Schwäbische Alb and stealing cherries in the night

Yesterday was a warm sunny day with a little breeze - perfect for a hike in the mountains! Regine, Franz and I set off after a lazy morning and a late breakfast.

Through the woods, a little uphill, a little downhill again, through fields and past ponds with water lilies.

A good overdose of fresh air. I am breathing as fast and as deeply as I can to have some extra for when I am back in India ...

On the way back we ran in to an old man known to Franz and Regine. He started telling us about where the orchids were, about how he does not trust himself to drive in the mountains anymore, and probably a lot more, I understood about 5 words of it all. It was absolutey fascinating listening to this man speaking the local dialect Schwäbisch proberly and at the same time performing a proper work-out waving his arms wildly shifting the weight from side to side. I was thinking that someone should preserve this part of a perhaps dying culture in a linguistic documentary - a genuine Schwabe! I never plucked up the courage to film him myself, or even take his picture ...

Today it is time to say Auf Wiedersehen and head back to Bodensee, Gaienhofen and of course my favourite daughter.

Sara had planned a bbq in the garden with some friends in the evening! The day ended with good food in the garden then all of us went again to the World Cup Mecca in Horn to watch Germany play ... mmm ... another country and WIN!!

trying on the pouty-mouth-look ... well, needs some work maybe

People in our party came from several corners of the world, and from several different directions of southern Germany/northern Switzerland. Maia and I suddenly found ourselves the only ones left together with dear Manfred! He gave us a lift back :-) On the way he suddenly asked Maia if she wanted to go nick cherries ... in the dark! The look on her face!!! :-D Well, we did ...

She did eventually realize, that is was in fact Manfred's own cherry trees we were picking from. Sweet all the same.

Manfred left the head lights on so we would be able to seek out the absolute juiciest cherries. We did ... then we had to walk the rest of the way back to Sara's ... All part of an adventurous night ;-)
Maia was exhausted and joined Luana, who was already well away.

The day then faded out with the last brave knights - Sara, Werner and myself - discussing Nietzsche and Kirkegaard, and solving global problems by the bonfire, as one does.

World Cup

Monday June 16, 2014

You might be aware that the World Cup of football (or soccer ...) is on ... The news had certainly reached Gaienhofen.
After a fabulous afternoon on the beach in Gaienhofen ...

... we headed for Schlössli restaurant by the lake in Horn, where they were all set for accommodating a whole load of people who wanted to watch football and drink beer.

As people start gathering I took some hungry children with me and sat down for something to eat where there was a better view ...

After the meal, I joined the cheering crowd and the children were off! They found some other children and played catch and hide-and-seek until very late in the night - nobody wanted this wonderful day to end.
Even our canine friends joined in, but I only saw them after the game when people had left.

An invitation I could not turn down - with friends in Aalen

A friend I got to know through music a couple of years ago said, "why don't you come up for a couple of days! We would love to see you!" Well, the feeling was mutual so I booked a ticket and took the train to Aalen. I left Maia in good hands with a couple of her best friends from Unterseeschule - as I left they were so busy with x-box, Maia had barely time to say good-bye ;-)

A little over 2 hours and I stepped off the train in Aalen, where Franz greeted me at the train station. We drove back to the house and were welcomed by Regine, Helmut and Marianne. I have been here only twice before, and yet it feels like seeing old friends again!

Franz and I went for a long walk leaving the others to prepare the bbq ... hmmmm, well, we did help clearing up afterwards ... a bit anyway ...

Where is it? Ah, ok, now I see it!

 

I know I keep repeating  myself!! ... but, it really was another fabulous evening :-)

 

I bid you all a very good night ;-)

Revisiting Wild- und Freizeitpark in Allensbach

It is Pfingstferien - school holiday to celebrate Whitsun - for 2 weeks a the moment in Germany. We decided to take the opportunity to go to the animal park in Allensbach (if you open this link be sure to turn the volume down a bit!) only a 20-minute drive away.

 The children were not overly enthusiastic about the animals - swings and such are a lot  more fun!

Part of the park is fenced off so visitors can walk around among deer and pigs. Another part has lots of fun stuff for big and small to try.
There are also plenty of tables, benches and grills for anyone to use as they please. We had our own disposable grill (I looove these things! So convenient) with us and had a very nice picknick when hunger set in.

Chicken kebab - Maia's favourite!

 Thus reenergized, the children were off again.

 "On top of the world!"

A beautiful day with a lot of fun and 3 very happy ... and tired children. Sara and I did manage a little snack before we also crashed ...

An evening walk in Gundholzen

Our hosts Sara, Luana and Derik live in a small village - part of Gaienhofen community - called Gundholzen just a short walk from Lake Constance on the north side of the Höri peninsula. It is simply beautiful ...

... and slightly chilly!

Herzlich willkommen!

Arrived in Gaienhofen and were immediately warmly greeted by our lovely neighbour Jochen. Back already? Yeah, well ...
On to Gundholzen and ...

... Luana and Derik had been busy ... aaaawwwww.

Gaienhofen auf der Höri - as beautiful as ever. We have been swimming, eating, playing, talking, drinking and ...

... well, enjoying :-)

A walk in the park

Mum, Maia and I decided to go for a walk ... so we sent to Trollenäs Castle not far from Bosarp, where mum was born.

The house to the left is the castle, and the one to the right a chapell where I used to work when I was employed as an organist/choir director in this area. The chapell does not have any form of heating so it was only operating during the summer months. This is a place where many want to get married ... believe you me ...

Hidden among the trees is Borgstugan, nowadays a café.

 

 Time for coffee and ice cream.

If anyone would like to know more about this place, have a look here or here (in Swedish). More pictures of the castle, also the inside, can be found here.