dad some time together.

Is that a yawn I see?

But before we knew it, lil' P was awake and ready for more. We stumbled upon this little treehouse in the woods on our way back to the park.

navigating a very dangerous ramp

why, hello up there

looking for birds through the telescope

The park also had these funny rides you could go on. Most of them required a 50 cent token (guess that's why the entrance fee is so cheap), but a few were free. Penelope was in heaven.

merry-go-round swings

choo choo train

pedal-yourself dragon

hanging on like a big girl

looks like it's more fun when mommy pedals

"more, daddy, more!"

next up: a ride on a broomstick with a witch

just put your token in the machine and away you go. weeeeee!

one more, pleeeease

(yes, we gave in)

double-fisting after a long, hot day of fun

Then, for a perfect ending to a perfect day, we lounged on the Neckarwiese and enjoyed a cold bottle of Prosecco, a baguette, cheese and strawberries--our idea of a perfect picnic.

I thought the fairy princess cups added a nice touch

Weekend with Grandpa

Last weekend we had a very special visitor stop in. Grandpa came to visit us in Heidelberg on his way to meet his newly born granddaughter in the States. Even though our time together was short, we managed to pack in lots of Penelope-Grandpa time. Penelope was ecstatic to have another person to laugh at her antics and read books with.

Yes, these books are in Finnish (left behind by our friend Nina), of which we don't understand a word. We like to think of reading them as an exercise in creativity. Make up any story that you want from the pictures and Penelope never knows the difference.

"OH!" (Penelope's current favorite exclamation.) Grandpa's version must have been exceptionally interesting.

Before Grandpa arrived, I kept telling him how he would love the nice weather. Unfortunately, it was the hottest it has been this year the whole time he was here. Highs in the mid-80's probably don't seem too hot to you back in the States, but when you're outside most of the day and there isn't any air conditioning here and ice in your drinks is unheard of--that's really hot!

Fortunately there is a place on the Neckar where you can strip down and play in the freezing spring water.

A few minutes in the cold water and you basically lose all feeling in your toes.

The perfect antidote to a hot, summer day.

The next day we took a boat ride down the Neckar valley.

Penelope stayed entertained on the boat by sitting like a little lady in a big-girl chair.

We got off at the little town of Neckarsteinach.

It's known for its four castles perched on the hills above the town.

Back in October Penelope and I went on a trip with the University Guesthouse to Neckarsteinach where we hiked up to all of them. This time my travel companions weren't quite up to that task, but I did manage to convince Grandpa and the Father to hike up to two of the castles.

On our way up somebody thought it was a good idea to give Penelope two sticks to play with.

After nearly poking out both of our eyes, the sticks magically disappeared.

Castle in ruins

The joy of finally reaching the second castle.

What's a castle wall without a photo op?

At the castle gate.

Exploring the ruins.

Inside the castle courtyard.

View from the tower.

Quick snack.

After our hike we made a beeline for an ice cream cafe. We introduced Grandpa to the extravagant ice cream creations that Germans are so fond of. Penelope, however, was fascinated with the tingle of the mineral water in her mouth. She kept holding the water in her mouth, spitting it out, and then going back for more.

The next, and last, day of Grandpa's visit we took the Heidelberg funicular up to Königstuhl at the top of the mountain. Penelope got a front row seat.

Königstuhl

Penelope is clearly not afraid of heights.

But she was a bit concerned by Grandpa's lack of hair.

After a bit of exploring and a picnic lunch up top, I had the brilliant idea of walking down the mountain. I mean hiking up would have been hard, but how hard could walking down be?

Hard. Especially when most of it were these steep, uneven stone steps. My calves are still aching from it.

Here is Grandpa afterwards. He's trying to smile, but really he's about to collapse from exhaustion. Penelope, on the other hand, is ready for the next adventure.

Our next adventure was hobbling to the closest Biergarten to watch the Germany/England World Cup soccer game. While we staved off dehydration with a few beers and cheered on the players, Penelope was content to play in the gravel.  

And when that got boring, there was always Grandpa's lap.

Thanks for a great weekend Grandpa! You did a great job putting up with my and mommy's shenanigans!

Love, Penelope