there were apples on sophia’s tree ready to be picked just in time for her birthday this year. i reveled in (still am so delighted) the mere chance of this happening- first apple cake of the season, with apples from her tree, for her birthday. it was  perfect and the beginning of a new tradition.

a friend once told us that our 4 year old has a lot of prana- it is the most beautiful word i have ever heard used to describe him! it is the perfect word and so true!  he is full of life and so.much.love. 

last week he graduated from swimming school earning is frog badge (the other being seahorse, which is a higher swim-level status). he took the class with his bestie luisa, also known as the princess (photgraphed above as they settled the argument, who is taller). we are so proud of him.   

{day 20 of august break}

we have been in stammbach, a small village in the franken wald {frankonian forest} visiting our beloved onkel loy and cousin tini. on the way down there we stopped to see some of our oldest and dearest  friends in nürnberg city. they greeted us with a quintessential bavarian meal of weisswurst and bretzeln for lunch. we exchanged updates and family stories and laughed until we cried sharing memories of living in texas. 

afterwards we did some big city shopping for a few winter items and it was like driving down memory lane.  we drove past shops,  bars, ice cream cafes, restaurants, and all the streets that we walked down many a late nights to get home-nürnberg is one of the most beautiful cities in the world.

it was a wonderful time at cousin tini’s- we went on long walks every day and ended the evenings sitting around a bonfire in her forest of  a back yard as onkel loy entertained us with his stories.  a small circus was in town on sunday.  there was a fire breather, an acrobat, a slapstick clown, and a little girl with a hoola- hoop act- their animal tricks included a horse that could count. this was the highlight for for my son who was treated by onkel loy to his very first cotton candy.     

he got a bigger surprise when his grandparents showed up for lunch and to take him home with them for the week- to another big city where he can ride the trolleys and trains every day….i called him to check in on him a few minutes ago and he is beside himself with happiness- but of course i can’t wait for him to be home!

it is slowly but surely coming together. a new look, a fresh direction:  honey & sage. 

happy weekending! i will be back next week!

{day 13 of august break}

i cannot believe i never mentioned that the blimp was invented right here in our backyard- in a town called friedrichshaven. blimp is  zeppelin in german, named after the man that invented it in the early 1900s. the concept and invention was huge and to this day is a major tourist attraction.  friedrichshaven is also where one of the major hospitals is located, where my children were born. so is the nearest airport (i have been in walmarts bigger than this airport) but we usually drive into switzerland and fly out of  zurich international airport which is just an hour away.

then there is pfullendorf…..

pfullendorf is the other town where i do my grocery shopping.  it is in my opinion, full of best kept secrets- a couple of my friends underestimate pfullendorf and i have given up by now to convince them otherwise- they just do not appreciate it. but hey, what do i know? they have lived here all their lives- not me.  

pfullendorf’s best kept secrets:

the coolest outdoor movie theatre for hot summer nights

alter löwen, the town art gallery that books international artists- visited j. rizzi of new york and sculptor joel mouello of france’s exhibits just in the last year

an aisian restaraunt that serves both chinese and thai- that is pretty good for a small town in the german countryside. their vegatable thai curry is delicious.

an italian cafe that serves the most delicious homemade gelato (seriously serves up competition to the one they say is the best)

i cannot forget to mention the dry cleaners- it is the best service, and always with a smile.  i really like them.

i have a feeling that tourists in our own town cannot be limited to just this vacation time-  i cannot possibly cover all there is to see…. i will have to make it a regular feature on the blog and it will officially begin next week after our upcoming little family getaway.

in between and around überlingen, friedrichshaven, and pfullendorf (the cities of konstanz, ravensburg, and singen as well) are hundreds of  quaint and charming villages- snug on the most beautiful hillsides and in breathtaking luscious valleys. everytime i think i will not see a place more beautiful …..boom! i drive another way home and find another one place that i love- it is gorgeous where we live.

{day 12 of august break}

we were in überlingen yesterday afternoon- it is one of the two towns where we do our shopping. it sits on the coast of the lake of constance and is romantic, sweet, and  very, very old.  it is full of very well preserved medieval buildings and has the longest promenade, stretching about 5 kilometers along the lake. we have two favorite fish restaurants there that serve bodensee fisch (lake of constance fish) specials- the area is famous for forellen (trout). this region is also known for its wine- finest in europe is produced here but i will write about that another time.  two of my favorite antique shops are also in überlingen- i should just say that it is one of my favorite towns on the lake (wallhausen and bodmann are villages on the lake that i love ).

 i enjoyed taking these pictures very much- i found myself noticing details i had not before (like the fish and the crown in the photo below)….. i am looking forward to sharing more in the coming days for toursits in our own town.

{day 11 of august break}

i cannot say for sure because i have not actually counted but it would not be an exaggeration: i must smile 100 times a day…every single time i look at him. who wouldn’t? i love that sweet face!

{day 9 of august break}

another peek: hand cut natural moonstone. beautiful gleam. shimmers so nicely….

and a  very happy weekend to you!

{day 6 of august break}

aside from a long weekend trip to see friends and family, we have decided it would be perfect to spend our vacation this year as tourists in our town. 

photo: the lake of constance from the pfänder,  at the austrian border in bregenz

{day 5 of august break}

i love days that begin and end in the garden. 

{day 4 of august break}