We know Autokino from America. And from Kornwestheim (cars are not as cool here…).
In corona times it became so popular that tickets have been sold out fast. All the time. Every week. Every day. Except tonight. We made it!
Mini is on!
The program: 25th Tatort Stuttgart. A premier. Love it! (Sunday on TV)
You purchase your ticket online, you bring your own snacks and radio.
Front row is the penalty for coming too late (we notice that we should have cleaned the windscreen…). The film starts rather late due to summer time (let’s see if we middle old people can make it).
Love listening & dancing in the living room at 8am because I cannot sleep anymore (wish I was at the bay though…).
The plan for later: reading my favorite weekend newspaper for a couple of hours. In Pyjamas (or lounge wear how I now prefer to call it. PS: Lounge wear can be also worn in the supermarket!). A lot of coffee included. Followed by a siesta in the garden. Just wonderful! Pure luxury.
Guess, what we have been eating since a couple of days?
Yes! Our first home-grown radishes are ready and soooo tasty!
Lessons learnt though: don’t grow a hundred radishes at the same time and believe half of them not gonna make it. Otherwise, Monday: radish with salt for lunch. And with vinegar for dinner. Tuesday: radish with salad. Wednesday: radish with lamb. Thursday: radish with steak. Friday………..
It all started pretty much 9 weeks ago with the corona lockdown. All of a sudden we had time. A lot of time. A perfect time for gardening! Time for growing red radishes (and chili’s, spinach, carrots, beans, rucola, lettuce, basil, leek, peppers, potatoes, tomatoes…) in our garden.
A seed.
Seedling sprouts.
Seedlings.
It works! They grow!
It feels very gratifying taking a plant through its whole life cycle.
Is there a nicer place to grow?
After sometime we moved them to a new home: hubby’s self-build raised bed (a former TV transportation box from China…).
We watched them grow. Daily. With excitement & big surprise. I guess we didn’t expect them all to grow. And we appreciated how lovely the silence of growing things is. That’s how we felt for the past 9 weeks.
Gardening is the slowest of the performing arts. Don’t they look artistic (well, maybe the shape is a bit weird)?
Patience missing: maybe harvested too early. Yummy!
There’s kind of a competitiveness going on. Between sister & brother and neighbors. In a good way. Exchanging photos of seedlings 🙂 It feels good.
Leek, spring onion, red pepper, chilies, mushrooms, potatoes, lettuce, sunflowers, lavender, poppies, tulips (2021)… to follow. Cannot wait! And in-between we may work on more radishes…
Strawberries growing well……and our runner beans started running.
PS: anyone interested in Turley-tomato-seedlings? Let us know! We have plenty. Might be even able to support Italy with tomato sauce this year 😉
Today is Mother’s Day. 46 countries around the globe are celebrating today!
Driving home for Mother’s Day.
Heimat.
For me it’s the first Mother’s Day in 8 years that I’m in Germany and therefore close. Well, this years challenge: Corona! So close and still so far. Only 300km away and lucky us: surprisingly county borders were opened only 3 days ago & it’s now allowed to visit close family members. Yeah! Just in time (I would have gone anyway… just saying).
And off we go.
On the road again.
Hubby, Charlie & I.
For the first time in 9 weeks.
Exciting.
Oh it feels good.
It feels free.
It feels wild.
Our gift: time together & spoiling mummy. Cooking a 3-course-lunch for her (and us):
The chef of the day:
Our menu:
Greetings from the kitchen & starter: Smoked salmon Tatar with a wasabi note and garden spring onions on fresh field salad with pomegranate seeds.
Main: white Swabian asparagus on new potatoes with hollandaise sauce & Schnitzel (from a Swabian pork).
Clinking glasses with my favorite bottle of French Rosé included.
Dessert: A lemon berry mascarpone tart
(Followed by a little siesta, haha).
Bon Appetit!
Enjoying to be together again.
Happy that everyone is healthy.
Precious time together.
Happy Mother’s Day to all fabulous moms around the world!
Lockdown opening continuous. Hair dressers are re-opening! Hallelujah, as my French friend would say.
Survived for the last 8 weeks (thanks to some cheating color spray… hair bands… hats & home office…). Meanwhile, decision was taken: growing hair again (powerless & confirmed decision).
Next challenge: schedule an appointment. ASAP! They shared via email when and how to be contacted for appointments: phone busy. App crashed. They offered what’s up service and eventually called back. The result: 2 appointments! One for color, 2nd for cut one week later (I feel like a winner)!
Next challenge accepted: follow hairdresser rules (informed via email called “update 3.0”):
Wait in front of door until somebody calls you in (luckily the rain stopped). No companions allowed (ok…). Bring your own face mask. If you forget, no problem, you can purchase one. No drinks provided (bring your own). No newspaper provided (bring your own). Hairdressers working with gloves (one pair per customer). Schedule your next appointment via phone only (to avoid queue at cashier). So far so good.
Today is the day, first visit: Maybe a bit nervous, checking my belongings: mask/check. Drink/check. Magazine/check. Wallet/check. Off we go.
Waiting to be called in:
Disinfecting hands. The salon smells like a bar… (No, I haven’t had my margarita yet…).
Smiles hidden by masks. Happy to be back. Happy to have me back (I guess).
Wearing a mask while getting color (mask & hair have now same color, didn’t like that green anyway 😉 ).
Getting hair washed with a mask is not as much of a challenge as I would have imagined. It was fine & fun. I feel like a human again. Yeah! Ready to meet some friends & family soon again.
What I really like and appreciate: hairdresser salon opening time got extended: including Monday’s and daily one hour earlier and one hour more (very work hour friendly). I love it, hope it will survive the corona rush hour).
Spring is in the air. It’s getting warmer and that means the first rhubarb is ready. Yea or nay?
Anyone who grew up in Germany will most likely remember this “fruit” from their childhood with a combination of fear and shaking. While it should change from astringent to pleasantly tart through cooking with enough sugar, too often this ended up as a sour green-brown pulp. If you were lucky it was mixed with vanilla pudding. And daddy proudly preparing this dish, and ended up eating it for days on his own… year for year. Not such good memories. And repeated every spring again…
All of that doesn’t sound appealing, right?That’s what I thought. But then we had the rhubarb and needed to do something with it. So I started looking up recipes. Thought it’s time to give it another try. And I have to admit: wow, how times change. It seems now featuring in more sophisticated guises, including Rhubarb Martinis!
Well, Martini sounds good but let’s start first with the old favorite tart (made lots of experience in the past weeks with lemon tart, strawberry tart…). This time with rhubarb based on a British recipe: a thin pastry shell topped with a thin layer of dark chocolate (for hubby) & cream.
I loved the different preparation style of the rhubarb – rather than stewing (memories!!), it’s gently roasting the rhubarb in the oven with a little sugar, which means you end up with tender chunks of rhubarb which burst with flavour and have a positively fluorescent pink color – awesome!
Super delicious! So good that it even deserves to be written about. The rhubarb definitely deserved a second chance! (The neighbors loved it, too).
I sent my father a photo, his comments: oh, that rhubarb looks wild (including some crying and thump down emoji…). Just now I asked my mum for her old rhubarb cake recipe… Father’s Day is coming up soon…
Corona. Home Office. Week 7 (out of 7?) done. Wondering how long the quarantine will continue… it seems nobody knows so exactly at the moment. I will stop counting.
Let’s talk about (summer) holiday plans 2020:
The worldwide travel warning was just extended to mid of June… warning doesn’t mean forbidden. But most flights got canceled. Most countries keep their borders closed (for now). And the German government just gave a hint yesterday that they wouldn’t charter flights again to get Germans out of corona high risk countries (like they did in the past weeks).
And not sure if you want to wait until your number gets called for swimming access (the idea is hilarious, though):
Maybe all those adverts need a make-over.
Planned a trip? Flight got canceled? Same for us. Same for everyone. The good news: you can still travel… virtually. Some destination ideas:
When you miss traveling…
Anticipation is the greatest: just reschedule your planned vacation to 2021 (or to be super safe to 2022):
This is probably as much hula hula as you can get this year. A virtual trip & real taste of Hawaii (available in any supermarket just around the corner):
Alternatively (or first Hawaii, then Spain) a bit of Spanish flair:
We cannot complain about the weather – sun bathing (and that’s new) also including a bit of a risk this year:
One year ago we were already packing for our move back to Europe. We spent a (last) weekend in April in Seoul and one in Tokyo. Glad we did! Nobody would have even imagined what 2020 would be like. Wow! Appreciating the great memories now.
This year we have been canceling a flight to Shanghai, a flight to Delhi, a flight to Bremen, a flight to Dublin, and most likely a flight to Bari. Wow! (Now you know why we appreciate the quiet time so much). At least good for the environment (even only 20% of flight travel causing pollution)…
Back-up plan: joining the neighbors Wallace (back) & Humboldt chilling in the garden:
And watching our tomatoes grow:
PS: working from home got extended until end of May (for now).
We are healthy (maybe a little back pain… and carpal tunnel Syndrom… our home office set up seems not ergonomic friendly enough…).
This week I’d like to take you on a trip around the globe. As so often I got inspired while readying my favorite weekend newspaper this morning. It’s a virtual trip, of course. A trip around the world in corona times. People sharing a small insight of their current life.
Since mid of March people in Greece are only allowed to leave their house for the supermarket or pharmacies. And: they have to send a text message to their government if they do so. Otherwise there’s a fine of €150!
Before the lockdown in NY the city (who usually never sleeps) seemed already empty. Some people still felt in the mood and dressed up to celebrate spring. It’s a weird spring this year. But spring means also hope! The hope that all will turn out good, eventually.
In Iran young people supported distributing disinfectant which is being provided by the government. People were queuing to get their bottles filled up. Most people cannot stay in quarantine. They live from day to day. If they don’t leave the house for work, families cannot afford food!
In China life seems to become „normal“ again. Every day more shops & restaurants are opening up again!
Brasilians President is following a different approach when it comes to lockdown: no lockdown (but people are afraid and stay home anyway). Some of the mayors created their own rules: if streets get disinfected street sellers can continue selling fruits to keep their income. It’s hopeful that mayors take care of their residents.
Adelaide in Australia is focusing on sport. A bicycle ride to the port feels like being at the main station: so many people running, walking, skateboarding, cycling… everybody keeping the 1,5m distance, of course. Using sport to appreciate and value life!
Poland is currently critical from a democracy point of view. That’s why residents bring up private initiatives to support their health system which may collapse otherwise. Producing masks and providing them for free to local hospitals.
Delhi in India. Also here different times: no restaurant visits, no shopping, no talking to others on the streets, instead: playing tennis on top of buildings. With a ball on a string. Most apartments don’t even have a window. Most families share one room. Migrant workers slept on the streets and were sent back home.
In London a family realized that life goes on despite the lockdown. Different. Trying to create routines in the new life. Talking to parents on the face time. Everything and everybody seems to change. But everything continuous. It feels good to sharpen the focus on important things again. We all have to learn to become more patient again. And then we may value and appreciate again how rich our life is with little things.
Moskau in Russia. Also here lockdown. Only grocery shopping is allowed. All streets are video controlled. Soon to follow: facial monitoring. The police controls very strictly with the help of above mentioned devises. Some people escape illegally to the top roofs. It gives them hope. Up here they feel they still can dream. Uncontrolled.
South Africa. Usually hundreds of shacks share one tap. From time to time there’s problems with the water supply. Since a week electricity is falling out. Groceries are rotting (no working fridges). Groceries paid with the last available money. Also the health system is not as good as in other countries. Keeping the distance is not possible. Police cars are announcing the info about Covid by driving through the streets. Generally, access to news is very limited.
Iquitos in Peru can only be accessed via plane or boat. The village is located in the middle of the rainforest. You would think safe from corona… unfortunately not. The houses here don’t have running water. Families are bathing in the river in public. The hope: the whole world is going through the same: Corona virus.
In Leipzig, Germany, people are amazed by how fast people can get used to the different new life. Church services are broadcasted via zoom. Painting classes are offered online. So are yoga & dancing classes. Musicians from around the globe come together to connect us with music. Of course online. Visible for everyone. Around the globe.
The government in Jordan is using public buses to share bread. Thursday’s have been officially announced to distribute cigarettes. Jordan is one of the countries which followed a very strict lockdown from the very beginning. Since infection numbers are low, lockdown has been limited to daily 6pm – 10am. People are allowed to move around in the day time. A local guy says that he enjoyed the special time. Quality time he spent with his 1-year old daughter. Time he usually doesn’t have due to balancing job & family life.
Hiroji from Japan, 80 years old and believing in Buddha, changed his prayers from good luck for the family and the son to health & hope for the whole world.
People in Madrid getting to know their neighbors. Since the lockdown they are seeing each other every day at 8pm on their balconies, clapping together to show how thankful they are for nurses & doctors doing an incredible job these days. Some kids using a broomstick to swing around the Spanish flag, a symbol for the unity of Spain.
A photographer living in Austria started documenting his new life with corona. Last year he collected stamps from entering 71 countries! These days he is noticing that he doesn’t have any impulse to continue this kind of busy life and traveling whenever the worldwide travel restrictions are gone. He learnt to appreciate family time again. And the most important gift: love and being loved.
Paris, another city empty these days… no cars. No people. France is one of the countries with the highest death numbers due to Corona. So many dead bodies that they have to be stored in containers since there’s not enough space in hospitals. All containers are captured by tents so neighbors don’t have to follow the daily tragedy. Still young people are wearing masks for the hope, for solidarity, even not exactly knowing if it helps or not. Hoping for the best even there are days with only little hope.
Hemmingen, Swabia. A family feeling thankful for being able and allowed to work from home. Thankful for having enough food. Enough to share with neighbors. Happy for a government taking care of their residents. Happy for being healthy!
Thanks, SZ for the inspiration of sharing the worlds thoughts.
Jemand hat endlich herausgefunden wie das Virus tickt…
Nach jetzt rund fünf Wochen halbfreiwilliger Quarantäne ist es Zeit, ein Fazit zu ziehen. Glaubt man den Bestimmungen der einzelnen Bundesländer, so ergibt sich zur Verbreitung von Covid19 folgendes Bild:
„Das Virus verbreitet sich generell und irre schnell in Kindergärten und Schulen. In Altersheimen rottet es Kundschaft und Belegschaft aus. In Hessen verbreitet sich das Virus durch Eisdielen (weswegen diese geschlossen sind), aber nicht in Baumärkten. Sobald das Virus aber die bayerische Landesgrenze überquert, überlegt es sich das anders und verbreitet sich jetzt über Baumärkte (weswegen diese geschlossen sind), nimmt dafür aber Abstand von Eisdielen. Wenn und sofern die Eisdealer das Eis mit der gleichen Hand im Gummihandschuh, die soeben das Geld in Empfang genommen hat, in der Waffel über den Tresen reichen. Hübscher Nebeneffekt: Die bayerische Polizei bestraft Hessen, die sich ein bayerisches Eis holen, die hessische Polizei schnappt sich dafür bayerische Heimwerker.
Das Virus hat eine weitere Besonderheit in Bayern: Es lauert auf Parkbänken, es sei denn, jemand sitzt darauf und liest. Dann liest das Virus mit und ist abgelenkt. Deswegen darf man ausdrücklich in Bayern auf einer Bank als Einzel- oder Doppelperson Platz nehmen, wenn man dabei liest und Tisch und Bett miteinander teilt. Sich selbst fremde Personen sollten aber nur mit einem Mindestabstand von 1,50 Metern miteinander lesen und lieber nicht auf der gleichen Bank hocken.
Ferner macht das Virus einen Unterschied zwischen diversen Supermarktketten. Im Aldi fällt das Virus nur Personen an, die keinen Einkaufswagen schieben, deswegen muss im Aldi jeder Besucher einen Einkaufswagen nehmen. Was die Gänge derart verstopft, dass sich die Leute aneinander vorbeiquetschen. Im Edeka ist das Virus etwas lockerer, da befällt es nur Toilettenpapierkäufer ab einer Anzahl X im Laden. Aus diesem Grund darf dort nur der Laden betreten werden, wenn dafür ein anderer Besucher den Laden verlässt. Dann ist das Virus irritiert und verkrümelt sich.
Auch erstaunlich ist, dass sich das Virus nur in einem Null- und 180 Grad Winkel verteilt, wie die diversen Markierungen in den Supermärkten zeigen. Seitlich sind diese nämlich recht eng nebeneinandergeklebt, mit weniger als wenigstens einer Armlänge Abstand. Gut, das Computerfahndungsfoto des Virus zeigt ja auch einen hübschen symmetrischen Schnitt, da kann man das verstehen.
Außerdem verbreitet sich das Virus gerne in Elektronikmärkten, weswegen diese geschlossen sind. Es sei denn, es handelt sich um Großmärkte mit einer Elektronikabteilung. Da weiß das Virus nämlich nicht, ob es sich auf Cognac oder Computer setzen soll und entscheidet sich dafür, gar nichts zu tun. Deswegen kann man in Großmärkten nach wie vor Elektronik kaufen. Zumindest in Bayern und wenn man eine Gewerbeanmeldung hat. Diese immunisiert zusätzlich.
In Rheinland-Pfalz treibt sich das Virus gerne in Kantinen herum, meidet diese aber in Baden-Württemberg und Berlin, wahrscheinlich hat es Angst, auf Grüne zu treffen. Deswegen sind Kantinen in Rheinland-Pfalz geschlossen, nebenan aber nicht.
Außerdem unterscheidet das Virus in Bayern nach Touristen und Geschäftsreisenden, denn Hotels, die ausschließlich Geschäftsreisende und Gäste für nicht private touristische Zwecke aufnehmen, dürfen geöffnet bleiben. Wer diese ominösen Gäste sind, die keine Geschäftsreisenden und keine privaten touristischen Zwecke verfolgen, steht in der Verordnung nicht drin.
Das Virus meidet generell Dienstleistungsbetriebe – außer Bordellen, da ist das Virus gerne, was ich nachvollziehen kann. Deswegen sind Bordelle geschlossen, Banken hingegen nicht. Daneben fühlt sich das Virus in Berliner Buchläden unwohl (gut, so viel Literatur gib es da auch nicht), in Bayern hingegen sogar so pudelwohl, dass in Bayern Buchläden geschlossen, in Berlin jedoch offen sind.
Das Virus befällt außerdem Zweitwohnsitzbewohner in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern (die deswegen aus dem Bundesland geschmissen werden) und Feriengäste in Schleswig-Holstein (deswegen ist für die Hamburger an der Stadtgrenze Schluss). Außerdem verbreitet sich das Virus in Rheinland-Pfalz in Sportboothäfen, was ein schwerer Schlag für die Sportbinnenschiffer ist. In Thüringen und Berlin müssen Bürger, die von einer Reise zurückkehren, die Behörden hierüber informieren und erst einmal 14 Tage zu Hause bleiben, in Bayern juckt das keinen. Außer, er kommt aus einem Gebiet, dass das Robert-Koch-Institut als „Risikogebiet“ ausgewiesen hat. Dann darf der möglicherweise fiebrige Transpirant für 14 Tage keine Hochschule betreten. Gut, das wäre sowieso sinnlos, die sind ja geschlossen. Thüringen nimmt dafür nur noch Thüringer auf, wer aus einem anderen Bundesland ohne triftigen Grund in das Staatsgebiet des deutschen demokratischen Bundeslandes Thüringen einreist, muss Thüringen ohne den Verzehr einer regionalen Bratwurst auch sofort wieder verlassen und darf Thüringen nur als Transitland benutzen. Außer, sie sind bekennende Infizierte. Dann dürfen sie nicht einmal das und müssen einen Umweg über Tschechien fahren.
Während Sachsen ausdrücklich erwähnt, dass seine Bürger beispielsweise bei einem Wohnungsbrand das Haus verlassen dürfen, wurde dies in Bayern schlicht vergessen. Oder die Bayern gehen davon aus, dass es besser ist, wenn ein potentieller Virenträger verbrennt, als sich einem Feuerwehrmann auf weniger als zwei Armlängen Abstand nähert.“
Masks yes? Masks no? After many discussions the decision is made: starting Monday, we have to wear a facial mask in Swabia for shopping or public transportation…
Since the decision is made… it’s all about the masks… some people become creative and others freak out. Providing you some ideas for the upcoming facial mask challenge:
Painted mask for the risk lovers & rebels:
Fed up about corona news?
A green & healthy solution (dinner included!!!).
Some people are getting flashed for speeding: 15€ for a fun photo. Would they really recognize us?
This is how people back home get their mouth & nose covered:
Others are busy doing selfies…
And Charlie? She’s confused…
And summer forecast 2020: you better pay attention!
Are you ready for wearing your mask? I am: let’s do this!
