Trip Highlights and Updates

Despite the fact that I am well adjusted to life back in Germany and have been here for one month as of today, I have been seriously neglecting our little Team Toppel blog. Some of you (JAT) have been itching for some posts filled with my delightful writing, so here it goes. I will attempt to catch you up on the last month and update you on our lives...

I arrived back in Germany on John's birthday and just a few short days later he whisked me off to London for my birthday weekend.

John's birthday entailed him waking up at the crack of dawn to retrieve me from the airport in Munich.

My birthday entailed a trip to London.

You can see the Katie birthday magic at work right there, huh?

We arrived in London late on a Thursday evening and returned Monday after taking in the sights and being all posh at Wimbledon. Friday was our first full day and we walked a lot. We did the Yeoman Warder tour, waited in a really long line to see the Crown Jewels, then walked our way by the Tower Bridge, the London Bridge, the London Eye etc. etc. etc. It was a long day filled with lots of interesting sights and lots of stops for snacks.

We didn't have internet in our hotel--well let me clarify....there was no wifi, so we couldn't use our iPads which were all we brought because they are super light, small and convenient for travel, so we spent a good amount of time hanging at various pubs to  have some drinks, use their wifi and watch tennis. Starbucks was also a great breakfast spot to start the day with a nice latte and some email checking (except for my birthday when my Starbucks was delivered right to the hotel room in the hands of my very sweet husband).

 On Saturday, we spent almost the entire day taking in tennis at Wimbledon. We saw one of the ladies' matches and two of the men's. It was awesome to see Federer play even though technically I am not supposed to cheer for him since he adorns the enemy frocks. But, as we watched the third and final match of the day, I turned to John and told him frankly that I was breaking up with Roger for my new love Marcos Bagdhatis who not only is a three stripes guy, but a really fun player to watch. As he battled it out with Djokovic at the end of the fourth set, for the first time in my entire life I actually wished that the match would go longer. How could anyone not get excited by tennis while at Wimbledon! I was actually most fascinated with the diversity of fashion on all the spectators and loved seeing the variety of dresses and heels.

Sunday was my birthday and we enjoyed a very hot day of shopping. We weren't anticipating the very summery weather, so at one point we hopped into a store and bought me a new birthday outfit. I had been wearing jeans and a T-shirt but it was just too hot, so I tried on a dress, threw it over the dress room door to John who paid for it and threw it back to me so I could just wear it out. We met up with Helene for lunch and ate our weight in Dim Sum, quickly cruised through Camden Market, then headed to check out St. Paul's Cathedral. We admired the churches from the outside, and decided against paying the hefty prices to go inside. Yes, I know that Wills and Kate just married at Westminster Abbey, but that doesn't mean I feel the need to pay 16£ to go inside. I think I am a bad tourist. Seeing things from a distance seems to work for me. Waiting in long lines and straining to see stuff through the gaggles of people...not so much. On the evening of my birthday we met up with Morgan and Vicki who were in town bringing Morgan's transcripts to one of the universities in London. I used to babysit Morgan and her sister Sandra when I was younger and Morgan just graduated college. (Nothing like the realization that the child I used to babysit just graduated college to make me feel real old on my 29th birthday!). Morgan spent a semester in London during her senior year and was itching to go back for grad school. We had dinner and drinks with them and enjoyed catching up.

On our final day in London we spent a good amount of time getting lost in exploring Herrods. The best part by far--the Chocolate Bar. As in a little restaurant/bar with lots of chocolatey goodness on the menu. John and I each got a trio of hot chocolates that were to die for! We also shared a ham and cheese crepe. Yum. I would definitely return to London just for the hot chocolate at the Chocolate Bar!

Wow, all that was just my first week! I think I need to leave off there and tease you with tales of Michelle and Jesse's Amsterdammage wedding and our weekend in Austria with the Stierands to come...

But, just in case it takes awhile for me to muster up some more quirky anecdotes....

We are officially moving back to the US towards the end of August (probably the 20th or somewhere around that date). John will be the new Global Business Development Manager--Customization with adidas and we will be moving into some transitional diggs once back in Portland. Everyone keeps asking if we will be moving back into our house and the answer, sadly, is not right away. Probably not until early summer of 2012. So once again we are preparing for a move and 10 bags of clothing donated to the white box that sits next to the recycling containers was our first stab at weeding out. I am not quite sure where the clothes go once you put them into said white box, but at least they are no longer overflowing our closets and drawers. May they find a lovely home somewhere else.

Stay tuned for more...Although we leave on Thursday for a nice little trip to Salzburg, Venice, and Lake Como so I am not sure when I will post again....