The threat of rain has been hanging over our heads for nearly a week. And not just rain, I'm talking about a little lightning cloud icon on the forecast every day of the week. Knowing this weekend would likely be the breaking point for the weather, we headed outdoors as soon as it looked like any bit of sunshine was peeking out to enjoy whatever we could before it hid its face again for who knows how long.
Saturday was a mostly glorious day with afternoon sun so brilliant, we decided to take a drive down to Eltville to stroll its picturesque streets, sit on the banks of the river and enjoy a glass of wine from one of the ubiquitous wine stands along the Rhine. We sat out so long, we both ended up a bit sunburned and a little lethargic, but it was so worth it.
Sunday was more an exercise in trying to beat the weather, running out for an short afternoon hike before the grey clouds that had been threatening for some time finally did unleash a downpour. Lucky for us, the rain not only stayed at bay, but blue sky even managed to make an appearance a time or two. It was the warm mugginess that promised the rain we knew was coming.
Not wanting to stray too far from home, should the weather apocalypse indeed show its face, we wound up in a new green space that once again, impressed me with its vastness and proximity to a regular neighborhood. Bailey went nuts for the tall grass and off-leash privileges, while we enjoyed the hushed calm before the storm. I just love getting lost in nature mere minutes from where we live, as it reminds me of the way my hometown used to be for several generations of my family before me. Now it is a crowded, overdeveloped and overpriced suburban mecca, where real estate prices trump any green space.
I am so thankful this was only my second snake sighting ever in Germany (and we spend a lot of time traipsing through nature over here). I've heard two recent accounts from California folks of rattlesnakes, one which ended in someone being bit. This tiny guy might have been poisonous for all I know, but at least I don't have to fear anything major here (goodbye, CA mountain lions and bears!) when we're out in the forest.
It was a good thing we got out when we did, as our holiday Monday looked like this...
Which meant cuddling up indoors with Scrabble and Game of Thrones. At least we can say we made the most of the weekend otherwise.
Hope you had an enjoyable weekend as well!
ur latest Berlin trip was mostly about getting Bailey there to get her take, but we also went with the intention of expanding our Berlin neighborhood knowledge. For those of you unfamiliar with the city, it is massive. Like many other big cities, it has many different neighborhoods, each with its own greatly differing vibe - from busy, touristy Mitte to the quiet, spread-out surburbia that makes up the city's outskirts, so far out it's hard to believe that one is still in fact, in Berlin. After our initial trip, we fell in love with Prenzlauer Berg, but our apartment search has shown us that this neighborhood is definitely desirable - and has the rent prices prove it. A firm believer in the adages 'you get what you pay for' and 'location, location, location', I was admittedly hesitant to widen our search to other, as-of-yet unexplored parts of town in search of getting more for our money, but off we went with open minds...
e weren't entirely sure how Bailey would take to Berlin. While most would consider Wiesbaden to be big city life coming from the suburbs where we lived in California, Berlin is a whole different beast. Bailey barely manages a walk in our current neighborhood without at least once jumping at the sound of Rollladen, big trucks or even doors. Seriously. She once trampled a little puppy fleeing from someone shutting their car door. Three years in and city life is still an adjustment for her. Needless to say, we were nervous that she would veto this city we had fallen in love with.
