The Mom Recap! Part I

My mom left today and I am sad.

On the plus side, we had a really, really awesome and fun week!

Our trip started off with a trip to the barn, where my mom got to meet the horse I ride here and check out the barn, which is a pretty cool place because it used to be a training facility for knights in the middle ages. There's a big middle-ages tower chilling in the middle of the property, which itself is owned by a duke or a baron or something--at any rate, someone important with a title that is no longer relevant in 2013. We may or may not have run into him and I may or may not have spoken to him inappropriately, although in my defense he should wear a T-Shirt or have a name tag or do something to identify himself as something other than your run-of-the-mill crotchety old man.

On Thursday my mom got the grand tour of the city, and we met up with Kiwi Friend for ice cream. While my mom was busy oohing and aahing over the amazingness that is German ice cream, a newly-graduated Ph.D student came by to kiss the Gänseliesel statue, in appropriate Göttingen tradition.

That same day, I also introduced my mom to Crazy Psycho Neighbors because they wanted to meet her. Crazy Psycho Female Neighbor held my mom's hand, patted her head, and pinched her cheeks. All while prattling on about how nice I am. In case you were wondering, my mother is not the biggest fan of having her cheeks pinched by a crazy lady with a multi-colored head who holds her hand for long past the socially acceptable amount of time. She also got quizzed by the neighbors on everything from why I'm so nice to is she okay with the fact that I'm dating outside my race? 

Friday it was off to Coburg! But first we had to get a waffle because hells yes, waffles. This waffle had honey, yogurt, and a million different kinds of fruit. And it was awesome.

I don't remember much about the ride down to Coburg because I'm pretty sure I slept through half of it, by our arrival was lovely. Al's parents loved my mom and she loved them so everyone wins. We drank tea and ate food and then immediately went into town for the festival on the palace grounds. Also, in borrowing a light jacket from my mom, I accidentally made myself look like a sailor.

Saturday was tour Coburg day. We started off wandering the streets, buying presents for the tias in Portugal, and finding a tack store which my mom was excited to check out. The running joke all weekend was how Americans think Coburg looks like Disneyland. In defense of Americans, this is because Coburg looks like Disneyland. 

Then we took the coolest kiddie train ever all the way up the mountain and to the Veste Coburg sitting on top of the hill. There, we ran around like morons and bemoaned that you can't go in the castle's secret tunnels. And when I say "we bemoaned" I mean "I bemoaned" and now would be a good time to stop saying "bemoaned."

Also, mom ate this sausage and actually liked it:

Then we did a tour of a few castles in the area, including this one that I want to own:

And this one that had a lot of deer:

Saturday night we also ate the greatest lasagna in the entire world and I was way too full to do anything except for visit some donkeys, so that's what we did. They live near Al's house and are so cute!

And thus concludes Part I of the Mom Recap! We had a brilliant time hanging with Al's parents, even if my duties as interpreter made my head want to explode. Apparently, Al's parents and my mom can only discuss deep, difficult-to-translate topics like comparing welfare systems and police brutality. Plus side, I am pretty awesome at interpreting, with a specialization in comparing welfare systems and police brutality.

Check back for more mom adventures soon!