Goodbye May!!

My favorite month has come to an end..:-(

Here's a recap of the pictures posted on my Facebook page.

The month of May saw a burst of green and color, gorgeous blue skies.

I went on a lot of walks by the river Main and meadows. It was all so pretty out there.

My garden too is at it's best, I even cooked my first batch of fenugreek greens!!

We celebrated both father's and mother's day, our birthdays too.

The storm clouds came rolling in once in a while for those cooling showers...

We enrolled our little girl in the german high school......

and I detest ironing with all my heart...:D (I did post a video on the page to show the person who eases the burden of this chore back home in India)

That about sum's up the past month.

If you like what you see why don't you head on over to the page With Love from Lohr and like it?

I would love to see you there.

Tuesday's around the world

(I am always intrigued by the German'S creativity with plants and flowers. Gifted by hubby on my day)

Hubby and I celebrate our birthday's 5 days apart. Today is his, mine was on the 24th. My family took me by surprise by forgetting mine...:D I was pretty amused! 

Today we have been busy perking up the house for him, preparing cards. Last night I was baking till quite late for his fellow colleagues at work. Did you know that in Germany, the birthday boy/girl has got to treat his fellow workers with cake and coffee? I didn't know and now I know why. The first year his birthday was on the weekend, last year he was in India. I was so glad that I was spared the first two years. Baking for Germans gets me all stressed up cause no way do my cakes match up to theirs.

Anyway, I am now off to begin preparations for tonight's dinner and bake a cake for us. 

What are you doing today? Link up with us and let us know..

Sunday...

It's a very rare occasion when I have all the ingredients to prepare our favorite curd rice. If you live in Lohr, then you will very well understand what I mean. 

With me hardly being home today, I had enough time to whip up this easy delicious meal for lunch. It was wonderful!!

We are just back home now after having spent a lovely evening with friends. Before I crash into bed, I will attend to some of our shopping which still lies strewn around the home. 

So, what did you do today?

Shopping.

We spent the whole of today SHOPPING!!

It was a gorgeous day, but it was a pity that we spent time shopping.

We had been putting this off for a very long time. 

The family began to miss their rotis, I the Indian pickles...

A need for more summer wear arose...

And also storage space in the house! We seem to be running out of it.

For all of the above we drive down to Würzburg,a University town 45 kms away from Lohr am Main. The shopping streets there are comparable to India. There are a few Asian and Indian stores too which sell  all Indian products. And for our furniture needs there is also the much loved Ikea(though its not my favorite)
We returned with a car packed to the brim.

Oh Happy Day!!

So far, today has been amusing than ever!! I am kind of enjoying it....:D

Sonny will play his guitar for the first time today in a small concert.

Following which he will act in a german play.

He has a big role!! Any guess??

He plays a King, Snow white's Father.

He is so sure of himself, very confident.

Well me, I am nervous....

The play is in the german language...

What if he forgets his lines??

Both his performances are in different venues. It's gonna be a mad dash, with guitar, costumes and all. Wish us luck!!

Our weekend break!

At times, it's nice just to pack your bags and leave the house impromptu. While we had been toying with the idea of doing this, we were still unsure about it. Even after we left, all the while I was thinking whether it was the right thing to do(cause I ended up returning to the house 3 times having forgotten this and that..:D)

(Bright yellow rapeseed fields in the countryside)

Though we had decided what we would see(The Wartburg Castle and the Baumkronepfad), the road trip was like heading out to the unknown. This uncertainty felt good!!!

We were treated to bright yellow colored fields all the way long cause we chose to take the country roads and not the highways. Country roads are the most beautiful to view the changing landscapes though the drives tend to be long as you have to drive within speed limits. You pass through villages with old church steeples, tall towers which stand out, beautiful houses with lovely spring gardens.

The countryside too amazed us with the countless rapeseed fields looking golden from a distance. To add to the charm were the blue skies and clouds looking like cotton.

(Darling hubby was kind enough to pull over at the side so that I could take better pics)

We pulled up here by this place for lunch at the village Georgenthal just because it looked so very inviting. We had the best flammkuchen and Eis, all the while enjoying the sunshine and looking at this beautiful building facing the terrace.

After the hearty lunch and beautiful drive we arrived at our last minute booked Gasthaus. The family that owned this place did cause our hearts to flutter for a brief period as they were not aware of our booking...:D Lesson learnt: Call up the place before hand to let them know you are coming...:-) Anyway, we were given a cosy room which provided us the much needed rest that night.

Do you go on unplanned trips? Have you had good or bad experiences?

Glimpses of Bamberg.

Over the weekend a friend and I visited the Landesgartenscahu Bamberg. Once we were done with the garden, we had a little more than two hours to spare. We decided to head on over to the old town and simply walk around.

Since it was just the two of us with no kids to worry about, it felt good to stroll around this enchanting town. I could take my time to pause and simply take in the sights. I LOVE walking on cobbled streets taking the off beaten path, admiring the very old  fachwerk(half timbered)houses with their all the more old shutters and beautiful doors. Since the initial plan was to only visit the garden show, I had not done my reading to get acquainted with the city. Something told me that this town was untouched. It had the charm of an ancient city.

Once home I had to know more about Bamberg. It is one of the few cities in Germany that was not destroyed during World War II(so I was right, everything looked so real and original). Bamberg extends over seven hills, each crowned by a church. This has led to Bamberg being called the Franconian Rome.

We managed to visit St Michaels church on Michaelberg. The climb to this hill was worth it through meadows and vineyards from which we could see the other hills with the churches.

(The view of Bamberg from Michaelsberg)

(St Michael's Kirche) 

This is why I love blue skies. You end up with stunning pictures..:D

We then headed on over to the Klein Venedig or Little Venice which is a colony of picturesque's fishermen houses from the 19th century along one side of the river Regnitz. I expressed a desire to live in one of those homes. This stunned my friend(she is german). She wouldn' have chosen such a place . "Just think of all the hochwasser( flood)" she says..:D So much for my wishful thinking.

(Klein Venedig or Little Venice of Bamberg)

Time just flew by. I wanted to see more, but we had a train to catch. I had seen plenty of pictures of the famous Altes Rathaus, but then had to choose between trying to get the actual shot of it or catch our train. I chose the latter. We walked through the Rathaus admiring the pretty paintings. To see how it actually looks click here. 

There's no doubt, I fell in love with Bamberg. I also felt a wee bit jealous of my husband who had lived in Bamberg for a whole 8 months before we are married...:D Now I know,why he loved to walk for hours together around this town.

Picking up the good old bratwurst, we walked back, me wanting to return one day with the kids and maybe attempt climbing at least half of Bamberg's hills, if not all.

And for the record, my friend just could not understand as to why was I clicking so many pictures..:D 

TODAY...

TODAY,
she is officially enrolled in the gymnasium or the so called german high school.

Come September, she joins her brother in this new phase of learning.

Wooohooo!!!

Morning bliss

I am not much of an early bird. In fact, it's very very hard for me to be one. I do rise early cause it is important to send the kids to school with a well fed breakfast and bid goodbye to hubby too. But given a choice, the bed is where I would like to snooze for a wee bit longer. 

One of the tips I often read from photographers is to rise early for those great pictures of calm and quiet towns or villages. And their pictures were proof enough for me to regret of all the times I spent trying to catch an extra wink.

So today, I set off for the first time for a walk around town quite early( 9'o clock). Its quite strange to note how not rushed our village is. Infact, at this time it is just about waking up. The kids are at school, people at work and yet, life begins at a slow pace.

You spot a person or two here and there. Shop owners are slowly opening their shutters and rolling the trolleys out.

Restaurant chairs are empty, but in a few hours they will be full of life with people chattering away over a glass of beer and some yummy german food, at the same time soaking in the sun.

Today's special is already up, Asparagus dish. I bet the chef is busy inside whipping out his/her best dishes.

And there, I spot the green. It's such a beautiful green, I want it to stay this color....forever.

A little further on, the smell of freshly baked bread and croissants hits me head on. The seating out here is yet to be arranged for I guess they are still busy baking..:-)

As I walk on, I spot her..Snow White's castle and then I smile. I do amaze a few locals out here when I say that I do believe she existed. 

The florists are all set for the day. The customers are already here. Some of them wondering whether I am here to take a picture of them. I watch while they pick up lettuce saplings, zucchini and tomato plants. They will head back home and work on their gardens. Why not? It's such a beautiful day..

I then head up the mountains cause I need to have a look at the beautiful Spessart. A German spots me panting and walking, mumbling along as to how steep the climb is. I nod in agreement and laugh at the same time. For me, views like these are worth the walk. 

When I am done, I return to a bustling town. The shoppers are here on foot or on bikes, the tours of the village have begun. I spot mammas with babies in prams getting together for a play date maybe? An excited lady shows of her new shoes to a friend...:-) Youngsters laughing, cafes slowly getting full for that morning cup of coffee. It's a beautiful sight.

Pretty soon geraniums will be spilling out of every window, yes each one of them.

After having spent a beautiful hour, as I walk home an idea hits me. I toy around the thought and I like what I am thinking. I need time to work it out, but I will reveal it to you all shortly.

TGIF..:-)

Its a gorgeous gorgeous day!!
I love days like these. Clear blue skies, crisp air...it's like tonic to the soul. 

Tomorrow the kids and I along with our little ensemble troupe perform at the farmer's market.

Maybe I will be able to put up a small video of our performance, I do not know...

They both are excited and at the same time nervous...:-)

So unlike them. Well, I have told them it's okay if they miss a note or beat. The key is just to enjoy themselves and go along with the flow.

Here's wishing you all a Happy Friday and Weekend!!!

HAPPY MAY DAY

Do you have those days where you try to fit in too much to do and end up being kaput...:D Well, I am a person at times with scattered thoughts in my brain, wanting to do this and that. And God forbid, if the sun should be shining as it was yesterday then I add a washing frenzy to it too. Sigh!!!

Many of you must be wondering whatever happened to the garden since it's last post. Well, the weather turned horribly cold and it looked like it was not the best time to garden. Hubby dearest suggested that I bring all the plants in considering the fact that we had spent a small fortune on it all. Well, I didn't see myself doing the circus of panting all my way down to the cellar with heavy planted pots. 

I kept repotting some of the plants on a hold and hoped for the best for the remaining ones. They did survive the cold...:-)

Yesterday, I repotted the rest and I must say, my little balcony is lush with green. We should be spotting a pop of color in a few days. For now, the forget me nots are in full bloom and I spot buds on the lavender bush.

   In all the madness, during a quick dash to the marktplatz, this little vintage postcard caught my eye!!! A perfect one for this tired woman...:D

SO, what's your pick ladies?

Well, today I am relaxing with my man and a glass of wine!

HAPPY MAY DAY people!!!