Camping on the Mosel

Cochem. We didn't stay there, just got diesel there.


Looking out our tent.

Campers- no lifeguards- probably not afraid they were going to bail in.
our campground's harbor
ice cream+ baby
ahh the short lived popularity of that chair

Ducks on their morning rounds. Keane followed them around the camp site. He didn't chase them necessarily- though the ducks kept their eye on him- he just followed like another duck.

Going across the Mosel on the ferry.

Not sure why they had large hay creations, but it was good for a pit stop and a picture.

Couple of funny stories about our camping trip, mostly of me making a fool out of myself. You have to know that Germans have a way of doing things, neatly and in order and continual- no variance to the schedule. Germany met Sara McGhie Varghese in a cosmic upheaval (God's design actually), who knew that the embodiment of chaos would ever find a home in the midst of unquestioning refinement?

While camping Germans always look presentable even on the way to the showers for a bath- Sara is sporting her flannel pajamas and stained sweatshirt, complete with Chacos with her wares falling out of her bag. And when no one is concerned about keys left on the bathroom counter by a mother of a young child, Sara is trotting down the sidewalk yelling "Entshuldigung!" in the worst pronunciation possible while everyone stares.

If I didn't want to blend in, I couldn't have done a better job than to try my hand at washing dishes, getting more wet than I did taking a shower, or trying to maneuver my way out of the shower to put on my flannel pajamas, on top of my shoes and landing on my butt. I assured that lady in the bathroom that I was fine, but her eyes didn't decrease their size of surprised concern until I left and she kept saying "it's okay?"

For good measure, why don't we add a child with the lung power of a college choir who notifies EVERYONE of any drama he is experiencing, like his parents saying "no, really, it's time to stop playing with the ball", or being so terrible as to give him a bath after an ice cream dousing, you would have thought I was killing him. We found out the hard way that a key needed to be secured from the front office to enter the baby bath, which happened to be closed for meal time, meanwhile our kid, hysterical and exhausted, is forced to wait 'til camp staff sauntered over to the office to open it just so they could tell us it was a 10 Euro deposit- yeah, I had to apologize later for our testimony foul.

We were met however, with all graciousness from everyone. Keane could wave at almost anyone and they waved back (mostly cause they were older). We walked around and Keane would waddle up to every campsite, stick out his little arm and wave. He experienced water waves for the first time from the river boats as we sat on the rock ledges, he saw a lot of grass, trees, ducks, experienced tent life, cold nights, camp food, and lots of fun in the sun. The weather could not have been any more awesome. God was so good to us (is so good to us).

Our camping neighbors were all nice and helped us jump our battery after we had left all the car doors open just long enough to kill it. One of our kindly neighbors mentioned that maybe we should resign ourselves to actually using the tent as camping shelter. We humbly agreed and kicked ourselves when we were out of sight.

We made it back safely, after a quick trip to a swimming pool overlooking the river. Some drama ensued as Keane wanted to play with every ball but his own. We are going to have to wait this one out until he remembers just what the "adjustment" is for when we get home. We aren't perfect, but we are working on it. :)