Road Trip to Germany

Jess was in England for the weekend, playing volleyball, so we decided to take a little road trip to Germany on Saturday. (It's a tough life over here for a teenager, isn't it?) Russ has been to Spangdahlem several times through work, but I hadn't seen it or Bitburg yet, so off we went. Germany, like everywhere else we've been over here so far, is beautiful! Where Belgium is mostly flat, Germany has lots of rolling hills and valleys. They also have alien technology. OK, maybe not, but they do have lots of these wind generators. I must say, though, that I did get a little bit of a disappointment during our trip. After all the buildup that I had heard about it in the states, seeing the Autobahn was a tad of a let down. I don't know what exactly I was expecting, but it looked just like any other interstate I've seen. I think I pictured a fancy, black-topped road with lots of Lamborghini's screaming by at 200 mph. Oh, well. It was kind of cool to be able to drive any speed we wanted (even though we didn't go much over what we would on any other road). Something else to check off my Bucket List. Spangdahlem was a nice little base, and we checked it out and headed over to Bitburg. It's a tad bigger, with a pretty nice BX (that's a military version of Wal-Mart to you civilians). That's not important to you people in the states, but to those of us who really enjoy picking up a few items from the US that you can't find in local stores, it's a BIG DEAL! Oh, and guess what the best part of the trip was...I GOT TO EAT LUNCH AT TACO BELL!!!!!!!!! Once again, don't knock it until you've been out of the country for a few months. I love the local food, but some things...you just miss.

It wasn't long until we were on the road back home again.

An extra bonus of the day was finding the little antique shop at Bitburg. She just happened to have some antique keys in her stock. These were on my list of things I've been looking for, so I picked up a few. Poor Russ thought he had me far away from the "old, used stuff", but he was mistaken. Silly man!

NATO Tiger Meet Galabal 2009

For the last two weeks, Kleine Brogel AB has been hosting the 2009 NATO Tiger Meet. To say that this is a big deal is a HUGE understatement. Last night, they wrapped up the festivities with the Tiger Meet Galabal, and we were lucky enough to get invited to the party. Now I think I've said this before, but just in case you haven't been paying attention...when Belgians throw a party, they REALLY throw a party. This was the most impressive event I've ever been to!

The Ball was set up in a huge tent, just beside the KB flight line, complete with crystal and candelabras. After walking down the candle lit red carpet leading to the entrance of the tent, we were handed little boxes of chocolate and ushered out to the deck between the tent and the flight line. The theme of this years event was "Fly Me to the Moon." All around the tent, they had set up video monitors that showed pictures and movies about the military and space.

Did I mention that it had an open bar? The drinks were included in the ticket. I told you that these people know how to throw a party.
Out on the deck, we were treated to a constant flow of hors d'oeuvres and champagne. The waiters brought everything from oysters on the half shell to little chicken filled pastries. As the sun began to set, we were treated to a private air show. I could really get used to this lifestyle!

When the show was over, we headed back inside for a fantastic meal. Once again, this was not the type of food that you normally get at military functions. There were several courses, and each was presented with a different wine selection. We had fish with white wine, veal with red, croquettes next, then wrapped it all up with a raspberry torte. Yummmmm!

At 10 pm, the band started up and the dancing began. Now it was time to work off all of that food!
The ball was a complete success, and we thank our hosts for letting us come to their party. They put on quite the show!

To Antique Or Not To Antique, That Is The Question!

Such a deep topic for a beautiful and relaxing Friday afternoon, but it does seem to be the question of the day. The hubby and I were talking about the chairs I found yesterday at the Antique shop. Let me just start by saying that Russ is pretty easy going, and rarely comments about anything I spend money on. (I say rarely, because we've all had those moments when we've brought something home and the hubby says "You spent good money on THAT?????") Anyway, I've been looking for a couple of chairs for our living room for almost two months now. We've been to furniture stores, antique shops, etc. I've found lots of things I like, but not the perfect item yet. (It doesn't help that I'm easily distracted by all the other goodies that they have at these places!) Last night, the hubby asked me these questions: Do you really want an old chair that hundreds of strange butts have been sitting on? Why would you spend that much money on a used chair when you can get a brand new one for the same price--or less? He does have a point. Technically, something has to be at least 100 years old to be a true antique, but there is a lot of gray area here, depending on who you talk to. How do you decide whether something is antique, or just old? It does seem like a strange practice to get old furniture from someones house and then put it in your own. Technically, that would mean that antiquing is nothing more than a snobby form of garage sale shopping. Just the word makes the item so much nicer. Think about it. I got this chair at a garage sale. Eeeeeeewww! I got this chair at an antique shop. Oooooohhhh! I guess the hubby does make some sense after all. Now I'm back to searching for chairs in furniture stores. Check out this FABULOUS coffee table I found while looking. Wouldn't that look great in the living room? (Didn't I mention that I'm easily distracted?) Besides, it's not my fault. The hubby sent me here to shop. Oh, in case you are interested, when Russ came home last night and saw the pig trough sitting in the corner of the dining room, he took one look and said, "Do I even want to know what that is?" "Uh, no," I replied. "You don't."

Speculoos Cookie Molds And Mooooore

I have been bad once again. I haven't blogged anything for about a week. In my defense, the hubby was away on a TDY and I just didn't get out and take pictures of things like I normally do. Well, I did take pictures of a few things, but The Teenager doesn't want pictures of her playing volleyball and sweating making the rounds on the Internet, so I was banned from blogging about that. (Now the picture that created in your mind was SOOOO much worse than the actual pictures I took, and that will be my revenge against The Teenager! I'm just saying.) To make up for my bad blogging behavior, I forced myself to get out today and go to the antique shop. I didn't want to, mind you, but I knew that you wouldn't be happy unless I had something to blog about. I drug Denise with me this time (I'm sure her husband will thank me for that) and we found lots of lovely goodies to entertain ourselves with. I did have something specific that I wanted to buy, though, and I am very proud to say that I stuck with it. I picked up three Speculoos cookie molds.

Speculoos cookies have been referred to as either spice cookies or ginger biscuits. They taste kind of like graham crackers, with a hint of gingerbread thrown in for good measure. You can buy them at the local bakeries and grocery stores, and they are delicious. They are traditionally made around Christmas time, and the dough is pressed into cookies in these hand carved wooden forms. They also have a Speculoos paste that is really yummy! It looks like peanut butter, but is much sweeter. It tastes more like caramel, and spread on the Speculoos cookies...mmmmmmm! For another treat, follow Brandon's advice and try the Speculoos ice cream. That's the only type of ice cream he wants to eat now, and they serve it up at freshly made at Leonidas in Peer. Anyway, back to the important business of shopping. These molds were on my wish list, and they will look quite nice hanging on my kitchen wall. As I was checking out the molds, this beauty caught my eye. I'd seen them before and always loved them, so today I decided that this one was coming home with me. It's a beautiful, hand carved wood bowl called a trog. I had some ideas about what it was used for, and my number one guess was something that they put bread dough in to rise. Baked goods are very popular in this country. Google translator was soon to send this idea crashing to the ground.

Farm animals are also very popular in Belgium. The word trog is Dutch for trough. So now, I will be decorating my house with something that was once used to slop the hogs or feed the cows. Somehow, it seems to work. This way, when someone asks my kids if they were raised in a barn, they can say with all confidence, "My Mom is working on it!"

Note to hubby: If you happen to read this entry, they had this pair of lovely chairs at the shop as well. If you were to happen to drive by there in some large vehicle, and they happened to find themselves in the back of said vehicle, I wouldn't have a problem with that. I'm just saying.

NATO Tiger Meet 2009

Today was Family Day at the 2009 NATO Tiger Meet at Kleine Brogel. It's hosted by a different European country each time, and this year it was Belgium's turn. It's a pretty big deal, and Tiger Meet has lots of activities that span from September 14 - 25. Today was our day to go out with all the locals and check out the aircraft. Tiger Meet was originally started in 1959 as a way to build relations between the individual squadrons in NATO. The squadrons shared the Tiger as their symbol. It stands for "strength, speed and hunting prowess." What started as a small social event has become a pretty big show over the years. More and more countries are getting involved. And yes, that is one snazzy little paint job!
Tiger Meet isn't just a social event. It has evolved into a flying exercise, as well as a competition. They fly combat exercises, or "Tiger Games." The squadron that does the best is awarded the Silver Tiger Trophy at the end of the Meet. Belgium's 31st Tiger Squadron has won the trophy 8 times. We're really proud of our local fellows.

I know it's hard to see, but this is the new tail flash that was unveiled at this years Tiger Meet. It's the side of a white tiger's head.
This one was pretty impressive as well. It's a painting of a Hawk in flight.

This pilot was heading to the flight line when we ran into him. I took this through the windshield, so excuse the fact that it's a little blurry. He was flying by so fast, it was all I could do to get the picture before he was gone. (Check out his copilot.) For most people, it would be hard to drive this and still look cool. I'm happy to say that this fellow pulled it off quite nicely. If you would like to learn more about the NATO Tiger Meet 2009, here is a link to their official website. http://www.natotigers.org/

Tongeren

We stopped by Tongeren on Saturday on our way home from Liege, so I thought I'd share a few pictures with you. Tongeren is the oldest town in Belgium, founded in 15 BC. This is the Basilica of Our Lady. To say it's an amazing sight, is a huge understatement. The bell tower is 64 meters tall. We stopped here because I really want to get a picture of the front of the church. My plan was thwarted once again. The first time I saw the Basilica, it was on a Sunday (Antique Market day). I had only been in Belgium a few days, and was still dealing with jet lag, so I didn't get many pictures. Besides, I was really focusing on the antiques. Who could blame me? This time, they were setting up for a carnival of sorts, so there were rides and food vendors everywhere. Darn, I must force myself to visit the town once again. It's a tough life, isn't it?

Something amazing did happen, though. When we came around the corner to look at the front of the church, we noticed a sign by the door. "Open to visitors." We actually got to go in! My only regret is that I didn't get any pictures, but there were locals inside, and I didn't want to be rude. Let me just say that it was more than I could have imagined. The main section of the church is huge and all open, with amazing stone arches in the ceiling and stunning stained glass windows on each side, reflecting the light. There are lower roofed sections along the left and right, with confessionals and alters in each little area. Each hand carved, dark wood confessional is different from the next. In the back of the church was the largest brass pipe organ that I have ever seen. It looks like nothing has changed in hundreds of years, and that's what makes it so perfect. Just outside the Basilica is an archaeological site, where you can see the remains of an excavated Roman tower from the 4th century. I understand that most of Tongeren is an archaeological wonderland. As we walked along the streets back to the van, we happened upon this deserted road, with thousands of lilies hanging above it. I wonder what the story is behind that...

Liege

We decided to head to Liege with friends on Saturday, and check out the Arms Museum. The museum is in an old house that was built in the late 1770's. During the French occupation, Napoleon Bonaparte stayed here twice. Pierre Joseph Lemille, and arms manufacturer and collector, bought the house in 1858. After his death, the city of Liege bought the house and opened it as a museum. It's a beautiful old house, and the museum is very impressive. (You'll have to excuse the pics in this case, because the museum doesn't allow any flash photography.) Can you imagine the work involved to pull this crossbow back and get it ready to fire? Talk about a work out!These rifles have a flint trigger. They are called flintlocks, and were very cool. There was a very large and impressive collection of them in the museum. The museum had a little something for everyone, and not just weapons. There were lots of beautiful statutes as well. One of these had a strange object on her foot. Must be something artistic. We had a super day with great friends. We tried to check out a few antique stores, but luckily for the guys, they were closed. That just means we have to head back another day. More adventures are on the horizon...

Happy Birthday Kaulille!

Kaulille is a lovely little town. She's also a birthday girl (with a few years under her belt, but still young at heart). She is 750 years old! The town of Kaulille is having a month long celebration to honor this exciting event. Is it just me, or do Belgians take every opportunity that comes along and turn it into a party? These people know how to socialize. I think that's how they keep their electric bills down. They are never home. This picture is of the Sevensmolen windmill in Kaulille, built in 1891. We stopped by there today on our many travels. It's a grist mill, and is open to the public on the second and fourth Saturdays of the month. Can someone say "field trip"?

I love My PoefPoef Lazy Bag!

I've been on the hunt for bean bag chairs. This might seem like an easy thing to all of you spoiled people in the states, but over here, it's a treasure hunt. I have found lots and lots of them that are small or medium, but I was looking for something a tad larger. I wanted something that the kids could really sink into while they watched movies or played video games. Today... success! I discovered a wonderful store in Opglabbeek. (I know what you are doing now. You're reading the word Opglabbeek out loud. It's a fun word to say, isn't it? For you kids keeping up with the class, you will know from an earlier post that we cool people now refer to Opglabbeek as "The Op".) Anyhoo, the store is called Van Cranenbroek. It's very similar to Big Lots back in the states. They have a little bit of everything at pretty good prices. I only poked around a little, because I was on a mission, but I'd love to go back and explore it further. I found what I had been looking for. They call it a PoefPoef Lazy Bag, and for just under 30 euros, it's a bargain! Besides, I provided lots of entertainment for the locals as I hauled these two bad boys down the aisle and over to the register. For once, people weren't staring at me because I'm American. They were staring at me because I looked a little crazy. Can't say as I blame them. These puppies are HUGE! They are 150 cm square. For those of us mathematically challenged, I looked it up and that's just over 4'9". It looks bigger to me. (Let's just say I don't know what I would have done if I didn't have a minivan.) To give you an idea how big they are, this one is in front of my over sized sofa that my 6'3" hubby can stretch out on comfortably to take a nap. (Before you say anything, Mom, yes...I know that they are brown. I know that everything I've bought lately is brown or beige. I am in the process of getting some accent colors thrown in, but these things take time. Still, doesn't my new rug look FABULOUS!?!?)

Here's what they look like when they are shaped into chair form. They aren't as shiny as they appear to be here. Blame it on the flash. I'm curious to see what the hubby has to say about these when he gets home. I have a feeling he didn't realize just how big an item I was shopping for. This is probably going to be one of those 'roll his eyes and ask why on earth I bought them' type of situations. He should know better by now. I'm just saying.

How Cool Is...Oh, Crap!

I suppose that one has to expect these things when one lives in a castle, but let me tell you something...this Queen was a little freaked out this morning! As fall sets in, the days are getting shorter, so it was dark this morning when the hubby headed out to work. I was standing at the big window right beside the front door, looking out as he walked toward the driveway. As he rounded the bend in the sidewalk, the motion sensor turned on the two lights just outside the front door. Then I saw something swoop down and around the light, and head off again. I thought at first that it was a sparrow, because that was the size of the creature. After another swoop, I realized that it was a bat. Now bats are pretty common here and you see them at dusk and dawn, circling around the yards and eating insects. There are lots of mosquito's here, so I tend to like the bats chomping away on them. I soon noticed that there wasn't one bat, but two. They took turns flying under the overhang, grabbing bugs and circling back out. I was only about 3 feet from them as I peeked out of the window, so it was fascinating to watch them. I'd never been that close to a bat before. After about 5 minutes, the lights started to fade out and that's when things took a turn for the worse.
The bat didn't swoop back out again. This time, he grabbed onto the edge of the light closest to the door and crawled inside the opening. He shimmied his little body up into the hole beside the light and disappeared. Ugh. This is not good. Do you mean to tell me that I have a bat living right above my front door? This would appear to be the case. I watched for a while, but he never came back out. I don't know where the other bat disappeared to. The last I saw of him, he was circling the big tree in my front yard. I shut the curtain, went to get a cup of coffee, and stewed on the situation. Bats kill bugs. Good. Bats have rabies. Bad. No more mosquitoes. Good. Creepy little rat with wings. Bad. Hmmmm. Maybe he was just looking for more bugs. I decided to see if he was still in there. Jess took off on her bus (she has zero interest in getting even remotely near a bat!!!), but Brandon wanted to see what was going on before he went to school. We stepped out onto the porch with a flashlight and pulled the front door closed. (The last thing I want is a freaked out bat inside my house.) Carefully, I leaned under the light and aimed my flashlight at it. A creepy little face blinked back at me. Aughhhh! Into the house with the door slammed safely behind us. Let me rethink this situation. Brandon is rethinking it, too. Why didn't he get to see the bat? He doesn't think this is fair. Fine. Back out on the porch we go. I tell him where to look in the hole and hand him the flashlight. He looks. He agrees that it's a creepy little creature, but he still finds it interesting. The bus arrives and takes the braver of our duo away to school. Back into the house I go, door securely closed behind me. Bat=1. Queen=0. I'm gonna need more coffee to work this one out.

My New Treasure

Russ had the day off yesterday. He had visions of a quiet, relaxing day filled with sleeping late and lounging at the house. This was not the case. (He really should know better by now!) I had him up and out before he knew what hit him, and we were on our way to explore an antique store in Hamont. Thanks, Dawn, for recommending it! As with everything else in Belgium, you don't have any idea what lies inside such an unassuming old warehouse until you peek inside. Wow! Imagine a two story football field packed wall to wall with antiques. Aisles and aisles of treasures, stacked up all around you, just begging to be explored. It's a bit overwhelming. All of the big items are on the main floor, but there is a balcony of sorts that runs around the inside of the building on the second floor, and that's the section that I spent hours in. There are tons of the little nicknack's and items there from every day life that I find so fascinating. I behaved myself, though, and came home with this one little treasure. After watching a group of people leave with a rented truck FULL of big furniture, Russ was breathing a sigh of relief at my purchase. This beauty is a Roberval Scale. It's named after it's inventor, Gilles Personne De Roverval, a French mathematician. It's very interesting to play with, too. I'll be weighing objects all over the house.

I was lucky to find these glass weights included with the scale. Most of the time, these are lost throughout the years. They also make the weights out of lead, but these are so much prettier. I didn't take any pictures inside the Antique warehouse, but here is a link to their site so you can check it out virtually for yourself. http://www.antiek.be/antiques-antique-dealers-furniture=import-export_ENG-2773.html?submenu=NoAfter leaving Hamont, Russ took me the long way home through the town of Leopoldsburg. He had been on a motorcycle ride through here with friends a couple of days before and knew it was the sort of town I would love. He was right. I mean, how could you not love a town with a statute of Mary Poppins in a roundabout? That is Mary Poppins, isn't it? It sure looks like her.
There were beautiful, flower lines streets, and lots of little shops and outdoor cafes to explore. I will definitely be back here to check it out when I have more time!

Apparently Leopoldsburg is a town with a lot of military history. Camp Beverlo was established here in 1835, and the town formed beside it as people moved to the area to support the camp. Leopoldsburg is named after King Leopold I. He had a Royal Palace here and stayed here quite often while working with the establishment of the camp. That is a statute of him in front of the building. Much of the original camp still stands, and has been turned into a museum. A newer military camp is just beside it and is still in use today.

This tank is on the side of the road in the neighboring town of Hechtel. It stands as a monument to the war. The Germans bombed the camp in 1940, and then occupied it until 1944, when allied troops bombed it and took it over. I was used by General Brian Horrocks as his headquarters when he ordered the start of the Market Garden operation in 1944. The 1st Armoured Infantry Brigade moved into the camp 1970, and it remains the largest garrison in Belgium. So much history is packed into this beautiful little country. Hope you enjoyed your Monday off as much as we did.

Ghosts In The Attic

I was home alone a couple of days ago. It was an overcast day, with very strong winds howling outside. It was one of those days that you're glad you aren't out there running around. I was being a good little housewife, and scrubbing the second floor bathroom. (Now those who know me really well are starting to think that this is one of those tall tales, but I really was scrubbing the bathroom. It happens. Rarely, but it does happen.) I was up to my elbows in Tilex when I heard a loud slam. I jumped. It sounded like it was my bedroom window, but I had already secured all the windows in the house, because the wind was blowing so hard. Still, I'm not one to hide from a problem, so I set out to see what it was. Off to the bedroom I went. Everything looked fine, but I double checked the window, just to be safe. Nothing amiss here. Maybe I had missed another window. I went through the entire house, checking windows and doors, but everything was locked up tight. I had just closed the curtain on the back sliding glass door when I heard the sound again. SLAM! OK, that's just creepy now. It sounded like it came from right above me--my bedroom. I knew for a fact that the window was locked, but what else could it be? I took off for the master bedroom to find out what the heck was going on. Everything looked perfectly normal! Ugh! I was starting to get a little paranoid, so I checked out every room again. I even looked in the garage. Slam! Now I'm concerned. Slam! This house is so open, and with all of the tile and hard wood floors, sound echoes everywhere. It's hard to figure out where the heck it's coming from. (Every horror movie I've ever seen is starting to come back to me. I'd love to see a ghost, but not in my house when I'm alone.) OK, I can figure this out. Finally, the brain clicks on. I head outside, so I can see all of the windows at the same time, and therefore figure out which one is open. Out the back I go, and then...I saw it. The attic window is ajar, and the sheer curtains are sticking out and blowing madly in the wind. It figures. The attic. Back inside and up to the second floor. Now I'm standing in the upstairs hallway, eying the attic door in the ceiling. You know the kind. You pull down the trap door and unfold the rickety ladder, so you can climb up into the dark, spider web filled attic. Questions start to fill my mind. Who would have been in the attic to open that window in the first place? Do I really want to go up there? Then I did what any self respecting adult in my place would have done. I waited for the 11 year old to get home from school, brought him to the bottom of the attic stairs, and said "You wait here for me and make sure nothing happens." (I didn't even mention what might have happened, but he's a smart kid, and if he had heard me screaming bloody murder, he probably would have figured out that meant go for help.) "Do you want me to go with you, Mom?" he asked. I'm going to have to raise his allowance. "I guess that would be OK", I said. Both of us knew I was being a big chicken, but it was nice that he didn't mention it out loud. Up the ladder we went and found our way to the back of the attic. I opened the window, fixed the curtains, and shut and locked the window securely. If the ghost was there, it was kind enough to stay hidden. Back down the ladder and to the safety of the hallway with a sigh of relief. Whew. I told the story to the hubby when he got home, and he, in turn told Jess when she arrived later on that night. Of course, in his version, when I looked up at the attic window, there was a figure standing there looking back. "You're freaking me out, Dad," she said. Not to worry, I told her. If that were true, I would have moved before she got home.

And I wouldn't have bothered to pack. I'd have just bought all new stuff. I'm just saying.

Aachen, Germany

Well slap me silly and call me an international traveler! Today we decided to check out Aachen, Germany, and that means traveling though three different countries. I know! Three! Of course, that sounds a little more impressive than it actually is. We are situated on the very edge of Belgium, right beside the thinnest part of the Netherlands, so the entire trip took less an hour and a half. Still, it was a fantastic day, and my first trip into Germany.

I don't care how mature you say you are, I know for a fact that you giggled as soon as you read this sign. Ausfahrt is the German word for Exit. (I'm still giggling.)We followed Tom's advice, and he directed us to the center of Aachen. We were in luck, and they were having a big market in the town square today. Even with the rain, it was very popular with locals and tourists. This is Aachen Rathaus, or City Hall. The pictures don't do it justice, because it was absolutely beautiful. The details were amazing. Figures of emperors and kings that were crowned in Aachen are carved into the front of the building. Here is another view of the square, complete with market. The little street that is between the tan building in the center of the picture and the orange building, is the oldest street in Aachen.

I loved these gargoyles. I thought they were fantastic, but the family voted me out. How cool would one of these looked peeking down from the stairway of the house? The tough part would be choosing which one to get.

This is Charlemagne with scepter, orb and crown. He is the founding father of French and German monarchies, and is known as the "Father of Europe." (That's your mini history lesson, now back to fun.)

This fountain was down one of the alleys. It is very cool to look at, but even more fun once you really check it out. It's movable. All of the joints on the characters can be moved, so you can pose them any way you like. I think the adults enjoyed playing with it even more than the kids!

This is the Aachen Cathedral, also known as the Imperial Cathedral. It's the oldest Cathedral in northern Europe. When Charlemagne died in 814, he was buried in the vault of this cathedral. Here is a close up of the walls of the cathedral. Wow!There were so many great little shops along the little alley ways. This one is called Nobis and sold the most delicious gingerbread cookies. I couldn't resist the little hedgehog. I had to stop in and pick up a few things.

I had to back track a little bit to check out the shop called Oil and Vinegar. Bet you can't guess what they sell. OK, maybe you can. They have lots and lots of very interesting oils and vinegar (duh!) from all over Europe. Some are ready to sell, but lots others are in large bottles in the back, and there are samples out for you to try. Pick the ones you want, and they will pour some into smaller bottles for you to purchase. They had other goodies there, too, like pesto. Yum. Sorry, I was so caught up in the moment that I didn't get any pictures in there. This was a beautiful building that we saw on our way out of town. It appears to be part of an old castle.
You know I wouldn't get out of town without buying some goodies, so here they are. I had to have some oil, vinegar, and pesto. I also couldn't resist the mortar. (I've always wanted one of those. Don't ask why, because I just do!) I bought butter cookies for Brandon, and gingerbread cookies for the rest of us. The little bag has small gingerbread cookies covered with white frosting or dark chocolate frosting. Yum! I had to get a hedgehog, too, but I don't know if I can bring myself to eat him. Well, maybe I can. He smells great! Real German gingerbread isn't like what you get in the states, it thick and chewy and tastes soooo good. It's too bad computers aren't scratch and sniff! I'm off to eat some more cookies. If you hurry over, you might get a bite yourself. Maybe not.