Sojourn

Since we have completed our visitation and began our trek back to the United States we have taken time to enjoy some of the sites along the way. As many of you may know, Karie’s family lived in Europe for a few years while she was growing up. One of the places they lived was near Heidelberg, Germany. Heidelberg is a stones throw away from Frankfurt, the city in which we make our flight connections traveling to and from Kazakhstan.

Being so close to many cherished memories, we were able to take a full day and briefly explore the sights of this magnificent country. Heidelberg sits along the river Necker nestled between two mountains and its' origin can be traced back to the 5th century. It is also home to the oldest University in Germany, the University of Heidelberg having been established in 1386. Upon the side of the mountain sits the Heidelberg Castle overlooking the city.

The small mountains are dotted with different trees that were in full fall colors blanketing the countryside with shades of red, dark yellow, and bright yellow interspersed with the deep green of the pines and evergreens in a spectacular display of Autumn. Houses and buildings that are hundreds of years old with towering roof lines of red and brown paint the town in a story book setting.

Heidelberg was not destroyed in WWII so the rich architectural history lives on today. It is a mix of historic buildings and modern amenities. The main street hosts large crowds of residents, students, and tourists perusing the many stores and restaurants and breathes life until late evening each night.

This was a nice distraction from the pain of having to leave Kathryn but already we cannot wait to return to Kokshetau. We have received word that we have a court date set in two weeks; a little sooner than we expected but we are delighted to complete our journey and the boys are excited to have their sister home.

Below are some pictures of Heidelberg.