...

 

The Fields have arrived and tomorrow we're packing up the car and heading to Bamberg - a UNESCO world heritage city and one of the only cities in Germany not destroyed by World War II bombing - for a mid-week mini break. Apparently, there are nine breweries in Bamberg producing fifty different types of beer. Sounds like our kinda town.

Then it's off to Barcelona for a long weekend. David Bianca Barcelona. That's right. No Ola. No Elke. Just Miro, Picasso, Gaudi, La Rambla, tapas, cava, late nights, lazy mornings. Some Javier Bardem action wouldn't go astray either.

Back in a week. Until then, tschüss!

xxx

Some random pics taken on a perfect Summer's evening in town some weeks ago.

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Artist and/or vandal in the making.

Drawing on people, furniture, walls, floors...Something else to add to the list of things Elke does that Ola never did. Another would be cutting up her clothes (remind you of anyone mum?). Dave and I often joke that while Elke may look like him, she is just like I was as a kid (naughty!) and while Ola takes after me physically, his personality is more like Dave. Prior to having Elke, Dave was quite partial to having 4 kids. Four! Now? Lately he has been dropping hints left, right and centre that he'd be happy to stop at 2. Very happy. More than happy.

xxx

Ps Happy birthday Luca!

Endlich Sommer.

Sun, swimming and beer at our fave splashing spot by the Isar last weekend. It was a long one here in Munich. Maria Himmelfahrt aka The Assumption of Mary. Just one of the 13 public holidays celebrated here in Bavaria.

Now, this my friends is Summer. And only 2 weeks shy of Autumn.

xxx

End of an Era.

  

Yesterday was a HUGE day for us. It was Oli's last day of Kindy. I can't believe it's here already. The place where he spent almost every day of the last two years. The place where he picked up a second language. The place where we met so many amazing people from all over the world and made some very good friends. We celebrated this momentous and emotional occasion with ice-cream (double scoops!), friends and a play at a local spielplatz. Here in Germany, kids don't start school until they're 6 years and the school year begins in September. So come next month we'll have a big school boy on our hands. But until then Elke and I have him all to our (greedy) selves.

xxx

Ps Happy Birthday Pa.

Tutzing.

 

 

Making the most of the first warm and sunny weekend since June. Yep, JUNE! We grabbed our lovely neighbours and headed to Tutzing for a swim. This is our first lake trip this Summer and unless Mother Nature gets her act together in the next few weeks it may very well be our last. So very different to the Indian Summer we experience during our first year here. And in case you hadn't noticed, we moan about the weather a lot here. Living in a cold climate for too long will do that to a person. This crazy weather is also wreaking havoc on our immune systems. That skeletal boy up there has been sick ALL week. Really sick. Crazy sick. His worst virus to date.

It seems my solo trip to Blightly a few weeks ago may have affected Elke more than we anticipated. Since my return she'll wake anywhere between one and three times a night screaming her little lungs out. And only I can calm the poor little lady down (in the past Dave had always had the gift of slumber). As soon as she sees I'm there, she relaxes and drifts back to sleep. But some nights it's not as easy as that and quite often I end up falling asleep on the floor next to her cot. Traumatised a tad. Our long weekend in Barcelona sans kids next month is looking rather dubious.

Happy Weekending.

xxx

Claire xx

Sommerfest.

Some belated pics from the Kindy Sommerfest. Better late than never, right?

We also had our appartment block's Sommerfest last weekend. Can you tell the Germans love a good 'Fest? There were BBQ's and beer kegs, a-plenty. And face painting. When Mani is involved there's always face painting. You know it's a good party when the Police are called. And you know you've had one too many beers when you yell: "Woohoo. Here come the strippers!" to said Police. All in all it was a fun day/night!

xxx

PS Mad Men Series 4 down...does anyone know how many more we have to go??

PPS Happy birthday little Ethan x