Hello from Germany!

This is the organized sister, Diedre, writing to you from Deutschland!

This is the first post in our series, Impressions from the Heart of Europe. I am living in Germany until Summer 2011 with my husband, Joel, and our two boys, Aaron and Alexander. We were brought here by a Fulbright scholarship, awarded to Joel to teach courses in American Studies at the University of Marburg. Marburg (pictured below) is located north of Frankfurt, in the west central German state of Hesse.

We arrived in Marburg about one month ago, with just a few suitcases to our names. In that time, we've managed to get settled into our modest apartment, start our boys in German school and figure out where to find the basics for everyday life.

Marburg is a beautiful place, featuring a towering castle atop the city's biggest hill. There is a thriving university, stunning churches and an Altstadt (old city) well-preserved. Walking and biking paths abound here, in and around the city, home to many great hills and deep forests.

One morning not long after we arrived, Joel and I took a stroll up into the Altstadt before the stores had opened. It was a foggy start to the day, the air still and quiet. Up and up we walked, through narrow alleys that seemed to hug you with their rich history. At the top of our climb, we found ourselves at the Pfarrkirche (Lutheran Church, see below) that shared with us a panoramic view of Marburg and the neighboring communities. It took our breath away. We are very fortunate to be here.

More pictures from Marburg's Altstadt...

During the upcoming months, I will be traveling throughout Germany and other European destinations yet to be decided, sharing my impressions with you along the way. So far, I have fallen hard for the architecture (of course) and colorful artistic designs found on the outside of homes. This is what all tourists take pictures of when they come to Europe, right? Well, it is what is so strikingly different from where ever we call home.

That's all for now. If you have blog post suggestions, please write to me at spark@letterpresslove.com. I am happy to listen to your ideas and willing to offer my novice, albeit heartfelt, findings.

Until next time!