With Love from Lohr

Goodbye seems to be the hardest word

2012-02-07T15:29:00.001+01:00

My sister returned to Scotland on Saturday. And for the next 2 days our little girl surprised us by being a weepy mess. The past 2 weeks were so awesome, she could not get herself to believe that it was all over.

The days up to her aunt's arrival were ones of excitement and childish preparation with a kind of frenzy.

And once she was here, it was like the three of them were on holiday together.....

Do you know of an aunt who allows herself to be thrown at with umpteen number of snow balls till the face gets totally frozen...:D

And then one who just never gets fed up of playing monopoly, morning, noon or night,

one who has the patience of ( heaven knows) when the little ones are pretend guides for a day and just cannot seem to be quiet even for a second!!

one who gives piggy back rides all over town even though her back feels like it's falling apart...

one who leaves notes and treasures collected during one of their walks.

Well, she is one kind of an aunt to both of them.

I hope she returns and they can together create many more beautiful memories.

Winter wreath

2012-02-03T15:16:00.005+01:00

It's freaking cold here......freaking cold....

Just to give you an idea, you can head on over here to see some pictures for yourself.

I decided to make the best use of this time by getting creative and all!!!

I had spotted this wreath way back in December on Pinterest and waited for temperatures to plunge, it never happened.

Last night out of the blue I remembered my pin and then couldn't wait for morning to arrive to get this done.

It looks awesome in my tiny balcony. Meanwhile, I have two more getting ready with pine leaves and red beads.
For those wanting to know how to make one, head on over here.

Soup song....

2012-01-31T21:11:00.002+01:00

There are days when I feel L A Z Y in the kitchen. But then, somebody's got to feed the family. So I have found a quick solution to feed both the family and my laziness. Yup, SOUP!!

A big bowl of SOUP!

Pic Source and recipe: BBC Good Food

During my trip back home, I happened to pick up a copy of the BBC Good Food India magazine which has yummlicious quick soup recipes. And to make my work even more simpler, my daughter, all of 9 went through the entire magazine and cross checked all that she wanted me to prepare. Yeah, she's a big foodie, that girl!! The above speedy noodle soup was our dinner for tonight accompanied with broccoli gratin!

Do you have bouts of laziness? How do you overcome it?

Tuesdays around the world

2012-01-31T14:40:00.002+01:00

When we have friends or relatives(which is rare) over, the kids and I LOVE doing the routine...

of playing guide and walking through the cobbled streets of Lohr am Main.

Today we headed to the local supermarket to show my sister what one in Deutschland looks like. She loved seeing the variety of cold meat and cheese that we have over here. Not to forget the fruits and veggies we don't find back home.

So, what are you doing today? Playing guide like me?? We would love to know. Join us at..

Happy Monday!!!

2012-01-30T09:39:00.000+01:00

On Friday we were treated to some snow. Today is Monday and all of it has melted.

(Valentin's Kapelle)

Knowing that this white treat would be short lived, sis and I went for a long walk in the neighboring mountains.

She was like a little kiddo(in reality she is an adult..:D) pausing every now and then to make snow balls and feel the cold white powder against her skin. At times brushing off leaves just to see all of it fall to the ground.

Towards afternoon the kids and her had a very long snow fight. She was begging towards the end to ask them to stop. She literally had a frozen face....:D

This is one holiday that she will remember her entire lifetime!!!

Thank you all for your lovely comments and concern on my previous post. Things are getting much better back home in India and hopefully we shall have darling hubby back in Germany again!!

Till then HAPPY MONDAY!!!!

A day at Würzburg...

2012-01-28T20:57:00.002+01:00

There are a few things guests MUST be entertained to while in Germany...

1. Bratwurst and Glühwein

2. A stroll in a farmer's market. If you fancy you can proceed to buy fresh produce...

3. A tour of a site rich in German architecture.

We accomplished all three at Würzburg and my sister loved every bit of it. To say that we are tired would be an understatement. Am also very proud of the fact that I successfully travelled alone with the kids and sis by train(minus hubby who is back in India due to a family emergency), toured a city(with the kids asking occasionally as to whether I knew where I was going!!), was able to communicate in Deutsch and do all the normal touristy stuff without help. Someone's already making plans with her new feeling of independence!!! :D

Snow white and snow fights...

2012-01-27T16:41:00.002+01:00

We did pass by snow white's castle. The children preferred snow fights with whatever snow was left. So the castle has to wait......till Sunday.

Tomorrow we are headed to Würzburg. I want to introduce my sister to some bratwurst and maybe gluhwein(if it's still available), stroll through farmers markets, and also visit sights with Baroque architecture.
What are your plans for the weekend?

P.S: I am totally in LOVE with Instagram. I seem to be going overboard with my pics on Facebook...:-) Anybody else using this application?

It's Friday with some snow!!!

2012-01-27T08:49:00.001+01:00

Do your rely on the weather forecast to know what the day/week will be like? Well, I do. A lot!! So yesterday the sun was SUPPOSED to be shining, yes shining. And I waited, waited and waited....the day came and went with absolutely no sunshine. Those who are following me on Facebook must have got fed up of my weathery rants yesterday.

And today we wake up to this.....so Mr weatherman, you didn't predict SNOW, right? Anyway, who cares!!! This sight made me want to wake up from my bed, charged me enough to pack my kids along with their snow boots and gloves to school...I even woke up my little sister to see the snow fall from our windows...she had to see it!!!

(The kids school playground as seen from our bedroom windows)

We are now waiting for the clouds in the background to slightly thin down, then we shall head to the mountains for some snowball fights and pretty pictures!!! Late afternoon we also plan to visit snow white's castle.

What are you going to do today?

Also, a warm welcome to all my new followers and a big thank you to the ones who left comments on my previous post about India. I love having you all over and look forward to your visits.

Oprah Winfrey in India

2012-01-26T14:51:00.000+01:00

Last week, Oprah was in India. Being a huge fan of hers, I followed her every move around my country. The highlight was her interview at the Jaipur Literature festival. I LOVED what she had to say about our country and admired the fact that she got it all without anybody having to explain it to her. So, here's a post with my pictures in Oprah's words......

What has struck me the most is arriving in Mumbai, my god daughter and I were being driven and she said "you know, this is like being in a video game". We didn't know which way to look and are like "gosh is that car going to hit us?!". And so my first impression was that it's a bit chaotic and then I realized that there's an underlying calm or flow, that everybody here get's the flow, and that as a foreigner, you have to get in and move with the flow.

What is it with the red lights? I mean does the red light mean stop or not? Or is it just there for your entertainment? I don't get it. What is it? I mean, the light is red and everybody just keeps going. But you all seem to know what you're doing.

There is no rage even though there are lots of people on the street and there's lots going on. There is a genuine respect and a sense of karma. People don't just talk religion here, they live it!!! They live their practice.

The above words were my favorite. I cannot describe how I miss the busy streets and the flurry of life.

I've been in middle class and elite homes and there's an altar in every home. There's an altar and there's a practice of going inwards and looking at yourself and something greater than yourself, it is an actual practice everyday. It's not just something people talk about.

I was asking the question as Americans do, "How on earth do you all live with your parents? What's that all about?" It's the kind of thing that's really a foreign concept to those of us in America, because you're just waiting to get out of the house. But having spent some time, and having dinner at a home with 4 generations in one house, I now get it. I really get a sense of how really glorious it is, that this is a country that has no respect for nursing homes, because you take care of your family and you don't put your family in nursing homes. I'm most amazed by that.

This is one of the greatest life experiences I've ever had. The reason is that, when you're in the heart of India whether it's in Jaipur or Agra or Mumbai or out in the countryside, you feel like you're in the centre of something bigger and greater than yourself. I feel enriched, deepened and enriched.

Today, India celebrates it's 63rd Republic day. Last year, on this day I posted a little video about my country. Want to have a look? Head on over here.

Tuesdays around the world

2012-01-24T13:46:00.001+01:00

Last evening squeals of laughter, giggles and screams were coming from our living room. The kids had introduced their aunt to the game of monopoly and apparently aunty was getting rich in the process. Thats why the excitement....:D

We have my little sister visiting for 2 weeks and the kids are over the moon. Living abroad has a few disadvantages and having a loved one over is one of them. Germany is just too far and way too expensive for visits. So for kids who were used to having grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins(we are a very large family) drop in every month or two, living in Germany felt like living in forced exile. Fortunately for us, she is studying in Scotland for the next year and we are looking forward to having her over frequently.

What's your today like? Join us in the fun, we love to have you over....

Sunday's in my City.

2012-01-22T16:06:00.000+01:00

I hope everybody's Sunday is going on just as it should be.

We've had a mix of rain and snow. Not a pleasant feeling, but the sight makes up for it.

Snow dust

2012-01-20T22:24:00.002+01:00

This evening Tinker Bell flew by spraying about snowy dust all over the village. It was a sight to behold!!

It didn't matter that the snow flakes melted once they touched ground. It was still fun to feel it on their way down.

Tinker sure did a great job!!! She made Lohr am Main look pretty with just the tiny hint of snow!!

Do you have surprises like these? Fairies flying with their magic out of the blue....:D

Hanging hearts..

2012-01-20T11:24:00.001+01:00

Last month, we had this hazelnut branch gifted to us by good friends. Many german homes have this branch hanging from their ceilings and decorated with lovely figurines. The decorater that I am, I too wanted one for our home. That's when the Huber family gifted me just the branch I wanted...:-)

So last evening, daughter and I got busy shaping hearts....I wanted to use the color golden and red(keeping valentines day in mind), she wanted a burst of colors. We ended up choosing the latter. By the time we were done with a dozen we were tired...:D Looks like the branch needs more, will save the hearts for another evening..:-)

Winter is here to stay...

2012-01-18T10:19:00.002+01:00

Winter has set in, yes, it's very cold. Which means, it's hard to capture shots in the open. It's too much work managing the gloves and the camera. You see, frozen fingers are just not for me.

So, what do you think of the picture? This is pretty much how our landscape looks like .... colorless. That is why the germans prefer snow....sheets of white are much better than no color. Well, I cannot wait for spring.

P.S: I do like the sight of smoky chimneys though......:-)

More slices of life in India

2012-01-16T14:31:00.003+01:00

Veggie/fruit vendors are to the Indians, what farmer markets are to the Germans.. On any given day, much before dawn, you will see them pushing their carts laden with fresh produce and also simultaneously shouting out loud as to what they have in their cart on the given day.

(selling bananas and papayas. I also spot pomegranates and chikoos in baskets.)

These vendors are always on the move. They move from place to place in a given city. While we do have large supermarkets and small shops selling the same, Indian housewives prefer these carts coming right upto their doorstep. Yes, you heard me right.

Over a period of time, it can so happen that you will be provided by your daily supply of veggies and fruits by one particular person all your life(unless you are on the move from place to place like me)

(selling so called Indian junk food...yum yum!!!)

Just another manic Monday.

2012-01-16T09:07:00.002+01:00

(The orchids are slowly beginning to bloom)

Have you guys got your groove back? It's 15 days past January and I am still trying to get things back to normal. It's sure taking pretty long.

(My newest arrival on the window sill. In about a year's time, I will have to find new homes for these babies)

We are experiencing abundant sunshine along with lots of frost. While the camera has also been struggling to get back into action, hubby has encouraged me to go out and get some pretty shots of Lohr in frost. So as I head out, here's wishing you all my lovely readers a HAPPY MONDAY!!! I hope it's not as lazy as mine.

Orchid Love

2012-01-13T15:13:00.000+01:00

Can you believe that two years ago I got these orchid plants for 1.99€? Yes, only 1.99€!!!! I too couldn't believe my eyes considering the fact that orchids are horribly expensive. Wondering whether they were selling plants that maybe sick, I nevertheless picked up 3. They were filled with plenty of blooms and looked pretty.

Once home, the blooms lasted for 2 months and then the plants went through a hiatus for the next one year. No flowers at all. I firmly believed that I would see no more flowers and decided to try my miracle revival method that I followed back home....:-) The summer of 2011, I promptly trimmed their roots short just like a military haircut the soldiers in the army have and repotted them. The following months saw the plants grow sturdier and stronger with new foliage, but no buds.

Imagine my surprise when I saw all of them sporting buds a month before I was to leave to India. Joy turned to despair wondering how would they survive without water(I could have asked for anybody to plant sit for me, but considering the fact that they are delicate and me a possessive mommy to them I chose not to entrust them in anybody's care)

So here they are, slowly beginning to bloom....They survived 3 weeks without water(This bold step was taken after reading the article here). I cannot wait to see my windowsill lit up with orchid beauty.

Christmas in India - I

2012-01-12T14:19:00.001+01:00

When we first arrived to Deutschland in 2009, we had decided our home trips for the years 2010 and 2011. We knew then itself that Christmas 2011 would be in India, though the decision was based on a completely different reason. So after having spent 2 whole seasons in Deutschland, it was with much delight that we headed home for a joyous celebration.

Back home we celebrate it in a whole different way. We have no christmas markets, snowfall, pine or christmas trees. No Santa riding a reindeer sleigh. To Indians, all of the above is a dream.
Yet, we celebrate it with much pomp and grandeur in our own way. The advent season is looked much forward to, not only by the christian community in India, but also by people belonging to other faith.

(The kids are shaping kidyos( means worm). They then are deep fried in oil)

The one major preparation that involves before Christmas is definitely the special sweets known as "Kuswar" in my mother tongue Konkani. The entire family, young and old alike pitch in to help. Most of our sweets are prepared with refined flour, butter, sugar and eggs. Accordingly spices, raisins, nuts maybe added depending on the recipe. Most of our sweets are deep fried in hot oil or ghee.

(Preparation of neuries or stuffed puffs. The stuffing consists of raisins, almonds, cashew nuts, desiccated coconut, sesame and poppy seeds, and granulated sugar)

Interested in knowing more about kuswar? You can head on over here.

Happy New Year 2012!!

2012-01-10T09:15:00.002+01:00

I would like to wish each one of my bloggy friends a joyous and prosperous New Year 2012. It's been 2 days since we returned from our wonderful trip back home. While the hubby and kids are back to work and school, at home I have been slowly trying to get my groove back.

(A regular day in the Indian city of Vadodara)

I have umpteen photos from my country, India. Will take time to slowly sort through them and show you glimpses from back home.

What's your today like? Has the New Year been treating you well? We are eager to know..:-)

I'll be home....

2011-12-17T23:05:00.004+01:00

I'll be home........oopsie,

We'll be home for Christmas...:-D

Even our bags say out loud that they will be home for CHRISTMAS.

I was so tempted to add a twig or two of pine leaves along with that red twine...

But then, apart from the stares from my fellow passengers, I didn't want to be explaining myself to the Indian authorities in the wee hours of Monday morning as to why was I bringing the little bit of German flora and fauna along with me..lol!!!!!

While I will be on a bloggy break for a while, I thought I will take the opportunity to wish you all my dear friends in advance

FROHE WEIHNACHTEN und

FROHES NEUES JAHR 2012!!!!

P.S: How do you mark your baggage while traveling? This was a piece of advice given by my dear MIL to tie them with ribbons so that they would be easily recognizable when they come out on the conveyor belt!! It should make our work much simpler, especially when we have not 1, not 2, not 3....but 8 bags rolling out!!!!

T-lights..

2011-12-14T20:04:00.003+01:00

What is the best part about winter that you like? Apart from snow?

Well, I love lighting up our home with candles and t-lights. The soft glow from the lit candles not only give a cosy feel to the home, but also much needed warmth.

Christmas markets are one such place to find awesome t-light holders, like the one above. It's a small glass bowl with a hand painting of a typical winter's night in Germany. When it's lit, to me it looks real. It feels as though there is somebody inside those buildings with a crackling fire inside...

Tuesdays around the world.

2011-12-13T13:26:00.000+01:00

All that my house smells of is raisin and rum!!!

Back home in India, rich plum cakes were what we gifted to our near and dear ones. I have no idea as to how this tradition originated, but what I do remember is waiting eagerly with excitement to visit everybody with the beautifully wrapped cake in our hands. And yes, the cakes were specially baked by the bakers exclusively for Christmas as ovens were rarely found in homes for people to bake.

I toyed with the idea of gifting the Indian way to our friends of two years. It turned out that we had made quite a few...:-), hence I ended up baking round the clock!!!
For those interested in the recipe, head on over here.

Sundays in my City

2011-12-11T21:51:00.001+01:00

I hope everybody has had a lovely week. We have been experiencing the warmest Advent season and I have never been so happy. In exactly a weeks time we should be touching down in India. Yes, I will be home for Christmas!!! There are no words to describe the excitement we are going through and not to forget the countdown the kids are having.

The kids have been busy with their christmas preparations in school. They know that I love everything hand made and when it is made with their own hands, I go giddy with joy and excitement. They love giving me little hints as to what they are making and when the day finally arrives, they bring their treasured pieces home. And like any mommy, I proudly display their work of art for all to see.

P.S: The above nativity scene was hand sculpted by my daughter at school. Apparently Joseph was mixed up with another girl's and there was no way she could find the one she made. Once home, she begged me not to display cause this figurine looked funny to her. I had to convince her that they all looked great and that I was not willing to trade this for any other nativity scene.

Sankt Nikolaus Tag

2011-12-06T14:42:00.001+01:00

Today, Sankt Nikolaus visits all the children in Germany. The kids are supposed to leave a clean shoe/boot outside the door. Depending on how well they have behaved the entire year, either candy(if good) or tree branches(if not) are left in their boot.

Well, my kids got both...:D

Lots of candy and lovely Weihnachtsplätzchen(christmas cookies) hanging from tree branches.

Thank you once again Karl and Rosemarie..:)

If you are an expat, have you embraced any of your host country's customs and traditions?

Has a friend or a neighbor helped you learn or understand any of them?
Want to know more about this day, head on over here.

2011-12-05T23:47:00.000+01:00

Wanna know what am I feeling right now?? Terribly sleepy...I so want to crash into bed, but then, wanted to let you guys know what's been happening in my part of the world.

So, I am done with my German course. I had exams to answer, both written and verbal. I did spend a lot of time(though last minute) to prepare for the big day and I think I did pretty good.

Today was my first day being home and the result.....a terribly exhausted woman. I think I packed in too many chores all at once, to add it to it, this season does call in for extra work..ain't I right??

Coming to the season, I think this has got to be the wettest Advent ever!!! Can you believe it has been raining cats and dogs over here. Imagine walking around Christmas markets with umbrellas in hand?? So not appealing!!!

What does appeal though is the aroma of the yummy lebkuchen and hot gluhwein wafting through the air!!!!

So now, its's time my lovelies to bade you good night!! Bis morgen, which means "until tomorrow!!"

P.S: Pictures taken at the Würzburg Weihnachtsmarkt.

First sunday of Advent.

2011-11-27T22:19:00.001+01:00

With the season of advent comes the german christmas markets. Something everybody looks forward to. We try to visit at least 3 to 4 markets every year. Though people say that all the markets look the same, to us there is something different in store in each one. While hubby and I love to sip on some gluhwein and home made liquor, we also love wandering and admiring stalls with plenty of craft and handwork. Its amazing to see the creativity of Germans and I cannot help but admire their finesse and talent for such fine art. Not to forget, we do end up taking an ornament home.

And while we do the above, the kids do try to also look out to things that appeal to them. And this particular ladies stall caught their eye.

To those who do not know, this is bannock or simply campfire bread. One of the ways to prepare it is to cook it on a stick on a campfire.

While the fire not only cooked bread, it also gave us the much needed warmth.

We did have a lovely time and not to forget, I was grateful too for there was no snow....:D

Tomorrow I will share some more pictures of the Weihnachtsmarkt.

Getting ready

2011-11-26T18:15:00.001+01:00

Tomorrow mark's the beginning of the season of advent. A time to prepare for the coming of Jesus Christ or Christmas. It's funny how each country celebrates Advent and Christmas in its own way. Over here, the preparations all over the village begin roughly 10 days before the first Sunday of advent. The Christmas trees are planted all around town, lights put up, window shops getting ready for the season and then all of a sudden, the quiet sleepy villages burst with light, warmth and color.

German homes too prepare themselves equally. Advent wreaths are put up on doors, also the wreath with four candles each for the four sunday's of advent are made ready, lights around the homes are put up, Christmas t-lites are lit and not to forget the ovens baking german goodies round the clock. All this festive spirit makes up for the dark cold winter and gives you a feeling of warmth within.

When we moved three years ago I was baffled at how early everybody decorated. Not wanting to be left out, we too joined in the customs and am happy to say that this is our third year following everything to the T. I LOVE doing up our home for christmas and now LOVE doing it so early too...:-)

Time and again I have mentioned how i draw inspiration from window shopping...:D I hope shop owners do not realize that somebody is stealing their ideas and sue me!!!!

A lot of shops around town have placed baubles in huge glass jars, so the idea's from there!!

And the floating t-lites in glass jars with fresh pine leaves and water, that's from PINTEREST

I just love the site so much, its making up for the lack of home keeping magazines I used to buy in India. The ideas are mind wobbling!!

This is how the sideboard leading to the living room looks like. Warm and cosy, lit up for the season of cheer.

How are you getting yourself ready for the upcoming season??

It's the most wonderful time of the year..

2011-11-23T21:07:00.001+01:00

As it happens every year, I spotted these two guys last week from my kitchen window while fixing myself a quick breakfast.

I knew by the time I returned home, the lights would be up..

and they were!!! Sunday marks the first Sunday of advent. The lights will then come on and will remain so till the first week of January.

As I write this, the Christmas trees too are up around the village and being decorated by little hands. My camera is on a short holiday in India, so we've got to wait till I get some shots of our lit up and decorated festive paradise sans snow..:D

Pin it!!

2011-11-18T19:43:00.001+01:00

Husband says once my german classes end, I will miss them a lot. If only it were true...:D I cannot wait to get back to my former schedule......

Dates with my oven...

splash of creativity around my home...

Deck the halls for Christmas...:)

and last but not the least.....plan and dream about our annual family holiday for 2012 to...

either here,

or here.

I am finally pinning!!! Yeah!!!!!!!!!

It's an amazing place to be. And am beginning to wonder why on earth didn't I ever stumble on it before. Anyway, it's never too late!!!

Count down...

2011-11-17T17:49:00.001+01:00

I want to begin doing up our home for X'mas. From what I know, friends of mine have begun baking goodies too. I have gathered the baubles, begun looking out for fresh pine leaves, so many ideas on the web which catch my attention, but it all has to wait.

In exactly 2 weeks I will be answering my exams for the B1 level of the German language. I made up my mind to put in at least 2 hours of daily study apart from the nearly 6 hours of classes I attend everyday. I did succeed for a few days with the extra time, but then had to give in to the piles of laundry, messy home and dinner for the family.

I am no where close to speaking perfect german. The grammar has gone all over my head. The best I do is to translate word for word, english to german and voila, there I have my sentence. This does not mean I haven't learnt or benefitted anything at all. I am able to understand all the Deutsch announcements sent by the school to parents, also help the kids with their home work and attempt reading simple recipes too all with good success. That does make me feel good. But the exams, a different story all together. So while I am at it, to get into the festive mood, I placed these pretty poinsettias in a hand painted gold pot. I cannot wait to be a free bird, soon!!!!!

Sunday's in my city.

2011-11-13T15:55:00.001+01:00

Remember my post here where I said that I would be taking a german timbered building back home with me..:)

I like this one...

Husband likes this..

Between the two of us we will have to select one..:) Since our last time window shopping, a new collection has been added. Which one do you like??

DIY Fall/Advent wreath

2011-11-12T17:25:00.001+01:00

Are you the kind of person who buys material just because it's cheap for a craft project which you may or may not end up doing?? Well, I for one am that kind of person and most of the time, I do end up making what I have in mind. So, when I saw these balls of yarn a few months ago at a local supermarket for a euro each, I promptly bought not one, nor two but four for a future crochet project. In course of time, I realized that I could not crochet with this particular yarn(It said it was meant for knitting socks and I had failed to see it!!) So the yarn lay quietly in my basket until I saw these wreaths doing the round all over the net just before fall set in!!!

One blogger did mention that this DIY wreath is meant for a rainy day and after I began I understood why...:D This does take a lot of time and patience too.

I found the tutorial here and let my imagination do the rest.

Martin's Tag, 2011

2011-11-11T15:59:00.001+01:00

Imagine my surprise when I stepped out of the house yesterday to buy a lantern for my daughter to take part in the Martin's tag procession which I thought was to be on 11.11.11!!!! Everybody were walking towards the spielplatz with LANTERNS!!! Luckily, my knowledge of little german came to my rescue.....

Stopping a passerby I asked" ist heute Martin's tag??".

"Ja" came the reply.

"Um wie veil Uhr?"

"Jetzt!!"

eeeeks,jetzt(now) I shrieked!!!!

So it was a mad dash with a lantern to a house with kids already snuggled warm in their house wear cosily in front of the TV. It was in record time that we dressed and ran to the ground all the while praying that the whole thing was not over!!!

Most of the kids had self made pretty lanterns...

In comparison to last year, the crowd was pretty huge this year and also I personally felt quite noisy. In 10 minutes my daughter felt so GROWN UP and declared this was not for her but for kindergarten children!!!

So debating whether to take part in the procession or not, they finally agreed to walk a portion and then head back home.

The houses on the streets where the procession walked were all lit up with t-lights in bottles.

So much for our eventful Martin's Tag!!!

More timbered houses.

2011-11-10T15:29:00.001+01:00

If anybody were to ask me what was one of the many things I liked about Germany, my answer would definitely be it's timbered houses. While I do regret for not being able to live in one, I am grateful for the fact that I do live in a beautiful medieval village which has rows of such houses.

Now the above picture is not of Lohr am Main, but the Römer Platz of Frankfurt am Main. Each time I have landed and taken off either by plane or train, I was always greeted by the ugly skyscrapers of the city. So, it did take me by surprise to see these rows of timbered buildings neatly tucked away a little further from the modern high-rises.

I intend on taking back to India one of these timbered houses all for me. To remind me of my once beautiful stay which will slowly then be only a memory. You may wonder how? I will reveal it to you...shortly..:)

Tuesdays around the world

2011-11-08T20:10:00.000+01:00

I know what some of you must be thinking. Has she nothing to blog about other than autumn foliage..?

I cannot help but post these breathtaking pictures.

This may have been our last autumn walk. Since then the leaves have slowly been falling to the ground.

I hate to think that I will have to look at bare branches sans foliage in a few days from now.

What does your part of the world look like?? Beautiful as mine? We would love for you to share it with us.

P.S: All pictures above were taken at the beautiful Hofgarten at Coburg.

Jingle bell rock..:)

2011-11-07T19:37:00.002+01:00

In exactly 3 weeks, our little village will be all lit up for Christmas. The men from the municipality will go around town in small trucks with big ladders to string the lights. A row of them begin right outside my kitchen window that it's quite comforting to see them on a dark cold winter's night.

The picture above is from last year. You can see that we had our first snow fall during the last week of November. I have predicted that this year, we are not gonna see the white flakes till January..:) It's just a feeling and I know I am gonna be right.

The countdown to our magical christmas markets too have begun. Germany's Weinachtsmarkt are world famous for their gluhwein(hot spiced wine) and yummy gingerbreads and not to forget the many handmade decorations on sale.

As I begin my countdown, the christmas carols are softly playing on this cold autumn day in the warmth of my home. I know not if it's too early, but what I do know is that my heart is filled with joy and my spirits are definitely high...:)

Sunday's in my City

2011-11-06T22:08:00.000+01:00

The kids and I were home for a week'a autumn vacation. Generally, I look forward to the school reopening, but not this time. For those who do not know, I have been attending full time classes for the past 6 months in an attempt to learn the Deutsch language. So, this means I too need to drag myself back to school tomorrow......:(

If you do drop my home tomorrow morning, I will be like a little kiddo repeatedly muttering to myself..." I don't wanna go, I don't wanna go". And then hubby dear tries to make me feel better by saying.."You have come this far. Another month to go and then you are done!!" My man sure knows how to slowly encourage and motivate me to learn something new.

So much for my lessons. Coming back to what we did. Kids and museums, this combination can never go wrong during a holiday. I must admit that Germany does have many impressive museums. The museum of Natural History in Coburg was one where we accidentally stumbled into. A visit to the fortress coupled with an autumn walk was the plan when the museum came into view on our path. And then to pleads of "bitte, bitte" which means "please, please" we had to give in. I am glad we did.

As much as I am not waiting for winter, it's funny how the wild boars in the fake snow excited me....:D Really..lol!!!

To me, they all looked real, just like in the zoo. Only difference being these were up close!!

I love bears!! They remind me so much of Brother Bear..

Check out the otter with a fish underneath his paw watching out to see who is eyeing his meal. Impressive??

This lioness was a beauty. I also began to wonder whether these animals at some point were real?? What do you think?

2011-11-04T15:30:00.000+01:00

It's been two years.....

yet, home is where the heart is....:)

Pumpkin Festival

2011-11-03T14:15:00.002+01:00

We spent the weekend with our friends from back home in the city of Stuttgart. With four kids to keep busy during the weekend, we headed over to Ludwigsburg where a pumpkin festival was happening since the past month. The moment we got out of the bus, this was the sight that greeted us. Forgetting the pumpkins I rushed to capture the lovely autumn hues with all four kids in tow. With a mini photo shoot over, we proceeded to the pumpkin delight.

There were way too many pumpkins in all colors, sizes and shapes!!!! A colorful sight indeed. The kids went crazy, so also us...:D

Not to forget, the theme of the festival was "Jurassic Park"

There were pretty pumpkin arrangements too...

plenty on sale....

Sliced pumpkins fried in hot oil in a wok seasoned with Indische spices... Naturally we ended up buying the seasoning to try out the same at home.

There were also food stalls selling delicacies prepared from.......you guessed right...:) Well, we had to meet up with another Indian family and since we were running out of time, we had to let our taste buds be satisfied with the yummy aroma wafting through the air.

In all, it was a gorgeous autumn fun filled day!!!!

Pirate turns 11!

2011-11-01T21:32:00.000+01:00

My pirate turned 11 on halloween's day. We celebrated with lots of choco muffins(his favorite) and a yummylicious Indian dinner all prepared by mommy the chef. Back home in India, birthdays and anniversaries meant going out to our favorite restaurants, but the german cuisine has not tickled our palettes so much as to long to go out and eat on special days( they are reserved more for our day trips or holidays).

I would have loved to decorate these cakes with halloween characters, but these lady bugs were the best I could find next to girly stuff. Never the less, my little pirate was super pleased with these.

Sundays in my city

2011-10-30T21:11:00.003+01:00

This is our third year experiencing autumn and I honestly feel it is the best....

The first year I was too overcome with sorrow of having left our loved ones behind, the new country seemed all strange..... I seemed to have overlooked the changing colors.

The second year I waited, but autumn was wet, gloomy and too cold. We really could not experience a good rustle of the leaves as they were always wet..

This year, autumn is at its best!! Perfect in every way....truly!!!

Ahoy captain!!!!

2011-10-26T16:59:00.005+02:00

Tomorrow, it's Sonny's first halloween party ever. There are no words to describe his excitement...

Halloween is something he has loved to read and dream about considering the fact that we do not celebrate it in India. So, when the school sent a note home saying there would be a celebration, he could not contain his excitement.

With the note came dread(for me)....It meant he would have to dress up appropriately, to suit the occasion, all fearful and scary!!!!

Why don't you dress up as a ghost, said I... All I got to do is cut big circles as eyes on a big white sheet and then, you are ready to go!!!

Ohhh, thats too easy a costume for you to make Mamma declares he...

I wanna be a PIRATE!!!

Oh captain Jack Sparrow, why has my son a fascination towards you, oh why???

Gone are the days when I would jump at the opportunity to prepare such costumes for my kiddos..

All my enthusiasm seems to have....gone with the wind!!!

So, here I am with needle, thread, paper, glue and scissors to make my boy the perfect pirate!!

Still, a little girl..

2011-10-24T20:21:00.001+02:00

When it comes to movies, I am a kiddo at heart...:) I love giving my kids company or rather the kids love it that I watch along with them.......:D

Sci fi.....I never understand it..

Murder, violence, lies, deceit.......gosh!!! How can somebody ever enjoy all this??

Fairytales, romance.....I love them all.....

The knight in shining armor, the trapped princess.......

I never tire of them.....

If there's a dash of humor, then even more merrier!!!

There is no count as to how many times we have watched our favorite movies, over and over again.......Many of them during my childhood and now all over again with my kids....

What kind of a movie person are you??

A warm welcome to all my new followers. I love having you over and hope that you enjoy my space..:)

Are you waiting for old man winter?

2011-10-20T15:44:00.002+02:00

As the leaves change color.........

The days get shorter............

and colder too .............

(LEM photo challenge 'anything')

What do you do?

How do your prepare for old man winter?

Are you glad to greet him or want to run away from him?

Tuesdays around the world

2011-10-18T20:00:00.002+02:00

The next few months, sunshine will be a rare treat.

What's your corner of the world like? We are eager to know. Link up with us at Communal Global and share your today...

Farmers market in Lohr am Main

2011-10-16T12:56:00.000+02:00

Today, I thought I would give you a peek into our farmers market held every Wednesday and Saturday at the marktplatz(market square). As I told you before, ours is a very small village, hence the market too is very small. Twice a week, a few farmers from nearby villages come to sell their fresh produce of veggies, fruits, dairy products, fresh pressed juices, conserves, wines, fruit liquors..... It is encouraged to buy from these farmers not only to help them in their daily living, also that their produce is fresh and chemical free(bio as the germans call it).

Did you know that there are so different kinds of apples? At first I found it weird, but then remembered that the Indian mango is also of so many varieties all with funny names. So, why not an apple too? I have yet to learn either the names or the purpose of each apple(juice, jam, wine making??).

Want to quench your thirst with some freshly pressed apple juice? Its available too!!!

Flowers for your loved one??

Remember the nightwatchman's tour? Guess who we bumped into?

The last countess of Lohr!! She was on her guided tour of Lohr am Main with tourists.

My little one didn't feel it right that I clicked pictures of her when we weren't a part of the tour.

Wanna know how the weekends are in the rest of the world? Visit Unknown Mami for you will find a plenty there!!!

Memories of the leaning tower...

2011-10-14T22:51:00.000+02:00

It's been almost two months since we were on our 2 week vacation in Italy and I never got around to posting either our pictures or stories about the wonderful time we had there. Last year we decided that we would have one big vacation driving around a country and Italy was our pick. So with months of reading, planning and trying to gather as much information as possible we eagerly set out on our trip. Its pretty hard trying to plan a holiday keeping the entire family's interests in mind. The leaning tower was on sonny's list and pretty much in our's too. Little did we realize that our visit to the leaning tower would be the most memorable of all.

Since we lived a mere 20 kms away from the leaning tower and all the information that I gathered told me that it would be open till 11:00 at night, I chose for us to visit it at around 6 in the evening. I figured that the setting sun would give us a much cooler atmosphere and also it would make for some pretty pictures too. Now all the planning must have gotten into my head cause I forgot not only my book of maps, also all the instructions required to get to the leaning tower from the railway station( we travelled by train) Now remember, we are on holiday, so there is no blame game at all so that everybody's spirit's are high and continue to be sane...:D Our nightmare began when we pretty soon realized not a soul could speak english to us nor could we figure out which bus could take us to the tower. Trying to understand whatever Italian we could and recognizing fellow tourists we got into a bus after an hours wait. The moment we got out, the first picture was the sight that greeted us. The beautiful baptistry, dome and the leaning tower gleaming at us against the setting sun. Our woes didn't end there. We pretty soon realized that the cathedral and baptistry were closed and the climb to the top of the tower was another hour and a half hours wait. So how much longer can the family stay without blaming me......not any more!!!! ~~So while I was there thinking to myself that maybe this is a sign of our just begun holiday going wrong,~~ we clicked more pictures against the tower, tried pushing the tower back...;D, walked around the lawns, visited the cemetery, sat on the lawns feeling the evening Pisa breeze....

(Camposanto Monumentale - The cemetery, Pisa)

I had made it clear that I did not want to climb the tower, once again thanks to all the reviews that I had read on the net..:D(Apparently you tend to feel yourself losing balance as the tower is not straight but leaning). Once the trio were on top, they began to thank their stars for all that went wrong before.........the picture below will tell you why!!

(Sunset glow over the town of Pisa)

Not only was the sight spectacular, they regretted the fact that I wasn't there with them. So the lesson they learnt from this experience was that hence forth make Mama climb Italian towers too, lest she misses the fun. Hubby dearest clicked plenty of pictures for me, simply breathtaking indeed.

We got to see the leaning tower not only by day but by night too. And were we glad!!

For the record, there was no bus at all to take us back to the station. We found a couple who were angels in disguise to help us walk back to the station. However, we missed our last train back to the place where we were living and hence had to take a taxi back which did cost a small bomb...:D

So we were back to square one again....blame it all on mother!!!!! :D :D

P.S: The bus line Lama Rosa takes you directly to the leaning tower from the railway station.

Jing a ling a ling......

2011-10-14T13:54:00.003+02:00

The candy and fruit are finally a soaking. They will be for the next two months.

How do you prepare for Christmas??

I ♥ Pinecones

2011-10-12T22:43:00.000+02:00

I LOVE pinecones, oh so very much!!

I love collecting them on my walks. Since most of the time I am without a bag, my jacket pockets will be filled with them. Now when I think about it, pinecones will be missed terribly once I return back home to India.

The hidden vineyards

2011-10-10T21:55:00.000+02:00

Remember the walk I wrote about yesterday. So while we were at it, at some point the path diverged into two leading to another trail. Knowing very well that it was something to do with wine( we came home and found out that lehrpfad translates to trail...lol!!!), after the ruins, we decided to find out where this path led to.

We are surrounded by quite some vegetation. The children slowly begin to doubt out loud as to where are we headed... In sonny's mind he knows that we are walking away from the point where we have parked our car...:D

and then the path opened up to this!!!

Rows and rows of vineyards!! Now my trio felt they hit the jackpot(cause since quite some time I have been wanting to go walking in vineyards followed by wine tasting) I too would have thought the same if I could spot some grapes.

(The year of planting and type of grape is noted down for easy recognition)

With not a grape in sight, I wondered whether it was too late. All the plants were bare and pretty soon the leaves would fall too, which meant I would have to wait another whole year for my lovely walk in a vineyard full of grapes. Walking further down, we realized that the vineyards were beginning to be enclosed by wires and then we saw why?

My beauties were still there...:D I am guessing the wine growers remove the enclosure as and when the fruit is picked. So, these grapes were still protected ~~from photographers like me.~~ There were plenty of rows with fruit on them and we could also sense the strong smell of very ripe grapes in the air!! Since it was getting pretty late and with the sun setting we had to get back to our car through the dense path. But not before I got a few more clicks.

I envy the family living in the house below with all my heart. Imagine waking up to sights of lush green vineyards!! But then somebody may be envious of me too waking up to the sights of the beautiful Main Spessart...:)

Our first autumn walk of the year!!

2011-10-09T23:08:00.001+02:00

Last week on our way to Nürnberg by train, I was surprised to see the pretty autumn foliage around Ruine Karlburg. These ruins are just a 20 minute drive from home and every time we pass by, we really do not give a second glance towards it. So the autumn colors did take me surprise. Today with the sun playing a game of hide and seek with us, we decided to head over to the ruins and see the autumn magic for ourselves.

Once we parked the car and followed the sign which led to the trail, we were greeted by this gorgeous sight of fallen leaves and colors of yellow and orange above. It was hard to contain my excitement!! All the while I kept thinking that such pretty sights are indeed hidden from the world.

Eventually it became a tug of war for the camera between the husband and I. As we climbed further on, the town of Karlstadt looked picturesque. Those are german windmills high up on mountains far away.

The climb actually exhausts you, but once on top, you are treated to some gorgeous sights or "blick" as said by the germans. There isn't much of the ruins, pretty small in size, but its actually the view that compensates for the climb.

The lovely autumn foliage with the river Main in the background. Somehow, I feel that autumn is at its best this year. Does anybody else feel the same way?

The town of Karlstadt.

More of the ruins.....

Our walk didn't end here. We were in for more surprises. Come back tomorrow, I have more to show you..:)

Nürnberg Zoo.

2011-10-09T13:40:00.001+02:00

I have mentioned many times before as to how in Germany we plan our outings and excursions depending on the weather. At first this methodology seemed very strange to me, but now I must admit that when it comes to weather forecast and planning I am half german...:D Last weekend was one of such days plus the added advantage of a long weekend meant a day out at the zoo in Nürnberg. When you have kids you have to expect umpteen visits to say hello to the animals. While each one seems different to them, to us adults they are all the same!! This is our third visit to a zoo in Deutschland, and personally till date I feel the Stuttgart zoo numbers one.

Nürnberg Tiergarten boasts of a dolphin show, something different from the other tiergarten's. I must say that it indeed was very impressive and delightful especially for the little children to watch. For us, it was our first time with dolphins. Having read quite a few articles on them, they are know to be very friendly creatures.

I loved the way the trainers communicated with them. It must be a pretty interesting job to work with animals and be able to understand and talk to them.

All along they obeyed and performed marvelously. The actual thrill was when they began these leaps and somersaults in the water. The gasps of delight from the children in the crowd was equally pleasing to hear.

The dolphin show is worth the visit . You will not be left disappointed. It helps to go early and take the best seats for an enjoyable show cause it can get pretty crowded!!

(waiting for their treats after the performance)

Do not forget to visit and say hello to Unknown Mami and all my other bloggy friends.
HAPPY SUNDAY!!!

Finally, Hello Fall!!!

2011-10-05T15:33:00.000+02:00

All my neighbors, both in bloggy land and Deutschland welcomed fall with wreaths hanging on their doors, pumpkins outside their porches, apple cakes and pumpkin pies in their ovens and all other FALLY(that's my own word) things you can think of!! And all the while, my door welcomed its visitors with a HELLO SPRING wreath. Summer had come and gone, autumn had set in and still hello spring??So, before christmas set in, I thought that I better get my act together.

I set out to make not one but two wreaths. One for our main door and the other for inside the home. I have mentioned before about the amazing art and craft shops we have here in Germany. I would have loved to show you a peek into the one I so often frequent, but I am having my doubts whether the owners would approve of me clicking and putting up pictures on the net( I tried once asking the owner of an Asian store and she just refused. Infact, she was not happy about me taking shots of the shop from outside too!!!). I love doing up my home and it gives me immense pride to do it up with things prepared by our very own hands. It also encourages the children to try their hands on making pretty things(though over a period off time your home gets filled up and if you are the kind of mother that I am, then you have your cupboards and drawers full too.)

I try to get my inspiration from everywhere. Nature, books, homes, window shopping......not to forget the world of internet. All you got to do is keep your eyes open, see, take mental notes and then let your mind weave the magic. That's what I did with the wreath above. I knew I wanted the typical fall colors with the leaves, pumpkins, pinecones and not to forget the magical fairy mushroom!! It did take me a lot of time to find those fake leaves.

I bought a circular wreath and wrapped it around with coir. I then used a hot glue gun to stick the leaves, corn, pumpkin, apple(all made of plastic) and pinecones.

I always love the mushroom posts on my bloggy friend Sonya's blog. And to think that she has really seen the red mushroom with white spots. Well. I have seen them only in fairytale books. While I am still on the lookout to see these fellows for real, I had to have a fake one on my wreath. My daughter and I did look silly searching for the PERFECT plastic mushroom...lol!!!!

Once you are done, wrap around with a bow made of colored straw, hang it on your door and say out loud HELLO FALL...:D

Farmer's markets in Germany.

2011-10-03T22:36:00.001+02:00

Germany is known for its farmer's markets. Every little village, town or city have these markets where farmers bring their fresh produce of fruits and veggies to be sold. You also find fresh eggs, cheese and other dairy products, meat and fish also sold at these markets during fixed days every week. The bigger the town, the larger the market. Lohr am Main has its weekly markets every wednesday and saturday. As our's is a little village, there are barely 3 to 4 farmers coming over very week.

On Saturday we were at Nürnberg. The large open air market with the colorful produce and bright red striped umbrellas made for a very pretty sight. It also was surprising to hear the vendors call out to you loudly, inviting you to taste their fresh fruit!!!

Pretty soon I was tempted not to taste but buy the papaya, a fruit which grows in abundance in our backyards back home in India. Fruits which are a staple diet for us back home is considered to be exotic in European countries, hence they are also expensive to buy.

Apart from all things bright and beautiful like above, you also find pretty hand crafts made of wood, glass, cane or ceramic, wines, liquors, conserves, fresh flowers for your loved ones, ornaments etc. I pretty soon realized that we needed an entire day just to explore Nürnberg's market. I do plan to return there soon..:)

Would you like to share a slice of your world? We would love for you to join us at Communal Global.

The Monk

2011-10-01T23:23:00.004+02:00

Germany has a long weekend(thanks to the extra holiday on Monday). Also the weather forecast was to be a gorgeous Saturday which plenty of sunshine which is unusual for this time of the year. It would definitely be a pity to let such a beautiful day go a waste!! So, we headed to Nürnberg to meet our good old friends from back home and also to sightsee. Though I am very tired I had to share this picture before I retired to bed. Check out this floating monk we found right outside St. Lorenz Kirche.

At least this brilliant idea of his should be able to fetch hime some money...:D

And yes, he is very much real.

Charles Knie Zirkus has come to town(and also left).

2011-09-30T17:55:00.000+02:00

Got up with the sniffles yesterday accompanied by a nice body ache. ~~Glad that I was down with the sneezes and sore throat, just like a little child I took hold of the opportunity to not attend class.~~ The thoughtful person that I am, I didn't want to spread the nasty germs to my fellow classmates. Wanting to get rid of the soreness from the throat, I headed to the doctor. Imagine my surprise when I saw these tents on the way. Our's is a pretty small village, really, but being clueless about this really took me by surprise then followed by excitement. Are you the kind of mommy who upon discovering something can't wait to tell the kids?? Well, I am!!

Unfortunately, I had no cam with me. Though the thought did cross my mind to take it along, the doc on seeing me would definitely have thought that I had gone bonkers lugging heavy equipment round my neck(no, I do not like to carry it in a bag).

Appointment done with instructions to not spread the germs to family and yes, also my classmates(~~happy smile)~~ I dashed home, popped a pill and headed back with the cam all the while thinking that the kids will be so excited to know that a ZIRKUS is in town.....:D

The angry tiger seemed to be pacing angrily up and down the cage while its partner was in a deep slumber. And the Llamas below, they were very beautiful(all pics taken from top of a bridge).

Look at the colorful cages this zebra and llama share.

Now satisfied that I had pictures too to share with the kids I headed back home to rest.

For the record, they already knew about the zirkus and forgot to tell me!!!! So much for surprises and excitement...:D
P.S: Now we have come to know that it was here only for 3 days. They pack up and leave today...:(

Plum Crumble

2011-09-29T18:52:00.000+02:00

For those of you who have been reading my posts, you will know that we were invited to the night watchman's tour of Lohr am Main. After the tour we proceeded to celebrate the 13th birthday of our good friends T&S's daughter. T is British, S German. So they always have a mix of both german and british cuisine on their table. The desert for the night was British Plum Crumble. It's a kind of plum pudding with plums(or any other soft fruit) for the base and a crumble mix of flour, sugar, and egg sprinkled on the top and baked. It sounded very easy to prepare and I was determined to bake it this week.

By now, you must also be aware that I am home alone with my daughter. Well, today sonny also joined us and so we were a trio!! Home early meant plenty of iPad time or that's what he thought. He loves reading(I know its a good habit), but he has given up his books for the little pad. Determined to reduce the time spent on the electronic tablet(I had hid it) I invited him to join me in baking.

The pitting of the first 5 plums were like this:

Sonny: Where is the iPad?

Me: We are baking now. Forget the thing.

Sonny: Once I am done pitting the plums will you tell me?

Me: Will see about that.....

By the time he was on the 10th, he not only was engrossed, he wanted to do the whole preparation all by himself. I let him...:) So here's how he did it....

Wash well and pit 3 pounds or one and a quarter kilograms of plums. Cut them into halves.

Combine plums and quarter cup brown sugar to blend well.

Lightly butter a baking dish..

Arrange plums in them..

Sift together 1 cup all purpose flour, 1 cup granulated sugar, half a teaspoon each of salt and cinnamon powder. Beat an egg and stir into the flour mixture stirring lightly with fork until mixture is crumbly. Sprinkle mixture evenly over the plums.

Melt half a cup of butter and drizzle over the crumble(I did this step). Bake plum crumble at 190 degrees celsius for 45 minutes or until lightly browned.

Serve warm with whipped topping or ice cream.

That night we had it with ice cream, today as it is. Either way, it tastes delicious. Not only did sonny enjoy the whole episode, he wants to try his hand at whipping more dishes. I think some day, his wife is gonna thank me...:D

Hosted by Cecily and Lolli

Autumn colors

2011-09-29T11:49:00.001+02:00

My Moment, yes exclusively mine...being treated to this beautiful autumn foliage in the morning..

Winter is an etching, spring a watercolor, summer an oil painting and autumn a mosaic of them all. ~Stanley Horowitz

Beauty is where you find it

The night watchman's tour in Lohr am Main

2011-09-26T22:29:00.000+02:00

Over the weekend, we were invited by a good friend to the night watchman's tour of Lohr am Main. Call it strange but we had never been on a tour to get to know our village a lot better. We just took it for granted that Lohr is gonna be our home for a while and that was it!! Though it was to be in German I nevertheless was excited to be walking around the dark alleys with my cam. We met the tour guide who was dressed in a typical nightwatchman's costume and with a lantern in hand. Pretty soon I realized that the clicking sounds from my cam were disturbing him and so I had to put it away(~~I did sneak it out~~ ~~here and there~~).

(The kids had a great time helping the night watchman carry his lantern)

In the early years(middle ages to 1933) the night watchman was responsible for the safety of the inhabitants of the walled city Lohr am Main. He made his rounds from 9pm to 3am, singing his hourly song which reminded the people who were sound asleep in their homes that he was very much around and taking care of them. Back then, a fire was one of the worst disasters and if one ever happened, it was his duty to blow his horn and alert the villagers.

As we walked the dark alleys, we were told that feces and filth from hundreds of animals filled the streets. People also emptied all their pee and poo from their pots directly onto the streets with an occasional warning of watch out!!! This in turn attracted the rats which led to the BLACK PLAGUE killing more than a third of Europe's population. With all this information, it was pretty hard to imagine the life of the people in the years gone by.

(Hotel Gasthof Krone, oldest inn in Lohr)

Another amusing story was about the men in the villages not being worried if their wives fell sick but if the cows did!!! It was very expensive to buy a new cow than to find a new bride(if the ill wife died).

I have come to know that we also have tours by the baker's wife, the washer woman and also the last countess of Lohr. We will definitely be attending these tours too, so watch out for more stories.

It's Sunday again

2011-09-25T22:00:00.002+02:00

It has been a great weekend! And we are told it will be a great week too, of course by the weather man..:D Husband was told of this beautiful path and I had been wanting to see it myself.

There was a pretty stream running through. I spent some time just sitting and listening to the gurgle of water flowing while the kids kept themselves busy picking acorns.

It's strange how a foreign land teaches you to appreciate the best of good weather unlike your homeland where it is taken for granted as you know for sure the sun will be shining all the day long(except during monsoon).

Before we arrived, I had heard a lot of stories about people feeling depressed during the winter months. Now I understand. As much as the beauty of snow mesmerizes you, after a while you tend to miss all the green, the blue and the color!!!

Just the two of us.

2011-09-21T07:50:00.000+02:00

(theme for 'anything')

It's a week since school began, and this year it's different. The kids are no longer in the same school. My oldest now goes to the so called german secondary school(Gymnasium). He has to spend the entire day there(8 to 4) which leaves his little sister no choice but to be home alone with ....... you got it right......ME. I didn't realize for a few days that she was missing her brother in the afternoons. Formerly, eighty percent of the time they fought and the remainder they would be playing together along with their friends at a park. It also meant that our house did sound crazy once they got back together from school!!!

I had begun to enjoy the quiet and calm and thought that she too felt the same way as she would keep herself busy in the bedroom with her dolls and paints. Till, I noticed that the moment the door bell rang she ran with glee to greet her brother!!! I realized that a few hours of separation did kindle sibling love between them...:)

Next year, she too will join her older brother and then I am gonna be home alone all day long. This does not sound appealing at all. Now, to make the best use of the time we have together, we have begun going on mother daughter walks when and as the weather permits. I walk, she bikes. I love the fact that every few metres she patiently waits for me as I pause to take in the changing colors and also capture our moments for memory.

Back to school

2011-09-13T08:00:00.000+02:00

A new year, a new beginning......today, they are back to school....

They are back to being their old selves, smile and laugh a lot more...:) The kind of excitement little kids have, its back. They told it to me themselves "We cannot wait for school to start, to meet our friends and make new ones".

They both share a passion for learning, eager to know something new.

Life of an expat child can be hard. Very... There are a lot of outbursts, everything is new and strange, it can be very tough for children and parents too. Time is a healer. They learn to slowly pick up and move on with gentle love and words of encouragement.

We are very proud of both of them and pray this year is good and holds a lot of promise and surprises too...:)

Would you like to join me at Communal Global and share your world? We love to have you over..

2011-09-12T00:36:00.002+02:00

The last of the colors of summer.

What will you miss?

Summer's coming to an end..:(

2011-09-10T23:20:00.001+02:00

Can you see what i see? What do you mean you don't? Okay, here you go, a close up..

No, not the church steeple, not the town tower too....

Now do you get it?? Yes, the green slowly disappearing, the brown and orange patches appearing!!!

So now do you know what does this mean? Gosh, I don't want summer to end...:( Really!!

Head on over to Unknown Mami to see what's happening around the world!

Restless me...

2011-09-07T17:00:00.002+02:00

Today, I was restless..........

I twitched, fiddled, my mind wandered......

It was all work and no play...:(

and to make it worse, every second just dragged on!!!

What did cheer me up was listening to what my Deutsch teacher had to tell about the weather in Deutschland...."Ich finde das Wetter in Deutschland schlecht", to translate "I find the weather in Deutschland bad". So here was a german telling us what the weather in her country was like in comparison to others!! And boy, was she right, though i would have said "night so gut!!!"....:D

Tuesday's around the world.

2011-09-06T15:14:00.000+02:00

(The village of Manarola in the Cinque Terre, Italy)

Whats your today like? Well, mine is busy getting the house back to shape, the laundry done, hot food on our table, last minute shopping for school supplies...basically back to our normal lives. Holidays with family are such fun. It feels great not having to live your routine life for a while.

Do link up with us at Communal Global and let us know what's going on in your part of the world...

The drive back home

2011-09-04T15:32:00.000+02:00

Yesterday, we drove back 875 kilometers(544 miles) to get back home. What looked to be the start of a pleasant drive turned to be a very long one, thanks to all vacationers returning home.

The sign indicating that there is a stau(traffic jam or block) gives me the shivers!! Cause these stau's can run into miles with no respite, no looking back. You are stuck there, like forever!!!!

Barely into the drive the questions begin........
Daughter : Are we in Germany? (The drive has just begun and we are a good 4 hours away from the border)
Sonny : What speed are you driving at Dad?? Can't you go any faster??

Daughter : How much longer to reach??
Me : 7 hours to go.....
Sonny : But you told that a long time ago.......

Me : Why don't you look out the window? It's beautiful outside....
Sonny : Everything's too green....It's only vineyards and ruins......(huh??)
Me : Look, I spot an apple orchard!!
Daughter : Why does mommy get excited on seeing plants??

The questions then take a different form....
Daughter : Are we still in Italy??
Sonny : Why are the other's driving faster than you?? Please go fast Dada!!! I wanna reach home..
Me : The next person who ask's a question will be labelled a donkey for the rest of the drive!!!!

There's peace for a while...:) Look's like nobody wants to be a donkey......till we hear a voice from the back saying...."I got to pee!!! Now!!!"

Do not forget to visit Unknown Mami for more interesting weekend stories..:)

There's something about drying laundry..:)

2011-09-02T23:31:00.002+02:00

There's something about drying laundry!!! And to imagine that such a sight gives me a thrill!!! Guess I have been living in Germany too long where most of the time I am forced to use my dryer...:(

Thanks to the the mediterranean climate, Italians hang their laundry out adding to the color of their villages. A stark contrast to the hanging geraniums of Germany. There's something about getting crisp, dried, folded laundry into the home. A friend once called me crazy for not enjoying the convenience of a dryer. Crazy I may be, yet, I would give anything for that sunshine to dry my laundry!!!

(Pictured above are the villages of Riomaggiore and Manarola, Cinque Terre)

Getting married in Italy!!

2011-09-01T23:31:00.003+02:00

In the past 2 weeks, one of the sights I got to witness oh so many times were happy brides walking their way to getting married!!! I love watching brides, whatever their color, age, nationality. And seeing them up so close was a real treat!!!

Since most Italian villages have narrow lanes with cobbled streets, I am guessing it is much simpler to walk than drive. I was fortunate to see this bride before and after she got married. Here she is with her father(I am guessing) and in another hour she walked by married with her groom. It was hard to shoot her again!! Such sights make me happy, make me feel good...:)

What are the sights you love seeing during a holiday??

Hot Venice..

2011-08-31T23:18:00.000+02:00

Walking the narrow lanes of Venice admiring the displays of glass jewelry and venetian masks, I am stunned to suddenly be greeted by sights of this!! Vibrantly colored, hot chillies being sold in open vegetable stalls..

Sunny Sunny days....

2011-08-23T14:20:00.001+02:00

We are on our family holiday in beautiful Italy. Enjoying the hot weather(just like India), gorging on delicious sea food and frolicking on the beach, visiting ancient monuments. The kids are loving it. Ahhh, and yes, not to forget our Italian adventures which we will remember all our lives...:)

Do not forget to link up and share your world with us at Communal Global.

My name is Khan, what's yours?

2011-08-11T12:58:00.004+02:00

Guess what the kids bump into while surfing channels on the television. You guessed it right..:) Now, it was no surprise to me to see king Khan on German TV. Here's why......German's adore him, yes, like crazy!! Here's what an article has to say about him, that he is as popular as the Pope!!!! Huh???

Sonny has a classmate who squeals like crazy the moment she sees his posters. She goes about screaming, kissing and all the girlie stuff girls do when they see their favorite stars. Of course, sonny is not impressed..:)

Here's another incident....a fellow Indian expat who was attending german classes at the Volkshochschule was asked what was famous in India. Before she could even reply(she was to mention the Taj Mahal), her fellow classmates replied in unison Sharukh Khan!!!! :D

Anyway, though being Indian, the kids and I are not fond of Bollywood. There's no explanation as to why. I do have a select collection of favorite Indian movies, but that's about it. So what made us watch this? Call it coincidence or what, it was the day I began tutoring the kids on the hindi alphabet or akshar, and the same evening we encounter this?? I could not believe our luck and instructed them to to watch the whole movie. It would help them in their language training.

(Doesn't Kajol look ravishing? )

After 10 minutes of whining and protesting, we managed to sit through the entire movie with occasional tears :D and protests again!!!

Final verdict by sonny after sitting through the entire story..."I need to put in some sense into this director's head!!!!" So Mr Karan Johar, what have you to say??

Fireworks in Lohr am Main

2011-08-09T10:15:00.012+02:00

On Sunday we were treated to spectacular fireworks in our little village. Every year the beer fest ends with these fireworks by the river Main. People from the surrounding villages line up on both the old and new bridge to view the display. For us it was the first time and the kids were way too excited.

(The special boat which takes you on a little cruise and then stops for a while to view the fireworks)

Bursting of fireworks any time of the year is forbidden in Germany and a punishable offense. The only time you see such displays are during Silvester(New Year's eve),beer fests or exclusive displays planned by the state. For Indians who are used to bursting crackers for every other event or celebration it is hard. More so during the time of Diwali(festival of lights), not being able to celebrate the normal way can be frustrating. So on Sunday night, it felt like a special kind of Diwali celebration, only a little bit early...:D

Take a walk with me, you won't regret it.

2011-08-05T23:54:00.009+02:00

Today, after almost six months, I walked to my favorite place. This is by the river Main across Lohr. You got to walk across the Altes brücke(old bridge), go down these flight of stairs and voila you are in.....

PARADISE!!!!!

This spot is so peaceful and calm. It never feels crowded, though there are always people in small groups wanting to enjoy the serenity of the place. This stretch runs for miles from a village to another with green grass and weeping willows alongside the river Main. You can walk or bike, do whatever you please.

When the kids are tired, there are play areas too with all sorts of favorite things to do..

Now here's why this is my favorite stretch for walks.... See the picture below..

All along I am treated to various veggie and fruit gardens!!!! I have no garden of my own, but I satisfy myself just looking and admiring all of nature's bounty grown in someone's yard. Pictured above are Zwetschgen, a kind of plum elliptical in shape.

(click on the pic and enlarge to see the bunches of purple plums dangling from branches)

When I look at all the fruit, I cannot help but think of the fruit trees back home in India. All of us family members have to be on alert like watchdogs, just to see that the fruit remains on the trees till they ripen(of course in the process, you do tend to lose some to petty thieves)

Over here there is tremendous respect for other's property and belongings. A little further down the road you come across small patches of land which either belong to or else are leased or rented out to families to grow their own veggies.

As you can see, some are fenced, some not. Yet, untouched by intruders.

Being a passionate gardener and lover of plants, I can see that months of hard work and labor have gone into producing the fruit above. More so cause nobody lives in these small patches of gardens. They live in the village and during their free time they have got to come over to water and tend to their green ones.

Every patch has their own little shed or green house and a water tube along with big bins for the vegetative waste.

I know this turned out to be a long post. But I had to show you my favorite walking stretch. If you lasted till the end, thanks a ton for the company...:)
Sharing with Picture story

der Sommer

2011-08-04T18:51:00.005+02:00

The summer's whizzing by..... like a soft breeze...

I don't want it to end. All the color, sunshine, I want it to stay...

Winter, please take your time.... I am in no rush to greet you....:)

What's your summer like ??

(Above pictures taken at Burgsinn, a pretty little village 26 kms from Lohr)

Tuesday's around the World

2011-08-02T00:14:00.003+02:00

Tis the week where our sleepy little village is alive both by day and night....:)

What's your today like?? Wanna share with us? Come along and have fun!!

Lohrer Fest Woche 2011

2011-07-31T23:57:00.002+02:00

Friday, a day where every Lohrite waited in anticipation. It was the beginning of the 66th Spessartwoche or Beer fest, to be held for a week!!

Everybody gathered at the Schlossplatz where the procession with the barrel of beer was to begin.

The mayor along with his wife shaking a leg or two as the brass band performs.

Colorful uniforms, hats and feathers.

Ladies dressed in the traditional German dress....the dirndl

Colorful rides....

Crazy rides...

Lebkuchen...

The beer tent which seats around 4500 people.

And finally the less than half filled mug of beer.....:D

Keep watching for this space for more shots from the Spessartwoche this coming week..:)

2011-07-28T21:29:00.005+02:00

It's been a year and eight months........ They speak, read and write german well.

They even have their favorite german TV shows...

Yet, there are times they need to reconnect with their favorite programs from the past...:)

Eat like a German.

2011-07-21T15:01:00.002+02:00

Yes, at times we need to...:) And we do enjoy!!!

Getting ready..

2011-07-20T14:43:00.004+02:00

Guess what our little village is getting ready for?

It ain't feeling like summer...

2011-07-19T21:58:00.003+02:00

We woke up to a single digit temperature. And it's supposed to be summer. The sun should be shining, the beer gardens should be full, there should be people all around laughing and having a good time..... But it ain't that way, cause it is rainy and cold...:(

So, what's your today like?? Head on over to Communal Global and share your world with us...

Summer color in Lohr

2011-07-18T21:42:00.001+02:00

Is your town bursting with the colors of summer?? Well our's sure does and I managed to get out of the house and grab some shots before it all ends. Am glad I did cause I was very surprised to see that the autumn sales have already begun!!! Oh come on, I want summer to last forever....:)

Our Vacation home in Brienz, Switzerland.

2011-07-17T21:34:00.002+02:00

The best part for us, about living in Deutschland is the ability to be able to travel to other countries. To our good luck, Lohr am Main is positioned so nicely on the map that we are roughly 3 to 4 hours away from the borders of the Netherlands, France, Belgium, Luxembourg,Switzerland, Austria, and the Czech Republic. Though it will be a dream come true to really be able to experience cultures in these different countries, am grateful for the fact that we are able to soak in and enjoy whatever comes our way. And one way of doing this is by living in a ferienwohnung or a vacation home as it is called.

(Lavender flowers outside the windows)

Not only do you get to experience living in an authentic home, you are surrounded by locals too, which gives you an opportunity to have a quick chat. Be it the baker, butcher, souvenir or a wine shop, people are curious to know about you, where you come from and love telling stories about their village or town and also have the best suggestions to give you, sometimes advice the tourist information may have overlooked.

(Lake Brienz as seen from our vacation home)

We discovered the joys of living in a vacation home by chance. Having got fed up living in crammed hotel rooms and paying double the price (quadruple rooms cost a bomb!!), our first experience in a ferienwohnung took us by surprise. Not only did we have an entire house all to ourselves with the kids having their own room, we loved the fact that we could also have breakfast in our pajamas, the lazy way..:) There was no mad rush to freshen up, dress and run down before the breakfast counter closed!!

(The herbs in the kitchen garden and the table where we sat up late nights drinking wine and looking out into the lake and mountains)

The past few months have seen us holidaying in some beautiful homes. All the while it never struck me to take shots of the places we lived. Not being forgetful this time, I did manage to take a few before leaving. Saved the best for last. Below are all views from different rooms of the house at different times(either early morning or late night)

(The village of Brienz)

Have a nice week everybody. I hope to write more stories about our Swiss travel here on the blog!!

Am alive!!!

2011-07-08T23:03:00.003+02:00

Till then, keep guessing where this paradise on earth is??

A beautiful evening..

2011-06-16T21:37:00.000+02:00

We are experiencing a very beautiful evening....... The setting sun and showers have created this magical glow over our village. And when the sky turns golden, you ought to look out for something too...

A RAINBOW!

This is not the best of snaps, never the less, it was a very very beautiful rainbow.

Hike to Maria Buchen.

2011-06-09T21:59:00.000+02:00

By now, you must be all aware that we are surrounded by forests or the Main Spessart as it is known. If you aren't, then just have a look at the header of my blog. Can you see the dense growth? Well, for me it is only a 10 minute walk into the wild..:)

Now deep in the forest, 5 kms from where I live, is a Marian shrine, roughly 615 years old called Maria Buchen. You can very well go by car, but then, a hike is a different experience all together. We along with friends of ours decided to give it a shot.

Finding trails is not so hard(there are plenty passing through different villages too), though we had our iphone to see that we were not lost in the wild. Since we are experiencing a very dry spring season, it was a surprise to see the bright green around. To rest your tired feet, there are benches or plain logs of wood along the way.

That is Maria Buchen, perched on a hill or so it looks like. If you are to arrive from a different trail, it looks like it is down in a valley. Not only is the shrine very beautiful in the inside, there also is a restaurant beside it which serves very good food. But thanks to the E.Coli outbreak, we were not willing to take the risk of having lunch there. We settled in for some fresh ice cream.

If you are lucky, you will spot a bridal shoot like we did...

or grazing cows.......

Sunday's in my City

2011-06-05T22:28:00.003+02:00

One of the things I like about Germany is the walking and cycling paths it has to offer. These tracks run along the country side allowing you to explore at your own pace and leisure. Spring and Summer are the best times for these activities. Personally, I hate biking or cycling. There is no particular reason, it's just that I prefer walking to riding a cycle.

When you have a family that loves going out on their bikes, then you are motivated to change your thinking and try giving this outdoor sport a shot. So it was a surprise to my family when I managed to bike alongside with ease, without pausing to catch my breath or grumble...:)

We passed along apple orchards,

Strawberry fields.....Can you spot the bright red in between....

Here's a close up for you. I have been wanting to go strawberry picking with a basket in hand. Have been trying hard to find out any information regarding this.

Further along we came across corn fields swaying along with the wind. The three heads are my hubby and kiddies patiently waiting for me...:)

We paused here and there, taking in the visual treat the country side had to offer.

Towards the end, we climbed atop a bridge and saw the whole process of a cruiser crossing a dam. Only after the ship had passed by us did I notice that it was from the Netherlands.

I so wanna go on a cruise right now!!!

Do not forget to share your world with Unknown Mami.

Mango Bite.

2011-05-31T19:36:00.001+02:00

See what's just come along with my husband from India??

MANGOES!!!!! :D

Two months ago, when he was told by the company that he would have to go to India on work, the kids and I were over the moon. We got down to making our wish lists and mangoes definitely were number 1...:) So when he arrived this evening, we three were impatient till he opened his bags to reveal this!! Apparently, he was told by somebody that if he carried them as hand baggage and if he were to be stopped(at the airport in Germany), the mangoes would all be confiscated. So my man, promptly packed them in the check in baggage and here they are...:)

What does your today look like?? Bright summery?? Yellow, mangoey juicy??? :D Head on over to Communal Global, link up with us and share your day.

Sunday's in my city.

2011-05-29T21:37:00.002+02:00

What do you do with left over bread??

Bread pudding?? or any other yummy dish I know of??

or do you save it like me(in a refrigerator of course!!) to feed the ducks!!! Today, we headed out to our favorite spot by the river Main to feed ducks..:)

As the kids were busy strewing bread crumbs for their feathery friends, I could not help but look around and see how everybody else were enjoying their Sunday.

Wish we had a boat like the family above to quietly sail away. I must have whispered my wish out loud, cause pretty soon Sonny was counting out loud the money he had to see if he could buy a boat for Mamma..:)

And then there was this dare devil who caused quite a stir with his loud motor boat.

There was also a row boat with people taking turns to row. I hope you are not fed up of my shots of the river Main. Cause I saved the best for last!!

One of the many barges that sails from one city to another. I wonder what does it feel like to work on these big boats. All I know is that they transport goods . Many a time I spot cars and dogs too on the deck. It must be quite interesting to have a job like this.

What was your Sunday like? Head on over to Unknown Mami and take a peek.

Its my day!!

2011-05-24T21:08:00.000+02:00

The first call from my love in India,

The warmest hug from my son,

The heartfelt letter from my daughter,

Blessings from my near and dear ones,

Heartfelt wishes from my dearest friends near and far,

A birthday card from Russia,

A surprise gift from my fellow classmates.

Indeed, a birthday to remember for many years to come!!!

What does your today look like? Was it as exciting as mine?? Do link up with us at Communal Global. We wanna know what you have been upto..:)

Sundays in my City!

2011-05-23T18:22:00.001+02:00

Yesterday marked the finale of the communion children's journey together. For the past eight months all of them had been meeting every month to prepare themselves to receive Jesus Christ. To mark the end of this beautiful journey, all the children along with their families went to a play held in a theatre at Münsterschwarzach, an hour's drive from Lohr am Main. We travelled by bus and since this was our first time traveling in a bus in Deutschland, it was pretty exciting. Along the way I kept myself busy snapping away.

Considering the fact that we hadn't been on a drive for the past 3 weeks, I was astonished to see the way everything had transformed to a lush green!!!

With a storm forecast for the evening, the sky was dotted with grey clouds here and there. That's how little villages look when traveling.

Here came the best part!!! Vineyards!!! Very soon, wine tasting festivals will be on the groove...:)

I love these country roads. At times you are the lone driver for miles together, sort of like King of the road!!!

Have you ever seen the windmills of Deutschland?? They are pretty huge and very interesting to watch too.

As we returned home in the evening, we could see the dark clouds or rather the German storm approaching...;-)

Do you see what I see.

2011-05-19T20:14:00.000+02:00

As promised, the view from the windows of our classroom. When the mind is tired and filled up with all the complicated german grammar, all I got to do is take a look at the hills and the blue skies....

And when the skies are so blue like today, I think to myself, am I doing the right thing sitting with all the fellow students, trying to make sense of what is being said instead of being out, enjoying the countryside.

But then, as the day wears on, and we have spent laughing listening to 14 students from 11 countries struggling to speak german in their own way with their accent and phonetic sounds, it does seem worth it, cause we are all here to learn and help each other.

In between breaks, I run forth to the windows to take a look at the gorgeous roses that are blooming. I have never seen so many roses in a bush at all!! The colors look so lush and red! Makes me wanna pluck them and make a bouquet...:)

This is why Germans appreciate the beautiful weather, the blooms, blue skies .... cause they are all here only for a short time before the dark and gloomy winter sets in!!!

Less of me...

2011-05-18T17:32:00.001+02:00

When I enrolled myself to The Deutsch course, I was told by somebody that I would not have any time for blogging!! I am afraid that it is turning out to be true...:( More than not having time, the mind is too occupied to think of new ideas to blog. Also, being stuck in a classroom during the day followed by rushing home to complete all the house hold chores leaves me with no time to capture anything new on the cam!!! And Lohr am Main is bursting with green grass, colorful geraniums and gorgeous roses. Hopefully, this weekend I should be able to capture the beauty that I am surrounded with....
Till then,
With Love from Lohr.

Sundays in my City!

2011-05-15T22:29:00.000+02:00

Last Sunday we celebrated the First Holy Communion of both our children here in Germany. As a family, it was a unique and a fulfilling experience. The service in the church along with the celebration at home was very beautiful. We not only enjoyed ourselves, this experience will be a very pleasant memory not only for us, but also for those who shared in our joy.

Many a times, I remembered my family, most of all my mother. I know she would have loved to share in this experience of ours and the children would have been more than delighted to have her over. But, it was not possible for any of our family members to be present.

Here's a peek into the naughty twosome in their fine wear..:)

I have been having the communion hangover and it has been taking quite some time to wear off!! The part of playing gracious hostess along with being the cook, decorator, beautician, party planner has all taken a toll on me(also on hubby dearest..:D)!! I will be back to reading all your blogs and commenting soon. Till then, please bear with me..:)

First Holy Communion in Lohr am Main.

2011-05-12T14:40:00.000+02:00

The children of St Michael's Kirche, Lohr am Main, received their First Holy Communion on the 8th of May 2011. As the parents of two children receiving this Blessed Sacrament, it was not only a day of great joy for us, but also a day where we got together with friends to celebrate. The hangover of the entire event is slowly wearing off.. So till I get my groove back, here is a shot for you all to see. Don't they look divine like angels??

The beauty of sunrise..

2011-05-04T13:55:00.000+02:00

I know, this is not a picture of a sunrise... Our home doesn't directly face the rising sun. But, our neighborhood looks beautiful, thanks to the soft rays the sunrise generates. Every morning, on waking up, I cannot wait to open the shutters to be greeted by these morning sights. The blue skies with the roof tops reflecting the warm rays of the sun is something I look forward to everyday.

If this seems magical to me, I wonder what does it feel for homes to directly view the risen splendor?

This picture was taken at 7:15 in the morning. Yes, it is very bright at this time of the day. You can see school children walking up to school. Do you have beautiful sun rises in your part of the world?

Tuesdays around the world

2011-05-03T14:58:00.003+02:00

Hello my loves!! After debating whether to write a post or not, looks like my blog won!!! I am desperately hard crunched for time, but then, I just could not let go of my Tuesday...:)

I have begun my classes, finally!! I have so much to tell. We are a batch of 13 students, from 11 different countries. One speaks English, the rest their respective languages from their homeland. So as of now, it looks like Deutsch will be the language we will have to communicate in, for which we need to learn.

Our teacher is a warm lovely person. It does feel pretty strange to me cause roughly a year and a half ago I was standing in her place and I loved every moment of my work. Sitting for 5 classes at a go is pretty strenuous. Mid day, our stomach's begin to rumble. Somebody's was rumbling so loud today, we had to control fits of laughter in between the classes. Towards the last class, I am close to dozing off. Luckily, we have breathtaking scenery from our class, so I try to distract myself with the mountains of our beautiful forests and roof tops of Lohr am Main (I promise a picture in a future post).

Our batch is a pretty good mix of people. Though I have not spoken in person to anybody, from what I see, we have thinkers, frowners, over confident, gigglers, shy, hesitant students in our midst. The amazing part is that, our Lehrerin or teacher knows how to deal with each one of us.

The next seven months look very long, too long. But then, when I know that I am going to benfit from all this and that it is time well spent, it is worth the wait.

What does your today look like or what are you doing? Have you embarked in an adventure like me? The girls at Communal Global wanna know. Do link up with us, so that we can come and visit you..:)

Sunday's in my City

2011-05-01T19:00:00.000+02:00

Yipee, my month is finally here!! I love it when May arrives...:) Apart from being my birth month(Ye ye, that's why I am named May!!!), the warm weather, color and sunshine, what's not to love about that??

We had an eventful week, with the kids being home for Easter holidays. The final countdown to the first holy communion of my son and daughter has begun. Next Sunday, at this time, my husband and I should be playing gracious hosts to 25 odd guests who will be sharing in our joy. More on the event will follow the coming week with pictures and stories about the entire celebration.

This week, we headed over to Koblenz, 200 kms from where we live to witness the Bundesgartenschau that was held. In Germany, the federal garden show is held once every two years. I love garden shows. right from my childhood days. Being a lover of plants,back home I used to grab the opportunity to visit a horticulture show of any kind. On arrival in Germany, I missed these colorful events, but then, every village has flowers popping out their windows, doors, yards and houses which in turn is a visual treat to the eyes.

I am grateful for a family who understands my love for flowering plants and accomodate my need to visit these places. They patiently tag along side me as I exclaim and wonder at the gorgeous colors and shapes of the petals.

The garden show runs from April to October. But I hurried along this week before the tulips withered out and went out of season. I know, tulip fields are plenty in neighboring Netherlands, but honestly, I do not know whether I will ever reach there. So, we hurried up this week, cause, even a tiny patch of tulips were enough to satisfy my soul.

der, die, das.....

2011-04-30T16:46:00.001+02:00

Beginning Monday, I begin my full time course in the Deutsch language. Monday to Friday, the next seven months, for five hours everyday, I will be attending classes in the Volkhocschule or the adult school. Languages have never been my cup of tea, but who knows, learning German should be different. I will never know unless I try. The feeling of wanting to do something with my time gave rise to the thought of learning a new language.
I am apprehensive about the whole thing. As a family, we will have to do major adjustments. As I won't be home the former part of the day, all the household chores will have to wait till I get back home. And not to forget the additional hours of study that I will have to put in.
Since it will take me some time to get adjusted to a routine, posts will be few in this blog, till I get my groove back. If you miss me, you will know where to find me. In the school at Lohr am Main...:)

Oh, where is this country drive?

2011-04-25T17:06:00.002+02:00

By now, you must be aware of my contribution of pictures to Communal Global. If you have not checked it out, head on over to this amazing blog right now. You will be amazed by the collection of beauty from women all over the world. We have never met each other in person, yet, share a common passion of capturing inner beauty and portray it to the world.

Last week, I shared the above picture. In a while I noticed two comments and one of them was "Where, oh, where is that country drive?"

This question got me thinking and the outcome is this post....:) Country side driving is one of the best things you can experience in Deutschland. You never know what to expect. With every bend or curve of the road, you are greeted with a spectacular sight, different from what you just passed.

It can be a meadow, an orchard of apple or cherry blossoms, rapeseed or corn fields, vineyards, rows of pine trees, forests. If you are lucky you can even spot deer grazing in the lush meadows, though jersey cows with bells dangling from their necks, horses or sheep are a familiar sight.

Clear blue skies with fleeting clouds add to the magic of a drive. But it ain't that way always. A cloudy sky with fog hanging low can give you some drama. On such drives, I try to carry the camera along. Though at times, I prefer to take in all the sights without having to worry of taking a shot of this and that. All this beauty around me makes for an excited passenger in the front seat, ME!!!! :D

Unlike India, Germany has all the four seasons. A drive is the best way to experience the change of seasons. The new life of spring, flowers of summer, orange of autumn and snow of winter.......you get it all on a countryside drive.

The one thing I miss during such drives is not being able to just stop, get out of the car and click away ...:( Laws are tough in Germany and we cannot stop at random where we please. There are specific parking spots where you can rest from a drive and too often, such parking lots provide nothing good to capture. But then, the first shot which raised the question about country drives was taken from a parking lot.....:D