Jennifer Lambert

A Sacred Balance

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Day Trip to Cologne

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February 11, 2019 By Jennifer Lambert 1 Comment

We had long wanted to visit Köln or Cologne, the fourth largest city in Germany.

We were counting down to our move back to the States and had to make it a day trip. We had to get a special emissions test and sticker to travel into the city.

Day Trip to Cologne

We parked and walked around the Cathedral.

Our first stop was Früh.

Even though 90% of the city was destroyed during WWII, the brewery was spared.

While we didn’t partake in traditional Halve Hahn, we did have a lovely meal of fish, cold beef, potatoes, veggies, and salad.

After lunch, we toured the Cathedral.

One of my favorite carols is I Saw Three Ships.

The lyrics mention the ships sailing into Bethlehem, but the nearest body of water is the Dead Sea about 20 miles (32 km) away. The reference to three ships is thought to originate in the three ships that bore the purported relics of the Biblical magi to Cologne Cathedral in the 12th century. Another possible reference is to Wenceslaus II, King of Bohemia, who bore a coat of arms “Azure three galleys argent”. Another suggestion is that the ships are actually the camels used by the Magi, as camels are frequently referred to as “ships of the desert”.

St. Agilulfus altar and shrine:

The Shrine of the Three Kings is the largest reliquary in the world.

We watched a chalk artist and some musicians in the courtyard.

It was a very warm day and we dipped our toes in a fountain!

We had some lovely ice cream before heading home.

More Things to Do and See in Cologne:

  • Fragrance Museum
  • Chocolate Museum
  • Cologne Zoo
  • Boat Trip on the Rhine
  • Hänneschen Theatre
  • Köln Triangle Panorama
  • Olympic Museum
  • Kolner Seilbahn Cable Car
  • Groß St. Martin
  • St. Maria Im Kapitol
  • Ludwig Museum
  • Romano-Germanic Museum
  • Wallraf-Richartz Museum
  • Museum Für Angewandte Kunst Köln
  • Kolumba Museum
  • Schnütgen Museum
  • Belgian Quarter
  • Cologne’s Old Town
  • St Gereon’s Basilica
  • Botanical Garden
  • Hohenzollern Bridge with Love Locks
  • National Socialism Documentation Center
  • Rheinauhafen District
  • FC Köln
  • Gamescom 
  • Christmas Market Cologne

We had a great time in Cologne!

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Filed Under: Europe, Germany, Travel Tagged With: cathedral, Germany, travel

Celebrating Saint Joan of Arc

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August 4, 2016 By Jennifer Lambert 15 Comments

I’ve always held a fascination for Joan of Arc, ever since I was a little girl.

The historical story is a remarkable one, no matter what one believes.

To hear heavenly voices and do something amazing, to save one’s country and obey God – it’s the stuff of dreams and fairy tales.

But Joan did all that and more.

Joan was burned at the stake as a heretic in 1431, after a politically-motivated trial. The appellate court retried Joan and declared her innocent on 7 July 1456. She was beatified in 1909 and canonized in 1920.

We’re focusing on European history this year since we’re living in Germany.

We spent several weeks reading about Joan of Arc, the 100-year war, and other issues of the Middle Ages.

To celebrate the end of the first unit of our history cycle 2, we visited Rouen – where Joan of Arc was tried and executed.

For our Joan of Arc Unit Study, we read lots of books, watched some films, completed notebooking pages, and traveled to Rouen.

My son especially loved this book and it was very accurate, not dumbing anything down.

Books:

Joan of Arc: The Lily Maid by Margaret Hodges

Joan of Arc by Michael Morpurgo

Joan of Arc: Heroine of France by Ann Tompert

Dove and Sword: A Novel of Joan of Arc by Nancy Garden

Joan of Arc by Diane Stanley

Joan of Arc by Demi

Joan of Arc by Josephine Poole

Joan of Arc by Mark Twain

DK Biography: Joan of Arc by Kathleen Kudlinski

Joan of Arc (Step into Reading) by Shana Corey

Joan of Arc (Dorling Kindersley Readers, Level 4) by Angela Bull

Films:

Joan of Arc with Ingrid Bergman and Directed by Victor Fleming

Joan of Arc with Leelee Sobieski

The Messenger: The Story of Joan of Arc with Milla Jovovich

The Passion of Joan of Arc (The Criterion Collection) with Maria Falconetti
Joan of Arc Interactive DVD by Nest Learning

There’s also an Nest activity book here.

Activities:

St. Joan of Arc coloring page from Catholic Icing

Reenaction with Legos by Adventures in Mommydom

Simple Joan of Arc Lapbook from Homeschool Epiphany

Online documents of Saint Joan of Arc Trials

Interactive Maps of Travels of Joan of Arc

Joan of Arc notebooking and coloring pages from Shower of Roses

Joan of Arc notebooking page from Homeschool Helper Online

Our Field Trip to Rouen:

Eglise Sainte-Jeanne-d’Arc de Rouen

Since 1979, this church stands on the Old Market Square where she was burned. It is both a church honoring St. Joan of Arc and a civil memorial with a cross and eternal flame in the courtyard. The outside is modern, designed by architect Louis Arretche, evoking the sea with a cover of scales in slate or copper. The roof of the church is meant to resemble an overturned Viking ship and consuming flames. Inside, there are remarkable stained glass windows of the old church Saint Vincent Renaissance. There are no relics of St. Joan of Arc.

Cross Monument Eglise outside Sainte-Jeanne-d'Arc de Rouen
Eternal Flame at Base of the Cross outside Eglise Sainte-Jeanne-d'Arc de Rouen
Front Facade of Eglise Sainte-Jeanne-d'Arc de Rouen
Eglise Sainte-Jeanne-d'Arc de Rouen downspout
Bust Statue of Joan of Arc
Michel Coste Statue of Joan of Arc

I paid €0,50 for an English brochure.

Joan of History and Message Brochure

Hours:

Monday to Thursday, Saturday : 10am to 12pm and from 14h to 18h

Friday and Sunday : 14h to 18h

Closed : 25 December and 1 January.

Rouen Cathedral

Joan of Arc was put on trial in the bishops’ palace, but we felt it fitting to visit the famous cathedral.

The highest spire in France, erected in 1876, a cast-iron tour-de-force rising 490 ft above the Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Rouen. Claude Monet immortalized Rouen’s cathedral facade in his paintings.

Rouen Cathedral

A chapel is dedicated to Joan of Arc.

Joan of Arc Chapel in Rouen Cathedral

New Joan of Arc Museum in Rouen

Interior courtyard of the Bishop's palace Rouen

The kids loved these discovery booklets with puzzles, questions, activities, and information about the life and times of Joan of Arc and the city of Rouen.

Joan of Arc Museum Discovery Booklet for Kids

The Joan of Arc museum has projected videos and images that explain the story of Joan in each room of the bishop’s palace. It’s quite innovative and exciting and holds everyone’s attention really well.

There are statues and artifacts at the end of the tour.

We viewed the tower from the attic window.

Joan of Arc Museum

We bought a rare souvenir in the museum gift shop:

Joan of Arc and Rouen Book Souvenir

See info about Historial Jeanne d’Arc here.

Individual Tickets €9,50 or Family Ticket €26

Hours:

31 May to 1 October:

Tuesday to Sunday: 9.45 a.m.–7.45 p.m. (last visit begins at 6 p.m.)

1 June to 30 September

Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Sunday: 9.45 a.m.–7.45 p.m. (last visit begins at 6 p.m.)

Friday and Saturday: 9.45 a.m.–8.45 p.m. (last visit begins at 7 p.m.)

Joan of Arc Tower

This dungeon was part of the castle built in 1204 by Philippe Auguste. It is all that remains of the Rouen Castle. Joan was held prisoner here during her trial.

We didn’t have time to walk over to the tower, but we saw it from the window of the museum.

Tickets € 1.50

Free for children under 18

Hours:

1 April to 30 September

10am to 12.30pm and from 14h to 18h Monday through Saturday. From 14h to 18h30 on Sundays.

October 1 to March 31

10am to 12.30pm and from 14h to 17h Monday through Saturday. From 14 to 17.30 on Sundays.

Closed: Tuesdays and 1 January, 1 May, 1 and 11 November, 25 December.

Rouen is a fun town with lots to see and do, a nice market, and plenty of restaurants and shopping.

We would love to see Domrémy and Reims someday.

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Filed Under: Europe, France, Homeschool, Travel Tagged With: cathedral, faith, France, history, saint, travel, unit study

Mainz Day Trip

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December 29, 2015 By Jennifer Lambert Leave a Comment

We went to Mainz in June 2015.

The first stop was Mainz cathedral.

Mainz Cathedral
Crucifix

Saint Boniface in the courtyard.

Saint Boniface

Mainz Cathdral is open to the public except during services and concerts.

March to October

Monday – Friday              09.00 – 18.30

Saturday 09.00 – 16.00

Sundays and holidays 12.45 – 15.00 and 16.00 – 18.30

November to February

Monday – Friday              09.00 – 17.00

Saturday 12.45 – 15.00 and 16.00 – 17.00

We also visited the Cathedral Museum.

I didn’t much think it was worth €16 for a family ticket. We were able to take pictures of the church artifacts.

Illuminated Book

Next, we went to see the Chagall windows at St. Stephen’s church.

I love this door with the fish and bread handles.

Door to St. Stephen's Church

The Chagall choir windows in St. Stephen are unique in Germany. Between 1978 and his death in 1985, Russian-Jewish artist Marc Chagall created nine stained-glass windows of scriptural figures in luminous blue. The figures depict scenes from the Old Testament, demonstrating the commonalities across Christian and Jewish traditions. Chagall intended his work to be a contribution to Jewish-German reconciliation, made all the more poignant by the fact that Chagall himself fled France under Nazi occupation.

St. Stephen's Church
Chagall Window

The entire church has a blue hue from the light coming in through the windows. It’s very peaceful and calming.

Chagall Windows

The artist’s plan for the windows:

Painting Models for Chagall Windows

Last, we to Bodyworlds to culminate our science studies of the human body!

Body World

No pictures were allowed inside.

We learned SO MUCH about how the human body works from viewing the real body parts!

We got an ice cream treat before heading home.

Ice Cream Treat

They were all worn out from such a big day!

All Worn Out

Mainz is an easy day trip. We plan to go back next year to visit the Gutenberg Museum for our medieval studies.

Mainz is about an hour from Ramstein and 1 hour 45 minutes from Spangdahlem.

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Filed Under: Europe, Germany, Travel Tagged With: cathedral, Germany, Mainz, travel

A Day in Strasbourg

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November 24, 2015 By Jennifer Lambert Leave a Comment

Strasbourg is a great short trip for a day or weekend.

We parked in a public lot and crossed the river to walk towards the cathedral.

They call this district La Petite France because it retains the Alsatian charm of when where artisans plied their trades here in the Middle Ages. I’m sure it’s really beautiful in summer.

We were excited to find Place Gutenberg right away and got a picture with the statue of Gutenberg holding the Bible.

Gutenberg Monument

There are oodles of cafes and shops on the streets around the cathedral.

I didn’t much care for the feel of the city. It doesn’t hold the magic of other French towns we’ve been to. I don’t care about the touristy booths and shops.

We ate lunch at Zuem Strissel. We never researched anything and just chose at random.

It was pretty good. Our waiter was hilarious and a tease. His name was Alexander and was delighted to share a name with our son. He even gifted Alex a wine glass after learning Alex loved the shape and green stem.

Liz’s steak was a dream.

Steak at Zuem Strissel

After lunch, we visited the Cathédrale Notre Dame de Strasbourg.

Cathédrale Notre Dame de Strasbourg

How we do love gargoyles.

Gargoyle
Strasbourg Cathedral Rose Window and Organ

We chose not to pay to see the astronomical clock function on the hour (mostly because we didn’t feel like waiting around another hour).

We got to see the clock just fine inside the cathedral.

Strasbourg Cathedral Astronomical Clock
Gears and Cycles
Map of the Heavens

Opening Times:

Open every day
7 a.m. to 11.20 a.m.
0.35 p.m. to 7.00 p.m.

No visits during services.

Astronomical Clock:

4.60 Euros for adults

2.30 Euros for under 18

On the way back to the car, Katie wanted to buy a baguette.

She popped into this darling bakery, greeted the madame, ordered her baguette, and paid – all in French!

Makes this mama proud to have culturally aware kiddos.

Buying a Baguette in French

There are some other churches worth seeing and some lovely museums, but we only came to see the cathedral.

Strasbourg is the official seat of the European Parliament, which it shares with Brussels. We passed the modern building as we left the city.

Strasbourg is about 2 hours from Ramstein and almost 3 hours from Spangdahlem.

See our entire Black Forest Weekend Itinerary.

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Filed Under: Europe, France, Travel Tagged With: cathedral, France, Strasbourg

Trier Harvest Festival

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November 21, 2014 By Jennifer Lambert Leave a Comment

The sign at the city entrance to Trier says “welcome” in at least five languages. It truly is an international city. Founded in 16 BC, it is considered the oldest German city.

I really enjoyed walking around Trier, experiencing so much history.

We saw the churches, listened to the mass and the lovely organ. The kids loved seeing the harvest parade. We got some delicious ice cream and rolls. Then we walked around, window shopping and people watching.

We first visited the oldest cathedral in Germany, Hohe Domkirche St. Peter zu Trier (High Cathedral of Saint Peter in Trier).

The Latin on the clock tower: “You do not know what time the Lord is coming.”

Trier Clock Tower

The interior has three Romanesque naves with Gothic vaulting and a Baroque chapel for the relic. It’s quite grand and humongous.

Looking west:

Trier Cathedral

Closeup of the lovely carvings:

Carved Dome

Looking east:

Altar and Reliquary

The history of the church foundations:

Cathedral Floors

The reliquary supposedly contains the seamless robe of Christ.

Reliquary

The smaller Liebfrauenkirche (Church of Our Lady in Trier) is smaller, more intimate and possesses stunning stained glass.

Stained Glass

The Gothic round cruciform floor plan resembles a twelve-petaled rose, a symbol for Mary. The Roman foundations are unable to be viewed by the public.

Trier Harvest Festival

The Port Nigra dates from about A.D. 180.

Porta Nigra

There was a small market at the base of the gate with farm animals on display, honey, herbs, fish, cheese, and other fresh and handmade goods.

We enjoyed seeing the lovely symmetry of the buildings. We’d look down alleys and see monuments like this:

Courtyard Monument

and gorgeous doorways:

Symmetry

What a cool fountain with moving parts:

Fascinating Fountain

We stopped in a café for a drink before heading home. All the restaurants were super crowded and having a family of six made it difficult to find enough seats for everyone.

Mama and Son

We’ll definitely head back to Trier for some other events this year and next. The Christmas market looks amazing.

Check out some fun things to do in Trier for families!

Linking up: Makeovers and Motherhood

Booking.com
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Filed Under: Europe, Germany, Travel Tagged With: cathedral, Germany, Trier

A Weekend in Paris

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November 6, 2014 By Jennifer Lambert 3 Comments

What can you do for just a weekend in Paris?

Quite a lot.

We took a very early ICE train from Kaiserslautern to Paris. We left our luggage at our hotel (Hotel Cactus) and took off for sightseeing. Not a moment to waste!

We were up early to catch the train and we knew we’d not be able to stay out late.

Day 1: As many of the famous sites before we drop.

Le Tour Eiffel.

Liz was thrilled to round a corner and see this:

Eiffel Tower

We took an early birthday trip to Paris. How many teens get to do that?!

Happy Birthday

We had ice cream at the Trocadero and watched people.

We walked everywhere. A lot. Of walking. My Fitbit loved me. Liz and I adored seeing all these familiar street names and locations from books and movies and history.

Avenue Victor Hugo

l’Arc de Triomphe.

Quite a lovely view from the top. I highly recommend paying to go up. And having your kids speak French to the ticket agents is a great way to get smiles and occasionally discounts. Always check for family tickets to save money and some attractions have deals for multiple sites.

Arc de Triomphe

We had a late lunch at Chez Clément on L’Avenue des Champs-Élysées. I do not recommend this restaurant – or perhaps just this location. The restaurant chain was raved about in the guidebooks and online as a great affordable, family-friendly place. The food was just ok. We had other, much better dining experiences. It was fine for a first time munch for nervous and hungry travelers. (Did you know the name of that famous street is French for Elysian Fields?)

We were running short on time so we took a fun motorcycle taxi to Notre Dame. The kids absolutely LOVED it. It was about €30, but it worth these smiles and that it fit all six of us. The driver gave us all Gummis and played awesome French radio.

Open Taxi

River Walk Tour with Paris Discover Walks. Lots of tours to choose from – all for the price of a nice tip. Great trivia and fun – all in English.

While we were waiting for our tour guide by Notre Dame, we fed the pigeons.

Notre Dame Pigeons

The college student who ran our walking tour was awesome and full of trivia, like an anaconda was found in the River Seine. Really, y’all.

Great restaurant recommendations and fun stories by a Paris local – all in English. Check out these tips for Paris shopping.

Along the Seine

Look around! History and literature is EVERYWHERE. This was on the corner by our hotel. Rue Plumet.

We stayed at Hôtel Cactus. A great find online with free croissants and hot drinks in the morning.

La Rue Plumet

Day 2: Churches and a Museum with a Grand Finale Evening

We checked out Le Cité this morning.

I love the Arte Nouveau look of the Metro.

Cite Metro Station

This flower market was renamed in honor of Queen Elizabeth.

Marche Aux Fleurs

Cathédrale Notre Dame de Paris

We got there early and viewed the inside in awe. We waited in a rather long line to climb to the top. They kinda corral you at various points in the tour – the gift shop, the gargoyles, the top level, before releasing you to descend.

The bells are outside in the courtyard. There’s a lovely garden and park too!

The Bells of Notre Dame

A fun café across the street from Notre Dame.

Brasserie Esmeralda

Check out this time machine rickshaw. Love it!

Rickshaw Time Machine

La Sainte-Chapelle

Gorgeous stained glass!

Everything was just stunning. The walls, the doors, the floor, the ceiling. A favorite.

Saint Chapelle

Dinner at Ma Salle à Manger. This is our absolute favorite restaurant in Paris. Such fun and delectable food. The waiter was darling and took the kids on a tour of the restaurant to pick out their ice flavor after they ate.

Apparently, to the right of this sandy park, Johnny Depp used to live there.

La Salle À Manger

Musée d’Orsay.

Pictures aren’t allowed inside, but we saw all this great Impressionist art! Statues for each continent are outside in the courtyard.

North America

La Tour Montparnasse.

This was great fun for our whole family! We feasted on ice cream, macarons, peanuts, and Champagne while the sun set and the lights of Paris delighted us.

We skipped going up the Eiffel for seeing it all a-twinkle and the whole city of Paris from the top of Montparnasse. Well worth the money!

La Tour Montparnasse

We loved seeing Le Tour Eiffel all sparkly. Magical.

At the Top of Montparnasse

Day 3: A lazy Sunday in Paris.

Le Jardin Luxembourg.

Of course, we had to play with the sailboats! This was a lifelong dream for me.

Liz, being a Whovian, chose the UK boat.

Les Bateaux

I lived vicariously through my kids, giving them pony rides through the garden. They loved it!

Pony Rides in Luxembourg Garden

We admired the statues and fountains.

Little Statue of Liberty

At the entrance, we saw this delightful organ man!

Street Organ

We walked to Ladurée for macarons and had dinner at l’Odeon. This was probably our least favorite food, but it was really fun and a great location! The wait staff were darling and impressed with our attempts at French.

Salad at l'Odeon

Finally, a crêpe! This is all she wanted the whole weekend and I’m glad I kept putting her off, not wanting to get her a mediocre one from a street vendor, and found this darling little shop Amorino near La Cimetière Montparnasse with all-natural gelato.

Crepe with Gelato

Square Saint-Lambert. We really loved this park and garden. Free wi-fi, a playground, fountain, walking trail.

A Weekend in Paris

We spent the evening at this lovely Paris playground, relaxing on our last evening in Paris. Europe has the best playgrounds.

The kids loved speaking to other kids in French and English.

Paris Playground

We purposely did not go to The Louvre. I just felt it would be a bit much for me and the kids on such a short trip.

This was a just a taste of Paris for our family. We’ve never really traveled anywhere outside The States so we weren’t sure what to expect. We were pleasantly surprised and delighted. Having a larger family, it’s sometimes awkward and expensive.

We had a delightful experience, no issues with tourist traps or rudeness at all. Because we all tried very hard to be polite and respectful.

We plan to return to Paris next year and see lots more!

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Filed Under: Europe, France, Paris, Travel Tagged With: cathedral, familytravel, France, Paris, travel

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