The Perfect Time of Year

What can I say?  September does not get any prettier than in the Rheingau Region of Germany.  If you can get past the dread of the impending winter and fear of spending the next seven months with no sunshine, it is hard not to enjoy yourself.  With as much as I moan and groan about the weather from November to May, I have to say that September makes it worth the wait (someone please remind me I admitted this when I crank up the gripe come January).  So, what makes even the prettiest September weather better?  Only a visit from Buddy and Susie!

 My parents arrived on the 14th and Evans could not have been happier, though you cannot tell from this picture, he was ticked about having to stay in the stroller.  We took a Sunday afternoon trip to Rudesheim where we rode the cable cars over the vineyards to take in this view.

Evans didn't even glance back at Deaner and me as he chose just who his favorite people were.

We ate dinner out most nights in fabulous wineries with food to match.

We took a day trip to Koln, Germany since my parents had never been.  I probably should have checked the forecast for the day before wearing a dress but I'll choose not to think about that any longer (really, have I learned nothing living in this sort of climate?).

Evans had a jacket, he just refused to wear it at first.  At least you can tell what an awesome time he was having.  :)

Cologne Cathedral from the bridge.  You can pretty much guess the temperature.

The bridge behind us in the above picture has become one of the better known places for "lovers" (shudder....I hate that word) to leave a "love lock".

These engraved padlocks are locked to the bridge to symbolize "everlasting love" (though good luck finding yours if you decide it important enough to ever remove this gesture).  Couples attach the locks and then throw the keys over the bridge and into the Rhein River.  Enough to keep your love alive forever, no?  :)

I promise I am not being cynical.  I actually spent the greater part of our afternoon attempting to find a place where I could have a "Deaner hearts Gleatie" lock engraved to bring home to my husband thus ensuring another another visit to Cologne in the near future.  Would you believe, that despite all these hundreds of thousands of locks, I couldn't find one?  I know, I know.  Ridiculous.  While dining here....

a restaurant where I had a clear view of the bridge, I asked the waitress for a quick place to grab a lock and have it engraved.  The conversation went along these lines:

Me: "Where is the easiest place around here were I can buy a lock for the bridge and have it engraved? (I want to demonstrate just how clear I was).

Waitress: "What?  A lock?  What for?"

Me: "You know, a padlock, to lock on to the bridge over there"?

Waitress: "A lock on the bridge"?

Me: (patiently) "Yes, like one of the hundreds of thousands already locked to that bridge"?

Waitress: "Hmmmm, I have never heard of this, I will have to ask someone else".

Ok, I was a bit floored.  She returned to tell me that I would have to order one from the internet.  WTF?  In all fairness, I must admit, she ended up being more right than wrong.  While I did ask one more person she directed me to a locksmith who charged 1 euro per letter and was closed for lunch until 3pm.  I still feel like I must be missing something here but that is where the search ended for the day.  If there were vendors somewhere in Cologne busy etching hundreds of locks a day for outrageous prices, I did not find them.  I am, however, considering a new career.

We spent most afternoons with Buddy and Susie down at our favorite place on earth, the wine stand.

I always have plenty of bribes up my sleeve to keep Evans in one place but more often then not, this is how he ends up spending his time at the wine stand.

All that running around made for some pretty sound sleeping (by all).

We were blessed with a week of great weather, great food, great company and good wine.  Every year my mom, my sister and myself host a cocktail party around Christmas for all of our lady friends and each year we have served this Sekt from Biebrich.  We found it at Trader Joe's one year and had to try it considering this castle is only about 3 miles from my house.

I found it only appropriate to show them the real castle on this trip.  You know, so it's really authentic when we serve it this year.

I can't quite decide why Evans always looks so happy in his stroller!  We were forced to leave about 5 minutes after this picture due to a screaming tantrum.  Anyways, I've come to the end of my pictures for the most part.  Or at least the part to which I am willing to continue uploading them.  It has rained every single day since Buddy and Susie left, it's gotten chilly and we are basically suffering from B&S withdrawal.  I'll leave y'all with this picture and a promise for more because we have more Grannies arriving on Friday!