Wow—after some pretty quiet, slow weeks in October, November kicked off with a crazy start!
It all began on Monday, when Brooklyn and I left work and school early and took the train up to Cologne to see Bob Dylan in concert. Brooklyn has a wonderfully eclectic taste in music; she bought the tickets over the summer with her own money and asked me to go with her. Since she came with me to see Taylor Swift, how could I possibly say no?
The concert was held at Lanxess Arena, and I found myself wondering just how many people would buy tickets to see an 83-year-old musician. The answer? A lot! We joined a horde of people walking from the train station to the arena, which eventually filled up with mostly octogenarian Germans. We were probably among the youngest people there!
Brooklyn loved the concert! Bob Dylan is one of her favorite musicians, and she spent the evening alternating between singing every song and crying. I couldn’t understand many of the words Bob was singing, but I enjoyed the music—and I especially loved watching all the elderly Germans rocking out.
Being some of the youngest people in the arena meant we could make a speedy exit—we walked faster than most of the other concert attendees 🤣. We were quickly back at the train station and then to our hotel.
We got up bright and early Tuesday morning to get the train back to Stuttgart, as Brooklyn needed to get back to school, and I needed to attend a goodbye luncheon for a co-worker.
The rest of Tuesday and Wednesday flew by, and before we knew it, Thursday had arrived and the kids were heading off on a ski trip with their ski club right after school. It’s early in the season for skiing, but the club was headed to Sölden, Austria, where they’d be skiing on the Söldener Glacier. Ryan had been chosen as a trip captain, so he was especially excited!
Friday was the Marine Corps Birthday Ball, and Matt and I spent the entire day getting ready. We headed to a hotel in downtown Stuttgart to put on the finishing touches before making our way to the ball at five. It was a fantastic evening—and this year felt especially meaningful, marking the 250th birthday.
We attended with several friends and even made a few new ones with the others seated at our table. The event begins with a cocktail hour, where attendees can also have their portraits taken. Afterwards, everyone moves into the ballroom for the ceremony. It opens with the Marine Corps Band playing in the honor party, followed by a video message from the Marine Corps Commandant. Then comes the traditional cake-cutting, where the oldest Marine in attendance cuts the cake and serves the first slice to the youngest. After that, there’s a guest speaker, and then the ceremony concludes. Afterwards, we enjoyed an amazing dinner and danced the night away!
Needless to say, Matt and I needed to sleep in a bit on Saturday morning. We had planned to get up early and drive to France for a quick weekend away, but when we discovered our hotel’s checkout time wasn’t until noon, we happily stretched our stay until then.
We finally got up, hopped in the car, and drove straight to France. Our first stop was Buffalo Grill, a French restaurant chain known for its charmingly “French” take on American barbecue. Matt ordered a fried chicken sandwich, and I went for the barbecue ribs. It wasn’t exactly authentic Southern barbecue, but it was delicious—and exactly what we needed!
After our late lunch at Buffalo Grill, we continued our drive to Metz, France.
Metz, perched on the banks of the Moselle River in northeastern France, is the capital of the Lorraine region. The city’s architecture, culture, and cuisine reflect a unique blend of French and German influences, a result of centuries of changing hands between the two countries.
Metz has a remarkably intact medieval old town, full of golden-stone buildings, charming cafés and restaurants, historic churches, and a stunning Gothic cathedral that lights up beautifully at night. We were genuinely shocked at how beautiful it was and how much there was to do. I can’t believe more Americans don’t visit, especially considering how close it is to Stuttgart. Most people usually head to Strasbourg, just two hours away, but by driving just one more hour, you reach a far more beautiful, charming, and walkable city. I was a bit disappointed that our late departure from Stuttgart meant we didn’t arrive in Metz until later in the day.
We managed a short walk around the central old town before choosing a restaurant for dinner. We indulged in all our French favorites—French onion soup, chicken Cordon Bleu, and Café Gourmand for dessert—each perfectly paired with crisp Alsatian wine. It was absolutely amazing! Still exhausted, we headed to bed early. Metz is also a big university town so if we had more energy, there was a ton of nightlife in the city we could have enjoyed.
We got up a bit earlier on Sunday and went hunting for breakfast. Apparently, nothing in Metz opens before 11 AM, so we wandered the city center, stomachs growling, until we finally stumbled upon a McDonald’s that opened at 10:30— the irony of starting a French morning with fries and coffee!
After breakfast and a final stroll through Metz, we checked out of the hotel, hopped in the car, and set off for our next stop: Nancy, France. It’s only about 45 minutes south of Metz and roughly the same distance from home, so it made sense to visit both in one trip.
While Metz has a medieval city center, Nancy is famous for its stunning Art Nouveau architecture and elegant squares. Once the capital of the Duchy of Lorraine, Nancy has a rich history that’s reflected in its grand buildings and cobblestone streets. The city is home to the UNESCO-listed Place Stanislas, a magnificent square built in the 18th century and considered one of the most beautiful in Europe. Walking through Nancy feels like a mini Paris—so elegant and distinct from Metz, even though the two cities are so close. We wandered through the city center, which was busy decorating for the upcoming Christmas holidays, before stopping for lunch at Pitaya, a French Thai food chain.
Pitaya is a family favorite and we make sure to stop whenever we are visiting or driving through a French city. We had a fantastic lunch before heading back home to Stuttgart. Even though the kids were on their own trip, they were pretty mad when they saw we had eaten there on Instagram 🤣. We got home pretty quickly and even had time to go to the commissary before heading home for the evening.
The kids had a blast skiing with their friends all weekend. The club also took them to Aqua Dome, near Sölden—a sprawling alpine waterpark and spa with steaming thermal pools, thrilling water slides, and outdoor pools set against breathtaking mountain views.
Ryan was a trip captain again this year, earning both service hours and valuable leadership experience. Ninety-five students went on the trip, and the 14 captains were responsible for waking everyone up each morning, organizing ski groups, overseeing the loading and unloading of gear on the buses, and helping to clean the buses. It’s a lot of work, but Ryan loves every minute of it!
The kids finally rolled in from their trip around nine—just in time for showers and bed. We all had an amazing weekend, despite the split operations, and are ready for a more restful week ahead!
Gilcrests Abroad 