More from Germany

It's Sunday but my sister's church is at 6 pm and that's when Ute's children can attend the birthday dinner. But most of all, we didn't sleep well. No idea whether it is the time difference, the barometic pressure or a full moon, we could not fall alseep at our usual time.That is very unusual for us. I think I fell sleep at 4 am and James at 6 am. Then we woke up at 8 am. 

But we did get ready for the day and had a nice breakfast with Ute again. We took care of some emails and such and probably played cards with Ute. After lunch we felt the urge for a fast walk. We started on the walkway behind her house. She lives right at the edge of town with the watertowers at landmarks. 

It was a pleasant day with walkers and bikers around. But there were also very peaceful stretches. 

When we turned back into the neighborhoods we had to laugh at this house.

Close up. Would my cat friends like it?

After 2 and a quarter miles we felt a bit better. 

James and Ute (who said she also didn't sleep that well) decided to take naps and felt beter.

At 4:30 pm Ute's daughter Maren and friend Gregor picked the three of us up. Time to drive to the place where we will meet Ute's son Tobi with wife Manu and their sons Gero and Adrian. Manu's parents were also coming. 

When we had parked the car we walked past this old, brand new looking beauty. Ha-ha, I re-arranged the photos because the previous sentence looked like I commented on people instead of the car. It was a Buick.

When I was a child living in this area of Germany there were many mines all around. Zeche Fürst Leopold was just one of many and brought coal out of the depths since 1913 but closed 2001.

Now it is the CreativQuartier Fürst Leopold Kunst and Kultur in historischer Kulisse (Art and Culture in historic setting). There are several restaurants and we went to the Dali - Tapas Bar. It's a great place with a "loaded" buffet. Not sure who of us would have the hghest number of trips to get "another selection". Nobody went home hungry.

And, of course, there was a lot of chatting, story telling and fun going on. Sorry, I didn't take many photos. I was distracted by chatting, story telling and fun.

My last plate: Padron peppers, Lachstatar and other lovelies to try.

Outside a lot of ambiance in the old mining company.

When we drove home we did just a little detour because the house where our family lived last was very close to the street we are driving in. It was dark but the front yard was so different. It looked like a jungle.

Oh, the memories. I was about 18 when my parents built it with my grandfather Opa Otto (age 76) doing all the brick-laying and most of eveything else with the rest of the family being helpers and gofers. I can proudly say that I too carried a lot of bricks to the place where he needed them to build the walls.

And then of course are the memories of the cherry tree and plum tree etc.