LEAVING IN ONE WEEK - LAST BIKE RIDES

The apartment is getting really empty.  The boxes left last Monday.  The bed will go tonight to a friend and we will sleep on the twin beds that came with the apartment.  It seems strange that almost everything I do now I say to myself, this is the last time I'll do this or that in Germany.  Go to the store, the vet, ride the bike here, visit this person or that person etc.  We had the Sister missionaries over for dinner last Thursday.  Our oven is broken now so we had to do dinner in the microwave and I have very little to work with in the kitchen for cooking or serving and no spices.  On Saturday Steve and I took our last bike ride together to Heidelberg.  It rained on us going there and back but not too much and it wasn't too cold.  Yesterday I had my very last bike ride in Germany.  I took the missionaries on a ride to Waid See.  We had a nice time.  The weather was a little cool and we had some sprinkles but we didn't get too wet.  We stopped at the zip line in the park, went through the Vogel Park, took the roads throught the fields, went to Waid See, the dairy, the circus was in town so we saw some camels and some zebras.  The bikes are now washed (as best we can do with a bucket of water) and will be packed tonight or tomorrow for air freight to L.A.

Sister Lahra Dawn Sherwood and Sister Chloe Lehman.
Before dinner we walked to the lake to see the swans.

The baby swans are almost full grown.  The grey ones are just starting to get a white feather or two now.

Steve and I rode to Heidelberg on Saturday.  The weather was cool and a little rainy but not bad.  The park on the opposite side of the river from the main part of town is very nice.

Last bike ride in Germany.  The 4 missionaries and Christian Siebert who will be leaving on his mission to the U.S. very soon.  We are so blessed to have this "P" day for a ride.

Sister Sherwood, Sister Lehman, me, Elder Stout, Elder Fitzgerald.

with Christian

 They all take turns on the zip line.  The zip lines are pretty popular and common in playgrounds in Germany.

 At Vogel Park.

Missionaries in the cage?

In the frog lookout.  I like how the heavens shine the light down on the missionaries.

These two donkeys where having a fight, maybe sibling rivalry. 

Our stop at Waid See

Inside the dairy barn with the cows

With camels

All 3 of them have the same expression!

Of course Zebras!

Milk and Cookies at Waid See

Milk Staches

WATER TOWERS
One of the nice things that I like to see when I am out riding my bike is the water towers that some towns have here in Germany.  I am not sure if any of them would still have any water in them.  Some are now residences.  It would be neat to be able to live up in a water tower, nice views of the the village below.

Freudenheim Water Tower

Wallstadt Water Tower.
I think a Dr. or Dentist now lives in this one.
Built in 1905, 40 meters high.

Ladenburg Water Tower.
Built in 1903, 42 meters high, shutdown in 1991.
Sold in  2003 for one euro to an architect from Seckenheim.

Strassenheim Water Tower.
Built in  1905

Edingen Water Tower.
Built in 1908.
40.25 meters tall.

DINNER IN THE TOWER
July 28th was our wedding anniversary.  We had dinner in the Mannheim Tower in Luisen Park.  If you live here and have not done this, I recommend it highly.  Even if the weather wasn't real clear, at least it didn't rain and storm like the forecast stated.  It was fun and relaxing to slowly rotate around in the restaurant and see all the things we are now familiar with in Mannheim.  The place wasn't crowded when we went at 6:30pm but was getting filled by 8pm.  The food and service was very good too.  We had a lovely time together.

Built in 1974 with a total height of 212.8 metres, the telecommunications tower is Mannheims tallest landmark.

Looking toward the center of town, Lusien Park is below us.

Looking west, the Nekar River

Looking at the Nekar River with the Hospital next to it.  Looks more like a place than a hospital to me.

Looking over the Haupt Friedhof (main cemetary) and kleine (small) gardens

Looking at the Nekar River and barge canal, kleine gardens, toward Vogelstand and Weinheim.

Looking at Vogelstang where I have our apartment buildings in an ellipse.

Steve's work building is behind the white building shown with the circle, his building is hidden.

Looking down into Luisen Park at the Flamingos and boats.

Looking into downtown at the Water tower