Leave it to the Europeans to find a way to make exercise fun and popular! People of all ages come together for a nice walk, followed by extremely tasty, but fattening, food and giant kegs of beer! It's called Volksmarching and in Germany, it's a national pasttime!

Last weekend the kids and I participated in our first volksmarch. We went with my good friend, Rose, and her children, Jonah and Jackson. The weather was beautiful---a little chilly, but the sun was shining, and we haven't seen the sun since around October! After we got registered, we set out for our 5K march through the vineyards in Grolsheim, Germany. Even though the vines were empty, the walk was an experience to remember. I was worried that the kids would get tired or bored, but they ran ahead and kept yelling at us to KEEP UP! (Hey, I'm old...cut me some slack!) This particular march had a "kinderwalk," so the kids got a certificate with their picture on it, lots of prizes, and a stamp in their volksmarching passport. It was really neat. By the end of our 3-mile walk, we were all starving, so we headed back to the stadium for soda and bratwurst. After all the food I put away, I probably needed to do the 5K again! Of course, we couldn't leave without enjoying a piece of German cake. That would have been rude, and I would HATE to be rude!

If there's one thing I love about Germany, it's the way people live outdoors when the weather is nice. They just come out in droves, whether it's to bike, or walk, or sweep the sidewalk and road (yes, we have to sweep our roads....now THAT I could do without!). After experiencing 6 long months of a very hard winter, I'm beginning to think that they want to take advantage of any warmth they can get! Seriously, if you were to drive through our village, you would think that there was something special happening. But the truth is, they just love to enjoy the great outdoors, and that is definitely something I can get used to!