Trip Day 27 - the big day

Sunday September  3

Guten Morgen! James and I were invited to have breakfast with our hosts. This was nice since they are all working and time off is precious. It was also nice because we thought Ute would be busy since this was the day to celebrate her almost 80 years in the afternoon. 

I try not to be nosy in somebody else's house but it is difficult if it is so nicely decorated. 

After breakfast Tobi and Adrian went for a 20 kilometer jog and Manu brought us to Ute. The weather was so nice already that we could sit outside. It is 2 pm now and we had asked whether our friends Gisela and Gerhard could come earlier since this would give James and me a chance to have more time to chat. We could not manage to arrange for a time on any of the other days we are here.

Ute always calls Gisela her "Sandkastenfreund" since they played together in sand since they were 5 years old or so. Gisela made the perfect gift. Ute approved me taking this photo.

Gisela found these photos from an earlier time. It says "And were is the sandbox?"

Soon every one was there (who didn't know the way to the place of celebration) and then it was time to go there.

We were invited to a "cooking event". Maren's friend Pia is a celebrated chef in Germany and this is where right now her things take place. She has big plans though in her own property soon. We wish her luck.

There was a very large island and appetizers were laid out for us to nibble. But first we had started with a champagne toast ... with or without added juices etc.

The menu was fantastic with the best ingredients. We received a lot of tips from Pia. She is very health-conscious and some of the 15 in this group were living as much as possible vegan.

There were several courses but here Maren is taking care of some tenderloin from "Ibérico-schwein". This is a black pig in Spain which when living there in the wild eats mainly acorns which makes the meat taste nutty.

Maren, with the help from Gregor, plates the "Sepia Fettucini" (spaghetti with squid ink) in "Hummersauce" (lobster sauce). It kept company with a piece of special salmon and shrimp.

The weather could not have been better for Ute's special day and in between cooking and eating (and enjoying some drinking too) we went outside for a group photo. Maren (our professional photographer) will send her photos later.

Some different "digestives". This one was praised by most. I think there might be a bit of it in the dessert too. It is a sweet hazelnut liquor. 

The dessert: "Beschwipste Pflaumen" = tipsy plums. Right now it is zwetschgen season and yes, I had "Zwetschgenkuchen" almost every day. Worth coming to Germany for ... and Mohnkuchen ... and Ochsenaugen ... and ...

It was nice to see "old" friends. Our cousin Cornelia had come from Bielefeld too. I don't see her often at all. Because some of the guest had quite some distance to drive home the party had started early but I have no idea when it ended.

I am pretty sure though that James and I played another card game with Ute at her house. She likes to play as much as we do, may be even more.