Vacation on a Farm

Since Mia really liked our stay on a farm by the Chimess last year we thought we stay at a similar place in the Bavarian Forrest this year. We got a scare while in Regenburg when our original reservation was canceled with only a two day notice because they had overlooked another booking and gave our room away. Luckily we found another which turned out to be really nice.

There were lots of other children and many young animals
The pony foal was only five days old

There was also a litter of young kittens that was not much older

The farm was only a five minute walk away from the river Ilz. While the parents went for a walk the children were jumping on a trampoling or playing in the old barn that was turned into a play area with hay bales and ping pong tables

One afternoon we checked out a farm museum

The next day we drove to the Bavarian Forrest National Park and stopped at plaground in the woods

It was nice and cool in the woods but pretty hot outside, So we went to a small lake with a free public beach we had spotted next to the farm museum  and cooled off.

The water was really nice

After our swim  we got the a table at an restaurant nearby

On the last day Mia didn't want to leave. Before we did she said good bye to the animals

Regensburg

Before starting a four day vacation on a farm in the Bavarian Forrest we spent two days in Regensburg - an old city at the northernmost point of the Danube.
Our hotel was right at the channel bypassing the old town and on the 20 minute walk there we past some side arm of the Danube were people were cooling off on a hot day. Of course Mia wanted to join

Mia's goal was to make it to some rocks in the river - she had to come back the next day with a bathing suit to make it there

The next stop was a beer garden just across the river from the old town

Two ducks also liked the place

Over the oldest bridge in Germany that is still in use - the Steinerne Brücke from 1135 - we got into the old town that is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

A tower from 1240 that was the residence of a rich merchant family: Baumburger Turm

Mia was mostly interested in finding an ice cream place

The next day we took a short boat tour

30 minutes away is the Walhalla - a temple to the German spirit build by the Bavarian king Ludwig I  in the first half of the eighteen hundreds.

It was a bit of a climb to get up

Back in town n a department store where we were looking for a charging cable Mia found the section for fancy hats - they looked very nice on here but were a bit too expensive

Time for a nice late lunch at another beer garden with good food, beer and a great view

On the walk back to the hotel we found a nice playground in a park by the river

Barbara's 50'th in Frankfurt

Cousin Barbara our old neighbor from Washington DC who has since moved on to Geneva via Kabul, Kinshasa and Accra celebrated her 50'th birthday in Frankfurt with family and friends. We also joined the party.
First we met jut with her un Ueli for some coffee by the stock exchange - since the statue of the bull and the bear make for  good meeting point.

Then we went to check out the area around the Berger Strasse where the restaurant for the party was and where a huge street festival was going on.
In a park some wedding pictures were being taken.

At the stand of a church children could shoot with a nerf gun - which was very popular

It was Mia's first try so she didn't do so well.
It was getting quite crowded

Mia discovered a clown in the

Luckily the restaurant for the birthday dinner was right in the middle of everything

So Mia could jut walk outside to get a second shot with the nerg gun..

Summer Rain

A week with cooler temperatures and rain showers also brought some nice rainbows and clouds - as seen from our apartment

Freiburg and Titisee

Some old friends from Cologne are spending a three week vacation n the Black Forest and we decided to meet them in Freiburg - an university city that ts the gateway to the southern part of the Black Forrest

For Mia the main attraction was Leyla their four year old very calm and well behaved dog who was rescued from a shelter. Not only could she pet hm - she could also walk him around

For lunch we were looking for place in a nice historic part of town

After lunch Ralph and Heike took us to the Titisee a touristy are not too far from the place were they stay