Tomatoes. Tomatoes. Tomatoes. It’s the season.

Last year: Our specialty, you guess it, were tomatoes. All neighbors considered us THE experts.

This year: we had a bit of a rough start with our red friends… too cold. Later too wet.

Well, the tomato is not an easy garden mate, it’s the Diva under the vegetables. Oh yes! Tomatoes need a lot of attention, huge time invest in the beginning, a seed starter bowl, a roof over its head (because the leaves shouldn’t get wet), it must be staked, they need sun and not too much rain… the tomato is a veggie plant for those who like to suffer. Lol. Challenge accepted.

We hardly take more care about other veggies than the tomato. They only pay back their love when you collected enough experience. And growing tomatoes makes people feel powerful. Lol.

But once they grew and turned red, it’s party time: tomato-mozzarella, tomato soup, gazpacho, tomato salad, tomato sauce, scalloped tomatoes, tomato risotto – and all of that by Monday afternoon!

Hubby is carefully asking if we shouldn’t grow asparagus or cucumbers instead next year. Or is there maybe a chocolate pudding tree?

Enjoy the red divas!

PS: growing black berries is so much easier.

Paris is always a good idea! So I came back. Soaking in more of the beautiful city flair. Watching Mesdames enjoying a glass of champagne on a Saturday afternoon (and thinking why not doing the same!). Watching newly weds getting their wedding pictures done at the Louvre. Watching a young girls group dancing while getting recorded (probably the tiktok sensation of yesterday). Enjoying a metro ride turned into a party ride by a Spanish couple playing hot rhythms. Listening to a wonderful street musician (while Paris got ready for Covid demonstrations). Just enjoying two classy days in Paris. It’s wonderful to be back in a big city again. Soaking in every moment.

My Paris date.

Cheers to our lovely granddad who sadly passed away a couple of days ago.

It was a fabulous girls weekend. Plenty of (window) shopping, Crêpe, Café au Lait, 3-course-menu, plenty of kir royal… and time for a bit touristic staff as well: we are in love with the two highest points in the city: Sacré Cœur & the Eiffel Tower.

A wonderful weekend in a wonderful city in wonderful company.

My plan worked out, I haven’t cooked a single meal in the past 2 weeks (cutting baguette, saucisson and fromage doesn’t count). I enjoyed every single Café or restaurant visit with all the kind waiters & waitresses.

My trip was wonderful and I am surprised. About how easy it is to just do nothing. About how nice it was to travel single. Thanks to the van for making so many miles (besides the challenge of purchasing oil in France… and daddy was right again, of course!). Thanks to my French friends for the great tips and looking after me! Thanks Hanna for a super fun weekend in Paris.

My little French adventure trip is coming to an end. I managed 3000 kilometers. Besides a seagull pooping on my head and being offered handicapped parking (I get the point: the van is big, parking lots are rather tiny and maybe my parking skills are rather poor…) I had a fabulous trip. On the way back to Germany now. Au revoir France!

Waves. Waves. More waves. I arrived in surfers paradise. Or the French Basque Coast.

It’s absolutely gorgeous here! Stunning beaches along the way. Always a little breeze. Charming seaside towns. Hip boutiques. Layback surfer vibes. Amazing fresh seafood. The smell of ocean & sun cream. The sound of waves. Beautiful lighthouses. The rainy forecast turned into a couple of clouds only but mostly sunshine & blue sky – I am a lucky girl.

Route de Bordeaux or somewhere between Cognac & Bordeaux – doesn’t this sound delicious?

Route de Atlantique Sud all the way to the French Basque Coast.

Spanish flair in France.

Fruits de Mer.

Layback surfer vibes.

La Grande dune du Pilat – as far as the eye can see: Europe’s highest sand dune (114 m high and 3 km long) offering breathtaking views over the bay & pine forests inland. When climbing up you could easily be mistaken for hiking across the desert.

Aimlessly strolls through the beautiful seafront towns & villages, enjoying lovely meals overlooking the ocean. La France, je t‘aime.

While I have been „galavanting around France“ as hubby says, he’s been working hard on his recovery and making fantastic progress. I cannot wait to see him walking again.

Traveling single wasn’t so bad after all. In fact I enjoyed it a lot and met lots of nice people along the way. And the Germans are everywhere. Lol. Greeting from their van or helping to translate the menu.

Au revoir Atlantique coast. I already can’t wait to come back & spend more summers here in the future – with hubby on board.

Now on the way back to Paris where I will meet my god child. Yay!

Leaving Paris the other day on a normal Wednesday morning. Me in between traffic jam, road closures & wondering: traffic light is green: no movement. Light turns red: everyone goes. What am I missing? Am I color blind? Well, my only chance: observe & follow the locals. Eyes closed, fingers crossed & go! It worked. Lol.

Out of Paris and on my way south to the French Atlantic coast. Passing by millions of the most beautiful sunflowers fields.

The best part of road tripping is when you have only 33km to go. I am on the Route nationale, the sun is shining, a beautiful warm breeze & wind in my hair. I imagine smelling the sea while listening to favorite songs, wondering how the next town will look like. Holiday feeling & moments of pure enjoyment.

I arrived at the coast in a lively, sparkling seaside town with amazing seafood.

Lobster! Not sure how I ended up in the only restaurant without English speakers. Good that the table clothes showed what I wanted. Lol.

Lunch in paradise: cruettes & a glass of Rose.

I love France! Not only because of its many beautiful Cafés & Restaurants. Each restaurant visit has been a pleasure and no matter if lunch or dinner it’s a 1.5hour enjoyment. Especially after lockdown. I really missed eating out in good restaurants.

Some days go like this: 9am. At the beach. Watching the kite surfers. The beach is still empty and it’s not too hot yet. Very peaceful hours.

The colors of summer.

Lazy days. Seafood & beaches – that’s all I wished for. More of it to come on the way more south.

Paris is always a good idea… said already Audrey Hepburn. But by VW bus?

Well… I survived the rush hour without crashing or getting hit. I was just sweating (despite A/C). Motorbikes to my right and left passing by in high speed between all the other cars & trucks. Wow! Scary!

On the city motorway. 6 lanes forming into 5 later into 4. Thanks to Siri (talking in a calm English guiding me through this craziness…) I reached my target: camping in the 16th Parisian Arrondissement, parked next to the river La Seine (PS: Oh and our French friends said they would never come to Paris by car…).

Well, I thought it’s just the Paris outer ring motorway… missing Mr. Xu these hours. Lol. I tried to copy him. Just a little. And hey, I made it!

I love being back in a city. I love being back in Paris (today via metro). I love watching people in the metro. The ones rushing to work. Chic, elegant, casual. The ones having breakfast in beautiful little cafés with those classy bistro chairs. Oh, I missed all of it. And I’m fully enjoying to be one of them in the middle of it. My day in Paris.

Enjoying a late Parisian breakfast in one of the many beautiful cafés.

I love when I’m able to say “Bonjour” and get eyes rolled on me when I continue in English to buy a metro ticket. Lol.

Enjoying Uber drives again. It’s a bit like DiDi in Shanghai – the difference: the drivers speak English!

A late lunch at Pont Alexandre III – the most beautiful bridge in Paris!

I always buy hats when in Paris. Here’s the pick of today:

Summer in Paris. 33C degrees and sunshine.

Dinner on the Champs-Élysées. Catching up with our French friends from Shanghai. We haven’t met in over two years. So good to see them again over delicious steak & frites.

And yes, Paris is always a great idea (even with VW Bus!). So great that I’ll come back on the way home again. Yeah!

For now enough city life. I’m about to continue my road trip to the French Atlantic coast. Yeah!

Oh, and there’s Covid rules to be followed in France: Don’t greet people with kisses on the cheek! That’s a tough one.

I dropped hubby in the rehab clinic in Baden-Baden a few days ago. Now 5 weeks time to focus on rebuilding and strengthen muscles and hope that his biggest wish to be able to walk & play the guitar again will become true. All fingers crossed.

I decided to stay on for a little sightseeing tour. I haven’t seen more fancy expensive cars in one place since Shanghai. You can book a limousine service. And I passed the fancy „Brenner Hotel“ where Konrad Adenauer & Charles de Gaulle build up their friendship back in 1962. Many beautiful parks. Many shops. Many expensively dressed people.

Baden-Baden is close to the French border and you can taste the influence: yam!

It’s probably the only town with a “little prince” hotel.

You can get lost in the many nice little streets (and its super cute little stores…).

Time to move on. Time to recharge my own batteries. Ready to go on my own little adventure trip. Not much of a plan. Just me in the bus on the way to France. First stop: Paris.

Bon voyage!

Now or never. No lockdown. Covid numbers are low. Most colleagues already fully vaccined. All tested negative.

I invited my project team over for an Asian night.

Most of us haven’t seen each other in more than a year. Or have not had the chance to met face to face at all. It’s a bit like a blind date. We spend every day several hours on Skype meetings and phone calls but have no glue how the other person looks like. Lol.

On the menu: Beijing Duck, self made dumplings, sat thai, Thai lab, mango sticky rice, a Russian style potato salad, a glass noodle salad and baby tong yuen. All the food combined with Portuguese port wine. And brownies with cayenne pepper. Wohooo! Espresso very much appreciated afterwards (or in between).

Our kitchen turned once more into a hands on dumpling cooking class. So much fun! So delicious!

A fun night!

So much fun & no morning meeting at 7:30am tomorrow! Sleep all well with full stomachs!

The majority of lockdown rules should finally be lifted (or stay lifted), I find my diary slowly filling with social events, gatherings and weekends away – 15 months’ worth of get-togethers jostling to fill the summer. I’m excited by this – to go to places, and see people and wear dresses and tread the busy, buzzy path of my old life again.

But I also feel a bit tense about it all. I’ve grown used to a quieter life, with endless hours to do little. There’s a calmness about having empty days, and a nervousness that comes with throwing yourself back into the social whirl.

I think we all deserve additional days off. To enjoy doing things we couldn’t do for a full year: Eating ice-cream. Aperol Spritz in a bar. Italy. A glass of wine in France. And a cheese board. A swim in the sea. Booking an airline ticket. Looking forward to go somewhere. Packing bags for a beach summer vacation. Going to a restaurant. Crossing borders without having to think about.

There are plans again. And dreams. And wishes. It’s ok that most of it has to wait a little longer and hubby & my social life is starting a little delayed (time to get used to socializing again).

Shops open. Restaurants open. Cinema open. Incidence low super low. Wohoooooo.

I was shopping.

I was eating out.

I was at the cinema.

Oh it feels great. Feeling alive again. Feeling free again.

Germany is re-opening after almost 7 months lockdown.

Enjoy that ice-cream! And that glass of extra wine on the outdoor patio in the favorite bar. Enjoy the company of family & friends! Summer 2021 is going to be awesome!

I’m pouring myself a glass of something cold, popping on that sun hat and get ready for a dose of sunshine. Summer continues here…

Oh, and yoga practice will start again next week. Wohooooooo.

Our mini is spacious: it fits a wheelchair, a pair of crutches, a handbag and 2 adults (a stretched leg included).

Hubby leaving the house for the first time after 5 weeks. On the way to the hospital. He’s been patient & we were excited & ready for the „body check“.

A negative Covid test, a bunch of x-ray photos, a very informative doc talk and 4 hours in hospital later… we are very happy about the patients progress: cast is gone. Most of the injuries looking good and are ready to be treated for the next level (adding slowly weight & movement). Crutches needed a little longer.

The biggest challenge for me: getting the wheelchair disassembled to fit it back in the car. Took me a while but figured it out. Yeah!

On the way home we spontaneously stopped for burger & beer in our favorite Canadian burger place. OMG, that’s our first „dining-in-restaurant-visit“ since November last year!

It felt odd. And great. And delicious. We were the only guests in the bar. It was a feast!

Cheers to current progress & continues healing!

As we entered the second year of the pandemic (seems like a life time ago), we’re all waiting for vaccines to bring us closer again. More high fives, more hugs, more treasured shared memories for children and their families and all of us.

41.699.809 people +1 (me!!!) got vaccined with a first shot in Germany so far!

Other (European) countries are far ahead of vaccine progress and the registering process has been made simple and customer friendly. American & Chinese colleagues and friends (same age) got their shot(s) already months ago. Just in Germany it takes a little longer… we all have been patiently waiting for the approval of the vaccine, later for the production and then for the appointment. And now here we go, getting there.

Today I got my first covid vaccine. Step 1 (out of 2) done.

You don’t realize the need for hugs until you can actually do it 🙂 and do much more (the virus doesn’t like summer. Good for us).

Soon coming up: Travel. Seeing Irish family again (well, that might have to wait a little longer due to Covid variants). Hugging granddad. Being back in the office & meeting colleagues again. Eating out in restaurants. Going to the shops again. No more curfew. Parties. More then +1.

Oh I cannot wait for hosting a party again with all friends & family. Actually we have a lot to celebrate…!

Let’s vaccine the world. And maybe a business trip to China will happen at some point, too…