The Temporary Housing

By popular demand (well, 2 people - let's call them my fan base), I present to you: Our Temporary Housing. Above is the "kitchenette" in our room. Microwave, refrigerator -- by the way, this is a standard size German refrigerator as found in most homes. One might have 8 kids and 6 bedrooms in the house, but the refrigerator is merely this size. 

Above is me demonstrating how you flush the toilet.  This funky device actually dumbfounded me in the Stuttgart airport - I had no idea how to flush the toilet and had to admit as much to the (American) ladies behind me in line. I think they understood. Mainly because there was another suspicious-looking pipe sticking out of the wall that did nothing. It was very confusing. 

Below is our beautiful kitchen down the hall. It has a table, but only 3 chairs, so Ric and I perch along with the kids to eat. We have no table in our room. The kitchen is adequate- with refrigerator, microwave (doesn't work), oven, and dishwasher, but it's a community one so gives me a little bit of the heebie-geebies when we're in there. However, we cannot cook from our smaller kitchen in the room, so I have to hold my nose and take it. It's a little like those OCD people on Oprah who were immersed in grim and germs to get over their OCD.  Fortunately, I don't have a germophobia, but still, this is just gross.  I want my own kitchen.

Below is the dirty sponge remaining in this community kitchen. It's not visably dirty, per se, but it was here when we got here, so I had to get my own damn sponge. Just a little yuk for me.  In the distance you can see the dirty sponge, which is not really that dirty but since it was here before we got here ... just very yucky. 

I'll try to take pics of the villages when we head out again.