The Germany "armchair Vacation" plan

I have been seriously bitten by the traveling bug. I want to travel! I want to go away! I want to see other countries and experience other cultures! However, the pocket book says NO! Therefore, I have come up with the idea of PRETENDING to go on a trip to some foreign country. My plan is to visit a different country once a month, from the comfort of my living room.

Our first trip is coming up. I've set the departure date for October 18, 2010. Destination: Germany!! The following is a rough sketch of what I have planned.

First of all, I plan to turn my living room into an airport/airplane. Upon entering, each traveler will receive a passport. They will then be screened with the metal detecting wand by the "Security". Once seated, we will enjoy a leisurely flight over the German countryside via "Visions of Germany" DVD. Afterwards, we will retire to the "chateau" (a.k.a. my dining area).

The dining area will be decorated with a blue and white checkered table cloth and solid blue placemats and napkins. The centerpiece will be a small pot of chrysanthemums in gold and red colors with perhaps a miniture flag of Germany stuck into the arrangement. I also plan to drape the walls around the dining area with white and blue sheets of fabric. There will also be some posters up of the German countryside.

I have chosen to do dinner in the evening even though I have learned that Germans eat their main meal at Lunchtime. They save the evenings for other, more leisurely activities with no worries about "What's for dinner?".

For our dinner experience, I have planned an appetizer of thin German potato soup and Homemade Pretzels followed by the main course of Weinershnitzel, sweet red sauerkraut, and hot German potato salad. Dessert will be a choice of Apfelstrudel and Linzer cookies. According to my husband (who has spent time in Germany), the Germans like to drink their beverages at room temperature. Therefore, I plan to make tea (since Germans are big tea drinkers) but will serve it at room temp with no ice, the way we would have it if we were actually there.

So far, this is the plan. I will post more when I get closer to the departure date. I'm so looking forward to posting pics!!!

Whew! It's been busy!!!

Again, I have been neglectful. I'm sorry. Just know that I haven't forgotten about ya'll out in the bloggy world. I have been busy. Between the last two posts, our family welcomed a new family member. For Blog purpose, we'll call him Monkey. He joined the family on the 11th weighing in at a healthy 7 lbs and 14.2 oz and measuring nearly 22 inches long! He's quite a handsome fella and we're overjoyed to have him!

DQ has certainly been adjusting to motherhood and is doing a wonderful job if I must say so myself! Now if we could only get her a car and get her out and about to get a job and do the other stuff new parents are supposed to do. Forget about the dad, he decided he didn't want to be involved and DQ says she's not gonna push the child support issue do to the fact that he's already raising a child on his own (her mom abandoned her with him). It's complicated.

Monkey was right at one month old when we all hopped in the surburban and went down south to visit the Aquarium of the Americas in New Orleans. It was quite fun! I'll have to post some pics later.

In the meantime, I'm back to post regularly for my new brainstorm...."Dinner around the world, a different country each month from my kitchen." Since I have been suffering from a severe bout of cabin fever, I have decided that since I can't actually travel around the world right now (if ever), I would bring the world to my kitchen through ethnic dining. It will be quite an experience and I look forward to it!

Now, I'm off to search for travleing DVD's, recipes, table decor, and atmospheric music, as well as perhaps some candles and such to help enhance the experience. If you have read this far into this bloggy post, I sincerely thank you. If you have any suggestions that will help me on my "journeys", feel free to holler at me or give me a link or two!!!