One Week

Well our Germany adventure comes to end. We'll be home one week from today and we can't wait! We've shipped most of our "stuff" ahead of us in the mail.

A big thank you to our family and dear friends who have been helping us keep our pets, house and cars from falling apart!

We've been here since March and have been lucky enough to travel at least 2 weekends out of each month.

Some of the places we've been to: In Germany, we visited Fussen (Neuwanstein and Hohenschwangau castles, Linderhof palace, Ettal Abby, St. Mang Basilica) Heidelberg (Heidelberg castle) Trier (oldest city in Germany, Dom Cathedral (shroud of Jesus), Porta Nigra, Roman Baths, Amphitheater) Bad Durheim (wine barrel restaurant, beautiful gardens) Burg Eltz (castle), Vallendar (location of the original Schoenstatt Shrine), Rothenberg (a walled city, Christmas Museum, Torture Museum), and Triberg in the Black Forest (home of the cuckoo clock and largest waterfall in Germany).

For my 40th birthday I went on a pilgrimage by myself to Lourdes, France (Lourdes Grotto - where Bernadette was visited by our Blessed Lady) and on the way back stopped to see St. Bernadette's incorrupt body at the chapel of St. Gildard covent in Nevers, France. The 17 hour bus ride (each way) was well worth it!

Jorge visited the biggest American cemetery in Europe in Lorraine, France for a Memorial Day service.

We've also visited Hamm, Luxembourg (Gen. Patton's gravesite), Bastone, Belgium (Battle of the Bulge) Amsterdam (Anne Frank’s house, Van Gogh Museum, Our Lady of All Nations shrine, boat ride on the canals), a road through Austria (Austrian Alps), Paris, France (Eiffel Tower, Louvre Museum, Notre Dame Cathedral, Euro Disney, Seine River Cruise) and Rome, Italy (St. Peter's Basilica, the Vatican Museums, the Cupola, the Colliseum, Pantheon, Trevi Fountain, the Spanish Steps, tons of churches and lots more we can’t remember). Rome was a definitely one of our favorites!

I think we've done enough traveling to last us a couple of years! :)

What we'll miss the most: Our new friends, the amazing weather, the beautiful views and the laid back way of life!

Can't wait to get home, God Bless the U.S.A.!
Hugs and love to you all!!!!
The Castros