Kandern, Black Forest

View of the church and August Macke's painting:

On our second day in the Black Forest we drove to Kandern, which is a small town where the artist August Macke spent a few summers, starting in 1907. There is a great walking tour around the town with stops to show you where he got his inspiration from.

Afterwards we went on a long hike which we enjoyed especially because it was a rare beautiful and sunny day.

Freiburg, Black Forest

"Please, don't feed!"

For spring break my friend and I took our sons and went to the Black Forest, Germany with them. We rented the cutest little apartment downtown Freiburg and went on excursions from there. One of our first purchases were two little wodden boats that the boys dragged on the small canals, called "Freiburger Baechle" all around the old part of Freiburg.

Amsterdam

Yes, I hit the airliner jackpot and got to go to Amsterdam. What a beautiful, beautiful place!

Happy Easter!

Easter Eggs

Coloring Easter eggs the tradional way:

Collect small leaves, grasses and blossoms. (Do not, however, pick the spring flowers of your neigbour's garden like daughter did.) Place them onto the egg and tie a piece of panty hose around it. Bring water to a boil and add the skin of red onions to it. Put the eggs carefully into the water and add a spoonful of vinegar.

Take out the eggs after ca. 10 minutes.

You will have the most beautiful Easter eggs. (Which, if you are like daughter, you have to share with your neigbour...after all her garden is now kind of bare.)

Done!

After 18 workdays and a lot of dust our bathroom is done!

When I offered son to take the first shower he politely told me that I should be the first one to use the shower. "No", I said "you go ahead and tell me how you like it!"

Again, he declined. "What's wrong?" I asked him. "Why don't you want to take a shower?" "Well", he answered, "just in case the workers made a mistake and the whole thing comes tumbling down, I don't want to be in it."

I took the first shower and it worked perfectly.

Happy Birthday!!!

She hates getting up early...and she won't do it for anybody except her brother...

...whose birthday is today and we had to start very early

...in order to get the most out of it.