Today was Alina’s birthday, so the morning began with a post to her Facebook, as well as a post to my friend Beau’s wall as it was also his birthday today!
By the time Brandon and I drug ourselves out of bed, it was about 9:30, so we had a quick breakfast and then joined Peter on a walk to Alicia’s school where it was Spiel-und-Sportfest day, otherwise known to us in the US as field day. Alina was helping out, and Alicia (of course) was participating, but we were able to walk around, meet some people, and try some of the activities for ourselves! One of the things we tried was a game where there were three hula hoops lined up in a row in front of you, and you had four coasters that you tried to get into the hoops. Each hoop was worth a different point value since each one was slightly further away from you (3, 5, and 10 respectively). It may sound easy, but it was super tough! Coasters bounce off the ground much more than you’d expect! I got the most points with 13 :D We also tried a game where there were two lines about 12 feet apart and you had to try and throw a medicine ball through your legs backwards as far as you could without it bouncing or rolling on the ground. Many of the activities the kids got to do, including that one, involved getting a stamp on a card the kids wore around their necks to show they did that activity. We did not have cards (obviously), but Peter, Brandon, and I got stamps on our hands from the lady running the station. She was one of their neighbors! The other station we tried was the one Alina ran, which involved trying to get three hula hoops, one at a time, around a flag posted on the ground about 4 feet or so from the throwing line. It was fairly easy, but you had to navigate the appropriate height and angle with the hula hoop to accurately get it around the flag. The kids were surprised with a local ice cream truck as a special treat, which we saw during our walk up to the school. After the Sportfest, we walked home and got in the car to go to a local shoe store. I bought my first pair of Birkenstocks, Brandon got some nice Keen sandals he can wear when we go swimming in the river, and Alicia, Alina, and Peter each got a new pair of shoes, too! We returned to the house, dropped off Alina and Alicia, and the three of us that remained headed to Aldi for some things. The Aldi nearby was very similar to Aldi in the US, but they definitely had a slightly larger selection of fresh items. It was very fun :) Once home, Alicia’s friend Lisa had come over to play, so we could hear them giggling a lot. We unpacked the groceries and then I helped Alina prepare some whipped cream to have with the birthday cake she made for herself. The six of us all then ate some cake, which was absolutely delicious! The cake had nectarines on top and was nice and moist. We also had some cookies along with the cake. The girls headed back upstairs to play and Peter asked Brandon and I if we wanted to go over and walk around Isenburg, an old set of castle ruins in the nearby area. We said yes, so we all helped clean up the table from eating cake and headed over to Isenburg. It was a short, but slightly steep, walk up to the castle. Once there, all the different parts of the ruins was marked with what it used to be when the castle had existed. There was also a sign that gave a brief history of the grounds. It was really cool and had some spectacular views of Hattingen! With exploration complete, we headed back down to the car and then home to clean up for dinner. Alina had made reservations at a local Italian restaurant called da Mario. Hattingen had a big flood last summer and many of the buildings near the river sustained a lot of damage, including da Mario. They were finally able to reopen their outdoor patio/terrace dining area a couple weeks ago, but you can see when you’re sitting that there is still paper up in the windows as they continue with repairs/rebuilding from the flooding inside. We all ordered some pizzas. I had a prosciutto and mushroom pizza that was absolutely phenomenal. We also got some desserts; Brandon had panna cotta and enjoyed it very much! While at the restaurant, we also ran into one of the other neighbors who is a teacher for the deaf at a nearby school. She came over to say hi and tell me (in German) that she spoke to the school about letting me come for a visit, so that is on the docket for next Tuesday! We then took a walk across the other side of the Ruhr to the place Alina and Peter had their wedding reception to have some after-dinner drinks. Then, we headed back to the house. We sat on the balcony and played a game Brandon and I bought for Alina and Peter a couple days ago called “My English is Under All Pig”. It is funny and very fun, plus it was a good way to practice some German, as well! Once again, it was a great day! It was also quite hot, but not nearly as hot as it’s going to be the next couple days, so we will be inside or in the water a bit in the near future! I continue to be so grateful for the opportunity to be here and so thankful that so many of you are following along and enjoying my posts! Until the next one, friends!!
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