Bbbblack Forest!

Finally made it to the Black Forest!!

Going to the Black Forest had always been one of the things we wanted to see, but people over here didn't think it was that cool to spend time on…bummer. So we had pretty much lost hope on getting to see it. But low and behold, after 1) spending 3 hours in the Stuttgart train station b/c we arrived back from Amsterdam at 4am and didn't want to wake Jen up, 2) getting caught not having a ticket for the Metro, therefore kicked off, and 3) walking almost an hour to her place after that(of course we walked 15min the wrong direction at first), we arrive to her place and Jen wanted to go see the tallest waterfall in Germany which is in THE BLACK FOREST!!!! Aaaahhhh victory is ours!! We hop in the car and head to Triberg which is about an 1 1/2 hours from Stuttgart. The drive there is just beautiful. Rolling hills filled with yellow flowers, with the black forest as the back drop. *Side Note* Supposedly the stories of Hansel & Greta  and Little Red Riding Hood took place in the forest. They were made up to keep the children out of the forest. Would have kept me out! I don't want any witches trying to push me into a furnace! *Side Note Ended* We accidentally pass Triberg by 5 minutes, but it turned out being just fine b/c we were able to see one of the biggest CooCoo clocks ever! It was the whole size of a building. We followed the signs that say "wasserfall" which is the German word for waterfall…just in case you couldn't figure that one out lol. We make it to the bottom of the mountain and have to hike up only about 8 minutes to the bottom of the waterfall another 15 minutes to the top. So pretty and so calming. Lunch time!!! We head to the cute little town, which is known for Clocks, and eat in the neatest authentic German restaurant. We had cheese noodles and thin fried pork. Yum! Then, like another miracle, Jen has another great idea….go to the hot baths and spas in Stuttgart. Best day ever?!? Maybe. So we look at the shops there quickly and then hightail it back home. After 3 1/2 weeks of lugging around a back pack, you would hurry too!! These muscles don't lie. We all thought they supplied towels for you, but apparently, they don't. Jen brought her own, Laura payed 4 Euro for hers, and Shelly opted out and just used a button down shirt she accidentally stole from one of the guys on the boat we were on in Amsterdam. What can I say, I'm frugal! Though it was hard getting it to cover me in the nude areas. Oh, did I forget to mention this was a nudest spa? We were quite nervous at first, not knowing if we could control our laughter/stares at all the, as Adam Sandler would say it, "Old Balls", but it wasn't too bad. It's just so normal for Europeans to be naked like that. Seeing them feel so comfortable made us feel good too…so in the saunas we let it all hang out and not one guy was a creepster and stared! All the saunas had different scents like orange and lavender. One even offered a sea salt scrub every 30 minutes which Laura participated in and LOVED it. It was a very relaxing night indeed, especially after the craziness of Queens Day. For not expecting to do anything today I think we scored pretty big, high rolla status fo sho! Now we have to do laundry and pack up all our stuff b/c we leave Stuttgart for good tomorrow and head to Milan and then Greece!! PEACE!!!

"How amazing are the deeds of the Lord! All who delight in Him should ponder them" Psalm 111:2

lexi