So long, Krefeld!

After months of struggling with German bureaucracy, it finally looks like the new Precorp facility in Delmenhorst will actually become reality:

We still haven't fulfilled all official regulations and secured every single permit, but hey, they can't shut us down once the signs are up, right?

Here, the shop floor is being painted for the THIRD time. The first two attempts turned out horribly, but THIS job is looking real nice.

So now that I have started getting our good old moving boxes back out of the basement, I am once again waxing a little sentimental. Krefeld and I got off to a rough start, but there are certainly a number of things I'm going to miss.

No. 1: the coolest library in continental Europe. I got a membership here within 24 hours of pulling into town. The Krefeld library offered a virtually endless supply of cookbooks, news magazines, travel guides, the latest American hit TV shows on DVD, children's books and whatever else struck our fancy during any given week.

No. 2: my favorite bakery. Best bread and rolls in town. I always bought extra loaves to freeze and pull out when I was craving liverwurst on rye. Or Nutella on Italian bread.

No. 3: one of the biggest outdoor flea markets in Germany. Taking place once a month during spring and summer, the Krefeld flea market usually attracts hundreds of vendors and thousands of shoppers. My friends and I would meet up at 7am and spend hours shopping for children's clothes, books, virtually ANYTHING we could think of.

So, Krefeld, I forgive you for being home to the most aggressive drivers, constant traffic jams and generally crabby locals. No town could have easily mended the broken hearts that we had left Switzerland with. We'll chalk it all up to experience and always remember the good times we had here!