Our trip to France last month took us to Paris, through the amazing French countryside, to the Atlantic coast and back again, but what in fact brought us to one of my favorite countries: a wedding. Since we were unable to accept two amazing European wedding invitations in the last few years, we figured this was an opportunity we could not pass up. Not only were our friends getting married in France, but they were hosting the weekend's festivities at their recently purchased chateau and vineyard just outside of Bordeaux. Talk about a dream wedding scenario.

The wedding festivities, while held in France and with all services performed in French, had definite influences from this international couple: him from England, her from Romania. Even the guest list was made up of people from all over Europe, a handful of American expats and even one work colleague who traveled all the way from Russia. Let me tell you, this bunch knew how to party. Dancing had begun not only before dinner, but before the tent and dance floor were even open for the evening, with people grabbing partners and taking advantage of whatever space they could. Not to let my own heritage have too much of a bias, but Eastern Europeans might be the most exuberant and dedicated partiers I've ever met.

With one day for the civil ceremony and the other for the marriage in the church, the parties were scheduled to last all weekend. Not only was there dancing - and lots of it - but this foodie's belly was in heaven. Saturday, merely called a 'garden party', was complete with countless hors d'oeuvres, an amazing salad spread and not one, but two pigs roasting on a spit. In what I can only call the best dessert decision ever, bite-sized sweets ranging from macarons to mini eclairs to little cups of fruity, creamy heaven were set out alongside French mainstays of bread, fruit and cheese. Needless to say, after such indulgences, we were already dreaming of the following day's menu - but we were not even close to prepared. Appetizers of butter-seared foie gras on toast and creamy sweetbreads (my first ever) wrapped in flaky pastry could only be outdone by dinner's caramelized duck breast with candied citrus and chanterelles. Of course, endless bottles from the couple's own vineyard was just icing on the rose-covered, firework-adorned cake.

We called this amazing couple neighbors for an unfortunately short amount of time, but managed to spend holidays together and form a connection I only hope will last a very long time. They are truly the kind of people you feel lucky to even know. And if you happen to notice the bride's Linda Hamilton-circa-Terminator-2 biceps, that's because in addition to being a full-time lawyer - in not her native language - and now part-time wine maker, she's also an incredible table tennis champion. Seriously, this couple brings joie de vivre to a whole new level and we left humbled and inspired to live a life even half as full as theirs.

One of  my favorite things about living here is how we can have no big plans in the coming week, only to find our weekend filled with the abundant festivals and celebrations so common this time of year. After our errands on Saturday, we headed to the Mainzer Weinetage just about the same time the rain clouds cleared and the sun came out. As much as I love our fests in Wiesbaden, there is just something so fantastic about the stretch of riverside on which Mainz holds its festivals.

I also love that Mainz is such a different crowd. Sure, there are some older, more posh wine connoisseurs, I'm sure, but the younger, more laid-back vibe is a nice change. The wineries were being very generous with their pours and there were some hipper, downright enjoyable music performers, most notably this great little instrumental quartet whose music transported you to Midnight in Paris. Of course, there were also the ubiquitous groups of bachelor and bachelorette parties, which in Germany mean coordinated dressing up, embarrassment of the bride/groom and selling of some kind of food or trinkets to the crowd. These kinds of fests make me a little sad about all we will be leaving behind when we move, but I know Berlin holds so many new and different things, we won't be disappointed.

While Saturday was a bit of a last minute outing, Sunday's event was something we had been looking forward to since we had received an invitation to the celebration: our favorite maker of Sekt, Schloss Wachenheim, was having a party for its 125th anniversary. Even though they have been sold out of our very favorite Sekt - Muskateller Pfalz - for a number of months, the drive down through this beautiful wine region and wandering around the quaint town of Wachenheim is always worth it. The best part: for this celebration, Schloss Wachenheim was running Sekt through the fountain in its courtyard and for just 125 cents, you could fill your glass from it as often as you liked. We quickly decided that this should be a regular thing, not just at wineries, but really in any fountain. I mean, wouldn't that just make the world a better place?    

Another great thing to happen this weekend - we finally got our dSLR! Due some great prices and attractive new financing offers (meaning we can afford a camera and our move to Berlin), we splurged for the Nikon d5100, rather than the entry-level d300 we were considering. This also means there is a steep learning curve for me, so bear with me while I learn. Even without a clue as to what we were doing with the thing, the photos from Sunday turned out markedly better than Saturday's, which were taken just with our little point-and-shoot. And check out that self-photo action, thanks to the d5100's flip screen! I'm really excited to learn more, play more and bring better photos to my blog. Any beginners tips are most welcome!