Snow makes everything so pretty! Woohoo...snow! 

First winter snow! Or maybe someone smuggled some fairy liquid into Heaven and squirted some in the fountain? Lol!

Farewell Nidhi & Vivek!

Unfortunately, we have to say goodbye to our good friends Nidhi and Vivek, as they are moving to Basel in Switzerland at the end of December. Vivek has a new job there after finishing his 7 years of study in Erlangen! Nidhi was the second friend I made here and I will miss her very much! We will miss them at parties too as they are always good fun! But, as I am now very fond of saying... thank goodness for the internet!
One good thing about them moving is that they have invited us to visit them for a long weekend in the land of Mountains and wonderful chocolate (mmmmmm, mountain of chocolate)!!! Now... who could refuse that I ask you??? We always wanted to see Switzerland, so it will be lovely to visit our friends at the same time! Plus... friends make the best tour guides! Good luck to Nidhi and Vivek!

D, Me, Nidhi and Vivek at the party 

Nidhi and me at the party 

Capers at the Castle!

Today we met up with one of D's work collegues Silke, (who is also a good friend) for a wonder round the grounds of "Schloss Seehof".
'Schloss' in German means Castle but I think they have a different idea of Castle than us! I guess we would be more likely to dub this a Manor??? Silke informed us that it used to be a holiday residence for all the bishops/lords of Bavaria. Nowadays you can rent rooms out for wedding receptions etc. Not a bad setting eh!
We had a jolly jaunt round the grounds which were very scenic, plenty of good photograph opportunities... which I promptly took advantage of (as you may have noticed)!!! The sun was making lovely shadows on the trees and lighting up the Autumn colours... it was just gorrrrrrrrjus! Lol!

Schloss Seehof 

Us in this beautiful archway of trees... it was really pretty 

Sun getting lower over the lake 

View over one of the small lakes in the grounds 

ULTIMATE LEAF SHUFFLING!!! Fabulous! 

Us in front of the "castle" 

Moi under the lovely red tree. What gorgeous red leaves!  

33 and still climbing trees??? Oooh... he'll regret that tomorrow! lol! 

Darren's God-daughter Courtney, at a pre-fireworks night party last year (which we had before we came to Germany)!!!

Remember, remember the 5th of November!

Fireworks night! Woohoo! Unfortunately, being in Germany, we won't be seeing any fireworks tonight but, hopefully New Years Eve will make up for that!

When I remember fireworks night's past, I always have to chuckle. The extreme excitement of it all as a kid but having to almost push your ears into your head with your gloved hands because of the sheer volume of the bangs! We'd nearly always get one of those mixed boxes with many small fireworks, probably including a roman candle and a catherine wheel. When you were young the smaller fireworks were still actually taller than you so the wonder of it all was so much greater. My brother Martin and I would often go out the next morning and try to find old fireworks to play with... quite dangerous actually but we didn't think about that!

I have to giggle too at some of the antics had as an adult watching fireworks too. For a few years in a row, before we came to Germany, we would go to spend the evening with our friends Jon and Vicky. They have kids, so it was a good excuse to buy a box or two, and Darren would always buy a "MOTHER OF THUNDER" firework (a massive box that shot out about 100 bangers)! One year, Jon didn't put one of the fireworks in the ground as straight as it should have been (the trouble with doing this in the dark!) and it bounced off the garden fence and started chasing Jon's Mum's partner Andrew round the garden! Wherever he ran to the firework followed! Scary, but a very funny memory! Had to have sparklers too! Got to write your name in the air! It's tradition!

Well, that's probably enough of my fireworks night musings! If anyone else has any fun memories or stories... do tell! Have a whizz, pop, bang of a night everyone!

One of the autumnal trees on Andreas and mines' morning walk route. SOOOO much shuffly-shuffly potential! You could dive in to it! It would hurt but you could! lol!  

The duck pond! An essential part of our morning walk! Andreas loves it when the ducks come up close and quack at him! 

Andreas enjoying his autumn walk. (well... sit in his pushchair, gazing at the scenery as it goes by walk!) 

Lots of leaf shuffly-shuffly opportunities here! Woohoo! 

Another view from my walking route 

A lovely autumnal tree 

The view over our garden and the driveway. 

October visitor

Mark came to stay with us for a bit of R&R this weekend... or should that be beer&beer? We didn't do much sightseeing... only while walking into town for food and beer or walking home for food and beer! True to German form, both the beer and food were good and our guest seemed to enjoy confirming this fact! It was a fun weekend with lots of laughs and we're looking forward to seeing him along with Justin and Tina for their New Year's visit in Dec. Better start the re-stocking of beer and food now! Lol!

Beers me dears! 

Mark and Darren walking through Herzo on the way to lunch and BEER! Have you spotted the theme yet? LOL!