Part 2 - Grilling by the Rhine + Easter Monday

*WARNING : PICTURE HEAVY*

23.04.2011 - Saturday

Our balcony gets the morning sun, so whilst waiting for J to wake up from his slumber on Saturday, i chose to catch some rays. It's amazing how just a little bit of sun can affect ones' mood.


But by the time J was awake and was changed, it was already 4 PM and the sun had hidden itself behind some clouds. But determined as we were, sun or no sun, we were going to make use of the portable barbecue set that i had bought a few days earlier.


And so we cycled our way to the Rhine and found a shaded area in fear that it was going to rain.


Our pièce de résistance for only 1.99 Euro.


In all-in-one package, all one needed was a light. We came prepared with a stove igniting lighter. By the Rhine and opposite the very few high rise buildings in Cologne.


J took over the grill and made sure the coal was hot enough for the meat/non-flesh items.


And i was in charge of getting our little picnic sorted and the plates covered with salad and leftover mashed potatoes.

***

After finishing all the food, we ended up cycling further down the Rhine to the Easter funfair.


And despite the hefty price of 4.50 Euro per person, we were excited to get on the ferris wheel and check out the view.

Köln = Cologne.

The skyline.

And opted for a semi-healthy alternative to funfair junk food. Probably one of the most expensive white chocolate covered banana on a stick i've ever eaten.


Our outing ended just as the sun was about to set and so we made our way back home just in time so J could skype with Little L.

***

25.04.2011 - Monday

Not much happened on Easter Sunday because J was glued to this computer playing Battleships. And since Monday was a public holiday, J slept in. We eventually made it outside and took our bikes out for another spin. This time in the opposite direction towards J's work place.


Then with no actual destination after that, we just kept cycling and ended up at an animal shelter in Dellbrueck. Unfortunately it's closed on public holidays, so we couldn't go and check out the animals.


So we got back on our bikes and cycled further and ended up in Bergish Gladbach which is a good 15 km away from our home and had a late lunch at Subway.


I reckon we could have cycled further but it was already getting late and we still needed to find our way back home. But before leaving, we ate some ice-cream in a park.


And instead of risking getting lost in the woods on our way back, we took the train back and paid a ridiculous 7 Euro for basically going 2 stops. But decided to get off half way and cycle our way back.


But not before we took a few photos before getting off the train.


Crossing the tracks and remembering to look left, right and left again.


And last but not least, J waiting for me, yet again, so i would catch up and we could continue on our journey back home.

*click to enlarge*

Monday's total cycling distance - from our home and back [minus the train ride half way] about 20 km.

A = Home
J = J's Work Place
B = Tierheim Köln-Dellbrück [Animal Shelter]
C = Bergisch Gladbach

Part 1 - Flammkuchen + Bier

It's Wednesday already and i figured maybe it's time i start collecting my thoughts. It's been drizzling for most of the day and we're back down to about 12˚C.

Ewww.

However, we did have the most gorgeous long Easter weekend weather. The temperature hovered around the 27˚Celsius mark and the sun was out in full glory. Apart from the occasional bike riding around town and through neighboring cities, we pretty much vegged out at home. At one point J got sucked into one of his marathon gaming sessions and i just ended up watching random episodes online.

But here are some photos of when we did make it outside.

21.04.2011 - Thursday
The evening the long weekend began, we decided to take our bikes for a spin and eat Flammkuchen by the Rhine. But before that, a short pit stop and touristy snapshot before crossing the bridge.

Cologne cathedral at sunset + at night.

Snaking our way through the cobble streets and narrow alleys to get to a particular bar/restaurant that sold salmon Flammkuchen.


We eventually found the place, it was called Staev Koeln. I washed down my share of the flammkuchen with my favorite 0,5 litre Weizenbier and a refreshing glass of Gaffel Kölsch [Colognes' very own brew]. As for the food, i have to admit, the salmon was a wee bit too salty for my liking.


Apparently, Kölsch people have their own dialact. It differs from the German that i have been learning in class [better known as Hochdeutsch].

English : Don't worry about the future.
Deutsch : Habe keine Angst vor der Zukunft.
Kölsch : Et kütt wie et kütt.

***

Making our way back we passed a few shops that were already closed. One in particular sold old items that dated back to the war, including a creepy looking doll, which i thought i'd share with you.


And before taking the long route back, we cycled past the cathedral. Up close it looks so surreal.

***

But before i continue, the supermarket beckons. I'll be back later for Part 2 - Grilling by the Rhine.

Time to bust out the Grill.

7:37

My weather widget lied, it's actually already 13˚C outside and i foresee a very toasty afternoon.

J woke up this morning with a craving for flammkuchen. He suggested after he's done with work we ride our bikes to the other side of the Rhine and go look for some. Time to bust out the sunblock and sunnies.

Germany is known for its' grey skies but i reckon the most popular activity would be grilling. The second there's a significant amount of sun, you're bound to find Germans in the park or on a random patch of grass turning over their Bratwurst or marinated meats on their grills.

So J thought since the weather is going to be so nice this long Easter weekend, we should just join in on the barbecue bandwagon. I managed to find vegetarian sausages at one of the supermarkets, so i'm all set.

[via]

So today's mission is to find a one-time use/disposable barbecue grill.

I did a quick google and it turns out they're an all-one-package and are called "Einweggrills". They can be priced anywhere between 2 to 5 Euro and can apparently be found in most supermarkets, discount shops and petrol stations.

But before i venture out, i have to wait for the delivery guy to bring my online order i made on Saturday from the pet store. Two bags of 12 kilo kitty litter and six cans of cat food.

Why is it taking so long?

Time To Expose Some Skin.

It's 6:53 AM and J just left for work by bike. I just heard on the radio that it's going to be 25˚C today and a crazy 26˚C tomorrow. I'm not quite sure what to think about all this heat. Although in the mornings it can be a bit nippy at 9˚C. It's been so long since we've had constant warm weather like this that i think my skin is freaking out.

So anyway, last night i had one of the worst sleeps ever. If i could even call it 'sleep'.

I spent most of the night tossing and turning because the temperature in our bedroom kept fluctuating. It went from decent to stuffy to just plain irritating. We turned off the main heating switch in the hallway but it seemed like the heaters were still warm. And on top of that, my body was soooOooo itchy. I forgot to moisturize earlier and as pay back, i felt like i was being attacked by miniature ants.

I think my body just can't handle sweat so well anymore.

However that said, yesterday i made it out the front door. I was a little overdressed in jeans, a 3/4 sleeve t-shirt underneath another t-shirt, thinking that it may be cooler than it actually was. Geez was i wrong! I was sweating before i even got half way down the street.

Ewww.

But prior to leaving, i needed a destination. Ya know, to make it worth the hassle of getting changed, smelling pretty and painting my face. So i opted to do something good for the environment and walked two blocks to the Glass Recycling bins and got rid of our unwanted glass bottles and jars. But then minutes later, found myself browsing shoes further up the road.

I needed some time to waste and a little retail therapy goes a long way.

It took me a while to realise that spending 20 Euro is far better than spending 40 Euro for a pair of shoes that i may or may not wear regularly. And only until i weighed the pros and cons, did i then leave with a new pair of relatively comfy wedge mules [or as the Germans would say, Pantolette] from Deichmann.

And since my pasty feet have been enclosed since July, i figured it's time to let them breathe.

We'll see.

Maybe, like most of my other pairs, i'll just end up with a tonne of blisters and that will be the last that i'll see of them.

***

Oh and i also bought Essence Nail Art Cracking Top Coat for 1.75 Euro at DM. Which, as you can see, after just one coat it transformed my hooker red nails into something Gothic.

>.< Please excuse the wrinkles and the fleshiness >.<

I also bought a champagne coloured base coat that is meant to go with the black but because i already had nail polish on i wanted to see if the cracking effect works on all nail polishes.

Now i know, it does.

So slap on some clear top coat and you're good to go!

Dear Lazy Bum,

It's past 9:30 AM and i've been up since 6 AM. I've already indulged in a not-so-secret stash of chocolate i found in the kitchen and i'm functioning pretty well on this caffeine and sugar high. But i'm trying to avoid the bedroom so i don't get lured into taking a morning nap.

I'm starting to believe, naps are complete Time suckages. But oh, how i love them!

Anyway, our apartment is much bigger than our last and with more corners to hide, Luna often plays Marco Polo. With every whine, i respond by calling out her name, which she then uses to acoustically locate me. It can get annoying but the second she finds me, she comes running towards me with a quivering tail and i forgive her.

As for Yoshi, he's passed out in the corner. Probably exhausted because he spent part of the night bringing random toys to the bed again. I woke up with some cling wrap, two plastic strings and a rolled up plastic bag shoved under my pillow. I'm just glad that they're not complete outdoor cats because that would mean i would have to start worrying about them bringing me rodents.

Speaking of outdoors, it's getting quite warm.

Yesterday when i went to the supermarket i had on a thin hoodie, by the time i got back i had already sweat bullets. My winter blubber has been following me around and lately, i've become self conscious about my growing muffin top. J has opted to ride his bike to work instead of using his car, which apparently only takes 15 minutes door-to-door, and i'm starting to feel that eating less junk food may not be enough.

My regular workout consists of walking around our 86 square metre apartment with the exception of walking to the train station down the road twice a week for German classes. And i'm starting to notice living in my 30s, means carbohydrates and all things sweets have started to set up camp on my thighs and arse for much longer.

I'm not keen on paying for a gym or a yoga membership and the nearest public pool costs 14.50 Euro for a two-hour visit. I've reserved bike rides with J for the weekends, so my only solution to get the blood pumping is either walking or learning how to jog. I've heard and read that jogging/running is a great way to burn calories but can be a bitch for ones' joints and boobs if you don't have the correct support.


But i should really stop making excuses and just go out, even if it means just window shopping along the main street. It looks like it's going to be a gorgeous day/week, so go out and do something!

Love,
Chrissie.

It's All Good In The Hood.

Apparently J was talking to his colleagues about me the other day and mentioned that i've been a little upset lately. When they asked why, he said it was because he's been spending most of his spare time after work gaming. Which to most outsiders, i would think, would probably sound a little selfish. But perhaps, sometimes it takes an outsiders' view to knock some sense into others.

And so their advice to him was to be nice and spend more time with me.


And so after he came home from work on Thursday, he returned with some DVDs in one hand and beers in the other. And because we couldn't be bothered to go out, we spent all Friday [thinking it was Saturday] watching random series and whatnot on television. And to my surprise, minus him playing his computer game in the background.

Let's just say, we kissed and made up... numerous times.

ANYWAY, moving on...

He originally planned on driving to his parents' house on Friday night but decided to postpone it to today instead.

In the last week he had organised for the walls in the family house to be painted since his mother intends on renting out the place. But seeing that she's overseas, J has taken it upon himself to make sure that the house is fixed up before the future tenants move in.


So instead of driving four plus hours, or more if he gets stuck in the school holiday and weekend traffic, he opted to take the train. It cost a whopping a 149 Euro but at least it won't be stressful or a tiring journey. And the best part is the train station is just at the end of the street and across the road!

And not long after he caught his connecting train he sent me this SMS;


Translated : Hello Bunny! Miss you and love you. Have yourself a nice evening. =) Soon i'm there again. xo

Even though he's coming home tomorrow evening, i miss him already. Pathetic, i know.

But it sure makes the reunion at the train platform more exciting.

What Lies Beneath.

It's been one week since my last post and in that time we've gone from t-shirts-and-shorts weather back down to don't-forget-your-layers kind of temperatures.


So i planned on writing sooner but as you know, laziness has a habit of taking over sometimes.

But between forever waiting for the feedback from my client and attending German classes twice a week, not much has happened.

Oh except, maybe, that i managed to piss J off once again on Sunday.

How?

By forgetting to take the key out from the inside of the door before i shut the door and we went out. You see, even though we had another set of keys with us, the fact that there was still a key inside the lock on the inside meant we couldn't turn the lock from the outside.

Oopsies.


So J had to call the locksmith for the second time [the first time happened last month] to come and open our door. And just like that we managed to waste 59 Euro.

As i continued to apologise to J, i could tell he was really annoyed with me. God forbid that anyone but himself is allowed to make mistakes. And that's when i reminded him i didn't get mad when he got two parking tickets and later got his car towed.

He kept quiet after that.

I then told him we were "even" when it came to wasting money and promised i would never, ever, forget my key in the lock.

We all fuck up at one point or another, but what i've learned is to accept it and move on.


We later spent the rest of the day cycling down the Rhine river and crossing one of the bridges to get to the other side.


And ended the day with yummy but overpriced Flammkuchen and an alcoholic beverage hence the smiles.


But lately i've noticed that J's been leaving obvious hints that he resents the fact that i am able to work from home. The fact that i get to stay at home, in his head, means i have more free time than him. And although i insist there's no comparison, our conversations always end on an unhappy note.

Then on Monday i was super happy when i received an advance on my payments. But my happiness was soon replaced with anxiety when i received an email from a potential new client saying that he may have to cancel working with me if he doesn't hear from his partners.

No work = No money. No money = Not Happy.

I reckon i've got a few more months until i start freaking out that my bank balance is a single digit, so for now i need a new plan.

I've got the next two weeks off from German class, thanks to Easter being just around the corner, so that should give me at least some time to do some research and start putting together my portfolio.