Pictures of our Weihnachtsmarkt in Lohr, 2012.

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

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

For it to SNOW.....

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

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

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

Adventzeit in Lohr..

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

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

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

Till we meet again..

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

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

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

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

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

P.S:

Where are we headed to?

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

What becomes of this blog?

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

How I love thee in summer..

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

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

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

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

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

Hochwasser..

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

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

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

A spring party

Spring is nature's way of saying "Let's party" - Robbie Williams.

And we are having one right now!

Happy weekend all!!

We have been hit full on with the burst of spring. In my mind I think, better late than never!

The explosion of colours is unbelievable that I have been trying to be outdoors as much as possible. In the mornings by myself and in the evenings with the kids. 

The above is the scene in our backyard. The tree belongs to our neighbours. It's one of the very first to bloom. All of monday I kept a watch to see the changes happening, the buds slowly swelling up to bloom. As of today, with the slightest breeze the flowers come raining down softly, truly a pretty sight.

The weeping willows no longer weep, their long green leaves will slowly be dancing in the wind. Over the weekend we should be also welcoming the cherry and apple blossoms.

It's amazing how a season like spring can lift your spirits and keep you happy all day long. 

Dear readers, here's wishing you all a bright, sunny, colourful weekend!!

Back with spring..

So am back after a long break. A short trip to India in preparation for our upcoming move saw the blog taking a back seat for a while. On return I was surprised myself as to how hard it was to get back into the groove. I missed my home land terribly. It's warmth, vibrancy, colour, noise, the excitement that is INDIA. 

Fortunately, spring has arrived and helped me snap out of my trance. Germany is slowly getting green, we wait patiently for the sight of more colour. For now, we are determined to make the best use of the remaining time of our stay. Soon, they will only be memories.

Nature's tease

I wanted to get this post up last night but got carried away with the election of the New Pope. It was both exciting and humbling at the same time to witness it all though only on television. Many a times I wished I were in Rome. Maybe the Lord heard me and granted my desire in a small way with the pealing of church bells in our little town. It was truly an exhilarating experience to listen to the bells ring out in joy in the quiet of the night to herald our new leader Pope Francis.

Coming back to the post, nature has been teasing us. Really!!

Take a look for yourself.

After a week of warmer temperatures and first signs of spring we have been dumped with snow, so much that we haven't seen all of winter. And I thought we would soon be needing popsicles, but instead we're having icicles!!! I just think to my self that maybe the snow gods wanted a last goodbye with me?? Who knows..