Burggen, etc.

Sledding  in Burggen (not the mountain mentioned, but a hill near the farm)

Two weeks ago we went to Burggen to visit some friends who live "auf einem Bauernhof" (on a farm).  Burggen is south of Ansbach and is situated at the foothills of the Bavarian Alps, near the end of Germany's famous "Romantic Road."  There was plenty of snow for sledding, and the kids got to ride on a pony and feed the farm animals:  horses, rabbits, chickens, and goats.

Chasing the sleds

                                                    Although there was plenty of snow for sledding in Burggen, the highlight of our trip was Saturday (2/11) when we went with our friends on a hike up a small mountain (1240 meters) about 20 minutes outside of town.  We pulled the sleds along, and at the top of the mountain there was a little restaurant, a so-called "shack," or Huette.  We ate a yummy lunch, then hopped on our sleds and sledded down the mountain...we all had a blast!

We did a little sightseeing while we were there, and returned to Ansbach Sunday afternoon.  We had planned to leave for Italy the coming Thursday (2/16), but things turned out a little different than we planned.

Burggen

Evan

Hayden and Jakob

Unfortunately Stella came down with a stomach virus Monday afternoon.  We've had lots of stomach bugs make their way through the family, but this was a very aggressive virus.  Still, we expected it to run a typical 24-48 hour course, but we postponed our travel plans just in case.  The virus lasted longer, but Stella had a two or three hour period Thursday afternoon when she was herself, so we expected her to continue to improve.  Instead, she got worse throughout the day Friday....

At the foot of Neuschwanstein

Neuschwanstein (Disney's inspiration for the Cinderella/Magic Kingdom Castle)

We went to the pediatrician, who sent us to the hospital.  Stella was severely dehydrated from the virus, so she spent the weekend in the hospital.  She was on an IV for about 40 hours, and slowly but surely she started to improve.  She started drinking and eating well on her own Sunday, so we were able to come home late Sunday afternoon. Thankfully, I was able to stay with her.  The doctors and nurses were outstanding, but Stella and I both had our first acute case of homesickness while we were there.  Being sick and away from home took it's toll on Stella (and mom too;-)

Hohenschwangau

Mountain views as we hiked to the top!

Since Sunday, though, Stella has been doing great.  She's back to her chatty and playful self, and her appetite is back to normal.  We are all so thankful!

We have a lot of good photos from our trip...here are a few to start.  We'll post some more soon!

Our friend, Burkhardt, snacking with Stella

-Susie