Maria Laach, Germany - April 1, 2007

Flashback... OK, pretend today is April 1, 2007

Welcome to Maria Laach, a Benedictine abbey located along the banks of the Laacher See. We did not see a whole lot of tourist info for Maria Laach in our guide books, but we decided to go up there anyway. It appeared as though it would be peacefully situated among scenic fields outside a quaint village. Instead, it turned out to be a hot spot for German 'volksmarchers'! (aka hikers)

We did not end up spending any time by the lake because it was innundated with lots of 'volks', but it is an interesting place, nonetheless. According to Wikipedia, the Laacher See (See Lake) was created as a result of an eruption 50 times bigger than the famous 1980 eruption at Mount St. Helens. Today, the Laacher See looks like a typical lake, speckled with hikers along its beaches and nearby wooded trails.

This first photo is a good example of what we did see in our guide books- looks tranquil and secluded, don't you think??

Here dad began his photo magic and captured a neat photo of Ambrose investigating the flowers in front of the abbey church.

Here you see dad is really starting to get good with the photos... He saw a neat opportunity to get the main church tower in the background for a unique perspective. I also like how Ambrose is sticking out his little belly while he marches around. :)

These next two photos are really neat. Mark backed away from Ambrose to capture an even better perspective of size. It looks like Ambrose is really taking it all in, doesn't it?? I often wonder how these early childhood adventures will shape his mind. :)

We didn't take any photos inside the church because there was a quartet rehearsing a program. (and it was also really dark inside) I must admit though, the strings really gave life to the dark interior. In fact, it really enriched our walk around the inside of the church and it sounded wonderful. This photo is taken in the courtyard located by the main entrance and in front of the main tower. You also see the arches surrounding the courtyard in the above photos of the church. The courtyard garden is named Paradise and is meant to symbolize Eden.

Of course, we were starving and wanted food FAST... So we ended up getting a quick bite at McDonalds before our long trek home. Ambrose didn't mind because he got to get one of his all-time favorite things... YES! Another balloon and a few fries. :) Did you notice the German words on the balloon?? It says 'ich liebe es', which translates to mean 'i love it'. I guess it's supposed to go along with the U.S. slogan 'i'm lovin' it.' OK. I suppose that works...

Here are a couple pictures from the day after our trip when Ambrose was still enjoying his 'i love it' balloon. ;) They were too cute to leave out!

It almost looks like he was perfoming a dance routine, don't you think??

Speyer, Germany - March 31, 2007

Flashback... March 31, 2007

On Saturday, March 31 we went to Speyer, Germany. It was a little gloomy and a bit rainy, but we made the most of it and enjoyed another weekend travelling in Germany. We decided to stop for lunch in a town called Landau, along the German Wine Route. Landau was not quite what we expected... We thought it would be a bigger town, but alas we each had a lovely lunch of schnitzel cordon bleu with a giant beer. :)

This first picture is of Ambrose and me as we approached the Kaiser Dom (Imperial Cathedral). Built between 1030 and 1106, it served as the burial place of German Emperors for nearly 300 years. This cathedral is also the largest Romanic church in the world and a major monument of Romanesque art from the Holy Roman Empire.

This next picture provides a great perspective of how large the cathedral actually is... We took this photo from the street amidst all the stores and eateries. One of the things we really enjoyed about Speyer was the wide open street for pedestrians only. It would have been really fun to window shop and enjoy a snack at one of their outdoor cafes on a beautiful day. Perhaps we will take Aunt Kim there during her visit. :)

This picture provides a closer look at one of the church towers. We thought it might be nice to get a closer look...

Here is Mark and Ambrose in front of the church. They are facing the church and in the backround is the Bishop's Palace.

We thought the Stations of the Cross were very nice in the Dom. Here Jesus is condemned by Pilot.



Ambrose is ready for confession! Isn't it great to see how eager he is to receive the sacrements?

Here is a picture of Ambrose and me in the pedestrian area I mentioned above... We are facing the cathedral. Behind us, is the Alt Portal - old entrace to the city.

Aren't these like the cutest cookies ever?? Everyone kept talking about the great Easter cookies in Germany. Well, luckily I thought well enough to take some photos of the famous treats! :) Sadly, I did NOT think well enough to actually try one... :O What a bo-bo.

Here is Ambrose hanging out while mom and dad enjoyed coffee, cocoa & some yummy French dessert crepes. He was busy looking at this crazy tree with lights fading to different colors on it.

See below:

Here is a picture of Mark outside the French cafe by the Alt Port. After our yummy break, we made our way to the museum by the church and had the opporutity to enjoy several exhibits of art and artifacts local to the area... :) It was certainly a great day despite the weather!

In the Spotlight with The O'Neills

I am a volunteer webmaster for the Moms of North Arlington (MONA). As a member of MONA, I enjoy meeting lots of interesting new people. Ambrose meets new friends, too. We go to playgroups and other fun activities with local moms. We miss our MONA friends a lot.

Anyway, I was recently asked to be 'In the Spotlight', a monthly feature in the MONA newsletter. I answered a survey of questions and they were incorporated into a lovely feature of our family. You can view 'In the Spotlight with Kelly O'Neill' by following the instructions below...

Go to monanewsletter.notlong.com and click on "Click here to start download..." on the right side of the screen. It will download right to your hard drive.




Here is a picture of Ambrose with some of his favorite MONA pals. This was our last MONA playdate before heading to Germany. We had a fun afternoon parading around Clarendon with the kids in Halloween costumes. :)