A Birthday Surprise!
Brent surprised me this year with a wonderful birthday present--an overnight trip to Kloster Hornbach, an 8th century cloister now a luxury hotel located about 45 minutes from where we live. I had thought we were going out for dinner to a local restaurant, but he told me that afternoon to pack an overnight bag because he was taking me to a surprise destination! I can't tell you how excited I was! We dropped the girls off to stay with friends from church, and we hit the road for a lovely drive through the countryside near the French border to a small town where the kloster is located. After checking into our luxurious Shaker-style room, we dressed up and went down to dinner. Brent had ordered their 6-course candlelight dinner, which ended up being served by a gentleman far more refined than us! It was delicious! Every course had a perfect wine--served at just the right temperature--to complement the food. We ate stuffed mushrooms, salad, vegetables, a Riesling soup, flaky yet crisp fish, roasted lamb, an assortment of desserts, and more! (My mouth is watering remembering it all.) It took 3 hours to enjoy the entire meal--what an elegant treat! About halfway through the meal, the owner of the hotel came over and introduced himself and welcomed us to his establishment. He gave me a wooden box with their signature chocolate cake inside all wrapped up. I hope I was dignified in front of him--I was so overwhelmed by the beauty of everything. After dinner, Brent and I took a dip in the pool. Did I mention how the entire place still looks like a cloister, except it's been decorated and updated? So, the pool was located in a small, sequestered corner of the cloister that you had to take a few twists and turns to get to. It was so much fun! There was a lovely sauna and relaxation area, but we were pretty tired by that point, and--quite honestly--don't know the ropes of a sauna. The lady tried explaining to us the whole process, but we were clearly out of our element on that one. =)
Our time ended the next morning with a lovely breakfast and walk through the grounds. I was so overwhelmed at the sweetness of my husband. We honestly felt like we had escaped to a different world. It felt like the days of our courtship and early marriage.
The next few pictures are taken from the website because they actually do justice to the place. Our camera was on the wrong setting, so our pictures didn't turn out nearly as well. Enjoy!
The main lobby.
Brent surprised me this year with a wonderful birthday present--an overnight trip to Kloster Hornbach, an 8th century cloister now a luxury hotel located about 45 minutes from where we live. I had thought we were going out for dinner to a local restaurant, but he told me that afternoon to pack an overnight bag because he was taking me to a surprise destination! I can't tell you how excited I was! We dropped the girls off to stay with friends from church, and we hit the road for a lovely drive through the countryside near the French border to a small town where the kloster is located. After checking into our luxurious Shaker-style room, we dressed up and went down to dinner. Brent had ordered their 6-course candlelight dinner, which ended up being served by a gentleman far more refined than us! It was delicious! Every course had a perfect wine--served at just the right temperature--to complement the food. We ate stuffed mushrooms, salad, vegetables, a Riesling soup, flaky yet crisp fish, roasted lamb, an assortment of desserts, and more! (My mouth is watering remembering it all.) It took 3 hours to enjoy the entire meal--what an elegant treat! About halfway through the meal, the owner of the hotel came over and introduced himself and welcomed us to his establishment. He gave me a wooden box with their signature chocolate cake inside all wrapped up. I hope I was dignified in front of him--I was so overwhelmed by the beauty of everything. After dinner, Brent and I took a dip in the pool. Did I mention how the entire place still looks like a cloister, except it's been decorated and updated? So, the pool was located in a small, sequestered corner of the cloister that you had to take a few twists and turns to get to. It was so much fun! There was a lovely sauna and relaxation area, but we were pretty tired by that point, and--quite honestly--don't know the ropes of a sauna. The lady tried explaining to us the whole process, but we were clearly out of our element on that one. =)
Our time ended the next morning with a lovely breakfast and walk through the grounds. I was so overwhelmed at the sweetness of my husband. We honestly felt like we had escaped to a different world. It felt like the days of our courtship and early marriage.
The next few pictures are taken from the website because they actually do justice to the place. Our camera was on the wrong setting, so our pictures didn't turn out nearly as well. Enjoy!
The main lobby.
The foyer.
Hall leading to the pool and sauna area.
Why I want to go back in the summer for at least a meal!
2 comments:
What an amazing way to spend your birthday! So happy for you, my friend!
Your birthday was so fairytale-ish! Blessings to you and your prince charming and your sweet girls.
We love and miss you all
MIchelle
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