Dreamy European Life

A Hello from Zurich

Hello virtual world...! It's been a while since my last writing about going to Europe.

In summer time (around May), seems like equator line moves to this northern part of the earth. Did not expect it, but it's true I got as much sun as in Indonesia there. Nevertheless, the wind was much colder and somehow the air was clearer, letting me survive survive the sun without aircon.

I landed my feet in Europe for the first time on the 30th April 2012 in Rome, Italy. Spent two days there, singing in front of the Pope and then at a cultural night of the Indonesian Embassy for The Holy See. Oh by the way... I was with Mia Patria, an ethnic show choir group playing Indonesian music. We were in a cultural mission presenting Indonesia to Europeans (but in Vatican we sang to people from all around the globe).
Highlight of Rome and Vatican: Singing in front of the Pope in Saint Peter Square (of course!)

The Pope and I

Then we moved to South Tyrol part of Italy, Bolzano. I was quite happy seeing Florence (Firenze) from a far on our way there from Rome. We spent a week or so performing in towns nearby, such as Leifers, Oies, San Ulrich, Sarnthein, and Kurtatsch.
Highlight of Bolzano: Ladin Museum, which showed me stories and heritage of the valley's people in Italian Alp.

The Castle (was) Museum (now)

Me and Three Ladin Museum's Staffs (who are Ladins)

Next stop was Aulendorf, a little town close to its bigger and more popular neighbour Ravensburg, South Germany. Okay we actually stayed in Ebersbach with host families. I have posted how wunderbar they were in the previous story. In our day off, which thankfully were their day off too, we went to Bad Salgau and Uberlingen close to Lake Constance or Bodensee. Ebersbach itself is a country with plenty apple trees, colourful flowers, some horses, and a taaaaaaallllllllll love tree (which was decorated with heart shape thing and red and white ribbons). The country also has a minus zero degree freaking cold water lake, where I dipped inside and took one or two rounds walk). The water comes from uderground streams by the way. During our stay there, we also performed in nearby towns of Bad Waldsee, Isney, and Brunner.
Highlight of Aulendorf: singing in front of disabled people in Isney. Was fantastically inspiring and emotionally touching.

Martina, Me, and Sisi, we were in the ice cold water

Love Tree

Our longest stay in Europe was in Switzerland. We stayed mostly in Marienburg Gymnasium in Thal (or Rheineck), but for three days in between we relocated to Menzingen to take a rest in La Salle Haus. Of course we made time to experience Switzerland big cities, Zurich and Luzern. Switzerland is indeed expensive, I think I spent most of my pocket money here. However, I love the country of lakes as it gave us the mood for relaxation even though we hustled around.
Highlight of Switzerland: riding in the back of a wood carrier tractor!

Stein Am Rhein, beautiful little town by the river

The City of Light, Lucerne

The old wood tractor that brought us back. Was so failed to run it

Hey hey hey... We got a bonus! When we were in Switzerland, the leader Mr.Linus surprised us with an extra tour to Lourdes, France. Those were our longest drive from Weinheim, Germany to Lourdes, sixteen hours on street. We stayed for two nights, but only one day available for us to enjoy Lourdes. I felt such a strong spiritual connection there; I even promised myself to learn "Salve Regina" when I get back, a favourite song in town.
Highlight of Lourdes: Above the busy souvenir shops and restaurants downtown, a friend Mega and I enjoyed a tranquil and classy lunch in a restaurant above a river with a fantastic view of a castle.

Me and Mega, unexpected but wonderful lunch date

Indonesian Ladies Posing in Lourdes

We went to Lourdes within our programme in Sulzbach, Germany. The town is located next to old town Weinheim and Hemsbach, approximately an hour driving south from Frankfurt. We stayed again in host families who live in Sulzbach, Hemsbach, or Laudenbach, but we performed also to Frankfurt, Gros-Rohrheim, Cologne, and St.Agustin.
Highlight of Sulzbach: I and another three friends were seconds away for getting ourselves being left by Mannheim train to Sulzbach. Meanwhile we had a concert to catch in the evenig so we had to take that train!

A Stranger (also tourist) Spontaneusly Jumped into the Frame,
When I Was About to Take Pic in Frankfurt

Weinheim Old Town with Mama Katharina

at Frankfurt Airport with Two Bussiest Persons in Sulzbach, Mr. and Mrs. Bauer

Now I am back to Jakarta, awaken from the sweet 46 days dream in Europe. Back to the same old life, with an expectation of putting more quality into life here like what I've experienced in especially Germany and Switzerland: respect time, cherish life (which leave me almost no clue how to reach it, as here in Jakarta equals traffic, crime, pressure, polution) Yes am a bad citizen of Jakarta, aren't I? lol. But please comment if you don't agree and share the thought.

Maybe am just done being a realist city girl for 25 years, instead being a fairytale-country girl sounds perfect for me at the moment. I am longing for it: My Dreamy European Life.

German Families

1. Greul Family (left to right): me, Lars, Katharina, Sabine
2. Margareth, Cornelia Steiger, Me
3. Maier Family: Fiona, Opa, Viktor, Me, Isabella, Markus, Martina, Margareth

Before I thought (sorry) Germans are pretty strict and rigid. After staying with these persons for several days, I'd like to revise my opinion. Even though they speak no good English (bit language barrier, yes!), these Germans have golden hearts, warm hugs, never ending smile, and speak an understandable language of love.

Family Maier has a very good cooking mom, Martina. Hubby Markus is a hardworking carpenter, however he tried to spend time with us as much as he can. Fiona (14), their youngest daughter is always happy to meet us (Margareth and I) even though she hardly speaks English. Meanwhile Maiers' oldest daughter Isabella speaks perfect English as she works in a French restaurant in Stuttgart; and of course she cooks fine too. Maiers have six children, but we could only meet four. We managed to meet the boys: Viktor and Sammy. Viktor takes care of elderly people, which is very nice as we can rarely find youngsters doing it in Germany, not even adults are willing to do that sincerely. Meanwhile Sammy who was pretty busy with exams and football still made time to watch our performance too.

Maier is actually our friend's (John) family, but since Martina and Cornelia (our appointed mom) are close friends, and Cornelia Staiger still has to work Monday to Friday in a hospital (but not a nurse or doctor), we were welcomed to the Maiers during the day. However, Cornelia never abandoned us. Time we spent together at breakfast or later at night is quality. She speaks English very well, used to live in Ireland, so we understood each other easily. Her weekend which supposedly is used to study (she wants to take more qualification), was sacrificed to take us around. These two Ebersbach families are super!

Greul-Hennig family who lives in Hemsbach was pretty rigid at first. I found it later that language barrier is the cause. However our lovely Katharina, which is 70, never forgets to pick us up almost every midnight whenever we had a show. She had to wake up in the middle of her sleeping time which starts normally at ten. There is also her second daughter Sabine and her grandson (Sabine's son) Lars live in the house. Sabine is a horse lover. Once she took us to fourteen years-old Mary, her lovely brown horse. I got on it for minutes and it felt awesome! Meanwhile Lars installs aluminium drain pipe for housing, which is a rare job in the state. They both have to go to work very early, around six or earlier. Another lovely thing about the family is that some of the members (Katharina's daughters, son-in-law, granddaughter-in-law-to-be, etc.) run a center to take care of very old people.

It was our first meeting. They did not know me at all before, no communication had been made before, but they did not hesitate to receive me in their house. Something that is not likely to happen in Jakarta, as people always suspicious, careful, and (maybe) put this thought in front of everything: What's in it for me?

These Germans families are not paid to take care of us, receiving us as parts of their family.

So... Danke fur alles.

Liebe,

Florence

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Euro Trip Pictures 2012 (with my fave travel buddy!)

Before I post the story about my Europe trip (yes it's in the progress so please be patient), Euro Trip Pictures
here is the facebook link of the trip with my travel buddy.... for a sneak peek... Enjoy!