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!

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}

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}

we hiked down into the valley and back up today. it was beautiful. it is the beginning of harvest season now and the wheat and barley fields are yellowing with dried grass. seed heads are everywhere.

today marks the beginning of the official vacation month in most of europe and i am looking forward to having my husband home. will be sharing more about our vacation plans for this year in the coming days….

also,  susannah conway’s august break 2010  starts today. simply share one photo per day {i’m sharing two today}.

watermelon

strawberry bread

gazpacho

poppy field on our father’s day walk

                                                                      happy summer solstice!

conola field, our village, and wildflowers picked on our walks 

this past weekend was the perfect ending to our lively, nonstop-action filled may.  the weather was gorgeous (for a change, it was an unusually rainy month) and i felt utterly at ease having nothing scheduled on the calendar. we slept in, lounged in the garden, went on long walks, even got some swimming in.  it was honestly very much needed and ended up being nothing short of pure bliss. 

in the meantime, it is the end of spring, right before summer and insanely beautiful here. wildflowers are blooming everywhere, i saw the strawberry farmers already out harvesting as i drove past on the way to the bakery on saturday, the days have become even longer, the sun shines brighter, and temperatures on most days have been warmer- summer is just around the corner.

{a flohmarkt find for my son. he loves soft boiled eggs}

my little ones are sound asleep and it is a very rainy friday evening. the week is ending just as it began. except tonight, according to the weather report, there is no end for it in sight.  our weekend plans are changing accordingly and by the minute as i am typing and my tall dark and handsome, sitting across from me interrupts me every few minutes with  plan B suggestions. 

it is may day tomorrow, a major holiday here in germany. it is also our anniversary. perfect if you ask me, that it falls on a holiday when all businesses, stores, everything is closed.  in the past years it has always been, quiet, slow, with gorgeous sunshiny weather, and we spend the whole day exploring. we pack a picnic lunch, go out the front door, across the field behind the house, into the forrest, and we just go where the trails take us-  deciding at every trail intersecion which way to go, which trail to try that we have not before. for me, being together this way, on this day, is an indescribable feeling, a special way of being together, to celebrate being together.

it is just as well that we make indoor plans since the boys {all 3!} and i caught the bug this week.  we got sick one right after the other. life goes on no matter how bad i am feeling. headache, runny nose, subsequent sinus infection, and nursing in more ways than one. let’s just say it was a challenge. i am so glad it is over and hoping it will not happen again anytime soon.  

there are many happy, good things to look forward to this month.  it will be a super busy, jam packed, action filled, month.  anyone of my friends or family reading this will nod their heads in agreement: i tell everyone that wants to come visit us to do it in may. i have said it over and over, a million times i have said it: please make sure you come in may, it is the most beautiful time of the year.  it just is. the weather is amazing, the leaves on the trees are gorgeous, and burst of color everywhere in flowers….it’s like the whole month is a feast for the senses.

well, our family and friends are finally listening. we have guests every week or weekend this month. the last weekend we will make a trip across the country to celebrate uncle loy’s birthday.  uncle loy is a maverick, and a true national treasure.  he is one of my favorite people. ever.

i also have a secret. it’s something i have been working on or dreaming about for sometime-  i have picked it up and put it down many times in the last few years- anyway, last week {before the bug} something happened (i can’t say what that is either) that made it all come togehter (almost). i am so excited about it.  it is close and i cannot wait to share it here soon. very soon.

a happy, filled with sunshine, may to you!

p.s. don’t forget. polaroid week starts may 3rd.

it is about the intention of finding something interesting

it is about great finds or one.of.a.kind. pieces at fantastic prices

it is about the conviction that fills the act of thrifting

the one that advocates recycling 

and celebrates finding new use for and loving something which has been thrown out

and then there is the delight of imagining

the the former life of your new found pre-loved treasure

if you need me the next few weekends, you can find me at the nearest happening flohmarkt!

{photos are of last weekend’s annual spring fleamarket in üeberlingen}

i scored a beautiful 1926 copy of der deutsche genius, an anthology of german poetry, essays, and short stories  for just 2 € !

for more photos…..

(more…)

coca cola by little red:  remarkable sound that is both familiar and new, exquisite harmony that makes it so hard not to smile.

my car radio is permanently set to fm4, an english and deutsch  station out of vienna, austria.  they present educational and cultural programming and play the best alternative music ever with a parade of independent bands daily that makes driving an indulgence. it almost makes up for losing npr in the car.

in the last five years i have arranged driving in time for one of my favorite shows, or i’ve sat idle in the car outside the store, or parked in my driveway waiting for an answer to question. just like i did back home, listening to npr.

and the times i waited for a great song to finish so i can catch the name of the band at the end are countless. it’s how i discovered little red, a doo-wop punk band out of melbourne, australia .