Not stuck in Paris yet!

You heard about the volcano in Iceland that's shut down European airports since last Thursday? My folks flew in just a half hour before airports began grounding flights and stranding thousands of people. Crazy!

We didn't think much of it because we were heading to Paris by train. Once here, we began hearing all sorts of things, especially at church. The Paris ward had lots of study abroad students, faculty and families, businessmen, and vacationers waiting in limbo as the airlines cancelled their flights and said to try again in SIX days. Oh what a hassle for all these stranded people and the expense!!! Ryan said he saw images online of people sleeping on cots at the Frankfurt airport! Argh!

I'm almost ashamed to report all the fun we're having seeing the Parisian sights and EATS, becoming accustomed to traveling together. Ryan's inner GPS has come to the rescue too many times to count! What would we do without him?! It truly is amazing! I learned a new story about him this trip. He can trace this inner GPS talent to a time when he was 6 or so and a neighborhood playground was moved to a nearby town. He'd been able to ride along as the stuff was moved once, and later that day was able to lead his parents there, turn by turn! They had thought it'd been moved down the street so weren't they a bit stunned and impressed! My parents and I are too, although I'm sure we should do more thanking in the moment. Since Ryan's never lost, he likes to wander. I'm not so good at being a wanderer follower even if I know he'll get us there every time. Ryan, your patience astounds me!

On another note, Ryan's enduring a bit of ribbing. He woke up feeling under the weather on Sunday real early and took a long shower and bath. When he got done, there was still hot water he thought but the rest of us got cold showers without knowing why. He 'fessed up later in the day at dinner and won't hear the end of it now!

Dad buys and writes post cards anytime we stop it seems. I have always loved his letters and post cards over the years so it's been fun to watch him do this. So many people he thinks of and loves! If only we could find an open post office to send them off! 

We also have gotten a kick out of Dad excitedly sharing how this or that was built - like the Eiffel Tower's use of rivets. He's such a big kid at heart! He's getting used to his camera and gave us all a good laugh at the Eiffel Tower. He and Ryan had climbed it just before dusk, waving excitedly and doing The Wave to Mom and I below. Us boring women had contentedly opted to read and people watch in the park resting our weary bones on a bench.

Anyhow, once the boys rejoined us, we were hanging around for the lights of the Eiffel Tower to go on. Dad was trying to get his camera ready to catch the lighting because it is lit level by level. As it began lighting up, Dad missed it and hollered, "Oh Crap!", as he fumbled with his camera. Then Eiffel began it's dazzling flash bulb display and Dad hollered another exasperated "Oh Crap!" Ryan came to his rescue with the camera, but it sure got us laughing real hard with likely derivatives rolling off the tongue - now it's "Oh Crepe!" (Note to self: Mom and Dad have yet to try one. I should be shot, what's more Parisian?! Oh yes, bakeries . . . no problem there, we've got them well covered!)

Another fave moment of mine was when we were on the tour bus heading into the Louvre. Tour bus and a very narrow road passage into the castle = Tight squeeze! Dad was able to reach out and touch the castle door over mom's shoulder! Anyhow, he squealed with delight and I caught it on camera! That's my dad! It was as if we were on a roller coaster in the good ol' days!

Mom and I are up for just about anything until our walking legs are done. Mom got to browse the fabric district a bit today and is keeping an eye out for just the right gift ideas. Beyond being very happy with me and Ryan's historic walk today, I feel like I'm best equipped to publish a "Where's the WC?" edition of me as Where's Waldo in various European cities. UC + travel = less than interesting blog material . . . yet useful. Maybe I've found my blogging niche?! Uh, no thanks, I'll pass.

It's past midnight of day two in Paris and we're all dog tired and ready for bed! We've done Notre Dame and the historic area walking tour, a hop-on/off bus tour, shopped and strolled the Champs Elysees, the Louvre, and the Sacre Couer / Montmarte areas just to name a few. Still so much to see but the heat is on tomorrow --  the Paris Crypt, Musee d'Orsay, Rodin, and Versailles. And it will be fun darn it! Now hussle! HUSSLE! Ryan and Dad are now being asked to find a job in Paris for a year so we can all live here and attempt to see it all at "our leisure"! I don't think I'd ever run out of things to see and explore here!

By the way I am now a fervent Rick Steve's book fan and wish we'd gotten acquainted a good 17 months ago when my European adventure began! Oh the grief he would have saved this here traveling woman! The audio tours could use some work but are fun and useful in conjunction with other guides and maps, especially in the Louvre we've found!

Wednesday we head to Rome if there's no French train worker strike again between Paris and Germany and the airlines let us fly to Rome as planned. Our airline begins letting flights leave at 1pm and ours is at 4pm - how's that for a close shave?! Wish us luck!

My Running Man

Remember the posts on Nurnberg? Well, that trip was actually because Ryan was running a half-marathon in Prague, Czech Republic. I gotta get this in before we head on a whirlwind tour with my parents this weekend!

We really love Prague's medieval feel and their Mexican restaurant! No kidding, best Mexican food we've had in Europe! Happy faces from great sites and full bellies!

I loved the hotel Ryan found for us! Last time we stayed at the Hilton, but this time we were at the Grand Hotel Bohemia, just a couple blocks from the main square! Large, high ceilinged room that smelled better than any hotel I've ever been in. It also included a nice breakfast buffet and I'm a sucker for those. Meals without kids are generally more enjoyable, but breakfast this way is such a great way to start the day! That's vacation to me! I'm easy! Just a few blocks from our door, we head to Old Town Square.

The Easter festival market was in full swing in the square.

Next a boring sign, but it's for the record. Different exchange offices everywhere had their boards out. We're not used to this in most of Europe because we're often traveling within the EU using the euro, pronounced "oi-yo."

But that sign is important because it lets you know how much food you can eat!

Where's the beef?

And one of my favorites, the "trdelnik" bread cooked on a steel pole. When it's hot off the pole, they roll it in cinnamon, sugar, and roasted almond slivers!

When we went to a kindergarten BBQ last summer, we made them old school without the help of machinery. Think of it as the alternative to cooking marshmellows or hot dogs on a stick over a camp fire. YUM!

Oh yeah, we were there to see Ryan run! Sorry, the food always distracts me! Anyhow, this was a real big event - probably 5,000 runners I think! I love the electric energy of races. I swell with pride for all these athletes out to do something great, voluntarily. I literally have to fight back tears as they all gear up and await their turn to cross the start line and be on their way.

I love that I was able to kinda move among the crowd keeping pace with Ryan until he got through the start gate! So fun to see him get all fidgety and serious, check his GPS watch and stuff. Perhaps what I loved most about this race was all the moving classical music over the loud speakers. It somehow elevated the moment rather than the frenetic pumping music you'd associate with getting everyone excited.

And then he was off!

I paid close attention to the time and was able to see Ryan cross the finish line! I was able to catch his eye - ya know, jumping up and down from my higher level, balance beam vantage point. He was pretty happy to see me too! I was so proud of him!!! I wonder if him seeing me give birth equates to me seeing him finish a race? Not nearly the same, but feeling the overwhelming love and pride for your spouse is pretty fantastic!

I love my man and his ability to do these races! It's not easy or convenient, takes great effort. He's not afraid of a challenge and I love seeing him meet it head on, especially since it takes us to fun places!

Browsing

I finished my books on Thursday and was overdue for a trip to the library. It's been hounding me for a week and a half but there just weren't any good chances to squeeze in a trip even though I'd reserved things and just had to pick them up. I hate finishing a book without something to start up immediately. However, I couldn't chance trying to manage all the kids at my most vulnerable time of day - 4pm. It's my worn out, running thin on patience with plaguing thoughts of feeding dinner to a hungry, fussy, messy, picky crowd time of day. Ryan was really good these past two weeks as he posed the options of kid-friendly eateries when my mounting dread had built up. Bless him!!!

This afternoon I broke free and ran over to the library all by myself. I honestly can't remember the last time I was able to go unaccompanied by minors! Oh I was so happy!!! I can't remember feeling so happy to be in a library before! I grabbed my reserved items and started browsing shelves, beginning with the audio books. Browsing! Me! Alone! Ahhh, it was awesome!

At one point I had an armful of books I'd collected and was able to sit on a couch, spread them before me and even compare editions of The Adventures of Tom Sawyer to read to the boys. I was in hog heaven! (That's really an odd saying to type!? I'm a big fat pig rolling in cool mud or with a fresh tray of slop to eat? I think I'll choose a new phrase next time!)

The reason I love and prefer libraries to book stores where I want to buy all those shiny, pretty books is there's no commitment. For the non-committal shopper I am, in libraries there's no buyer's remorse if I don't end up liking a book or never get to actually reading it. It won't glare at me from a space on my shelves gathering dust. Before we moved here, we seriously purged our book stash and until we're real settled or have a ton of pretty book case space, I plan to keep it that way.

Ryan and I are complete opposites here. He loves to buy books, to be the first to crack them open, bend that spine and inhale long and deeply - especially if it's hard bound or old leather. He likes buying. Commitment, it makes him feel warm and fuzzy inside I think. In fact, that reminds me of when we were dating and were at the point of deciding if we'd be exclusive. I was the first to ask the question, he was the first to state it was what he wanted. I remember the his car, where we were on route to my soccer game. It's one of my favorite memories from our dating and one of the things I like about him most - he's decisive about what he wants but patient enough to let me follow his lead in my own due time. I wish I had both of those qualities!

The challenge I faced today was that I'll be traveling and busy soaking up time with my parents for the next few weeks. I didn't want to check out a lot because the items would be due before I had a chance to get to most of them even if I wanted to. I don't want to haul a lot of books around on our trips or worry about battery life and would hate to be guilty of not soaking up every moment with my folks. Library due dates are mere suggestions though, right? Should I just get all these great books and heed my scarcity mentality to hoard since late fees don't exist at this library?

To solve my check-out dilemma, I made a "to read" list from my favorite finds and only got what I thought I could read during travel. I'm a list making nerd. That "to read" list has really grown this year already!

My growing reading list affects my time spent in the car. It makes me antsy. If I'm driving, I crave an audio book. If I'm a passenger, I'm itching for a book in my hand. I think it's because it's one of the rare times of a day that my children are strapped down, going nowhere and so I can sit still and absorb. Sometimes the kids get chatty with me, but usually they're being silly with each other. I feel like I've been awakened to so much classic or great literature and history that I'm in a hurry to dive in!

Anyone read The Liberation Trilogy by Rick Atkinson? Each book in the series is about a different front of WWII. The first book is about Northern Africa, #2 is about Italy, #3 is on Western Europe. I'm curious because I haven't read or seen much about the first two, only Western European fronts. I wonder if Atkinson will do the Pacific Theater next? Guess that would negate the Trilogy description touted on book jackets though.

"The Liberation" was in the section where I was looking for Ten Boom's "The Hiding Place" which I've always heard of and am anxious to finally read. I've gone through a long hiatus from Holocaust related reading after my study abroad in Israel and the DC Holocaust Museum. I haven't been ready to willingly go there for some time but I'm ready again and want to visit some camps while we live here.

With the US fighting a war on terrorism and my reads associated with different facets of that topic, we also recently re-watched "Band of Brothers." I was again struck by the episode entitled, "Why We Fight." After Easy Company's heavy losses on D-Day, Bastogne and other front line or behind enemy line assignments, the men were disheartened and angry about being at war. Then they stumble upon a concentration camp in Bavaria. War is horrible. But I am proud to be an American whose soldiers have liberated many. I wish our country was better at follow-through and nation building. But we all learn more from our mistakes than our triumphs. It is just so sad that the price is so high on all sides. Thank you to our soldiers and prayers for the ravaged people everywhere. May they both be blessed with peace in their hearts.

Four?!?!

This just can't be right!

I mean, wasn't it just yesterday that my Baby'K was this little guy?

But my "Baby'K" is four today!

When searching for baby names, I remember coming across a definition of "McKay", a name Ryan and I liked and had used for Easton's middle name (purely because we liked how the two names sounded together). McKay meant "to delight." And he sure has been my delight! Oh how I love his smiling eyes and perfect hugs and kisses! See what I mean?

at 7 months and then now . . .

I thank the Smith side of Ryan's family for bringing these smiling eyes into my life! Just yesterday I woke up kinda grumpy and was pouring cereal and milk for the cousins and my trio. Upon waking up, he walked to the table and sleepily said, "Mom, I love you," as he finished climbing into his chair. He brightens each of my days!

McKay's days are spent fighting bad guys, riding or rolling down our hill, running fast, helping mom sweep, playing with Easton or friends, singing solos for circle time in German, asking mom to snuggle and read to him, wrestling daddy, and nuzzling Morgan. All he wants for his birthday is a skateboard and a "camote contwoe'd wobot." Sorry kiddo, mom wanted you to have a bike. He was completely devastated, can't ya tell?

He looks so sweet and really is most of the time. I have to share this interaction he had with his cousin Lizzie yesterday. We celebrated his birthday a day early so the cousins could be here for it - Lizzie made sure it was a priority. As you've seen from an earlier post, the kids have been making due with a shortage of riding toys so the bike was a BIG deal. Ryan had picked up a bike for Easton at the thrift store so now there were two size appropriate bikes being introduced.

Lizzie tried her darnedest to secure some riding time with no success. Invites or disinvites to her birthday party (in August) were extended and being her best friend hung in the balance. McKay wasn't budging, a stubborn stinker.

Standing just a few feet away I heard Lizzie finally ask, "McKay, can I ride your bike on your birthday (the following day)?"

McKay duly considered this proposal, even contemplatively stroked his chin! Then he said, "Hmm, . . . you can ride my bike on Scooter Day." Lizzie was ecstatic! Before she could ask him when Scooter day was, he had ridden off into the back yard. You can bet there was a sly grin on his face!

Lizzie anxiously turned to me, "When is Scooter Day?!" Almost unable to contain her excitement. I had no answer for her so she moved on to quiz someone else.

Ten minutes later, I hear her asking Ryan over and over when Scooter Day was. When she left him deflated, I giggled to Ryan and told him the story. What am I going to do with this kid?! One thing's for sure, he keeps life interesting and we sure love him!

Every afternoon

Thanks to the good weather we've had, I can send all the kids outside for the afternoon each day. My boys have really taken to this little hill - they roll, they ride, they push anything with wheels and it keeps them entertained for hours! I enjoy seeing their grins of apprehension give way to sheer excitement as they pick up speed. Their visiting cousins, Lizzie and Miles, are trying to enjoy the speed and bravely give it a go over and over.


Did you see my girl fly down the hill, yesterday's pigtails flappin’ in her wake?! During our Easter egg hunt, our friends pointed out how Morgan buzzed down the hill so fast and controlled for her age. She just loves running down it and keeping up with the boys! Morgan likes to do most everything at full speed unless we’re trying to walk to the kindergarten around the corner. She's perfected the word 'meander' forcing me to try and enjoy the journey.

McKay loves to run fast too. He especially loves to see his arms pumping fast as he runs, reveling in his body’s mechanics of movement! He’ll admire himself and then look up to make sure I see how super fast he’s going. Love it!!!

I was pretty impressed with McKay and Miles' interaction here, discussing turns. It often gives way to one or both screaming but they kept it together here. They've gotten much better at this in the course of two weeks together. Poor Miles seems to get the last turn every time and waiting is not easy for any three year old! Not to worry, he's not shy about advocating for his due! As long as things are fair, McKay and Miles are content.

Easton is focused and into his ride while Lizzie flits from one thing to the next. Lizzie plays well with everyone although she and Easton sometimes have to negotiate who’s in charge. Lizzie tried, “Guests first” and then “Ladies first” but those seem to have faded now. She likes to be my super helper, creative muse, and star of the show! I will miss her helpful great attitude when we clean up. She even likes to wipe the table after meals and sweep! Sorry Tamsyn, I think I’ll keep her! She does admit it's more fun to help here than at home for her mom but I'm sure that would pass with time. I think she's enjoying being the biggest around here since she's the fifth of six kids.

Because Easton is at school all day and then everyone heads outside until dinner, I’ve caught myself being a bit short with him unfortunately. He’s not exactly a happy helper lately and gets my leftovers which ain’t that pretty after 5. Last night, Easton and I escaped to go get him some soccer shoes. Then Ryan had the odious task of pulling E’s sliver out before I could snuggle in for more Treasure Island.

When Spring arrives, Ryan craves this lemon dessert. I craved lemon cake last week and am sad to admit I ate 3/4 of it. I'm always surprised to find food is one of my coping mechanisms. Bad timing since I've been missing my workouts. The flowers are from my neighbor and I've loved enjoying them this week!

Now back to my regularly scheduled program . . . chores. Morgan's blanket is screaming to be washed like nobody's business. Bleh.

Hunters and Gatherers

We had our own Easter Egg Hunt here at home with a neighbor family. It was fun and fast since we've got some experienced hunters!

On your mark, get set . . .

GO!

And they're off! The hunters!

You don't have to tell them twice!

Woah! What just happened here?!

(A gatherer.)

I got one!

No need to keep the egg, I just want the candy! See?

Now for some happy hunters!

As Ryan said, "McKay got a haul!"

He was pretty happy with his skills!

My niece Lizzie is always ready to pose. She cracks me up!

My best helper, I think I'll keep her!

With their spoils . . .

I tried a new quiche recipe to accompany our coffee cake. It all turned out yummy! The kids of course just wanted candy and I confess that we let them so we could chat.

Having five kiddos in a small three bedroom apartment for two weeks gets a bit loud pretty fast! My prayers for good weather this week were answered each and every day even with a forecast of rain for most of it! I had no rain when I needed it - namely to send the kids outside to play for our sanity and when my stroller caravan headed out to the bus stop or kindergarten to gather my other youngins. Even today, we had good enough weather to do the egg hunt and then this afternoon it hailed! Hail!!

The sun is bright and shining now with pockets of blue sky showing. The ups and downs of today seem to have come full circle as I think of what today is. Easter, the day we celebrate our Savior's Atonement and Resurrection. Boy do I need the power of the Atonement so I can hope for the Resurrection. You ever had one of those days where one day seems to encapsulate it all?Can't wait to catch more General Conference after kid bedtime!

Historic Nurnberg

After we finished at the museum, we headed into Old Town to grab a bite to eat and look around. Ryan has a built in GPS whereas I take a bit longer to figure out where I am. We'd walked this same route during the Christmas market but it sure was more enjoyable without the crowds and stress of keeping tabs on all the kids. It seems there's a market in this square no matter what time of year!

After the museum I was starving so we were happy to stumble upon Vapianos where we like watching them whip up our pasta dishes and never, never skip the dessert! YUMMERS! We love their marscapone and strawberries as well as the tirumisu!!! Sharesies! I remembered to take a picture after we'd already dug in, too good to wait!

After that we walked up to the old fortress. Nurnberg was the unofficial capital of the Holy Roman Empire in medieval times. Nurnberg sits at a crossroads on one of the important trading routes between Italy and Northern Europe. It also housed the daily parliaments that were the administrative workings of the empire, called the Diets of Nuremberg. The fortress sits on a hill that overlooks the rest of the city with some great views.

On our way down, we stopped at St. Sebalds because it was so impressive. Visiting churches in Europe always provides a great way to learn about the history of the city or town. St. Sebalds had really pretty windows, but then our attention was drawn to the temporary placards hung on the columns showing how it had been destroyed during WWII and then rebuilt.

Now.

Before WWII, you can see it on the right.

After WWII.

Can you imagine that amount of destruction now having seen the before and after?! How horrible!

There was a brief chronicle of the church's destruction during the raids by a Hans Duerr for which I used Google's translate. Wikipedia confirmed what was said (again, sorry for my lack of in-depth research). Nurnberg was bombed by the British from 1943-1945, but particularly in February of '45 an hour's worth of bombing by both the British and Americans targeted and destroyed the historic medieval center of the city. In total, Duerr stated 5,366 people were killed in the two years of raids and 280,000 people were displaced.

Separate from that chronicle, the placards had sobering images of the church's destruction with a running poem translated into four languages. I was really touched by them, such as the following:

St. Sebald - A monument for peace

Peace - what is peace?

That we can go through the ruins

without fear of bombs?

That the sun warms people and stone

as if nothing had happened?

That the horror is already beginning

to belong to the past?

Burst are the bells,

melted down.

St. Sebald has no longer a voice.

Like so many people

whose words choked in their throat

in the summer of 45

as the horrifiec crimes of the Nazis

gradually became known.

Are wars also accounts?

20th April 1945 . . .

The guns are silent,

Nuremberg: fallen,

Laid down in the horror of a war

no-on had imagined would be like that . . .

Torn, broken through, empty

Sebald's towers reach towards heaven.

Fight for peace

17 December 1992:

100,000 citizens

carrying burning candles

form a circle around the heart of the city.

The seeds of voilence

must never germinate again

in our country!

This church is part of a reconciliation group here in Europe. German planes bombed the British town of Coventry destroying one of their historic churches. The reconciliation group celebrates the mutual rebuilding process. I must say I admire my German neighbors' resilience, hard work ethic, intelligence and also their kindness.

We really enjoyed this walk and as always, I wished I'd taken the time to research Nurnberg before we were there! However, being surprised is pretty fun too!

Nazi Nurnberg

I've got so many pics to sort through from the past week of travel and family, it's a daunting task! I've got a niece and nephew for two weeks, I'm planning my parents' upcoming trip here soon, and gearing up to coach Easton's soccer team. Don't even mention the state of my house. Just don't. Trust me.

Last Thursday we left the kids with my sister-in-law in Munich and took in a great museum in Nurnberg. Spelling seems to be relative here for English translations. On signs here, it's spelled Nurnberg with the umlaut (two dots) over the 'u.' I knew this city as Nuremberg, famous for the post-WWII trials of Nazi leaders for the Holocaust by the first international court convened for war crimes like.

Anyhow, we were headed to Prague for Ryan to run in a half marathon. His coworker's wife had registered for the half marathon but wasn't ready so Ryan filled in. He's kept running through the winter using lunch breaks at the gym - mostly in preparation for a marathon in Stockholm this June. I'll cover the run in another post. It deserves it. Ryan deserves it!

We've been to Nurnberg before. Last November, we got to spend Thanksgiving with Ryan's brother's family in Munich. They had just moved there and were still awaiting their household goods - basics like beds and other necessary furniture and stuffs. We still had a great time and one night even drove north to Nurnberg to kick off the Christmas Market season which runs from the last weekend in November through New Year's. Nurnberg's Christmas market is famous and huge. My sister-in-law and I didn't enjoy it as much because we were gripped by fear for the lives and locations of the nine children in our care who were in the midst of shoulder-to-shoulder thick crowds. Aaack! No need to explain why we gladly offered to take the little ones home so Ryan and the big kids could stay and enjoy the scene.

Back to the present, Ryan had heard of a good museum here so he was anxious to see it and I was glad to go to a museum sans-kids although I'd never heard of the Nurnberg Rallies before, have you? Wish I had! I soaked up every minute of it and even made Ryan wait a good half hour for me to finish! It was glorious being in a museum without my kids to rein in! I must admit my extreme disdain for noisy, rowdy high schoolers plowing through and disrupting this precious time for me. You'd think I'd be more patient, but it really erked me since this was such a rare opportunity for me to enjoy a museum. I'm sure we can all relate. Bleh.

The Documentation Center Nazi Party Rally Grounds - Permanent Exhibition "Fascination and Terror" was fabulous! Ever wonder how and why the German people allowed Hitler and his cronies come into power and lead them? It's something that I hadn't taken the time to research before or since moving here but wanted to because it felt like this invisible wall I hadn't scaled to understand my neighbors.

I've often wondered if my German neighbors wonder what I think of their country's history since as WWII victors we got to write the official history. Ya know? Anyhow, in three hours, this museum answered my questions because I listened to each translation - because I could!

[As a side note, I've also often wondered what they think of us Americans still having such a large military presence in their country. Are we seen as occupiers or friends? Last year I listened to a great book that answered that for me, "Of Paradise and Power" by Robert Kagan, 3 hours and worth it.]

The museum is housed in one of the huge structures the Nazi Party built after coming to power in 1933. They built a large complex of grand monumental structures to accommodate huge rallies and to house their Party Headquarters. The museum is in the incomplete Congress Hall whose construction was stopped by the start of WWII in 1939.

A close up of what the inside of the horse shoe looks like today.

This picture below shows an image of how the interior was supposed to look when completed. No cars, no parking lot.

An arial shot of the complex, see the horse shoe-like building?

And lastly, a satellite image of the complex. The light portion in the very center is the old town and fortress. The light part in the bottom right is the Nazi Party's complex. The Nazis picked Nurnberg to link itself with the grand history of this great imperial city along with other pragmatic perks like supporters in the right high places.

My favorite part of the exhibit was the Eye Witness accounts by 7 or 8 elderly Germans. If you visit the museum, go to the last exhibit (room 19) first to see this video. It puts the rest of what you see in context as seen through the eyes of this group who grew up with the Nazi party coming to power. Really, see it first and then go back to the beginning of the museum. You will thank me later, especially if you're not a museum lover.

The annual rallies were held from 1923 - 1938, although after 1933 these rallies were a national propaganda event held by the state. It was amazing to see how the Nazis perfected the use of propaganda and mainstreamed its radical agenda! It's something I knew, but hadn't internalized like this. Thank you eye witness accounts, best touch!

In the post-WWI 1920s, extremely high unemployment caused people to take to the streets in demonstrations. The eyewitnesses spoke of how un-orderly and chaotic, even frightening these gatherings were as many of these demonstrations were held by workers' parties in the new democracy. Then they tell of how the Nazi party came marching into town, nice clean-cut young men in uniforms marching as they sung their patriotic-sounding anthems. People took notice of the difference, especially these young adults. The Nazi party truly harnessed the people's desire to have order and pride in their country again.

Wikipedia - Nuremberg Rally:

The primary aspect of the Nuremberg Rallies was to strengthen the personality cult of Adolf Hitler, portraying Hitler as Germany's savior, chosen by providence. The gathered masses listened to the Führer's speeches, swore loyalty and marched before him. Representing the people as a whole, the rallies served to demonstrate the might of the German people. The visitors of the rallies by their own free will were subordinate to the discipline and order in which they should be reborn as a new people.

Knowing what we know today, these austere Rally images below have such a different connotation in our minds than they did to those who attended then. It is likely that these are depicting one of the grand ceremonies revering traditions and observances we would do today, like honoring our soldiers and those who had served our country and died at war. It was all staged so the populace would deeply internalize the message and follow their Fuehrer without question.

Impressive, No? There was good portion of the exhibit devoted to the architect, Albert Speer, who helped lay out these monuments, rally programs and formations. There's an award-winning propaganda documentary called "Triumph of the Will" that was filmed at the rallies and this was a very interesting part of the exhibit.

From the museum website:

"The former Nazi Party Rally Grounds are an historical site unlike any other memorial site in Germany. In contrast to the memorial sites within former concentration camps, prisons, etc., reminding us of NS terror and, in turn, of the victims of that tyranny, the area in the southeast district of Nuremberg is a site that was directed at "the taking in of an entire people" (Ignatz Bubis). This is where the Nazi movement celebrated itself in an almost obscene fashion, presenting an appealing but false picture of their regime to the world. As they openly geared people to war, they sowed the seed that would yield a hideous harvest in the above-named sites."

Think of the televised rallies and gatherings you've either been to or seen on tv. For these Nazi rallies, it was an honor to be chosen to march or perform there. The whole town fell over themselves to decorate and welcome rally attendees. In recent election years like 2000 with Bush or 2008 with Obama, did you ever feel pressure to have a yard sign? Magnify it by 100! Everyone either made or was given a flag or banner by fervent neighbors. The rallies had cultural celebrations with traditional German dancers and lots of music and they kept the beer flowing. Each year had noble, innocuous themes like 1934 "Rally of Unity and Strength", 1935 "Rally of Freedom", 1936 "Rally of Honour." The indoctrination was so subtle and powerful.

Having attended a large university and then living in DC, I've been to a good share of different kinds of huge events where the atmosphere is electrifying. And political rallies, they're something else! I can totally understand how rally attendees back then could have been swept up by all the anticipation, the show, and be caught unawares to hear snippets of the atrocities that were well underway. Concentrations camps were already in full swing by the time these rallies were held, cutting boulders and stones to build these magnificent rally structures utilizing the slave labor of demonized populations, such as the Jews, and political prisoners, such as Communists.

The eyewitnesses shared how shamelessly used they felt after WWII. A great people in hard times led astray. Those who realized it were virtually powerless against the well-oiled machine of Hitler's storm troopers, the Gestapo and others. I'd like to know who those people were. It's hard to understand that kind of evil that preys on it's own people.

Hopefully tomorrow I'll get to finish "Historical Nurnberg." I've taken much longer than I wanted to here, but I feel much better having exercised and purged my brain. Man, I hope my teacher gives me an A on this report! Oh wait, I graduated over a decade ago! Bedtime . . . right after I take a picture of my boys snuggled together sleeping on the living room floor that is their bedroom right now. Too cute!