Pictures of our Weihnachtsmarkt in Lohr, 2012.

It was Dec 7th 2012, a Friday. The weekend had just begun. There was a certain kind of excitement within our home. The Weihnachtsmarkt in town was to begin in the evening. Winter had set in and it was to be our last, both winter and christmas in Deutschland. We had a list of christmas activities lined up for the following weeks. But for now, I was determined to enjoy the christmas spirit our little town had to offer. My kitchen was buzzing with activity. Lots of cookies were in baking, for my sister was to arrive in 2 days. More reason for our excitement. 

All day long, I looked up towards the skies.  I had a wish, just one christmas wish. 

For it to SNOW.....

There was something magical about the mix of snow and twinkling christmas lights. Magical indeed. And I wanted that, for memories.....

Well, at around 4 in the evening, before the markets were to open, the snow flakes fell ever so gently, carpeting the entire town in white.

My wish came true and indeed I had a magical time. All the while as I walked around town, I had the broadest smile on my face that night!!

Adventzeit in Lohr..

The day I discovered the below webcam showing me a glimpse of Lohr I was delighted. And since then, there has been no looking back. I watched the leaves turn an orange yellow, the foggy mist hanging low over the mountains, when the sun didn't shine, I could imagine what fellow Lohrites felt and when it did come out, I rejoiced very much, for them!!

2 weeks ago when I spotted the bright orange truck parked in the Stadt which carried the christmas lights to be put around town, I was excited beyond words. For it was this orange truck that I looked forward to every November. Not being my favourite month at all, what with the changing seasons, dull skies and foggy greys, the oncoming season of advent gave me something to look forward to.  The stringing of lights meant that the city would turn a magical wonderland, straight out of a fairytale. 

Many a day and night were spent walking around town, watching the kindergarten children decorate the trees, sipping glühwein, down a piping hot bratwurst, listen to christmas ensembles being performed or be one amongst the many shopping for christmas gifts.
Now, we just have magical memories of the german advent season.

Picking up the pieces...

Last month when we got the news that our shipment was cleared by the customs and would begin its journey from the port to our home, we were over the moon. We had been living out of our suitcases for over 2 months and it was about time that our lives returned to normal with our belongings. The kids were waiting for their favourite couch to laze on, their bikes and all the nitty gritty stuff that held memories back of Lohr. Myself, I was done with washing and scrubbing both clothes and dishes by hand. I was ready to greet and welcome my gadgets. Sadly, fate had other plans in store for us. The container met with a major accident on a highway enroute to our home. People were seriously injured and our furniture broken to bits and pieces. Sadly, our life had gone from getting near to normal to I have no words to say.

Our home resembled a disaster zone and we were in disbelief when we saw the scene unfold in front of us. To make a long story short, the nights that followed were of indescribable stress, rummaging through our broken furniture and trying to fit the pieces like a jig saw puzzle. Pictures had to be taken, insurance claims to apply, more than a 100 boxes to be opened and check for further damages. Amidst all this, we consoled ourselves that we were hale and hearty, we had a terrific stay with amazing memories of Germany and that was what mattered.

Yet, I couldn't stop myself from feeling overwhelmed and having meltdowns. Till my kids began their form of therapy in their own way. Lying down for a short break we began speaking about our life in Lohr. As we spoke we were very much present in this little town..
We walked around the markt platz, paused to look around the square..

We then proceeded to grab a cone of Eis at our favourite cafe round the corner..

(Eis cafe Venezia, we miss your exotic preparations)

With the cone in hand, we strolled down the cobbled stones of my favourite lane.. 

Walking on, we turned down the road to where our home was. Such lovely memories!!

Were we done yet? You bet not. How could an evening be complete without a visit to my favourite spot in the whole wide world. The kids playing in the background while I sat beneath the weeping willow. Gosh, just the thought helped me de stress very much!!

When we felt we had spent enough time by the river , we walked back home to a gorgeous sunset over the Spessart mountains.

Since that first flashback , the kids and I speak a lot about our stay in Germany. It helps me beyond words to listen to their special moments and memories of their lives there. Their best and worst periods, their regrets(I am surprised they have some!!) , their favourite drives, walks, food, anything at all that comes to mind. We have begun travelling once again to different countries(sadly, I haven't written good blog posts about all our travels) and re live our lives that were well spent.

And through all this, we have overcome the challenges that were put forth to us and have slowly began transforming our lives to normal. 

Namaste from India.

So, here I am, trying to figure out how to prevent myself from going insane. And bang comes the idea of updating the blog.

Here's what's been happening in my corner of the world. A little more than 2 weeks ago we moved into our home with the belongings that were in storage for the past 4 years. Unpacking them was like unwrapping very dusty christmas presents. The kids took delight in seeing all of their childhood stuff which included paintings, letters in their scrawly handwriting, old albums filled with umpteen number of baby pictures and their pretty young mum(they cannot figure out how I turned out to become fat and grey too soon :D). I have been spending time dusting all of our belongings and trying to make them look good. It'S gonna be a task for many months to come. Being in storage has taken quite a toll on all our possessions. 

The kids have begun school and have adjusted beautifully. Surprisingly the Indian education system has been quite a rude shock for us. It looks like they are following the mantra of "All work and no play" and I see my kids ending up to be like dull Jack. Thats where the gymnasium of Lohr comes into the picture. Not a day goes by where they wish they were back in their german school, that am sure if a genie were to drop by granting a wish they would be off in a poof!!

I have been off the computer for a very long time, that it took me quite a while to figure out how this bloggy thing worked. This also means that I must have forgotten how to use my camera. It's been lying lonely in its bag gathering dust. I have been reading your mails and messages on the phone, but not taken the time to reply back to you all. Thats why this post to let you all know that "We are fine" and still in the process of settling down and trying to make our home look like a home. Which also brings me back to the point that we have been living a life of the 60's with no gadgets. Our stuff from Deutschland arrived 10 days ago to a port in Mumbai, but alas this is India, which means the authorities will take their own sweet time to deliver our stuff to us. 

And amidst all the madness, fleeting moments pass by in my mind wondering, what must the geraniums in Fischergasse look like? Are they spilling out of their boxes? Are the Spessart hills rolling in their summer green? And sometimes I think that my mind must be playing games with me, cause I still hear the clock strike every quarter. 

So, dear readers. I have been very glad to be back in my homeland, but, Lohr is still on my mind :-)

Till we meet again..

The past few weeks have been a roller coaster ride for our family. The thrill doesn't end here, it continues. While as much as I would have loved to blog a few posts, it simply was impossible to keep up. In a day or two, our internet connection will be shut down. So, I thought I'd take the time now to bid a proper goodbye to you all my dear readers.

Lohr am Main has been home to us for exactly three years eight months. When I think back to the day we arrived and how shocked I was with the sheer size of our little town, I never saw myself being able to complete the duration of our stay here. But then, something happened. I opened my eyes and my heart and began falling in love with Lohr. And today, I surprise myself by saying that I want to do it all over again. 

I am grateful for the amazing experience we've had together as a family, the exposure our children have had be it in the form of a german education system or having local german friends. My heart tells me that they are the ones who will miss this all so very much. Our family ties have strengthened in ways we could never have imagined and we return home with a new level of confidence to face the world and challenges.

 I am immensely thankful to you all my dear readers, both on the blog and the facebook page for your constant support and encouragement through your comments and messages. You have been a constant motivation to go out there and discover Lohr, and better myself with the pictures..:-) I have thoroughly enjoyed in looking out for the new and presenting this charming little town to you all.

So, till we meet again, it's AUF WIEDERSEHEN from Lohr am Main!!

P.S:

Where are we headed to?

On the 29th of June 2013, we fly to a city called Ahmedabad in the Indian state of Gujarat. We have never been or ever lived there before. So, it's starting life anew, just as it was in Lohr. Our Indian adventures will be recorded in my new blog HEAT and DUST. You can drop by and follow me there.

What becomes of this blog?

Crazy as it may sound, this blog continues too. I may no longer be living in Lohr but I still do have little stories and adventures to share, of both our lives and european travels. So, in terms of the blog, this is my last post from Lohr, but, it's not goodbye yet.

6 days

So our stuff rolled out on Thursday, late at night. The entire process of packing and loading the truck took two entire days. We will be reunited with our belongings after a whole two months. Any guesses what I am currently missing the most and cannot wait to be reunited with?

We will be having a small cargo of the basic requirements in the kitchen and our linen reach us as soon as we land in India. 

For now, this is how we look in our empty apartment...:D We come here and linger awhile. We are otherwise camped in a vacation home a little further away which looks like a home, furnished and all.

The coming week sees us painting and do a thorough clean up of the house. The norm in Germany is for the tenant to give back the home in the same condition as it was given, clean and spotless.  In between we will be meeting up and bidding all our friends goodbye. 

So, it's 6 more days to bid goodbye to Deutschland.

Our fairy tale life is coming to an end.

Hello....

Kind of a crazy situation here, so a quick post to let you all know what's been happening.

On Sunday, we wound up with the farewell parties for friends and colleagues of both the husband and kids. The girls were gifted these Indian bangles to remind them of Ms A while she is gone.

We are trying to close the home, but from the looks of it, I still have lots to do. Well, the packers arrive tomorrow....so eeeeks!! There goes the night!!

I have been enjoying the last of the blooms from my little terrace garden. It's a pity that we have to leave during summer, the flowers have been at their best!!

We sold our car and look what comes along with us to India...:-) 

How I love thee in summer..

The sun is out finally. It had begun to feel that winter would never end. I had given up hope and was honestly thinking that I would see sunshine only in my home country on return. 

There's a spring to ones step and warmth all around when the skies are blue and the sun shines gloriously. I had missed pulling up the shutters to amazing sunrises. So when we woke up to one on Monday, I knew that it's gonna be a great week.

Last evening, I took a break from the routine of sorting and packing up boxes and walked around the Stadt. Truly, this is the best time of year. The window boxes filled with summer flowers, everybody in bright summer clothes walking around with a cone in hand. And some others relaxing in outdoor cafes with either a beer or fruit punches. 

I have to admit, Lohr am Main, how much I love thee in sommer!!

P.S: Thanks to all of you who left your comments on the previous post. The water levels are receding quickly and am hoping and praying that the banks of the Main dry up soon so that I can spend the remainder of our days in my favourite spot.

Hochwasser..

Central Europe is reeling under floods. What began to finally look like summer turned into a continuos stream of heavy down pour which in turn has now resulted in swollen rivers.

While the situation is not bad in our town, many people in the cities of Passau in Germany, Prague in the Czech Republic, and neighbouring countries of Austria and Switzerland have not been so lucky.

Keeping our fingers crossed and hoping and praying that the waters recede as soon as possible.