Our Friend Rupert aka "Schnupi"

For roughly three years a friend called Rupert, we call him Rupert, is paying us regular visits. At first, he showed up every now and then and later he hung out at our back yard more frequently and it became a habit and soon it was a daily thing. I guess Schnupi fell in love with us and our home.

I must say, we did not feed him for at least the first 6 months. Not that I dared to start feeding our friend. I only spent time with him, he sat on my lab, me petting him.

What we didn't know, Rupert had already a home and the owner regularly looked for him till they found Schnupi at our place. We also found out that Schnupi was actually called Gonzo.

We did everything possible to ignore him, turn him away, driving him home, the owner picking him up, nothing worked. I guess, Rupert chose us and our place to be his new home.

Finally, almost two years and some dramas and disappearances later we have officially adopted our friend Rupert, who is now a part of our household and part of this family. 

"Welcome to her family"

Brands4Friends is Saying Good Bye

Well, after almost 8 years of working for brands4friends, this chapter will come to an end. The company is closing at the end of June 2023, and this means the door is closing and another window opens up. I will enjoy working for the next 3 months with my still workmates before we will spread out and go our separate ways. 

Over the course of the last 8 years, I have met great people and along the way made some friendships. I hope we still catch up, stay in contact and the future will look bright for every one of us. So, for now, chin up, enjoy whatever might be thrown your way and let's rock the next couple of weeks, till the end.

Cheers & Good Bye

Getting a New Car

We decided to get a new car because Tobi's current (work) car would not make it through another TÜV-assessment. As always, we plan everything to the point that nothing can go wrong. Well prepared, Tobi picked up a rental car presumably a VW-Golf, as it was the cheapest option, compared to a plane or train trip. The rental option is also the most flexible and comfortable way of traveling from Belin to Gelsenkirchen. 

As I was talking to a neighbour a big BMW-X4 stopped on the street, and someone open the window. It was Tobi. What the heck did you pick up? I said, a simple small car would have been enough, but he was laughing and telling me there was nothing else available. Wow what a fantastic upgrade. I can't say I was disappointed, more than happy and delighted that we would travel in style. We quickly grabbed our belongings  and, on a Friday, around 4.00 pm in the afternoon we started our journey. I must admit it was a great feeling driving such a powerful car, we enjoyed it and made the most out of it. 

Stopover roughly halfway there, we had dinner at a small village called "Hessisch Oldendorf - Rohden" at a restaurant. This trip is not about just getting a new car but also enjoying time away from home, so we had lots of plans for the weekend. 

We finally arrived in Gelsenkirchen 6 hours later. Because of daylight saving in summer over here in Europe we arrived in daylight. To finish that Friday night off we checked into our hotel, went out for a couple of drinks nearby and went to bed around midnight. 

Next morning, we had a lovely breakfast at the hotel and then we were on our way to pick up the car for Tobi. As mentioned before, everything was well organized and the deal was closed within half an hour. As you can see, Tobi is a very proud new car owner of his Toyota. Now that the new car is bought, we just had to return the rental and we were again on our way for some short adventures. 

Have I mentioned I lived in this area before I moved to Australia. That why I returned to a couple of hot spots something like 20 years later and showed Tobi my old neighbourhood. Let's go to Oberhausen and then Wesel with the new Toyota.

First stop Oberhausen Centro, back then it was Germany's largest shopping center, not sure if it still is as time has passed and maybe somewhere else a bigger one exists these day. We went a bit shopping, browsing, strolling along at the promenade and of course had some lunch. When were done with Oberhausen we moved on to Wesel.

In Wesel I actually lived and worked there for a few years. The restaurant " Haus Blumenkamp" I was once working no longer exists but instead I found a new developed area with brand new houses built, not ready jet but almost. I guess it will look stunning once completed. We moved on to the city center to have some coffee and cake maybe an ice cream and after that we visited the river Rhein and went for a walk.

In the evening we returned to the hotel and searched for a restaurant in Gelsenkirchen, something exotic and found a turkish restaurant that actually cooked Turkish cusine except for "Döner". It was a great way to finish off the day before we were heading back to the hotel to get a good night sleep and to drive back home the next morning. 

To sum up the weekend I can only say it was a fantastic one with things getting done, a bit of fun, shopping and delicious food and some relaxing moments.

Spandauer Zitadelle

It's about time we hit the city again. With summer coming to an end, there is only that much time left to explore Berlin and discover a couple of treasures with the sun shining down on us. So today we checked out the Zitadelle in the district of Spandau in Berlin as well as taking a stroll around the old part of the town and its marketplace. 

I guess, we will do more often take a little weekend adventure in the coming weeks and months as we have finished our major projects for this year. This means, more time living less time working and who doesn't love that?

Grünheide - Tesla Gigafactory

By the way, Grünheide is not a place known to lots of people until Elon Musk decided to put his Tesla Gigafactory there. Grünheide is in the state of Brandenburg, I also live in that state and so we had to take a trip town there to check on the progress. 

It was a huge announcement when it was decided that the Tesla Gigafactory will be built in Grünheide and of course there are many people who were as excited as I was, and you have those who oppose the idea of such a gigantic project for whatever reasons.

On a regular basis the progress, issues, hold ups as well Elon Musk visiting the construction side where on the news but going there and seeing it for ourselves was different and exciting. Even if we couldn't see much, we saw it all. 

After that, we just drove to the next village an went for a walk. I mean, there is nothing else down there and of course it's still Corona and lock downs. So, what else but strolling was there for us to do.

26K Page Views - 31.October 2020

Today I have viewed my blogsite and just noticed right this second 26.000-page views. In times of social media of course this is not a big milestone as only one video shared on Instagram or elsewhere can attract 100K clicks, likes or shares...or more. Anyway, just to all the people who stumble across my page, thank you.

Kochel am See - Wellness Day

Due to the weather not being as summerly as we would hope for, we spontaneously decided to look after our health and went to a day spa. After a day hiking and our aching bodies, we would do nothing but relaxing all day long.

As we arrived at Kochel am See, the thermal bath, we noticed that lots of people decided as well to take a break. The weather was unpleasant, windy, and rainy, nothing like summer at all. It looked more like an average day in autumn.

Anyway, once we got in, the pleasant part began, sauna, swimming, dining, relaxing, we had all of it, all day long. At the end of the day when we left the thermal bath even the sun appeared on the sky and we took a little walk along the lake. 

What an amazing scenery we were surrounded by, so we soaked it all in and left happily soon after. What an absolute fabulous day we had.

Hiking in the Alps

After a good night sleep and a rich breakfast, we took our gear and started on our first adventure, hiking. Let me tell you that I never went hiking before, hence we choose an easy trail for beginners, so I thought.

Fully motivated we went up and up and the hiking got steeper and higher and soon I found myself out of breath. Dear God, what was I thinking, if this is an easy trail for beginners, what would be like a medium one, Am I so unfit?

After too many breaks and pauses my hiking partner pushed and motivated me all the way up to the top. Even I was laughing about myself but at this point in time it wasn't funny.

By the time we reached the top we found out that we were hiking a moderately difficult trail. Something went wrong or we incorrectly read the map. We hiked from Ettal, so from the valley to the summit the altitude difference was roughly 850 meters. It was not a hiking trail for dummies.

The view however from the summit made up for all the sweat and pain. We thoroughly enjoyed lunch together and after recharging our batteries, we made our way down, this time we took the cable car. The ride took approximately 10 minutes and again we soaked in the view and could relax all the way down to Oberammagau.

Finally on Vacation

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic we had to change our plans for our holiday this year. Originally, we were meant to go to the US later this year, but it looks like another trip to the south of Germany. We are going to Ettal. After traveling almost 700 km we finally arrived at our destination and we were quite hungry. After checking in we went for a walk exploring the neighbourhood and found a cosy restaurant to kick off our well-deserved vacation.

One of the attractions of the town just opposite the hotel we are staying lays the monastery of Ettal, very impressive building. And when you look a bit closer you can see me wearing a winter jacket at the end of August which is very unusual, but it was a very cold summer day down here in the mountains. We were lucky that the rain stopped. I hope the weather will get better and the sun will take over in the coming days as we have lots of plans, outdoor activities like hiking and eventually going for a swim in one of the many lakes up here in the mountains.

Family Fun Day

At the end of the summer school holidays my brother and kids always pay me a visit. Today my parents decided to not just drop them off but to stay a bit longer. As I was still working in the home office everybody was outside enjoying the sun and the warm weather.

There is nothing better than going for a dip if you feel hot. As I was working, I still heard the joy and the laughter in the back yard and so the picture was taken, capturing a beautiful moment of my whole family spending quality time together in the swimming pool.

Later on, after I finished work, I joined them in the pool, we had some ice cream and to finish off a brilliant family day we had a BBQ. Mum was worried we would not have enough food but there was plenty of food and selection for everyone.

The following day we drove my brother, niece and nephew to the Berlin main train station and they travelled back to Switzerland as the first school day was only one weekend away.

Weekend – Breakfast at the Pool

To have a great start to the weekend we decided to have breakfast at the swimming pool. Working so hard throughout the pandemic and staying at home on weekends, we can finally enjoy the fruits of all our efforts as we were busy upgrading and enhancing the back yard. 

Folks, we are on the home stretch of the summer project 2020. So, from now on we will enjoy more often breakfast outside and it feels like a holiday already.

First BBQ Session - Birthday Gift

A new BBQ bought by brands4friends was this year's birthday gift for Tobi and everyone of the family chipped in, thank you very much. So, today was the day we finally had our opening BBQ. We went to a special butcher in Borgsdorf  to get some quality meet and sausages. We also bought a couple of shrimps and other goodies somewhere else. What can I say, the taste of the meet and sausages was just divine, best beef I've had in a very long time and it was worth every cent!

Let's put a shrimp on the barbie.

Happy Wedding Anniversary & Birthday

One day, two occasions and we are all in one place to celebrate this special day. To Tobi, Happy Birthday and to my parents, Happy 45th Wedding Anniversary. May we have plenty of other happy occasions that we can celebrate in the near and far future by staying healthy, which is the most important gift one can wish for.

Even though it gets harder to get presents for the anniversaries as we basically have everything, we can always bring joy and a big smile to Tobi's face when chocolate is involved, chocolate from "Milka" in particular.

After all the presents were exchanged, we enjoyed a lovely breakfast including some champagne for the special occasion.

Ascension of Christ aka Father`s Day

This year the month of May is full of public holidays. So, today just another one came along which is called Ascension of Christ and to all that don't believe in Christ...they called it Father's Day instead

We had nothing special planned but the weather was lovely so we decided to get our bicycles cleaned up and ready we were. Let's go for a ride to Lake Lenitz. On the way we just stopped somewhere for a fatty Hot Dog to get our energy levels back up and on we went.

And just as we thought we had enough, while on our way back home the Police stopped us on our bikes and took a breathalyser test, seriously. We could not believe our "luck" and got along with the procedure and had quite a laugh. Both our tests came out just fine....as expected.

Getting the Lawn down

This year pretty much everything evolves around the back yard, to give it a face. Friends and family who know how the back yard looked before are already amazed about the transformation, and we are not finished yet.

Unfortunately, we weren't able to get lawn from a local company as lawn in general around this time is high in demand. However, we found a company in the Netherland and scheduled the delivery for the 15th of May. How exciting to finally getting beautiful lawn to almost complete our back yard project.

In previous days and weeks, we have done all the preparations needed to get the lawn down when it's been dropped off. Around lunch time a big truck stopped in front of our house and within hours the lawn was down, it looked perfect, spectacular...I guess, just like any other backyard.

Pool Cover....follow up Project

Most important, in order to continue with our backyard project, was to get the tiling done. Now, that we have finished the first part the second step has been planned and organised. So today, we are waiting for the delivery of our pool cover.

Originally, we should have received the pool cover a day earlier but something got mixed up and so we were delayed by one day. Anyway, in times of COVID-19 everything is a bit different and we are just happy that to pool cover has been dropped off at our premises.

A dear friend has given us a hand to assemble the parts and place it into the rails. To finish it off we got rid of the protective film, fixed the tree parts and were in awe how great it actually looked. 

The pool cover has many benefits in regards to child protection as it is lockable so no one can go in unallowed. It also is beneficial in using less chemicals as well as less dirt gets into the pool and of course it prolongs the season as it keeps the water temperature.

Easter Project 2020 – Tiling the Pool Area

It seems as if one project just finished and the next one is already in the pipeline. You might be right about that but, we still have plenty of time to relax in between projects. Also, we enjoy it very much progressing bit by bit. I can truly say this pandemic and the restrictions that come with it are playing in our hands. 

#StayHome. Save Lives

That's what we are doing, and we are not bored of each other, let alone bored at all. So, that's why we decided to start on the laying the tiles at the swimming pool area. All the materials had been delivered. We were just hoping for great weather and off we go...let's do it. 

On a side note the wall at the back to our neighbour Tobi also plastered this one on Saturday morning. Again, I'm totally impressed and overwhelmed with my "Bubselbär" and the passion he shows when he is at it.

Happy Easter 2020

Wishing all of you a Happy Easter and hope you stay safe and sound. It appears that this Easter is very different to all others due to the Corona Virus Pandemic. 

We are not getting together with our family to celebrate this special time of the year. Unfortunately, we also had to cancel our travel arrangements going to Switzerland to be with my brother as well as celebrating a very special birthday of my niece who turns 10 years just after Easter, what a milestone.

Nevertheless, we play along with what is possible and on time we received a special Easter parcel sent by Mum & Dad. What a surprise and we waited till Sunday before we opened the "Easter Egg".

One of course is always more taken aback by it than others.

And as we are home bound, we had plenty of time baking cakes. I usually bake cake once a year. Look at me, on just one weekend I baked 2. I must admit I totally enjoyed spending that much time in the kitchen and of course Tobi felt very spoilt.

Winter Project - 2nd Bathroom Finished

We have just left winter behind us and on time we finished our winter project which was building a 2nd bathroom. When we look back what the room looked like before we've started  it was basically just a basement. Just a few weeks later, now look at it again how beautiful it turned out.

What an amazing job Tobi has done yet again. All I had to do at the end was cleaning the tiles and furniture and put stuff into the cabinets. Once the bathroom was tidied up, in the evening we had a bath for the first time in almost 3 years as we didn't have a bathtub yet in the house.

All we need to really finish it off is a mirror, a door and some window coverings. We'll get that in time for when we get some visitors. As you all know due to the COVID-19 aka Corona Virus Pandemic we are practising social distancing, hence a couple of things need to be done later.

Winter Project 2020 - Update

Four weeks into the job, in fact just the weekends we worked on the second bathroom, that's where we stand as of today. Cables and pipes are all in and next week we will connect the water. The following steps include the floor heating, the floor itself, tiles, bathtub, toilet etc. It's still a fair bit of work but we are on track. Our goal is to have the bathroom finished around spring time.

Winter Project 2020 – 2nd Bathroom

No, we are not standing still and still we find enough time to relax and enjoy life. So, we are back from our holiday and short trip to London, our batteries are re-charged and the next project is just lying in front of us. I'm getting a 2nd bathroom and Tobi is the one putting it in with the assistance of a couple of friends who will give us a hand here and there.

After two weekends and hard work, this is where we are at the moment. We took out sand from the basement in order to get height into this room. After this was done, we put down the concreate slap. When I write "we" did this I actually mean Tobi did it....it just sounds so much better and of course I assist in other ways to realise this little project.

I can't wait to actually have it finished soon, even if it doesn't look like it currently.

Food Heaven - London (Earl's Court)

As our London trip comes to an end, I must summarise the culinary adventures we have been taken in such a short time. Whether it's a traditional English breakfast in one of the many local pubs , Indian, Chinese, Italian or Pakistani Cuisine or a burger place around the corner or a bakery that exists more than 100 years, you can find just everything in close proximity and it is absolute delicious. The restaurants are packed so you should make a booking beforehand in order to get in.

We both love food, good food, great food and if the plate is dished up nicely it tastes even better. We will come back definitely for more.

Welcoming 2020 in London, UK

This year we've decided to spend New Years Eve differently, not with my family or in Germany but in London with friends. As we have prepared for the trip months ago we are even more excited that the day has finally arrived.

After a great evening spending in a Pub in good company we are have made our way to at London Eye on the bridge. Hopefully we will watch a spectacular fireworks from this location and are waiting for the moment the clock will tick over and a new year, decade begins. 

For this special occasion even Big Ben will ring at midnight. So here we go, waiting for 2020 to arrive, bring it on and count down 10, 9, 8...…..

Happy New Year

2020

London - China Town - Dim Sum

Of course there is "China Town" here in London, don't you know that? That was the answer for my question of my friend Sasa. The evening we went to see the comedy show in Soho Theatre which I enjoyed pretty much and Tobi probably didn't because of him not speaking English very well, on the way back home we accidentally stumbled through China Town and checked it out. 

As we only had a piece of Pizza before the show we were hungry afterwards. So we had dinner at a Hong Kong Restaurant, Tobi's choice. What we noticed straight away, China Town, London has lots of Dim Sum places….which unfortunately Berlin is lacking. I love Dim Sum so we decided to come back the next day to have Dim Sum for lunch and weren't disappointed.

We even went for a full body massage for 60 minutes which we both enjoyed very much, after yesterdays long walk through London and the sightseeing tour. We walked more than 10 km and no, we did not want to take the Underground Tube or the hop on & hop off bus because the weather was just loevely, clear skies and sunny. It was totally worth it even though our feet hurt at the end of that day.

London - Sightseeing Tour

There are far too many photos to share them all with you. However, a couple I have picked to post to my Blog. It all started with walking down to Kensington Palace then we just followed others an came by other interesting buildings and statues which I can't even remember what they are called.

As mentioned before, we basically walked more than 12 km in one day and at the end I was exhausted, we both were, to the point we decided to buy a new pair, of shoes each the following day. As we purchased the new pair we left the old one in the shop and continued with more sightseeing the following day in much more comfortable shoes than the day before.

I must admit I fell in love with London. How could I have waited so long to actually come here. Whether it is the city, public transport, sightseeing, people or the cuisine & food, I felt like in food heaven. It was the first trip to London but it will not be the last one...I'll come back for more and even will explore more of the country and its beauty.

German Unity Day - 3rd of October

Today we are commemorating the anniversary of the reunification 29 years ago. East & West Germany became ones more a united Germany. I can't believe it is almost 30 years ago that a divided Germany was reunited and all this happening in a peaceful manner.

So today we went to the spot were it all happened the Brandenburg Gate. No more borders; walking through the Gate is a simple as crossing the road anywhere you like. What a special event which made history.

Road Trip, 3rd Leg - Switzerland

This is just a brief summary of one beautiful day which we've spent in Switzerland close to the German border. "Bodensee" or Lake Constance is a stopping point if visiting this region. Another attraction are the "Rhein" Falls which you can see from the German part or the Swiss part, either side it's beautiful.  

Have fun watching the video, I tried to capture some moments of that day

The Birthday Boy is Celebrating

Due to being on holidays in Poland where we celebrated Tobi's actual birthday we invited my parents over upon our return to have a little get together. For the special occasion I baked a strawberry cake.

We also invited some other guest who however couldn't make it due to a tummy bug, oops...so sorry. Anyway, as Tobi loves cake he had it all to himself apart from us three having a piece.

You asked what he's got for his birthday gift? Well, as my bestie has forgotten his Credit Card for our vacation in Poland I decided this will be on me. He liked it very much...and we had a great laugh together.

Carnival of Cultures

We have just been back from the Road Trip and again we are off to Berlin's "Karneval der Kulturen" which is a parade of lots of different societies from around the world. The weather was beautiful warm and sunny but not too hot. We packed bottle of waters in our backpack and we had a shady spot from where we could watch the parade. I would say let’s get started.

And we didn’t get disappointed, the music, the atmosphere, the variety of people, costumes, backgrounds just very colourful the world we live in. It’s pretty amazing when so much colour comes together and enriches our lives…. you just need to open your eyes and be part of it. Great Event.

Road Trip to Poland - Oświęcim

From Poznań to Oswiecim we've travelled another 400 km to reach the second leg of our road trip. Such a idyllic place this small town has become, just gorgeous considering the dark past some 70 something years ago. This was the reason we went on this trip to actually take a look at the infamous concentration camp.

It was an experience walking those ground. I can’t put it into words what I was feeling. The seize of that area and what has happened here, unimaginable. Never again!

Well, our trip came eventually to an end and all together it was an amazing trip with lots of fun as well as deep thoughts and not to forget a special day we were celebrating, Tobi's birthday, just the two of us.

So, we drove some 550 km to get finally back home. Can I just mention that Tobi forgot his Credit Card which he's noticed when he tried to pay for fuel at a petrol station in Poland so the whole trip was basically his birthday present. You‘re very welcome darling.

Road Trip to Poland - Poznań

Last year we celebrated Tobi' birthday at the Vabali Day Spa, this year we've decided to go on a Road Trip to Poland. The city of Poznań and Oświęcim will be our destination. The first leg of our trip we travelled roughly 270 km to arrive in Poznań. 

We were totally surprised how beautiful the old part of the inner city is, the market place such a lovely spot and very clean. As we arrived there around lunch time, we headed straight away for the food stalls to have some Polish Cuisine, some sort of Sauerkraut but made differently compared to the German Sauerkraut and Polish Sausages. 

Later on, we went on a sightseeing tour by foot and again we were impressed on how many churches we came by, very interesting and beautiful. Now and then we had a look inside those churches. Also positive to mention are the Bakeries and Cafes as well as Restaurants and the food, just delicious. 

And so, our first leg of the trip was over and we continued on to get to Oświęcim (back then better known as Auschwitz).