Happy Birthday, Aunt Moni!

We just returned from a trans-Atlantic jaunt to Germany & Switzerland. Our purpose was twofold: 1) Celebrate my Aunt Moni's 60th birthday, and 2) Attend the International Dairy Federation's cheese conference (OK, this was mostly Evan's gig). We spent a week in Germany and then drove to Bern, Switzerland, so Evan could "work." I'm going to divide the trip up into separate posts so as not to overwhelm.

We arrived in Frankfurt early on March 1, after the worst airplane turbulence of our lives. I managed to escape to a Zen place, and Evan had to tell me later that the rest of the plane was engaged in a complete and total barf-o-rama. Thankfully, we landed without skidding off the runway (which did in fact happen to an airplane in Hamburg that day), and got down to the business of the day: Aunt Moni's birthday bash. Moni's is my mom's older sister, and the 10-year birthdays are a BIG deal in Germany. In addition to E, C and I, my mom, my sister and my mom's twin, Ulli, all made the hop across the pond to celebrate.

Daddy gets down to beer drinking, Charlie wants a piece of the action


The Marbaise kids: Jochen, my mom, Ulli & Moni


Dancing with Omi


Unaffected by jet lag, Charlie rocks out


Taking a break


The Loper girls


The next morning, we went to my Uncle Jochen's house for something called Fruhschoppen, a sort of champagne brunch, but without the brunch. I guess it's a hair of the dog kind of deal.

Another beer for Daddy


Playing in Jochen's chair


The Marbaise girls


Charlie with Aunt Niki & Great-Aunt Ulli