We had grand plans today. We were going to take everyone to an amusement park quite close to the base where we were staying. It's called Eifelpark, and has some fun rides and attractions, as well as a portion of the park dedicated to animals with a tour and petting zoo. Sure, we knew it was probably going to seem a little young for our older kids, but we'd been dragging little ones to cathedrals and churches, and it only seemed fair to let them have their day.
We made our way to Eifelpark, and were a little surprised at the lack of cars around. Well, it was a little chilly and overcast, so maybe folks had opted for other activities.
We found a nice man in the office who spoke a little English, and quickly discovered that at this time of year only the animal part of the park was open. The rides and other attractions are only open on the weekends. Oops--poor planning on my part. Hmmmm. Do we shell out that many Euros for a petting zoo? Not likely.
Quick. Change plans.
We decided to head back to Trier to see some of the things we missed on Tuesday. It's not far, and folks aren't too disappointed. Yet. Keep those fingers crossed.
We parked in what looked to be a better spot, bought ourselves more time, and hoped for the best. We got out and headed back toward that market area to find some lunch options. We'd been promising real bratwurst to all interested parties, and figured that today was definitely the day.
We found a little hole-in-the-wall vendor in a side street, and bought four bratwursts. Josh and Dallin wanted nothing to do with them, but everyone else seemed up for the adventure. Adam's already made a couple of trips to Germany, so it wasn't new for him--the rest of us were newbies. I had mine with some mustard and curry ketchup. mmmmmmm.
I'm not sure Abby's too thrilled with hers! I guess we'd better find her something else. At least now we know...What do I spy way up there on the left? Up in those windows on the third floor? Could it be the beloved Golden Arches? Cue the 'Hallelujah Chorus' wafting down from heaven...
Just like home, except you order in German. Well, sort of...DH did the best he could.
Once we fed the bellies, we took everyone to a toy museum that was right off the market square. It was fun, inexpensive, and didn't take too long. We were amazed with how many things they had, and with how intricate some of the work was.
This carriage is about the size of my thumbnail! No kidding!
We got a kick out of the space toy exhibit--especially the Batman! Who knew the Dark Knight was also a space explorer?
Once we tore Dallin away from the model trains, ships, and airplanes, we made our way to the Basilica, a building I knew we had to see before we left Trier.
The Basilica dates back to Roman times; it was Constantine's throne room, later expanded and added onto over the centuries as a Christian church, then turned into a mostly empty shell by WWII and then fixed up in a very spare and modern style in the 1950s. That's the history in a nutshell.
What a place!
Then we went out to see the adjacent Electoral Palace garden, and were amazed all over again.
We were so glad we had this extra day to see some things we really didn't want to miss, and the younger kids were really good sports about it. Especially when they heard where we were going tomorrow!
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