Family visits with former au pairs in Germany
COLOGNE, Germany — There’s nothing like having someone live with you for a year to forge a lifelong friendship. But you cannot just drop by for coffee when that person lives across the Atlantic Ocean.
My husband and I hosted German au pairs for seven years to care for our three children. And from the moment we quit hiring au pairs, Duncan and I began plotting to get our children overseas to see them and learn more about the culture.
We managed to do that this summer, nine years after no longer needing au pairs. My oldest daughter, Maureen, will soon turn 20. My son, Glenn, is 16 and now towers over my daughters and me. My youngest daughter, Ellen, is 14 and a much different child from the 5-year-old who, along with Glenn, used to comprehend German.
We have remained close to our au pairs. Most have visited us at our home in Richmond, Va., more than once since living with us.
We flew into Frankfurt and boarded a train for Cologne with great views of castles and the Rhine River.
We checked into a hotel that Duncan found in a travel book — Hopper’s St. Antonius. It’s an simple walk from Cologne’s historic cathedral. This was my favorite hotel of the trip, even though it did not have air conditioning.
Hopper’s has a lovely open courtyard with ivy-covered walls. Breakfast was fantastic and included a huge selection of breads, yogurt with muesli, fresh fruits, meats, cheeses and smoked salmon.
Our first evening we walked to the cathedral. Some find the gothic structure beautiful; everyone finds it big and impressive. The exterior is largely blackened from the elements. But portions, replaced during continuous restoration, are much lighter. The area bustles with locals and tourists.
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We planned to dine at the Frueh brew house, known for traditional German cuisine and beer. But Frueh’s outdoor seating was full. Indoors, it was hot and nobody seemed to want to wait on us. So instead we chose Cafe Reichard, with available outdoor seating next to the cathedral. My son raved about his crepes with apples. My daughters were amazed by the restroom stalls, which had transparent glass doors that became opaque when you locked them.
The next morning, we toured the Chocolate Museum, on the Rhine River. Our children liked the free samples better than the history lesson.
Visiting with the locals Helene, au pair No. 7, met us at noon. She’s probably the au pair that the children remember ideal because she was our last. We exchanged hugs and talked about how much the children had changed. We had seen Helene twice since she completed her year with us, but not in a few years. Still, we were able to speak to Helene as if we had parted yesterday. She walked us back to the cathedral area, where we met au pair No. 1, Tine, and ate pizza outdoors.
If you go …
COLOGNE, GERMANY: http://bit.ly/aZ3bh
CHOCOLATE MUSEUM (SCHOKOLADENMUSEUM): Located on the Rhine River in Cologne. Open Tuesday-Friday, 10 a.m.-6 p.m.; Saturday-Sunday, 11 a.m.-7 p.m. Admission: $10 (7.50 euros).
PHANTASIALAND: Bruehl, Germany, just outside of Cologne; http://www.phantasialand.de/eng/Park. Free entry for children under 7 with ID. Adults, $45 (34.50 euros); children older than 7 but shorter than 4 foot 8 (1.45 meters), $38 (29.50 euros).
OLD TOWN SALZBURG, AUSTRIA: http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/78
SCHLOSS FREUDENBERG: Park with interactive exhibits and attractions in Wiesbaden, Germany, http://www.schlossfreudenberg.de/english/english.html
Tine has been back to Richmond several times and is now married with an 8-year-old daughter. She and Helene are friends. All seven of our au pairs are acquainted and gather for “meetings” occasionally. Tine and Helene reminisced with the children about their antics in years gone by.
Tine, her husband and daughter joined us the next day at an amusement park called Phantasialand just outside Cologne. This was one of the ideal days in Europe for my son. Phantasialand was like Busch Gardens or a small Disney World — clean with similar rides, food and shows.
We travelled for 10 days in Italy, then met up with our fifth au pair, Beate, and her boyfriend, Tobias, in Salzburg, Austria.
Since her year with us in Richmond, Bea has studied in Oregon, Germany and Japan. Her last trip to Richmond was about eight years ago. My youngest daughter, Ellen, did not have clear memories of Bea but they hit it off immediately. There was much speak about tricks the children played on Bea, and of course how they had grown.
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Submited at Wednesday, September 1st, 2010 at 6:00 am on Family by samantha
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