Coking.com Seminar in Dusseldorf

What a busy few days we have had....2 days of training and 3 days of seminar. 2 big factory tours with dinners.....
The seminar went great, lots of good people, everything went really well and all are happy.

The kids working with me and Paul.

Dinner out, Big Bear enjoying the local Bier.

Pork Knuckle

Enjoying Warm Apple Strudel.

Big Bear working the big guns.....

Our staff....What a bunch of nut cases....Ken, Alex, Bob, Gary, Jane, Evan, Marlea, Paul

And the whole crew! In addition....Emily, Barb and Nancy

At one of the dinner/tours.....We have some fun together.

Oktoberfest dinner....we rocked the house!

Grandpa took a break and hung out with the kids for a bit.

Just another day.......

At another dinner/tour.....enjoying some coffee and sweets.

MMMMMMM so good!

On a dinner cruise up the rhine river. Nice evening.

Just a lazy Sunday in Dusseldorf

What a wonderful lazy day we had just strolling around Dusseldorf. Great weather, great food, great beer, and great company!
After a long late breakfast, we all decided our direction for the day and headed out. Jane, the folks and I decided on wondering...so we did just that. We took the tram back into old town and then walked along the Rhine. We went to the top of the tower, then looked at the interesting architecture of some of the buildings down along the river. Very cool, funky looking buildings.
After a few miles/hours of walking we needed to rest our feet and have a drink....then decided why not have an early dinner. We found that wonderful restaurant from the night before and had some delicous grub.
Back to the hotel to set up shop....guess we do have to work sooner or later.....

What a fantastic view and the funky buildings!

The Rheinhafen centre of arts and the media by Frank O. Gehry (USA) consists of three contrasting building complexes and appears like a gigantic sculpture. The different materials chosen give each complex its own identity. The outer material of the central building reflects the buildings on its northern and southern side, thus creating a link between the three.

The customary elevator picture!!!

The kids form the top of the Rhine Tower! What an awesome view!

These buildings really caught my attention....

Awww don't they look happy? That's a long way up!

The 3 amigos....Love these people with all my heart!

Traditional photo of Dad and I!

Great day for a walk! And we do fit right in here....

Great travel buddies!

And looks, its a Birkenstock store in Germany! Awesome!!!

Don't look down, top of Rhine Tower, Dansko. This one was take just for Reid!

Old Town, where we have been hanging out.

A neighborhood across the water. I love how all the buildings are connected and they have a courtyard in the center. Very cool!

Love this one!!! The lighting was perfect!!

This building almost looks like it was picked up and flipped over.

Just chillin.....

This one is also for Reid, totally think of him when I look at these guys scaling the building!

If you look close you can see the reflection of the funky colored buildings across the canal.

The kids and I chilling by the cool building climbers.

Pork Knuckle and Altbier

It happened people, I finally got my pork knuckle.....If you have never had it, well its a treat. Thats  about all I am going to say about that......

 

We met up with some more of our colleague and headed back into downtown. Walked a few (a lot) of blocks until we came across a very "German" looking place for dinner. We were not disappointed!!!!

 

Mom with her monster sized beer! I think she was happy....its hard to tell....

 

Jane and I, cheers!!!!

 

This is Evan, he works with us....He got to meet the kids. His reaction when I said I had the kids with me was kinda like the look on his face in the picture. He is cool.

 

Don't worry, I did not contribute to the delinquency of minors, its just a photo opp...

 

My Pork Knuckle

 

Dad got pork knuckle too....oh and thats Ken in the back ground, he works with us too.

 

And Paul, our fearless leader, he had pork knuckle too. And apparently invisible beer....

After we stuffed ourselves completely, we took the tram back and walked to the river to watch the best firework show ever! It was almost to long! Wow, these Germans really know how to welcome us to their country!

Made it to Dusseldorf!

After 21 hours of travel...driving, flying, 2 trains and a taxi...we made it here safely! Nothing exciting about the trip and I am totally ok with that! Its beautiful fall weather here, nice and crisp!

Before I left on my trip the kids decided to make me flat stanleys...of them selves. Well once my dad caught wind of this he asked them for a flat Big Bear. So Caymus made a Big Bear and Lucy made a flat Lilly (her american girl doll) for my mom. So now we are all equiped with our Flats to take all over Euorpe with us!

I have a few pics from the drive and flight that are on my phone and I have not downloaded yet...

 

Mom and the Flats at the train station in Amsterdam.

 

On the ICE Train to Dusseldorf

 

Taking a little nap after no sleep and lots of travel....

 

Taking a walk along the Rhine river before dinner.

 

Enjoying the view from our 10th floor room.

 

Getting ready to head out on the town for the day. Gorgeous weather we had today!

 

Look, its a pirate ship!

Today was a festival downtown celebrating Germany's relationship with Japan. There were hundreds of teens dressed in Japanese animation costumes. Very entertaining!

 This was early in the day, by mid afternoon this was packed with dressed up folks.

 

The Rhine river, Dusseldorf.

 

The cathedral has a twisted tower....really neat looking.

 

We stopped off for a beverage, and people watching.

 

Awwww Beer......

 

What a fun first day here in Dusseldof Germany!!!

24 hours until.....

......I fly to GERMANY!!!

First I will drive 4 hours from Salem, Oregon to Seattle, Washington.....

Then I will fly from Seattle to Amsterdam, The Netherlands....

 

Then I will take a train from Amsterdam to Dusseldorf, Germany....

 And this is where I will spend a week.....Hosting the Coking and CatCracking Safety Seminar!
This should be a lot of fun and has been a lot of hard work leading up to it.
Dont worry, I will be there with some wonderful people including my parents! Yay, they are my favorite travel buddies!

Reason 7,645...

.....why I love this girl so much. She LOVES to get muddy!!!!

Rock on sister!!!

This pic does not do the mud Justis!

My awesome little soccer player!!!

It was a wet and muddy night at practice last night. I went for a run and when I got back it looked like all the girls took mud baths....It was strait to the shower for this little princess!