Midsummer Night Dreaming

The traditional Scandinavian Midsummer night celebrations reminded me of the countless bonfires we’ve had at Bird’s Hill Park beach. The northern lights were missing, but that’s where the dreaming comes in. Other things I look forward to seeing and enjoying in Canada: open skies, the people I love, trees lining the streets, Peter Mansbridge filling me in on the days events, the Gimli Film Festival (August 1-5 this year, Becky!), backyards, a jar of Kraft Light Peanut butter in the cupboard, Winners, my bed, barbequed salmon, air conditioning, visiting Moni and Mike in Edmonton…

Monika's dream is that England wins. They won't.

Aisling

Samuel

Sarah & Monika

Thomas & Ang

Cocktail um sonst?

Who could say no?! Well, me, most weeks...but last week I was just too thirsty

O, ist dass schön!

O, ist dass schön! O, ist dass schön! So was hat man lange nicht gesehen, wie schön, wie schön!

With the Round of 16 now behind them, Deutschland is on its way to the semi-finals against Argentina. My beloved Swedes were eliminated (tut mir wirklich leid, Helena!), but it makes for ganz gute Stimmung when the host nation does well. I really do hope Germany is in the final and only partly because maybe, just maybe that will mean one more Feiertag for Ang before she leaves Germany?!? Okay, unlikely, but I do love those Feiertage. Here are some pics of the game which we watched at FT Beach (they build a beach - complete with cocktail canteen, sand and beach chairs - along one of the grassy river banks in Bamberg. And while it's on the river bank, there's dense bush and a steep bank preventing any access to water. Sehr komisch. But that's a whole other story...) Enjoy!

Oh-so-cool Wes & Monika

Romina & Ang celebrating goal #2

Something tells me Chris would love Germany...

Would you take German cops seriously?! This one painted his face while on duty, and when I was in Munich I saw a police officer wearing sunglasses where the lenses were German flags. Wish I had had my camera ready

Berlin, Berlin, wir fahren nach Berlin!

Para Meus Queridos Brasileiros

Voces ja sabem o que aconteçeu nessa domingo passado: foi mais um jogo da Copa em Munique! Aprovetei o opportunidade de ir para a cidade que eu amo mais uma vez. Fui para o Munique a junto com alguns brasileiros para ver o jogo de Brasil contra Australia, que estava sendo jogado la. Encontrei tantos brasileiros, ja em o trem, e claro na cidade mesmo. Eu fui conheçer alguns pessoas tão boas, ganhei um colar de flores com os colores de bandeira do Brasil, ouviu tanto portugues como eu nao ouviu desde eu estavei em Brasil, viu o jogo na uma televisão grandão, e no final do dia ficava vermelhinho por causa do sol! Chegei em casa nas tres horas, e quasi não consigi escovar os dentes antes de caui na cama. Era um dia muito legal.

O primeiro lugar da festa: o trem

As alemães querer ser brasileiros!/Confused Bavarians

Os australianos tambem eram tão legais. Aqui e o 'Crocodile Hunter'

As brasileiras estam celebrando!

Esse foto não mostra como a gente era cansadão no final do dia. Estamos cansado demais...

I <3 München

Looking for adventure, Helena and I hopped on a RegionalExpress Richtung München. What did we find? Munich more international than I’ve ever seen it before, the Frauenkirche, Zara, a much better selection at H&M, Brazilians, the Englischer Garten, and lattes by the bowlful at Coffee Fellows. Ich liebe München.

Such a proud Swede she is

Where my World Cup loyalties lie

Englischer Garten

Capoeira no centro do Munique

Marienplatz from the Frauenkirche tower

Ahhh, lattes by the bowlful...

Nice to know the feeling's mutual

Ode to Swedish Soccer

Fußballfieber knows no borders. Emotions, tension and excitement are also running high among the Swedes. I was made an honorary Swede and happily donned the yellow and blue while watching Sweden's World Cup effort with Helena. Heja Sverige!

Warum treffen wir nicht das Tor?!?

Tor, Tor, Tooorrrrr!!!

Helena erleichtert: Endlich mal ein Tor!

The mighty mighty Swedes

Burg & Schloss Day

With another Feiertag in Bavaria and no uni for Ang, Helena and I decided to have a Burg and Schloss day. Our plan was to head up to Altenburg in the morning (before the uphill, shade-less hike became unbearable), but our morning ended up being noon. So the uphill, shade-less hike took place in at least 35˚ heat. Na ja, the view from Altenburg was worth it. After our descent back into Bamberg’s Altstadt, we thought, hey, let’s hop on a not-air conditioned bus and ride it for half an hour out to Schloss Seehof. I think it was about 50˚ in the bus. We took some pictures, had ourselves a little picnic by the lake, then found some shade before we melted in the sun.

Bamberg's "Klein Venedig"

We found one tree and a bench about half way up to Altenburg and took a moment to enjoy its reprieve

Schloss Seehof

Sweden Visits Bamberg

The lovely and talented Helena Andersson arrived on the second day of sunshine in months (ie Saturday). The herrliches Wetter was not to be wasted indoors, so we checked out the Rosengarten, took afternoon naps in the park, visited the outdoor Bierkellers that Bamberg is famous for, took in World Cup match after World Cup match on various outdoor screens, ate on the Dachterrasse, drank coffee after coffee…She’s here for a whole week, so stay tuned for more pics of adventures with my favourite shopping partner!

View of the place I call home from Schloss Geyersworth

Rosengarten

The Dom, just outside the Rosengarten