As we head over to Steph and Felix this morning I make a short detour to their new house that I have not yet seen. Sure, the houses and the blocks are larger, but the streets noticeably smaller. There are workmen at the house, so I don't go inside. Looking at the driveway down in to the garage, I wonder how even Steph's small Renault Zoe can even fit down the drive.
Yesterday Mathilda was busy in the street, and this so reminds me of Izabella when she comes to our house. Turns out it say Best Friends Forever. Henri is the name of the horse she has been riding this week!
Back to the current house and there is more cleansing of gathered stuff - clothes, bags, plants. More boxes to pack. But Steph has decided against wrapping and packing glassware (which I could be doing) because it takes extra cleaning at the other end. She will just put them in a basket and carry them over. Me, I save all the boxes for our glassware and each time we move, they get put back into their boxes. EVERY TIME.
Lunchtime here is normally the main cooked meal of the day but as we are going out for dinner tonight, and as the children will not be home for lunch today, Felix just pops down to the butcher and comes home with wurst rolls. Two plain, and two pizza. They are warm and unctuous! We add German mustard and hoe in. You end up with juices running down your chin - VERY yummy.
At the new house, the kitchen workers were drilling to install the rangehood, and all of a sudden, one of the banks of downlights go out. Steph's cousin's husband Thomas has done the electrics, and they are on holidays in Hungary this week, so they will have to wait for his return next week before it can be sorted out. Aah - the joys of new houses!
And wouldn't you know it - have just done a search on Rotary Clubs in Schwäbisch Gmünd. One meets at the very hotel we are staying at. And they met yesterday at 12:30. Too bad I was feeling so poorly. Oh well, I'll try to go when we come back after visiting Romania.
And the surprises continue at Hotel Krone. Tonight we are booked in with Steph and the family to their annual Jazz im Garten - and they proudly announce that this is their 14th year.
As we are upstairs getting changed, we can here the band warming up below our room. When we get downstairs, there is mein host playing the Double Bass! A very versatile man indeed!!
And the food was fabulous.
And the music was great.
And the company was special.
And the service was spot on.
And everything was just so right in the world tonight!
We order drinks and once they take our orders, serve us all very generous plates of mixed salad - so refreshing and just enough to sate the hungry beast.
Felix, Mathilda and I had the Paniertes Schwieneschnitzel - Felix with Pommes Frites and Mathilda and I with Spatzle with the most amazing gravy that the chef tells us he cooks over 3 days.
Steph has the Unser Sommersalat - a large salad with fish pieces and grilled scampi.
Niklas, like most four year old little boys has a large plate of pommes frites and ketchup (or is it a large plate of ketchup with chips!!)And Michael, well of course he must try something special. He orders the Wild aus der Region: Rehragout mit Freiselbeerbirne, frischen Pfefferlingen, Kronenknopfle und Salat - Venison ragout with Pfefferling mushrooms, potato dumplings and salad.
Steph heads home with the kids about 8, Felix follows at 9 and Michael and I head upstairs at 10:30 with the moon high in the night sky, hanging over the party lights burning brightly.
