Day 14 & 15 - WiFi free days, but we more than coped. #45daysofsummer

Don't worry, I haven't forgotten my blog in all the fun we've been having! This post will be a double dose to catch you up on the past two days here in Deutschland.. Not too long because I know my last post was a long one and there'll be plenty of pictures!

Highlights from the day 14 & 15 of my #45daysofsummer:

• Exploring Tübingen with Anna and Freddy and buying cute little bread boards, which everyone seems to use instead of plates here! 

The old Town Hall.

Outside a castle entrance.

• Fun drive to Schorndorf (despite traffic), refusing to give up speaking German when ordering my food in McDonald's even though after my first sentence the guy spoke English to me (give me a chance, buddy, please.)

• William Fitzsimmons, live in concert, not only playing his beautiful melancholy music but coming out to perform his encore in the middle of the audience RIGHT NEXT TO US. Like literally, in front of my face, and he played an acoustic version my favourite song of his right there too. Have a listen to Passion Play - I did video the performance but it's on my camera so you'll have to wait til September for it!

Had to take a photo of my camera screen to upload this one, but this is how close he was to us!!!

Up on stage doing his thang. 

• Brunch with Mr Frohnmayer, after 4 years of not seeing him! Another quality German meal, tour round his house and good catch up with an old friend! Also met his mum who is wonderful and really funny! Drinking my way through a Mass (literally the word for a massive glass) of Leitungswasser (tap water - this has been our word of the week!)

• Arriving in Konstanz to spend our last couple of days with the lovely Bekky. Her mum made us Calzone (from scratch! Amazing!) And then a walk along the lake side with ice cream and time to catch up and just hang out!

Calzone!

There are way better pictures of us on my camera, but this is the easiest to upload! 

Beautiful lake, setting sun...

Day 12 - tourists in Marburg, lots of rain, lots of laughs. #45daysofsummer

Our first morning at Waldi and Ruth's involved a lovely long lie in (in a very comfortable bed!) followed by a typical German breakfast.

Fresh bread, eggs, cheese, avacade, cucumber, tomatoes, jam... Mmm! 

After a couple of hours chatting and catching up some more, putting the world to rights etc.. we wandered in to Marburg, and looked like proper tourists with our cameras out as W&R told us about the history of the city and other interesting facts.

Walking by the river.

The weather was gorgeous and the scenery beautiful..

 The church and castle at the top there, is where we were headed.

 Streets of Marburg.

R&W being cute :)

Jessie and I having a proper tourist picture!

Higher up the hill, looking down at the city.. We were actually walking up to see Landgrafenschloss but I didn't get any photos on my phone so will have to wait til September to see those!

The hill was quite steep, we stopped for a brief rest!

 Beautiful gardens at the top of the hill. They were telling us about a festival here a few weeks back that sounded like so much fun! There's a big outdoor cinema up there too!

On ur way back down, we passed the house that the Grimm brothers lived in for a year while they were in Marburg. They didn't like the city, and were very open about that.

They took us to an adorable little cafe called Die Pause (the break) where we ate delicious food and sat for another few hours, talking, laughing, enjoying ourselves!

I had goats cheese with apple and honey, and some curry lentil soup. Jessie's chips were incredible (that's not an overstatement) and we all helped her to eat them haha!

After a spot of shopping, we made a start for home. That's when the rain started. And carried on. We found shelter under some places, and when it eased off we continued on. But then... Oh how it rained. Absolutely chucking it down. To say we were drenched would be somewhat of an understatement. It was hilarious. We had to walk for about 15 minutes in it as well. In fact, while I write, our clothes are still drying on the airer despite it being like 15 hours later... 

So we dried off, and curled up on the sofa and Waldi played guitar and we all talked some more. It was like the old times, but new times. We talked about how much we have all changed and lots else. Then we had homemade bread (thrown together by Waldi) and salad for a late night snack before heading off to bed. It has to be said, I have not laughed so much as I have today in months. In years potentially. Its been fabulous, and funny. And really freeing. Thank you Jesus!! :):)

Friends.

I haven't got anything to say today. Which is a first.

And it's late, so usually by now, if I'm still awake, my head is teeming with words and thoughts and newly acquired information.

But today, apparently not.

But I'll say something.

Because the title of my blog requires me to.

And just in case there was something to say, I'll say something, so nothing goes unsaid.

This morning I handed in two essays and a portfolio (yes, I deleted one of the questions in my portfolio because I couldn't answer it, and I just hope they don't notice. please note, I haven't stooped that low in any of my other work. thank you.)

Anyway, so work finally handed it. Receipts received. Weight lifted?

YES.

Time for a quick load of laundry?

YES.

(Admin and emails and boring stuff - skip that bit!) and THEN my beautiful friend Steffi phoned, coz we needed a catch up before she has an operation on her vocal cords tomorrow and so she can't speak for FIVE DAYS..

*1 hour passed*

And then I went for a spontaneous coffee with a friend. Well, more like a chat with a friend since we didn't have coffee and he had like 15 minutes to spare before meeting his tutor and the person I was supposed to be meeting never showed.

So yeah. By this time in my day, it's 2.30pm, and I realise I haven't eaten yet.

Fail.

But I got chips with cheese and beans (yay for student food!).

Bit of a chill sesh with the Chapel gang... (it's nice to have somewhere to go when plans fall through!!)

*1 hour passed*

..followed by a VERY EXCITING phone call from Jessie, who is back in the UK for Christmas.

*30 minutes and a bus journey passed*

And then went for Coffee with another friend. This time it was planned. But this time was also free from coffee since we both got Earl Grey Tea (it's sophisticated and really tasty. double bonus.) There were smiles and giggles and tears and God talk and girl talk and lots of encouraging words shared.

Good times.

Plus it was snowing heavy outside.

Even more good times.

*2 hours passed*

And so after saying bye, I caught the bus home and waited for 5pm to roll round as I was expecting a call from yet another friend, another catch up.

And there was less giggle and less girl-talk, but more God talk and stories shared and talk of christmas family traditions, and I'm sure many encouraging words too.

*1 hour passed*

And finally (pretty much, finally) - a girly evening out at the Sneyd. Great food. Even greater friends. LOTS of girl talk, reminiscing of high school and odd habits, and about the times of our lives when we never knew each other.

*3 hours passed*

My day today consisted almost entirely of time with friends. New ones, old ones, ones that are far away, ones I won't see for a while, ones I don't know that well, ones I know like the back of my hand, ones I'm looking forward to getting to know a lot better!!

The only thing I can say, is thank you:

'Thank you God, for blessing me with good friends. Friends who love and encourage me. Friends who lead me closer to you, and who inspire me to live a life of love. Thank you that I am not alone. That I can share this life with loved ones. Thank you for being the best friend anyone could know. When I have days like this, with amazing friends, I realise how far above it all, you are, God. Thank you for giving all that you are, so that I could be called your friend."

John 15:15 (the words of Jesus)

No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you.

Like Mother, Like Daughter

I didn't inherit the 'cooking gene'.

Neither of my parents are particularly genius in that area. I can muster up a baked potato, or a bowl of pasta with tomato sauce. Survival. Not extravagance.

My mom was never one for home-cooked meals or baking or anything like that.

And it's not necessarily a bad thing; our oven is actually horrendous (and this is not the bad workman blaming his tools!), it's honestly a terrible, terrible oven and if it doesn't burn everything that enters it (which is does) then it shorts the fuse for the whole of our downstairs. Yay.

Why would we bother?

So this is not a complaint. Merely an observation! I don't blame her at all for not teaching me to cook. Some people just have that ability. Some don't. We don't. Haha.

My mom taught me an awful lot more valuable things, and she is more of a quality time sort of person. I inherited that from her.

Plus we're all happy with baked spuds and penne!

Anyway, yesterday we tried our hand at cooking Chickpea and Spinach Curry with Tofu, and also had steamed rice using my new rice maker! This from a recipe I picked up from my hosts in my first year in Canada.

It turned out pretty good, and went down well with all who tried it!

Chickpea and Spinach Curry with Tofu, thanks to Tamara.

This morning was the attempt at making dessert: Granola Bars. Chocolate Chip and Cranberry.

Donna KP-style. Canadian-style.

:)

(No picture though I'm afraid!)

Although slightly crumbly (not to mention approx. 1 billion calories per mouthful) they were incredibly tasty, and were finished in time for Matt and Becky to take a couple as they left for the airport (jetting off to Tenerife for 2 weeks!)

The many things I'm thankful for?

~chance to make lovely memories with my wonderful mom! (even if that's running round the house with make-shift fly-swatters eliminating the fruit flies which took over our pantry...)

~the time to enjoy each others company (in the same continent, country, town, house.. first time in four months.)

~that Spain beat Portugal in the World Cup Quarter Finals this evening. WOOHOO!

~the hottest week of the year (hurray for lasting sunshine!)

~God's faithfulness, even when I'm not. (2 Thessalonians 3:3)

I am blessed. Thank you Lord.