Today, Bill and I decided to go into Wiesbaden and visit Kunst-Schaefer to get more picture framing done. We had several paintings/prints that we’ve had for years that needed to be framed, a wooden carving from Bulgaria that needed a hanger, and a photo of Bill’s daughter’s family that needed proper presentation. So, late this morning, after a hearty Saturday breakfast, we loaded up the Volvo and headed downtown…

The same guy who always helps us– son of the proprietor, I think– came over and spent some time deciding which frames would go best with our art. One piece– a Van Gogh inspired painting– is getting special treatment, complete with matting. It, along with two other drink inspired paintings, was done by a military wife who ran a wine and painting class in Stuttgart. She was leaving in 2014, just as we were arriving, so we bought three of her paintings from the courses she taught. I bet she’d be surprised by the custom presentation her Van Gogh painting is getting. I don’t remember how much we paid for the paintings. I don’t think it was much. The framing will probably cost more.

Below: I noticed a memorial on someone’s upper window. The tent below was a fest sponsored by a local Mosque. The food smelled wonderful!

Funny thing about our picture framing excursion. When we showed the guy the picture of Bill’s daughter’s family, he said “Wow… lots of people.”

I said, “Mormons…”

The guy laughed, and then he realized I wasn’t kidding, and seemed momentarily flustered! We made it clear, though, that we aren’t LDS ourselves. One of our paintings is of a martini glass, and the other is of a beer glass. We told him we hang those in the room where we do most of our drinking. 😀

The guy’s mother is brilliant at matching colors. I think she might have irritated her son, though, because he was trying to figure out how we were going to frame the Van Gogh inspired piece, and she offered her opinions. I noticed a flash of impatience as she was making her case. The guy’s mom is really good at what she does, but so is he… I am sure it will turn out beautifully. I have some other pieces they’ve framed that I am delighted with. They are also very friendly, especially to those of us with VAT forms, and by now, they even know our name!

We spent about an hour or so deciding on our framing, and by the time we were finished, it was lunchtime. So we decided to try Les Deux Messieurs, a French bistro/boulangerie/patisserie on the market square. It serves all day breakfast until 7PM, as well as salads, sandwiches, quiches, and tarte flambees… I see on their official site that they’re a chain, with locations in Munich and Wiesbaden. We sat outside to enjoy the lovely weather, but it was a bit chilly because of the wind. Lunch was very good, and reasonably priced. It was just enough, too. Maybe some other time, we’ll try their eclairs!

Below are some photos of our lunch. At one point, a lady sitting behind us went and got an ice cream cone from another business and the wait staff told her she couldn’t eat it at the table, because they don’t sell ice cream there, and if other people saw it, they’d expect them to have it. Later, an older gentleman sat with us, and Bill had to help him with the menus that he didn’t see… Good thing he speaks some German! I tried to get a new selfie for my Facebook page, but wasn’t so lucky. I need to fix my hair.

After lunch, we headed to the pet store to pick up new food for Charlie and Noyzi. I bought them some pig ears, which they’d never had before. Once they figured out what they were, they were happy to experience them! We sent their taste buds on a journey! We also got some new food that I’m hoping won’t make Noyzi stink, like the food with salmon does. Lately, he’s been smelling like a kitty litterbox.

Finally, we went to the hardware store to get some supplies for Bill’s tomato plants. He needed stakes to support them and some fertilizer. On the way out, we bought some fruity wines from a lady selling strawberries…. Maybe we’ll try it later. We got dry strawberry wine, and sweet raspberry wine. Yes, our favorite hardware store as a slide for kids and a coffee station!

All in all, it’s been a busy and productive Saturday. I am cutting and trimming the grass and doing laundry as I write this. I may not bother with a main blog post today. The weather is so delightful, I think I want to go sit outside and get a dose of Vitamin D.

Ciao!