Well now that summer is in full effect here in Germany we can take a chance to breathe.  Between school and after school activities we were all a little exhausted.  We started out our summer by going on a trip to Rust Germany which is only a couple hours from our house.  Europa park is the largest amusement park in Germany and was our main destination.  It was absolutely fabulous!  Every section is modeled after a European country- everything from clothes, to food, and traditions.  The rides were so much fun and it was perfect for the girls ages.  There were only a couple roller coasters that the kids were too small for.  Taylor is very brave and went on a pretty big coaster and also the super soaker ride that goes almost straight down at one point.  Here are some pictures from our visit to the park.  We would like to make another trip out there since we didnt get to conquer the entire park.

After leaving the park we headed for Strasbourg France about 20 minutes away.  We spent the night in the suburbs at a Holiday Inn Express- I know real authentic.  It was a great hotel with an awesome free breakfast:)  We were all a little exhausted from the park but we quickly changed and then headed out again in search of some good French food.  We ended up in a small suburban area and saw a restaraunt so we went in.  It was packed but the man that greeted us made room for us.  The specialty at this place was the tarte flambée. Here is a little information about it.

http://www.zesolution.com/en/cooking/home/house/cooking/where-to-find-good-tarte-flambee-restaurant-near-strasbourg.html

 It is a local favortie and we picked the perfect place to try it.  It was great.  Nick and the kids split one and I ordered a meal called "beef stew" in English.  I wouldnt exactly call it that but it was two big cuts of stew meat and the best potatos and slaw salads I have ever had!  Of course I had a glass of red french wine and was very pleased with that as well.  We walked away happy with the friendly service and great meal!  The next morning we got up and headed into downtown Strasbourg.  Since we had to drive the truck due to problems with the BMW we decided it was best to park and ride into dt.  After finding and sqeezing the truck into the tram station parking lot we bought our tickets and then boarded the tram.  We explored Strasbourg and found a playground for the kids to climb around at.  It was beautiful there and the feel of France seem much more welcoming than some of the places in Germany.  Here are some pics from Strasbourg!