Try it Thursdays...

Try-it Thursday is my attempt to encourage the boys to try something new and is secretly my desire to homeschool them!  Try-it Thursday (named by Z) really seems to apply to just about everyday here in Germany, lately.

TRY-IT THURSDAY:

We ran down to the train station in our little village with just enough time to figure out the ticket machine and wait for the 16:06 train to Kaiserslautern.  A couple of 10yo German girls were waiting as well and so, in honor of "Try-it Thursday, "  I asked them if they spoke English and if they knew where we should get off the train in K-town!  They giggled and pretended they really didn't know anything, but I did manage to get a few words out of them and we all chuckled!  (I can only imagine what they were really saying about us!!)

So, we got on the train and rode it to the Haupbahnhof, the main station.  We were all amazed:  trains "so clean you can eat off the floor, Mommy!"  Yup.  We are definitely NOT in America. 

At the station, we found the information desk clerk who gave us a map of downtown Kaiserslautern.  We headed over to the ticket office as I had mistakenly purchased 2 adult tickets at the kiosk.  Turns out (and I still have no idea why) I only needed a ticket for myself --the boys were free.  So, the nice German ticket lady refunded my money, gave me a return ticket and sent us off to explore.  The key to "Try-it Thursday" is to not be afraid to ask!

We were in search of the toy store, but darn if we couldn't find it anywhere (didn't really ask--oops!  didn't really want to know?!)  We walked around for an hour -it was getting really dark-but it was a lot of fun!  We found a Natural Food Store and couldn't get rid of this overzealous English speaking German woman --she even called her husband, Bernard, and made him talk to me so I could ask all my "new to Germany" questions!  When she offered to drive us to the Globus, N suggested we get out of there, and quick!  (Of all the times to need the 2 yo meltdown --THAT would've been it!)

It's amazing what you can find when you're really not looking:

 the Pfaff sewing store (and the guy there was happy to help me with my American machine when it finally arrives!)
Mambo --a bed, bath and beyond type store! and of course, another bratwurst shop!

Back at the station we were a little confused about which train to get on, but made a good guess and asked a fellow rider if the train to Lauterecken would get us to Hirschhorn ---he was right!  Home safe and sound!

Fast train!  Happy Passengers!