Loving the Fresh Air

Based on the title of my blog entry and the state of air quality in lovely Shanghai, you may be thinking to yourself, where is Jen? One of those fancy oxygen bars? Perhaps a hyperbaric chamber (I don't really know what that is, but I thought it sounded dramatic).

Well friends, Phil and I are in Germany right now. Phil is in training for work and I mooched along for the ride. After his training, we are extending the business trip into a few days of much needed vacation for ourselves.

We will be staying in Burscheid for two weeks, and then off to who knows where for the rest of the time. Upon arriving in Germany last night, we hopped into a car and took the open road from Frankfurt to Cologne. Phil was definitely enjoying being behind the wheel again after so long. The sky was blue and the trees were, well...there were trees! It made me realize how much I miss nature and how much I am rejuvenated by it.

Upon arriving at our quaint little bed and breakfast, (not to mention the only hotel in town), we nestled in for some much needed food. On one side of the little restaurant there were a group of elderly women playing a mean game of cards, and in some distant room, we could hear the local church choir practicing for the Sunday service (not something you will stumble across in Shanghai). All in all, it was the perfect start to our escape from the bustling life of Shanghai.

Well, I am off to explore the town!

Auf Wiedersehen!

P.S. Did I mention you can drink the water from the tap! Unbelievable.