Can't Help Falling in Love with You

In late 1957, Elvis Presley received his draft notice and in early 1958 was inducted as a U.S. Army private. Presley completed basic training before being posted to Friedberg, Germany, with the 3rd Armored Division, where his service took place from October 1, 1958 until March 2, 1960. He lived not in Friedberg, but in the nearby town of Bad Nauheim. Bad Nauheim couldn't help falling in love with Elvis Presley.

Yesterday on my favorite radio station, Armed Forces Network, the DJ talked about how for the last seven years, Bad Nauheim has hosted a “European Elvis Festival” to mark the anniversary of “the King’s” death on August 16th. This year's festival began Thursday and would continue through Sunday. Bad Nauheim is only 30 minutes away and I informed everyone that we would be attending this festival. Any protests would be ignored.

We could not have asked for better weather as we entered the town. Bad Nauheim is a small, quiet town that during the Elvis Festival becomes a....small, quiet town. It was not exactly bustling with activity. We got a map with an Elvis walking tour from the information office and began walking in Elvis' footsteps.

A fan

Elvis products in a shop display

Praline candies

We asked if we could take a picture of this 1965 Chrysler. The owners were more than happy to show off their car.

They were Elvis fans as well.

Our first point of interest

Strolling down Elvis Presley Boulevard over the Usa creek

Sculpture at the town library. There's nothing like getting drawn into a good book.

The house where Elvis and his entourage eventually settled.

Bad Nauheim has been an internationally renowned spa town since the 19th century when the salt water from the wells of this village of salt producers was recognized as having curative powers.

This 107-year old Inhalatorium is a structure tightly packed with blackthorn twigs through which the salty spring water drips and is converted into vapor. The salty vapors are similar to that of fresh sea air and are believed to be extremely useful in the healing process of lung ailments.

The temperature dropped at least 20 degrees when you stood near the inhalatorium--natural air conditioning. Benches along the structure were full of people enjoying the cool air on this warm day.

We paid the small fee to enter and fully appreciate the inhalatorium experience.

Making our way down to the inhalation room, getting misted by cool vapors along the way

We could only breathe deeply for 10 minutes or so before Rebecca and Becca started getting silly and we needed to leave the other deep breathers in peace.

Enjoying the cool air

Behind the inhalatorium is a cure park. Here was a foot circulation zone.

We did it backwards, but you were supposed to walk, flamingo style (really stretching those legs up and out) in the water, and then walk the same way slowly in and out of the different size gravel sections, around and around until your feet felt warm.

James looks like he is auditioning for the Monty Python skit "The Ministry of Silly Walks."

Walking in the healthy briny water

Keeping your arms in the cold water till they tingle is good for your circulation.

Sampling salt from the spring

A very cool modern fountain

I couldn't believe that the stream of water followed the sinuous lines of the metal structure. Why didn't the water just "fall off?"

A photo of Elvis posing by the town castle gateway was used for the LP cover of "A Big Hunk O’ Love.“

"A Big Hunk O' Love" was recorded in June 1958 in RCA's Nashville, Tennessee studio, while Presley was on leave from the U.S. Army. It was Presley's twelfth number-one hit.

Elvis Presley Square

Just one week after Elvis arrived in Germany, he was followed by his father and grandmother, along with two friends and bodyguards, occupying an entire floor of the Hotel Grunewald. Room 10 – the "Elvis Room“ - remains unchanged to this day.

Right next to the Hotel Grunewald on Elvis Presley Square is the “Elvis Memorial Column“. It has become a popular site of pilgrimage for fans, who leave behind flowers or personal messages in many different languages.



We made our way to a spot in a large park where there was to be some music. Here David is comforting a terrified-of-bees Becca.

We were serenaded by "Elvis meets Soul."

Elvis meets Soul. I was so hoping we would see an Elvis impersonator, still, these two fellows did a great job with the Elvis songs and others from the 60s that were perfect for listening to as you relaxed outside. They piped all the music, except the guitars and sax, out from an ipod.

Em and me

My Apfelwein

Letting the kids have a turn with the camcorder

Have you ever had California ice cream?

A little duck watching and our day following in the footsteps of Elvis Presley came to a close.

A Sunday in Liederbach

Micaela and James reluctantly arrived back in Germany a few weeks ago and, since then, have been bored silly. Lots of sleeping much too late due to jetlag, lying on the couch playing Wii and whining about how bored they were. "I can think of lots of things for you to do," I said. "Tidy up your room...go for a bike ride...take your little sisters to the park so I can finish my cleaning in peace...set up an obstacle course in the backyard...scrub your bathtub..." They did not like even one of my suggestions.

But today is Sunday. The stores are all closed and you're not allowed to make a lot of noise (like mowing the lawn, using a wood chipper after trimming shrubs, etc.). Sunday for Germans is a day to go for a brisk walk with ski pole-looking sticks (Nordic walking), a long bike ride, a hike in the mountains, or take little kids to the playground. On a rainy day, I think every German goes to the movies. It's the only thing to do!

It wasn't raining today, so David thought some skateboarding, bike riding and geocaching was in order. A perfect day to take some pictures, too.

Here are some houses on our little street.

The 400-year old "Shepherd's House."

The bridge over the Liederbach (Song Creek).

Liederbach's skateboard park is on the other side of town.

James stayed with his friend Christophe a few weeks ago in Atlanta. He and Christophe did quite a bit of skateboarding together.

Becca zooming on her pedal-less bike

A rare display of sibling support

Another use for the ramp -- sliding down

Time for geocaching. Emilie was in charge of getting us to the right spot.

A good representation of what geocaching can entail. But we couldn't spot what looked like a cache.

David trying another tactic (to no avail, we never found the cache), with Höchst in the background. You can see all the smoke stacks of the huge chemical complex. It's always a lovely view.

We indulged in another German custom -- eating ice cream. Germans love their ice cream. We frequently see a line of at least 20 people waiting to buy a cone at the café the mall. Seeing that line always makes us chuckle. We didn't have to wait here in Liederbach's quiet square to be served.

Delightful fountain in the square representing the three small towns that joined together to form Liederbach

There are two quails in the Liederbach coat of arms.

Emilie is still in Sound of Music mode.

Why you need to learn the language (the sign says "Not drinking water")

I am hazarding a guess that this phone booth was a gift to Liederbach from her British sister city Verwood.

Back home, David and I needed to take some glass to the recycling receptacles. I thought I would photograph along the way. This is the pump located in between our two garden sheds that really need to be painted. Under the sheds is a large tank for collecting rain water from the gutters around the house. So simple, so smart. Atlanta seems to always be suffering from a drought and people are forbidden from watering their lawns and gardens straight from a hose or from a faucet in the house. But no one we knew of collected rain water on the rare rainy day, except David -- he set up rain barrels.

Sunflowers next to the chicken coop along the path that runs past our back yard

David recycling. The town picks up paper and our yellow recycling bags that are filled mostly with packaging materials from our house, but we need to walk our glass to the recycling receptacles.

It's wonderful to be able to walk to so many places here. Back in Atlanta, you needed to drive. Even if you wanted to walk somewhere outside the neighborhood, you were discouraged by how dangerous it was -- often no sidewalks and not enough room to walk without being terrified you wouldn't make it to the store in one piece.

When Micaela was about 8 years old, the news was on the TV. The anchors were talking about a cold snap that had hit the northeast and a video was running showing people walking around Boston, all bundled up against the frigid temperatures. Micaela asked, "Why are they doing that?" I said, "Doing what? Bundling up like that? It's cold there!" "No," Micaela continued, "Why are they all walking?" I was astonished. My daughter had no idea that people actually walked places.

The kids sometimes do complain when we make them walk places instead of drive, but can I tell you how wonderful it is, on a Sunday morning, to give your kids a list of baked goods and some money and send them to the bakery? David and I just put our feet up, sip our coffee and wait for our fresh rolls. It's heavenly.

Liederbach sign showing all its sister cities

Our first year here, this roundabout did not exist. Instead we had a normal intersection that caused a lot of headaches. It was difficult to make a left turn from where we lived and traffic would back up. There is now a roundabout we say has been decorated by the guys who did Stonehenge, and we love it. You almost never need to wait more than a few seconds to enter the roundabout, compared with waiting 15 minutes to make a left turn during rush hour two years ago.

A sign we spied on the way home. I think I know what I'll be blogging about in a few weeks.

Liederbach corner