Table Tennis

With everyone staying at home we tried to do some sports activities inside. We had bought a net some time ago that could turn a regular dinning table into a table tennis table - the perfect time to try it out.

It turned out that Mia had improved a lot since the last time we played:

Dominos

With the schools about to close the day after tomorrow and a cold day we stayed at home and Mia played with some old game we had bought at a flee market some time ago

Sunday Sports Activities

In order to get a bit fresh air and of exercise we walked with a soccer and a basket ball to a near by school. The basket ball court was taken but we kicked the soccer ball around a bit

Peformance at Open House

Mia's school had a open house for 4'th graders and her class showed a theater performance. The two two teachers who are teaching the class had created the short play where Mia was part of the monster group in black with white masks:

Hamburg

After two days in Cologne we hopped on the train again to go to Hamburg and see some old friends. When we arrived it was snowing
The next day the weather was cold and wind and changed between rain and clouds

It was the Same on Wednesday but we still went out to see the famous new concert hall - the Elb Philaarmonie

 

It is build on top of a old warhouse and to get up one has to the the longest esalator in Germany

 Beautiful architecture

Up on a walkway one has great view

Before we left on Thursday we went to an market in the neigborhood

Carnival in Cologne

This year we took the train to see the carnival in Cologne

Like in the years before we watched the parade in Wahn - forty years it started with three groups and now it is more than 60:

Guido Cantz - the host of a show on national TV is a local celebrity

The next day we were invited at a friends place in Longerich in the north of Cologne. The weather was awful with rain and lot of wind and we could only see a short version of the parade. In other neighborhoods the parades were canceled.
Ji caught some nice gloves

At least we could sit inside and enjoy food and beer

Sunday in Basel

Sunday we went back to explore the old town a bit more
We started at the old bridge and walked along the riverfront opposite the old town

There were plenty of stairs and benches were one can sit and enjoy the view

A typical fountain

We also wanted to try the ferry which is using only the current to move back and forth

On the other side we arrived just below the Münster

A old man made soap bubbles on the square and Mia really liked his shaggy dog

A violin payer

Mia also tried some bubbles